Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
Hockey is one of the most dangerous and at the same time spectacular team games of our time. It originated in Canada, where the harsh and cold climate has contributed significantly to the development of winter sports. In 1917, the famous National Hockey League was created, an organization that united the clubs of Canada and the United States of America. The NHL is known around the world for its talented professional hockey players, over a hundred-odd years of the League's existence, its players have won not only the majority of places in the Hockey Hall of Fame, but also the love and unconditional recognition of spectators around the world. The most productive hockey players who have scored the most goals are awarded the unofficial title of scorer. Introducing the top ten National Hockey League scorers of all time.
Top 10 NHL scorers of all time
| Nomination | a place | Hockey player | rating |
| Top 10 NHL scorers of all time | 10 | Mario Lemieux | 4.1 |
| 9 | Steve Yzerman | 4.2 | |
| 8 | Mark Messier | 4.3 | |
| 7 | Mike Gartner | 4.4 | |
| 6 | Phil Esposito | 4.5 | |
| 5 | Marcel Dionne | 4.6 | |
| 4 | Brett Hull | 4.7 | |
| 3 | Jaromir Jagr | 4.8 | |
| 2 | Gordie Howe | 4.9 | |
| 1 | Wayne Gretzky | 5.0 |
Mario Lemieux
Rating: 4.1
One of the best world hockey players, who could well qualify for the first places, if not for frequent health problems. Mario Lemieux was born in the suburbs of the Canadian city of Montreal, he began to study hockey at the age of three, playing with his brothers in the yard and even in the basement of the house, which their father turned into a homemade ice rink. This was followed by the youth league, where he distinguished himself, breaking all previous records, and the junior hockey league of Quebec. In the 1984 draft, Lemieux hoped to get into the Montreal Canadiens, but he was taken by the American Pittsburgh Penguins. The ambitious youngster was deeply disappointed, but still remained in the team, not least thanks to the manager who offered him a two-year contract, as well as payment of $ 600,000 and $ 150,000 in prize money.
Lemieux scored his first goal in the NHL during the first match, and from the very first throw. In the future, he played no less successfully, bringing the previously outsider team to a high level. In 1986, the hockey player became the second highest paid player in the League. And from the fans for his style and skill, Lemieux received a bright nickname “Supermario”. However, the subsequent years were difficult due to failing health. In 1993, Lemieux was diagnosed with cancer and needed a course of radiation therapy. But even then, the hockey player took part in the matches, once arriving at the game straight from the hospital. Since 1997, he was forced to take a three-year hiatus, and during the same period he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2000, Supermario returned to the ice, and despite continued back pain, lasted four years in the game, winning the World Cup and a number of prestigious personal awards. In total, Mario Lemieux scored 690 goals for his cart.
Steve Yzerman
Rating: 4.2
The future Canadian striker Stephen Yzerman was born in 1965 in British Columbia. As a child, he was interested in various sports, he purposefully began to play hockey from the age of 10. At 15, Steve was already making serious progress in the junior team and became the best player of the season. During the 1983 Draft, he was selected by the Detroit Red Wings, where he spent the rest of his career. The very first matches showed that Yzerman has great prospects as a center forward. At the age of 21, he became the team captain and remained so until his retirement from professional sports, thus setting a record for the longest tenure in this position.
By 1990, Yzerman had a reputation as one of the top scorers and strikers. He brought the team the President's Cup, and in 1997 – the first Stanley Cup. The second was won in 2002, and the hockey player had just recovered from his injuries on the ice by this time. Yzerman's successes made him famous among all hockey fans. However, the following seasons were given to the athlete with great difficulty, and the effectiveness was less and less. He eventually decided to retire from professional hockey in 2006. Steve Yzerman played in 1,453 games and scored 692 goals.
Mark Messier
Rating: 4.3
Before joining the National Hockey League, Mark Messier played for the junior hockey league in the Canadian province of Alberta, where he grew up, but his performance was still not very impressive. In 1979 he was selected by the Edmonton Oilers, and from the first season, Mark began to rapidly improve his skills, bringing the team 12 goals. After that, the career of Messier, nicknamed “Messiah” by the fans, took off. He continued to deliver victories to the Edmonton Oilers until 1991, and was considered one of the team's most valuable members, as evidenced by his 1990 Hart Trophy. Also during his time in this team, Messier won three national cups. Since 1991, Messier has played for the New York Rangers, where he has already received the prestigious personal performance award again, and also brought the Rangers a victory in the 1996 World Cup.
