List of NHL players with 500 goals explained

As of completion of the the 106th regular season of play of the National Hockey League (NHL)47 different ice hockey players have scored at least 500 regular season goals in their NHL career.

A 500-goal career was first achieved in the 44th year of the NHL, when Maurice Richard scored his 500th goal in his 938th game.

Season achievements

The saw the largest number of players (five) achieve their 500th goal (Teemu Selanne, Mike Modano, Mark Recchi, Mats Sundin and Peter Bondra). A total of four players scored their 500th goal in (Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, Mark Messier and Dale Hawerchuk)

The longest stretch between 500 goal scorers was the eight seasons between Gordie Howe (second to achieve the mark), in, and Bobby Hull, in .

Player achievements

The 47 players to score 500 goals consist of 34 Canadians, five Americans (Brett Hull, Joe Mullen, Mike Modano, Jeremy Roenick and Keith Tkachuk), three Slovaks (Stan Mikita, Peter Bondra and Marian Hossa), two Finns (Jari Kurri and Teemu Selanne), one Czech (Jaromir Jagr), one Swede (Mats Sundin) and one Russian (Alexander Ovechkin). Stan Mikita was the first player not born in Canada to score 500 goals (he was born in the Slovak Republic, but represented Canada internationally); Jari Kurri was the first 500-goal scorer who never played for the Canadian national team.

The fewest NHL games required to reach the mark is 575, set by Wayne Gretzky. Second-quickest is Mario Lemieux, achieving the mark in his 605th game. With Mike Bossy (647) and Brett Hull (693) following, only these four players needed fewer than 800 games to score their first 500 goals.

Of the 47 players to score at least 500 goals in their career, 19 reached the mark in fewer than 1000 career games played.

Of those on the list, Lanny McDonald came closest to not achieving 500 goals; he reached the mark with only four games left in his final NHL season. Similarly, Joe Mullen scored his 500th goal with only ten games left in his final season. Glenn Anderson was the closest player to never reach the mark, retiring in 1996 with 498 career NHL goals.

Four players have scored their 500th goal on an empty net: Mike Bossy, Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri and Keith Tkachuk.

Maurice Richard and Peter Bondra are the only players with over 500 goals but fewer than 1,000 points.

Patrick Roy is the only goaltender to concede more than one opponent's 500th career goal: Steve Yzerman in 1996, Joe Mullen in 1997 and Brendan Shanahan in 2002. A contributing factor for this statistical coincidence is Roy playing the third-most games ever by a goaltender, at 1,029.

In 2006, on Hockey Night in Canada, Mats Sundin scored his 500th goal short handed, in overtime, to finish off a hat trick and to win the game for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Team achievements

A total of 20 franchises have had a player score their 500th goal while playing for the franchise. Both the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks have had five players score their 500th goal while playing for the team.

To date, no team has had multiple players reaching 500 goals on the same team in the same season. The 2001–02 Detroit Red Wings were the first team to have three 500+ goal scorers on the roster (Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille), and would finish the season with four players in the club after Brendan Shanahan scored his 500th.

