Breaking the ice: The 25 greatest rookie seasons in NHL history

With one NHL game under his belt -- three seasons prior, Binnington was called up to the Blues in December 2018. The rest is St. Louis Blues history. Binnington went 24-5-1 with a 1.89 goals-against average and .927 in 32 games -- 30 starts -- during that regular season. He then posted a .914 save percentage in the playoffs, highlighted by a 32-save performance in St. Louis' 4-1 victory in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final at Boston for the franchise's first championship.

The 2005-06 Calder Trophy went to Ovechkin, as his rivalry with Sidney Crosby officially began during their outstanding rookie seasons. The highly-touted Russian proved he too was destined for NHL greatness, finishing third in the league with 106 points (his fourth-highest points total) as a rookie for the Capitals, who like Crosby's Penguins, were far from competitive while winning only 29 times in 2005-06. Ovechkin tied for third with 52 goals, including 21 on the power play, and added 54 assists while playing all 81 games. 

When it comes to rookie seasons, 2005-06 might be the greatest of all time. Notably because that was the debut season of two NHL greats -- still going strong today. First is Crosby, the No. 1 overall pick in 2005 and the projected second-coming of Mario Lemieux in Pittsburgh. And, Crosby didn't disappoint, finishing sixth in the league for points (102), seventh in assists (63) and tied for 12th with 39 goals to provide the only real highlight for a Penguins' squad that won just 22 games. At 18 years, 253 days, Crosby remains the youngest player to reach 100 points in a season. However, through he was on track to earning his legendary status, Crosby did not win the Calder.

It's still quite remarkable what a rookie season that Selanne turned in. The Finnish superstar recorded a whopping 132 points, an official rookie record that nobody eligible before or after has come close to threatening. In 84 games, Selanne, playing for the original NHL version of the Winnipeg Jets, also set a league rookie record with 76 goals -- another mark that hasn't come close to being touched -- and posted 56 assists. Selanne played parts of 23 seasons in the NHL, it remains the Hall of Famer's best individual campaign from a production standpoint.

Juneau, who never played a game in the minors, was an NHL star from the get-go. Fresh off an appearance with Team Canada at the 1992 Winter Olympics, Juneau totaled 19 points in 14 regular-season games, and nine in 15 playoff contests, for the Bruins at the end of the 1991-92 trek. Big things were in store for Juneau during his first full NHL season in 1992-93, and he didn't disappoint by registering career bests of 102 points, 32 goals and 70 assists. Juneau's 70 assists are tied with the aforementioned Peter Stastny for most during a rookie season.

The undrafted Belfour got a taste of the NHL during the 1988-89 season and for the 1990 playoffs, but retained his rookie status for his first full campaign of 1990-91. That will go down as one of the great goaltending seasons of any player in NHL history. Belfour was a workhorse for Chicago, starting a league-high 70 games, while also posting NHL season bests for wins (43), save percentage (.910) and goals-against average (2.47). Though the Blackhawks were eliminated in the first round of the 1991 playoffs, Belfour won the Calder and Vezina Trophies. 

In his first full NHL season, Leetch recorded 23 goals -- still an NHL record by a rookie defenseman. Leetch also registered 48 assists, giving him 71 points. The Hall of Famer and aforementioned Larry Murphy remain the only rookie defensemen in NHL history to record at least 70 points. Leetch, who won the Calder Trophy, went on to earn 10 All-Star nods, win two Norris Trophies and became the first American-born player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy during the Rangers' run to the 1994 Stanley Cup.

Another star from the late 1980s era Calgary Flames. Though Flames' fans were thrilled with the team taking Nieuwendyk in the 1985 draft, he proved those doubters wrong. After scoring five goals in nine games during the 1986-87 campaign, Nieuwendyk officially broke out a season later. He scored 32 goals in his first 42 games of the season, and his total of 51 joined the aforementioned Mike Bossy as the only rookies to post at least 50 as a rookie. Nieuwendyk finished his official rookie season with 92 points, was named an All-Star and won the Calder Trophy.

