Who are the best hockey players in the history of the NHL? Let’s take a look back at some of the all-time greats.

Are you an ice hockey fan eager to explore how the greatest NHL players rank against each other? Are you a fantasy hockey player looking to uncover the top NHL stars to understand how performance, achievements, and consistency affect player selection? We've compiled this list (with highlights) just for you! 

This article dives into the rankings of the top hockey players, examining their careers, milestones, and what makes them stand out in hockey. We'll also explain how keeping an eye on top performers can boost your fantasy hockey experience.

The NHL has a long history and, therefore, many great players throughout the years. While everyone may know a hockey player or two, there are dozens worth knowing for casual and experienced hockey fans alike.

The 25 Best Ice Hockey Players of All Time

1. Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky is known as “The Great One” for a reason. The Hall of Famer won four Stanley Cups with two Conn Smythe Trophies as well. On an individual level, Gretzky won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player nine times as well as the Lady Byng Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award five times each.

Gretzky holds the NHL record for most points in a career with 2,857 and it isn’t particularly close. In fact, Gretzky had more assists in his career (1,963) than anyone else had points. That’s right, if Gretzky never scored a single goal he’d still be the all-time leader in points. Of course, he also has the most goals in NHL history with 894 as Alex Ovechkin tries to chase him down.

2. Mario Lemieux

Mario Lemieux and Gretzky crossed paths throughout their careers with “Super Mario” putting up his best fight. Lemieux won the Calder Trophy as the league’s best rookie in the 1984-85 season and went on to win three Hart Trophies as well. He won two Stanley Cups, both with the Penguins, as he spent his entire career in Pittsburgh. Mario the Magnificent was the best player in both of those Stanley Cup wins, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy twice.

Lemieux recorded 1,723 points in just 915 career games, ranking eighth all-time. He likely would be higher up the leaderboard had he not dealt with Hodgkin lymphoma during the prime of his career. Still, he beat that and is rightfully known as one of the best hockey players of all time.

3. Bobby Orr

Bobby Orr is the best defenseman in NHL history and is right there with Gretzky and Lemieux as one of the best players of all time. He recorded 270 goals and 645 assists for 915 points in just 657 career games — a career that was cut short due to repeated knee injuries. He ranks 11th all-time in points by a defenseman but his nearly 1.4 points per game is untouched by a blueliner.

Despite only playing 12 seasons, Orr was a nine-time All Star and won the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman eight times. He won two Stanley Cups and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy both times. There’s a reason that the best offensive defensemen in the game are compared to Bobby Orr, but that’s probably doing a disservice to the greatest defenseman — by far — of all time.

4. Gordie Howe

Gordie Howe is known as Mr. Hockey due to his longevity in the game as well as his long list of accomplishments. The Hall of Fame right winger won four Stanley Cups and two WHA Championships at the team level. Individually, Howe was a 21-time All Star while winning the Hart Trophy and Art Ross Trophy six times each.

Howe’s career spanned the 1946-47 season all the way to the 1979-80 season. He’s the only player who played in five different decades. He finished his NHL career with 1,850 points in 1,767 games for the fourth most in league history. He also had 508 points during six seasons in the WHA.

5. Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby is the best player of the 21st century and one of the best in league history. Sid The Kid, sometimes referred to as “The Next One” in relation to Gretzky being “The Great One,” is already top-10 in points all time with over 1,600 and could reach former Penguins legend Mario Lemieux before it’s all said and done.

The star center has helped lead the Penguins to three Stanley Cups, and he won the Conn Smythe Trophy in two of those years. He is also an eight-time All Star while winning the Hart Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, and Rocket Richard two times each. Crosby will undoubtedly be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

6. Connor McDavid

First there was Gretzky, then there was Crosby, and now there is McDavid. Connor McDavid has taken the league by storm since drawing eyes as a teenager. The speedy center led the Edmonton Oilers to his first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2024.

McDavid has been one of the best players over the last 10 years and could easily move up this ranking before his career is over. He’s a seven-time All Star, won three Hart Trophies and five Art Ross Trophies, and won the Conn Smythe Award in a losing effort in 2024.

7. Jaromir Jagr

Jaromir Jagr has the starpower of a Mario Lemieux with the longevity of Gordie Howe. He continued playing overseas well into his 50s after retiring from the NHL in 2018. Jagr won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins in the 1990s and won the Hart Trophy in 1999. He was an eight-time All Star and three-time Ted Lindsay Award winner.

The Czech winger ranks second all-time in points with 1,921 in 1,733 NHL games. After starting his career in Pittsburgh, Jagr played for the Capitals and Rangers before a few years in the KHL. He then came back to the NHL to play for the Flyers, Stars, Bruins, Devils, Panthers, and Flames.

Jagr would likely be higher on this list if it was incorporating all of his professional hockey stats given his years in the KHL and Czech leagues.

