Three NHL stars tried skating their way into the record books this season.
Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov and Auston Matthews put together all-time offensive seasons in 2023-24. McDavid and Kucherov were especially stellar as passers, becoming just the fourth and fifth players, respectively, in NHL history to pick up 100 assists in a season. Matthews, on the other hand, was the league’s top goal scorer with 69.
How do McDavid, Kucherov and Matthews stack up in hockey history? Here’s a look at the NHL’s single-season goals, assists and points records:
NHL record for goals in a season
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Wayne Gretzky is called the “Great One” for a reason.
The Hall of Famer has a mind-boggling résumé that includes four Stanley Cups, nine Hart Trophies and 15 All-Star selections. However, his greatness is most evident when looking at his single-season dominance.
Gretzky holds the record for most goals in a season and has four of the top-10 goal-scoring seasons in NHL history. His top scoring campaign came in 1981-82, when he tallied 92 goals at just 21 years old. He nearly broke his own record two years later when he lit the lamp 87 times in 1983-84.
NHL
As for Matthews, his 69 goals in 2023-24 are tied for the 15th-most all time.
Here is a look at the top goal-scoring seasons of all time:
1. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1981-82: 92
2. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1983-84: 87
3. Brett Hull, STL, 1990-91: 86
4. Mario Lemieux, PIT, 1988-89: 85
T-5. Phil Esposito, BOS, 1970-71: 76
T-5. Alexander Mogilny, BUF,1992-93: 76
T-5. Teemu Selänne, WIN, 1992-93: 76
8. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1984-85: 73
9. Brett Hull, STL, 1989-90: 72
T-10. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1982-83: 71
T-10. Jari Kurri, EDM, 1984-85: 71
T-12. Three players: 70
T-15. Four players: 69
NHL record for assists in a season
Gretzky is the greatest goal scorer in hockey history, but his assist numbers are even more incredible.
He broke the NHL single-season assists record when he was 20 years old, dishing out 109 compared to Bobby Orr’s 102 from 1970-71. Gretzky then set a new precedent in four of the next five seasons, culminating with a preposterous 163 assists in 1985-86.
In all, Gretzky surpassed 100 assists 11 times. Mario Lemieux and Orr were the only other players in the 100-assist club until McDavid and Kucherov reached the milestone this season.
Here are all of the times an NHL player has exceeded 100 assists in a season:
1. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1985-86: 163
2. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1984-85: 135
3. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1982-83: 125
4. Wayne Gretzky, LAK, 1990-91: 122
5. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1986-87: 121
6. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1981-82: 120
7. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1983-84: 118
T-8. Wayne Gretzky, LAK, 1988-89: 114
T-8. Mario Lemieux, PIT, 1988-89: 114
T-10. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1980-81: 109
T-10. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1987-88: 109
T-12. Bobby Orr, BOS, 1970-71: 102
T-12. Wayne Gretzky, LAK, 1989-90: 102
T-14. Connor McDavid, EDM, 2023-24: 100
T-14. Nikita Kucherov, TB, 2023-24: 100
NHL record for points in a season
At this point, it should be no surprise who holds the NHL’s single-season points record.
Gretzky set the all-time mark in 1985-86, combining his other-worldly 163 assists with 52 goals for 215 points. It was the fourth and final time he made it past the 200-point mark, a feat only he has accomplished.
In between all of Gretzky’s top seasons in Lemieux, who has the fifth-highest point total in a season at 199. The Pittsburgh Penguins legend tallied 85 goals and 114 assists that season but placed second in Hart Trophy voting behind – you guessed it – Gretzky.
Here are the top single-season point totals in NHL history:
1. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1985-86: 215
2. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1981-82: 212
3. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1984-85: 208
4. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1983-84: 205
5. Mario Lemieux, PIT, 1988-89: 199
6. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1982-83: 196
7. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1986-87: 183
T-8. Mario Lemieux, PIT, 1987-88 168
T-8. Wayne Gretzky, LAK, 1988-89: 168
10. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1980-81: 164
11. Wayne Gretzky, LAK, 1990-91: 163
12. Mario Lemieux, PIT, 1995-96: 161
13. Mario Lemieux, PIT, 1992-93: 160
14. Steve Yzerman, DET, 1988-89: 155
15. Connor McDavid, EDM, 2022-23: 153
Kucherov led the NHL with 144 points in 2023-24.
