One of the questions I get asked most often since we started tracking injuries and man games lost in the NHL (or any sport) is “How has my team fared in years past for injuries?”. We already provide that data, year-by-year, going back to 2009-2010, but decided to take advantage of the coming All-Star Weekend break and put together cumulative numbers for this in one location. Below are the results.
Surprised? Due in large part to a mind-boggling 614 man-games lost fiasco in 2010-2011, the NY Islanders lead the pack over the past 5.5 seasons.
The common consensus I typically hear is that that the Pittsburgh Penguins or the Detroit Red Wings are the rightful owners of the ‘crown’, being amongst the annual leaders in games missed by players. Pittsburgh is 2nd, but surprisingly the top 5 are rounded out by the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Least affected by man games lost in the past 5.5 seasons? The LA Kings and Boston Bruins. Winners of three of the last five Stanley Cups. Chicago sits 26th in cumulative man-games lost and they’ve won the other two Stanley Cups in that timeframe.
Who will win the man-games lost and Stanley Cup honors this year?
CUMULATIVE MAN GAMES LOST SINCE 2009-2010 SEASON TO JANUARY 22, 2015
| Ranking | Team Man Games Lost (Team Reported) | Total MGL (2009-Jan 2015) | 2014-2015 (up to Jan 22, 2015) | 2013-2014 | 2012-2013 | 2011-2012 | 2010-2011 | 2009-2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Islanders | 1745 | 163 | 253 | 81 | 351 | 614 | 283 | |
| Pittsburgh | 1707 | 205 | 529 | 82 | 359 | 350 | 182 | |
| Colorado | 1642 | 252 | 204 | 150 | 210 | 474 | 352 | |
| Minnesota | 1638 | 132 | 267 | 88 | 388 | 421 | 342 | |
| Columbus | 1636 | 288 | 297 | 135 | 409 | 239 | 268 | |
| Detroit | 1576 | 116 | 421 | 243 | 226 | 258 | 312 | |
| Florida | 1565 | 107 | 294 | 271 | 340 | 317 | 236 | |
| Edmonton | 1534 | 69 | 299 | 118 | 248 | 279 | 521 | |
| Philadelphia | 1502 | 203 | 204 | 262 | 388 | 240 | 205 | |
| Vancouver | 1478 | 82 | 299 | 162 | 271 | 360 | 304 | |
| New Jersey | 1475 | 210 | 261 | 81 | 245 | 425 | 253 | |
| Calgary | 1436 | 136 | 289 | 126 | 389 | 361 | 135 | |
| Montreal | 1373 | 38 | 273 | 126 | 439 | 236 | 261 | |
| Winnipeg (incl. Atlanta) | 1295 | 102 | 349 | 173 | 281 | 193 | 197 | |
| Buffalo | 1282 | 169 | 302 | 128 | 328 | 226 | 129 | |
| Washington | 1265 | 169 | 223 | 155 | 248 | 251 | 219 | |
| Anaheim | 1189 | 251 | 334 | 70 | 200 | 168 | 166 | |
| Carolina | 1141 | 116 | 297 | 168 | 199 | 65 | 296 | |
| St. Louis | 1105 | 80 | 156 | 115 | 316 | 311 | 127 | |
| Ottawa | 1084 | 111 | 88 | 219 | 226 | 223 | 217 | |
| Toronto | 1038 | 113 | 235 | 89 | 239 | 184 | 178 | |
| Nashville | 1019 | 105 | 150 | 125 | 143 | 346 | 150 | |
| San Jose | 1004 | 91 | 297 | 139 | 148 | 166 | 163 | |
| New York Rangers | 952 | 56 | 122 | 134 | 237 | 327 | 76 | |
| Tampa Bay | 950 | 82 | 188 | 99 | 311 | 172 | 98 | |
| Chicago | 872 | 86 | 179 | 94 | 167 | 127 | 219 | |
| Dallas | 872 | 139 | 139 | 84 | 172 | 158 | 180 | |
| Arizona/Phoenix | 810 | 68 | 135 | 113 | 181 | 127 | 186 | |
| Boston | 776 | 95 | 198 | 51 | 135 | 105 | 192 | |
| Los Angeles | 750 | 69 | 100 | 53 | 168 | 170 | 190 |
