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Complete Guide to the All-Time Scoring Leaders in NHL History

NHL Scoring Leaders (All-Time): The Definitive Guide

In the NHL, the “scoring leader” is the player who has accumulated the most points. In doing this, the player has proven themselves to be the most potent threat to opposition goaltenders in the NHL that season. Of course, when looking at the all-time rankings, you can see the players who upheld high levels of scoring for years.

Table of Contents:

As you’ll know from the Stanley Cup odds, there can only be one winner of the NHL’s championship. However, in sports, it’s important to acknowledge and celebrate individual achievements regardless of if a player’s on a team that’s good enough to hoist the Cup. Tracking all-time scoring leaders tracks the top offensive players in the NHL.

Over the many decades of play in the NHL, ideal strategies, the style of play, what constitutes a foul, and even goaltender equipment has changed greatly. Each shift in the state of play has forced the best players and coaches to adjust and find the optimal ways to play in possession and when in the offensive end.

Understanding NHL Scoring Statistics

Goals, Assists, and Points: What Counts?

In the hockey lines for each game, you can bet on individual players to score goals, assists, or points as separate stat lines. However, in the NHL, a goal counts as a point, as does an assist, with points being an accumulation of these goal involvements. Typically, each NHL goal scored will come via two assists, giving out a point to three players for each score.

Regular Season vs. Playoffs: A Key Distinction

When we’re talking about the NHL’s all-time scoring leaders, we’re talking about the points tallies amassed during the NHL regular season. The Stanley Cup Playoffs (the NHL’s postseason) are treated as a separate section of record keeping. This split in stats for the season and the playoffs is common across North American major league sports.

How are Points Officially Tracked by the NHL?

At every NHL game, there will be a team of referees on and around the ice as well as official scorekeepers in the arena to record every point tallied during each game. Helping them is the Hockey Information and Tracking System, which collects data from sensors in the puck and the jerseys worn by players.

The Legends: Top 10 NHL Scoring Leaders of All Time

Wayne Gretzky: The Great One

Wayne Gretzky more than earned his nickname “The Great One” during his time with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, and St. Louis Blues. In just 1,487 regular season games, he put up 2,857 points. As we’ll soon see, the question of him losing his all-time NHL scoring leaders title has never come close to being raised.

Jaromír Jágr: The Ageless Wonder

Czech winger Jaromír Jágr enjoyed an incredible NHL career that was spread across three decades, and he took some time out to play back in Europe a fair few times. By the time he traded his Calgary Flames jersey for that of his own club in Czechia, Rytíři Kladno, Jágr had amassed 1,921 points in 1,733 NHL regular season games.

Mark Messier: Leadership and Longevity

Born in the same year as Gretzky and spending a huge chunk of his career in the same dressing room as The Great One, Messier went on to win the Stanley Cup six times, five of which were with the Oilers, and remains the only player to captain two championship-winning teams. In the regular season, across three teams, Messier scored 1,887 points in 1,756 games.

Gordie Howe: Mr. Hockey’s Impact

Gordie Howe long held the record for the number of games played in the NHL at 1,767 until Patrick Marleau recently overtook Mr. Hockey. Across those games, Howe scored 801 goals – only 93 short of Gretzky – and 1,850 points. The legendary Detroit Red Wings forward played in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and even in 1980 with the Hartford Whalers to lock-in one of the all-time great NHL careers.

Ron Francis: The Quiet Producer

Now the president of hockey operations at the young Seattle Kraken, Ron Francis had spent 23 seasons on NHL ice, playing for the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes, and, for a short spell, the Toronto Maple Leafs. At the time of his retirement, Francis’ 1,798 points were good for fifth among the scoring leaders, and he’s yet to be usurped from that spot.