8. Alex Ovechkin

Alex Ovechkin is chasing down Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record as the 2020s move forward. The Great 8 finished the 2023-24 season with 853 career goals, 41 shy of Gretzky’s 894 in his career.

The Russian sniper is one of the best goalscorers the game has ever seen. He’s played his entire career with the Washington Capitals and won his only Stanley Cup in 2018. Ovechkin is a 12-time All Star, led the league in goals nine times, and won the Hart Trophy thrice.

Ovechkin will likely go down as the best goalscorer in NHL history.

9. Patrick Roy

Patrick Roy is our first goaltender on this list but he certainly won’t be the last. He ranks third all-time in wins with 551 but his accolades go far beyond that.

The Hall of Fame goaltender won four Stanley Cups and was the Conn Smythe winner in three of those years. He was a six-time All Star and won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie three times.

Roy was tremendous in Montreal for the first 12 years of his career and didn’t miss a beat in Colorado with the Avalanche for his final eight seasons.

10. Martin Brodeur

There is a lot of debate about who the best goalie of all-time is and Martin Brodeur is right up there with Roy. In fact, some give the edge to Brodeur thanks to his likely untouchable 691 career wins with the New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues.

Brodeur benefitted from a very defensive Devils team in front of him, but that’s not to take away from his accomplishments. The Hall of Famer won three Stanley Cups, four Vezina Trophies, the 1994 Calder Trophy, and five Jennings Trophies awarded to the goaltender(s) of the team that allowed the fewest goals.

11. Phil Esposito

Phil Esposito may be one of the more overlooked stars in NHL history. The Boston Bruins legend, who also played for the Blackhawks and Rangers, won two Stanley Cups to go along with his two Hart Trophies.

The eight-time All Star ranks 11th all-time with 1,590 points in 1,282 games. He’s one of the best goalscorers in history as well with his 717 career total being the seventh-most goals in NHL history.

12. Dominik Hasek

Back to the crease with Dominik Hasek, whose movements in the blue paint may have revolutionized the position. Hasek wasn’t afraid to sprawl around and even lose his stick to make a save.

The Hall of Famer won two Stanley Cups, three Jennings Trophies, and a whopping six Vezina Trophies. Hasek is primarily remembered as playing for the Buffalo Sabres while also having stops in Chicago, Detroit, and Ottawa.

13. Bobby Hull

Bobby Hull is a Hall of Fame winger and the father of the great Brett Hull, who played for the St. Louis Blues (see below). Bobby, however, spent the first 15 years of his career with the Chicago Blackhawks before a stint in the WHA and a comeback to the NHL with Hartford and Winnipeg.

Hull won the Stanley Cup once in his career while also winning two WHA Championships. He was a 12-time All Star and won three Art Ross Trophies as well as two Hart Trophies for his efforts.

14. Guy Lafleur

Guy Lafleur, affectionately known as The Flower, had flowing hair that matched his flair on the ice. His 560 career goals rank in the top 30 in league history. 

Lafleur played the first 14 years of his career with the Montreal Canadiens before coming back a few years after being inducted into the Hall of Fame to play for the New York Rangers and Quebec Nordiques.

Lafleur was a part of the Canadiens dynasty and won five Stanley Cups in his career. He was a six-time All Star and won two Hart Trophies as well as three Art Ross Trophies.

15. Steve Yzerman

Steve Yzerman is perhaps one of the most overlooked stars in the near-modern era. Yzerman bridged the gap with his career spanning 1984 to 2006 all for one team: the Detroit Red Wings.

The Hall of Fame center won three Stanley Cups in his career and the Conn Smythe Trophy in the 1998 season. He has one Selke Trophy to his name as a key part of the Red Wings dynasty.

16. Nicklas Lidstrom

Speaking of legendary Detroit Red Wings players, defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom was a mainstay on their blueline from the 1991-92 season all the way through the 2011-12 season. 

Lidstrom was a part of two Red Wings dynasties, winning the Stanley Cup in 1997 and 1998, and then again in 2002 and 2008. His 1,142 career points rank 60th in league history and sixth among defensemen.

The Swedish defenseman was a 12-time All Star, won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2002, and took home the Norris Trophy seven times in his career.

17. Ray Bourque

You can’t talk about top defensemen of the 1990s without mentioning the great Ray Bourque. Bourque had a great career in Boston, playing the first 20-plus years of his career with the Bruins. There he won five Norris Trophies and the Calder Trophy in 1980, but he couldn’t capture the Stanley Cup.

Bourque was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in 2001 and went on to lift Lord Stanley’s Cup later that year with the Avs. It was an iconic moment for the Hall of Famer.

