If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NHL Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the second year that we have done this, and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid won the first one.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at when the first player cracked 40 Points, and tell all of you the top ten.  We will this going forward with every update as the first player breaches the elevated ten-point threshold afterward.

Here is the current top ten, based on the first player to breach 90 Notinhalloffame Cup Points:

1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers.  90 Cup Points:  47 Games, 39 G, 47 A, 86 P, +2, 9.9 PS.  (#1 on last update)

There are a lot of stories at the near-halfway mark of the 2022/23 NHL Season, with one of the top ones being Connor McDavid running away with every major statistical category.  Last year’s Notinhalloffame NHL Cup winner is extending his lead and he is currently the league-leader in Goals (39), Assists (47), Points (86) and Point Shares (9.9).  

2. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins. 79 Cup Points:  45 Games, 35 G, 28 A, 63 P, +25, 8.7 PS. (#2 on last update)

The Bruins are one of the NHL’s top teams and Pastrnak is their top scorer.  The Bruins star is averaging 1.40 Points per Game, slightly more than his First Team All-Star campaign in 2019-20.  He currently is leading the NHL in Shots (217).

3 (Tie). Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche. 75 Cup Points:  43 Games, 31 G, 25 A, 56 P, +9, 7.0 PS. (#3 on last update)

Rantanen remains at #3, and is also in the top ten in Goals and Points, while leading the NHL in Even Strength Goals (26).  The Avs star has 1.28 PPG, the highest of his career.

3 (Tie). Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning.  75 Cup Points:  44 Games, 27 G, 22 A, 49 P, +7, 5.9 PS. (#6 on last update)

Point is having a good year, and is a point-per-game player, there are still quite a few players with higher point tallies than the Tampa Center.  Saying that, Point has been the most clutch player for the Lightning, and a reason we love this process!

5. Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars.  71 Cup Points:  47 Games, 31 G, 32 A, 63 P, +29, 8.8 PS. (#4 on last update)

Robertson is on pace to shatter last season’s 41-38-79 output, and the fourth-year player is now the undeniable top dog of the Stars lineup.  

6. Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils.  70 Cup Points, 45 Games, 29 G, 27 A, 56 P, +14, 7.1 PS. (#5 on last update)

Hughes explodes back into the top ten, ranked higher in Cup Point standings than he has ever been.  He is already tied with Points total (56) from last season.

7. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs.  68 Cup Points:  44 Games, 24 G, 27 A, 51 P, +20, 6.2 PS.  (#7 on last update)

Matthews is the defending Hart winner but he is not on the PPG pace he was last year, though when Toronto wins, the odds are that he was the biggest reason why.  Is this season a disappointment so far for Matthews?

8. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers, 66 Cup Points:  45 Games, 27 G, 45 A, 72 P, +4, 7.7 PS.  (Not on last update)

The 2020 Hart Trophy winner returns to the top ten and gives the Oilers two players in the upper-tier.

9. Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers, 63 Cup Points:  44 Games, 24 G, 34 A, 58 P, +9, 6.5 PS.  (not on last update)

Matthew’s brother, Brady was once in the top ten, but this his first time here this season.

10 (Tie). Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars.  62 Cup Points:  34 Games, 20-7-4, 2.26 GAA, .924 Save Percentage, 7.3 PS.  (not on last update)

In his third season, Oettinger is playing the best hockey of his life.

10 (Tie). Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets.  62 Cup Points:  35 Games, 22-12-1, 2.43 GAA, .923 Save Percentage, 8.1 PS.  (not on last update)

A former Vezina winner, Hellebuyck is a contender for that trophy this year.

Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprisov, Boston’s Linus Ullmark, Pittsburgh’s Sdney Crosby and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin fell off the top ten.

Our next update will occur when the first player breaks 100 Cup Points.

Rock and Roll lost one of the great ones today with the passing of David Crosby.  He was 81.

A founding member of the Byrds, Crosby was an integral part of the group, playing guitar, and providing harmonies to the band that gave us hits such as “Turn Turn Turn”, and “Eight Miles High”.  Forced out of the group by Roger McGuinn, Crosby formed a supergroup with Steven Stills and Graham Nash; Crosby, Stills and Nash, which was later joined by Neil Young.

The beloved songwriter was known as much for his issues with drugs as he was for his music, but he battled through, and earned two spots in the Rock Hall, one with the Byrds, and one with CSNY.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, family and friends of David Crosby.

Mike Scioscia played his entire career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, showing cerebral prowess, the ability to manage a pitching staff, and good enough hitting for a team as celebrated as the Los Angeles Dodgers kept him for well over a decade and the entirety of his MLB career.

Catchers are expected to be cerebral, but Scioscia took that to another level by learning Spanish to best communicate with the Dodgers ace, Fernando Valenzuela.  A two-time All-Star, Scioscia was considered one of the best in his era in handling a pitching staff, and he did compile 1,131 Hits offensively for Los Angeles.  A World Series winner in 1988, Scioscia later became a successful Manager, winning two Manager of the Year Awards and a World Series in 2002 as the Angels' skipper.

"Pistol" Pete Reiser might be one of the biggest "what could have been" in Dodger history, as very few players on the diamond lost greatness so quickly due to injuries.

Reiser was pegged to be a star by St. Louis Cardinals management, and they were dismayed when he was one of the Minor League players that Commissioner, Kennesaw Mountain Landis, deemed free agents.  Cardinals GM, Branch Rickey, had an agreement with the Dodgers, who signed Reiser to trade him back to St. Louis, but Brooklyn Kept Reiser, and Rickey, himself, would join Brooklyn in 1943.

Reiser made it to the parent club in 1940, appearing in 58 Games, but he was an everyday player in 1941 and had one of the most explosive campaigns in Dodgers history.  He led the NL in Runs (117), Doubles (39), Triples (17), Batting (.343), Slugging (.558), OPS (.964), and bWAR for Position Players (8.0), but was jobbed out of the MVP to Home Run and RBI leader, Dolph Camilli, who was also his teammate.  Brooklyn won the Pennant that year but was crushed by the Yankees in five.  

Reiser had an interesting 1942, again going to the All-Star Game, but mid-season, he suffered a concussion when he crashed face-first into the outfield wall.  He returned but was not the same player for the rest of the season.

Like many other Americans, Reiser served in the U.S. Military and missed three years, but a shoulder injury in an army baseball game hampered his batting.  Reiser was still the same player regarding effort, but the oft-injured Outfielder never came close to what he was in 1941.  He was traded to the Braves after the 1948 Season, ending his Dodgers run.

Reiser compiled 666 Hits with a .306 Batting Average.