Here are the top 25 NHL goal leaders of all time originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
One of the biggest storylines to watch this NHL season is how much closer Alex Ovechkin can get to Wayne Gretzky’s goal record.
Ovechkin entered the season No. 6 all-time with 730 goals before potting two in the Washington Capitals season opener to pass Marcel Dionne’s 731, putting him at No. 5 with 732 goals.
The Great 8 stays has a ways to go to catch The Great One and it won’t happen this season. Gretzky’s record sits at 894, so Ovechkin still has 162 more goals to go.
But what once was considered an impossible record to reach is now looking more and more likely to be broken. Ovechkin signed a new five-year contract with the Capitals this season so as long as Ovi stays healthy and continues to produce goals at the clip he has been, there very well could be a new No. 1 all-time goal leader in the NHL in the next three or four seasons.
Looking at this season, the next target for Ovechkin to pass is Brett Hull, who sits No. 4 all-time with 741 goals. It’s likely that Ovechkin will get by Hull at some point this season, and depending on his production, may even move up to No. 3 and knock down Jaromir Jagr, who sits with 766 goals.
Who are the NHL’s all-time goal leaders?
Ovechkin is technically the only active NHLer who is in the top 25 in all-time goals. Patrick Marleau sits at No. 23 with 566, but he went unsigned this offseason. At age 42, it’s unclear what Marleau’s future in the NHL will be, but he hasn’t announced a retirement yet.
The next active player on the list is Sidney Crosby, whose 486 goals sits at No. 49.
Here’s a look at the top 25 goal scorers of all time (active players in bold):
- Wayne Gretzky: 894
- Gordie Howe: 801
- Jaromir Jagr: 766
- Brett Hull: 741
- Alex Ovechkin: 732
- Marcel Dionne: 731
- Phil Esposito: 717
- Mike Gartner: 708
- Mark Messier: 694
- Steve Yzerman: 692
- Mario Lemieux: 690
- Teemu Selanne: 684
- Luc Robitaille: 668
- Brendan Shanahan: 656
- Dave Andreychuk: 640
- Joe Sakic: 625
- Jarome Iginla: 625
- Bobby Hull: 610
- Dino Ciccarelli: 608
- Jari Kurri: 601
- Mark Recchi: 577
- Mike Bossy: 573
- Patrick Marleau: 566
- Joe Nieuwendyk: 564
- Mats Sundin: 564
