Breaking down every single-season 100-point scorer in NY Rangers history

The NY Rangers have seven players in their history to have hit 100 or more points in a season, but a few have come close to that number. Wayne Gretzky played for the Rangers in the 1990s, and he’s one of the most recognizable names to have threatened 100 when he accumulated 97 during the 1996-97 season. 

Rod Gilbert got close twice, once in 1971-72 and again in 1974-75, when he also finished both seasons with 97 points. Mark Messier snagged 99 in 1995-96, coming one point shy of being the only player to make this sacred list twice. 

But who on the New York Rangers was lucky enough, okay, skilled enough, to hit the 100-point mark in a single season? Let’s begin with a Hall of Famer who spent 17 seasons with the club. 

Brian Leetch, 1991-92

Brian Leetch hit the century mark in points just once when he put up 102 during the 1991-92 season. He scored just 22 goals, so it’s accurate to guess he was quite the playmaker, putting up 80 assists across 80 regular season games he appeared in. 

Yeah, snagging the one assist per game milestone is impressive in and of itself, but what’s even more remarkable is that we’re looking at not a forward, but a blueliner, who did this. If you’re new to the NHL, it’s something you don’t see often, but it explains his modest number of goals and a larger number of assists. 

Leetch’s efforts won him the Norris Trophy, and he also finished as a First-Team All-Star who also took ninth place for the Hart Trophy. 

Mike Rogers, 1981-82

Mike Rogers did something that few NHL players are capable of: He put up 100-plus points in back-to-back-to-back seasons, but just one occurred with the Rangers. In 1979-80 and 1980-81, Rogers ended each respective year with 105 points, and that trend continued when he had 103 in his first season with the Rangers. 

Rogers scored 38 goals and had 65 assists, plus a 17.8 shooting percentage. Regarding his assists, 34 occurred at even strength, and an eye-popping 31 came on the man advantage. While Rogers never hit the century mark in points again, he remained an effective player in New York. 

Vic Hadfield, 1971-72

If Vic Hadfield sounds familiar to you, it’s because we covered him in our 50-plus goal scorer piece. Hadfield didn’t just set a milestone for himself in goals scored that season, but it was the first and only time he’d see himself break through the 100-point barrier when he finished the year with 106. 

Hadfield’s 100-point season came almost in the middle of a six-year stretch that saw him post sound numbers between 1968-69 and 1973-74. Across the 425 games played in that span, Hadfield logged 173 goals, 387 points, 65 power play goals, and 24 game-winners. 

Mark Messier, 1991-92

Mark Messier hit the century mark in points five times during his career with the Edmonton Oilers, and his debut season with the Rangers ended with him hitting the milestone yet again and for the last time in his career. 

Messier found the back of the net 35 times that season, but his 72 assists put him at the 107-point mark to end the year. He was also well rewarded for his efforts, snagging his second Hart and Pearson Trophy in three seasons and landing First-Team All-Star recognition for the fourth time in his career. 

Jean Ratelle, 1971-72

What’s most impressive about Jean Ratelle’s 1971-72 season isn’t the fact he put up 109 points; it’s that he finished the year with 109 points in just 63 games. Oh, and he also led the league in shooting percentage with 25.1 and with 40 goals scored at even strength. 

The NHL played 78 regular season games in those days, so if we adjusted Ratelle’s numbers, he was on pace to finish the year with 135 points and 57 goals. Yeah, that’s more than a remarkable showing when you think about it, and it’s one of many reasons why Ratelle is in the Hockey Hall of Fame. 

Artemi Panarin, 2023-24

The latest addition to this list, the Breadman had been getting close to the 100-point barrier for a while, putting up 95 in 69 games back in 2019-20, 96 in 2021-22, and 92 in 2022-23. Finally, he hit the milestone last season with 120 points, 49 goals, and a legendary 71 assists. 

He just hit a career-high in shooting percentage with 16.2, and Panarin put himself in a spot where fans will expect at least a 90-point outlook, even if hitting 100 points again isn’t out of the question. 

Jaromir Jagr, 2005-06

Another carry-over from a previous piece, Jaromir Jagr was no stranger to hitting the 100-plus-point mark by the time he started playing for the NY Rangers. It happened four times when he was a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and he would hit the century mark again in 2005-06 when he snagged 123 points. 

You can, to a degree, say that he’s another name on this list who hit 100-plus points during his debut season with the Blueshirts, as 2005-06 was his first full year with them after the Washington Capitals traded him to New York in January 2004. And yeah, you can bet that Jagr will eventually be in the Hockey Hall of Fame if he ever decides to retire - he’s currently still playing pro hockey in Czechia. 

(Statistics powered by Hockey-Reference)