One season in the NHL in which a hockey player scores 40 or more goals is routine for a player like Alexander Ovechkin. This mark has been surpassed 623 times in the history of the overseas elite league. This was not uncommon, especially during the 1970s and 1980s.
The 2019-20 season saw five players crack the 40-goal mark in the NHL regular season, even though the season was interrupted by a coronavirus outbreak. Last season, when teams played only 56 games, Auston Matthews was even able to reach that milestone.
Once in a while, however, somebody shows up to score more than forty goals in a single season, and then you never hear about them again in that context. Some manage to do it early in their careers, and others find the right chemistry with their teammates and manage to double their usual number of goals. In the chapters below, you will find the 20 most surprising 40-goal scorers in NHL history.
A Canadian forward and 1995 World Junior Champion, Jeff O’Neill became the fifth player to be called up to the NHL by Hartford in the summer of 1994. Most of his career was spent with the Whalers and then in Carolina, to which the club moved. In that time, he scored four seasons with over 60 points. However, he never quite lived up to the expectations placed on his talent, except for the 2000-01 season. That season he scored 41 goals and contributed 26 assists. He played on an aging team with players like Rod Brind’Amour and Ron Francis and was the most productive person on the team.
He followed that up with two more seasons of 30 goals but retired at age 31. His reason was a fear of flying. And he played 871 games in the NHL and scored 496 points (237+259). But his 40 goal season will be remembered by Canes fans for a long time.
Discussion about this post