66 goals in season. A classic Old Guy Who Won a Stanley Cup. Scored 40 goals three seasons in a row for the Leafs. That mustache.
Sounds like he should be in, right? But McDonald was not a point-a-game player and he actually only had 4 really good seasons. (Seriously.)
So does Lanny McDonald belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Listen to us discuss his case here:
Lanny McDonald’s Career:
- NHL: 1973-89; 15 seasons, 11 quality
- Totals:
- 500G (14th All Time at his retirement),
- 506A for
- 1006P (23rd All Time at his retirement),
- +39 in
- 1111 Games;
- 84.2 PS
- Draft: McDonald, drafted 4th overall in 1973, is
- 1st in Goals
- 4th in Assists
- 2nd in Points (1st Forward)
- 8th in Plus/Minus
- 2nd in Point Shares (1st Forward)
- 2nd in Games
- Era: Of the 28 Skaters to play in at least 902 games (11 modern seasons), McDonald is
- 2nd in Goals (behind by 163…)
- 3rd in GPG
- 10th in Assists
- 16th in APG
- 6th in Points
- 8th in PPG
- 16th in Plus/Minus
- 5th in Offensive Point Shares
- 18th in Defensive Point Shares (8th Forward)
- 8th in Point Shares
- 82-game average: 37G, 37A for 75P, +3
- 3-year peak (1975-78): 80-game average of 46G, 49A for 95, +25 [McDonald’s 5 best seasons are 8 years apart so this makes him look worse]
- No possession stats
- Playoffs:
- 44G,
- 40A for
- 84P,
- -12 in
- 117 Games
- Era: Of the 89 skaters to play in at least 82 playoff games between 1973 and 1989, McDonald is
- 17th in playoff Goals
- 14th in playoff GPG
- 38th in playoff Assists
- 46th in playoff APG
- 27th in playoff Points
- 26th in playoff PPG
- 80th in playoff Plus/Minus
- Adjusted:
- Hockey-Reference:
- 412G,
- 424A for
- 836P
- 82-game average: 30G 31A for 62P (-13P in 8 games)
- Per Game: obviously not in the Top 25
- VsX:
- 435G
- Assists: doesn’t qualify
- 831P
- Per Game: obviously not in the Top 25
- Hockey-Reference:
- Trades:
- Traded at 26 with Joel Quenneville (21) to the Rockies for Pat Hickey (26) and Wilf Paiement (24)
- Traded at 28 with a 1981 4th Rounder to the Flames for Don Lever (31) and Bob MacMillan (28)
Lanny McDonald’s Accomplishments:
- Masterton (‘83)
- Clancy (‘88)
- Top Player:
- Top 5 Offensive Player twice (‘77, ‘83)
- Top 10 Offensive Player four times (‘78, ‘79)
- Goals:
- Leader-boards:
- Top 5 in Goals three times
- Top 10 in Goals four times
- GPG leader-boards:
- Top 5 in GPG three times
- Top 10 in GPG four times
- Single-season totals:
- 65 goals once (1 of only 12 players ever, 8 at his retirement)
- 45 goals three times (1 of only 25 players at his retirement)
- 40 goals six times (1 of only 23 players ever, 11 at his retirement)
- 35 goals eight times (1 of only 22 players ever, 10 at his retirement)
- 30 goals nine times (1 of only 19 players at his retirement)
- 25 goals ten times (1 of only 24 players at his retirement)
- Leader-boards:
- Assists:
- 50 assists once
- 40 assists seven times
- Points:
- Leader-boards:
- Top 10 in Points twice
- PPG leader-boards:
- Top 10 in PPG twice
- Single-season totals:
- 90 points three times
- 80 points seven times (1 of only 20 players at his retirement)
- 70 points nine times (1 of only 21 players at his retirement)
- 60 points ten times
- Leader-boards:
- All Star:
- 2nd Team All Star twice
- 4 All Star Game appearances
- Vs X Peak:
- Best 7 Seasons:
- Goals: 79th All Time
- Assists: doesn’t qualify
- Points: 150th All Time
- Best 10 Seasons:
- Goals: 78th All Time
- Assists: doesn’t qualify
- Points: 145th All Time
- Best 7 Seasons:
Lanny McDonald’s Great Teams:
- NHL:
- Top 3 Forward (by points) on one Runner Up (‘86 Flames) and one Final Four (‘78 Leafs)
- Injured (missed over ⅓ of the games) on one Champion (‘89 Flames)
- Canada Cup:
- Role Player (by points) on one Champion (‘76 Canada)