The National Hockey League is probably one of the most spectacular sports. Participation in the games of professional players gives a special piquancy, especially considering their constant transition from one team to another. The league was formed in 1917 as opposed to the national hockey organization. For a hundred years of its existence in the League, not only teams but also players fought among themselves.
NHL legends have won 13 Stanley Cups throughout their careers and securely secured their place on the podium of the hockey Honor. Introducing the top 10 NHL scorers in history.
10. Mario Lemieux | 690 washers
The most legendary person in the history of hockey. His playing style allowed him to compete with the famous Wayne Gretzky, but constant injuries and a serious illness of his back did not allow him to rise above the tenth position.
The future great player, whose name is remembered immediately after Gretzky, began to get involved in hockey from the age of three. According to legend, he played with his older brothers in the courtyard of the house, on a makeshift skating rink, and sometimes in the house itself. To do this, the father covered the room with artificial compressed snow.
Playing in the youth league, Lemieux scored 247 goals, made 315 assists and scored 562 points in three seasons, becoming the most productive player and breaking all the records set before him.
In 1984, a young player was ready to take over several famous clubs. Mario himself, like all Canadian youths, dreamed of joining the Montreal Canadiens club. But he had to play for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Lemieux was disappointed. Only on the terms of a two-year contract with payment of six hundred thousand dollars and 150 thousand dollars in prize money.
Mario Lemieux remained faithful to the Pittsburgh Penguins throughout his career. The skills of the leading penguin player brought them to the NHL playoffs. From 1997 to 2000, Mario underwent a course of treatment due to shaky health - the player was simply persecuted with back problems. In 2000, Mario returned to hockey. Having become the world champion in 2002, in 2004 Lemieux switched to administrative work.
Mario Lemieux's achievements are comparable to Wayne Gretzky. It is not known who would take first place in the list of the best NHL players, do not miss Mario about 400-450 matches due to health problems. By the way, if Gretzky was the idol of English Canada and played under number 99, then Lemieux became the idol of French Canada, with number 66.
It was Lemieux who in 1987, in the match for the Canada Cup during the legendary game with the Soviet Union, threw the decisive goal into the net of the Soviet goalkeeper, wresting the victory in the match.
In total, Lemieux played 915 matches in the NHL, in which he scored 690 goals and made 1,033 assists. Three times recognized as the best NHL player (1988, 1993, 1996); five times became the best scorer of the NHL (1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997); twice was the most valuable player in the NHL playoffs (1991 and 1992).
9. Steve Aiserman | 692 washers
Unlike Lemieux, Steve Aiserman was fond of various types of team sports - from field hockey to American football. After moving to the town of Nepin in 1975, Steve became seriously interested in ice hockey and at the age of fifteen became the best player of the season in the junior league.
In 1983, during the draft, Aizerman was selected under the fourth number by the Detroit Red Wings team and has not parted with the team since then. Becoming the captain of the team at age 21, Steve led it until the end of his career in 2006. His main achievement is considered the longest period of stay as a captain of the NHL team. This record is still not broken by anyone, and it is unlikely to be.
Steve Aizeman has played 1453 games in the NHL throughout his career, scoring 692 goals and 1043 assists, making a total of 1755 points. In addition, he earned many titles, and in 1990 he was recognized as the top scorer and the best striker.
In the match, which was arranged in honor of the end of his career, Igor Larionov in 2004 in Moscow, Steve Aizerman played the period for the Russian national team.
8. Marc Messier | 694 washers
In 1979, in the third round at number 48, the Edmonton Oilers team selected a player who brought her 12 goals and 21 assists in the first season. This season began the stellar career of Marc Messier, nicknamed the Messiah. Altogether, in the Edmonton Oilers team, Marc Messier played the 851 game, in which he scored 392 goals and made 642 assists.
From 1991 to 1997, Mark defended the colors of the New York Rangers, for which he played in 421 matches. Having successfully played with the team, Mark managed to score 157 goals and give the goal in 335 cases.
In 1997, the “Messiah” was enticed to itself by the Vancouver Canucks club, for which 3 seasons were played. But even in such a short period of time, Mark played 207 games, scored 52 goals and made 110 assists.
Returning to the New York Rangers in 2000, Messier played in it until the end of his career, providing 67 goals in the opponent's goal and passing the puck 106 times.
Marc Messier won the Stanley Cup 6 times in teams and won the Canadian Cup three times. In 1987, he participated in a match against the USSR national team.
Marc Messier was the last to finish his career, starting it in the 70s and still taking part in the World Hockey Association, which brought together players from the United States and Canada.
7. Mike Gartner | 708 washers
Mike Gartner got his first experience of an international level game at the age of fifteen. A team of Canadian juniors held a series of friendly matches in Moscow with their peers. It was after this trip that Mike decided to connect his life with hockey and in 1978 already played for the Canadian national team at the World Youth Championship.
Gartner began his career at the World Hockey Association, playing for the Cincinnati Stinger in 1978, in which he showed results slightly worse than Wayne Gretzky.
After the collapse of the All-Russian Academy of Arts, Gartner in the NHL draft was selected in the first round at number 4 by the Washington Capitals team. And in just twenty years of his career in the NHL, Mike played in four clubs, in addition to the first, in which he began his career: Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Phoenix Coyotes.
