Records for points, goals, assists in an NHL season

Three NHL stars tried skating their way into the record books this season.

Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov and Auston Matthews put together all-time offensive seasons in 2023-24. McDavid and Kucherov were especially stellar as passers, becoming just the fourth and fifth players, respectively, in NHL history to pick up 100 assists in a season. Matthews, on the other hand, was the league’s top goal scorer with 69.

How do McDavid, Kucherov and Matthews stack up in hockey history? Here’s a look at the NHL’s single-season goals, assists and points records:

NHL record for goals in a season

Wayne Gretzky is called the “Great One” for a reason.

The Hall of Famer has a mind-boggling résumé that includes four Stanley Cups, nine Hart Trophies and 15 All-Star selections. However, his greatness is most evident when looking at his single-season dominance.

Gretzky holds the record for most goals in a season and has four of the top-10 goal-scoring seasons in NHL history. His top scoring campaign came in 1981-82, when he tallied 92 goals at just 21 years old. He nearly broke his own record two years later when he lit the lamp 87 times in 1983-84.

As for Matthews, his 69 goals in 2023-24 are tied for the 15th-most all time.

Here is a look at the top goal-scoring seasons of all time:

1. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1981-82: 92

2. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1983-84: 87

3. Brett Hull, STL, 1990-91: 86

4. Mario Lemieux, PIT, 1988-89: 85

T-5. Phil Esposito, BOS, 1970-71: 76

T-5. Alexander Mogilny, BUF,1992-93: 76

T-5. Teemu Selänne, WIN, 1992-93: 76

8. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1984-85: 73

9. Brett Hull, STL, 1989-90: 72

T-10. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1982-83: 71

T-10. Jari Kurri, EDM, 1984-85: 71

T-12. Three players: 70

T-15. Four players: 69

NHL record for assists in a season

Gretzky is the greatest goal scorer in hockey history, but his assist numbers are even more incredible.

He broke the NHL single-season assists record when he was 20 years old, dishing out 109 compared to Bobby Orr’s 102 from 1970-71. Gretzky then set a new precedent in four of the next five seasons, culminating with a preposterous 163 assists in 1985-86.

In all, Gretzky surpassed 100 assists 11 times. Mario Lemieux and Orr were the only other players in the 100-assist club until McDavid and Kucherov reached the milestone this season.

Here are all of the times an NHL player has exceeded 100 assists in a season:

1. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1985-86: 163

2. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1984-85: 135

3. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1982-83: 125

4. Wayne Gretzky, LAK, 1990-91: 122

5. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1986-87: 121

6. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1981-82: 120

7. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1983-84: 118

T-8. Wayne Gretzky, LAK, 1988-89: 114

T-8. Mario Lemieux, PIT, 1988-89: 114

T-10. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1980-81: 109

T-10. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1987-88: 109

T-12. Bobby Orr, BOS, 1970-71: 102

T-12. Wayne Gretzky, LAK, 1989-90: 102

T-14. Connor McDavid, EDM, 2023-24: 100

T-14. Nikita Kucherov, TB, 2023-24: 100

NHL record for points in a season

At this point, it should be no surprise who holds the NHL’s single-season points record.

Gretzky set the all-time mark in 1985-86, combining his other-worldly 163 assists with 52 goals for 215 points. It was the fourth and final time he made it past the 200-point mark, a feat only he has accomplished.

In between all of Gretzky’s top seasons in Lemieux, who has the fifth-highest point total in a season at 199. The Pittsburgh Penguins legend tallied 85 goals and 114 assists that season but placed second in Hart Trophy voting behind – you guessed it – Gretzky.

Here are the top single-season point totals in NHL history:

1. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1985-86: 215

2. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1981-82: 212

3. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1984-85: 208

4. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1983-84: 205

5. Mario Lemieux, PIT, 1988-89: 199

6. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1982-83: 196

7. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1986-87: 183

T-8. Mario Lemieux, PIT, 1987-88 168

T-8. Wayne Gretzky, LAK, 1988-89: 168

10. Wayne Gretzky, EDM, 1980-81: 164

11. Wayne Gretzky, LAK, 1990-91: 163

12. Mario Lemieux, PIT, 1995-96: 161

13. Mario Lemieux, PIT, 1992-93: 160

14. Steve Yzerman, DET, 1988-89: 155

15. Connor McDavid, EDM, 2022-23: 153

Kucherov led the NHL with 144 points in 2023-24.