Hextall didn't win the Calder Trophy during his stellar campaign, but that seems like an afterthought decades later. Instead, the upstart Hextall led all NHL goaltenders in starts (66), wins (37), save percentage (.902) and was third in goals-against average (3.01). That was good enough for Hextall to win the Vezina as a rookie in '86-'87, but it was the playoffs where he truly shined. While helping guide Philadelphia to the Stanley Cup Final, Hextall won 15 of 26 games, posted a 2.76 GAA and .908 save percentage en route to winning the Conn Smythe as postseason MVP in a losing effort.

Part of the famed skating Suter family from Wisconsin, Gary ranks third all-time among NHL defenseman with 68 rookie points in a single season. His stellar 1985-86 season with the Flames, who reached the Stanley Cup Final that year, featured 18 goals and 50 assists en route to winning the Calder Trophy. Suter, who won a Cup with Calgary three years later, was also selected an NHL All-Star in 1985-86, and owns the league record for assists in a game by a rookie (six, versus Edmonton from April 4, 1986).

In terms of others on this list, the legendary Lemieux's official rookie season wasn't that overly exceptional. However, when one considers the hype surrounding his NHL arrival and the stale state of pro hockey in Pittsburgh at the time, Lemieux's rookie performance played a major part in reviving the franchise and paving the way for its greatness. Lemieux posted 100 points during his first NHL season (43 goals, 57 assists), scored on his career shot attempt was the first rookie to be named MVP of the All-Star game and won the Calder Trophy. For most players, that would be a career season. For "Super Mario," is was just the start of an iconic hockey legacy.

Fewer than six months after his high school graduation, Barrasso debuted in the NHL for Buffalo. And what a rookie season it was for the Boston native. Barrasso started 41 games as a rookie, went 26-12-3 and posted a 2.85 goals-against average, which was the second lowest among qualified netminders. His .893 save percentage ranked fourth in the league. Not only was Barrasso rewarded with the Calder Trophy, but also became the third player in NHL history to win the Vezina Trophy, as well, in the same campaign.

For a while, Hawerchuk held the original Winnipeg Jets' -- and NHL -- rookie record with 103 points. As we'll see, that mark was broken by one of the greatest NHL seasons of all time. Still, the beloved Hawerchuk did that as an 18-year old, after taken by the Jets with the overall No. 1 pick in '81. The Hall of Famer recorded 45 goals, currently tied for fifth by a rookie in a single season, and added 58 assists, en route to helping the Jets go from nine wins a season earlier to 33 and make the franchise's first appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Hawerchuk also won the Calder and was an All-Star in 1981-82.

No American-born skater has recorded more points during a full rookie NHL season than Broten. After seeing time with his hometown North Stars a season earlier, Broten totaled 98 points (38 goals, 60 assists in 73 games in 1981-82.) That was Broten's second-most productive season, from a points standpoint, during an NHL career spanning 17 seasons, and included two All-Star nods and a Stanley Cup triumph with New Jersey in 1996.

As we've seen, the 1980-81 season produced some memorable rookie performances. However, Stastny provided the best of the best with 109 points (39 goals, 70 assists) after defecting from then-Czechoslovakia. That point total ranks second among all NHL rookies for a season, while those assists are tied for the most. And, Stastny, who won the Calder and was named an All-Star, did it alongside brother Anton. The two share the single-game rookie point record with eight -- set against Washington on Feb. 22, 1981.

Murphy didn't win the Calder Trophy and wasn't an All-Star as a rookie, but he certainly left his mark. A prized prospect with the Kings, Murphy set an NHL rookie record for assists (60) and points (76) by a defenseman that still stand today. He also scored 16 goals while helping the Kings reach the playoffs. As his career progressed, Murphy twice won back-to-back Stanley Cups -- with Pittsburgh (1991, '92) and Detroit (1997, '98).

