Wayne Gretzky’s Records Still Don’t Look Real
Alex Ovechkin finally broke Gretzky’s career goals record, but The Great One left behind numbers that remain almost impossible to match.
Athletes World
• Edmonton Oilers great Wayne Gretzky skates up the ice during the 2003 Legends Game against the Montreal Canadiens legends at the Commonwealth Stadium in front of 57,167 fans.
• Licensed Photo: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy
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When Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th NHL goal in April 2025, one of Wayne Gretzky’s most famous records finally fell. Gretzky had held the career goals mark for 31 years. (NHL.com, 2025)
But goals tell only part of the story.
Gretzky retired in 1999 with 2,857 points, including an NHL-record 1,963 assists. Here is the number that puts his dominance in perspective: Gretzky had more assists than any other NHL player has career points. Jaromir Jagr, second on the all-time points list, finished with 1,921. (New York Rangers/NHL.com, 2024)
But goals tell only part of the story.
Gretzky retired in 1999 with 2,857 points, including an NHL-record 1,963 assists. Here is the number that puts his dominance in perspective: Gretzky had more assists than any other NHL player has career points. Jaromir Jagr, second on the all-time points list, finished with 1,921. (New York Rangers/NHL.com, 2024)
