The Top Five NHL All-Time Goal Leaders

By Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer Updated: 15 April 2024

Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer

Amelia Walker is a Senior Content Writer at Betting.US. She has a law degree and deep knowledge of the gambling laws in the United States. Her mission is to keep players informed about responsible gambling, while her passion for sports helps her create useful guides. Amelia has over a decade of experience in betting, which has positioned her as a trusted voice among our readers.

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NHL All-Time Goal Leaders

• NHL Career Goals: The Legends
• NHL All-Time Goal Scorers: Top Picks
• Gretzky: The Goal-Scoring King
• Ovechkin: Current Era’s Best
• Gordie Howe’s Historic Strikes
• Jagr’s Journey in Goals
• Mario Lemieux: Scoring Genius
• Frequently Asked Questions

The National Hockey League (NHL) has long been the stage for some of the most talented athletes in the world of ice hockey. Over the decades, it has witnessed extraordinary displays of skill, endurance, and, most notably, goal-scoring. This blog examines the most iconic NHL all-time goal leaders, looking at the athletes, the stats, and the figures.

NHL Career Goals: The Legends

Since the early days of the NHL, hockey legends have impressed fans with their uncanny ability to score goals. A select few players have separated themselves from the pack to rack up the most NHL career goals – and this article celebrates these NHL all-time goal leaders by looking at their achievements and journeys.

We’ll look at what made players like Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr, Alex Ovechkin, Gordie Howe, and Mario Lemieux such formidable players on the ice. Our site also contains a lot of information and advice to help you bet on the NHL online, so make sure to check it out if you’re looking to have a wager!

NHL All-Time Goal Scorers: Top Picks

The list of NHL all-time goal scorers is a breakdown of the sport’s most talented athletes, each bringing their unique style and ability to the ice. At the top is Wayne Gretzky, whose record-breaking career is the gold standard in the NHL. His 894 career goals in regular-season play are a monumental achievement that many once thought could never be beaten!

Alexander Ovechkin, a native Russian, has also proven to be a goal-scoring machine. His powerful shots and tactical acumen have placed him on a trajectory to challenge Gretzky’s record, something many thought impossible! Then, you’ve got Jaromir Jagr, another iconic figure, Gordie Howe, lovingly known as “Mr. Hockey,” and Mario Lemieux, known for his natural talent and scoring abilities.

The NHL all-time goal scorers we’ll be covering today have not only set records but also raised the bar for what it means to be a goal scorer in the NHL. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

Gretzky: The Goal-Scoring King

Wayne Gretzky is the greatest goal scorer in NHL history, with a staggering 894 goals throughout his incredible career. His ability to find the back of the net with incredible efficiency made him a legend. Gretzky set a single-season record with 92 goals in 1981-82 and holds the record for most 50-goal seasons with 12, displaying a never-before-seen level of skill, accuracy, and power with the puck.

His uncanny sixth sense for reading plays enabled Gretzky to excel at positioning himself in dangerous areas around the net. A master of using teammates as decoys, he also had a knack for getting around defenders and sneaking into scoring areas undetected. Gretzky unleashed his quick-release shot from awkward angles before goalies could react. His shot itself wasn’t overpowering, but its accuracy was unrivaled. Once Gretzky locked in on the target, he rarely missed.

Gretzky’s goal-scoring abilities came from intelligence and determination as much as natural talent. His ability to anticipate where rebounds would end up and pounce on loose pucks for goals turned opportunism into an art form. Whether it was a blistering slap shot, a perfectly placed wrist shot, or a deft deflection, Gretzky could almost always find a way to find the back of the net – and the numbers speak for themselves.

He has the most goals of all-time, the most goals in a season, and the most seasons leading the league in goals – Gretzky’s goal-scoring remains the gold standard. His offensive dominance was the driving force behind a revolutionary shift to a more offensive-minded NHL during his era, too, so not only did he excel at his game – he influenced the entire sport!

Ovechkin: Current Era’s Best

With over 800 goals and counting, Alex Ovechkin’s lethal shot has terrorized NHL goalkeepers and defenders for nearly two decades. His uncanny ability to one-time pucks from the left circle with blistering power and precision has made “Ovi’s office” the most feared patch of ice in hockey.

