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 2018-19 NHL season -- the 101st regular season of play of the National Hockey League -- a total of 45 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. The most recent player to score 500 goals is Patrick Marleau, who did so on February 2, 2017.

Season achievements

The 2006-07 NHL season saw the largest number of players (five) achieve their 500th goal (Teemu Selänne, Mike Modano, Mark Recchi, Mats Sundin, and Peter Bondra). A total of four players scored their 500th goal in the 1995-96 season (Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, Mark Messier, and Dale Hawerchuk).

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

The 45 players to score 500 goals consist of 32 Canadians^{[note 1]}, five Americans (Brett Hull, Joe Mullen, Mike Modano, Jeremy Roenick, and Keith Tkachuk), three Slovaks (Stan Mikita, Peter Bondra and Marián Hossa)^{[note 2]}, two Finns (Jari Kurri and Teemu Selänne), one Czech (Jaromír Jágr), 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 Slovakia but represented Canada internationally); Jari Kurri was the first 500-goal scorer who never played for Canada.

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 less than 800 games to score their first 500 goals.

Of the 45 players to score at least 500 goals in their career, 18 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.

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 second-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 joined them.

500-goal scorers

Updated as of March 12, 2020.

Legend

Rank - Ranking on all-time goals list

Goals - Career regular season goals

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

GP - Career regular season games played

HHOF - Year of induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame or eligibility

