Does Newsy Lalonde Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

The question with Newsy isn’t whether or not he belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame but rather, is Newsy Lalonde one of the Greatest of All Time?

Newsy’s dominance of the early NHL is unrivaled but where does he rank all time?

Listen here:

Newsy Lalonde’s Career:

• NHL: 1917-1922; 6 seasons, 5 quality (Plus a 1 game comeback in the 1926-27 season)
• Totals:
  • 125G (3rd All Time at his transfer out of the NHL in 1922),
  • 41A (4th All Time, career leader in 1919) for
  • 166P (3rd) in 99 games; 22.3 PS (3rd)
  • At his transfer out of the NHL, Lalonde was 2nd All Time in Offensive Point Shares
• Per Game: Lalonde obviously doesn’t qualify for the Per Game boards. But if we set the games played qualifier low enough: At his transfer out of the NHL (not including his comeback), Lalonde was
  • 2nd in GPG and PPG and
  • 3rd in APG
    • If the qualifier is set to a single modern season, Lalonde is
    • 1st All Time in GPG, and
    • 3rd in PPG
• 82-game average: 103G, 34A for 138P
• 3-year peak (1917-20): 24 game average of 37G, 12A for 49P
• Playoffs:
  • 15G, 4A for 19P in 7 games
  • Lalonde was the career leader in playoff goals until 1927
  • Lalonde was the career leader in playoff points until 1932
  • Per Game: Lalonde doesn’t qualify for the leader-boards, however
    • Lalonde is the All Time leader in single-season playoff GPG
    • Lalonde held the record for single-season playoff PPG until 1985, when Gretzky beat it by 0.011 PPG
• Adjusted:
  • Hockey-Reference:
    • 170G, 206A for 376P
    • Adjusted 82-game average: an absurd 141G, 171A for 311P
    • 1st All Time in Adjusted Points Per Game if the qualifier is lowered to the 99 games he played, which is absurd
  • VsX: Does not qualify
• Never traded within the NHL but transferred out of the NHL.
• NHA:
  • 1909-11, 1912-17; 7 seasons, all quality
  • Totals:
    • 164G (probably 2nd All Time),
    • 21A (probably 9th All Time) for
    • 185P (probably 2nd All Time) in
    • 108 games (as high as 9th All Time)
  • Per Game: if the qualifier is set to 100 games played (at least 9 players) Lalonde is probably
    • 1st All Time in GPG,
    • 6th All Time in APG and
    • 2nd in PPG,
      • Reducing the qualifier to 50 games (3 ish seasons) only lowers his rank in APG by 1, doesn’t affect the GPG and PPG
    • 15 game average: 23G, 3A for 26P
    • Playoffs: 0G, 1A for 1P in 2 games
• WCHL:
  • 1922-1926; 4 seasons, 3 quality
  • Totals:
    • 48G (probably 12th All Time),
    • 20A (probably 12th) for
    • 68P (probably 11th) in
    • 75 games
  • Per Game: If the qualifier is set to his 75 games played, Lalonde is probably
    • 6th All Time in GPG,
    • 7th in APG and
    • 6th in PPG
  • 30 game average: 19G, 8A for 27P
• PCHA:
  • 1911-12; 1 quality season
  • 27G in 15 games (led the league in Goals)
• Other Pro:
  • IHL (1906-07): 29G, 4A for 33P in 18 games
  • MPHL (1907-08): 0P in 1 game
  • OPHL (1907-09): 61G in 20 games
  • TPHL (1907-08 playoffs): 3G in 1 game

Newsy Lalonde’s Accomplishments:

• Back Check Best Player (’19, ’20, ’21)
• Top Player:
  • Best Player (by PS) once (’21),
  • Top 5 three times (’19, ’20),
  • Top 10 four times (’18)
  • Best Offensive Player (by OPS) three times (’19, ’20, ’21),
  • Top 5 four times (’18)
• Goals:
  • Leader-boards:
    • Led league in Goals once,
    • Top 5 four times
  • GPG leader-boards:
    • Led league in GPG once,
    • Top 5 four times
  • Single season totals:
    • 35 goals once (1 of only 4 players ever to do so at his departure from the NHL),
    • 30 goals twice (1 of only 4 players ever at his departure),
    • 20 goals four times (1 of only 2 players ever at his departure)
• Assists:
  • Leader-boards:
    • Tied the single season record for assists in 1918-19,
    • Top 5 in Assists twice,
    • Top 10 four times
  • APG Leader-boards:
    • Set the single season record in APG in 1918-19 season but lost it the season after
    • Led league in APG once,
    • Top 5 twice,
    • Top 10 three times
• Points:
  • Leader-boards:
    • Led league in Points twice,
    • Top 5 four times
  • PPG leader-boards:
    • Led the league in PPG once,
    • Top 5 four times
• NHA:
  • Goals:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Led the league in Goals twice,
      • Top 5 three times,
      • Top 10 six times
    • GPG leader-boards:
      • Led the league in GPG twice,
      • Top 5 five times,
      • Top 10 at least six times
  • Assists:
    • Probably Top 10 in APG three times
  • Points:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Led the league in Points once,
      • Top 5 twice,
      • Top 10 six times
    • PPG leader-boards:
      • Led the league in PPG once,
      • Top 5 four times,
      • Top 10 at least six times
• WCHL:
  • Goals:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Led the league in Goals once,
      • Top 10 at least twice
    • GPG leader-boards:
      • Led the league in GPG at least once,
      • Top 10 at least twice
  • Assists:
    • Led the league in APG at least once
  • Points:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Top 5 in Points once,
      • Top 10 twice
    • PPG leader-boards:
      • Led the league in PPG once,
      • Top 5 at least twice
• PCHA
  • Goals:
    • Led the PCHA in Goals once
  • Points:
    • Led the PCHA in Points once.

Newsy Lalonde’s Great Teams:

• NHL:
  • Best Player (led NHL Playoffs in goals – setting the record, which held up until 1944, and Lalonde’s 2.2 playoff GPG has never been equaled in 100 years – and led the NHL playoffs in points – setting the record, which held up until 1939, and his PPG record held up until 1985) on one near-Champion (’19 Canadiens – series cancelled due to Spanish flu)
  • Best Player (Led the NHL playoffs in all offensive categories but his records for assists and points in a single playoff would be broken the next year – for points, by himself) on one NHL Champion Runner Up (’18 Canadiens)
• NHA:
  • Player-Coach of one Stanley Cup Champion (’16 Canadiens) and one Runner Up (’17 Canadiens)
  • Top 3? Forward (by points) on one Stanley Cup Runner Up (’08 Professionals)