Ovechkin burst onto the scene by scoring 52 goals as a rookie, the first sign that the Capitals winger would become one of hockey’s most dominant scorers. His 65 goals in 2007-08 were the most since Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr in 1995-96. With nine 50-goal campaigns, Ovechkin trails only Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy for the most in NHL history.

Graced with a combination of speed, strength, and a heavy shot, Ovechkin overpowers opponents with physicality and skill. When he winds up for his signature one-timer, goalies brace for impact!

Now chasing down Gretzky’s once-untouchable goal record, Ovechkin shows no signs of slowing down – and below, we’ll look at a quick breakdown of some of his notable achievements:

Gordie Howe’s Historic Strikes

Gordie Howe redefined the ideal qualities of a hockey forward, combining goal-scoring abilities with physical power. Nicknamed “Mr. Elbows” for his bruising style, Howe remains one of hockey’s most iconic and talented forwards. While he was best known for elbows and fists, his shot played a pivotal role in making him one of the game’s best ever, too.

Howe’s goals came from a mix of power, accuracy, and determination. He’d outmuscle defenders, unleashing his heavy shot before goalies reacted. The unorthodox Howe shot both left-handed and right-handed, keeping netminders guessing. Though he didn’t register record shot speeds, Howe picked corners with precision, usually finding the back of the net.

Howe’s unmatched fitness levels also allowed him to play into his 50s because he avoided big open-ice hits. From power shots drilled into the back of the net to complex team plays Howe was one of the game’s best and will be fondly remembered for generations to come. He racked up a staggering 801 NHL career goals, placing him in third overall place!

Jagr’s Journey in Goals

Jaromír Jágr’s shot and offensive creativity have cemented his place as one of hockey’s most lethal scorers. With 766 goals, Jágr trails only Wayne Gretzky, Alex Ovechkin, and Gordie Howe on the all-time list. His scoring abilities powered championship runs and made him a feared offensive player.

Jágr announced his arrival by becoming the first 18-year-old to score a goal in the Stanley Cup Final, showcasing the talent that would define his career. In his early Pittsburgh years alongside Mario Lemieux, Jágr showed off his powerful slap shot to score at will. He posted three straight 50+ goal seasons from 1995-1998, leading the NHL in goals in back-to-back years. Jágr paired power and accuracy to pick corners at will – his quick release fooled many a goalie.

As Jágr got older, he no longer relied solely on shooting power, either. He ended up mastering the arts of positioning and deflections. Jágr redirected pucks and banged home rebounds with the best of them, and his net-front dominance led to 30+ goals nine times past age 30!

Like Gretzky, his numbers also do the talking: most career game-winning goals all-time, 13 seasons with 30+ goals, 750 career goals – and he is also the oldest player in NHL history to record a hat trick, at age 42!

Mario Lemieux: Scoring Genius

With 690 career goals, Mario Lemieux doesn’t quite make the top of the NHL all-time goals list, but we’ve included him, as without injuries, he could well have made the list. Thanks to his towering frame and stick control, Lemieux effortlessly beat defenders with his agile moves or used his raw power to force his way to the net.

Lemieux burst onto the scene by netting 43 goals as an NHL rookie, showcasing a lightning-quick release and penchant for punctuating plays. He followed it up with back-to-back 50+ goal seasons, utilizing an accurate wrist shot and snapshot. Though primarily a playmaker early on, a leaner, quicker Lemieux emerged as a world-class shooter.

The 1987-88 season marked Lemieux’s goal-scoring abilities really coming to light, though. He lit the lamp an NHL-best 70 times by aggressively attacking from his position in the right faceoff circle. His 85 goals in 1988-89 remain a career-high – and, don’t forget, Lemieux scored goals in every way, too, from end-to-end rushes and one-timers to even hitting the puck out of midair!

Despite missing large chunks of seasons due to injuries and illness, Lemieux’s career goals per game rate of 0.754 is second only to Mike Bossy!