When you think of single-season points scored all-time in Chicago Blackhawks history, a few familiar names like Patrick Kane will pop up. But that won’t always be the case in single-season points-per-game leaders, as some of the players you will meet today played decades ago, and none of them saw the ice any more recently than the 1987-88 season.
If you’ve been a fan for more than a few decades or if you’re immersed deep into Blackhawks history, however, you’ll find more than your fair share of familiar names here, starting with one of the best players to wear a Blackhawks sweater in the 1960s.
Although Bobby Hull played for a few NHL franchises, his days with the Chicago Black Hawks were the finest of his NHL career. And Hull’s 1965-66 campaign was more than good enough to land him a spot on this list, as his 97 points in 65 contests were good enough for him to finish with 1.49 per contest.
He nearly hit that production again in 1968-69, finishing the year with 107 points in 74 games, or 1.44 per. One fun fact is that in both seasons, Hull led the league in goals, scoring 54 times in 1965-66 before coming back around in 1968-69 with 58. Oh, and he also paced the NHL in goals scored in 1966-67 (52) and 1967-68 (44).
Nobody is represented more on this list than Denis Savard, whose legendary run throughout the 1980s landed him four spots. Starting with the 1981-82 season, Savard finished the year with 119 points in 80 games, giving him 1.49 per contest during a season in which he also finished with 87 assists.
In 1982-83, Savard put up 121 points in 78 games, leading to 1.55 per contest when he once again eclipsed the assist-per-game mark with 86. His 1985-86 season wasn’t as great, but it was still good enough for Savard to land yet another top 10 spot, this time with 116 points in 80 games, or 1.45 per.
Finally, in 1987-88, Savard landed an epic 131 points in 80 contests, good for a remarkable 1.64 per. It’s a number that remains the best in franchise history, and unless Connor Bedard enjoys a few epic outings, it’s tough to see anyone besting that statline in the near future.
Stan Mikita spent his entire career in the Windy City, which lasted for 22 seasons. And his best outings came during the 1966-67 and 1967-68 campaigns that saw him lead the league in points in both years, and he also earned the Hart, Ross, and Byng Trophies, plus First-Team NHL All-Star honors.
But as far as points-per-game are concerned, that came in 1972-73 when he collected 83 in just 57 games. The number was good enough for 1.45 per contest and a seventh-place finish for the Hart. And like many names on this list, Mikita got close to the assist-per-game mark with 56 in those 57 outings.
Standing at 5’8, 145 pounds, Doug Bentley was one of the smallest players in Blackhawks, or Black Hawks, history, but a pair of epic seasons in 1942-43 and 1943-44 showed everyone that he deserved a fine place in franchise lore.
Bentley finished the 1942-43 season with 73 points and 33 goals in 50 games, good for 1.46 per matchup. He led the league in all three categories and took second place for the Hart. A year later, Bentley Put up 77 points and 38 goals in 50 contests, leading the league in the former two and taking third for the Hart in what was a 1.54 point-per-game outing.
While he didn’t lead the league in points produced, Max Bentley didn’t fall too far behind Doug Bentley that season, as he finished with 70 points and 26 goals in 47 games. Still, it led to him finishing the year with 1.49 points per, tying him for fourth all-time in franchise history.