Rookie Double Media Bonus

They say that some records can never be broken and then it seems that others are meant to be broken annually as players improve their training.  Now that we are over halfway through Season 51, it is time to take a look at some of the records that are out there and how the current crop of players is stacking up against them.  What makes this a little more challenging is trying to compare the eras, as the point cap was so recently increased.

For the purposes of this article, we'll look at all three eras and compare the current season outlook against all of them.  Some categories are more skewed than others and the modern era of 425 TPE cap only has last season's stats accounted for.  This does not diminish the feats but should be taken into consideration when evaluating each of these categories.  Furthermore, before Season 24, teams only played a 40 game schedule.  This does not affect all stats but should be kept in mind when looking at the stat total categories as they had ten less chances to add to their totals.  This is based on stats after 32 games played by most teams.

We start with the Goalies.  There have been some great performances over the years and no category has been hit harder by the increase in TPE cap than these guys.  

Save Percentage

The all time record belongs to Matt Lewis-Flood from the Militia with a .925 save percentage back in Season 29.  With the limited data from the 425 era, only one goalie got over .900.  The 425 cap record is definitely in play this season with all four top goalies within striking distance.  The overall record is safe from the looks of it.

Season 51
1. .902 - Markus Tegernako
2. .901 - Ian Venables :Armada:
3. .901 - Nolan McMahon

[b]50-Game Era 425 Cap (S50-present)
1. .902 - Emiko Spector (S50)[/b] 
2. .891 - Patrick Niederreiter (S50)  (33GP)
3. .885 - Kasperi Braulin (S50)  (37GP)


[b]50-Game Era 350 Cap (S24-S49)
1. .925 - Matt Lewis-Flood (S29) [/b]
2. .915 - Kasperi Braulin (S48)  (37 GP)
3. .914 - Patrice Nadeau (S47)  (34 GP)



[b]40-Game Era (S15-S23)
1. .922 - Colin Schmidt (S18) [/b]
2. .922 - Gustav Grimm (S17) 
3. .911 - Sterling Slade (S15) 




[b]Goals Against Average[/b]

Another category where the old cap levels have a clear advantage over the 425 players.  This season, the trend continues with no goalies currently trending towards coming close to the old caps and even the 425 cap record seems safe.

Season 51
1. 2.43 - Markus Tegernako
2. 2.47 - Nolan McMahon
3. 2.48 - White Goodman

50-Game Era 425 Cap (S50-present)
1. 2.34 - Emiko Spector (S50) 

2. 2.83 - Markus Tegernako (S50) 
3. 2.83 - Patrick Niederreiter (S50)  (33GP)

50-Game Era 350 Cap (S24-S49)
1. 1.55 - Matt Lewis-Flood (S28)  (39GP)

2. 1.91 - Kasperi Braulin (S48)  (37GP)
3. 1.98 - Max Smith-Frey (S33)  (37GP)

40-Game Era (S15-S23)

1. 1.74 - Gustav Grimm (S17) 

2. 1.94 - Colin Schmidt (S18) 
3. 2.00 - Brick Wall (S17) :impact:


Shutouts in a Season

This is a record where the numbers start to get a little closer.  Seven is the all time record which has been achieved three times, however if you take into account the 40 game season for the early era, two other players had a very good chance of either tying or beating that number.  The modern record is 5 and this season has only two goalies with just two so far.  This record seems safe on all three eras but you never know.

Season 51
1. 2 - Nolan McMahon
1. 2 - Ian Venables
3. 6+ tied at 1

50-Game Era 425 Cap (S50-Present)
1. 5 - Ian Venables (S50) 

T-2. 3 - Nolan McMahon (S50) 
T-2. 3 - Biz Nasty (S50) 

50-Game Era 350 Cap (S24-S49)
T-1. 7 - Matt Lewis-Flood (S28) 
T-1. 7 - Georgette Pel (S32) 
T-1. 7 - Carrick Murray (S35) 

40-Game Era (S15-S23)
T-1. 6 - Brick Wall (S17) :impact:
T-1. 6 - Mike Schmidt (S19) 

T-3. 4 - Kevin Griffin (S16) 

Unfortunately, those are the only three stats that we keep historical data on.  For the skaters, there are many more records to consider.  For all non-average records, the totals shown in the current season is a projection of where they will finish based on the number of that stat category divided by the number of games played and multiplied by 50.

Most Points in a Season

One record in and we can start to see the effect of having an extra 75 TPE in the cap.  Old point totals were beaten in just one season with the all time record set at 72 in Season 50.  This season, point totals are slightly down from last years totals.  There is a good shot that someone beats the 375 and 40 game era records but the all time record appears to be safe.

Season 51
1. 61 - Khabib Nurmagomedov
1. 61 - Daniel Bischoff
3. 60 - Jake Primeau

50-Game Era 425 Cap (S50-present)
1. 72 - Jagger Fouquette (S50) 
2. 63 - Barrett Blackwood (S50) 
T-3. 61 - Aron Hernadivic (S50) 

50-Game Era 350 Cap (S24-S49)
1. 69 - Nickolas Klaus (S45) 
2. 67 - Reed Laing (S32) 
3. 65 - Leafer Rielly (S34) 

40-Game Era (S15-S23)
1. 66 - Andrey Barbashev (S23) 
2. 63 - Alex Mack (S23) 
3. 60 - Yuri Boyka (S20) :impact:


Goals in a Season

Goals totals are pretty consistent in the last two eras with multiple 33 goal scorers.  The top total is 34 from the 350 cap era.  This season, it is going to be a very close race to chase that 34 goal mark.  There are a few players this season within striking distance but they will need to up their games a bit over the final 18 games to hit that number.

