Elmer Lach

Elmer Lach’s Career

  • NHL: 1940-54; 14 seasons, 12 quality
  • Totals:
    • 215G (20th All Time at his retirement),
    • 408A (1st – Lach held the career lead in assists from 1951-52 until 1957-58) for
    • 623P (2nd – Lach held the career lead in points from 1951-52 until 1953-54) in
    • 664 games (8th);
    • 61.1 PS (24th)
  • Per Game: At his retirement, Lach was
    • 23rd All Time in GPG,
    • 2nd in APG (only 4 qualifying players…) and
    • 5th in PPG
  • At his retirement, Lach was 15th All Time in Offensive Point Shares
  • Era: Of the 10 players to play in at least 600 games between 1940 and 1954, as only 3 players played in 650 games, Lach is
    • 5th in Goals and GPG,
    • 1st in Assists and APG,
    • 2nd in Points, PPG and Games,
    • 3rd in OPS,
    • 4th in PS
  • 82-game average: 26G, 50A for 77P
  • 3-year peak (1942-45): 50-game average of 24G, 50A for 73P
  • Playoffs:
    • 19G,
    • 45A (Lach held the career record for playoff assists from 1952 until 1957)
    • 64P in
    • 76 games;
    • Lach held the career record for playoff APG, among all qualifying players, from 1946 until 1952.
  • Adjusted:
    • Hockey-Reference:
      • 248G, 568A 816P
      • Adjusted 82-game: 31G, 70A for 101P
      • Per Game: Lach is
        • 8th All Time in Adjusted APG and
        • 16th in Adjusted PPG
    • VsX:
      • 351G, 804A, 930P [Stats calculated separately, relative to others, so they don’t add up]
      • Per Game: Lach is
        • 7th All Time in APG
        • 21st All Time in PPG
  • Never traded.

Elmer Lach’s Accomplishments

  • Hart (’45)
  • Top 5 in Hart voting a further two times (’48, ’52)
  • Back Check MVP (’44, ’45)
  • Back Check Best Player (’45, ’48)
  • Art Ross (’48)
  • Top Player:
    • Top 5 Player (by Point Shares) once (’48),
    • Top 10 twice (’45)
    • Best Offensive Player (by Offensive Point Shares) once (’48),
    • Top 5 twice (’45),
    • Top 10 three times (’52)
  • Goals:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Top 5 in Goals once,
      • Top 10 three times
    • GPG leader-boards:
      • Top 5 in GPG once,
      • Top 10 twice
    • Single-season totals:
      • Scored 30 goals once,
      • 25 goals twice,
      • 20 goals four times
  • Assists:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Led the league in Assists three times,
      • Top 5 seven times
    • APG leader-boards:
      • Led the league in APG twice,
      • Top 5 seven times
    • Single-season totals:
      • Tallied 50 assists twice (he only player to do so at his retirement)
      • 40 assists four times (1 of only 2 players to do so at his retirement)
  • Points:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Led the league in Points twice,
      • Top 5 four times,
      • Top 10 six times
    • PPG leader-boards:
      • Led the league in PPG twice,
      • Top 5 five times,
      • Top 10 six times
    • Single-season totals:
      • Scored 80 points once (1 of only 3 players at his retirement)
      • 70 points twice ( 1 of only 7 players to do so at his retirement)
      • 60 points four times (1 of only 6 players to do so at his retirement)
      • 50 points five times (1 of only 13 players to do so at his retirement)
  • All Star:
    • 1st Team All Star thrice,
    • 2nd Team team twice
    • 3 All Star Games
  • VsX:
    • Best 7 Seasons:
      • Goals: 180th All Time
      • Assists: 10th All Time
      • Points: 61st All Time
    • Best 10 Seasons:
      • Goals: 162nd All Time
      • Assists: 19th All Time
      • Points: 65th All Time

Elmer Lach’s Great Teams

  • NHL:
    • Best Player (set the single-playoff record in assists, which held until 1958 and APG, which held the record until 1975, and he also led the playoffs in points) on one Champion (’46 Canadiens),
    • Top 3 Forward (set the single-season playoff record for APG, along with Toe Blake) on one Champion (’44 Canadiens)
    • Top 3 Forward on one Final Four (et the single playoff record in APG) (’45 Canadiens),
    • Top 3 Forward (by points) on one Champion (’53 Canadiens),
    • Top 6 Forward (by points) on two Runners Up (’51, ’52 Canadiens) and two Final Fours (’43, ’50 Canadiens),
    • Top 9 Forward (by points) on one Runner Up (’54 Canadiens),
    • Injured on one Final Four (’49 Canadiens).

Lach’s assist records make him look like a legitimate GOAT. But he was lucky and was one of the first players to take advantage of the league counting more assists.

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