Oldest active players

It's pretty tough to determine the identities of the oldest active players in the NHL these days. What's active?

I took the names of players from the NHL Guide and Record Book who were on team rosters. Then I checked those names from last season who were missing to make sure they weren't signed late in the free-agent process (hello, Robert Lang). But I dropped those who are off to Europe, at least for now.

Thus, the update for this site's most popular feature:

Name – D.O.B.
Mark Recchi – 2-1-68
Brendan Shanahan – 1-23-69
Matthieu Schneider – 6-12-69
Rob Blake – 12-10-69
Dwayne Roloson – 12-12-69
Niklas Lidstrom – 4-28-70
Mike Modano – 6-7-70
Teemu Selanne – 7-3-70
Rod Brind’Amour – 8-9-70
Bill Guerin – 11-9-70

Robert Lang – 12-19-70
Doug Weight – 1-21-71
Kris Draper - 5-24-71
Adam Foote – 7-10-71
Craig Conroy – 9-4-71
Sean O’Donnell – 10-13-71
Donald Brashear – 1-7-72
Owen Nolan – 2-12-72
Keith Tkachuk – 3-28-72
Slava Koslov – 5-3-72

Even Strength Goal-Scoring Leaders

Sometimes when the special-teams goals are thrown out, the numbers can be revealing. No matter what we do, though, Alex Ovechkin comes out pretty well. Here are the numbers for 2008-09:

Name – Team – Number
Alex Ovechkin – Washington – 36
Ilya Kovalchuk – Atlanta – 31
Zach Parise – New Jersey - 31
Marian Hossa – Detroit - 30
Rick Nash – Columbus – 29
Jeff Carter – Philadelphia - 29
Phil Kessel – Boston – 28
Loui Eriksson – Dallas – 28
Sidney Crosby – Pittsburgh – 26
Alexander Semin – Washington - 26

Jarome Iginla – Calgary – 25
Eric Staal – Carolina – 25
Martin Havlat – Chicago – 24
Jason Arnott – Nashville – 24
Dany Heatley – Ottawa – 24
Alexandre Burrows – Vancouver - 24
Scott Hartnell – Philadelphia – 23
David Backes – St. Louis - 23
Corey Perry – Anaheim – 22
Jonathan Toews – Chicago – 22
Johan Franzen – Detroit – 22
Patrick Marleau – San Jose – 22
Daniel Sedin – Vancouver - 22

Here's the best such figures over the last two seasons:

Name – Team – Year - Number
Alex Ovechkin – Washington – 2007-08 - 43
Alex Ovechkin – Washington – 2008-09 - 36
Jarome Iginla – Calgary – 2007-08 - 35
Ilya Kovalchuk – Atlanta – 2007-08 - 34
Brad Boyes – St. Louis – 2007-08 - 32
Ilya Kovalchuk – Atlanta – 2008-09 - 31
Zach Parise – New Jersey – 2008-09 - 31
Marian Gaborik – Minnesota – 2007-08 - 30
Evgeni Malkin – Pittsburgh – 2007-08 - 30
Marian Hossa – Detroit – 2008-09 – 30

Vincent Lecavalier – Tampa Bay – 2007-08 - 29
Rick Nash – Columbus – 2008-09 - 29
Jeff Carter – Philadelphia – 2008-09 - 29
Dany Heatley – Ottawa – 2007-08 - 28
Phil Kessel – Boston – 2008-09 - 28
Loui Eriksson – Dallas – 2008-09 - 28
Henrik Zetterberg – Detroit – 2007-08 - 26
Sidney Crosby – Pittsburgh – 2008-09 - 26
Alexander Semin – Washington – 2008 -09 - 26
Eight tied at 24

Last Time a Team Replaced a Coach in Midseason

Nashville and Minnesota will get around to it someday...

