Wayne Gretzky holds or shares 61 records listed in the National Hockey League’s official record book: 40 of those records in the regular season, 15 in the Stanley Cup playoffs and six in the All-Star Game.
So to celebrate The Great One’s 56th birthday on Thursday, we take a look at 56 of Wayne’s greatest records and ask you to vote on which record you think will be hardest to break.
Here’s the “short” list of 56:
Regular Season Records
Goals
1 — MOST GOALS: 894 (1,485 games)
Second: 801 — Gordie Howe, 26 seasons, 1,767 games
2 — MOST GOALS, INCLUDING PLAYOFFS: 1,016
Second: 869 – Gordie Howe, 801 regular season and 68 playoff
3 — MOST GOALS, ONE SEASON: 92 (1981-82, 80-game schedule)
Second: 87 – Wayne Gretzky, 1983-84, 80-game schedule
4 — MOST GOALS, ONE SEASON, INCLUDING PLAYOFFS: 100 (1983-84, 87 goals in 74 regular season games 13 goals in 19 playoff games)
Second (tied): three players
5 — MOST GOALS, 50 GAMES FROM START OF SEASON: 61 – 1981-82 (Oct. 7, 1981 to Jan. 22, 1982, 80-game schedule); 1983-84 (Oct. 5, 1983 to Jan. 25,1984, 80-game schedule
Next (third): 54 – Mario Lemieux, 1988-89 (Oct. 7, 1988 – Jan. 31, 1989, 80-game schedule)
6 — MOST GOALS, ONE PERIOD: 4 (Tied with 10 other players) Feb. 18, 1981, at Edmonton, third period (Edmonton 9, St. Louis 2)
Assists
7 — MOST ASSISTS: 1,962 (1,485 games)
Second: 1,102 – Paul Coffey, 19 seasons, 1,320 games
8 — MOST ASSISTS, INCLUDING PLAYOFFS: 2,222
Second: 1,226 – Paul Coffey, 1,090 regular season and 136 playoff
9 — MOST ASSISTS, ONE SEASON: 163 (1985-86, 80-game schedule)
Next (eighth): 114 – Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky tied, 1988-89, 80-game schedule
10 — MOST ASSISTS, ONE SEASON, INCLUDING PLAYOFFS: 174 (1985-86, 163 assists in 80 regular season games and 11 assists in 10 playoff games)
Next (tied for 11th): 121 – Mario Lemieux 1988-89; 114 assists in 76 regular season games and seven assists in 11 playoff games
11 — MOST ASSISTS, ONE GAME: 7 (Tied with Billy Taylor) done three times – Feb. 15, 1980 at Edmonton (Edmonton 8, Washington 2); Dec. 11, 1985 at Chicago (Edmonton 12, Chicago 9); Feb. 14, 1986 at Edmonton (Edmonton 8, Quebec 2)
Second: 6 – 23 players
12 — MOST ASSISTS, ONE ROAD GAME: 7 (tied with Billy Taylor) – Dec. 11, 1985 at Chicago (Edmonton 12, Chicago 9)
Second: 6 – four players
13 — MOST ASSISTS, ONE GAME BY A PLAYER IN HIS FIRST NHL SEASON: 7 – Feb. 15, 1980, at Edmonton (Edmonton 8, Washington 2)
Second: 6 – Gary Suter, April 4, 1986 at Calgary (Calgary 9, Edmonton 3)
14 — MOST OVERTIME ASSISTS, CAREER: 15
Second: 13 – Doug Gilmour, 16 seasons
Points
15 — MOST POINTS: 2,856 (1,485 games – 894 goals, 1,962 assists)
Second: 1,850 Gordie Howe, 1,767 games (801 goals, 1,049 assists)
16 — MOST POINTS, INCLUDING PLAYOFFS: 3,238
Second: 2,010 – Gordie Howe, 1,850 regular season and 160 playoff
17 — MOST POINTS, ONE SEASON: 215 (1985-86, 80-game schedule)
Next (fifth): 199 – Mario Lemieux, 1988-89, 80-game schedule
