Last Sunday was a historic day for hockey. Alex Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals star, became the NHL`s all-time leading scorer by netting his 895th career goal against the New York Islanders, surpassing Wayne Gretzky`s long-standing record. This achievement cements Ovechkin`s legendary status, especially since Gretzky`s record was considered almost impossible to break for over 25 years.
While Ovechkin, at 39, has reached the pinnacle of goal scoring, several other NHL records seem untouchable, including some held by Gretzky himself. Let`s examine some of hockey`s most likely permanent records, many of which still belong to “The Great One.”
- Alex Ovechkin`s 895 Goals (and Counting)
- Wayne Gretzky`s 2,857 Career Points
- 92 Goals in a Season – Wayne Gretzky
- 163 Assists, 215 Points in a Season – Wayne Gretzky
- 10 Points in a Single Game – Darryl Sittler (February 7, 1976)
- 76 Rookie Goals – Teemu Selanne (1992-93)
- 139 Points by a Defenseman – Bobby Orr (1970-71)
- 502 Consecutive Games by a Goaltender – Glenn Hall
- 691 Wins by a Goaltender – Martin Brodeur
- 11 Stanley Cup Wins – Henri Richard
Alex Ovechkin`s 895 Goals (and Counting)
After matching Wayne Gretzky`s record of 894 goals, Ovechkin made history on Sunday by scoring his 895th goal during a power play against the New York Islanders. Ovechkin received congratulations from Gretzky, solidifying his place as the NHL`s all-time goal-scoring king.
With five games remaining in the 2024-25 season, Ovechkin could reach 900 goals before the season ends. He even has a potential path to 1,000 career goals if he continues playing into his forties.
Wayne Gretzky`s 2,857 Career Points
Even though Gretzky lost the all-time goals record to Ovechkin, his record for career points is likely to remain unchallenged. Gretzky amassed 2,857 points (894 goals, 1,963 assists), a total far exceeding any other player in NHL history. Jaromir Jagr is second with 1,921 points, and Sidney Crosby leads active players with 1,682. Ovechkin has 1,619 career points after Sunday`s game.
92 Goals in a Season – Wayne Gretzky
A significant portion of Gretzky`s career goal record came from his incredible 1981-82 season with the Edmonton Oilers, where he scored 92 goals in just 80 games. No player in the 21st century has come close to this, with no one even surpassing 70 goals in a season. Auston Matthews has the highest single-season goal count since 2000, scoring 69 in the 2023-24 season.
During that same 1981-82 season, Gretzky also became the fastest player to reach 50 goals in a season, achieving it in only 39 games.
163 Assists, 215 Points in a Season – Wayne Gretzky
Building on his 92-goal season, Gretzky set another record in the 1985-86 season that is unlikely to be broken: single-season records for assists and points. Gretzky recorded 163 assists and 215 points (52 goals, 163 assists) in 80 games. This was another phenomenal season during a period when Gretzky led the Edmonton Oilers to four Stanley Cups.
10 Points in a Single Game – Darryl Sittler (February 7, 1976)
The only instance of a player scoring double-digit points in a single NHL game occurred on February 7, 1976. Darryl Sittler of the Toronto Maple Leafs tallied 10 points (six goals, four assists) in an 11-4 victory over the Boston Bruins. This broke the previous record of eight points in a game, first set by Maurice Richard in 1944 and matched by Bert Olmstead in 1954.
76 Rookie Goals – Teemu Selanne (1992-93)
Teemu Selanne`s rookie season in 1992-93 indicated his future greatness. “The Finnish Flash” scored 76 goals (132 points), setting the record for most goals by an NHL rookie. Selanne was drafted 10th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 1988 but played in Finland for several years before making a historic NHL debut.
Selanne won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL`s best rookie and went on to have a Hall of Fame career over 21 seasons. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017 and named one of the NHL`s 100 Greatest Players in the same year.
Gretzky had 137 points (51 goals, 86 assists) as a rookie in 1979-80, but was not officially considered a rookie by the NHL due to his prior experience in the World Hockey Association.
139 Points by a Defenseman – Bobby Orr (1970-71)
Bobby Orr`s 1970-71 season remains the gold standard for NHL defensemen. Orr achieved an unmatched 139 points (37 goals, 102 assists) and set a record for plus-minus (+124) for any position player. Paul Coffey is the only defenseman to ever come close to Orr`s point record, and no other defenseman has surpassed 110 points in a season.
502 Consecutive Games by a Goaltender – Glenn Hall
Glenn Hall is renowned as hockey`s ultimate ironman goalie. From 1955 to 1963, Hall played 502 consecutive games, an even more remarkable feat given the limited protective gear for goalies at that time.
Hall was not just durable; he was also one of the best goalies of his era. He is credited with developing the butterfly style of goaltending and earned the nickname “Mr. Goalie.” Hall won two Stanley Cups and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975.
691 Wins by a Goaltender – Martin Brodeur
Another likely unbreakable record for NHL goalies belongs to Martin Brodeur, who retired with 691 wins in 1,266 games. Brodeur spent almost his entire career with the New Jersey Devils, winning three Stanley Cups and two Olympic gold medals for Team Canada.
11 Stanley Cup Wins – Henri Richard
It`s highly improbable that any NHL player will ever match Henri Richard`s record of 11 Stanley Cup wins. Richard won 11 championships with the Montreal Canadiens dynasty, including five in his first five seasons (1955-56 to 1959-60). “Pocket Rocket” holds the record for the most championships by an individual player in any North American professional sports league, tied with NBA legend Bill Russell.