500-goal scorers

This list is current as of the

Legend:
  • Rank – Ranking on all-time goals list
  • Goals – Career regular season goals
  • GP – Career regular season games played
  • G/GPMean goals per game played, rounded to two decimal places
  • With team – Team for which the player scored their 500th goal
  • Game no. – Number of career regular season games played when 500th goal was scored
  • HHOF – Year of induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame or eligibility
    RankPlayerGoalsGPG/GPDate of 500th goalWith teamGame no.Opposing goaltenderdata-sort-type="text" HHOFRef.
    1data-sort-value=""8941,487Edmonton Oilers575(empty Canucks net)1999
    2data-sort-value=""853 1,426Washington Capitals801 (Senators)Active[1]
    3data-sort-value=""8011,767Detroit Red Wings1,045 (Rangers)1972
    4data-sort-value=""7661,733Washington Capitals928 (Lightning)Active (ELH)[2]
    5data-sort-value=""7411,269St. Louis Blues693 (Kings)2009
    6data-sort-value=""7311,348Los Angeles Kings887 (Capitals)1992
    7data-sort-value=""7171,282Boston Bruins803 (Red Wings)1984
    8data-sort-value=""7081,432New York Rangers936 (Capitals)2001
    9data-sort-value=""6941,756New York Rangers1,141 (Flames)2007
    106921,514Detroit Red Wings906 (Avalanche)2009
    11data-sort-value=""690915Pittsburgh Penguins605 (Islanders)1997
    12data-sort-value=""6841,451Anaheim Ducks982 (Avalanche)2017[3]
    13data-sort-value=""6681,431Los Angeles Kings928 (Sabres)2009
    14data-sort-value=""6561,524Detroit Red Wings1,100 (Avalanche)2013
    15data-sort-value=""6401,639New Jersey Devils1,070 (Capitals)2017[4]
    16data-sort-value=""6251,378Colorado Avalanche1,044 (Canucks)2012
    data-sort-value=""6251,554Calgary Flames1,149 (Wild)2020[5]
    18data-sort-value=""6101,063Chicago Blackhawks861 (Rangers)1983
    19data-sort-value=""6081,232Detroit Red Wings946 (Kings)2010
    20data-sort-value=""6011,251Los Angeles Kings833(empty Bruins net)2001
    21data-sort-value="" 5921,272Pittsburgh Penguins1,077 (Flyers)Active[6]
    22data-sort-value=""5771,652Pittsburgh Penguins1,303 (Stars)2017[7]
    23data-sort-value=""573752New York Islanders647(empty Bruins net)1991
    24data-sort-value=""5661,779San Jose Sharks1,463 (Canucks)[8]
    25data-sort-value=""5641,257New Jersey Devils1,094 (Hurricanes)2011
    data-sort-value=""5641,346Toronto Maple Leafs1,162 (Flames)2012
    27data-sort-value=""5611,499Dallas Stars1,225 (Flyers)2014[9]
    28data-sort-value=""5601,126Montreal Canadiens918 (Devils)1988
    29data-sort-value=""5561,540Boston Bruins1,370 (Blues)1981
    30data-sort-value="" 5551,082Tampa Bay Lightning965 (Canucks)Active[10]
    31data-sort-value="" 5491,731Carolina Hurricanes1,533 (Bruins)2007
    32data-sort-value="" 5481,089Chicago Blackhawks951 (Flames)1998
    33data-sort-value="" 544978Montreal Canadiens863 (Black Hawks)1961
    34data-sort-value="" 5411,396Chicago Blackhawks1,221 (Canucks)1983
    35data-sort-value="" 5381,201St. Louis Blues1,055(empty Blue Jackets net)[11]
    36data-sort-value="" 5331,181Montreal Canadiens1,105 (Canucks)1981
    37data-sort-value="" 5251,309Chicago Blackhawks1,240 (Flyers)2020
    38data-sort-value=""5241,279New York Islanders1,104 (Flames)1997
    39data-sort-value=""5221,424Detroit Red Wings1,285 (Flames)[12]
    40data-sort-value=""5181,188St. Louis Blues1,103 (Maple Leafs)2001
    41data-sort-value=""5151,294Colorado Avalanche1,229 (Sharks)2023[13]
    42data-sort-value=""5131,363San Jose Sharks1,267 (Coyotes)2024[14]
    43data-sort-value=""5121,191Buffalo Sabres1,159 (Devils)1990
    44data-sort-value=""5071,125Montreal Canadiens1,101 (North Stars)1972
    45data-sort-value=""5031,081Chicago Blackhawks1,050 (Maple Leafs)[15]
    46data-sort-value=""5021,062Pittsburgh Penguins1,052 (Avalanche)2000
    47data-sort-value=""5001,111Calgary Flames1,107 (Islanders)1992

    References

    Footnotes
    Citations
    General

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Alex Ovechkin stats. National Hockey League. 2023-11-09.
    2. Web site: Jaromir Jagr stats. National Hockey League. 2020-01-01.
    3. Web site: Teemu Selanne biography. Hockey Hall of Fame. 2020-01-01.
    4. Web site: Dave Andreychuk biography. Hockey Hall of Fame. 2020-01-01.
    5. Web site: Jarome Iginla stats. National Hockey League. 2020-01-01.
    6. Web site: Sidney Crosby stats. National Hockey League. 2023-11-09.
    7. Web site: Mark Recchi biography. Hockey Hall of Fame. 2020-01-01.
    8. Web site: Patrick Marleau stats. National Hockey League. 2021-04-28.
    9. Web site: Induction showcase – Mike Modano. Hockey Hall of Fame. 2020-01-01.
    10. Web site: Steven Stamkos stats. National Hockey League. 2023-11-09.
    11. Web site: Keith Tkachuk biography. Hockey Hall of Fame. 2020-01-01.
    12. Web site: Pat Verbeek biography. Hockey Hall of Fame. 2020-01-01.
    13. Web site: Pierre Turgeon biography. Hockey Hall of Fame. 2020-01-01.
    14. Web site: Jeremy Roenick biography. Hockey Hall of Fame. 2020-01-01.
    15. Web site: Peter Bondra biography. Hockey Hall of Fame. 2020-01-01.