Old Man Lidstrom

Of course Niklas Lidstrom is coming back for another year, why wouldn't he? He just completed a season in which he became the highest scoring 40 year old defenseman in NHL history. With 16 goals, 46 assists and 62 points he is the only d-man that old to score at least 60 points. Ten years previous, Ray Bourque tallied 59 points in his last season playing with Colorado.

The only two other 40+ year old defenders to reach even the 30 point plateau were Chris Chelios with 39 in 2001/02 and Rob Blake with 30 in 09/10. Prior to Bourque in 2001, the top scoring 40 or older blueliner season was way back in 1969/70. Tim Horton scored 28 points in 74 games while splitting the year between Toronto and the Rangers.

The only other two defensemen to score even 20 points in a 40 year old season were Doug Harvey and Doug Mohns. Harvey notched 22 points as a 44 year old in 68/69 with St.Louis in his final season and Mohns had 21 with Washington in 74/75 as a 41 year old.

Also, Lidstrom's 16 goals at age 40 are more than double the next best season. Only Blake and Bourque with 7 and Chelios with 6 bulged the twine more than 5 times as 40 year olds. In fact if you knock the age back to 35, 40 year old Lidstrom's 16 goals are surpassed only five times. Bourque had seasons of 18, 19 and 20 after age 35. Al MacInnis scored 20 at age 35 and Mathieu Schneider has the most goals after turning 35 with 21 in 2005/06.


Comments

Bidnall said…
I have that Lidstrom card. Never been a big fan, but obviously admit he's one of the Top 5 defensemen of all time.
June 29, 2011 at 7:42 PM
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