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Did You Know? Random, high-scoring defensemen used to be the norm

Jeff Brown

The “Did You Know?” series ties in the news of the day with some little-known hockey factoids and/or trivia. It’ll be fun. Trust me.

With 41 points through 43 games, Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson is on pace for a rare kind of season. The 21-year-old Swedish rearguard is flirting with a 75-to-80-point campaign, something only two defensemen have accomplished that since the lockout: Mike Green in 2009-10 (76 points) and Nicklas Lidstrom in 2005-06 (80).

But it wasn’t always this way. In those halcyon, run-n-gun, the-goalies-look-kinda-brutal days of the 70s, 80s and 90s, defensemen would record obscene point totals on a yearly basis.

I’m not just talking about the Coffeys, Leetches and Bourques, either -- consider the following:

Jeff Brown, St. Louis, 1992-93

71GP: 25G-53A-78PTS

First, this is the 60th greatest scoring season by a defenseman in NHL history -- and it was done by Jeff Brown, a good-but-not-great blueliner that played for seven teams during a 747-game career. Solid player, kind of a journeyman, not a favorite of Kirk McLean’s.

Admittedly, Brown achieved these lofty numbers mostly from feasting on a power play that included Brett Hull and Brendan Shanahan, but still...25 freakin’ goals. That would’ve led the Nashville Predators last season.

Kevin Hatcher, Washington Capitals, 1992-93

83GP: 34G-45A-79PTS

Hatcher wasn’t exactly the most skilled offensive defenseman ever. Physical? Yes. Tough? Yes.

Dynamically skilled? Uhhh...

“He has been likened to a skating box car,” wrote Stan Fischler. “Hatcher played as much a stylish as a socko game and that displeased a segment of the Washington fans.”

But the 92-93 season puts him in with some pretty amazing company. Hatcher’s 34-goal effort ranks eighth all-time; the top seven spots belong to Paul Coffey (1st, 3rd, 6th), Bobby Orr (2nd, 5th, 7th) and Doug Wilson (4th).

Ian Turnbull, Toronto Maple Leafs, 1976-77

80GP: 22G057A-79PTS

Playing alongside Borje Salming, Turnbull turned in the greatest offensive season ever by a Leafs defenseman -- his 79-point record still stands more than 30 years later. Know what else he did in 76-77? He set the NHL record for most goals in a game by a defenseman (five, in a 9-1 win over Detroit) and in doing so, became the only player in league history to score five goals on five shots in a single game.

Other random defensive stat-sheet stuffers:

-- Winnipeg’s Dave Babych posted 61 assists in 1982-83. He finished sixth in the league in that category, one shy of Bobby Clarke.

-- Reijo Ruotsalainen scored 28 goals for the Rangers in 1984-85. He’d go on to score 28 goals from 1985-1990.

-- Minnesota’s Craig Hartsburg scored 77 points in 1981-82. His career high prior to that was 49; his high after that was 62.

(Jeff Brown photo courtesy gamewornauctions.com)