Most points ever in a "retirement" year

[Der Kaiser]

Originally Posted by steve141

Surprised noone's mentioned Gretzky with 62 points in 70 games as a pretty good last year as well.

The all-time leader for highest number of points in his last NHL season is Hakan Loob with 85 points in 79 games. He went on to play seven very successful years in Sweden after that though, so he didn't really retire. Just goes to show that he had much more to give before he left the NHL.

Indeed, I don't think Loob fits the scenario. He was arguably the best player in the SEL for quite a while after his coming home from Calgary. Many would probably consider him the best player to play in the SEL for a prolonged time post-1970 (it's hard to compare him to the 50s/60s players I guess). His 76 points in 1983 is still the SEL alltime record, despite todays schedule being 55 games to the 36 Loob played. Curiously, I heard his surname Loob is Estonian for 'Creator' or something like that. Fitting.

[reaper]

Lidström with a Norris and 62 points at the age of 41 is definately up there. He is on pace for 57 points at the age of 42 playing D. That has to be pretty much unheard of.

Does anyone have stats for points for players sorted by age and position?

[Thumper17]

Messier had a decent season for a 42-43 year old.

18 goals, 25 assists.

[Big Phil]

Originally Posted by Thumper17

Messier had a decent season for a 42-43 year old.

18 goals, 25 assists.

I guess if you look at it from those standards, however Messier was no longer relevant in the NHL at that point. There was talk at that time that he had hung around too long. Even today when we talk about Messier the feeling is that if he retired in 1997 he would have spared himself those awful years in Vancouver and his second term in NY. Can you imagine Messier retiring in 1997 after an 85 point season and one year removed from finishing 2nd in Hart voting?

Originally Posted by steve141

Surprised noone's mentioned Gretzky with 62 points in 70 games as a pretty good last year as well.

I thought about him too, but he was so worn down by then, he only had 9 goals. This is commonly considered the only season in his career that he wasn't elite anymore. Needless to say he is nowhere near Beliveau in 1971.

[eva unit zero]

Originally Posted by Hawkey Town 18

Ray Bourque won the Cup and was 2nd in Norris voting in his last season

Originally Posted by begbeee

I believe Bourque's last season was the best by the defensman.

It will be Lidstrom with a Cup and a Norris; he has already matched Bourque's 7 goals in 59 fewer games, he is ranked seventh in defense scoring (just like Bourque was), and the Wings' offense has finally gotten in gear. Lidstrom has been playing much better this season than he did last year - and he won the Norris last year.

[quoipourquoi]

Originally Posted by eva unit zero

It will be Lidstrom with a Cup and a Norris; he has already matched Bourque's 7 goals in 59 fewer games, he is ranked seventh in defense scoring (just like Bourque was), and the Wings' offense has finally gotten in gear. Lidstrom has been playing much better this season than he did last year - and he won the Norris last year.

Gee whiz, if I knew you were this much of a fan of the Red Wings, I wouldn't have spent all of that time talking about Steve Yzerman with you...


Which MacInnis year are we counting? 2003 or 2004 (3 games)? He was arguably the best defenseman in the league in 2003 with Pronger out of the lineup. I thought for sure the voting would go the same as it did in 1999. I'd put it above Bourque's for sure.

[Passchendaele]

Frank Mahovlich scored 80 before leaving for the WHA.

[eva unit zero]

Originally Posted by quoipourquoi

Gee whiz, if I knew you were this much of a fan of the Red Wings

It's not my fault Lidstrom refuses to age or decline at a significant rate and apparently isn't going to retire until he wins "just one more" Cup.

[The Lone Ranger]

Originally Posted by Muuri

If Selänne had retired after the Cup win(like he originally planned) he would have broken the record.

Originally Posted by InfinityIggy

Yeah but he only would have been....35?

Not as impressive as doing it at 40+

Speaking of ageless wonders,....

Gordie Howe logging 41 points in his final NHL season isn't bad, for someone at the age of 52!

At ages when others were done a long time ago, Howe was still lighting up the scoreboard. I don't care if it was in the WHA. Scoring 100+ points in any pro league when you are in your late 40s is amazing.