NHL: Who is the greatest goal scorer of their generation?
By Jeremy Tuch
Joe Malone
Reign: 1917-20
Teams: Montreal Canadiens, Quebec Bulldogs
Goals scored during Reign: 90
Games Played: 52 out of a possible 64
Adjusted Goals per Game: 1.41
Goals per Game of Era: 4.70
Scoring Titles: 2
Malone was the first true king of scoring in the NHL. His 44 goals in just 20 games played for Montreal in the 1917-18 season would be a record that was held until 1945, in a season that had 50 games played, and no one’s scored anywhere near the rate of 2 goals per game ever since.
He missed most of the 1918-19 season with an arm injury and did not participate in the infamous influenza-ridden Stanley Cup Final that year. Phantom Joe joined the Quebec Bulldogs for the 1919-20 season, and set a record for 7 goals in one game, and led the league in scoring again.
The Bulldogs didn’t do well financially, and relocated to Hamilton, Ontario the following year. Malone was the top scorer of the Tigers for the next couple of years, but he was taken over by Cecil “Babe” Dye of the Toronto St. Pats.