The Utah Hockey Club will likely miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs in their inaugural season, but this will still be a very successful first year in the NHL. The team has a winning record and is still in contention for a postseason berth with seven games remaining. They trail the Minnesota Wild by eight points for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
Even if Utah misses the postseason, the performance from first-year captain Clayton Keller is an undoubted success. The 26-year-old has been the team’s best forward once again, and with his latest goal he joined elite NHL company.
Keller’s latest goal was his 25th goal and 80th point of the season. It’s the second time he’s hit the 80-point mark in his career, but this time carries a bit more historical weight.
Keller became just the eighth player in NHL history to record 80 points or more in the inaugural season of a franchise. He’s the first player to do so since the 1992-1993 season, when Brian Bradley recorded 86 points for the brand-new Tampa Bay Lightning franchise.
The player with the most points in the inaugural season of an NHL franchise is, unsurprisingly, Wayne Gretzky. During the Edmonton Oilers’ debut in 1979-1980, The Great One recorded 51 goals and 86 assists for 137 points. Gretzky not only set a record for most points recorded in the first year of a franchise, he also tied the legendary Marcel Dionne for the league lead in points as a first-year player in the NHL.
Keller will be hard-pressed to reach the 90-point mark, but that won’t diminish how impressive his season has been. Leading a new franchise in today’s NHL is no easy task, especially without a superstar or MVP candidate. Keller successfully took on the captain’s responsibility and played his way into elite NHL company. He hopes to finish the season strong and guide his team to the postseason in their first campaign.
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