Is Wayne Gretzky the Hockey GOAT: A Deep Dive

1. Unmatched Dedication and Preparation ★

Before a GOAT is born, there must be a level of dedication and work that goes well beyond their peers. At an early age, Gretzky would spend hours working on his craft on and off the ice.

From skating on the ice to working through a full set of drills, he never left anything to chance as a child. Walter Gretzky was a pillar of hard work, and he played a vital role in maintaining the backyard rink.

That mindset carried into Gretzky’s junior hockey years and all the way through his NHL career. He made opponent preparation a priority, spending hours studying tape.

That preparation often put him in the right place at the right time, allowing him to anticipate the action before it unfolded.

• • Early Hours & Extra Work: Spent endless hours honing his skills on and off the ice from a very young age, leaving nothing to chance.

• • Family Support & Discipline: Built his foundational work ethic on the backyard rink maintained by his father.

• • Relentless Film Study: Prioritized studying opponent game tape to gain a tactical edge throughout his junior and NHL career.

• • Anticipation Over Speed: Used meticulous preparation to predict where the play was going, positioning himself ahead of the action before it happened.

2. High Hockey IQ ★

“A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be,” Wayne Gretzky once said.

Those words are never truer than when talking about Gretzky. He was able to do the talk and back it up with unrivaled success on the ice. The quote from Gretzky essentially sums up his executive on the ice perfectly.

In addition to watching tape, Gretzky’s natural instincts from a young age were superior to those of his peers. Not only did he know where the puck was going to be, but the nine-time Hart Trophy winner was aware of where he had to be.

Gretzky’s hockey smarts were off the charts, and no other player can compare to his IQ.

• • Innate Instincts: Possessed superior natural hockey instincts from a young age that went beyond just watching game tape.

• • Elite Spatial Awareness: Had an uncanny ability to read the ice, knowing exactly where the puck was heading and where he needed to position himself to make a play.

• • Unrivaled Smarts: Widely regarded as having the highest and most unmatched hockey IQ in the history of the sport.

3. Vision and Playmaking ★

Gretzky’s vision and playmaking were unmatched in the NHL from 1978 to 1999. He had a rare ability to get everyone else involved offensively like no one else could.

Elite passing was an art form Gretzky perfected on the ice. Defenses had to respect his scoring touch, but that was only part of the challenge. The bigger problem for opponents facing his Oilers and Kings teams was figuring out who he would set up for the prime scoring chance.

Gretzky seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, always knowing where every teammate and opponent was on the ice.

The “Great One” would still be the NHL’s all-time points leader with his 1,963 assists. If Gretzky had never scored a goal in his career, he would still lead the league in points. Ron Francis ranks second with 1,249 career assists, so it isn’t close.

• • Unmatched Offensive Distributor: Possessed a rare ability to elevate his teammates and get everyone involved offensively throughout his 21-year NHL career.

• • Masterful Passing: Forced defenses into an impossible dilemma, balancing his dangerous scoring touch with elite passing precision to set up open teammates.

• • 360-Degree Ice Awareness: Skated with legendary vision, effectively operating as if he had eyes in the back of his head to track every player on the ice.

• • Untouchable Assists Record: Accumulated 1,963 career assists, so many that even if he had scored zero goals, his assist total alone would still make him the NHL’s all-time leading points leader (over 700 assists ahead of second-place Ron Francis).

4. Accurate Slapshot ★

Gretzky had a lot of tools in his arsenal to score the puck. He finished his career with 984 goals, with his last in 1998-99 as a member of the New York Rangers. He had a nifty backhand and a quick wrist shot to put the puck in the back of the net.

However, what separated him from the rest was his ability to pinpoint shots with a slapshot. Slapshots can be the most inaccurate shot in hockey, but not with Gretzky.

When he wound up for a slapper, the Brampton, ON, native managed to find a place for the puck when there appeared to be nothing there.

• • Multifaceted Goal-Scorer: Possessed a lethal mix of scoring tools, finishing with 894 regular season goals (984 combined with playoffs), utilizing a sneaky backhand, quick wrist shot, and pinpoint slap shot.

• • Pinpoint Precision Over Power: Transformed one of hockey’s most notoriously wild shots into a surgical weapon, regularly threading slapshots into tiny openings goaltenders left exposed.

5. Unbreakable NHL Records ★

Gretzky holds a number of unbelievable NHL records — some of which are unbreakable. Alexander Ovechkin broke Gretzky’s goal record this past season, but No. 99 has several that are unlikely to ever be touched.

If Wayne Gretzky never scored a goal, he still would’ve recorded 11 straight 100-point seasons and won 4 scoring titles. pic.twitter.com/I4LtfVLfo7

— The Hockey Samurai 侍 (@hockey_samurai) April 29, 2023

• • Career Points – Gretzky concluded his career with an unprecedented 2,857 points. Jagomir Jagr’s 1,921 points don’t come close to Gretzky’s unbelievable mark.

• • Career Assists – It’s highly unlikely in today’s NHL game that any player is going to break Gretzky’s 1,963 assists.