Team – Outgoing Coach – Year
Detroit – Harry Neale – 1985-86
Buffalo – Rick Dudley – 1991-92
Edmonton – George Burnett – 1994-95
Toronto – Pat Burns – 1995-96
Vancouver – Mike Keenan – 1998-99
Anaheim – Craig Hartsburg – 2000-01
Dallas – Ken Hitchcock – 2001-02
Boston – Robbie Ftorek – 2002-03
Calgary – Greg Gilbert – 2002-03
Colorado – Bob Hartley – 2002-03
San Jose – Darryl Sutter – 2002-03
Florida – Rick Dudley – 2003-04
Phoenix – Bob Francis – 2003-04
Los Angeles – Andy Murray – 2005-06
N.Y. Islanders – Steve Stirling – 2005-06
Columbus – Gerard Gallant – 2006-07
New Jersey – Claude Julien – 2006-07
Philadelphia – Ken Hitchcock – 2006-07
St. Louis – Mike Kitchen – 2006-07
Atlanta – Bob Hartley – 2007-08
Washington – Glen Hanlon – 2007-08
Chicago – Denis Savard – 2008-09
Carolina – Paul Maurice – 2008-09
Montreal – Bob Gainey – 2008-09
N.Y. Rangers – John Tortorella – 2008-09
Ottawa – Cory Clouston – 2008-09
Pittsburgh – Dan Bylsma – 2008-09
Tampa Bay – Rick Tocchet – 2008-09
Minnesota – None
Nashville – None

Coaches' Longevity

I seem to spend more time updating this list than any other. Here's what it looks like in late August:

Name – Team – Date of Hiring
Lindy Ruff – Sabres – July 21, 1997
Barry Trotz – Predators - August 6, 1997
Mike Babcock – Red Wings – July 14, 2005
Randy Carlyle – Ducks – August 1, 2005
Wayne Gretzky – Coyotes – August 8, 2005
Alain Vigneault – Canucks – June 20, 2006
John Stevens – Flyers – October 22, 2006
Ken Hitchcock – Blue Jackets – November 22, 2006
Andy Murray – Blues – December 11, 2006
Claude Julien – Bruins – June 21, 2007
Bruce Boudreau – Capitals - November 22, 2007
Ron Wilson – Maple Leafs – June 20, 2008
Todd McLellan – Sharks – June 11, 2008
Peter DeBoer – Panthers – June 13, 2008
John Anderson – Thrashers – June 20, 2008
Terry Murray – Kings – July 17, 2008
Scott Gordon – Islanders – August 12, 2008
Joel Quenneville – Blackhawks – October 16, 2008
Rick Tocchet – Lightning – November 14, 2008
Paul Maurice – Hurricanes – December 3, 2008
Cory Clouston – Senators - February 2, 2009
Dan Bylsma – Penguins – February 15, 2009
John Tortorella – Rangers – February 23, 2009
Pat Quinn – Oilers – May 26, 2009
Jacques Martin – Canadiens – June 1, 2009
Joe Sacco – Avalanche – June 4, 2009
Marc Crawford – Stars - June 11, 2009
Todd Richards – Wild – June 16, 2009
Brent Sutter – Flames – June 23, 2009
Jacques Lemaire – Devils – July 13, 2009

Most points in a season since 1974-75

We welcome San Jose and Boston to this list, based on a fine 2008-09 season:

Year – Team – Points
1976-77 – Montreal – 132
1995-96 – Detroit – 131
1977-78 – Montreal – 129
1975-76 – Montreal – 127
2005-06 – Detroit - 124
1983-84 – Edmonton – 119
1985-86 – Edmonton – 119
1992-93 – Pittsburgh – 119
1975-76 – Philadelphia – 118
1981-82 – N.Y. Islanders – 118

2000-01 – Colorado – 118
1998-89 – Calgary – 117
2008-09 – San Jose - 117
1978-79 – N.Y. Islanders – 116
1979-80 – Philadelphia – 116
2001-02 – Detroit – 116
2008-09 – Boston - 116
1978-79 – Montreal – 115
1988-89 – Montreal – 115
2007-08 – Detroit - 115

