Syd Howe

Career

  • NHL: 1929-46; 17 seasons, 12 quality
  • 237G (6th All Time at his retirement), 291A (2nd) for 528P (1st[1. Howe was the career leader in points from 1944-45 to 1946-47]) in 698 games (4th); 55.8 PS (21st)
  • At his retirement, Howe was 8th in GPG, 2nd in APG and 5th in PPG[2. Minimum 500 games, 34 qualifying players]
  • At his retirement, Howe was 15th All Time in Offensive Point Shares
  • Era: 2nd in Goals and GPG, 1st in Assists, APG, Points and PPG, 3rd in OPS and Games, 5th in PS[3. Of the 6 players to play in at least 600 games between 1929 and 1946, as only 3 played in 650 games over that span]
  • 82-game average: 28G, 34A for 62P
  • 3-year peak (1942-45): 50-game average of 25G, 35A for 59P
  • Playoffs: 17G, 27A[4. Howe was the career leader in playoff assists in 1944] for 27 points[5. Howe was the career leader in playoff points from 1944 to 1946] in 44 games
  • Adjusted: 343G, 506A for 849P
  • Adjusted 82-game average: 40G, 59A for 100P
  • Traded once in his prime, traded to the AHL[6. I.e. waived] at the end of his career, claimed in a dispersal draft.

Accomplishments

  • Top 5 in Hart voting twice (’42, ’45)
  • Top 10 Player[7. By Point Shares] once (’35)
  • Top 5 Offensive Player[8. By Offensive Point Shares] once (’35), Top 10 thrice (’41, ’44)
  • Scored 30 goals once, 20 goals four times[9. 1 of only 19 players to do so at his retirement]
  • Scored 60 points once,[10. 1 of only 19 players to do so at his retirement] 50 points thrice[11. 1 of only 7 players]
  • Top 5 in Goals twice, Top 10 six times
  • Top 10 in GPG four times
  • Top 5 in Assists twice, Top 10 five times
  • Top 5 in APG twice, Top 10 five times
  • Top 5 in Points twice, Top 10 four times
  • Top 5 in PPG twice, Top 10 four times
  • 2nd Team All Star once.

Great Teams

  • Best Player[12. By points] on one Final Four (’44 Red Wings), Best Skater[13. Led playoffs in assists] on one Runner Up (’41 Red Wings), Top 3 Forward[14. By points] on two Champions (’36, ’37 Red Wings), one Runner Up (’42 Red Wings) and two Final Fours (’39, ’40 Red Wings), Top 9 Forward[15. By points] on one Champion (’43 Red Wings), Role Player[16. by points] on one Runner Up (’45 Red Wings).

 

Howe was not really a dominant player and his playoff numbers do not make him look good. But how could the career leader in NHL points at his retirement not be in the Hall of Fame?

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