When his contract with the New York Rangers expired, the hockey player was invited to the Vancouver Canucks, where he played for three years, and then returned to the New York team and remained there until his retirement from professional sports. On the total account of Mark Messier for the entire time of the game – 694 goals. In 2006, a special NHL prize was established called the Mark Messier Leadership Eward, which is awarded to hockey players for their leadership during the regular season.
Mike Gartner
Rating: 4.4
Mike Gartner grew up in Toronto, where his parents love the sport, sending him to the children's hockey team. In 1974 he went to Moscow, where he took part in friendly matches with young Soviet hockey players. It was this trip, according to Mike, that was the defining moment after which he decided to become a professional hockey player. The following two brilliant seasons in the Ontario Junior Hockey League attracted the attention of coaches and Gartner was invited to the World Youth Championship, from where he returned with a bronze.
Mike's professional career started with the Cincinnati Stingers team, which played in the World Hockey Association. During the first season, Gartner earned a reputation as one of the most promising newcomers, behind only Gretzky. Since 1979, when the WHA was disbanded, the athlete moved to the Washington club, where he played for the next ten seasons. Four more NHL clubs followed. His last team was the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Gartner ended his career in 1998, having devoted 20 years to hockey and scored 708 goals.
Phil Esposito
Rating: 4.5
Phil Esposito's hockey career began thanks to his brother, who served as a goalkeeper at Chicago Blackhost. Esposito was taken to the team, but at first he did not show much promise. In 1967 he changed the Chicago club to the Boston Bruins and a year later he was named the best sniper in the NHL. Further, Esposito's successes began to grow and multiply: he won two Hart Trophy prizes, in 1972 he became the owner of Canada's highest civilian award for participation in the sensational series of matches between the USSR and Canada, and after moving to the New York Rangers in 1975, stably gave excellent results. Five times he was awarded the title of the best scorer and six – the best sniper. He also brought the team the 1976 Canada Cup.
1981 was the final year for Phil Esposito's hockey career. In total, he performed 717 goals. After leaving the ice, the famous hockey player devoted himself entirely to his old dream – the creation of the Tampa Bay Lightning team in the USA.
Marcel Dionne
Rating: 4.6
The Quebec native, Marcel Dionne joined the Detroit Red Wings in 1971. The young and promising center has not disappointed since his debut year with 28 goals. This was followed by three years of productive play, after which contractual disagreements with the management forced Dionne to leave for the Los Angeles Kings in 1975. He became a real star of the club, earning many points and honorary awards for the team. For the last three seasons, Marcel Dionne has played for the New York Rangers, and in 1989 he announced his retirement from hockey.
In total, during the game in the NHL, Dionne scored 1,771 points and made 731 successful shots. Thanks to his skill, he was awarded the Lester Pearson Eward Award for Outstanding Player, and his honest “gentlemanly” style of play earned him the Lady Byng Trophy. In 1992, Marcel Dionne was honored to take a place in the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame.
Brett Hull
Rating: 4.7
Brett Hull grew up in Ontario, Canada. His mother was a figure skater, and his father was a famous hockey player, following the example of which Brett decided to devote himself to a sports career. He was drafted by the Calgary Flames in 1984, but Hull played for the Minnesota Duluth for the first couple of seasons. He made his debut in the National Hockey League in 1986, however, due to a conflict with the coach, he left for the American club “St. Louis Blues” a couple of years later. Brett spent 11 seasons with this team. In 1990 he was named the best sniper. The period from 1989 to 1992 saw his most striking performances and growth in fame.
In 1998, Hull changed clubs to join the Dallas Stars, then played with the Detroit Red Wings. He spent the last year with the Phoenix Coyotes, ending his hockey career. Brett Hull is known for scoring 741 goals. In 2006, the name was inducted into the Minnesota Hall of Fame, and in 2009 he was inducted into the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame. Also, a street in the American city of St. Louis was named after Brett Hull.
