If the Hart had existed throughout the entirety of the NHL, these guys should have won in the years it didn’t actually exist:
- Newsy Lalonde: 2 Harts
- Joe Malone, Punch Broadbent, Georges Boucher: 1 Hart each
- 1 year where we have no fucking clue who deserved it
Here are the details:
Listen to us talk about these players:
1922-23 – Georges Boucher, D, Senators (1st)
- Best Player by PPG: Babe Dye (1.82 PPG, 40P, 6 PS)
- Art Ross: Babe Dye
- MVS by PS: Georges Boucher (6.5 PS, 25P)
- MVS by PS factoring in playoffs: Georges Boucher
- MVF by PS: Babe Dye
- MVF by OPS: Babe Dye
- MVD by DPS:
- Sprague Cleghorn (5.5 PS, 17P)
- Billy Coutu (3.8 PS, 9P)
- MVG: Clint Benedict (6.2 PS, 14-9, 2.18 GAA, 4 SO)
- Best Player on Best Team (Senators)
- by Points: Cy Denneny (33P, 5.4 PS)
- by MVS by PS: Georges Boucher
- Best Player on Best Offensive Team (St. Patricks, missed the playoffs)
- by Points: Babe Dye
- by OPS: Babe Dye
- Best Player on Best Defensive Team (Senators)
- by PS: Georges Boucher
- by DPS:
- George Boucher
- King Clancy (3.2 PS, 5P)
- Harry Helman (2.3 PS, 0P)
- by GPS: Clint Benedict
Verdict:
This is a hard one. Our inclination, having seen none of these guys play ever, would be to give it to Boucher but if we acknowledge that Point Shares are flawed and Point Shares in 1923 are essentially worthless, it should go to Dye, but Dye’s team missed the playoffs. Denneny and Benedict (a goalie! shock! horror!) feel like decent choices but Denneny was a forward on the best defensive team in the league.
1921-22 – Punch Broadbent, RW, Senators (1st)
- Best Player by PPG: Punch Broadbent (1.88 PPG, 45P, 6.2 PS)
- Art Ross: Punch Broadbent
- MVS by PS: Punch Broadbent
- MVS by PS factoring in playoffs: Punch Broadbent
- MVF by OPS: Punch Broadbent
- MVD by PS: Harry Cameron (6.1 PS, 35P)
- MVD by DPS: King Clancy (2.9 PS, 10P)
- MVG: Clint Benedict (5 PS, 14-8, 3.34 GAA, 2 SO)
- Best Player on Best Team (Senators)
- by Points: Punch Broadbent
- by MVS by PS: Punch Broadbent
- Best Player on Best Offensive Team (Senators)
- by Points: Punch Broadbent
- by OPS: Punch Broadbent
- Best Player on Best Defensive Team (Senators)
- by PS: Punch Broadbent
- by DPS: King Clancy (2.9 PS, 10P)
- by GPS: Clint Benedict
Verdict
It’s a difficult choice, but it might have to be Broadbent. (That’s sarcasm.)
1920-21 – ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- Best Player by PPG: Joe Malone (1.85 PPG, 37P, 4.8 PS)
- Art Ross: Newsy Lalonde (43P, 1.79 PPG, 6.3 PS)
- MVS by PS: Newsy Lalonde
- MVS by PS factoring in playoffs: Cy Denneny (6.1 PS, 41P)
- MVF by OPS: Newsy Lalonde
- MVD by PS: Georges Boucher (5.8 PS, 18P)
- MVD by DPS: Eddie Gerard (5.5 PS, 15P) [Record]
- MVG: Clint Benedict (5.9 PS, 14-10, 3.08 GAA, 2 SO)
- Best Player on Best Team (St. Patricks)
- by Points: Babe Dye (40P, 6 PS)
- by MVS by PS: Harry Cameron (5.8 PS, 27P)
- Best Player on Best Offensive Team (Canadiens, missed the playoffs)
- by Points: Newsy Lalonde
- by OPS: Newsy Lalonde
- Best Player on Best Defensive Team (Senators)
- by PS: Cy Denneny
- by DPS: Eddie Gerard
- by GPS: Clint Benedict
Verdict:
The league’s two best forwards were on its two worst teams.
