These players’ contributions to the NHL throughout history shaped the game as we know it today.
70. Bill Cowley
Cowley served as a key center in Boston during two Cup champions in both 1939 and 1941. He took home two Hart Trophies and was named to the all-NHL first time four times. In the end, Cowley finished in the league’s top 10 in scoring a total of eight times.
69. King Clancy
King Clancy got his foot in the door of the NHL at only 18 years old as a defenseman. Considered one of the most significant early leaders in the league, Clancy was part of 3 Cup champions. Clancy collected 283 points in 592 NHL games over the course of his career. Since 1988, an award bearing his name has been gifted to players based on their leadership and humanitarian contributions to the NHL.
68. Joe Mullen
Mullen is regarded as one of the most prominent American-born scorers in history. Having scored 402 goals and 561 assists throughout 1,062 games, Mullen finished his career with one point above being a point-per-game player. He made 73 winning goals for the Bruins, Flames, Pens, and Blues. Mullen also won the Lady Byng Trophy twice, played in all 3 All-Star games, and was a member of 3 Cup champions.
67. Adam Oates
Throughout the duration of his career, Oates accumulated 1,079 assists and 341 goals in 1,337 games. His total number of assists is the sixth-highest in NHL history. Oates is one of only 18 players to surpass 1,400 points in a career; he played 5 All-Star games in the 1990s and finished among the league’s top 10 in points on seven separate occasions.
66. Charlie Gardiner
One of the first NHL superstars, Gardiner was a goalie for the Blackhawks—and the last goalie ever to serve as captain on a Stanley Cup-winning team. Gardiner won two Vezina Trophies and was picked as all-NHL first team three times before leaving the rink in agony after the Blackhawks’ Cup victory in 1934. Unfortunately, Gardiner had an infected tooth that led to health complications, costing him his life.
65. Lanny McDonald
McDonald ended his career with 500 goals over the course of 1,111 games. He crossed the 1,000-point plateau after adding 506 assists in a final season that wrapped with him holding the Stanley Cup in 1989. McDonald won the All-Star four times. He also took home the 1983 Masterton Trophy and the King Clancy Trophy in 1988.
64. Michel Goulet
Throughout a total of 1,089 games between the Nordiques and the Blackhawks, Goulet piled up 548 goals and 604 assists. This included four 100-point seasons and four 50-goal seasons in a row. Goulet participated in 5 All-Star games and his 1,152 points are ranked 49th in league history. To date, Goulet and Bobby Hull are the only left wings in history to play in over 1,000 games and average more than one point per game.
63. Toe Blake
Blake was one of the earliest snipers to take over the NHL. Between 1934 and 1948, Blake scored 234 goals in 577 games, dominating the league in points once. He secured the Hart Trophy in 1939 and the Lady Byng Trophy in 1946. Blake was all-NHL first or second team five times and won 3 championships—once with the Montreal Maroons in 1935 and twice with the Habs in 1944 and 1946.
62. Keith Tkachuk
Having retired in 2010, Keith “Walt” Tkachuk was a five-time All-star winner who racked up 538 goals and 1,065 points over the course of 1,201 games. While Tkachuk was still with the Winnipeg Jets, he narrowly avoided being traded to Chicago for Jeremy Roenick. Ultimately, Tkachuk called it quits in St. Louis after being traded 3 more times.
61. Mark Recchi
Recchi wrapped up his recent career with 1,533 points over the course of 1,653 games with 577 goals. Recchi played in 7 All-Star games, winning a Stanley Cup with three different teams. His goal and assist totals rank in the top 20 of all time and his gross number of points rank 12th in NHL history.
60. Borje Salming
Salming brought some edge to typical Scandinavian softness on Toronto’s blue line. He compiled 787 points and 1,355 penalty minutes throughout 1,148 games. Salming was a 3-time All-Star (1976–1978) and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996.
59. Jari Kurri
Kurri was one of the best in the game. During 1,251 games, the right wing stacked up 601 goals and 797 assists, bringing his scoring rate to 1.117 points per game. He took home the Lady Byng Trophy in 1985, participated in 8 total All-Star games, and was a member of five 5 Cup-winning Oilers teams between 1984 and 1990.
58. Jeremy Roenick
Roenick, one of the most successful American-born scorers in NHL history, ended his career with 513 goals and 703 assists in 1,363 games. Roenick scored 92 game-winning goals and 184 power play goals throughout his career. Although he never won the Cup, Roenick did play in 9 All-Star games as well as the Olympics. He put together three consecutive 100-point seasons between 1991 and 1994 (two 107-point seasons preceded by a 103-point season), establishing himself as a superior force in the game.
