Does Joe Malone Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Joe Malone has the highest single season GPG in the history of the NHL. In that season he scored an incredible 44 goals with only 4 assists. Was he the worst puck hog in NHL history or was something else going on?

And where does Malone rank among the early hockey greats?

Listen to us discuss Malone’s incredible career here:

Joe Malone’s Career

• NHL: 1917-1924; 7 seasons, 4 quality
  • Totals:
    • 143G (2nd All Time at his retirement),
    • 32A (14th) for
    • 175P (3rd) in
    • 126 games (14th);
    • 21.5 PS (10th);
    • Malone was the career leader in goals during the 1920-21 season
    • Malone set the career lead in points in the first ever NHL season and regained the career lead in points in the 1921-22 season, but he was passed the next season by Cy Denneny
    • Malone was 4th All Time in Offensive Point Shares when he retired
  • Per Game: Malone doesn’t qualify
  • 82-game average: 93G, 21A for 107P
  • 3-year peak (1917-20): 24-game average of 38G, 7A for 45P
  • Playoffs: 6G, 2A for 8P in 9 games
  • Adjusted:
    • Hockey-Reference:
      • 189G,
      • 142A for
      • 331P
      • Adjusted 82-game average: 123G, 92A for 215P
      • Per Game: Malone doesn’t qualify for the Per Game leader-boards but, if the qualifier is set at 82 games, Malone is
        • 3rd All-Time in Adjusted PPG
    • VsX: Malone doesn’t qualify
  • Trades:
    • Traded at 29 to Quebec for unknown compensation
    • Traded at 30 to the Tigers for unknown compensation
    • Traded at 32 to the Canadiens for Edmond Bouchard (30)
• NHA:
  • 1910-17; 7 seasons, 6 quality
  • Totals:
    • 179G (1st All Time),
    • 27A (as high as 2nd All Time) for
    • 206P (1st) in
    • 123 Games (as high as 4th)
  • Per Game: If the qualifier is set to 82 Games, Malone is
    • 3rd in GPG and APG and
    • 1st in PPG
  • 20-game average of 29G, 4A for 33P
  • 3-year peak too difficult to figure out
  • Playoffs: no games played
• Ontario Professional Hockey League:
  • 1090-10; 1 quality season
  • 10G in 12 games
• CHA
  • 1909-10; only played two games (out of 4 possible)
  • 5G in 2 games
• ECHA
  • 1908-09; 1 season
  • 8G in 12 games.

Joe Malone’s Accomplishments

• Back Check MVP (’18)
• Back Check Best Player (’18)
• Top Player:
  • Best Player (by PS) once (’18) – set the single season record in Point Shares, not broken until 1924-25
  • Top 5 twice (’20),
  • Top 10 four times (’21, ’22)
  • Best Offensive Player (by Offensive Point Shares) once (’18) – Set the single season record in OPS The record was not broken until 1924-25
  • Top 5 four times (’20, ’21, ’22)
  • Top 10 Defensive Player (by DPS) once (’18) – so we know this is bunk
• Goals:
  • Leader-boards:
    • Set the single season record in Goals (held until 1944-45),
    • led the league in Goals twice,
    • Top 5 four times
  • GPG leader-boards:
    • Set the single season record for Goals Per Game (still held to this day)
    • led the league in GPG twice,
    • Top 5 five times
  • Single-season totals:
    • Scored 40 goals once (the only player to do so for nearly 30 years),
    • 35 goals twice (the only player to do so at his retirement),
    • 25 goals three times (1 of only 3 players at his retirement,
    • 20 goals four times (1 of only 3 players at his retirement)
• Assists:
  • Top 5 in Assists twice
  • Top 5 in APG once,
  • Top 10 in APG twice
• Points:
  • Leader-boards:
    • Set the single season record in points twice (the second record would stand until 1927-28)
    • led the league in Points twice,
    • Top 5 five times
  • PPG leader-boards:
    • Set the single season record in PPG (the record would stand until 1981-82 and is still 9th All Time if you ignore games played),
    • led the league in PPG three times,
    • Top 5 four times
• VsX: Malone doesn’t qualify
• NHA:
  • Goals:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Led the league in Goals twice,
      • Top 5 at least three times,
      • Top 10 at least four times
    • GPG leader-boards:
      • Top 5 in GPG at least three times, Top 10 at least four times
    • Single-season totals:
    • Scored 40 goals twice (probably the only player ever),
    • 25 goals three times,
    • 20 goals five times
  • Assists:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Top 5 in Assists probably twice,
      • Top 10 at least three times
    • APG leader-boards:
      • Top 5 in APG at least once,
      • Top 10 at least three times
  • Points:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Led the league in Points once,
      • Top 5 three times,
      • Top 10 four times
    • PPG leader-boards:
      • Top 5 in PPG at least three times,
      • Top 10 at least four times
• Other leagues:
  • Not on ECHA leader board the year he played
  • Not enough information about OPHL and CHA.

Joe Malone’s Great Teams

• NHL:
  • Top 3 Forward (by points) on one NHL Champion (’19 Canadiens – Stanley Cup finals cancelled due to Spanish Flu) and one NHL Runner Up (’18 Canadiens),
  • Top 6 Forward (by points) on one NHL Runner Up (’23 Canadiens),
  • On the roster of one NHL Stanley Cup Champion (‘24 Canadiens)
• NHA:
  • Best Player (by points) on one NHA Stanley Cup Champion (’13 Bulldogs),
  • Top 3 Forward (by points) and Captain of one NHA Stanley Cup Champion (’12 Bulldogs)