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Here are the top 25 NHL goal leaders of all time

By Bryan Murphy

Here are the top 25 NHL goal leaders of all time originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

One of the biggest storylines to watch this NHL season is how much closer Alex Ovechkin can get to Wayne Gretzky’s goal record.

Ovechkin entered the season No. 6 all-time with 730 goals before potting two in the Washington Capitals season opener to pass Marcel Dionne’s 731, putting him at No. 5 with 732 goals.

The Great 8 stays has a ways to go to catch The Great One and it won’t happen this season. Gretzky’s record sits at 894, so Ovechkin still has 162 more goals to go.

But what once was considered an impossible record to reach is now looking more and more likely to be broken. Ovechkin signed a new five-year contract with the Capitals this season so as long as Ovi stays healthy and continues to produce goals at the clip he has been, there very well could be a new No. 1 all-time goal leader in the NHL in the next three or four seasons.

Looking at this season, the next target for Ovechkin to pass is Brett Hull, who sits No. 4 all-time with 741 goals. It’s likely that Ovechkin will get by Hull at some point this season, and depending on his production, may even move up to No. 3 and knock down Jaromir Jagr, who sits with 766 goals.

Who are the NHL’s all-time goal leaders?

Ovechkin is technically the only active NHLer who is in the top 25 in all-time goals. Patrick Marleau sits at No. 23 with 566, but he went unsigned this offseason. At age 42, it’s unclear what Marleau’s future in the NHL will be, but he hasn’t announced a retirement yet.

The next active player on the list is Sidney Crosby, whose 486 goals sits at No. 49.

Here’s a look at the top 25 goal scorers of all time (active players in bold):

  1. Wayne Gretzky: 894
  2. Gordie Howe: 801
  3. Jaromir Jagr: 766
  4. Brett Hull: 741
  5. Alex Ovechkin: 732
  6. Marcel Dionne: 731
  7. Phil Esposito: 717
  8. Mike Gartner: 708
  9. Mark Messier: 694
  10. Steve Yzerman: 692
  11. Mario Lemieux: 690
  12. Teemu Selanne: 684
  13. Luc Robitaille: 668
  14. Brendan Shanahan: 656
  15. Dave Andreychuk: 640
  16. Joe Sakic: 625
  17. Jarome Iginla: 625
  18. Bobby Hull: 610
  19. Dino Ciccarelli: 608
  20. Jari Kurri: 601
  21. Mark Recchi: 577
  22. Mike Bossy: 573
  23. Patrick Marleau: 566
  24. Joe Nieuwendyk: 564
  25. Mats Sundin: 564

NHL deputy commissioner hints at DC hosting future All-Star Game or draft

By Matt Weyrich
NHL deputy commissioner hints at future All-Star Game or draft in DC originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonWASHINGTON — In attendance for the Capitals’ ceremony to celebrate Alex Ovechkin moving into second place on the all-time goals list Tuesday, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told reporters that Washington, D.C., could host an upcoming All-Star Game or NHL Draft.“Those events are awarded on a variety of factors,” Daly said in a scrum in the press box during the first intermission. “But as I said before, this town has a hockey market in particular. It’s off the charts now. So it’s just a matter of time.”The Capitals have hosted the All-Star Game once, in 1982 when they played at the Capital Centre in Landover. They've never hosted the NHL Draft. Washington’s prominence as a hockey market has grown ever since Ovechkin’s debut in 2005-06 with a surge in attendance that began in 2008-09 — the first season they broke 100 points with No. 8 manning the left wing.With the league already announcing the Nashville Predators’ Bridgestone Arena as the site for the 2023 NHL Draft and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Scotiabank Arena for All-Star Weekend, the earliest the Capitals could host either event is 2024.Ovechkin has three years remaining on his contract with the team after 2022-23, so the NHL still has time to capitalize on the 37-year-old’s presence before his deal is up. Daly said he expects Ovechkin to pass Wayne Gretzky's goals record of 894, though he doesn’t expect him to do it until the 2024-25 season at the earliest. He also added that Commissioner Gary Bettman plans to follow the Capitals around once Ovechkin pulls to within four of five goals of the mark.When asked how soon D.C. might host an All-Star game or draft, Daly told local beat reporters, "I think you guys will all be working." Given that some of the beat reporters have a few years on yours truly, a D.C. All-Star Game or NHL Draft may not be in the too-distant future.
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