It should come as no surprise at this point in the year that the Vegas Golden Knights have re-written, or are on the path to re-writing, just about every record in the expansion/inaugural season record book. As they head into the All Star break the Golden Knights sit atop the Western Conference with 68 points on 32 wins.

Hey James, we’re already better than the Coyotes, Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, Panthers, and Jets! (Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

Since the NHL broke into two conferences in 1968 there have been 42 All Star games, which means 84 teams have led the conference in the standings at the break. Arizona, Carolina, Columbus, Florida, and Winnipeg have never done it.

Those teams were founded in 1996, 1997, 2000, 1993, and 1999 respectively. It goes all the way back to 1979 if you consider that neither the Hartford Whalers nor the first rendition of the Jets ever led the conference at the break either. The Minnesota North Stars never did it in their time in the league from 1967 to 1993. Nor did the Quebec Nordiques while in the league from 1979 to 1995.

By doing it in year one, the Golden Knights join the Ducks, Kings, Wild, Predators, Penguins, Sharks, Maple Leafs, and Canucks who have all only led the conference at the break a single time.

That’s 13 teams of the Original 30 who have either never done it or done it once in their entire existence, and one from the Original 6. Yet, Vegas did it in the first year of their existence.

But what does leading the conference at the All Star Break actually mean? Well, first, all 84 teams made the playoffs. Next, 34 of the 84 (40.1%) went on to represent their conference in the Stanley Cup Finals. And finally, 20 of them (23.8%) went on to win the Cup.

Recent history isn’t nearly as kind to the conference leaders at the break as only three teams have made the finals since 2003 (3 of 20 for 15%) and only one of them went on to become the champions of the NHL (1 of 20 for 5%). But we’re going to choose to ignore this and focus more on the last paragraph.

No matter how you slice it, the Golden Knights aren’t just making history for expansion teams, they are doing things teams who have been around since the 90’s have never done and matching something the Leafs have had a 99 year head start on. Pretty crazy.

***

Conference leaders at the All Star break

2017 – WSH/MIN
2016 – WSH/CHI
2015 – TBL^/ANA
2012 – NYR/DET
2011 – PHI/VAN^
2009 – BOS/SJS
2008 – OTT/DET*
2007 – BUF/NSH
2004 – PHI/COL
2003 – OTT/DAL
2002 – PHI/DET*
2001 – OTT/COL*
2000 – NJD*/STL
1999 – PHI/DAL*
1998 – NJD/DAL
1997 – PHI^/COL
1996 – NYR/DET
1994 – NYR*/TOR
1993 – PIT/CHI
1992 – MTL/DET
1991 – NYR/CHI
1990 – BOS^/EDM*
1989 – MTL^/CGY*
1988 – MTL/CGY
1987 – PHI^/EDM*
1985 – WSH/EDM*
1984 – BUF/EDM*
1983 – BOS/CHI
1982 – NYI*/EDM
1981 – LAK/NYI*
1980 – BUF/PHI^
1978 – MTL*/NYI
1977 – MTL*/PHI
1976 – MTL*/PHI^
1975 – BUF^/PHI*
1974 – BOS^/PHI*
1973 – MTL*/CHI^
1972 – BOS*/CHI
1971 – BOS/CHI^
1970 – NYR/STL^
1769 – BOS/STL^
1968 – CHI/PHI

* Won Stanley Cup
^ Went to Cup Finals