57. Peter Forsberg
Peter “Foppa” Forsberg racked up 249 goals, 636 assists, and 885 total points in only 708 NHL games. Forsberg won the Calder Trophy in 1995, following up with the Art Ross Trophy and Hart Trophy in 2003. He played in 5 All-Star games and was a member of two Cup champions in Colorado. Forsberg ranks 10th in NHL history as far as points per game: 1.250.
56. Earl Seibert
The defenseman was rumored to be the only player in the NHL that Eddie Shore refused to fight. He won two Cups with the Rangers in 1933 and the Blackhawks in 1938. He was involved in the collision that killed Howie Morenz, which traumatized him so deeply that he didn’t attend his own Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Seibert’s father, Oliver, was inducted two years prior to his son, which pronounced them the first father-son duo to be in the Hall of Fame together.
55. Charlie Conacher
Conacher accumulated 225 goals in 459 games. He led the NHL five times in goals and twice in points during the 1930s. Conacher was a member of the 1932 Toronto champions and was a member of the first All-Star team three times.
54. Sid Abel
In only 612 games, Abel scored 189 goals and 283 assists, winning the heart Trophy in 1949. Abel participated in the All-Star three times and was a member of three Cup champions in Detroit. He led the NHL during the 1948–1949 season with 28 goals.
53. Tim Horton
Horton was a seven-time All-Star winner and a member of four Cup champions in Toronto during the 1960s. He was one of the strongest players in NHL history. Sadly, Horton died in a car crash while driving home to Buffalo after a game in Toronto in 1974. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player. He was also the co-founder of the Tim Hortons donut shop chain.
52. Dale Hawerchuk
Hawerchuk served as the top overall pick in the 1981 draft. He was one of the best scorers throughout his career. From 1981–82 and 1987–88, Hawerchuk topped 100 points in six of his seven seasons, scoring 518 goals and 891 assists throughout 1,188 games. He won the Calder Trophy in 1982 and played in 5 All-Star games. Hawerchuk still ranks 18th in points in NHL history.
51. Gilbert Perreault
Perreault, who had a noteworthy career with the Sabres, was the center of The French Connection in Buffalo. He scored 512 goals and had 814 assists in 1,191 games, scoring 81 game-winning goals. He played in 6 All-Star games and took home both the Calder Trophy in 1971 and the Lady Byng Trophy in 1973.
50. Johnny Bucyk
Bucyk was a two-time Lady Byng Trophy winner and seven-time All-Star player. He was inducted in the Hall of Fame after scoring 556 goals and 813 assists. Bucyk was a prominent figure on the 1970 and 1972 Cup champion teams in Boston and is still one of the most revered Bruins players of all time—partly due to the 1,369 points he racked up.
49. Jacques Plante
Plante’s most notable impact on the game was due to the introduction of a goalie mask. He won 437 games over the course of 837 games, the Vezina Trophy seven times and the Hart Trophy once. Plante and Glenn Hall were one of the best one-two goalie duos in history.
48. Red Kelly
Kelly’s has quite the diverse NHL history—he skated as a center and a defenseman, later leaving to coach. At the end of his career, Kelly took home five trophies, was a 12-time All-Star, and had been a key player in eight Cup champions. Kelly rounded out his time in the rink with 281 goals and 542 assists in 1,316 games.
47. Peter Stastny
Stastny was one of the Eastern European players to find a new home with the NHL. He scored 450 goals in only 977 games, racking up 1,239 points in total. He ranks 8th in NHL history at 1.268 points per game, slightly ahead of Peter Forsberg.
46. Johnny Bower
Bower led the league in goals-against average, holding down the fort with 250 wins and 37 shutouts during his career. He won the Vezina Trophy twice and played in four All-Star games.
45. Bernie Geoffrion
Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion had a 50-goal campaign in 1960–1961. Between 1953 and 1960, Geoffrion secured the Cup with the Habs six times, was an All-Star 11 times, and won three trophies.
44. Max & Doug Bentley
The Bentleys were two of the best forwards in the NHL. In 1939, Doug scored 219 goals in 566 games. Between 1940 and 1954, Max scored 245 goals in 646 NHL games. He won three Cups with Toronto.
43. Chris Chelios
Chelios played in 1,651 games, making him the player with the fifth-highest total in league history and the most ever for a defenseman. He was a player in three Cup championships and won three Norris trophies.
42. Ron Francis
Francis is fourth in NHL history with 1,798 points. However, he was surprisingly minus-10 in his career. Francis’ 1,259 assists are the second-highest in NHL history. He won five trophies and his career spanned 1,731 games, which is the third highest number of games ever played in the league.
