Honestly, if you told a hockey fan ten years ago that Wayne Gretzky’s "untouchable" goal record would actually fall, they’d have probably laughed you out of the arena. But here we are. It’s early 2026, and the landscape of the nhl top scorers all time list has shifted in ways that still feel a bit surreal.
We aren't just looking at a static list of names from the 80s anymore. The record books are alive. They’re breathing. Between Alex Ovechkin’s relentless pursuit of the goal crown and Sidney Crosby quietly climbing the points ladder into the top ten, the "Great One" finally has some company at the peak.
The New King of Goals: Alex Ovechkin
It finally happened. On April 6, 2025, against the New York Islanders, Alex Ovechkin hammered home career goal number 895. He didn’t just tie Gretzky; he blew past him.
The most wild part? He did it at 39 years old after coming back from a broken leg earlier that season. Talk about durability. As of right now, Ovechkin sits at 917 career goals. He’s the first human being to cross the 900-goal threshold in the NHL. It’s the kind of thing that makes you realize we’re watching a literal once-in-a-century specialist.
Gretzky was a magician who scored because he was three steps ahead of everyone’s brain. Ovechkin is a freight train with a laser beam. He’s scored more than 40 goals in a season 14 different times. That’s a record, too. Even in this high-scoring modern era, nobody else is really sniffing that level of consistency.
The Mount Everest of Points: Wayne Gretzky
While the goal record has a new owner, the total points record is a different story. It is essentially a fictional number.
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Wayne Gretzky finished with 2,857 points. To put that in perspective, if you took away every single one of his 894 goals, he would still be the all-time leading scorer just on assists alone (1,963). That is a "shut the front door" kind of stat. Second place on the points list is Jaromir Jagr with ,1921.
The gap between first and second place is 936 points. That’s basically an entire Hall of Fame career's worth of points just as a "cushion."
The Top 10 All-Time Points Leaders (Updated 2026)
If you look at the leaderboard today, it’s a mix of legends who defined eras and a few modern titans who just won’t quit.
- Wayne Gretzky: 2,857 points. The undisputed king of the mountain.
- Jaromir Jagr: 1,921 points. He did this while spent several years playing in Russia. If he’d stayed in the NHL, he might have been the one to challenge the 2,500 mark.
- Mark Messier: 1,887 points. The ultimate leader who was a points machine in Edmonton and New York.
- Gordie Howe: 1,850 points. "Mr. Hockey" played until he was 52. Enough said.
- Ron Francis: 1,798 points. Maybe the most underrated superstar ever. He was just a quiet, efficient assist wizard.
- Marcel Dionne: 1,771 points. Small in stature, but he was an absolute nightmare for goalies in the 70s and 80s.
- Steve Yzerman: 1,755 points. He transformed from a pure scorer to a defensive stalwart and still put up massive numbers.
- Sidney Crosby: 1,738 points (and counting). Sid "The Kid" isn't a kid anymore, but he’s currently 8th all-time and still producing at a point-per-game clip.
- Mario Lemieux: 1,723 points. This is the ultimate "what if." Mario did this in only 915 games. Everyone else in the top ten played at least 1,300. His 1.88 points-per-game is second only to Gretzky.
- Joe Sakic: 1,641 points. "Burnaby Joe" rounds out the top ten with that legendary wrist shot.
Why the 80s Weren't Just "Easy"
A lot of younger fans like to dunk on the 1980s. They see the highlights of goalies standing like statues and think the nhl top scorers all time are just products of a weak era.
Sure, the league-wide save percentage was hovering around .870 or .880 back then, compared to the .910+ we see today. But you’ve got to remember the equipment. The sticks were heavy pieces of wood. The skates were basically leather dress shoes with blades.
The speed of the modern game is higher, but the sheer creativity required to put up 200 points in a season—something Gretzky did four times—is mind-boggling regardless of who is in net.
The Modern Chasers: McDavid and Beyond
If anyone is going to eventually crash the top five, it’s Connor McDavid.
Right now, McDavid is the only player in the modern era with a realistic shot at the 2,000-point club. His career points-per-game is sitting around 1.52. That’s elite. It’s historic. But even at that pace, he’d need to play about 1,300 games to even get close to Jagr, let alone Gretzky.
Health is the big variable. We saw it with Mario Lemieux and Mike Bossy. Bossy had the highest goals-per-game in history for a long time but had to retire at 30 because his back gave out.
The "Pure Goal Scorer" Tier
When we talk about the nhl top scorers all time, we often focus on points, but the pure goal-scoring list is where the real drama lives.
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Ovechkin is #1. Gretzky is #2.
Then you have Gordie Howe at 801.
Below them, it's a graveyard of legendary snipers. Brett Hull (741) had perhaps the greatest one-timer ever. Phil Esposito (717) basically lived in the crease and scored on garbage goals before "net-front presence" was a buzzword.
Then there’s Mike Gartner. He never won a Cup or a scoring title, but he scored 30 goals in 15 consecutive seasons. He’s the personification of the "show up and do your job" mentality, ending with 708 goals.
Navigating the Stats
If you're trying to make sense of who the "best" is, you can't just look at the raw totals. You sort of have to look at the context.
- Era-Adjusted Scoring: Some analysts use formulas to "normalize" stats across decades. Under these metrics, Gordie Howe often looks even more impressive because he played in a low-scoring era.
- Games Played: Always look at the GP column. Lemieux’s 1,723 points in 915 games is arguably more impressive than Mark Messier’s 1,887 in 1,756 games.
- Playoff Success: While playoff points don't count toward the official "all-time" regular-season list, they matter for legacy. Gretzky leads there too (382 points).
What to Watch For Next
The record books aren't closed. Sidney Crosby is currently chasing Steve Yzerman and Marcel Dionne. He only needs about 40 points to jump into 6th place all-time. Given how he's playing, he could realistically finish his career as the 4th or 5th highest scorer ever.
And then there's Evgeni Malkin. He's quietly sitting at 38th all-time with 1,380 points. He’s passed legends like Mike Modano and Luc Robitaille recently.
The takeaway? We are living in a second "Golden Age" of scoring. For a long time, the 90s and early 2000s were the "Dead Ball Era" of hockey. Goals were hard to come by. But the game has opened up again. Speed is king, and the stars are taking advantage.
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To stay on top of these rankings, keep an eye on the official NHL Records site or Elite Prospects. The numbers move every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday night.
Next Steps for Hockey Fans
- Check out the "Era Adjusted" stats on Hockey-Reference to see how McDavid compares to Gretzky.
- Watch the Capitals' schedule to see if Ovechkin can push toward the 950-goal mark before he hangs them up.
- Track Sidney Crosby’s climb; every point he gets now moves him closer to the top five.
The "untouchable" records aren't as safe as they used to be. And that's exactly what makes being a hockey fan in 2026 so much fun.