NHL all-time goal leaders: Who’s the best?

When we talk about the top NHL all-time goal leaders, every fan has an opinion about who should be considered the best. While Wayne Gretzky holds untouchable records, there are a few rising stars who may just break them.

So, who are the goal leaders in the NHL? Who are the players worth keeping an eye on?

Let’s dive deeper into the exciting NHL records to find the ultimate goal leaders.

All-time goal leaders in NHL history

When it comes to sports betting in Canada, the NHL is one of the most popular choices for punters.

So, you’re keen on placing a few wagers, but where’s the best place to start? By familiarizing yourself with the NHL all-time goal leaders, of course!

As we look at the goal leaders in NHL history, a few names stand out. Here are the top 50 goal leaders that everyone should know about.

• Wayne Gretzky: With over 20 years on the ice, Gretzky has scored the most goals in NHL history. The NHL prodigy retired with a total of 894 goals in his career.
• Gordie Howe: Known as Mr. Hockey, Howe spent 34 years as a professional ice hockey player. Throughout his career, he scored an impressive 801 goals over 1,767 games.
• Alex Ovechkin: Though relatively new to the NHL, Ovechkin has already made his mark among the top players in history. In his career, he has scored 782 and has his sights set on more.

Rank	Player Name	Games Played	Goals Scored	Hockey Hall of Fame	Years Active
1	Wayne Gretzky	1,487	894	Yes	1979-99
2	Gordie Howe	1,767	801	Yes	1946-80
3	Alex Ovechkin	1,278	782	No	Current
4	Jaromir Jágr	1,733	766	No	1990-18
5	Brett Hull	1,269	741	Yes	1986-06
6	Marcel Dionne	1,348	731	Yes	1971-89
7	Phil Esposito	1,282	717	Yes	1963-81
8	Mike Gartner	1,432	708	Yes	1979-98
9	Mark Messier	1,756	694	Yes	1979-04
10	Steve Yzerman	1,514	692	Yes	1983-06
11	Mario Lemieux	915	690	Yes	1984-06
12	Teemu Selanne	1,451	684	Yes	1992-14
13	Luc Robitaille	1,431	668	Yes	1986-06
14	Brendan Shanahan	1,524	656	Yes	1987-09
15	Dave Andreychuk	1,639	640	Yes	1982-06
16	Joe Sakiv	1,378	625	Yes	1988-09
17	Jarome Iginla	1,554	625	Yes	1996-17
18	Bobby Hull	1,063	610	Yes	1957-80
19	Dino Ciccarelli	1,232	608	Yes	1980-99
20	Jari Kurri	1,251	601	Yes	1980-98
21	Mark Recchi	1,652	577	Yes	1988-11
22	Mike Bossy	752	573	Yes	1977-87
23	Patrick Marleau	1,779	566	No	1997-21
24	Joe Nieuwendyk	1,257	564	Yes	1986-07
25	Mats Sundin	1,346	564	Yes	1990-09
26	Mike Modano	1,499	561	Yes	1989-11
27	Guy Lafleur	1,126	560	Yes	1971-91
28	John Bucyk	1,540	556	Yes	1955-78
29	Ron Francis	1,731	549	Yes	1981-04
30	Michel Goulet	1,089	548	Yes	1979-94
31	Maurice Richard	978	544	Yes	1942-60
32	Stan Mikita	1,396	541	Yes	1958-80
33	Keith Tkachuk	1,201	538	No	1991-10
34	Frank Mahovlich	1,181	533	Yes	1956-74
35	Marián Hossa	1,309	525	Yes	1997-17
36	Bryan Trottier	1,279	524	Yes	1975-94
37	Pat Verbeek	1,424	522	No	1982-02
38	Sidney Crosby	1,111	519	No	Current
39	Dale Hawerchuk	1,188	518	Yes	1981-97
40	Pierre Turgeon	1,294	515	No	1987-07
41	Jeremy Roenick	1,363	513	No	1988-09
42	Gilbert Perreault	1,191	512	Yes	1970-87
43	Jean Beliveau	1,125	507	Yes	1950-71
44	Peter Bondra	1,081	503	No	1990-07
45	Joe Mullen	1,062	502	Yes	1981-97
46	Lanny McDonald	1,111	500	Yes	1973-89
47	Glenn Anderson	1,129	498	Yes	1980-96
48	Jean Ratelle	1,280	491	Yes	1960-81
49	Norm Ullman	1,410	490	Yes	1955-75
50	Brian Bellows	1,188	485	No	1982-99

Current top 10 NHL career goal scorers

The 2021-22 NHL season has seen significant jumps in the ranks for most goals scored by active players. Some have made a name for themselves as NHL all-time goal scorers.

Here are the top 10 active players with the most career goals:

• Alex Ovechkin: 780 goals
• Patrick Marleau: 566 goals
• Sidney Crosby: 517 goals
• Steven Stamkos: 481 goals
• Evgeni Malkin: 444 goals
• Joe Thornton: 430 goals
• Patrick Kane: 430 goals
• Joe Pavelski: 421 goals
• Jeff Carter: 418 goals
• Zach Parise: 408 goals

If you’re looking at the most goals scored for the 2022 season, however, that’s another story entirely. Toronto Maple Leaf Auston Matthews takes the lead with a whopping 60 in total for the season.

On his tail is Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers with 55 goals and Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers with 52. Alex Ovechkin ranks 4th in this chart with 50 goals.

Top contenders to break Wayne Gretzky’s goal record

There‘s no doubt that Wayne Gretzky set the bar relatively high for NHL records. His achievements may seem unattainable to most, but who knows, with new talent joining the league, we may see a few broken records soon.

Who do we think those top contenders are? Here are the two players with the best potential, in our opinion.

• Alex Ovechkin: At his current rate, Ovechkin scores an average of 0.61 goals in each game. Since he’s trailing Gretzky’s record by approximately 114 goals, it could take around 186 games for him to catch up. If his health and NHL seasons work in his favour, we’d consider Ovechkin a worthy contender to break Gretzky’s record within the next four years.
• Sidney Crosby: While he may be miles behind Ovechkin in terms of career goals, Crosby is well on his way to becoming an NHL all-time scoring leader. Crosby has proven that comparison to Gretzky, Lemieux, Howe, and Orr is on track. His talent and drive make us think he may be a top contender to break Gretzky’s (maybe even Ovechkin’s) record.

Follow the stats of your favourite game

There’s no denying the blood-pumping adrenaline that comes with following an NHL game. The action in every game has you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

If you’re placing bets on your favourite game, stay up to date on all the stats for accurate data and informed decisions.