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What are the top rookie seasons in NHL history? Here is our top 10 countdown:
10. Mike Bossy (1977-1978): 53 goals and 38 assists for 91 points with a +31 +/- rating; Bossy won the Calder Trophy, finished fourth for the Lady Byng Trophy, and set a then-rookie record for goals scored.
9. Mario Lemieux (1984-1985): 43 goals and 57 assists for 100 points with a -33 +/- rating; Lemieux won the Calder Trophy and was the first rookie to win All-Star Game MVP.
8. Dale Hawerchuk (1981-1982): 45 goals and 58 assists for 103 points with a -7 +/- rating; Hawerchuk won the Calder Trophy, finished fifth for the Hart Trophy, and at the time, was the youngest-ever player to reach 100 points in a season.
7. Sidney Crosby (2005-2006): 39 goals and 63 assists for 102 points with a -1 +/- rating; Crosby finished second for the Calder Trophy (to Alex Ovechkin) and surpassed Hawerchuk as the youngest-ever player in league history with 100 points in a season.
6. Alex Ovechkin (2005-2006): 52 goals and 54 assists for 106 points with a +2 +/- rating; Ovechkin won the Calder Trophy, finished sixth for the Hart Trophy, and was a finalist for the Pearson Award.
5. Peter Stastny (1980-1981): 39 goals and 70 assists for 109 points with a +10 +/- rating; Stastny won the Calder Trophy, finished 11th for the Hart Trophy, and was the first rookie in NHL history with 100+ points in a season.
4. Ray Bourque (1979-1980): 17 goals and 48 assists for 65 points with a +52 +/- rating; Bourque won the Calder Trophy and finished fourth for the Norris Trophy.
3. Terry Sawchuk (1950-1951): 44-13-13 record with a 1.97 GAA and 11 shutouts; Sawchuk won the Calder Trophy and led all goalies in games played, wins, and shutouts.
2. Tony Esposito (1969-1970): 38-17-8 record with a 2.17 GAA, .932 SV%, and 15 shutouts; Esposito won the Calder and Vezina Trophies, finished second for the Hart Trophy, and set a modern-day NHL record for most shutouts in a season.
1. Teemu Selanne (1992-1993): 76 goals and 56 assists for 132 points with a +8 +/- rating; Selanne won the Calder Trophy, finished sixth for the Hart Trophy, and set rookie records for goals scored and points in a season.
Agree/Disagree? As always, debate/discuss, and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Note: While Wayne Gretzky had 51 goals and 86 assists for 137 points with a +14 +/- rating and won both the Hart and Lady Byng Trophies in his first NHL season in 1979-1980, he was not technically considered a rookie because he had played the 1978-1979 season with the Edmonton Oilers in the World Hockey Association (WHA) and won the Lou Kaplan Trophy as Rookie of the Year.
Note: All statistics as of time of publication.
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