The First To 1,000

With the FNHL entering it's 10th season I only thought it would be appropriate to do some research on it's history and the statistics of it's players. There are many milestones that players can achieve but none are more coveted than the elusive 1,000 points. In the decade season two players have a legitimate shot at the millenium mark in points and they are Predators forward Jaromir Jagr and Rangers forward Jason Allison.

Both players are on the sunset of their careers. Jagr at the age of 40 has for all intensive purposes one season to hit his 1,000th point while Allison at the age of 37 might still have a couple of seasons to reach the plateau. Jagr only has 90 points to go while Allison has 98.

When Jaromir joined the FNHL at the age of 29 many would have predicted that he would be a top player in the league but to be as productive at 39 as he was 10 years ago, noone would have thought of it. He has 5 100 point seasons and has scored 30 or more goals in 8 of those seasons. His productivity may have slowed slightly over the past 5 years but after rebounding from a declining 86 points in 2009 to 108 points in 2010 his 73 points last season could just be another blip on the radar for what could be another career year for the aging forward.

Jason Allison has been a quiet threat but remains one of the most productive players in FNHL history. He may only have 4 100 point seasons under his belt but he has not scored less than 92 points in his entire career. What is also amazing about his career is that he has only missed 3 games due to injury in his entire career and unlike Jagr he plays with a bit more of an edge when it comes to the physical side of the game.

Another look at their great careers is what they lead the league in, in terms of cumulative stats in a career. Jaromir is the current leader in assists with 562, a leader in points with 910 and a leader in +/- with +377. Allison holds the leader in game winning goals with 61 and shots with 2385. He is also second in goals with 369 (only 1 behind leader Eric Daze), assists with 533, points with 902 and game tying goals with 10. It is not unconceivable that Allison could become the leader in many or all of those categories before his great career comes to an end.

If I were a betting man I would bet that Allison will hit the 1,000 career point total before Jaromir Jagr late next season. I would also bet that he will become the career leader in many of the offensive career leader categories before his storied career comes to an end. The one thing that I am sure though he would trade all his accolades in for is an FNHL Cup ring. Something that has eluded him his entire career. Jagr has been to the promise land once in 2004 with the Colorado Avalanche.

Who will retire as the greatest FNHL player ever? That is open to speculation. But one thing is for sure, if both of these players hit the 1,000 points that they are projected to do. They will both leave lasting legacies that will not soon be replaced.