List of NHL players with 500 goals

For ice hockey players in the National Hockey League (NHL), scoring 500 regular season goals is considered a highly significant achievement.

As of the completion of the 2010-11 season—the 93rd regular season of the National Hockey League—a total of 41 different players have scored at least 500 regular season goals in their NHL career.

A 500 goal career was first achieved in 1957–58, the 41st season of the NHL, when Maurice Richard scored his 500th goal in his 863rd game played.

Contents

Season achievements

The 2006–07 NHL season saw the largest number of players (five) achieve their 500th goal. A total of four players scored their 500th goal in the 1995–96 season.

Starting with Maurice Richard's achievement in the 1957–58 NHL season, the greatest stretch between 500 goal scorers was the eight seasons between Gordie Howe in the 1961–62 season and Bobby Hull in the 1969–70 season.

Player achievements

Of the 41 players to score 500 goals, 32 are Canadian, four are American (Joe Mullen, Mike Modano, Jeremy Roenick, and Keith Tkachuk), two are Finnish (Jari Kurri and Teemu Selanne), one is Czech (Jaromir Jagr), one is Swedish (Mats Sundin), and one is Slovakian (Peter Bondra). Jari Kurri has the honour of being the first non-Canadian to score fifty goals, as well as the first European to do so. Of note, Stan Mikita was born in Sokolče, Slovakia, (then Czechoslovakia,) but immigrated to Canada when he was young and represented Canada internationally.

The shortest number of NHL games required to reach the mark was 575, set by Wayne Gretzky. Second quickest was Mario Lemieux, achieving the mark in his 605th game.

Of the 41 players to score at least 500 goals in their career, 17 reached the mark in fewer than 1000 career games played.

Of those on the list, Lanny McDonald came closest to 'not' achieving 500 goals—reaching the mark with only four games remaining in his final NHL season. Similarly, Joe Mullen scored his 500th goal with only ten games remaining in his final season.

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

Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy is the only net minder to 'allow' more than one opponent to tally their 500th career goal: Steve Yzerman in 1996, Joe Mullen in 1997 and Brendan Shanahan in 2002. A contributing factor for this statistical coincidence will be Roy's record for the second-most games played by a goaltender, at 1029.

Mats Sundin scored his 500th goal in overtime, winning the game for the Toronto Maple Leafs. In that one goal, he finished off a hat trick, scored one of his league-leading 15 overtime goals, while his team was short handed, and earned his 500th career NHL goal.

Team achievements

A total of 20 different franchises have had a player score their 500th goal while playing for the franchise.

The Detroit Red Wings have had five different players score their 500th goal while playing for the team. The Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens both had four players achieve the mark while with the team.

To date no team has had the coincidence of 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 exclusive club after Brendan Shanahan joined them at the 500-goal plateau. Yzerman, Hull, Robitaille and Shanahan are four of only eleven players with 650 or more goals in NHL history.

500-goal scorers

Legend
Rank - Ranking on all-time goals list
G – Career goals
Team – Team for which the player scored their 500th goal
Game no. – Number of career games played when 500th goal was scored
Date – Date of 500th goal
GP – Career games played
Active players currently in the NHL are listed in boldface
† denotes player a member of the NHL Hall of Fame

(Updated as of April 10, 2011 - the end of the 2010-11 Regular Season)