41. Larry Robinson
Robin was part of the great Canadiens dynasty of the 1970s. He won six Cup championships between 1973 and 1986, the first five of which occurred within a seven-year window.
40. Tony Esposito
Ironically, instead of following in the scoring footsteps of his older brother, Tony Esposito was a phenomenal goalkeeper. Esposito was traded to Chicago and became a Hall of Famer. His 423 wins and 76 shutouts rank in the top 10 in league history.
39. Teemu Selanne
Selanne took home three trophies between 1993 and 2006. He was a 10-time All-Star winner and his 639 goals rank 14th in NHL history. He is one of 8 players to score 70 or more goals in one season.
38. Ken Dryden
Dreyden was only part of 397 NHL games in the nine years he played, but he won 258 of them. Dryden won the Vezina trophy in five of his seven seasons, along with six Cups and five All-Star games under his belt.
37. Alex Delvecchio
Delvecchio was one of the best players in Detroit for the 1,549 games in his career, scoring 456 goals and adding 825 assists. He played in 13 All-Star games and won the Lady Byng Trophy three times.
36. Denis Savard
Savard outranks a number of prominent players with his 1.119 points per game. In 1991, Savard returned to the Chicago Stadium as a member of the Canadiens after he was dealt to Montreal the summer prior. He is credited with coining the spin-o-rama.
35. Martin Brodeur
Brodeur appeared in 1,134 with New Jersey. His 625 wins and 116 shutouts are the highest in NHL history, as well as the 28,483 shots he faced. He played in nine All-Star games and has nine trophies under his belt.
34. Paul Coffey
Paul Coffey was selected sixth overall in a 1980 draft. Coffey averaged over a point per game and was a key member of the three Oilers championship teams in 1984, 1985, and 1987, as well as the Pens’ championship team in 1991. He played in 14 All-Star games.
33. Joe Sakic
Sakic is currently the eighth-ranking NHL player in history with 1,641 points and 625 goals. He played in 12 All-Star games and won two Cups with the Avs, concluding his best season with a Cup win and three trophies.
32. Jaromir Jagr
Jagr was one of the hottest players in the rink during the 1990s. In only 1,278 games, Jagr scored 1,603 points. His 646 goals rank 12th in history.
31. Dominik Hasek
Hasek is noted as the most decorated goalie in NHL history. Hasek is the only goalkeeper with two Hart Memorial Trophies. He had a remarkable save percentage of .930 on at least four occasions during his nine seasons with Buffalo.
30. Brett Hull
Hull blew the achievements of his uncle and father out of the water. He has 741 goals under his belt, ranking third in NHL history. He was also a member of two Cup championship teams and played in 8 All-Star games.
29. Al MacInnis
MacInnis is one of the most undervalued defensemen and leaders in the league. He won the 1989 Conn Smythe and the 1999 Norris Trophy and played in 12 All-Star games. MacInnis’ 1,274 points are the third-highest for a defenseman in history.
28. Pierre Pilote
Pilote won three consecutive Norris Trophies in 1963 until 1965, cracking the league’s top 10 in scoring during a time when offensive production was unexpected from the blue line.
27. Bobby Clarke
Clarke was the face and hair of the Flyers from 1969 to 1984, scoring 1,210 points in 1,144 games. He led the Flyers in back-to-back Cup championships in 1974 and 1975.
26. Denis Potvin
Potvin’s 1,052 points are seventh of all time among defensemen. He was almost a point-per-game defenseman for over 1,000 games. Potvin was a key member of the Islanders’ four-peat between 1980 and 1983.
25. Patrick Roy
Roy was arguably one of the best netminders in NHL history, winning 551 games—66 of which were shutouts. Roy finished his career with a .910 save percentage and 2.54 goals-against average. He won four Cups, played in 11 All-Star games, and won a total of eleven trophies.
24. Marcel Dionne
Dionne averaged 1.314 points per game and his 1,771 points rank fifth of all time in a total of 1,348 games. His 731 goals are fourth all-time. He played in 8 All-Star games and won five trophies.
23. Steve Yzerman
Yzerman played all his games in a Detroit Red Wings sweater. His point total of 1,755 is sixth in NHL history. “Stevie Y” played in 9 All-Star games and was a member of 3 Cup championship teams.
22. Bryan Trottier
Between 1975 and 1995, Trottier was one of the most notable two-way forwards in the game. He racked up 1,425 points and 524 goals in 1,279 games. He won the Cup four times with the Islanders and twice with the Pens.
21. Nicklas Lidstrom
Lidstrom is tied with Doug Harvey for second all-time with seven Norris Trophies. He ranks sixth among defensemen with 1,109 points scored total throughout his career. Lidstrom, the member of four Cup champions in Detroit, is an 11-time All-Star.
