NHL: Montreal Canadiens and Most Times with the Most Points in the League

The Montreal Canadiens Last Led The NHL In Points In 1977-78

Yesterday, Sports List of the Day checked out NHL teams with the most Presidents’ Trophies – given to the team that finishes the season with the most points.

But that award has only been around since 1985-86. What about all those seasons from 1984-85 and before?

Today, we tally the comprehensive list of points-leaders from the very beginning (1917-18) through the Presidents’ Trophy era. In other words, here is every regular-season points champion, sorted by those teams with the most points titles.

And, yet again, as with so many other team records, the Montreal Canadiens are at the top. They have been the points champ 21 times (about 22 percent of the NHL’s 97 seasons). But get this – the last time they did it was nearly 40 years ago!

That’s not as bad as the Toronto Maple Leafs, though. They haven’t taken the points title since 1962-63.

Still – what’s really important, here? Having the most points at the end of the season or hoisting the Stanley Cup? The Leafs have won it all twice and the Canadiens thrice during those “droughts” above.

The Detroit Red Wings have 19 points crowns of their own. Together, the Red Wings and Canadiens have led the league in points 40 times (41 percent of all seasons).

Eleven teams have never won the points crown, including, surprisingly, the New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings.

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	TEAM	# SEASONS WITH MOST POINTS IN LEAGUE	SEASONS
1.	Montreal Canadiens	21	1927-28, 1928-29, 1931-33, 1943-44 thru 1946-47, 1955-56, 1957-58 thru 1961-62, 1963-64, 1965-66, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1972-73, 1975-76 thru 1977-78
2.	Detroit Red Wings	19	1932-33, 1935-36, 1936-37, 1942-43, 1948-49 thru 1954-55, 1956-57, 1964-65, 1994-95, 1995-96, 2001-02, 2003-04, 2005-06, 2007-08
3.	Boston Bruins	12	1929-30, 1930-31, 1937-38 thru 1940-41, 1970-71, 1971-72, 1973-74, 1982-83, 1989-90, 2013-14
4.	Ottawa Senators (DEF)	7	1918-19, 1919-20, 1921-22 thru 1923-24, 1925-26, 1926-27
5.	Toronto Maple Leafs	6	1917-18, 1920-21, 1933-34, 1934-35, 1947-48, 1962-63
6.	Chicago Blackhawks	4	1966-67, 1969-70, 1990-91, 2012-13
6.	New York Rangers	4	1941-42, 1991-92, 1993-94, 2014-15
8.	Edmonton Oilers	3	1983-84, 1985-86, 1986-87
8.	New York Islanders	3	1978-79, 1980-81, 1981-82
8.	Philadelphia Flyers	3	1974-75, 1979-80, 1984-85
11.	Calgary Flames	2	1987-88, 1988-89
11.	Colorado Avalanche	2	1996-97, 2000-01
11.	Dallas Stars	2	1997-98, 1998-99
11.	Vancouver Canucks	2	2010-11, 2011-12
15.	Buffalo Sabres	1	2006–07
15.	Hamilton Tigers (DEF)	1	1924–25
15.	Ottawa Senators	1	2002–03
15.	Pittsburgh Penguins	1	1992–93
15.	San Jose Sharks	1	2008–09
15.	St. Louis Blues	1	1999–00
15.	Washington Capitals	1	2009–10
22.	Anaheim Ducks	0
22.	Arizona Coyotes	0
22.	Carolina Hurricanes	0
22.	Columbus Blue Jackets	0
22.	Florida Panthers	0
22.	Los Angeles Kings	0
22.	Minnesota Wild	0
22.	Nashville Predators	0
22.	New Jersey Devils	0
22.	Tampa Bay Lightning	0
22.	Winnipeg Jets	0

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