Breaking down the top 10 single-season points scorers in Canadiens history
No other team in the NHL has a more storied history than the Montreal Canadiens, and if you’re new to the team because they have a deeper story than the other 31 franchises, you chose to follow the right organization. Anyway, now it’s time to learn some history about your new team, or if you’ve been a fan for a while, it’s time to learn even more about some legendary players.
Today, we’re talking about the top 10 single-season points scorers in Habs history, even if you will only see four names below. This is because one player listed has had six seasons in which he finished the year that saw him grace the top 10 - six straight seasons, might I add.
So, which players were lucky enough to earn a top 10 spot in team history as the Habs finest single-season points producers? Keep reading, and you will discover four incredible players whose names will be among the first you think about when you hear the words Montreal Canadiens.
Steve Schutt, 1976-77
Steve Schut enjoyed a successful 13-year run with the Canadiens, but his 1976-77 outing is what gave him a spot on this list. That season, Schutt earned a place as a First-Team NHL All-Star with a 105-point, 60-goal outing. And yep, he led the league in goals scored that year, and it occurred during a six-season run in which he finished with no fewer than 73 points between 1975-76 and 1980-81.
Pete Mahovlich, 1974-75, 1975-76
Just two players made this list multiple times, and Pete Mahovlich was one of them, starting with his epic 1974-75 campaign. He put up 35 goals, but his 82 assists propelled him to a 117-point season, setting the stage for a 1975-76 season that saw him end the year with 34 goals, 71 assists, and 105 points. The latter season saw him snag a seventh-place finish for the Hart Trophy, which was one of two seasons that he received top-10 consideration for the award.
Mats Naslund, 1985-86
One of the smallest players in NHL history at just 5’7, 160 pounds, Mats Naslund was a force on the ice throughout his eight seasons with the Canadiens, finishing his stint with 612 points and 243 goals in 617 games.
But his best year came in 1985-86, in which Naslund ended the season with 43 goals and 67 assists, good for 110 points and Second-Team All-Star honors. This legendary season came amidst a five-year streak that saw Naslund end each regular season campaign with 79 or more regular season points, and he was often thrown into consideration for a spot on several NHL All-Star Teams and the Lady Byng Trophy.
Guy Lafleur, 1974-75, 1975-76, 1979-80, 1978-79, 1977-78, 1976-77
One of the best players in team history, six of the Habs top 10 seasons came courtesy of Guy Lafleur in a stint that saw him hit the century mark in points six seasons in a row, beginning in 1974-75. In all six seasons, he earned a spot as a First-Teamer on the NHL All-Star Team while winning the Hart twice, the Pearson three times, the Ross three times, and the Smythe Trophy once.
In that legendary 1974-75 season, Lafleur scored 53 goals and logged 66 assists, good for 119 points. 1975-76 marked the first of three straight campaigns in which Lafleur led the league in points, finishing the season with 125 of them plus 56 goals and 69 assists.
Lafleur again scored 56 goals the following season, but his 80 assists allowed him to end the campaign with 136 points before what was a 60-goal, 132-point outing in 1977-78. Fast-forward to 1978-79, Lafleur ended the year with 129 points and 52 goals, and finally, in 1979-80, Pearson hit 125 points and found the back of the net 50 times.
Overall, it was a legendary stint, and it’s one of many reasons Lafleur earned a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame, alongside the numerous awards we mentioned earlier plus five Stanley Cups and a place on the NHL’s 100th Anniversary Team.
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(Statistics powered by Hockey-Reference)