18 — MOST POINTS, ONE SEASON, INCLUDING PLAYOFFS: 255 (1984-85; 208 points in 80 regular season games and 47 points in 18 playoff games)
Next (sixth): 218 – Mario Lemieux, 1988-89; 199 points in 76 regular season games and 19 points in 11 playoff games
Per-game scoring averages
19 — HIGHEST GOALS-PER-GAME AVERAGE, ONE SEASON: 1.18 (1983-84, 87 goals in 74 games)
Second (tied): 1.15 – Mario Lemieux (1992-93, 69 goals in 60 games) and Wayne Gretzky (1981-82, 92 goals in 80 games)
20 — HIGHEST ASSISTS-PER-GAME AVERAGE, CAREER (300 MIN.): 1.321 (1,962 assists in 1,485 games)
Second: 1.183 – Mario Lemieux, 881 assists in 745 games
21 — HIGHEST ASSISTS-PER-GAME AVERAGE, ONE SEASON: 2.04 (1985-86, 163 assists in 80 games)
Next (eighth): 1.52 – Mario Lemieux, 1992-93, 91 assists in 60 games
22 — HIGHEST POINTS-PER-GAME AVERAGE, ONE SEASON (AMONG PLAYERS WITH 50-OR-MORE POINTS): 2.77 (1983-84, 205 points in 74 games)
Next (third): 2.67 – Mario Lemieux, 1992-93, 160 points in 60 games
Scoring plateaus
23 — MOST 40-OR-MORE GOAL SEASONS: 12 in 20 seasons
Second: 10 – Marcel Dionne in 18 seasons
24 — MOST CONSECUTIVE 40-OR-MORE GOAL SEASONS: 12 (1979-80 to 1990-91)
Second: 9 – Mike Bossy, 1977-78 to 1985-86
25 — MOST 50-OR-MORE GOAL SEASONS: 9 (tied with Mike Bossy) – Gretzky in 20 seasons and Bossy in 10 seasons
Second: 6 – Guy Lafleur in 17 seasons
26 — MOST 60-OR-MORE GOAL SEASONS: 5 (tied with Mike Bossy) – Gretzky in 20 seasons and Mike Bossy in 10 seasons
Second: 4 – Phil Esposito in 18 seasons
27 — MOST CONSECUTIVE 60-OR-MORE GOAL SEASONS: 4 (1981-82 to 1984-85)
Second: 3 – Mike Bossy, 1980-81 to 1982-83
28 — MOST 100-OR-MORE POINT SEASONS: 15
Second: 10 – Mario Lemieux in 12 seasons
29 — MOST CONSECUTIVE 100-OR-MORE POINT SEASONS: 13 (1979-80 to 1991-92)
Second: 6 – six players
30 — MOST THREE-OR-MORE GOAL GAMES, CAREER: 50 – 37 three-goal games; nine four-goal games; four five-goal games
Second: 39 – Mike Bossy in 10 seasons (30 three-goal games, nine four-goal games)
31 — MOST THREE-GOALGAMES, ONE SEASON: 10 (done twice) – 1981-82 (six three-goal games; three four-goal games; one five-goal game) and 1983-84 (six three-goal games, four four-goal games)
Next (third): 9 – Mike Bossy (1980-81, six three-goal games, three four-goal games) and Mario Lemieux (seven three-goal games, one four-goal game, one five-goal game)
32 — LONGEST CONSECUTIVE ASSIST-SCORING STREAK: 23 games (1990-91, 48 assists)
Second: 18 – Adam Oates, 1992-93, 28 assists
33 — LONGEST CONSECUTIVE POINT-SCORING STREAK: 51 Games – 1983-84 (Oct. 5, 1983 to Jan. 28, 1984, 61goals, 92 assists for 153 points)
Second: 46 – Mario Lemieux, 1989-90 (39 goals, 64 assists)
34 — LONGEST CONSECUTIVE POINT-SCORING STREAK FROM START OF SEASON: 51 – 1983-84; 61 goals, 92 assists for 153 points (Oct. 5, 1983 to Jan. 28, 1984)
Playoff Records
35 — MOST PLAYOFF GOALS, CAREER: 122
Second: 109 – Mark Messier
36 — MOST ASSISTS IN PLAYOFFS, CAREER: 260
Second: 186 – Mark Messier
37 — MOST ASSISTS, ONE PLAYOFF YEAR: 31 – 1988 (19 games)
