6 OHL Players to Total 100 or More Assists in a Single Season

In the National Hockey League, there have only been three players to total 100 assists or more in a single season, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. The World Hockey Association had one player accomplish this feat during the league’s short seven year existence, Andre Lacroix. The Ontario Hockey League has had six different players with 100 assists or more in a season. Considering the OHL schedule is over ten games shorter than that of the NHL, this is a great accomplishment, indeed.

In 1975-76, Mike Kaszycki of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds became the first player in the OHL (then known as the OMJHL) to top 100 assists. He did it in a big way with 119, the second highest total to date in the league. His 170 points that season earned him the Eddie Powers Trophy as the league’s top scorer.

Kaszycki was drafted by the New York Islanders in the second round of the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft, 32nd overall. He was also taken by the New England Whalers the same year in the fourth round of the WHA Amateur Draft, 38th overall. Mike played a total of 226 regular season NHL games between 1977-78 and 1982-83 with the Islanders, Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Two years later, in 1977-78, Bobby Smith topped Kaszycki’s mark by four with 123 assists as a member of the Ottawa 67’s. That total remains as an OHL record to this date. Smith recorded 192 points to earn the Eddie Powers Trophy.

Bobby Smith was the first overall pick at the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft, going to the Minnesota North Stars. Smith played 1,077 regular season NHL games between 1978-79 and 1992-93 with the Minnesota North Stars and Montreal Canadiens.

In the same season that Bobby Smith set the record of 123 assists, Wayne Gretzky set the still unchallenged rookie record of 112 assists as a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. After just three games with the Peterborough Petes the season before, 1977-78 was Wayne’s only full season in the OMJHL. The following season, he signed as a free agent with the WHA’s Indianapolis Racers and never entered the draft.

Gretzky played 1,487 games in the National Hockey League between 1979-80 and 1998-99. He appeared with the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers. On eleven consecutive occasions, between 1980-81 and 1990-91, Gretzky topped 100 assists.

Tim Salmon of the Kingston Canadians (now Frontenacs) assisted on exactly 100 goals during the 1983-84 OHL season. His 145 total points earned him the Eddie Powers Trophy. Salmon was undrafted and never played in the NHL. He did travel to Great Britain where he tore up the BNL. In 1985-86 with the Ayr Bruins, Tim scored 108 goals and assisted on 146 others for 254 points in just 35 games. In 1987-88, he scored 61 and assisted on 155 for 216 points in 27 games with the Telford Tigers.

Andrew Brunette also assisted on exactly 100 goals in 1992-93 with the Owen Sound Platers (now Attack). He added 62 goals for 162 points, a league high. Despite the numbers, Brunette was a late seventh round pick by the Washington Capitals at the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, 174th overall. Andrew rose to the challenge and has played over 1,000 NHL games since 1995-96 with Washington, Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers, Minnesota Wild, Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks. Brunette is still active and playing in his first season with Chicago.

Bill Bowler was the last OHL player to achieve the 100 assist plateau. Bowler totalled 102 with the Windsor Spitfires in 1994-95. Undrafted, Bowler played nine games in the NHL with the Columbus Blue Jackets durin the 2000-01 seaon. He contributed 467 points in 250 OHL regular season games over four seasons from 1991-92 to 1994-95, a 1.87 points per game pace.