#CHLStats: Nick Lardis becomes the 8th CHL player to hit 70 goals since 2000
By Chris Seguin/CHL
Having scored a pair in Brantford’s 11-3 victory over the Saginaw Spirit on Saturday night, Brantford Bulldogs forward and Chicago Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis became just the eighth player in the CHL to break the 70-goal plateau since 2000 (see complete list below).
Leading the CHL with 70 goals in 61 games this season, Lardis is the first skater from the CHL to achieve this feat since Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard scored 71 times as a member of the Regina Pats during the 2022-23 campaign.
From an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) standpoint, the 19-year-old from Oakville, Ont., is only the eighth player in league history to tally 70-plus goals (see complete list below), and the first to do so since Oshawa Generals alumnus John Tavares scored 72 during the 2006-07 campaign. Before Lardis and Tavares, the only other OHL skater to reach the 70-goal mark over the last 35 years was Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee and Oshawa Generals alumnus Eric Lindros (71 goals during the 1990-91 season).
On pace for 76 goals this season, Lardis could put himself in more rarified territory as his memorable 2024-25 campaign gets set to come to a close in two weeks from today.
With five games left on the schedule, if Lardis were to reach 75 goals, it would make him the most prolific goal scorer in the CHL since Saskatoon Blades legend Frank Banham potted 83 goals during the 1995-96 season. Additionally, if the Bulldogs forward gets to 73, he will have scored the most goals in a single OHL season since Cornwall Royals alumnus Ray Sheppard lit the lamp 81 times over 39 years ago (in 1985-86).
Regardless of what he does next, Lardis’ 2024-25 campaign has undoubtedly been one of the most impressive in recent memory. Here are some incredible figures that help to further highlight the Chicago Blackhawks prospect’s spectacular year as of March 9:
20 – The number of multi-goal outings Lardis has registered in 61 games so far in 2024-25. This means Lardis has scored two goals or more in nearly a third of his games this season (specifically, in 32.7% of them).
17 – The length of Lardis’ goal streak from January 8 to February 20, the longest streak of its kind in the CHL this season. It was just two contests shy of the OHL single-season record of 19 consecutive games with a goal, which is held by former NHLer Mike Ricci (Peterborough Petes, 1988) and current Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters, 2017).
7 – The total number of hat-tricks collected by Lardis through 61 games of the 2024-25 campaign. Over his OHL career, the 19-year-old has now scored eight hat-tricks, meaning he had registered only one over 169 games prior to this season.
4 – The number of goals scored by Lardis against the Sudbury Wolves on February 2, which represented a new single-game career-high for the Oakville, Ont., native.
2 – The number of single-season franchise records Lardis has set with the Brantford Bulldogs this season. Specifically, the 19-year-old has become the Bulldogs’ record holder for goals (70) and points (113) in a single season – both marks he is likely to build on over Brantford’s’ remaining five games.
Originally selected by the Peterborough Petes sixth overall in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection, Lardis was acquired by the Bulldogs during the 2022-23 campaign in exchange for two-time OHL champions Gavin White and Avery Hayes. At the 2023 NHL Draft, Lardis was taken in the third round (67th overall) by the Chicago Blackhawks and he signed his entry-level contract with the club in April 2024.
CHL PLAYERS WITH 70+ GOALS IN A SINGLE SEASON SINCE 2000 (as of March 9, 2025)
Nick Lardis – Brantford Bulldogs / OHL – 70 goals in 2024-25*
Connor Bedard – Regina Pats / WHL – 71 goals in 2022-23
Jayden Halbgewachs – Moose Jaw Warriors / WHL – 70 goals in 2017-18
John Tavares – Oshawa Generals / OHL – 72 goals in 2006-07
Thomas Beauregard – Acadie-Bathurst Titan / QMJHL – 71 goals in 2006-07
Maxime Boisclair – Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL – 70 goals in 2005-06
Simon Gamache – Val-d’Or Foreurs / QMJHL – 74 goals – 2000-01
Brad Richards – Rimouski Océanic / QMJHL – 71 goals in 1999-00
*denotes active player
MOST GOALS SCORED IN A SINGLE SEASON IN THE CHL SINCE 2000 (as of March 9, 2025)
1. Simon Gamache – Val-d’Or Foreurs / QMJHL – 74 goals (2000-01)
2. John Tavares – Oshawa Generals / OHL – 72 goals (2006-07)
T3. Connor Bedard – Regina Pats / WHL – 71 goals (2022-23)
T3. Thomas Beauregard – Acadie-Bathurst Titan / QMJHL – 71 goals (2006-07)
T3. Brad Richards – Rimouski Océanic / QMJHL – 71 goals (1999-00)
T6. Jayden Halbgewachs – Moose Jaw Warriors / WHL – 70 goals (2017-18)
T6. Maxime Boisclair – Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL – 70 goals (2005-06)
T6. Nick Lardis – Brantford Bulldogs / OHL – 70 goals (2024-25)*
*denotes active player
OHL PLAYERS WITH 70+ GOALS IN A SINGLE SEASON (as of March 9, 2025)
1. Ernie Godden – Windsor Spitfires – 87 Goals (1980-81)
T2. Ray Sheppard – Cornwall Royals – 81 Goals (1985-86)
T2. Tony Tanti – Oshawa Generals – 81 Goals (1980-81)
4. Steve Gatzos – Soo Greyhounds – 78 Goals (1980-81)
5. John Tavares – Oshawa Generals – 72 Goals (2006-07)
6. Eric Lindros – Oshawa Generals – 71 Goals (1990-91)
T7. Nick Lardis – Brantford Bulldogs – 70 Goals (2024-25)*
T7. Doug Gilmour – Cornwall Royals – 70 Goals (1982-83)
*denotes active player
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