Players scoring 50 goals in 50 games or less. For purists, this refers to a player scoring 50 goals or more within the teams’ first 50 games, not the players first 50 games. Of course, Maurice Richard was the first to score 50 goals in a season when the NHL only played 50 games per season. For the non-traditionalist, 50 goals is 50 goals, even if it takes 82 games to get it done. However, the following is a list of players that have accomplished the 50 goals in the teams’ first 50 games of the season. Scoring 50 goals in fifty games has only been done 8 times but by only 5 players.
Wayne Gretzky set what is probably an unattainable mark during his 92 goal campaign when he scored 50 goals in just 39 games. This mark, will, in all likelihood, never be broken. Gretzky also scored 50 goals in 50 games or less two additional times, once in 42 games and again in 49 games.
Maurice Richard (the first player to do it) and Mike Bossy (2nd player to ever) each scored 50 goals in 50 games.
Mario Lemieux netted 50 goals in the Penguins 46th game of the season (his 44th) during the 1988-89 season.
Brett Hull netted 50 goals in 50 games or less twice in his career. The first time he did it 49 games while the second time he accomplished this feat in the 50th game of the season.
PLAYERS TO SCORE 50 GOALS IN THEIR FIRST 50 GAMES (Unofficial)
The following players have scored 50 goals in a season in THEIR first 50 games but not necessarily the team’s first 50 games. This is not an officially recognized accomplishment, but, for anyone doing the math, it does average out to a goal a game or better, at least for the player.
Cam Neely scored 50 goals in his 44th game of the season but the Bruins had played 66 games by then.
Alexander Mogilny netted 50 goals in his 46th game of the season and his teams 53rd game.
Mario Lemieux did it twice in his career, but due to his misfortune of seemingly always battling injury, the Pens had played more than 50 games in the season. The first time he accomplished this feat was in 1992-93 when he scored 50 goals in 48 games (teams 72nd) and again in 1995-96 when he hit 50 in 50 but again the Penguins as a team had played 59 games.
Jari Kurri also dented the twine 50 times in 50 games in 1984-85 for the Oilers but the team had played 53 games.
