Modern era hockey heroes like David Pastrnak, Connor McDavid and Alexander Ovechkin are known for their goal scoring prowess, but their best seasons don’t come close to some of the past greats of the game. So, which players have scored the most goals in an NHL season?
Wayne Gretzky – Oilers (1981-82) – 92 Goals
Wayne Gretzky holds the record for most goals in an NHL season, having scored 92 goals in 80 games during the 1981-82 campaign. “The Great One” averaged 1.15 goals per game that season, cementing his status among the greatest hockey players of all time. Unsurprisingly, Gretzky features more than once on this list.
Wayne Gretzky – Oilers (1983-84) – 87 Goals
Two seasons after setting the record for most goals scorers in an NHL season, Gretzky added another entry to the leaderboard. The Edmonton Oilers icon netted 87 goals across 74 appearances in 1983-84, averaging 1.18 goals per game. Gretzky also fired Edmonton to the championship that season, picking up the Hart Memorial Trophy for his efforts.
Brett Hull – Blues (1990-91) – 86 Goals
Coming in at #3 on the list of players with the most goals in an NHL season is Brett Hull, who racked up 86 goals in 78 games during the 1990-91 campaign. Remarkably, Hull scored almost 30% of the St. Louis Blues’ regular-season goals in 1990-91, although he was unable to take his team past the division finals.
Mario Lemieux – Penguins (1988-89) – 85 Goals
Two years before Hull’s heroics for the Blues, Mario Lemieux starred for the Pittsburgh Penguins, chalking up 85 goals across 76 outings in 1988-89. “Super Mario” went on to score 69 goals in 1992-93 and 1995-96, but he will always be remembered for his prolific 1988-89 campaign.
Phil Esposito – Bruins (1970-71) – 76 Goals
The Boston Bruins posted the best regular-season record in 1970-71, scoring a whopping 399 goals in 78 games on their way to tallying 121 points. Bobby Orr received the Hart Memorial Trophy, but Phil Esposito secured the Art Ross Trophy, netting 76 goals to finish as the league’s top scorer.
Alexander Mogilny – Sabres (1992-93) – 76 Goals
Alexander Mogilny played for four different NHL teams during his career, which spanned from 1986 to 2006. In 1992-93, no player scored more NHL goals than Mogilny’s 76. The Russian winger produced the best campaign of his career that season, etching his name into Buffalo Sabres folklore.
Teemu Selanne – Jets (1992-93) – 76 Goals
Funnily enough, Teemu Selanne scored exactly the same number of goals as Mogilny in 1992-93. Granted, Selanne made seven appearances more than Mogilny, but the “Finnish Flash” must be given huge credit for managing to score 76 goals in a single NHL season.
Wayne Gretzky – Oilers (1984-85) – 73 Goals
Look who it is – again! Wrapping up our list of players with the most goals in an NHL season is our old friend Gretzky, who claimed both the #1 and #2 spots earlier on. After scoring 92 goals in 1981-82 and 87 goals in 1983-84, Gretzky enhanced his status as one of the best-ever hockey players by netting 73 goals in 1984-85.
