Best 1st seasons in NHL history
Who had the best 1st season in NHL history?
Wayne Gretzky holds the best 1st season in points: 137 in 1979-80, and Teemu Selanne in 1992-93 in goals (76).
Points
| # | Player | Season | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne Gretzky | 1979-80 | 137 |
| 2 | Teemu Selanne | 1992-93 | 132 |
| 3 | Peter Stastny | 1980-81 | 109 |
| 4 | Alex Ovechkin | 2005-06 | 106 |
| 5 | Dale Hawerchuk | 1981-82 | 103 |
| 6 | Sidney Crosby | 2005-06 | 102 |
| 7 | Mario Lemieux | 1984-85 | 100 |
| 8 | Bryan Trottier | 1975-76 | 95 |
| 9 | Kent Nilsson | 1979-80 | 93 |
| 10 | Mike Bossy | 1977-78 | 91 |
Goals
| # | Player | Season | G |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teemu Selanne | 1992-93 | 76 |
| 2 | Mike Bossy | 1977-78 | 53 |
| 3 | Alex Ovechkin | 2005-06 | 52 |
| 4 | Wayne Gretzky | 1979-80 | 51 |
| 5 | Dale Hawerchuk | 1981-82 | 45 |
| 6 | Luc Robitaille | 1986-87 | 45 |
| 7 | Mario Lemieux | 1984-85 | 43 |
| 8 | Eric Lindros | 1992-93 | 41 |
| 9 | Auston Matthews | 2016-17 | 40 |
| 10 | Kent Nilsson | 1979-80 | 40 |
Assists
| # | Player | Season | A |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne Gretzky | 1979-80 | 86 |
| 2 | Peter Stastny | 1980-81 | 70 |
| 3 | Bryan Trottier | 1975-76 | 63 |
| 4 | Sidney Crosby | 2005-06 | 63 |
| 5 | Sergei Makarov | 1989-90 | 62 |
| 6 | Larry Murphy | 1980-81 | 60 |
| 7 | Dale Hawerchuk | 1981-82 | 58 |
| 8 | Mario Lemieux | 1984-85 | 57 |
| 9 | Mark Howe | 1979-80 | 56 |
| 10 | Teemu Selanne | 1992-93 | 56 |
Power-play goals
| # | Player | Season | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Bossy | 1977-78 | 25 |
| 2 | Teemu Selanne | 1992-93 | 24 |
| 3 | Alex Ovechkin | 2005-06 | 21 |
| 4 | Jimmy Carson | 1986-87 | 18 |
| 5 | Luc Robitaille | 1986-87 | 18 |
| 6 | Sylvain Turgeon | 1983-84 | 18 |
| 7 | Dion Phaneuf | 2005-06 | 16 |
| 8 | Evgeni Malkin | 2006-07 | 16 |
| 9 | Petr Prucha | 2005-06 | 16 |
| 10 | Sidney Crosby | 2005-06 | 16 |
Game-winning goals
| # | Player | Season | GWG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auston Matthews | 2016-17 | 8 |
| 2 | Artemi Panarin | 2015-16 | 7 |
| 3 | David Volek | 1988-89 | 7 |
| 4 | Dion Phaneuf | 2005-06 | 7 |
| 5 | Elias Pettersson | 2018-19 | 7 |
| 6 | Jeff Carter | 2005-06 | 7 |
| 7 | Teemu Selanne | 1992-93 | 7 |
| 8 | Evgeni Malkin | 2006-07 | 6 |
| 9 | James van Riemsdyk | 2009-10 | 6 |
| 10 | Jonas Hoglund | 1996-97 | 6 |
Wins (goalie)
| # | Player | Season | W |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ron Hextall | 1986-87 | 37 |
| 2 | Roman Cechmanek | 2000-01 | 35 |
| 3 | Steve Mason | 2008-09 | 33 |
| 4 | Brandon Bussi | 2025-26 | 31 |
| 5 | Henrik Lundqvist | 2005-06 | 30 |
| 6 | Grant Fuhr | 1981-82 | 28 |
| 7 | Sergei Bobrovsky | 2010-11 | 28 |
| 8 | Tom Barrasso | 1983-84 | 26 |
| 9 | Carey Price | 2007-08 | 24 |
| 10 | Fredrik Norrena | 2006-07 | 24 |
Shutouts
| # | Player | Season | SO |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roman Cechmanek | 2000-01 | 10 |
| 2 | Steve Mason | 2008-09 | 10 |
| 3 | Elvis Merzlikins | 2019-20 | 5 |
| 4 | Niklas Backstrom | 2006-07 | 5 |
| 5 | Tommy Soderstrom | 1992-93 | 5 |
| 6 | Blaine Lacher | 1994-95 | 4 |
| 7 | Brian Boucher | 1999-00 | 4 |
| 8 | Eddie Lack | 2013-14 | 4 |
| 9 | Jim Carey | 1994-95 | 4 |
| 10 | Martin Jones | 2013-14 | 4 |
Regular season only, counting stats only. A season is numbered from the first season on file for that player, so a career that began before the league’s rows start is numbered from where the data does. NHL all-time records