Nothing new in the list of fewest points in the same time period:

Year – Team – Points
1974-75 – Washington – 21
1992-93 – Ottawa – 24
1992-93 – San Jose – 24
1989-90 – Quebec – 31
1975-76 – Washington – 32
1980-81 – Winnipeg – 32
1975-76 – Kansas City – 36
1993-94 – Ottawa – 37
1983-84 – Pittsburgh – 38
1991-92 – San Jose – 39

1999-00 – Atlanta – 39
1985-86 – Detroit -40
1974-75 – Kansas City – 41
1976-77 – Detroit – 41
1983-84 – New Jersey – 41
1995-96 – Ottawa – 41
1978-79 – Colorado – 42
1997-98 – Tampa Bay – 44
Three tied at 45

More Wins Than Losses in a Season by Goalie – All-Time

At least someone cracked the top 20 in 2008-09:

Name – Team – Year – Difference
Ken Dryden – Montreal – 1976-77 - +35
Bernie Parent – Philadelphia – 1973-74 - +35
Chris Osgood – Detroit – 1995-96 - +33
Bill Durnan – Montreal – 1943-44 - +33
Tiny Thompson – Boston – 1929-30 - +33
Ken Dryden – Montreal – 1975-76 - +32
Mike Vernon – Calgary – 1988-89 - +31
Ken Dryden – Montreal – 1971-72 - +31
Mike Richter – N.Y. Rangers – 1993-94 - +30
Ken Dryden – Montreal – 1977-78 - +30

Wayne Stephenson – Philadelphia – 1975-76 - +30
Bernie Parent – Philadelphia – 1974-75 - +30
Jacques Plante – Montreal – 1955-56 - +30
Terry Sawchuk – Detroit – 1951-52 - +30
Bill Durnan – Montreal – 1944-45 - +30
Tom Barrasso – Pittsburgh – 1992-93 - +29
Pete Peeters – Boston – 1982-83 - +29
Terry Sawchuk – Detroit – 1950-51 - +29
Evgeni Nabokov – San Jose – 2008-09 - +29
Patrick Roy – Montreal – 1988-89 - +28
Jacques Plante – Montreal – 1961-62 - +28

Most Decisions Without a Win by a Goalie in One Season

Not much updating needed here from 2008-09, thanks to shootouts:

Name – Team – Year – Record – No.
Michel Belhumeur – Washington – 1974-75 – 0-24-3 – 27
Lindsay Middlebrook – Winnipeg – 1980-81 – 0-9-3 – 12
Michel Dion – Quebec – 1980-81 – 0-8-3- 11
Michael O’Neill – Winnipeg – 1993-94 – 0-9-1 – 10
Jamie Storr – Carolina – 2003-04 – 0-8-2 - 10
Gary Bauman – Minnesota – 1968-69 – 0-6-4 – 10
Kevin Weekes – Vancouver – 1998-99 – 0-8-1 – 9
Scott Gordon – Quebec – 1990-91 – 0-8-0 – 8
Daniel Berthiaume – Winnipeg – 1988-89 – 0-8-0 – 8
Bill Beveridge – Ottawa – 1930-31 – 0-8-0 – 8
Jim Waite – Chicago – 1988-89 – 0-7-1 – 8

Gary Edwards – Los Angeles – 1976-77 – 0-6-2 – 8
Kay Whitmore – Vancouver – 1994-95 – 0-6-2 – 8
Allan Bester – Toronto/Detroit – 1990-91 – 0-7-0 – 7
John Adams – Washington – 1974-75 – 0-7-0 – 7
Lindsay Middlebrook – New Jersey – 1982-83 – 0-6-1 – 7
John Mowers – Detroit – 1945-46 – 0-6-1 – 7
Doug Favell – Colorado – 1978-79 – 0-5-2 – 7
Eight tied at 6