During the NHL game, Mike Gartner played in 1432 matches, scored 708 goals, made 627 assists and ... spent more than 19 hours on the penalty box.
Mike Gartner ended his career in 1998, having played professional hockey for 20 years.
6. Phil Esposito | 717 washers
The beginning of a hockey career at Phil Esposito was not brilliant. Arriving in professional sports at the age of 21 on the Chicago Blackhost team, he played 27 matches in the first season, scored just 3 goals and gave 2 assists. But further success began to grow like a snowball. Moving to the Boston Bruins in 1967 and then to the New York Rangers in 1975, Phil showed only excellent results.
In total, the Canadian hockey player has 1282 matches, 717 goals and 873 assists. Phil Esposito was recognized six times as the best sniper and 5 times as the top scorer. In 1972 he participated in the famous super series of games of Canada and the USSR, for which he was ordained an officer of the Order of Canada - the highest civilian award.
After graduating in 1981, Phil disappears from professional hockey for a while to create the Tampa Bay Lightning team in Florida, USA in 1992.
5. Marcel Dionne | 731 washer
In 1971, Detroit's Red Wings selected a small budding player during the first round draft. And already in the first season he showed excellent results, scoring 28 goals and making 49 assists.
In 1975, Marcel had to terminate the contract with Detroit because of a dispute with the leadership and move to Los Angeles, where he became the first player in the local club “Los Angeles Kings” for a long time. Despite the performance of the famous player, the team never left the playoffs.
In 1986, Marcel Dionne moved to the “New York Rangers” in which, after three years, ends his career.
During his participation in the NHL games, Marcel played in 1348 matches, scored 731 goals and made 1040 assists. For his gentlemanly game, combined with constant skill, twice recognized as the most honest NHL player.
4. Brett Hull | 741 washer
One of the best NHL scorers made hockey the meaning of his life, following the example of his father, Canadian hockey player, Bobby Hall. Starting his career at Calgary Flames, Brett played there for only two seasons, and not very successfully because of misunderstandings with the coach. In 1987, Brett moved to the St. Louis Blues club, in which he played 11 seasons. This was followed by the Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings. The last season of his career, Brett Hull played in the Phoenix Coyotes in 2006, having played only 5 matches.
During his NHL game, Brett played in 1269 matches, scored 741 goals and effectively assisted 650 times. Three times he was recognized as the best sniper of the season, in 1991 he was titled as the best player in the league and as the best player, according to hockey players.
Brett Hull is the author of the famous “goal phantom” in the gates of “impenetrable” Dominic Hasek.
3. Jaromir Jagr | 766 washers
The Czech hockey player, who began his career in the NHL thanks to the selection of Mario Lemieux at the Pittsburgh Penguins, is rightfully considered one of the best players in the world. He played in the National Hockey League, Continental Hockey League, Czech Extra League, Alpenlig, Oberlig and the Championship of Russia. He played for various teams ranging from Pittsburgh Penguins to Omsk Vanguard.
Jaromir played for 8 different NHL clubs, while playing 1733 matches, scored 766 goals and made 1155 assists. His achievements were almost annually awarded with prizes and titles.
Jagr today continues to play for the Czech hockey club Rytirji Kladno.
2. Gordy Howe | 801 washer
Gordy began his career in the NHL in 1946 when he began playing for the Detroit Red Wings team. With his arrival in the team “Wings” immediately changed the style of the game. Their hockey became tougher precisely because of Gordy's manner of working with his elbows. For such a player’s manner, they called him “Mr. Elbows.” The nickname changed after a five-hundred goal washer. Gordy began to call "Mr. Hockey."
Until the first parting with hockey in 1971, Gordy Howe was loyal to only one team - the one in which he began to play.
In 1973, Gordy decided to return to the ice, but returned not to the NHL, but to the VCA, and played there for 6 seasons. In 1979, Gordy returned to the NHL to the Hartford Whalers club.
In total, 1767 matches were played in the NHL “Mr. Hockey”, 801 goals were scored and 1049 assists were made. Gordy was awarded from 1950 to 1965 annually with various NHL prizes, and in 1971 he became an officer of the Order of Canada.
In honor of the memory of the famous hockey player, he named a hat-trick - a goal, an assist and a fight during one match, and in October 2018 the construction of a bridge between the USA and Canada began, which will be called by his name.
1. Wayne Gretzky | 894 washers
Wayne began to take his first steps to a great career in hockey at the age of 5, in the Brentford team for children. Noticing a promising young talent, they invited him to play in the children's league, and Wayne lived up to expectations by scoring 378 goals in 68 games over the season.
At age 17, Gretzky is already a player of the World Hockey Association at the Indianapolis Racers Club.
In 1979, Wayne began his career in the NHL. During his participation in the games, and in total he played for 20 years, he changed four teams - “Edmonton Oilers”, “Los Angeles Kings”, “St. Louis Blues” and “New York Rangers”. For this short period of time, Gretzky set 61 records and received the nickname "Great" from the players.
Wayne Gretzky is the absolute leader in the number of goals scored in the NHL - 894, made 1963 assists and scored the maximum number of points for the entire game - 2857.
Not one of his records has been broken since 1999.