Jaromir Jagr
Rating: 4.8
Legendary Czech hockey player, one of the best players in the whole world. Jaromir started going in for sports at the hockey school in Kladno. Already in his teens, he was distinguished by a strong physique, stability on the ice and a powerful throw. The rising star was soon recruited into the Czech Extraliga, and in 1990 he became part of the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins team. And almost immediately Jagr managed to win the Stanley Cup, one of the highest awards in hockey sports. Subsequently, he continued to play for other clubs just as effectively, winning more and more awards and titles every year. The athlete changed a large number of teams, and not only the League, in the 2004-2005 season he even represented the Russian ice hockey club “Avangard”.
Jaromir Jagr has scored 766 goals and over 1000 effective assists on his professional account. He was awarded the Hart Trophy for his invaluable contribution to team success, as well as three Ted Lindsay Eward. Moreover, Jagr is considered a national hero and one of the most recognizable Czech athletes. In 2010, he was entrusted with carrying the Czech national flag during the Winter Olympic Games, and a little later, the hockey player received the Order of Merit personally from President Vaclav Klaus. At the moment, the 41-year-old striker continues to amaze with his achievements on the ice, playing for the Czech hockey club Rytiří Kladno.
Gordie Howe
Rating: 4.9
For a long time, the Canadian Gordon Howe was considered the best hockey player in terms of performance, only relatively recently losing the palm to Gretzky. He was and remains an NHL legend with incredible success as a striker. Oddly enough, in his early youth Howe did not shine with sports talent, but he had perseverance and courage in abundance. At first he was chosen as the goalkeeper of the children's team, he soon went on the defensive, then became a forward, and in 1945 he joined the Omaha Knights, the Detroit Red Wings farm club. Through dedicated work and fearlessness on the ice, Howe quickly gained the respect of fans and other athletes alike. From 1946 he became a full-fledged member of the Detroit Red Wings and played for the next 25 years. Because of the tough manner of playing the hockey player was nicknamed “Mr. Elbows”, but after the five hundredth goal, the nickname was changed to the enthusiastic “Mr. Hockey”. Gordy Howe regularly set new records and won prestigious awards. He is a six-time Art Ross Trophy winner.
When Howe turned 43, he decided it was time to leave the ice, but having managed to hold out for only two years without his beloved hockey, he returned. He played for the WHA Houston Aeros, then moved on to the Hartford Whalers NHL, where he played alongside the young up to 52 years of age. Over the course of his sixty-year career, Howe has managed to score 801 goals. In memory of the merits of Gordie Howe, the bridge being built between the American Detroit and the Canadian Windsor was named after him.
Wayne Gretzky
Rating: 5.0
Gretzky owns all major records and achievements in the NHL. A Canadian with Ukrainian roots began to take his first small steps towards sports at the age of 5, joining the Brentford children's team. Then there was the children's league, where he distinguished himself, having thrown 378 goals during the season. At the age of sixteen, Gretzky played for the Greyhounds club, and a year later he was already at the Indianapolis Racers. His NHL debut was the Edmonton Oilers, where Gretzky played for a further ten years. The talented athlete has brought the team four Stanley Cups and many other awards.
Despite Gretzky's immense popularity and impressive performance, the management decided to transfer him to the Los Angeles Kings. The key factor in this matter, of course, was money. Although the hockey player did not really like the new team, he was able to take their game to a new level. After a short time, Gretzky moved to St. Louis Blues on his own initiative, but was forced to leave the club due to disagreements with the management. He eventually joined the New York Rangers, where he continued to impress the world with his virtuoso performance until his 1999 retirement from the ice. Gretzky retired from hockey at the age of 38, despite strong fan reactions and the persuasion of Bill Clinton, the then President of the United States. In his relatively short sports career, Wayne Gretzky has scored 894 goals and nearly two thousand effective assists. For his sake, they even violated the rule to place the player's name in the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame not earlier than three years later – Gretzky's name graced the Hall of Fame after only seven months. The legendary striker is now vice president of the Oilers.
Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
