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Every NHL Player With 1,000 Career Points (Updated List)

Accumulating 1,000 career points in the National Hockey League represents the ultimate measure of offensive consistency and longevity in professional hockey. This milestone transcends a single skill—it requires the ability to score goals, create assists, and sustain elite performance across multiple decades while adapting to evolving defensive systems, goaltending techniques, and rule changes. As of the conclusion of the 2024-25 regular season, exactly 100 players have reached the 1,000-point milestone in NHL history. This exclusive club began with Gordie Howe in 1960-61 and has grown steadily, with recent additions including Connor McDavid, who achieved the milestone faster than any player in history relative to games played.

January 25, 2026

The Incomparable Record: Wayne Gretzky's 2,857 Points

Wayne Gretzky stands alone in NHL history as the only player to accumulate 2,000 career points, finishing with an astonishing 2,857 points (894 goals, 1,963 assists) across 20 seasons.

The Dominance: His total exceeds the second-place player (Jaromir Jagr with 1,921 points) by an almost unimaginable 936 points. To contextualize Gretzky's achievement: his 1,963 assists alone would place him 11th all-time in total career points if we counted only assists.

Era Context: No other player in NHL history has accumulated assists at a rate approaching Gretzky's. He averaged 1.45 assists per game across his entire 1,487-game career, a pace that simply cannot be sustained over two decades in any era of professional hockey.

Gretzky's point total became even more secure as scoring declined in subsequent eras. Mario Lemieux's brilliant career produced 1,723 points in just 915 games (stunning 1.88 PPG average), but he couldn't accumulate games needed to challenge Gretzky's total due to health issues.

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The All-Time Top 20

The highest point producers in NHL history represent the most consistent offensive performers the sport has ever seen:

Top 10 Point Leaders:

Wayne Gretzky: 2,857 points (1.92 PPG)
Jaromir Jagr: 1,921 points (1.11 PPG)
Mark Messier: 1,887 points (1.07 PPG)
Gordie Howe: 1,850 points (1.05 PPG)
Ron Francis: 1,798 points (1.04 PPG)
Marcel Dionne: 1,771 points (1.31 PPG)
Steve Yzerman: 1,755 points (1.16 PPG)
Sidney Crosby: 1,736 points (1.24 PPG)
Mario Lemieux: 1,723 points (1.88 PPG)
Joe Sakic: 1,641 points (1.19 PPG)

11-20: 11. Alex Ovechkin: 1,661 points 12. Brendan Shanahan: 1,635 points 13. Raymond Bourque: 1,612 points 14. Stan Mikita: 1,467 points 15. Phil Esposito: 1,590 points 16. Peter Stastny: 1,540 points 17. Erik Karlsson: 1,538 points 18. Paul Coffey: 1,531 points 19. Al MacInnis: 1,274 points 20. Doug Gilmour: 1,414 points

Key Observations: Mario Lemieux's 1.88 points-per-game average towers above all others, reflecting his catastrophically brief but brilliant career. Ray Bourque, despite 1,826 games (most of any 1,000-point player), maintained elite production while excelling primarily on defense.

Sidney Crosby sits eighth all-time at 1,736 points through 2024-25, having recently surpassed Mario Lemieux's career total and positioned to potentially challenge Mark Messier's third-place ranking before retirement.

The Modern Leaders: Active Players Over 1,000 Points

Thirteen active NHL players have surpassed 1,000 career points as of January 2026:

Sidney Crosby: 1,736 points

649 goals, 1,087 assists in 1,395 games
Achieved milestone during 2016-17 season
1.24 PPG maintained across nearly two decades

Alex Ovechkin: 1,661 points

916 goals, 745 assists in 1,536 games
All-time goal-scoring leader
1.08 PPG reflects pure goal-scoring focus

Evgeni Malkin: 1,377 points

523 goals, 854 assists in 1,241 games
1.11 PPG trails only Lemieux among active players
Entire career alongside Crosby

Patrick Kane: 1,370 points

500 goals, 870 assists in 1,333 games
Became 1,000-point player during 2024-25
Complete offensive skill set

Anze Kopitar: 1,299 points

446 goals, 853 assists in 1,491 games
Los Angeles Kings lifer
Underrated consistency across 20 seasons

Steven Stamkos: 1,218 points

600 goals, 618 assists in 1,207 games
Most symmetrical goal/assist balance
1.01 PPG rate

John Tavares: 1,154 points

510 goals, 644 assists in 1,228 games
Crossed 1,000 during 2024-25 season
Split between Islanders and Toronto

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Connor McDavid: 1,159 points

390 goals, 769 assists in 756 games
Fastest player ever to 1,000 points
1.53 PPG second only to Lemieux in modern history