• • Most Assists in a Season – Along with the career lead in assists, Gretzky set the bar for assists in a single season. In 1985-86 with the Oilers, he logged an incredible 163 assists. For comparison, in 2024-25, Nikita Kucherov led the NHL in points with 121!

• • Most Goals in a Season – Although Ovechkin broke Gretzky’s all-time goal record, don’t expect any player to surpass the former Oilers’ 92 goals.

• • Three Consecutive 200-point Seasons – There are only four 200-point seasons in NHL history. All belong to Gretzky, and from 1983 to 1986, he did it three straight times.

1. Not the Fastest Skater ✖

Gretzky was not known as a fast skater during his time on the ice like Maurice Richard, Bobby Orr, or even teammate Paul Coffey. Pure speed wasn’t what made Gretzky such a dangerous player, but it is widely regarded as one of his weak points.

What Gretzky lacked in speed, he made up for with his ability as a playmaker. Nevertheless, some pundits might apply a big blemish on Gretzky’s resume due to his lack of lightning speed.

• • Lacked Explosive Top-End Speed: Never possessed the elite, burn-past-you speed of contemporaries like Paul Coffey or legends like Bobby Orr and Maurice Richard.

• • Compensated with Brains & Playmaking: Made up for moderate foot speed with unmatched hockey IQ, spatial awareness, and elite passing to dictate the game’s pace.

2. Weak with No Physical Presence ✖

Despite being a magician with the puck on his stick, Gretzky wasn’t the strongest player by any means. He didn’t test the best in strength tests and was never the most imposing figure on the ice. Note that Gretzky was only roughly 170 pounds, so he was never the biggest.

Gretzky didn’t have the power to push opponents around or stand up for himself in corner scrums. He often relied on teammates to handle the dirty work and protect him. That set him apart from Gordie Howe and Orr, who weren’t afraid to use their size and strength to win puck battles.

• • Slight Frame & Limited Strength: Played at roughly 170 pounds, consistently testing below average on off-ice strength metrics and lacking the bulk to physically dominate opponents.

• • Avoided Physical Grinding: Lacked the raw power to win board battles, throw heavy hits, or out-muscle defenders in corner scrums compared to power-forwards of his era.

• • Reliance on Enforcers: Relied heavily on protective teammates (like Dave Semenko and Marty McSorley) to handle physical retaliation and clear space on the ice.

3. Avoided Blocking Shots ✖

Gretzky has some unbelievable records and stats during his NHL career. Here’s one crazy figure: Gretzky never blocked a shot. Not only did he avoid block shots, but Gretzky claims he finished his career without putting his body on the line to stop a shot.

Staying healthy was of utmost importance for Gretzky and his team. In other words, stepping in front of a slap shot wasn’t his priority. It was probably for the best that the top playmaker of all time wasn’t risking taking a shot that could cause an injury.

• • Complete Shot-Blocking Avoidance: Finished his entire 21-year career claiming to have never once put his body on the line to block an opponent’s shot.

• • Injury Prevention Priority: Prioritized staying healthy and on the ice over self-sacrificing defensive plays, knowing an injury would severely impact his team’s success.

4. Never Won the Cup Outside of Edmonton ✖

Gretzky won the Stanley Cup four times during his career: 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1988. All four titles came during his tenure with the Oilers. After nine seasons in Edmonton, Gretzky departed Alberta for California to play with the Los Angeles Kings for eight years.

He also played in St. Louis and New York with the Rangers before retiring in 1999. But those nine years in Edmonton were the best of his career, and the only place he won the Stanley Cup. The Oilers’ dynasty teams were clearly the best he played on, backed by a tremendous supporting cast.

• • Edmonton Dynasty: Won all four of his Stanley Cup championships (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988) exclusively during his nine-season tenure with the Edmonton Oilers.

• • Championship Drought Post-Trade: Failed to capture another title across his remaining 12 NHL seasons split between the Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and New York Rangers.

• • Driven by an Elite Supporting Cast: Benefit of playing alongside a hall-of-fame-heavy Oilers dynasty that provided the ideal environment for championship success.

• • Near-Miss in Los Angeles: Came closest to breaking the streak in 1993, carrying the LA Kings to the Stanley Cup Final before falling to the Montreal Canadiens.

5. Inflated Stats During the 1980s Era ✖

The 1980s were not widely regarded as a defense-first era. Goaltending numbers were down significantly, and defensive game planning was often an afterthought.

From 1980 to 1986, the average goals-against average for an NHL goalie was 3.77 or higher. For perspective, the average GAA for an NHL goalie has been 2.77 or lower in 19 of the past 20 seasons, a difference of a full goal per game per team.

Gretzky padded his career totals during a time when games featured two more goals per team than they do now. He recorded at least 160 points in six straight seasons. It would have been eight if he had not missed 18 games with injury in 1987-88, and topped 200 points four times in five years.

Once goals became much harder to come by, Gretzky’s statistical dominance declined as well. He reached 100 points just once in his final four NHL seasons, and he won the scoring title only twice in his final 12 campaigns.