18. Mike Bossy

Mike Bossy was a huge piece of the New York Islanders dynasty in the 1980s. Despite only playing in 752 games across 10 seasons, Bossy’s 1,126 points rank 63rd in league history, including the 23rd-most goals in the NHL with 573.

Bossy scored at least 50 goals in his first nine seasons, including at least 60 in five of those years. He was an eight-time All Star and won four Stanley Cups, including the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1982.

19. Joe Sakic

Joe Sakic would likely be higher on this list depending who you ask as the center ranks ninth in league history with 1,641 points in 1,378 games. All of those games came with the same franchise as the Quebec Nordiques moved to become the Colorado Avalanche.

Sakic won two Stanley Cups with the Avalanche and was deemed the Most Valuable Player in the playoffs as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 1996. He also won the Hart Trophy as well as the Ted Lindsay and Lady Byng all in 2001.

20. Mark Messier

Mark Messier was a fantastic leader both on and off the ice. He’s remembered for his guarantee in 1994 and bringing home the Stanley Cup in that year. 

Messier started his career with the Oilers and won five Stanley Cups with Edmonton during their dynastic run in the 1980s. He then went to New York and brought the Rangers their first Stanley Cup since 1940, and they haven’t won the Stanley Cup in the 30 years following that.

Despite all of his team and personal accolades, Messier may even deserve more credit than he’s given. The center played on a lot of great teams but was a great player in his own right.

21. Paul Coffey

Speaking of great players that Messier played with, defenseman Paul Coffey is one of the best. The Hall of Fame defenseman brought offense to the blue line and was recognized for his efforts.

Only Ray Bourque has more points as a defenseman than Coffey’s 1,531. Coffey won four Stanley Cups, was an eight-time All Star, and won the Norris Trophy thrice. 

Coffey bounced around a bit in his later years but spent most of his career in Edmonton, Pittsburgh, and Detroit.

22. Marcell Dionne

Marcell Dionne was unable to win the Stanley Cup in his career but that shouldn’t take away from his greatness. The four-time All Star won two Lady Byng Trophies, while putting up 1,771 points in his career. He ranks sixth all-time in points despite playing a few hundred games less than some of the names around him.

Dionne started his career in Detroit before playing the bulk of his years with the Kings. He closed out his career with a few years with the Rangers in the late 1980s.

23. Brett Hull

The aforementioned Brett Hull, son of Bobby Hull, deserves his own mention on this list.

Brett Hull ranks 25th all-time with 1,391 points in 1,269 career games largely thanks to his shot. His 741 goals puts him fifth all-time and he likely would’ve reached higher on the leaderboard had he played a few more seasons.

Hull won two Stanley Cups in his career and was an All Star three times. He won the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award both in the 1990-91 season while playing with the Blues, the team with which he's most often remembered.

24. Ken Dryden

Ken Dryden only played eight seasons in the NHL but his numbers were incredible in goal. The Hall of Fame goaltender won six Stanley Cups in those eight years and was awarded the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goalie five times.

The six-time All Star won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1971 before winning the Calder Trophy as a rookie the next season. That’s right, he won the Stanley Cup after playing just six regular season games.

Dryden went 258-57-74 in his career and never lost more than 10 games in a season. He posted a carer .922 save percentage and 2.24 goals against average.

25. Bobby Clarke

Bobby Clarke and the Broad Street Bullies in Philadelphia revolutionized the physical game of hockey. The Flyers came in as an expansion team and decided to build their squad with big, physical players. If you were going to beat them on the scoreboard, they were going to beat you on the ice.

Clarke led the Flyers to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975 just less than a decade into the team’s existence. His physical style and two-way game paved the pathway for some of the best two-way centers in the game today.

How to Leverage Player Performance for Fantasy Hockey

Having knowledge of the best NHL players of all time should give you a competitive advantage in your fantasy hockey leagues. 

Being aware of history, player stats, and news is crucial for a winning fantasy strategy. The more you know, the better you should perform.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is considered the best NHL player of all time?

Wayne Gretzky is known as “The Great One” due to his pure dominance on the ice. He’s long been considered the best NHL player of all time.

Who is the most complete hockey player of all time?

Aside from Gretzky, Gordie Howe is one of the most complete hockey players of all time. His career spanned a few different generations, and he was one of the best players in the league in all of the seasons he played in.

Which players are considered the best in the current NHL era?

Some of the best NHL players of the 21st century and into the 2020s are Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov, Patrick Kane, Alex Ovechkin, Cale Makar, Victor Hedman, Quinn Hughes, Carey Price, Henrik Lundqvist and Andrei Vasilevskiy.

What criteria are used to rank the greatest NHL players of all time?

It’s important to look at individual stats such as points, awards like the Hart Memorial Trophy, as well as team success with wins and Stanley Cups. Our list attempts to blend all of these criteria along with a general sense of recognition among fans and observers of the game.

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