Elias Pettersson is closing in on almost every Canucks rookie record

Feb 20 2019, 5:45 am

Chasing history, Elias Pettersson is entering the home stretch on a number of Vancouver Canucks rookie records.

The clear frontrunner for the Calder Trophy in the NHL this season, Elias Pettersson has been the league’s top rookie in 2018-19. He leads all rookies, as well his entire team, in goals, assists, and points.

And now, with 22 games left in the Canucks’ season, he has a chance to etch his name a few times in the 49-year-old franchise record book.

While Pettersson hasn’t kept up the breakneck pace of his first 10 games, when he announced arrival to the NHL with 16 points (ie. Teemu Selanne rookie record pace), he’s been remarkably consistent and productive through his first NHL season.

He’s not catching anyone by surprise now, but Pettersson still has 10 points in his last 10 games, including three points in his last two contests.

With 54 points (26-28-54) in 49 games, Pettersson has already produced the eighth-highest rookie point total in Canucks history. With another point, he’ll tie Brock Boeser’s rookie point total from a year ago.

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Pettersson is just six points back of the all-time franchise record (60), shared by Pavel Bure and Ivan Hlinka. The Swedish centre is on pace to not only break that mark, but to do it in 10 fewer games than Bure (65).

Bure remains the only player in Canucks history to win the Rookie of the Year Award.

If Pettersson stays healthy and continues at his current pace, he will score 38 goals, 41 assists, and 79 points. That point total would blow the previous record out of the water, but the other two marks are close.

The rookie goals record is held by Bure, who scored 34 times in 1991-92. Pettersson is on pace to finish one assist shy of Dale Tallon, who notched 42 helpers during the Canucks’ inaugural NHL season in 1970-71.

Pettersson already owns the rookie game-winning goals record, scoring seven GWGs this season, one better than Bure did. He’ll etch his name into the record book again if he can score a second overtime goal this season, as no other player in Canucks history has more than one.

Other notable rookie records:

  • Points-per-game: Pavel Bure holds the record with 0.92 (Pettersson is at 1.10)
  • Power play goals: Daniel Sedin and Brock Boeser had 10 (Pettersson has 8)
  • Power play points: Brock Boeser had 23 (Pettersson has 15)
  • Shorthanded goals: Gerry Minor had 6 in 1980-81 (Pettersson has 0)
  • Shots on goal: Pavel Bure had 268 (Pettersson has 108)
  • Plus-minus: Dixon Ward was +34 in 1992-93 (Pettersson is +15)
  • Penalty minutes: Gino Odjick had 296 PIMs in 1990-91 (Pettersson has 6)

Ok, so I guess Gino’s record is safe for another year.

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