For our latest YouTube video, we took a bit of an interesting look at the 1975-76 NHL stats. In particular, we looked at scoring percentage, or shooting percentage – whichever term floats your boat. We sorted all the players by their shooting percentage (shots/goals) and weeded out those who scored less than 20 goals.
What becomes very clear is that those who score a lot of goals, take a lot of shots. But, the goal scoring leaders tend to have a high number of those shots turned away. In turn, those that have a higher shooting percentage don’t necessarily score a ton of goals. And, those that take ridiculous number of shots aren’t always putting many of them past the goalie.
So, what’s the point?
I’m not overly sure there really is one. This is a small snapshot in NHL and hockey history. If we looked before and after 1975-76 and in different leagues and levels, we might find a totally different story.
Let’s just say it’s a fun way of looking back at the game and maybe bringing some attention to a few players that may have been lost in the passing of time…
1975-76 NHL Scoring Percentage Leaders [Video]
First, take a relaxing couple of minutes and see who the top 15 were back in 1975-76…
By the way – our 1975-76 O-Pee-Chee NHL hockey card collection page has moved to this location: 1975-76 O-Pee-Chee.
The Numbers
1975-76 NHL Scoring Percentage Leaders (Min. 20 Goals)
Rank | Player | Team | Pos | GP | G | A | PTS | Shots | S% |
1 | Don Kozak | LAK | RW | 62 | 20 | 24 | 44 | 81 | 24.7 |
2 | John Bucyk | BOS | LW | 77 | 36 | 47 | 83 | 151 | 23.8 |
3 | Chuck Lefley | STL | LW | 75 | 43 | 42 | 85 | 207 | 20.8 |
4 | Errol Thompson | TOR | LW | 75 | 43 | 37 | 80 | 210 | 20.5 |
4 | Yvon Lambert | MTL | LW | 80 | 32 | 35 | 67 | 156 | 20.5 |
6 | Steve Shutt | MTL | LW | 80 | 45 | 34 | 79 | 223 | 20.2 |
7 | Yvan Cournoyer | MTL | RW | 71 | 32 | 36 | 68 | 163 | 19.6 |
8 | Peter McNab | BUF | C | 79 | 24 | 32 | 56 | 125 | 19.2 |
9 | Gilbert Perreault | BUF | C | 80 | 44 | 69 | 113 | 237 | 18.6 |
10 | Guy Lafleur | MTL | RW | 80 | 56 | 69 | 125 | 303 | 18.5 |
11 | Gary Dornhoefer | PHI | RW | 74 | 28 | 35 | 63 | 152 | 18.4 |
12 | Garry Howatt | NYI | LW | 80 | 21 | 13 | 34 | 115 | 18.3 |
13 | Reggie Leach | PHI | RW | 80 | 61 | 30 | 91 | 335 | 18.2 |
14 | Al MacAdam | CGS | RW | 80 | 32 | 31 | 63 | 177 | 18.1 |
15 | Bryan Trottier | NYI | C | 80 | 32 | 63 | 95 | 178 | 18.0 |
Of course, the head-turner here is the fact that the list is lead by Don Kozak of the Los Angeles Kings. Kozak barely meets the requirements, scoring exactly 20 goals. His shot total of 81 pales in comparison to league leader Bill Barber of the Philadelphia Flyers and his 380 shots on net. In fact, if Barber shared Kozak’s scoring percentage of 24.7%, he would have scored 94 goals on the season.
As for Kozak, it was a career year. Although he scored 21 goals for the Kings in 1973-74, he did it in 76 games. His 44 points in 1975-76 were a career best. He would play just two more seasons with Los Angeles, following by a 28 game stint with the Vancouver Canucks in 1978-79 before ending his days in the NHL.
The most powerful name on the list to me is Johnny Bucyk. The veteran was in his last real full season in the NHL. He would play the next two seasons but nowhere close to a full schedule in either of those campaigns. The fact that ‘The Chief’ scored 36 goals and had a pct. of 23.8 tells me this guy was simply full of skill, experience and wisdom. If he was shooting, he was shooting to score.
1975-76 NHL Goal Scoring Leaders
Rk | Player | Tm | Pos | GP | G | A | PTS | Shots | S% |
1 | Reggie Leach | PHI | RW | 80 | 61 | 30 | 91 | 335 | 18.2 |
2 | Guy Lafleur | MTL | RW | 80 | 56 | 69 | 125 | 303 | 18.5 |
3 | Pierre Larouche | PIT | C | 76 | 53 | 58 | 111 | 319 | 16.6 |
4 | Jean Pronovost | PIT | RW | 80 | 52 | 52 | 104 | 299 | 17.4 |
5 | Danny Gare | BUF | RW | 79 | 50 | 23 | 73 | 303 | 16.5 |
5 | Bill Barber | PHI | LW | 80 | 50 | 62 | 112 | 380 | 13.2 |
7 | Rick Martin | BUF | LW | 80 | 49 | 37 | 86 | 327 | 15.0 |
8 | Steve Shutt | MTL | LW | 80 | 45 | 34 | 79 | 223 | 20.2 |
9 | Gilbert Perreault | BUF | C | 80 | 44 | 69 | 113 | 237 | 18.6 |
10 | Chuck Lefley | STL | LW | 75 | 43 | 42 | 85 | 207 | 20.8 |
10 | Errol Thompson | TOR | LW | 75 | 43 | 37 | 80 | 210 | 20.5 |
1975-76 NHL Shots Leaders
Rk | Player | Tm | Pos | GP | G | A | PTS | Shots | S% |
1 | Bill Barber | PHI | LW | 80 | 50 | 62 | 112 | 380 | 13.2 |
2 | Garry Unger | STL | C | 80 | 39 | 44 | 83 | 357 | 10.9 |
3 | Darryl Sittler | TOR | C | 79 | 41 | 59 | 100 | 346 | 11.8 |
4 | Reggie Leach | PHI | RW | 80 | 61 | 30 | 91 | 335 | 18.2 |
5 | Marcel Dionne | LAK | C | 80 | 40 | 54 | 94 | 329 | 12.2 |
6 | Rick Martin | BUF | LW | 80 | 49 | 37 | 86 | 327 | 15.0 |
7 | Pierre Larouche | PIT | C | 76 | 53 | 58 | 111 | 319 | 16.6 |
8 | Guy Lapointe | MTL | D | 77 | 21 | 47 | 68 | 317 | 6.6 |
9 | Guy Lafleur | MTL | RW | 80 | 56 | 69 | 125 | 303 | 18.5 |
9 | Danny Gare | BUF | RW | 79 | 50 | 23 | 73 | 303 | 16.5 |
You can’t score if you don’t shoot. A number of these guys had decent goal totals simply because the odds were in their favour. They simply put the rubber toward the goal and hoped for the best.
But, then there’s Guy Lapointe. Guy seemed to do one thing only when the puck was on his stick in the offensive zone. But, the odds were against him scoring with a percentage of just 6.6%. Still 21 goals from a blue liner is always respectable. That total was wedged between the 28 he scored in 1974-75 and the 25 he netted in 1976-77 as the only three times he would surpass the 20 goal plateau during his NHL career.
Wow, have not heard of Chuck Lefley name in a long time. He had his shining moment that year.
Some one told me about the 55% rule a couple of years ago. If one team gets 55% of the shots on goal there chances of winning goes through the roof. I wonder if that formula worked back at the onset of the Canadines dynasty,
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