Coming out of the lockout in 2005, the NHL vowed to open the game so that it’s stars could shine. They wanted to boost the entertainment value of the league and appeal to a broader audience. They wanted to let the stars like Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Evgeni Malkin shine. So, what happened? NHL officiating happened.
When the 2005-2006 season concluded, the top-10 in scoring looked like this.
Joe Thornton – 125 pts (29g, 96a)
Jaromir Jagr – 123 pts (54g, 69a)
Alex Ovechkin – 106 pts (52g, 54a)
Dany Heatley – 103 pts (50g, 53a)
Daniel Alfredsson – 103 pts (43g, 60a)
Sidney Crosby – 102 pts (39g, 63a)
Eric Staal – 100 pts (45g, 55a)
Ilya Kovalchuk – 98 pts (52g, 46a)
Marc Savard – 97 pts (28g, 69a)
Jonathan Cheechoo – 93 pts (56g, 37a)
Fast forward to 2015, in which Jamie Benn won the Art Ross as the league’s leading scorer.