The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America. The league consists of 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It was founded on November 26, 1917, in Montreal, replacing the National Hockey Association (NHA). The league expanded to the U.S. in 1924, and its most famous era, the "Original Six" (1942–1967), consisted of only six teams.
The NHL season runs from October to April, with teams playing 82 games. The top 16 teams qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs, which conclude in June. The Stanley Cup, awarded to the playoff champion, is North America's oldest professional sports trophy. The Montreal Canadiens hold the most NHL titles with 25 championships. The Florida Panthers are the defending champions, having defeated the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals.
List of NHL All-time Goals Leaders
As per the official website of the NHL, Wayne Gretzky holds the record for the most goals in NHL history with 894 goals in 1,487 games, as of March 19, 2025. Alexander Ovechkin is second with 887 goals and is still active, making him the closest player to potentially surpass Gretzky's record.
Other legendary players in the top five include Gordie Howe (801 goals), Jaromir Jagr (766 goals), and Brett Hull (741 goals). The list includes retired Hall of Famers and active players like Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos, and Evgeni Malkin, who continue to climb the rankings.
Here's a table summarizing the top 50 NHL All-time goal leaders, as per the NHL's official website:
| Rank | Player | Goals | GP | HHOF |
| 1 | Wayne Gretzky | 894 | 1,487 | 1999 |
| 2 | Alexander Ovechkin | 887 | 1,477 | Active |
| 3 | Gordie Howe | 801 | 1,767 | 1972 |
| 4 | Jaromir Jagr | 766 | 1,733 | Active (ELH) |
| 5 | Brett Hull | 741 | 1,269 | 2009 |
| 6 | Marcel Dionne | 731 | 1,348 | 1992 |
| 7 | Phil Esposito | 717 | 1,282 | 1984 |
| 8 | Mike Gartner | 708 | 1,432 | 2001 |
| 9 | Mark Messier | 694 | 1,756 | 2007 |
| 10 | Steve Yzerman | 692 | 1,514 | 2009 |
| 11 | Mario Lemieux | 690 | 915 | 1997 |
| 12 | Teemu Selanne | 684 | 1,451 | 2017 |
| 13 | Luc Robitaille | 668 | 1,431 | 2009 |
| 14 | Brendan Shanahan | 656 | 1,524 | 2013 |
| 15 | Dave Andreychuk | 640 | 1,639 | 2017 |
| 16 | Joe Sakic | 625 | 1,378 | 2012 |
| Jarome Iginla | 625 | 1,554 | 2020 | |
| 18 | Sidney Crosby | 613 | 1,336 | Active |
| 19 | Bobby Hull | 610 | 1,063 | 1983 |
| 20 | Dino Ciccarelli | 608 | 1,232 | 2010 |
| 21 | Jari Kurri | 601 | 1,251 | 2001 |
| 22 | Mark Recchi | 577 | 1,652 | 2017 |
| 23 | Steven Stamkos | 576 | 1,145 | Active |
| 24 | Mike Bossy | 573 | 752 | 1991 |
| 25 | Patrick Marleau | 566 | 1,779 | — |
| 26 | Joe Nieuwendyk | 564 | 1,257 | 2011 |
| Mats Sundin | 564 | 1,346 | 2012 | |
| 28 | Mike Modano | 561 | 1,499 | 2014 |
| 29 | Guy Lafleur | 560 | 1,126 | 1988 |
| 30 | Johnny Bucyk | 556 | 1,540 | 1981 |
| 31 | Ron Francis | 549 | 1,731 | 2007 |
| 32 | Michel Goulet | 548 | 1,089 | 1998 |
| 33 | Maurice Richard | 544 | 978 | 1961 |
| 34 | Stan Mikita | 541 | 1,396 | 1983 |
| 35 | Keith Tkachuk | 538 | 1,201 | — |
| 36 | Frank Mahovlich | 533 | 1,181 | 1981 |
| 37 | Marian Hossa | 525 | 1,309 | 2020 |
| 38 | Bryan Trottier | 524 | 1,279 | 1997 |
| 39 | Pat Verbeek | 522 | 1,424 | — |
| 40 | Dale Hawerchuk | 518 | 1,188 | 2001 |
| 41 | Pierre Turgeon | 515 | 1,294 | 2023 |
| 42 | Jeremy Roenick | 513 | 1,363 | 2024 |
| 43 | Gilbert Perreault | 512 | 1,191 | 1990 |
| 44 | Evgeni Malkin | 511 | 1,201 | Active |
| 45 | Jean Beliveau | 507 | 1,125 | 1972 |
| 46 | Peter Bondra | 503 | 1,081 | — |
| 47 | Joe Mullen | 502 | 1,062 | 2000 |
| 48 | Lanny McDonald | 500 | 1,111 | 1992 |
| 49 | Glenn Anderson | 498 | 1,129 | 2008 |
| 50 | Jean Ratelle | 491 | 1,280 | 1985 |
FAQs on NHL
A. The NHL was founded on November 26, 1917.
A. The NHL has 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada.
A. The Florida Panthers won their first Stanley Cup in the 2023–24 season.
A. The Montreal Canadiens hold the record with 25 championships.
A. The first NHL season took place in 1917–18.