Marcel Dionne: Forgotten Elite

Playing in the 1970s and 1980s was rough, what with the Broad Street Bullies helping to set the tone, especially for a relatively diminutive 5’8’’ centre. That didn’t stop Marcel Dionne from producing, though. Seen as an offensive genius, the hefty centre always skated hard, and his eye for a pass and the back of the net collected him 1,771 points.

Steve Yzerman: Captain Consistency

At just 21 years of age, Steve Yzerman was given the vaunted captain’s patch for the legendary Detroit Red Wings. The pressure of this could sink a young skater, but it only served to spur Yzerman on to legendary status. Over the next two decades and up to his 1,514th game, he led the Red Wings by example and ended with 1,755 points.

Mario Lemieux: A Career of “What Ifs”

Picked first overall in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft – six years after Gretzky took the NHL by storm – Mario Lemieux’s talent completely changed the trajectory of the Pittsburgh Penguins, filling a stadium that would average less than half its capacity prior. Blighted by health issues, Lemieux was held to 915 games across two stints in the NHL for 1,723 points – which only makes his talent more impressive, if anything.

Joe Sakic: Reliable and Clutch

Following on to the next retired NHL scoring leader whose points won’t change anytime soon – Sidney Crosby recently leapfrogged him to go ninth all-time – Joe Sakic was a big-game player. For both the Québec Nordiques and the Colorado Avalanche, he’d regularly come up clutch. Still, he was also a consistent scorer and finished his vaunted career with 1,641 points.

Phil Esposito: Scoring in a Different Era

A budding force in the 1960s with the Chicago Black Hawks but a scoring machine throughout the 1970s for the Boston Bruins and, to a lesser degree, the New York Rangers, Phil Esposito enjoyed five consecutive seasons of 125 points of more with the Bs. In the end, he hung up his skates in 1981, second only to Howe as an NHL scoring leader.

By the Numbers: Statistical Analysis of the Top 100

Average Points Per Season

Average points per season is a tricky metric to glean perspective from for the top 100 NHL scoring leaders. Different era and regular season game counts make a big difference, as do injuries. That said, we can look at the extremes to find some averages. As a general overview, the top 25 percent of players are said to average a 12-year career, and with the 100th NHL scoring leader having 1004 points, the average needed would be 83.7 points per season.

Gordie Howe played 26 seasons to average 71.1 points per season, Wayne Gretzky managed a 142.9 average, while Mario Lemieux hit an extraordinary clip of 101.4 points per season, with many of them not being complete campaigns. At the other end, Mike Bossy only played ten seasons for 752 games and stands 63rd overall with an average of 112.6 points per season.

Age and Career Longevity

Starting young – straight out of the draft, for example – gives a good player the best chance they could have of breaking the top 100 NHL scoring leaders. Even then, they’ll need to get lucky with injuries, ideally play for a strong team for several years, and keep in prime physical condition over at least a couple of decades to reach the upper echelons of the NHL scoring leaders. Longevity is a big reason why Jágr is now the second all-time point scorer.

Peak Performance Years vs. Career Consistency

Every player will have peak performance years, often in their mid-20s through to their early 30s, but the key to all of the top NHL scoring leaders has been consistency and a high rate of scoring from start to finish.

Decade Leaders: Who Dominated Each Era?

1970s Standouts

Three legends distinctly dominated the 1970s. Phil Esposito was the breakout scorer who set a new bar in the NHL, collecting 1,108 points from the 1969/70 season through to the end of the 1978/79 campaign. In that same spell, Bobby Clarke put up 868 points, and Jean Ratelle recorded 862 points. Guy Lafleur (816) and Marcel Dionne (791) were over 100 games back of those three but still rank fourth and fifth for scoring in the 1970s.

1980s Explosive Offence

From 1979/80 to 1988/89, one many conquered all. That was Wayne Gretzky, who dominated the 1980s with his 1,837 points in 774 games. The next best had a bit over half of that tally, with those players being Peter Stastny on 986 points, Marcel Dionne continuing in fine form with 980 points, and Jari Kurri, Gretzky’s favourite winger, on 950 points.

