League Leaders Who Led?

NHL Single-Season Assists Record Progression

Every season that raised the bar, and the leader in every season between.

All-time career leaders →

The NHL single-season assists record is 163, set by Wayne Gretzky in 1985. It has stood for 40 years. The mark has been raised 21 times since 1917.

PGAP/GPPPGGWGPIM+/-SHGPPPSS%G/GPGP

Record Holders

22 marks since 1917
Year Player A Stood for
1985 Wayne Gretzky Wayne Gretzky 163 still standing
1984 Wayne Gretzky Wayne Gretzky 135 1 year
1982 Wayne Gretzky Wayne Gretzky 125 2 years
1981 Wayne Gretzky Wayne Gretzky 120 1 year
1980 Wayne Gretzky Wayne Gretzky 109 1 year
1970 Bobby Orr Bobby Orr 102 10 years
1969 Bobby Orr Bobby Orr 87 1 year
1968 Phil Esposito Phil Esposito 77 1 year
1966 Stan Mikita Stan Mikita 62 2 years
1964 Stan Mikita Stan Mikita 59 2 years
1960 Jean Beliveau 58 4 years
1955 Bert Olmstead Bert Olmstead 56 5 years
1949 Ted Lindsay 55 6 years
1944 Elmer Lach Elmer Lach 54 5 years
1943 Clint Smith Clint Smith 49 1 year
1940 Bill Cowley Bill Cowley 47 3 years
1931 Joe Primeau Joe Primeau 37 9 years
1929 Frank Boucher Frank Boucher 36 2 years
1926 Dick Irvin 18 3 years
1921 Harry Cameron Harry Cameron 17 5 years
1919 Frank Nighbor Frank Nighbor 16 2 years
1917 Corb Denneny Corb Denneny 10 2 years

The earliest marks here are records only in the sense that nobody had done better yet. Season length, schedule and the rules themselves have all changed, so a figure from the 1870s is not comparable with a modern one and is not offered as though it were.

Every Season

127 seasons
Year Leader A
2025 Connor McDavid 90
2024 Nikita Kucherov 84
2024 Nathan MacKinnon 84
2023 Nikita Kucherov 100
2023 Connor McDavid 100
2022 Connor McDavid 89
2021 Jonathan Huberdeau 85
2020 Connor McDavid 72
2019 Leon Draisaitl 67
2018 Nikita Kucherov 87
2017 Claude Giroux 68
2017 Blake Wheeler 68
2016 Connor McDavid 70
2015 Erik Karlsson 66
2014 Nicklas Backstrom 60
2013 Sidney Crosby 68
2012 Martin St. Louis 43
2011 Henrik Sedin 67
2010 Henrik Sedin 75
2009 Henrik Sedin 83
2008 Evgeni Malkin 78
2007 Joe Thornton 67
2006 Joe Thornton 92
2005 Joe Thornton 96
2003 Scott Gomez 56
2003 Martin St. Louis 56
2002 Peter Forsberg 77
2001 Adam Oates 64
2000 Jaromir Jagr 69
2000 Adam Oates 69
1999 Mark Recchi 63
1998 Jaromir Jagr 83
1997 Wayne Gretzky 67
1997 Jaromir Jagr 67
1996 Wayne Gretzky 72
1996 Mario Lemieux 72
1995 Ron Francis 92
1995 Mario Lemieux 92
1994 Ron Francis 48
1993 Wayne Gretzky 92
1992 Adam Oates 97
1991 Wayne Gretzky 90
1990 Wayne Gretzky 122
1989 Wayne Gretzky 102
1988 Wayne Gretzky 114
1988 Mario Lemieux 114
1987 Wayne Gretzky 109
1986 Wayne Gretzky 121
1985 Wayne Gretzky 163 new record
1984 Wayne Gretzky 135 new record
1983 Wayne Gretzky 118
1982 Wayne Gretzky 125 new record
1981 Wayne Gretzky 120 new record
1980 Wayne Gretzky 109 new record
1979 Wayne Gretzky 86
1978 Bryan Trottier 87
1977 Bryan Trottier 77
1976 Guy Lafleur 80
1975 Bobby Clarke 89
1974 Bobby Orr 89
1974 Bobby Clarke 89
1973 Bobby Orr 90
1972 Phil Esposito 75
1971 Bobby Orr 80
1970 Bobby Orr 102 new record
1969 Bobby Orr 87 new record
1968 Phil Esposito 77 new record
1967 Phil Esposito 49
1966 Stan Mikita 62 new record
1965 Stan Mikita 48
1965 Jean Beliveau 48
1965 Bobby Rousseau 48
1964 Stan Mikita 59 new record
1963 Andy Bathgate 58
1962 Henri Richard 50
1961 Andy Bathgate 56
1960 Jean Beliveau 58 new record
1959 Don McKenney 49
1958 Dickie Moore 55
1957 Henri Richard 52
1956 Ted Lindsay 55
1955 Bert Olmstead 56 new record
1954 Bert Olmstead 48
1953 Gordie Howe 48
1952 Gordie Howe 46
1951 Elmer Lach 50
1950 Ted Kennedy 43
1950 Gordie Howe 43
1949 Ted Lindsay 55 new record
1948 Doug Bentley 43
1947 Doug Bentley 37
1946 Billy Taylor Sr. 46
1945 Elmer Lach 34
1944 Elmer Lach 54 new record
1943 Clint Smith 49 new record
1942 Bill Cowley 45
1941 Phil Watson 37
1940 Bill Cowley 47 new record
1939 Milt Schmidt 30
1938 Bill Cowley 34
1937 Syl Apps 29
1936 Syl Apps 29
1935 Art Chapman 28
1934 Art Chapman 34
1933 Joe Primeau 32
1932 Frank Boucher 28
1931 Joe Primeau 37 new record
1930 Joe Primeau 32
1929 Frank Boucher 36 new record
1928 Frank Boucher 16
1927 Howie Morenz 18
1926 Dick Irvin 18 new record
1925 Frank Nighbor 14
1924 Hap Day 17
1923 Lionel Hitchman 10
1923 King Clancy 10
1922 Edmond Bouchard 15
1921 Harry Cameron 17 new record
1920 Jack Darragh 14
1919 Frank Nighbor 16 new record
1918 Newsy Lalonde 9
1918 Frank Nighbor 9
1918 Eddie Gerard 9
1917 Reg Noble 10
1917 Harry Cameron 10
1917 Cy Denneny 10
1917 Corb Denneny 10 new record