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Breaking down the Red Wings top 10 single-season points-per-game leaders of all-time

The Red Wings history dates back to the Original Six Era, and two players from that time made the cut in our single-season points-per-game all-time list.

By Todd Matthews |
Jan. 31, 2009; Washington, DC, USA; Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk (13) handles the puck against Washington Capitals center Sergei Fedorov (91) in the first period at the Verizon Center. Washington won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Jan. 31, 2009; Washington, DC, USA; Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk (13) handles the puck against Washington Capitals center Sergei Fedorov (91) in the first period at the Verizon Center. Washington won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Few NHL organizations have a more interesting history than the Detroit Red Wings, thanks to their plethora of Stanley Cups and successful players that helped them win those championships. Many of those names are listed among the top 10 players in franchise history in points per game, which equals the number of combined goals and assists they contributed, on average, in each contest. 

A few of the players listed made their respective marks in the Original Six Era, one was one of the NHL’s greatest players of the 1970s, and two others helped fuel those almost unbeatable teams in the 1990s. 

Mud Bruneteau, 1943-44

One of the Red Wings finest players in the Original Six Era, Mud Bruneteau tallied 53 points in the 1943-44 season in a season that saw him score a career-high 35 goals. Points-wise, Bruneteau finished the year with 1.36 per game, and it was the first time in his career that he eclipsed the one point per game mark. 

He nearly accomplished similar numbers during the 1944-45 season, accumulating 48 points in 43 contests, plus another 23 goals. And if you’re curious about the number of goals Bruneteau ended up with throughout his 11 seasons with the Red Wings, he totaled 141, but 81 of them came between the 1942-43 and 1944-45 campaigns. 

Sergei Fedorov, 1993-94, 1995-96

Sergei Fedorov enjoyed one of the greatest seasons in Red Wings history in 1993-94, adding his name to the Hart, Pearson, and Selke Trophies while ending the year with 120 points in 82 games. That equals 1.46 points per game, but he enjoyed almost as good of a year in 1995-96 when he knocked down 107 points in 78 contests. 

It was a season that ended with Fedorov taking the Selke yet again, and while he didn’t quite reach the 1.46 points per game mark, 1.37 per contest still landed him a spot on the all-time list. 

Carl Liscombe, 1943-44

Carl Liscombe also made his mark during the Original Six Era, and as you can see from the year listed above, Mud Bruneteau wasn’t the only one who enjoyed an epic 1943-44 season. Overall, Liscombe finished the year with 73 points in 50 games, landing him 1.46 per contest in what was the only season he reached above the point-per-game level. 

It was also the only year that saw Liscombe find the back of the net over 30 times (36 to be exact), which accounted for over a quarter of his 137 career goals. Liscombe also didn’t have a half-bad encore season in 1944-45, as he finished the year with 23 goals and 32 points in 42 contests. 

Marcel Dionne, 1974-75

Marcel Dionne wasn’t in Detroit long, but he averaged over a point per game in all but one season. That said, his age-20 campaign in 1971-72 wasn’t half-bad, as it saw him finish the year with 77 points in 78 contests, just shy of hitting the point-per-game mark. 

But nothing compared to what Dionne accomplished in 1974-75, when he finished the year with 121 points in 80 contests, good for 1.51 points per game. It was an incredible feat that bested everyone in Red Wings history not named Steve Yzerman, who we will talk about next. 

Steve Yzerman, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1992-93, 1993-94

In our top single-season point scorers piece, Steve Yzerman was listed more than any other player in Red Wings history, and the same holds true here, where, as you can see, he’s listed an astounding five times. 

In every season except for his 1993-94 campaign, Yzerman’s numbers grace the top four in Red Wings history, which once again supports the argument that he’s the best player the franchise has ever had. That 1993-94 season saw him snag 82 points in 58 games, good for 1.41 per contest, but the preceding years were almost off the charts awesome. 

In 1987-88, Yzerman played in just 64 contests, but his 102 points landed him with 1.59 per game. The 1988-89 season was even better, as Yzerman finished with 155 points in 80 games, giving him an astounding 1.94 points per contest, a mark that paces the franchise today. 

He struck again a year later in 1989-90, with 127 points in 79 outings, landing him a stellar 1.60 per contest, and his 137 points in 1992-93 ended with 1.63 per. This isn’t to say that Yzerman’s records won’t be broken, but it may be a while before anyone on the Red Wings accomplishes that again. 

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