To us, this could go to Denneny, only his team was second last in offence by only three goals. It could be the rare time that one of us actually thinks it should go to a goalie, given that Benedict appears to have been the most important goalie of the league’s early years. But given Riley’s philosophical position on that issue, he thinks we should go with Eddie Gerard???
1919-20 – Newsy Lalonde (2nd), C, Canadiens (2nd)
- Best Player by PPG:
- Newsy Lalonde (2.04 PPG, 47P, 6 PS)
- Joe Malone (2.04 PPG, 49P, 5.3 PS)
- Art Ross: Joe Malone [Record]
- MVS by PS: Newsy Lalonde
- MVS by PS factoring in playoffs: No proper playoffs
- MVF by OPS: Newsy Lalonde
- MVD by PS: Sprague Cleghorn (5.8 PS, 21P)
- MVD by DPS: [Record]
- Georges Boucher (5 PS, 16P)
- Eddie Gerard (5 PS, 17P)
- MVG: Clint Benedict (7.6 PS, 19-5, 2.66 GAA, 5 SO) [PS record]
- Best Player on Best Team (Senators)
- by Points: Frank Nighbor (42P, 4.7 PS)
- by MVS by PS: Sprague Cleghorn (5.8 PS, 21P)
- Best Player on Best Offensive Team (Canadiens)
- by Points: Newsy Lalonde
- by OPS: Newsy Lalonde
- Best Player on Best Defensive Team (Senators)
- by PS: Sprague Cleghorn
- by DPS:
- George Boucher
- Eddie Gerard
- by GPS: Clint Benedict
Verdict:
Lalonde was more valuable than Malone and on the better team. (Malone’s Bulldogs were the worst team in the league.) You’d have to think McDavid deserved the 2018 Hart to vote for Malone here we think.
1918-19 – Newsy Lalonde, C, Canadiens (2nd of 3)
- Best Player by PPG: Newsy Lalonde (1.88 PPG, 32P, 4.6 PS)
- Art Ross: Newsy Lalonde
- MVS by PS: Newsy Lalonde
- MVS by PS factoring in playoffs: No proper playoffs
- MVF by OPS: Newsy Lalonde
- MVD by PS: Sprague Cleghorn (4 PS, 15P)
- MVD by DPS:
- Sprague Cleghorn
- Eddie Gerard (3.4 PS, 13P)
- MVG: Clint Benedict (4.5 PS, 12-6, 2.85 GAA, 2 SO)
- Best Player on Best Team (Senators)
- by Points: Frank Nighbor (3.7 PS, 28P)
- by MVS by PS: Sprague Cleghorn
- Best Player on Best Offensive Team (Canadiens)
- by Points: Newsy Lalonde
- by OPS: Newsy Lalonde
- Best Player on Best Defensive Team (Senators)
- by PS: Sprague Cleghorn
- by DPS:
- Sprague Cleghorn
- Eddie Gerard
- by GPS: Clint Benedict
Verdict:
Though you could argue a little for Cleghorn, we think Newsy wins this easily.
1917-18 – Joe Malone, C, Canadiens (1st)
- Best Player by PPG: Joe Malone (2.4 PPG [Record, obviously], 48P, 7.3 PS)
- Art Ross: Joe Malone [Record, obviously]
- MVS by PS: Joe Malone [Record, obviously]
- MVS by PS factoring in playoffs: No proper playoffs
- MVF by OPS: Joe Malone [Record, obviously]
- MVD by PS: Bert Corbeau (4.2 PS, 15P)
- MVD by DPS: [Records, obviously]
- Bert Corbeau
- Joe Hall (4.1 PS, 15P)
- MVG: Georges Vezina (5.1 PS, 12-9, 3.39 GAA, 1 SO) [Record, obviously]
- Best Player on Best Team (Canadiens)
- by Points: Joe Malone
- by MVS by PS: Joe Malone
- Best Player on Best Offensive Team (Canadiens)
- by Points: Joe Malone
- by OPS: Joe Malone
- Best Player on Best Defensive Team (Canadiens)
- by PS: Joe Malone
- by DPS: Bert Corbeau (4.2 PS, 15P), Joe Hall (4.1 PS, 15P)
- by GPS: Georges Vezina
Verdict:
Rarely has there been a more definitive verdict in the history of the NHL.
