Who has scored the most goals in NHL history? - ESPN

At the time of his retirement in 1999, Wayne Gretzky owned or shared 61 NHL records, including the mark for the most career goals. «The Great One» finished his unparalleled 20-year career with an NHL-record 894 goals in 1,487 games. It was a mark that had stood since Gretzky walked away, until Alex Ovechkin changed that in April 2025 when he broke the all-time goal record against the New York Islanders.

Here's a look at the players with the most career goals in NHL history:

*Denotes active player

*Alex Ovechkin: 895

Wayne Gretzky: 894

Gordie Howe: 801

Jaromir Jagr: 766

Brett Hull: 741

Marcel Dionne: 731

Phil Esposito: 717

Mike Gartner: 708

Mark Messier: 694

Steve Yzerman: 692

Mario Lemieux: 690

Teemu Selanne: 684

Luc Robitaille: 668

Brendan Shanahan: 656

Dave Andreychuk: 640

Joe Sakic: 625

Jarome Iginla: 625

*Sidney Crosby: 622

Bobby Hull: 610

Dino Ciccarelli: 608

Jari Kurri: 601

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