1990s Transition Years

As the explosive decade of scoring faded, somewhat, Gretzky still managed to find a way to be all-conquering. In the 1990s, he scored another 1,020 points in 713 games. This put him 93 points ahead of Adam Oates on 927 points, Steve Yzerman on 918 points, and Joe Sakic on 917 points. Jaromír Jágr also emerged in this decade with 862 points in 662 games.

2000s Post-Lockout Scorers

In the run to the lockout and thereafter, the rate of scoring declined across the NHL, but some top talents still managed to amass enviable points tallies. Joe Thornton led the way with 794 points in 700 games, followed by Jágr adding another 737 to his record, Jarome Iginla tallying 718 points, and Daniel Alfredsson scoring 711 points.

2010s to Present: The Modern Era

From the 2009/10 season to the end of the 2024/25 regular season – a larger sample than those above – one player has separated himself from the rest, and that player is Sidney Crosby. He’s notched 1,290 points in 1,062 games, besting friendly rival Alex Ovechkin by 87 points. Patrick Kane trails “The Great Eight” by two points on 1,201, but the most impressive of the top ten is Connor McDavid on 1,082 points from just 712 games.

Country Breakdown: Nationality of Top Scorers

Canadian Dominance in Historical Rankings

Only 29 of the top 100 all-time NHL scoring leaders are not from Canada. Plus, only one of the top ten hails from outside of Canada. Yet, US teams make up the glut of the NHL standings and often lead the sports betting for success in the postseason over the last couple of decades.

Rise of European Scorers

While certainly not the first European to arrive and make a big impression on the box scores, Jaromír Jágr has set the example for European scorers. The Czech forward battled for decades to cement himself second only to Gretzky. Behind him, there are the likes of Alexander Ovechkin, Teemu Selänne, Jari Kurri, and Mats Sundin in the top 30.

American Players Gaining Ground

Given the prominence of American teams and their recent successes in winning the Stanley Cup, it’s a bit of a surprise not to see more American skaters collecting huge hauls of points. As it stands, the top Americans are Brett Hull and Mike Modano, who scored 1,391 and 1,374 points, respectively. Patrick Kane is next with 1,343 points to date.

Scoring by Position

Centers vs. Wingers: Who Scores More?

Centers are, as the name suggests, the centrepiece of the offence, and so, they tend to be more privy to point scoring. They’re usually in a better position to not only stare down the goaltender, but also distribute to the wings or blueline. So, it won’t be a surprise that of the top 50 on the all-time NHL scoring leaders list, only 15 are wingers.

Defensemen in the All-Time Rankings

There are plenty of offence-minded defensemen dotted around the all-time NHL scoring leaders list, with the top of the bunch being Ray Bourque in 13th with 1,579 points. He’s joined by Paul Coffey (1,531), Al MacInnis (1,274), Phil Housley (1,232), and Larry Murphy (1,217) in the top 50.

Role of Goalie-Scored Points (Rare but Real)

Goalies aren’t supposed to score points, let alone goals, and yet, to date, 102 have scored at least one point. Topping the NHL scoring leaders for goalies are three legends: Grant Fuhr, Martin Brodeur, and Patrick Roy. Fuhr amassed 14 assists in his career, and Roy collected 11, but Brodeur has the distinction of scoring a goal as a part of his 12-point career tally.

Playoff Scoring Leaders

All-Time Playoff Points Leaders

If you’ve read this far, it won’t come as a surprise that this is yet another scoring record owned by Wayne Gretzky. The Great One was just as prolific in the playoffs, scoring 382 points in 208 games, which includes an almighty 24 game-winning goals. After him, it’s his once-teammates Mark Messier on 295 points and Jari Kurri with 233 points.