WCHL MVPs:
- PHL: 1927-28: No stats?
- PHL: 1926-27: Jack Connolly (1):
- 1st in Goals, GPG, Points and PPG,
- 2nd in Assists and APG
- 1925-26: Art Gagne (2):
- 1st in Goals, GPG, Points and PPG,
- 5th in Assists,
- 3rd in APG
- 1924-25: Harry Oliver (1):
- 5th in Goals,
- 2nd in GPG,
- 1st in Assists, APG and PPG, tied 1st in Points
- 1923-24: Bill Cook (1):
- 1st in Goals, GPG, Assists, APG, Points, PPG
- 1922-23: Art Gagne (1):
- 4th in Goals and GPG,
- 1st in Assists and APG (by 50%), 1st in Points, tied 1st in PPG
- 1921-22: Duke Keats (1):
- 1st in Goals, GPG, Assists, APG, Points (by over 50%), PPG (by 50%)
PCHA MVPs:
- 1923-24: Art Duncan (1):
- tied 1st in Goals, Assists and APG,
- 2nd in GPG,
- 1st in Points and PPG
- 1922-23: Frank Fredrickson (2):
1st in Goals, GPG, Assists, APG, Points, PPG - 1921-22: Jack Adams (1):
- 1st in Goals (by nearly double), GPG (by nearly double),
- 8th in Assists (at best), tied 8th in APG (at best),
- 1st in Points and PPG
- 1920-21: Frank Fredrickson (1):
- 4th in Goals,
- 2nd in GPG,
- 4th in Assists,
- 2nd in APG, tied
- 1st in Points, 1st in PPG
- 1919-20: Tommy Dunderdale (2):
- tied 1st in Goals and GPG,
- 4th in Assists and APG,
- 1st in Points and PPG
- 1919: Cyclone Taylor (5):
- 1st in Goals, GPG, Assists (by nearly double), APG (by nearly double), Points, PPG
- 1917-18: Cyclone Taylor (4):
- 1st in Goals (by over 33%), GPG (by over 33%), Points (by over 25%), PPG (by over 25%),
- 2nd in Assists and APG
- 1916-17: Gordon Roberts (1):
- 1st in Goals, GPG, PPG,
- 7th in Assists,
- tied 9th? In APG,
- 2nd in Points
- 1915-16: Cyclone Taylor (3):
- 2nd in Goals and GPG,
- 1st in Assists, APG, Points and PPG
- 1914-15: Cyclone Taylor (2):
- tied 2nd in Goals, 2nd in GPG,
- 1st in Assists (double second place), 1st in APG (nearly double second), 1st in Points, 1st in PPG
- 1913-14: Cyclone Taylor (1):
- 1st in Goals, GPG, Assists, APG, Points, PPG
- 1912-13: Tommy Dunderdale (1):
- 1st in Goals, GPG, Points, PPG,
- tied 5th in Assists,
- tied 6th in APG
- 1912: Newsy Lalonde (2):
- 1st in Goals, GPG, Points, PPG
NHA MVPs:
- 1916-17: Frank Nighbor (1):
- Tied 1st in Goals and GPG, Tied 1st (with someone else) in Assists and APG, 1st in Points and PPG
- 1915-16: Didier Pitre (1):
- 2nd in Goals and GPG,
- 1st in Assists, APG, Points and PPG
- 1914-15: Tommy Smith (3):
- 1st in Goals, GPG, Points and PPG,
- 7th? In Assists,
- 8th? In APG
- 1913-14: Tommy Smith (2):
- 1st in Goals, GPG, Points and PPG,
- 6th? In Assists,
- 7th? In APG
- 1912-13: Tommy Smith (1):
- 2nd in Goals and Points but
- 1st in GPG and PPG
- 1911-12: Marty Walsh (1):
- 1st in Goals, GPG, Points, PPG
- 1910: Newsy Lalonde (1):
- 1st in Goals, GPG, Points PPG
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