Rank Player G Team Game no. Date Opposing goaltender GP
1 Gretzky, WayneWayne Gretzky† 894 Edmonton Oilers 575 01986-11-22 November 22, 1986 (empty net) 1487
2 Howe, GordieGordie Howe† 801 Detroit Red Wings 1045 01962-03-14 March 14, 1962 Worsley, GumpGump Worsley 1767
3 Hull, BrettBrett Hull† 741 St. Louis Blues 693 01996-12-22 December 22, 1996 Fiset, StephaneStephane Fiset 1269
4 Dionne, MarcelMarcel Dionne† 731 Los Angeles Kings 887 01982-12-14 December 14, 1982 Jensen, AlAl Jensen 1348
5 Esposito, PhilPhil Esposito† 717 Boston Bruins 803 01974-12-22 December 22, 1974 Rutherford, JimJim Rutherford 1282
6 Gartner, MikeMike Gartner† 708 New York Rangers 936 01991-10-14 October 14, 1991 Liut, MikeMike Liut 1432
7 Messier, MarkMark Messier† 694 New York Rangers 1141 01995-11-06 November 6, 1995 Tabaracci, RickRick Tabaracci 1756
8 Yzerman, SteveSteve Yzerman† 692 Detroit Red Wings 906 01996-01-17 January 17, 1996 Roy, PatrickPatrick Roy 1514
9 Lemieux, MarioMario Lemieux† 690 Pittsburgh Penguins 605 01995-10-26 October 26, 1995 Soderstrom, TommyTommy Soderstrom 915
10 Robitaille, LucLuc Robitaille† 668 Los Angeles Kings 928 01999-01-07 January 7, 1999 Roloson, DwayneDwayne Roloson 1431
11 Shanahan, BrendanBrendan Shanahan 656 Detroit Red Wings 1100 02002-03-23 March 23, 2002 Roy, PatrickPatrick Roy 1524
12 Jagr, JaromirJaromir Jagr 646 Washington Capitals 928 02003-02-04 February 4, 2003 Grahame, JohnJohn Grahame 1273
13 Andreychuk, DaveDave Andreychuk 640 New Jersey Devils 1070 01997-03-15 March 15, 1997 Ranford, BillBill Ranford 1639
14 Selanne, TeemuTeemu Selanne 637 Anaheim Ducks 982 02006-11-26 November 26, 2006 Theodore, JoseJose Theodore 1186
15 Sakic, JoeJoe Sakic 625 Colorado Avalanche 1044 02002-12-11 December 11, 2002 Cloutier, DanDan Cloutier 1378
16 Hull, BobbyBobby Hull† 610 Chicago Blackhawks 861 01970-02-21 February 21, 1970 Giacomin, EdEd Giacomin 1063
17 Ciccarelli, DinoDino Ciccarelli† 608 Detroit Red Wings 946 01994-01-08 January 8, 1994 Hrudey, KellyKelly Hrudey 1232
18 Kurri, JariJari Kurri† 601 Los Angeles Kings 833 01992-10-17 October 17, 1992 (empty net) 1251
19 Recchi, MarkMark Recchi 577 Pittsburgh Penguins 1303 02007-01-26 January 26, 2007 Turco, MartyMarty Turco 1571
20 Bossy, MikeMike Bossy† 573 New York Islanders 647 01986-01-02 January 2, 1986 (empty net) 752
21 Sundin, MatsMats Sundin 564 Toronto Maple Leafs 1162 02006-10-14 October 14, 2006 Kiprusoff, MiikkaMiikka Kiprusoff 1346
22 Modano, MikeMike Modano 561 Dallas Stars 1225 02007-03-13 March 13, 2007 Niittymaki, AnteroAntero Niittymaki 1459
23 Lafleur, GuyGuy Lafleur† 560 Montreal Canadiens 896 01983-12-20 December 20, 1983 Resch, GlennGlenn Resch 1126
24 Nieuwendyk, JoeJoe Nieuwendyk† 559 New Jersey Devils 1094 02003-01-17 January 17, 2003 Weekes, KevinKevin Weekes 1242
25 Bucyk, JohnnyJohnny Bucyk† 556 Boston Bruins 1370 01975-10-30 October 30, 1975 Belanger, YvesYves Belanger 1540
26 Francis, RonRon Francis† 549 Carolina Hurricanes 1533 02002-01-02 January 2, 2002 Dafoe, ByronByron Dafoe 1731
27 Goulet, MichelMichel Goulet† 548 Chicago Blackhawks 951 01992-02-16 February 16, 1992 Reese, JeffJeff Reese 1089
28 Richard, MauriceMaurice Richard† 544 Montreal Canadiens 863 01957-10-19 October 19, 1957 Hall, GlennGlenn Hall 978
29 Mikita, StanStan Mikita† 541 Chicago Blackhawks 1221 01977-02-27 February 27, 1977 Maniago, CesareCesare Maniago 1394
30 Tkachuk, KeithKeith Tkachuk 538 St. Louis Blues 1055 02008-04-06 April 6, 2008 (empty net) 1201
31 Mahovlich, FrankFrank Mahovlich† 533 Montreal Canadiens 1105 01973-03-21 March 21, 1973 Wilson, DuncDunc Wilson 1181
32 Trottier, BryanBryan Trottier† 524 New York Islanders 1104 01990-02-13 February 13, 1990 Wamsley, RickRick Wamsley 1279
33 Verbeek, PatPat Verbeek 522 Detroit Red Wings 1285 02000-03-22 March 22, 2000 Brathwaite, FredFred Brathwaite 1424
34 Hawerchuk, DaleDale Hawerchuk† 518 St. Louis Blues 1103 01996-01-31 January 31, 1996 Potvin, FelixFelix Potvin 1188
35 Turgeon, PierrePierre Turgeon 515 Colorado Avalanche 1229 02005-11-08 November 8, 2005 Toskala, VesaVesa Toskala 1294
36 Roenick, JeremyJeremy Roenick 513 San Jose Sharks 1267 02007-11-10 November 10, 2007 Auld, AlexAlex Auld 1363
37 Perreault, GilbertGilbert Perreault† 512 Buffalo Sabres 1159 01986-03-09 March 9, 1986 Chevrier, AlainAlain Chevrier 1191
38 Beliveau, JeanJean Beliveau† 507 Montreal Canadiens 1101 01971-02-11 February 11, 1971 Gilbert, GillesGilles Gilbert 1125
39 Bondra, PeterPeter Bondra 503 Chicago Blackhawks 1050 02006-12-22 December 22, 2006 Aubin, Jean-SebastienJean-Sebastien Aubin 1081
40 Mullen, JoeJoe Mullen† 502 Pittsburgh Penguins 1052 01997-03-14 March 14, 1997 Roy, PatrickPatrick Roy 1062
41 McDonald, LannyLanny McDonald† 500 Calgary Flames 1107 01989-03-21 March 21, 1989 Fitzpatrick, MarkMark Fitzpatrick 1111