Playoff Goals and Assists Records

The playoff goals record shakes out the same as the playoff points record, with Gretzky up top on 122 goals, followed my Messier’s 109 goals and then Kurri’s collection of 106 scores. The assists leader is, again Gretzky (260), followed by Messier (186), but this time, defenseman Ray Bourque breaks the Oilers contingent with 139 assists.

Clutch Playoff Performers vs. Regular Season Greats

Players who are great in the regular season tend to find that next gear to become legends and clutch players in the playoffs. Wayne Gretzky’s joint-record of 24 game-winning goals in the playoffs – which he shares with Brett Hull – is a strong show of this. Claude Lemieux and Joe Sakic follow with 19 game winning goals in the postseason, proving their clutch credentials, as do the 18 goals of Maurice Richard and Joe Pavelski.

Milestone Watch: Active Players Closing In

Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin

Just this season gone, Alexander Ovechkin beat one of Gretzky’s records that was once thought to be unbeatable – his tally of 894 regular season goals. The Russian wing is now 11th in points with 1,623. If he has another season in him, he’ll surely get past Joe Sakic on 1,641 to sit in the top ten.

Sidney Crosby is closing in on close friend and the minority owner of the team that he’s represented for 20 seasons, Mario Lemieux. In 1,352 games, Crosby’s climbed to ninth among the scoring leaders, is 36 points away from Lemieux in eighth, and has two more seasons left on his current contract – at which point, he’ll be 39-years-old.

Connor McDavid’s Accelerated Rise

In just 712 games or ten seasons to date, Connor McDavid has amassed 1,082 points to get to 71st in the NHL scoring leaders list. Injuries have seriously clipped his wings in four seasons so far, but when he plays, he hits a points average of 1.52 per game. That’s better than Jágr (1.11), Messier (1.07), Howe (1.05), and Francis (1.03), but each of them played over 1,700 games. Longevity will be the question, especially as Gretzky’s rate was 1.92 points per game.

Who Might Crack the Top 10 Next?

If he plays another season, Alex Ovechkin looks primed to move into the top 10 all-time NHL scoring leaders, but after him, it’ll be several seasons before another player – likely Connor McDavid – challenges for a top ten spot.

Record Breakers: Notable Milestones in NHL History

Fastest to 500, 1,000, and 1,500 Points

Wayne Gretzky was the fastest player to 500 points, doing so in just 234 games. By his 424nd game, Gretzky had his 1,000 point, which remains the fastest to 1,000 points in the NHL to date. Then, in his 620th game, Gretzky got to 1,500 points – also a record.

Most Points in a Single Season

Not only does Wayne Gretzky boast the record for the most points in a single season with 215 in 1985/85, but he’s also got the top four spots and eight of the top ten – only Mario Lemieux in 1987/88 and 1988/89 breaks up the scoring leader’s onslaught.

Longest Scoring Streaks

The NHL's longest scoring streak is held by, you guessed it, Wayne Gretzky! The indomitable scoring machine amassed a point streak of 51 consecutive games in the 1983/84 season, during which, he netted 61 goals and 92 assists for 153 points. He didn't stop scoring at least a point in games from October 5, 1983 to January 27, 1984.

Team Contributions: Franchises with the Most Scoring Leaders

Teams that Produced the Most Top Scorers

In the top ten all-time NHL scoring leaders, three players (Jágr, Lemieux, and Crosby) started with the Pittsburgh Penguins and three started with the Detroit Red Wings (Howe, Dionne, Yzerman).

Influence of Team Style and Coaching

A team style that emphasizes offensive play and a coach who’s willing to give top young talents big minutes and time on the powerplay really helps future scoring leaders to hit the ground running. Plus, even the greatest players can’t tally many points without at least a half-decent supporting cast.

Franchise Points Leaders

Of course, the leader among all of the franchise points leaders through the history of the NHL is Mr. Hockey himself. Gordie Howe spent 25 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and scored 1,809 points for them. He retired in 1970, joined the WHA in 1973, and then came back to the NHL for a cameo season with Hartford Whalers to add another 41 points to his tally.

