No one has rewritten a history book quite like Wayne Gretzky revised the NHL annals. However, as the 2001-02 NHL season approaches, several sure-fire Hall of Famers are jockeying for position among the footnotes.
Goals
Mark Messier, Brett Hull, Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman enter the season neck-neck-neck-and-neck in the goal-scoring race, as only six goals separate the quartet. If Lemieux was playing a full season, he'd be a safe bet to pull away from the pack and surpass Mike Gartner (708) and Phil Esposito (717).
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All-Time Goal-Scoring Leaders
|
|
Rk.
|
Player
|
Seasons
|
Games
|
Goals
|
Goals per game
|
|
1.
|
Wayne Gretzky
|
20
|
1487
|
894
|
.601
|
|
2.
|
Gordie Howe
|
26
|
1767
|
801
|
.453
|
|
3.
|
Marcel Dionne
|
18
|
1348
|
731
|
.542
|
|
4.
|
Phil Esposito
|
18
|
1282
|
717
|
.559
|
|
5.
|
Mike Gartner
|
19
|
1432
|
708
|
.494
|
|
6.
|
Mark Messier
|
22
|
1561
|
651
|
.417
|
|
7.
|
Brett Hull
|
16
|
1019
|
649
|
.637
|
|
8.
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Mario Lemieux
|
13
|
788
|
648
|
.822
|
|
9.
|
Steve Yzerman
|
18
|
1310
|
645
|
.492
|
|
10.
|
Bobby Hull
|
16
|
1063
|
610
|
.574
|
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Other active leaders
|
|
13.
|
Luc Robitaille
|
15
|
1124
|
590
|
.525
|
|
15.
|
Dave Andreychuk
|
19
|
1361
|
572
|
.420
|
|
24.
|
Pat Verbeek
|
19
|
1360
|
515
|
.379
|
|
32.
|
Ron Francis
|
20
|
1489
|
487
|
.327
|
Assists
Carolina's Ron Francis, dubbed "the most underrated player of all time" by ESPN's Barry Melrose, will surely surpass Raymond Bourque and move into second place this season. How long he stays there depends on how long he -- and those active players who trail him -- plays. If Adam Oates spends the next season or two (or three, or four) on a line with Jaromir Jagr, he could slingshot past Yzerman and Messier. But right now, it's a pretty big if.
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All-Time Assist Leaders
|
|
Rk.
|
Player
|
Seasons
|
Games
|
Assists
|
Assts. per game
|
|
1.
|
Wayne Gretzky
|
20
|
1487
|
1963
|
1.320
|
|
2.
|
Raymond Bourque
|
22
|
1612
|
1169
|
.725
|
|
3.
|
Ron Francis
|
20
|
1489
|
1137
|
.764
|
|
4.
|
Paul Coffey
|
21
|
1409
|
1135
|
.806
|
|
5.
|
Mark Messier
|
22
|
1561
|
1130
|
.724
|
|
6.
|
Gordie Howe
|
26
|
1767
|
1049
|
.594
|
|
7.
|
Marcel Dionne
|
18
|
1348
|
1040
|
.772
|
|
8.
|
Steve Yzerman
|
18
|
1310
|
969
|
.740
|
|
9.
|
Adam Oates
|
16
|
1130
|
963
|
.852
|
|
10.
|
Larry Murphy
|
16
|
1615
|
929
|
.575
|
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Other active leaders
|
|
12.
|
Mario Lemieux
|
13
|
788
|
922
|
1.170
|
|
19.
|
Phil Housley
|
19
|
1357
|
847
|
.624
|
|
20.
|
Al MacInnis
|
20
|
1262
|
845
|
.670
|
|
33.
|
Joe Sakic
|
13
|
934
|
721
|
.772
|
Points
Sit down for this one. With 70 more points, Messier will move into second place among the NHL's all-time point leaders. Granted, he spent 12 seasons with the offensively-gifted Edmonton Oilers, but his three seasons with the Canucks from 1997-98 to 1999-2000 could be considered payback (60 points in 82 games, 48 in 59 and 54 in 66). If Messier retired after this year, Francis and Yzerman would each have to play at least three more seasons and maintain their current paces, to surpass him -- which is testament to their accomplishments, as well. If Lemieux was playing a full 82-game schedule, he'd surpass Messier in two seasons.
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All-Time Point Leaders
|
|
Rk.
|
Player
|
Seasons
|
Games
|
Points
|
Points per game
|
|
1.
|
Wayne Gretzky
|
20
|
1487
|
2857
|
1.921
|
|
2.
|
Gordie Howe
|
26
|
1767
|
1850
|
1.047
|
|
3.
|
Mark Messier
|
22
|
1561
|
1781
|
1.141
|
|
4.
|
Marcel Dionne
|
18
|
1348
|
1771
|
1.314
|
|
5.
|
Ron Francis
|
20
|
1489
|
1624
|
1.091
|
|
6.
|
Steve Yzerman
|
18
|
1310
|
1614
|
1.232
|
|
7.
|
Phil Esposito
|
18
|
1282
|
1590
|
1.240
|
|
8.
|
Raymond Bourque
|
22
|
1612
|
1579
|
.980
|
|
9.
|
Mario Lemieux
|
13
|
788
|
1570
|
1.992
|
|
10.
|
Paul Coffey
|
21
|
1409
|
1531
|
1.087
|
|
Other active leaders
|
|
17.
|
Doug Gilmour
|
18
|
1342
|
1343
|
1.001
|
|
22.
|
Adam Oates
|
16
|
1130
|
1279
|
1.132
|
|
25.
|
Luc Robitaille
|
15
|
1124
|
1238
|
1.101
|
|
28.
|
Larry Murphy
|
21
|
1615
|
1216
|
.753
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