Shane Harper: Everett goal-scoring legend
Published 11:28 am Saturday, January 23, 2010
Congratulations to Shane Harper for breaking Everett’s career goal-scoring record last night. His goal 16 seconds into Everett’s 4-3 victory at Portland was the 88th of his career, surpassing the previous record of 87 set by Zach Hamill from 2003-08. Here’s some facts about Harper’s record:
– Harper’s 88th goal came in his 312th game for the Tips. Hamill scored his 87 in 250 games.
– Harper has done the bulk of his work the past two seasons, when he’s scored 62 of his 88 goals. He scored just nine goals total during his first two seasons in Everett, making him the classic late bloomer.
– The record-breaking goal was Harper’s 30th of the season, making him the first Everett player to record back-to-back 30-goal seasons. For that matter, he’s the only Tips player with multiple 30-goal seasons, period.
– Despite being Everett’s all-time goal scorer, Harper has never potted a hat trick. He has scored two goals in a game 13 times in his career, including seven times this season, so he’s had his chances.
– Everett’s record for goals in a season is 38, set by John Lammers in 2005-06. Harper has 23 games to work with if he wants to hold both of Everett’s goal-scoring records.
– Harper is from Valencia, Calif., and reader Rich Ross wanted to know whether any other Americans hold franchise goal-scoring records in the CHL. I can’t speak for the OHL and the QMJHL, but in the WHL John Varga, who is from Chicago, holds the Kelowna/Tacoma Rockets record for career goals with 154.
– As for where Harper ranks among Americans in the WHL/CHL (another Rich Ross question), I haven’t a clue. What I do know is he’s still behind Varga and Mike Modano (118), but he’s now tops among his California Wave midget linemates Colin Long (76) and C.J. Stretch (74 and counting). Can anyone else help out with this one?
