Career regular-season goals in the NHL, as of October 8, 2026 (through the end of the 2025–26 regular season; playoff goals are not counted). Alex Ovechkin holds the record, and three of the top 20 are still active.
Pictured: Alex Ovechkin scoring his 895th career goal to pass Wayne Gretzky (April 6, 2025), #1 with 929.
| Rank | Player | Career goals | Games | Goals per game | Years active | Status | Born in | Team(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Ovechkin | 929 | 1,573 | 0.59 | 2005–present | Active | Russia | Washington Capitals |
| 2 | Wayne Gretzky | 894 | 1,487 | 0.60 | 1979–1999 | Retired | Canada | Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers |
| 3 | Gordie Howe | 801 | 1,767 | 0.45 | 1946–1980 | Retired | Canada | Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers |
| 4 | Jaromir Jagr | 766 | 1,733 | 0.44 | 1990–2018 | Retired | Czech Republic | Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, others |
| 5 | Brett Hull | 741 | 1,269 | 0.58 | 1986–2006 | Retired | Canada | St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames, Phoenix Coyotes |
| 6 | Marcel Dionne | 731 | 1,348 | 0.54 | 1971–1989 | Retired | Canada | Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers |
| 7 | Phil Esposito | 717 | 1,282 | 0.56 | 1963–1981 | Retired | Canada | Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers |
| 8 | Mike Gartner | 708 | 1,432 | 0.49 | 1979–1998 | Retired | Canada | Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Phoenix Coyotes |
| 9 | Mark Messier | 694 | 1,756 | 0.40 | 1979–2004 | Retired | Canada | Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks |
| 10 | Steve Yzerman | 692 | 1,514 | 0.46 | 1983–2006 | Retired | Canada | Detroit Red Wings |
| 11 | Mario Lemieux | 690 | 915 | 0.75 | 1984–2006 | Retired | Canada | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 12 | Teemu Selanne | 684 | 1,451 | 0.47 | 1992–2014 | Retired | Finland | Winnipeg Jets, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche |
| 13 | Luc Robitaille | 668 | 1,431 | 0.47 | 1986–2006 | Retired | Canada | Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings |
| 14 | Brendan Shanahan | 656 | 1,524 | 0.43 | 1987–2009 | Retired | Canada | New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers |
| 15 | Sidney Crosby | 654 | 1,420 | 0.46 | 2005–present | Active | Canada | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 16 | Dave Andreychuk | 640 | 1,639 | 0.39 | 1982–2006 | Retired | Canada | Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 17 | Joe Sakic | 625 | 1,378 | 0.45 | 1988–2009 | Retired | Canada | Quebec Nordiques / Colorado Avalanche |
| 17 | Jarome Iginla | 625 | 1,554 | 0.40 | 1996–2017 | Retired | Canada | Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings |
| 19 | Steven Stamkos | 624 | 1,246 | 0.50 | 2008–present | Active | Canada | Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators |
| 20 | Bobby Hull | 610 | 1,063 | 0.57 | 1957–1980 | Retired | Canada | Chicago Blackhawks, Winnipeg Jets, Hartford Whalers |
No matching rows.
As of October 8, 2026, through the end of the 2025–26 regular season; the first games of 2026–27 are not counted. Regular-season goals only: playoff goals are excluded (Ovechkin’s 77 playoff goals would take him to 1,006 combined). Active players (Ovechkin, Crosby and Stamkos) will add to their totals this season. Sakic and Iginla are tied at 625, so both are ranked 17th. Games for Stamkos are from a single database snapshot and the weakest figure in the table.[1]
Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky on April 6, 2025, with his 895th goal, a power-play strike against the New York Islanders.[2] He finished 2025–26 with 32 goals in all 82 games for a career 929 in 1,573 games, and has signed a one-year deal with the Capitals for 2026–27, so the number is still moving.[3]
Gretzky scored his 894th and last goal on March 29, 1999, in a 3–1 Rangers win over the Islanders.[4] His 894 came in 1,487 games, a rate of 0.60 goals per game that only Mario Lemieux tops among the top 20.[5]
Howe scored 801 goals in 1,767 NHL games across five decades, and was the only player other than Gretzky and Ovechkin to reach 800.[5] His last NHL goal came on April 9, 1980, with the Hartford Whalers.[6]
Jagr scored 766 goals in 1,733 games, the most by any European-born player, and passed Brett Hull for fourth place with goal 742.[5][7] He is the only Czech-born player in the top 20.
Hull scored 741 goals in 1,269 games over 19 seasons with the Blues, Stars, Red Wings, Flames and Coyotes.[8] He reached 500 with a hat trick against the Kings on December 22, 1996, and his 59 goals in 1989–90 broke his father Bobby’s family record of 58.[9]
Dionne retired with 731 goals and 1,771 points in 1,348 games for the Red Wings, Kings and Rangers.[10] The undersized centre was overshadowed by Guy Lafleur and Gretzky in his era, yet finished his career fifth all-time in goals.[11]
Esposito scored 717 goals in 1,282 games for the Blackhawks, Bruins and Rangers, his last on December 17, 1980.[12] He won five scoring titles in six seasons with Boston, including 76 goals in 1970–71.[13]
Gartner scored 708 goals in 1,432 games across 19 seasons, with 17 seasons of 30 or more goals, 15 of them in a row.[14] He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001, his first year of eligibility.[14]
Messier scored 694 goals in 1,756 games, the second-most games played in NHL history, and finished with 1,887 points.[15] He scored his 600th goal on October 23, 1998, for the Vancouver Canucks, becoming the 10th player to reach that mark.[16]
Yzerman spent all 1,514 games of his career with Detroit and scored 692 goals, the Red Wings’ franchise record.[17] His 500th goal came at home against the Colorado Avalanche on January 17, 1996.[18]