Milt Schmidt

Milt Schmidt’s Career

• NHL: 1936-42, 1945-55; 16 seasons, 14 quality
• Totals:
  • 229G (14th All Time at his retirement),
  • 346A (3rd) for
  • 575P (4th) in
  • 776 games (2nd),
  • 63.3 PS (22nd)
  • At his retirement, Schmidt was 13th All time in OPS
• Per game: At his retirement, Schmidt was
  • 25th All Time in GPG
  • 7th in APG (out of 8 qualifying players)
  • 13th in PPG (out of 13 qualifying players)
• Era: Of the 6 players to play it at least 700 games between 1936 and 1955, Schmidt is
  • 3rd in Goals, GPG, PPG and PS,
  • 1st in Assists, APG and Games,
  • 2nd in Points and OPS
• 82-game average: 25G, 37A for 61P
• 3-year peak (1939-42): 48-game average of 18G, 28A for 46P
• Playoffs:
  • 24G,
  • 25A for
  • 49P in 86 games
• Adjusted:
  • Hockey-Reference:
    • 305G, 540A for 845P
    • Adjusted 82-game average: 32G, 57A for 89P
    • Schmidt is not on any PG leader-boards
  • VsX:
    • 423G
    • 782A
    • 1,030P
    • Schmidt is 18th All Time in VsX Adjusted APG
• Never traded.

Milt Schmidt’s Accomplishments

• Hart (’51)
• Top 5 in Hart voting a further four times (’40, ’47, ’50, ’52)
• Back Check Best Player (’40)
• Back Check MVP (’40)
• Top Player:
  • Top 5 Player (by Point Shares) once (’40),
  • Top 10 twice (’47)
  • Best Offensive Player (by Offensive Point Shares) once (’40),
  • Top 5 thrice (’47, ’51)
• Goals:
  • Leader-boards:
    • Top 5 in Goals once,
    • Top 10 three times
  • GPG leader-boards:
    • Top 5 in GPG once,
    • Top 10 four times
  • Single-season totals:
    • 25 goals once, 20
    • goals four times
• Assists:
  • Leader-boards:
    • Led the league in Assists once,
    • Top 5 four times
  • APG leader-boards:
    • Led the league in APG once,
    • Top 5 four times
• Points:
  • Leader-boards:
    • Led the league in Points once,
    • Top 5 thrice,
    • Top 10 five times
  • PPG leader-boards:
    • Top 5 in PPG thrice,
    • Top 10 five times
  • Single-season totals:
    • 60 points twice (1 of only 12 players to do so at his retirement)
    • 50 points four times (1 of only 13 players at his retirement)
• All Star:
  • 1st Team All Star thrice,
  • 2nd Team once
  • 4 All Star Games
• VsX:
  • Best 7 Seasons:
    • Goals: 123rd All Time
    • Assists: 43rd All Time
    • Points: 56th All Time
  • Best 10 Seasons:
    • Goals: 113th All Time
    • Assists: 51st All Time
    • Points: 68th All Time

Great Teams

• NHL:
  • Best Player (by points) on one Runner Up (’46 Bruins) and two Final Fours (’47, ’48 Bruins),
  • Best Skater (led playoffs in points) on one Champion (’41 Bruins),
  • Top 6 Forward (by points) on one Champion (’39 Bruins), one Runner Up (’53 Bruins) and three Final Fours (’49, ’52, ’54 Bruins),
  • Top 9 Forward (by points) on one Final Four (’51 Bruins),
  • Role Player (by points) on two Final Fours (’38, ’40 Bruins)
• Senior:
  • Best Player (by points) on one Allan Cup Champion (’42 RCAF Flyers)

Schmidt didn’t deserve his Hart the one year he won it, but might have deserved it another year. And he wasn’t as offensively dominant as long as some of the greats of his era. And, despite some strong playoffs, he also had many weak playoffs. But I can’t shake the feeling he belongs.