Next (fourth): 28 – Mario Lemieux, 1991 (23 games)
38 — MOST ASSISTS IN ONE SERIES (OTHER THAN FINAL): 14 – (tied with Rick Middleton) 1985 Conference Finals (six games vs. Chicago)
Second: 13 – Doug Gilmour, 1994 Conference Semifinals (seven games vs. San Jose) and Wayne Gretzky, 1987 Division Semifinal (five games vs. Los Angeles)
39 — MOST ASSISTS IN FINAL SERIES: 10 – 1988 (four games, plus suspended game vs. Boston)
Second: 9 – three players
40 — MOST ASSISTS, ONE PLAYOFF GAME: 6 – (tied with Mikko Leinonen) April 9, 1987 at Edmonton (Edmonton 13, Los Angeles 3)
Next: 5 – 11 players
41 — MOST ASSISTS, ONE PLAYOFF PERIOD: 3 — Three assists by one player in one period of a playoff game has been recorded on 70 occasions. Gretzky has had three assists in one period five times. (Ray Bourque, three times; Toe Blake, Jean Beliveau, Doug Harvey and Bobby Orr, twice.)
42 — MOST POINTS, CAREER: 382 (122 goals and 260 assists)
Second: 295 – Mark Messier, 109 goals and 186 assists
43 — MOST POINTS, ONE PLAYOFF YEAR: 47 – 1985 (17 goals and 30 assists in 18 games)
Next: 44 – Mario Lemieux, 1991 (16 goals, 28 assists in 23 games)
44 — MOST POINTS IN FINAL SERIES: 13 – 1988 three goals and 10 assists (four games plus suspended game vs. Boston, three goals)
Second: 12 – four players
45 — MOST POINTS IN FINAL SERIES: 13 – 1988 three goals and 10 assists (four games plus suspended game vs. Boston, three goals)
Second: 12 – four players
46 — MOST POINTS, ONE PLAYOFF PERIOD: 4 – (tied with nine other players) April 12, 1987 at Los Angeles, third period, one goal, three assists (Edmonton 6, Los Angeles 3)
47 — MOST SHORTHANDED GOALS, ONE PLAYOFF YEAR: 3 – (tied with five other players) 1983 (two vs. Winnipeg in Division Semi-Finals, won by Edmonton, 3-0; one vs. Calgary in Division Finals, won by Edmonton 4-1)
48 — MOST SHORT-HANDED GOALS, ONE PLAYOFF GAME: 2 – (tied with eight other players) April 6, 1983 at Edmonton (Edmonton 6, Winnipeg 3)
49 — MOST GAME-WINNING GOALS IN PLAYOFFS, CAREER: 24
Second: 19 – Claude Lemieux
50 — MOST THREE-OR-MORE GOAL GAMES IN PLAYOFFS: 10 (eight three-goal games, two four-goal games)
Second (tied): 7 – Maurice Richard (four three-goal games, two four-goal games, one five-goal game) and Jari Kurri (six three-goal games, one four-goal game)
NHL All-Star Game records
51 — MOST ALL-STAR GAME GOALS: 13 (in 18 games played)
Second: 11 – Mario Lemieux (in eight games played)
52 — MOST ALL-STAR GAME GOALS, ONE GAME: 4 (tied with three players) 1983 Campbell Conference)
53 — MOST ALL-STAR GAME GOALS, ONE PERIOD: 4 (1983 Campbell Conference, third period)
54 — MOST ALL-STAR GAME ASSISTS, CAREER: 12 (tied with four players)
Second: 10 – Paul Coffey (in 14 games played)
55 — MOST ALL-STAR GAME POINTS, CAREER: 25 (13 goals, 12 assists in 18 games)
Second: 22 – Mario Lemieux (11 goals, nine assists in eight games played)
56 — MOST ALL-STAR GAME POINTS, ONE PERIOD: 4 – (tied with Mike Gartner and Adam Oates) 1983 Campbell Conference, third period (four goals)
