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NHL All-Time Goals Leaders, 1943 to 2026

Alex Ovechkin is the NHL's all-time goals leader with 929 through 2025-26, passing Wayne Gretzky's 894 in April 2025 after the record stood about 31 years.

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What the data shows

  • In 2026, Alex Ovechkin ranks #1 with 929, ahead of Wayne Gretzky (894) and Gordie Howe (801).
  • Back in 1943, Maurice Richard was #1 with 5.
  • The top spot changed hands 3 times: Gordie Howe in 1964, Wayne Gretzky in 1994 and Alex Ovechkin in 2025.
  • Biggest climber: Alex Ovechkin, from #11 in 2006 to #1 in 2026.

About this chart

Alex Ovechkin has 929 NHL regular-season goals through 2025-26. He passed Wayne Gretzky's record of 894 in April 2025, finishing that season with 897. Gretzky's mark had stood for about 31 years, since he passed Gordie Howe's 801 in 1994. Howe had taken the lead in 1964 from Maurice Richard, the first player to reach 500 NHL goals, who retired in 1960 with 544.

Jaromir Jagr (766) and Brett Hull (741) are fourth and fifth, followed by Marcel Dionne (731) and Phil Esposito (717). Mike Gartner (708), Mark Messier (694) and Steve Yzerman (692) complete the top ten, and Sidney Crosby, still active, has 654. Totals cover the regular season only, with WHA goals and playoffs excluded, and there is no 2004-05 season because of the lockout.

The data

Source: Hockey-Reference.com player pages (NHL regular-season goals per season), summed cumulatively; totals cross-checked with Hockey-Reference career goals leaders. Retrieved November 4, 2026. Column = season end year (2026 = 2025-26). NHL regular season only (WHA and playoffs excluded). Ovechkin and Crosby were active; totals run through the 2025-26 season and exclude the 2026-27 season that had begun by the retrieval date. 2004-05 (lockout) had no season. Players keep their final total after retiring; blank = before NHL debut.

NHL All-Time Goals Leaders, Career NHL goals at each season end, 1943-2026, 1943–2026
Date🇷🇺 Alex Ovechkin🇨🇦 Wayne Gretzky🇨🇦 Gordie Howe🇨🇿 Jaromir Jagr🇺🇸 Brett Hull🇨🇦 Marcel Dionne🇨🇦 Phil Esposito🇨🇦 Mike Gartner🇨🇦 Mark Messier🇨🇦 Steve Yzerman🇨🇦 Sidney Crosby🇨🇦 Maurice Richard
19435
194437
194587
1946114
19477159
194823187
194935207
195070250
1951113292
1952160319
1953209347
1954242384
1955271422
1956309460
1957353493
1958386508
1959418525
1960446544
1961469544
1962502544
1963540544
19645663544
196559526544
196662453544
196764974544
1968688109544
1969732158544
1970763201544
1971786277544
197278628343544
197378668398544
197478692466544
1975786139527544
1976786179562544
1977786232596544
1978786268634544
1979786327676544
1980518013807103612544
19811068014387178435544
198219880148871711985544
1983269801544717157133544
198435680158371719717039544
198542980162971724719369544
198648180166571728222883544
19875438011693717323265114544
198858380133724717371302164544
198963780174731717404335229544
1990677801146731717449380291544
199171880127232731717498392342544
199274980159302731717538427387544
199376580193356731717583452445544
1994803801125413731717617478469544
1995814801157442731717629492481544
1996837801219485731717664539517544
1997862801266527731717696575539544
1998885801301554731717708597563544
1999894801345586731717708610592544
2000894801387610731717708627627544
2001894801439649731717708651645544
2002894801470679731717708658658544
2003894801506716731717708676660544
2004894801537741731717708694678544
2005894801537741731717708694678544
20065289480159174173171770869469239544
20079889480162174173171770869469275544
200816389480164674173171770869469299544
2009219894801646741731717708694692132544
2010269894801646741731717708694692183544
2011301894801646741731717708694692215544
2012339894801665741731717708694692223544
2013371894801681741731717708694692238544
2014422894801705741731717708694692274544
2015475894801722741731717708694692302544
2016525894801749741731717708694692338544
2017558894801765741731717708694692382544
2018607894801766741731717708694692411544
2019658894801766741731717708694692446544
2020706894801766741731717708694692462544
2021730894801766741731717708694692486544
2022780894801766741731717708694692517544
2023822894801766741731717708694692550544
2024853894801766741731717708694692592544
2025897894801766741731717708694692625544
2026929894801766741731717708694692654544

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Frequently asked questions

Who has scored the most goals in NHL history?

Alex Ovechkin has scored the most, with 929 regular-season goals through the 2025-26 season. Wayne Gretzky is second with 894 and Gordie Howe third with 801.

When did Ovechkin break Gretzky's goals record?

Ovechkin passed Gretzky's 894 in April 2025, in the 2024-25 season, and finished it with 897. He added 32 more in 2025-26.

How many goals does Sidney Crosby have?

Sidney Crosby has 654 NHL goals through the 2025-26 season, and he is still active. That is 275 fewer than Ovechkin's 929.

Where does this data come from?

Hockey-Reference.com player pages (NHL regular-season goals per season), summed cumulatively; totals cross-checked with Hockey-Reference career goals leaders. Retrieved November 4, 2026. Column = season end year (2026 = 2025-26). NHL regular season only (WHA and playoffs excluded). Ovechkin and Crosby were active; totals run through the 2025-26 season and exclude the 2026-27 season that had begun by the retrieval date. 2004-05 (lockout) had no season. Players keep their final total after retiring; blank = before NHL debut. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

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