No Puckin' Way: 10 Nearly-Unbreakable NHL Records

Doug Jarvis is the NHL's record holder in consecutive games played, with 964—breaking the previous record, set by center Garry Unger, of 914.

Doug's record began from 1975 and ended in 1987, spanning over 12 straight seasons.

Why this record may never be broken:

This record was set during a time when the game was a bit slower and not as hard as you see in today's game, with players who were not nearly as strong as they are in today's game as well.

It will take a player who shies away from any type of physical game (which is harder in today's field because defensive play is tighter), dodging bullet after bullet over the course of 2/3 of his career to come close to this record.

Good luck with that.

The 1974-75 Washington Capitals are considered to be the worst team in NHL history, at least statistically.

Not only do they hold the record for least amount wins with eight, but this same team also holds the record for least amount of points in a season (21), which isn't all that surprising.

Why this record may never be broken:

In today's NHL, with a salary cap and floor, it keeps the league too balanced for one team to be so bad.

The NHL today also has a skills competition known as "the shootout" to help decide tied games, so even the worst teams can pull out a shootout victory and gain a win over the best teams.

There are good records and bad records. This is the worst.

In the 1928-29 NHL season, George Hainsworth of the Montreal Canadiens set the single-season shutouts record by a goaltender, with 22.

Why this record may never be broken:

Think of it like this—the goaltender's wins' record is 48 in a season, so for an NHL goaltender in today's game to reach 23 shutouts, he will have to start in nearly all of his teams games and average a shutout almost every third game.

Tony Esposito has the most shutouts by a goalie in the modern day NHL with 15 shutouts in 1967.

As you can see, it would be asking way too much from the Hockey Gods to see the record of 22 shutouts be broken.

In the 1983-84 NHL season, the Edmonton Oilers set the NHL on fire with a record 446 goals in one season en route to their first Stanley Cup.

Why this record may never be broken:

This Oilers team was lead by the top two point scorers of all time in Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, along with an abundance of other offensive studs which help set this record.

Consider this—the record occurred during an era when the NHL averaged right around eight goals per game, which is the highest of all time.

It was a formula for madness.

Today, the NHL averages right around six goals per game, and it may rise over the years, but I doubt we'll see the NHL get back to around that eight goal mark because of the over sized goalies and tight defensive play in today's game.

The 1980-1984 New York Islanders won 19 consecutive playoff series, spanning four consecutive Stanley Cup titles and five playoff seasons. This is a record for all North American professional sports franchises.

Why this record may never be broken:

The NY Islanders were a special dynasty. The type of players that made up those teams were as tough as 30-grit sandpaper, and they may have been the best working group of players in NHL history.

Wayne Gretzky once said after passing by the Islanders locker room that they looked like they went through a war after clinching their fourth Stanley Cup.

You don't find these type of dedicated players in the NHL today, and it will take nothing less than players like that to break this record.

Wayne Gretzky set the single-season goal scoring record, with 92 in 1982.

Why this record may never be broken:

I think it's safe to say we are past the era of seeing players achieve 50 goals in 50 games, or average a goal per game, or in Wayne's case, average better than a goal per game because it has not been done in quite a while.

Two years ago, we witnessed Alexander Ovechkin score 65 goals in one season, and that almost seemed like an impossible feat in today's era.

To ask anyone to score 28 more goals than that to shatter Wayne's record is just unimaginable.

The Montreal Canadiens dominated the 1950's making it to the Stanley Cup Finals 10 consecutive times from 1951 through 1960.

To put that in perspective, the next best is only half of that with five consecutive appearances, done by the Montreal Canadians and the New York Islanders.

Why this record may never be broken:

Obviously the salary cap and floor prevents this from even coming close to happening again. It prevents one team from being that top heavy in talent for so long. This was also done in an era with only six teams.

Wayne Gretzky set an NHL record in the 1981-82 season with 215 total points.

Why this record may never be broken:

To put this record in perspective comparing eras, the most points any player in the NHL has scored in one season in the last 10 years is 127 by Jaromir Jagr in 1998-99.

That was still 88 points away from tying Wayne's record, which is the difference of a star players stats in today's game.

Mario Lemieux had the best, and most likely the last shot at breaking this record in the 1988-89 season, but he fell 16 points shy of tying Wayne in four fewer games.

In the 1992-93 NHL season, Teemu Selanne set a record with 76 goals scored by a rookie.

Why this record may never be broken:

It's expecting too much in hopes to see a rookie come into the NHL and score that ridiculous amount of goals in one season.

It's even expecting too much from any NHL player to score that amount of goals in one season.

This record is simply a phenomenon, and it needs very little explanation to why it will never happen again because it speaks for itself.

In the 1985-86 NHL season, Wayne Gretzky shattered the NHL record with 163 assists in one season.

Why this record may never be broken:

Let's put it this way—no other player besides Wayne himself and Mario Lemieux have reached 163 points in a season. Wayne had 163 assists in one season. I know—it's enough to make your head spin.

This record, in my opinion is the toughest of all NHL records, and arguably the toughest record in all of sports.