Nathan MacKinnon: 1,093 points

403 goals, 690 assists in 914 games
1.20 PPG among most efficient modern players
Reached milestone relatively quickly

Nikita Kucherov: 1,059 points

379 goals, 680 assists in 842 games
1.26 PPG ranks among highest recent additions
Elite rate when healthy

Leon Draisaitl: 1,017 points

420 goals, 597 assists in 834 games
1.22 PPG reflects elite two-way ability
Playing alongside McDavid

Claude Giroux: 1,148 points

375 goals, 773 assists in 1,307 games
Elite playmaking compensates for modest goal totals
5:2 assist-to-goal ratio

Brad Marchand: 1,026 points

447 goals, 579 assists in 1,141 games
0.90 PPG below elite standards
Primary value from two-way excellence

Connor McDavid: The Record-Breaking Pursuit

Connor McDavid became the fastest player ever to 1,000 points, reaching the milestone in just 756 games during 2023-24 season at age 27.

The Achievement:

Surpassed Gretzky's previous record of 849 games by 93 games
Stunning achievement suggesting potential rivalry with Gretzky's legacy
1.53 PPG second only to Mario Lemieux (1.88) in modern history

Future Projection: McDavid's pace suggests he could realistically accumulate 1,800+ points by age 32-33 if he remains healthy and maintains even slightly diminished production rates. If he plays 15-20 more seasons, he could potentially threaten Gretzky's all-time record depending on games played and production.

Historical Context: The Growth of the 1,000-Point Club

The expansion from one (Gordie Howe) to 100 members reflects both increase in games played per season and evolution of offensive hockey.

Key Milestones:

First to reach 1,000: Gordie Howe (1960-61, 938th game)

Took another 13 seasons before second player joined

Fastest to 1,000: Connor McDavid (756 games in 2023-24)

Surpassed Gretzky by 93 games

First defenseman: Denis Potvin (1986-87, 987th game)

Established blue-liners could reach 1,000

Same-day achievement: Claude Giroux and Joe Pavelski (April 10, 2023)

First and only time two players achieved milestone same day

Most seasons producing 1,000-point player: 1997-98 (six players)

Only season ever with such density

When Howe reached 1,000 points in 1960-61, he'd played 938 games over 16 seasons. Today's players accumulate games more quickly: a 15-year career now spans roughly 1,230 games compared to Howe's average of 59 games per season.

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The Assist-Dominated vs. Goal-Focused Split

The 1,000-point club divides into clear archetypes:

Pure Goal Scorers (goals exceed assists):

Alexander Ovechkin: 916 goals, 745 assists
Steven Stamkos: 600 goals, 618 assists
Most valuable through finishing ability

Elite Playmakers (assists significantly exceed goals):

Claude Giroux: 375 goals, 773 assists
Mark Messier: 694 goals, 1,193 assists
Mario Lemieux: 684 goals, 1,039 assists
Primary value from opportunity creation

Balanced Two-Way Stars (roughly equal):

Connor McDavid: 390 goals, 769 assists
Sidney Crosby: 649 goals, 1,087 assists
Joe Sakic: 625 goals, 1,016 assists
Excel equally at finishing and creating

Ray Bourque's 1,612 points (410 goals, 1,202 assists) demonstrates defensemen can dominate assists while contributing modest goal totals. His 1,202 assists rank fourth all-time despite playing primarily from blue line.

The Road Ahead: Who's Next?

Several active players are on pace to reach 1,000 before retirement:

Auston Matthews: 582 points in 482 games

On pace to easily reach 1,000+ before age 32
Elite goal-scoring with developing playmaking
Assuming consistent playing time

Nathan MacKinnon: 1,093 points

Will likely add 200+ more points
Peak years still ahead

Nikita Kucherov: 1,059 points

Continues producing at elite rates when healthy
Could reach 1,200-1,300

Connor McDavid: 1,159 points

Could realistically accumulate 1,800-2,000 points
Potentially threatening Gretzky's record
Depends on career length and sustained production

Legacy of the 1,000-Point Club

Reaching 1,000 career points separates legendary players from excellent ones. The requirement for sustained excellence across 10+ seasons, adaptation to changing defensive systems, and avoidance of career-ending injuries means only the most durable and skilled players join this exclusive fraternity.

From Gordie Howe's pioneering 1,000 in 1960 to Connor McDavid's record-breaking ascent in 2024, the 100 members of this club represent the most consistent offensive producers in professional hockey.

For analysts, the 1,000-point club serves as historical benchmark for evaluating greatness. When young star is projected to reach 1,000 points, it signals entry into elite cohort occupied by only handful of sport's most talented players.

That scarcity (100 members across 108 seasons) is precisely what makes the achievement so meaningful.

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