A beloved figure in the Twin Cities, but generally despised by some rival fans of the old North Stars, Ciccarelli got his NHL call up during the 1980-81 campaign, where he made an immediate impact with 18 goals and 12 assists in 32 regular-season games. However, it was in the playoffs that season when Ciccarelli truly began his Hall-of-Fame legacy. During the North Stars' 19-game postseason run into the Stanley Cup Final, Ciccarelli notched a record 14 goals, with seven assists. His 21 playoff points are tied with Jake Guentzel (2017) and Ville Leino (2010) for the most by an NHL rookie.

At the time, Bourque's 65 points were a rookie record for a defenseman. Bourque, obviously, began his storied NHL career like that of a future Hall of Famer. Playing in all 80 games for the Bruins, Bourque registered 17 goals with 48 assists and his plus-52 remains second-best from any NHL rookie defenseman. Bourque went on to win the Calder Trophy and was a first-team All-Star selection in 1980 -- the first rookie to achieve both distinctions.

There have been four rookies who scored 50 or more goals in NHL history. Bossy was the first to do so, posting 53 for the Islanders. He recorded 91 points that season in winning the Calder Trophy, and set the stage for what would be a legendary NHL career on Long Island. Bossy scored at least 51 goals in all but one of his 10 Hall-of-Fame seasons, was a six-time All-Star, Conn Smythe winner and four-time Stanley Cup champion.

Beck enjoyed a solid NHL career, spanning parts of 10 seasons. However, from an offensive standpoint, he's still first. Breaking in with the Rockies, after shunning the WHA, Beck recorded a career-best 60 points. That included 22 goals, which entering the 2024-25 season, ranked second-most from a rookie defenseman. Beck eventually made his way to New York, where he enjoyed seven seasons with the Rangers, and is considered one of the franchise's all-time great defensemen.

Dryden's Hall-of-Fame career began one season earlier, in March 1971 and into the playoffs that season. After winning his first five starts of the regular season, Dryden won 12 games in the '71 playoffs, where he posted a .914 save percentage and won the Conn Smythe as postseason MVP during the Habs' run to the Stanley Cup title. During his first full season, officially as a rookie, in 1971-72, Dryden won the Calder for posting 39 wins (fourth all time for a rookie), eight shutouts, a .930 save percentage and 2.24 goals-against average.

Affectionately known as "Tony O," this Blackhawks legend still holds the NHL record with 15 shutouts by a rookie. During that stellar '69-'70 campaign (after playing 13 games with Montreal a season earlier), Esposito also led the league in wins (38), save percentage (.932), and finished second with an impressive 2.17 goals-against average. For his exceptional play as a rookie, Esposito won the Calder Trophy and first of his three Vezina Trophies -- 

Sawchuk's iconic NHL legacy was built from the very beginning. His 44 wins as a rookie are still the most in the league history. In addition, the Red Wings great ranks among the top 10 in rookie starts (70) and shutouts (11). To no surprise, Sawchuk won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie in 1950-51, a season that paved the way for a brilliant career that featured 445 wins, 103 shutouts, four Vezina Trophies and four Stanley Cup triumphs.

Though Durnan might not be a household name to casual NHL fans, the Hall of Famer is truly one of the elite performers -- regardless of position -- in the history of the game. He won the Vezina Trophy, as the league's top goaltender, in each of his first four seasons -- and six overall. Entering the 2024-25 season, Durnan is tied for fifth all-time with 38 wins and 2.18 goals-against average as a rookie.

Technically, Gardiner is the only officially recognized NHL rookie to win the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player. Perhaps most impressive, Gardiner made his NHL debut at age 35, and though he played just three seasons in the league, his rookie season is regarded among the best of the time. In 44 regular-season games, Gardiner had six goals with seven assists, a more-than solid showing for a defenseman. And, according to hockey lore, played every minute of each contest. Gardiner was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958.