The Shooting Gallery

Salary History of Current & Past NHL Players
(1989 - now)
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Stats of Current and Past Players
(pro/minor/amateur)
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The Shooting Gallery
Copyright Iain Fyffe, 2002
Published October 27, 2002

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Here’s a list I’ll bet you’ve never seen: the single-season NHL shots on goal leaders, since 1967/68 (when the stat was first officially recorded):

		Tm	Year	GP	S
1.	Phil Esposito	Bos	1970/71	78	550
2.	Paul Kariya	Ana	1998/99	82	429
3.	Phil Esposito	Bos	1971/72	76	426
4.	Bobby Hull	Chi	1968/69	74	414
5.	Bobby Orr	Bos	1969/70	76	413
6.	Phil Esposito	Bos	1972/73	78	411
7.	Brett Hull	StL	1991/92	73	408
8.	Pavel Bure	Van	1992/93	83	407
9.	Phil Esposito	Bos	1969/70	76	405
10.	Jaromir Jagr	Pgh	1995/96	82	403
11.	Brendan Shanahan	StL	1993/94	81	397
12.	Phil Esposito	Bos	1973/74	78	393
13.	Bobby Orr	Bos	1970/71	78	392
14.	Brett Hull	StL	1993/94	81	392
15.	Brett Hull	StL	1992/93	80	390
16.	Ray Bourque	Bos	1995/96	82	390
17.	Brett Hull	StL	1990/91	78	389
18.	Steve Yzerman	Det	1988/89	80	388
19.	Teemu Selanne	Wpg	1992/93	84	387
20.	Ray Bourque	Bos	1993/94	72	386

Two men dominate the list: Phil Esposito, with five spots (all in the top twelve), and Brett Hull, with four spots. 400 shots in a season has been recorded only 10 times since 1967/68, including four times by Esposito.

Notice also the time periods represented. There are basically two: 1968/69 through 1973/74 (eight spots), and 1991/92 through 1998/99 (ten spots). What so these periods have in common? You guessed it, expansion. Although these men are frightening snipers all, their totals are clearly inflated by the time in which they played.

One thing really stands out. Esposito is #1 with 550 shots. That’s 28% more than Kariya’s #2 spot. And that’s not even considering Kariya’s four extra games. That’s a ridiculous degree of separation at the top. No wonder we never heard about Kariya’s achievement when he hit #2 in 1999. Or maybe it’s because nobody knew…

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