NHL Scoring Records that May Never be Broken

Gretzky’s 2,857 Career Points

As we explored above with McDavid’s incredible rate of scoring, his average of 1.52 points per game is otherworldly in modern hockey, but it pales in comparison to Gretzky’s 1.92 points per game. It would take a seismic shift in the sport for this NHL scoring record to ever be broken.

Lemieux’s Points Per Game

So many interruptions and health issues hampered Lemieux’s trajectory tremendously, and yet, he still collected a good-for-eighth NHL points tally of 1,723 in 915 games. That’s good for 1.88 points per game, which is as close as you’ll see to Gretzky’s run. Even Mike Bossy’s superb 1,126 points in 752 games is a rate of 1.5 points per game.

Most Assists in a Season

Wayne Gretzky boasts the record for the most assists in a single season with 163 assists in the 1985/86 campaign. He also stands as the second through to eighth top scorer of assists in a single season, with that eighth entry being a 114-assist outing in 1988/89 for the Los Angeles Kings. The closest modern tallies have been 100 assists from Connor McDavid and Nikita Kucherov, both in 2023/24.

NHL Scoring Leaders FAQs

Who is the All-Time Points Leader in NHL History?

Wayne Gretzky is the all-time points leader in NHL history. Not only does he have the NHL record for career points at 2,857, but he also tops the chart when you include playoff scoring – for which, he boasts a grand total of 3,239 points.

Has Anyone Come Close to Breaking Gretzky’s Record?

For point scoring, there is yet to be a challenger to Gretzky’s record, with the closest being Jaromír Jágr, who scored 1,921 points to fall 936 short of Gretzky’s haul despite playing 246 more games.

Do Playoff Points Count in the All-Time Scoring List?

Playoff points don’t count in the NHL’s all-time scoring list, but in the NHL Records, there is a section for regular season and playoffs scoring combined.

Who is the Active Player with the Highest All-Time Points?

The active player with the highest all-time points tally to date is Sidney Crosby. The Pittsburgh Penguins centre and captain sits ninth on the all-time chart with 1,687 points.

How are Points Calculated in the NHL?

In the NHL, players get a single point for scoring a goal, a single point for being the player to assist a goal, or a single point for being the player that assists that assist. Points are an accumulation of goals and assists in the NHL.

Why is Mario Lemieux’s Total Lower Despite His Dominance?

Mario Lemieux’s points total is lower than only seven others in the all-time list despite his dominance because his career was shortened. He only played 915 games, while every other player in the top 20 played at least 1,279 games. This was because Lemieux retired at one point due to his cancer treatment taking its toll, and later, due to doctors finding that he had an irregular heartbeat.

What’s the Most Points Scored in a Single NHL Season?

The most points scored in a single NHL season was 215 points, scored by Wayne Gretzky for the Edmonton Oilers in the 1985/86 NHL regular season.

Where Can I Find Updated Scoring Leader Stats?

The NHL’s official website keeps its stats up to date, so you can go to their Records section to get a clear view or tweak the parameters, situations, and years on the NHL’s Statistics page for Skaters.

Who has the Most Points in the Playoffs All-Time?

As you might expect, Wayne Gretzky holds the all-time record for the most points in the playoffs. In 208 playoff games, he notched 382 points, which stands 87 points clear of the next-best, Mark Messier.

How has Scoring Changed in the Modern NHL?

Scoring in the modern NHL looks to be on the rise again. While still a bit away from the highs of the 1970s and 1980s, the 2022/23 season saw an average of 3.14 goals per game, 2021/22 hit a 3.11 average, and 2023/24 saw 3.08 goals per game.

In 2024/25, the 3.01 average is good for 43rd overall across all 107 seasons of the NHL. For comparison, the 2003/04 season ranks 88th with an average of 2.57, while the lowest was seen in the 1.46 average of the 1928/29 campaign.