  Active NHL player is highlighted

Rank	Country	Player	Goals[2]	GP[2]	Date of 500th goal[2]	With team[2]	Game no.[2]	Opposing goaltender[2]	HHOF	Ref.
1		Wayne Gretzky	894	1487	November 22, 1986	Edmonton Oilers	575	(empty Canucks net)	1999	[3]
2		Gordie Howe	801	1767	March 14, 1962	Detroit Red Wings	1045	Gump Worsley	1972	[4]
3		Jaromír Jágr	766	1733	February 4, 2003	Washington Capitals	928	John Grahame	Not eligible yet	[5]
4		Brett Hull	741	1269	December 22, 1996	St. Louis Blues	693	Stéphane Fiset	2009	[6]
5		Marcel Dionne	731	1348	December 14, 1982	Los Angeles Kings	887	Al Jensen	1992	[7]
6		Phil Esposito	717	1282	December 22, 1974	Boston Bruins	803	Jim Rutherford	1984	[8]
7		Mike Gartner	708	1432	October 14, 1991	New York Rangers	936	Mike Liut	2001	[9]
8		Alexander Ovechkin	708	1152	January 10, 2016	Washington Capitals	801	Andrew Hammond	Active	[10]
9		Mark Messier	694	1756	November 6, 1995	New York Rangers	1141	Rick Tabaracci	2007	[11]
10		Steve Yzerman	692	1514	January 17, 1996	Detroit Red Wings	906	Patrick Roy	2009	[12]
11		Mario Lemieux	690	915	October 26, 1995	Pittsburgh Penguins	605	Tommy Söderström	1997	[13]
12		Teemu Selänne	684	1451	November 22, 2006	Anaheim Ducks	982	José Théodore	2017	[14]
13		Luc Robitaille	668	1431	January 7, 1999	Los Angeles Kings	928	Dwayne Roloson	2009	[15]
14		Brendan Shanahan	656	1524	March 23, 2002	Detroit Red Wings	1100	Patrick Roy	2013	[15]
15		Dave Andreychuk	640	1639	March 15, 1997	New Jersey Devils	1070	Bill Ranford	2017	[16]
16 (tie)		Joe Sakic	625	1378	December 11, 2002	Colorado Avalanche	1044	Dan Cloutier	2012	[17]
16 (tie)		Jarome Iginla	625	1554	January 7, 2012	Calgary Flames	1149	Niklas Bäckström	2020	[18]
18		Bobby Hull	610	1063	February 21, 1970	Chicago Blackhawks	861	Eddie Giacomin	1983	[19]
19		Dino Ciccarelli	608	1232	January 8, 1994	Detroit Red Wings	946	Kelly Hrudey	2010	[20]
20		Jari Kurri	601	1251	October 17, 1992	Los Angeles Kings	833	(empty Bruins net)	2001	[21]
21		Mark Recchi	577	1652	January 26, 2007	Pittsburgh Penguins	1303	Marty Turco	2017	[22]
22		Mike Bossy	573	752	January 2, 1986	New York Islanders	647	(empty Bruins net)	1991	[23]
23 (tie)		Mats Sundin	564	1346	October 14, 2006	Toronto Maple Leafs	1162	Miikka Kiprusoff	2012	[24]
23 (tie)		Joe Nieuwendyk	564	1257	January 17, 2003	New Jersey Devils	1094	Kevin Weekes	2011	[25]
25		Patrick Marleau	562	1723	February 2, 2017	San Jose Sharks	1463	Ryan Miller	Active	[26]
26		Mike Modano	561	1499	March 13, 2007	Dallas Stars	1225	Antero Niittymäki	2014	[27]
27		Guy Lafleur	560	1126	December 20, 1983	Montreal Canadiens	918	Glenn Resch	1988	[28]
28		Johnny Bucyk	556	1540	October 30, 1975	Boston Bruins	1370	Yves Belanger	1981	[29]
29		Ron Francis	549	1731	January 2, 2002	Carolina Hurricanes	1533	Byron Dafoe	2007	[30]
30		Michel Goulet	548	1089	February 16, 1992	Chicago Blackhawks	951	Jeff Reese	1998	[31]
31		Maurice Richard	544	978	October 19, 1957	Montreal Canadiens	863	Glenn Hall	1961	[32]
32		Stan Mikita	541	1394	February 27, 1977	Chicago Blackhawks	1221	Cesare Maniago	1983	[33]
33		Keith Tkachuk	538	1201	April 6, 2008	St. Louis Blues	1055	(empty Blue Jackets net)	Eligible	[34]
34		Frank Mahovlich	533	1181	March 21, 1973	Montreal Canadiens	1105	Dunc Wilson	1981	[35]
35		Marián Hossa	525	1309	October 18, 2016	Chicago Blackhawks	1240	Michal Neuvirth	2020	[36]
36		Bryan Trottier	524	1279	February 13, 1990	New York Islanders	1104	Rick Wamsley	1997	[37]
37		Pat Verbeek	522	1424	March 22, 2000	Detroit Red Wings	1285	Fred Brathwaite	Eligible	[38]
38		Dale Hawerchuk	518	1188	January 31, 1996	St. Louis Blues	1103	Félix Potvin	2001	[39]
39		Pierre Turgeon	515	1294	November 8, 2005	Colorado Avalanche	1229	Vesa Toskala	Eligible	[40]
40		Jeremy Roenick	513	1363	November 10, 2007	San Jose Sharks	1267	Alex Auld	Eligible	[41]
41		Gilbert Perreault	512	1191	March 9, 1986	Buffalo Sabres	1159	Alain Chevrier	1990	[42]
42		Jean Béliveau	507	1125	February 11, 1971	Montreal Canadiens	1101	Gilles Gilbert	1972	[43]
43		Peter Bondra	503	1081	December 22, 2006	Chicago Blackhawks	1050	Jean-Sébastien Aubin	Eligible	[44]
44		Joe Mullen	502	1062	March 14, 1997	Pittsburgh Penguins	1052	Patrick Roy	2000	[45]
45		Lanny McDonald	500	1111	March 21, 1989	Calgary Flames	1107	Mark Fitzpatrick	1992	[36]

Fewest games needed to reach 500 goals

October 19, 1957 -- 863 games -- Maurice Richard

February 21, 1970 -- 861 games -- Bobby Hull

December 22, 1974 -- 803 games -- Phil Esposito

January 2, 1986 -- 647 games -- Mike Bossy

November 22, 1986 -- 575 games -- Wayne Gretzky

References

Footnotes

Citations

General

• Cameron, Steve, ed. (2013), Hockey Hall of Fame Book of Players, Richmond Hill, Ontario: Firefly Books, ISBN 978-1-77085-224-2
• Diamond, Dan, ed. (2014). National Hockey League Guide and Record Book 2015. Triumph Books. p. 204. ISBN 978-1-62937-011-8.