If you adjust each player’s points-per-game average for the era in which he played, Gretzky is no longer the highest-scoring player in history. That honor belongs to Mario Lemieux (1.66 adjusted points per game), with Gretzky second at 1.61. Sidney Crosby isn’t far behind at No. 3 with 1.50, and Bobby Orr, a defenseman, is fifth at 1.33.

• • High-Scoring 1980s: Benefited from an offensive-heavy era characterized by relaxed defensive schemes and higher goal totals, averaging over 3.77 goals against per team compared to modern averages below 2.77.

• • Peak Era Production: Padded his legendary totals during his prime, surpassing 160 points in six straight seasons and cracking the rare 200-point mark four times in five years.

• • Late-Career Decline: Experienced a drop in statistical dominance as defensive structure and goaltending improved, hitting 100 points only once in his final four seasons and winning two scoring titles in his last 12 years.

• • Era-Adjusted Scoring Drop: Ranks second behind Mario Lemieux (1.66 vs. 1.61) in era-adjusted points per game, highlighting how much his raw totals benefited from the high-scoring environment of the 1980s.

Bobby Orr

The best NHL defenseman of all time may actually be the best hockey player ever. If you were to ask Don Cherry, he would, without hesitation, name Orr the best NHL player.

Cherry coached Orr for two seasons from 1974 to 1976 with the Boston Bruins. He knew a great hockey player when he saw one, and Orr was a beauty. Perhaps the most well-rounded player to hit the ice, Orr could do everything asked of him.

As a defenseman, Orr’s primary responsibility was to prevent goals in the defensive zone. While Orr was fantastic in that regard, he was capable of being a playmaker, goal scorer, and had the physical wherewithal to protect himself.

Orr’s single-season +/- rating of +124 in 1970-71 may never be broken. Larry Robinson’s +120 in 1976-77 came close, and Gretzky’s best mark was only a +100 in 1984-95.

Additionally, Orr has the record with eight Norris Trophy awards and the highest points per game for a defenseman with 1.80. The Bruin is also the only defenseman to win the Art Ross Trophy twice.

There is definitely a strong case to make for Orr as the GOAT of hockey!

Mario Lemieux

No best-of list would be complete without including Pittsburgh Penguins legend Mario Lemieux. As noted above, adjusted for the points per game average for the era, Lemieux ranks first with 1.66.

Happy 22-year anniversary to Mario Lemieux scoring off the faceoff. 🥳

🗓️: December 23, 2002 pic.twitter.com/EaoDrwcF0Y

— NHL (@NHL) December 23, 2024

He faced tough competition throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, yet Lemieux still rose above the rest. Had injuries and health issues, including Hodgkin’s lymphoma, not cut his career short, he might have had the chance to break even more records.

He finished his career in 2006 with an impressive 690 goals and 1,033 assists in 915 games. He also posted a +114 plus-minus rating to cap off a Hall of Fame career. Lemieux averaged 0.75 goals per game, which is stronger than Gretzky’s 0.6.

If Lemieux had the same supporting cast that Gretzky had throughout his career, we would probably be talking about even more impressive numbers for “Super Mario.”

Gordie Howe

Mr. Hockey will be forever regarded as one of the toughest hockey players to ever lace up the skates. Built like a brickhouse, Gordie Howe took a lot of punishment during his career, but it didn’t deter him.

He was perfectly happy to lay out an opponent cold and then score the game-winning goal. Howe finished his career with 801 goals, which stood as the NHL record for 26 years until Gretzky surpassed the Red Wings’ right winger.

Howe also contributed 1,049 assists and 1,850 points in an incredible 1,767 games from 1947 to 1980. One of Howe’s best assets, though, was what didn’t show up on the stat sheet.

As one of the most physical specimens the NHL has ever seen, he created so many goals that can’t be quantified. And Howe’s insane longevity gives him some credence to being the best hockey player ever.

Sidney Crosby

The only active player on our list of GOAT NHL players is 38-year-old Sidney Crosby. Crosby is still playing at a high level and will participate in his third Olympic Games in Italy this upcoming winter.

The dynamic playmaker continues to be one of the most impactful players in the NHL since entering the league in 2005. Lemieux’s former teammate and roommate has compiled 625 goals and 1,062 assists with a +197 +/- in 1,352 career games.

The only way to react when you score the winning gold in an Olympic final. 🥇

Sidney Crosby's golden goal at #Vancouver2010 is definitely one of the most iconic #IceHockey moments we've seen!#Olympics | @IIHFHockey | @TeamCanada pic.twitter.com/z0bSqkuFHM

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) September 21, 2025

Crosby is a fantastic forechecker and backchecker on the ice. Like Gretzky, he knows what is going on at all times. He gets to spots before anyone else but also has the physical ability to fend off opponents. No. 87’s exceptional puck handling is paired with superior vision and awareness.

Perhaps, best of all, however, is Crosby’s leadership. The three-time Stanley Cup winner and two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner is a winner on the ice, in the locker room, and off the ice for the Penguins and Team Canada.