3 Art Ross Trophy Winners That Factored Into 50% or More of Their Teams Goals

Since the Art Ross Trophy was first awarded in 1947-48, just three winners have factored into 50% or more of their team’s goals during the regular season. In other words, just three players have have won the Art Ross Trophy with a point total that is at least half of their team’s total goals. The three players combined have accomplished this feat a total of seven times.

Each of these players was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy with exception of Mario Lemieux in 1988-89. Despite finishing 31 points behind Mario in the scoring race, Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings was awarded the Hart that season.

Lemieux was certainly quite valuable to that 1988-89 Penguins team. The finished second in the Patrick Division but had an iffy defense. The team was an overall minus 2 on the season. Pittsburgh lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round, going the full seven games. It was Mario’s fifth year in the NHL and he helped two others, Rob Brown and Paul Coffey, surpass the 100 point plateau.

Mario really could have used some help with the 1987-88 Penguins. The team finished last in the Patrick Division with a .500 record and were out of post season contention. After Lemieux’s 168 points, the next highest point total on the team was 79, belonging to Dan Quinn.

Jaromir Jagr weighed in on over 52% of Pittsburgh’s goals in the offensively boring 1998-99 season. The mediocre Penguins finished third in the Atlantic Division and were bounced by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, 4 games to 2.

The next six highest percentages belong to Wayne Gretzky with four falling at 50% or better. Perhaps proving that one player can’t do it all, the Oilers won the Stanley Cup just once over those four years. In 1984-85, finished first in the Smythe and took the Stanley Cup with a victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in the finals. Jarri Kurri and Paul Coffey were also 100+ point producers for Edmonton that year.

In 1981-82, the Great One created the insurpassable record of 92 goals while totalling 212 points. It was just his third year in the NHL. Just Glenn Anderson would join Gretzky on the upper side of 100 points. The Oilers were first in the Smythe and second overall in the NHL to the New York Islanders. Despite the regular season success, the Oilers fell victim to the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs.

It was a similar fate for the Oilers in 1985-86. Gretzky set the unbreakable record of 215 points while leading the team to first place finish. Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri and Glenn Anderson rode Wayne’s coat tails while all exceeding the 100 point plateau. Yet, the Oilers were bounced by the Calgary Flames in seven games in just the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Finally, in 1980-81, Edmonton’s and Gretzky’s second season in the National Hockey League, the Oilers finished third in the Smythe, well below .500 despite being an overall plus 1. In the first round of the playoffs, Edmonton met the heavily favoured Montreal Canadiens, a team that finished 29 points better in the regular season standings. The Oilers upset the Habs with a three game sweep. Edmonton fought valiantly in the second round but fell to the eventual Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders in six games.