League Leaders Who Led?

NHL Single-Season Goals Record Progression

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

All-time career leaders →

The NHL single-season goals record is 92, set by Wayne Gretzky in 1981. It has stood for 44 years. The mark has been raised 5 times since 1917.

PGAP/GPPPGGWGPIM+/-SHGPPPSS%G/GPGP

Record Holders

6 marks since 1917
Year Player G Stood for
1981 Wayne Gretzky Wayne Gretzky 92 still standing
1970 Phil Esposito Phil Esposito 76 11 years
1968 Bobby Hull Bobby Hull 58 2 years
1965 Bobby Hull Bobby Hull 54 3 years
1944 Maurice Richard Maurice Richard 50 21 years
1917 Joe Malone Joe Malone 44 27 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

121 seasons
Year Leader G
2025 Nathan MacKinnon 53
2024 Leon Draisaitl 52
2023 Auston Matthews 69
2022 Connor McDavid 64
2021 Auston Matthews 60
2020 Auston Matthews 41
2019 David Pastrnak 48
2019 Alex Ovechkin 48
2018 Alex Ovechkin 51
2017 Alex Ovechkin 49
2016 Sidney Crosby 44
2015 Alex Ovechkin 50
2014 Alex Ovechkin 53
2013 Alex Ovechkin 51
2012 Alex Ovechkin 32
2011 Steven Stamkos 60
2010 Corey Perry 50
2009 Steven Stamkos 51
2009 Sidney Crosby 51
2008 Alex Ovechkin 56
2007 Alex Ovechkin 65
2006 Vincent Lecavalier 52
2005 Jonathan Cheechoo 56
2003 Rick Nash 41
2003 Jarome Iginla 41
2003 Ilya Kovalchuk 41
2002 Milan Hejduk 50
2001 Jarome Iginla 52
2000 Pavel Bure 59
1999 Pavel Bure 58
1998 Teemu Selanne 47
1997 Teemu Selanne 52
1997 Peter Bondra 52
1996 Keith Tkachuk 52
1995 Mario Lemieux 69
1994 Peter Bondra 34
1993 Pavel Bure 60
1992 Teemu Selanne 76
1992 Alexander Mogilny 76
1991 Brett Hull 70
1990 Brett Hull 86
1989 Brett Hull 72
1988 Mario Lemieux 85
1987 Mario Lemieux 70
1986 Wayne Gretzky 62
1985 Jari Kurri 68
1984 Wayne Gretzky 73
1983 Wayne Gretzky 87
1982 Wayne Gretzky 71
1981 Wayne Gretzky 92 new record
1980 Mike Bossy 68
1979 Danny Gare 56
1979 Charlie Simmer 56
1979 Blaine Stoughton 56
1978 Mike Bossy 69
1977 Guy Lafleur 60
1976 Steve Shutt 60
1975 Reggie Leach 61
1974 Phil Esposito 61
1973 Phil Esposito 68
1972 Phil Esposito 55
1971 Phil Esposito 66
1970 Phil Esposito 76 new record
1969 Phil Esposito 43
1968 Bobby Hull 58 new record
1967 Bobby Hull 44
1966 Bobby Hull 52
1965 Bobby Hull 54 new record
1964 Norm Ullman 42
1963 Bobby Hull 43
1962 Gordie Howe 38
1961 Bobby Hull 50
1960 Bernie Geoffrion 50
1959 Bronco Horvath 39
1959 Bobby Hull 39
1958 Jean Beliveau 45
1957 Dickie Moore 36
1956 Gordie Howe 44
1955 Jean Beliveau 47
1954 Maurice Richard 38
1954 Bernie Geoffrion 38
1953 Maurice Richard 37
1952 Gordie Howe 49
1951 Gordie Howe 47
1950 Gordie Howe 43
1949 Maurice Richard 43
1948 Sid Abel 28
1947 Ted Lindsay 33
1946 Maurice Richard 45
1945 Gaye Stewart 37
1944 Maurice Richard 50 new record
1943 Doug Bentley 38
1942 Doug Bentley 33
1941 Lynn Patrick 32
1940 Bryan Hextall Sr. 26
1939 Bryan Hextall Sr. 24
1938 Roy Conacher 26
1937 Gordie Drillon 26
1936 Nels Stewart 23
1936 Larry Aurie 23
1935 Charlie Conacher 23
1935 Bill Thoms 23
1934 Charlie Conacher 36
1933 Charlie Conacher 32
1932 Bill Cook 28
1931 Charlie Conacher 34
1930 Charlie Conacher 31
1929 Cooney Weiland 43
1928 Ace Bailey 22
1927 Howie Morenz 33
1926 Bill Cook 33
1925 Nels Stewart 34
1924 Babe Dye 38
1923 Cy Denneny 22
1922 Babe Dye 27
1921 Punch Broadbent 31
1921 Babe Dye 31
1920 Babe Dye 35
1919 Joe Malone 39
1918 Newsy Lalonde 23
1917 Joe Malone 44 new record