Active players within 50 goals at the beginning of the 2011-12 season

Player Team GP G
Jarome Iginla Calgary Flames 1106 484

Retired players within 50 goals

These are players who are now retired (or in the case of Sergei Fedorov, left the NHL for another league) that came within 50 goals of reaching 500 for their career.

Legend
Team – The team for which the player played the most games.
GP – Career games played
G – Career goals scored
Player Team GP G
Glenn Anderson Edmonton Oilers 1129 498
Jean Ratelle New York Rangers 1281 491
Norm Ullman Detroit Red Wings 1410 490
Brian Bellows Minnesota North Stars 1188 485
Darryl Sittler Toronto Maple Leafs 1096 484
Sergei Fedorov Detroit Red Wings 1248 483
Bernie Nicholls Los Angeles Kings 1127 475
Alexander Mogilny Buffalo Sabres 990 473
Denis Savard Chicago Blackhawks 1196 473
Pat LaFontaine New York Islanders 865 468
Alex Delvecchio Detroit Red Wings 1549 456
Theoren Fleury Calgary Flames 1084 455
Rod Brind'Amour Carolina Hurricanes 1484 452
Doug Gilmour Toronto Maple Leafs 1474 450
Peter Stastny Quebec Nordiques 977 450

See also

References

List of NHL-related topics
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