20. Frank Mahovlich
One of the frontrunners of the 1960s and 1970s, Mahovlich played in 15 All-Star games and had 6 Cup championships under his belt. Before the 1962 All-Star game, Chicago owner Big Jim Norris and Leafs owner Harold Ballard were drinking at a bar when Norris asked if he could have Mahovlich for $1 million. Ballard accepted initially, but the next day, return the $1,000 Norris had given him the previous night as a “down payment.”
19. Guy LaFleur
LaFleur was a six-time All-Star and a five-time Cup champion with the Habs. LaFleur’s career finished with 560 goals, 793 assists, and a 1.202 point-per-game average, ranking the 13th-highest in history.
18. Ted Lindsay
Lindsay played in 11 All-Star games and was a four-time champion with the Red Wings. Lindsay was dealt out of Detroit in 1957 due to his part in the development of the NHL Players Association with Glenn Hall.
17. Eddie Shore
Eddie Shore was the toughest player on the ice between 1926 and 1940. He racked up 1,047 penalty minutes throughout only 550 games.
16. Mike Bossy
Bossy’s 1.497 points per game ranks him third in NHL history. Bossy played 10 seasons and was the centerpiece of the Islanders’ four-peat in 1980, 1981, 1982, and 1983. Bossy was a seven-time All-Star player.
15. Stan Mikita
Mikita was the first ever Czech player in the NHL. He is also the first player in NHL history to use a curved blade. He played in 1,394 games with the Blackhawks, scoring 541 goals and adding 926 assists.
14. Mark Messier
Messier’s career holds the second-most number of points scored in NHL history: 1,887. Messier also played the second-most number of games. He is third in the history of the league with 1,193 assists and ranks seventh with 694 goals. Messier is a fifteen-time All-Star and a member of 6 Cup championship teams.
13. Jean Beliveau
Beliveau’s career consisted of 507 goals, 1,124 games, and 1,219 points. He played in 13 All-Star games and led the Habs to 10 Stanley Cup championships between 1956 and 1971.
12. Glenn Hall
Hall posted a 407-327-163 record during his 18-year NHL career, with 2.51 goals-against average a recorded 84 shutouts. Hall is widely perceived as the grandfather of the butterfly goalkeeping style. He played in 502 consecutive games without wearing a mask.
11. Raymond Bourque
Borque refused to walk away from the NHL without a ring. He posted 1,579 points in 1,612 games, scoring 60 game-winning goals. One of the best moments in NHL history was when he was handed the Cup by Joe Sakic.
10. Terry Sawchuk
Sawchuk is known as one of the greatest netminders of his generation. He won 3 Cups in Detroit and one with the Leafs, playing in 11 All-Star games. He ranks fifth in overall wins with 447.
9. Howie Morenz
Morenz’ untimely death was one of the most tragic things to happen in NH: history. He was the first NHL superstar for his time played with Montreal. He scored 271 goals in 550 games and was a member of 4 Cup champions with the Canadiens.
8. Doug Harvey
Doug Harvey is tied second for all-time Norris Trophies ever won. He was a member of 6 Cup championships and was a 13-time All-Star. At one point, Harvey was considered the gold standard on the blue line.
7. Phil Esposito
Esposito averaged 1.240 points per game throughout his Hall of Fame career. He eclipsed 125 points between 1968 and 1975 in six of seven seasons.
6. Maurice Richard
Maurice “Rocket” Richard scored 544 goals in 978 games. He was almost a point-per-game player in the 1940s and 1950s when nobody else had even begun to approach that benchmark. He also was a member of 8 Cup championships in Montreal, as well as the first player to reach 500 goals in his career.
5. Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull was the first player in league history to blow past 50 goals in a single season. He is the greatest left wing in the history of the NHL.
4. Gordie Howe
Howe is one of only 3 players to pass 1,800 points in NHL history. Howe scored over 800 goals and racked up more than 1,600 penalty minutes.
3. Bobby Orr
Orr is the best defenseman that ever played in the NHL. He holds the all-time record in the NHL with eight Norris Trophies and was an offensive sight to behold from the blue line that had never been seen before.
2. Mario Lemieux
Lemieux was only surpassed in points-per-game by Gretzky, but Super Mario’s 1.883 average is nothing to laugh at. His impact on the NHL lasted far beyond his retirement, having been personally responsible for the Pens staying in Pittsburgh.
1. Wayne Gretzky
In his 1,487 games played, Gretzky has more assists than anyone else in NHL history. He is the most dominant player in the history of the league with 1,963 assists, 18 All-Star games, and 894 goals.