Season 51

1. 31 - Khabib Nurmagomedov
2. 30 - James Ronlain
3. 27 - Al Kayhall

50-Game Era 425 Cap (S50-present)
1. 33 - Jagger Fouquette (S50) 

T-2. 28 - Jake Primeau (S50) 
T-2. 28 - Skao Anazibf (S50) 

50-Game Era 350 Cap (S24-S49)
1. 34 - Alex Light (S32) 

T-2. 33 - Bjorn Knutsen (S24) 
T-2. 33 - Raven Silverwing (S27) :impact:

40-Game Era (S15-S23)
1. 27 - Yuri Boyka (S20) :impact:

T-2. 26 - Mikhail Krivokrasov (S15) 
T-2. 26 - Jamie Hawkins (S20) 


Assists in a Season

So far the 425 cap players have not caught up to the 350 or 40 game cap players.  Despite the fact that technically the all time record is 46 during the 350 cap era, totals of 44 and 43 back in the 40 game era would have surely ended up surpassing the 46 mark had they played 50 games.  In the 425 era, nobody has hit the 40 assist mark.  This season appears to have a few people capable of breaking the 40 assist mark but it will be difficult to surpass the all time record.

Season 51

1. 40 - Jake Primeau
2. 37 - five players tied

50-Game Era 425 Cap (S50-present)
T-1. 39 - Jagger Fouquette (S50) 
T-1. 39 - Aron Hernadivic (S50) 

3. 38 - Ryan Shepard (S50) 

50-Game Era 350 Cap (S24-S49)
1. 46 - Nickolas Klaus (S45) 

2. 45 - Sanyi Kocsis (S45) 
3. 44 - Brandon Girard (S24) 

40-Game Era (S15-S23)
1. 44 - Andrey Barbashev (S23) 

2. 43 - Alex Mack (S23)   
3. 40 - Mariusz Kwik (S21) 


Most Hits in a Season

The game has become much less physical over the years as speed and finesse seem to rule.  There are three people who have surpassed 200 hits in a season and none have done so since Season 30.  The all time record was set in Season 28 at an astounding 223.  This may be one of those records that never gets broken unless someone comes along and dedicates themselves to being a true enforcer early in their careers.  Since Season 30, the most hits recorded is 189 and only 159 hits in the 425 era.  The 425 record is definitely in play to be beaten this year though.

Season 51

1. 164 -  Kenny Creller
2. 137 - Karl Krashwagen
3. 130 - Jean-Paul Boivin

50-Game Era 425 Cap (S50-present)
1. 159 - Atlas Rush (S50) 

2. 157 - Luc-Pierre Lespineau-Lebrunette (S50) 
3. 145 - Stan Hanson (S50) 

50-Game Era 350 Cap (S24-S49)
1. 223 - Sim Browski (S28) 

2. 202 - Danny Foster (S30) 
3. 189 - Dani Forsberg (S36) 

40-Game Era (S15-S23)

1. 205 - Daisuke Katsu (S15) 

2. 177 - Jesse Jacek-Kix (S15) 
3. 151 - Bohemund Hadrada (S15) :impact:


Most PIM in a Season

If we talk hits, we have to talk penalty minutes.  The game has again cleaned up significantly as with less contact, comes less chance for penalties.  Also there are less fights which helps keep totals down.  Two players have tied at 160 and only one player managed to eclipse the 100 penalty minute mark in the 425 era with 106.  This season the 425 record is very likely to fall but the 160 minute mark is probably safe.

Season 51

1. 124 - Luc-Pierre Lespineau-Lebreunette
2. 97 - Zbigniew Pokrywka
3. 76 - Braedon Crowe

50-Game Era 425 Cap (S50-present)
1. 106 - Luc-Pierre Lespineau-Lebrunette (S50) 

2. 69 - Simon LeBlanc (S50) 
3. 66 - Prince Devitt (S50) 

50-Game Era 350 Cap (S24-S49)
T-1. 160 - Gorlab (S28) 

T-1. 160 - Danny Foster (S31) 
3. 158 - Danny Foster (S30) 

40-Game Era (S15-S23)

1. 138 - Kaspars Tsizling (S19) 

2. 107 - Vsevolod Nikitin (S21) 
3. 100 - Chuck Goody (S20) :force:


Plus/Minus

This is still a very good judge of a players overall skill.  The 350 cap era had some incredible totals with the overall record at 42.  The 425 era only has 33 as the top mark.  This is a tough one to project as a player can have a few bad games and drop well off of the pace for the lead.  There are a couple players within striking distance of the 425 records.

Season 51

1. 33 - Bobby Bobcalf
2. 31 - two tied

50-Game Era 425 Cap (S50-present)
1. 33 - Raquel Castillo Gutierrez (S50) 

2. 25 - Denver Wolfe (S50) 
3. 24 - Emeka Valentine-Okoli (S50) 

50-Game Era 350 Cap (S24-S49)
1. 42 - Reed Laing (S32) 

T-2. 39 - John Markie (S34) 
T-2. 39 - Jack Hansen (S34) 

40-Game Era (S15-S23)

1. 31 - Blake Sherrill (S20) 

2. 29 - Sterling Knight (S20) 
3. 28 - Jaime Hill (S20) 


Final Thoughts

There are some interesting records to keep an eye on as we wrap up Season 51.  It will be exciting if we see one or more of these marks go down.  I think it's clear that some of the all time records are going to be very difficult to ever take down.