Upon his retirement on April 18, 1999, Wayne Gretzky was credited by the National Hockey League (NHL) Record Book with holding or sharing 61 NHL records, including 40 regular season, 15 playoff and 6 All-Star records. As of completion of the , more than a quarter century after retirement, he still holds or shares 55 of those NHL records. His #99 jersey was retired league wide by the NHL on February 6, 2000.
Winning four Stanley Cup titles (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988), Gretzky set records in both regular season and post-season play, including regular season goals (894), assists (1,963), points (2,857), and hat-tricks (50). The next closest player in total points for the regular season is Jaromir Jagr at 1,921, thus Gretzky has more career assists than any other player has total points. On April 6, 2025, 26 years after Gretzky scored his last regular season goal, Alexander Ovechkin broke Gretzky's record for most regular season goals.
Gretzky scored his first 1,000 points faster (424 games) than any other player in NHL history, and scored the second 1,000 faster (433 games) than any player other than himself. His point total including regular season and playoffs stands at an imposing 3,239 (1,016 goals, 2,223 assists).
Gretzky still maintains the record for the most career playoff goals (122), assists (260), points (382), hat-tricks (10) and game-winning goals (24). His 47 playoff points in 1985 are still the most for a single postseason. His record of 31 playoff assists in a single postseason held for 36 years before being broken by Connor McDavid in game four of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
Official record list The following is a list of official records Gretzky held or shared at his retirement on April 18, 1999.
Regular season records (40) Most goals: 894 in 1,487 games (since broken by Alexander Ovechkin) Most goals, including playoffs: 1,016 in 1,487 regular season games including 122 playoff goals Most goals, one season: 92 in 1981–82, 80-game schedule Most goals, one season, including playoffs: 100 in 1983–84, 87 goals in 74 regular season games and 13 goals in 19 playoff games Most goals, 50 games from start of season: 61 in 1981–82 (October 7 to January 22, 80-game schedule) and 1983–84 (October 5 to January 25), 80-game schedule Most goals, one period: 4 (tied with ten other players) February 18, 1981 Most assists: 1,963 Most assists, including playoffs: 2,223 Most assists, one season: 163 in 1985–86, 80-game schedule Most assists, one season, including playoffs: 174 in 1985–86, 163 assists in 80 regular season games and 11 assists in 10 playoff games Most assists, one game: 7 (tied with Billy "The Kid" Taylor) February 16, 1980; December 11, 1985; February 15, 1986 Most assists, one road game: 7 (tied with Billy "The Kid" Taylor) December 11, 1985 Most points: 2,857 in 1,487 games (894 goals, 1,963 assists) Most points, including playoffs: 3,239 in 1,487 regular season and 208 playoff games. (1,016 goals, 2,223 assists) Most points, one season: 215 in 1985–86, 80-game schedule (52 goals, 163 assists) Most points, one season, including playoffs: 255 in 1984–85; 208 points in 80 regular season games and 47 points in 18 playoff games Most shorthanded goals, career: 73 Most overtime assists, career: 13 (Broken by over 40 players) Most goals by a centre, career: 894 Most goals by a centre, one season: 92 in 1981–82, 80-game schedule Most assists by a centre, career: 1,963 Most assists by a centre, one season: 163 in 1985–86, 80-game schedule Most points by a centre, career: 2,857 Most points by a centre, one season: 215 in 1985–86, 80-game schedule Highest goals-per-game average, one season (among players with 50-or-more goals): 1.18 in 1983–84, 87 goals in 74 games Highest assists-per-game average, career (300 min.): 1.321 -- 1,963 assists in 1,487 games Highest assists-per-game average, one season: 2.04 in 1985–86, 163 assists in 80 games Highest points-per-game average, one season (among players with 50-or-more points): 2.77 in 1983–84, 205 points in 74 games Most 40-or-more goal seasons: 12 in 20 seasons (Broken by Alexander Ovechkin in 2023) Most consecutive 40-or-more goal seasons: 12 from 1979–80 to 1990–91 Most 50-or-more goal seasons: 9 (tied with Mike Bossy and Alex Ovechkin) Most 60-or-more goal seasons: 5 (tied with Mike Bossy) Most consecutive 60-or-more goals seasons: 4 from 1981–82 to 1984–85 Most 100-or-more point seasons: 15 Most consecutive 100-or-more point seasons: 13 from 1979–80 to 1991–92 Most three-or-more goal games, career: 50 — 37 three-goal (hat trick) games; nine four-goal games; four five-goal games Most three goal games, one season: 10, in 1981–82 and 1983–84 Longest consecutive assist scoring streak: 23 games in 1990–91, 48 assists Longest consecutive point-scoring streak: 51 games in 1983–84 (October 5 to January 28, 61 goals, 92 assists for 153 points) Longest consecutive point-scoring streak from start of season: 51 in 1983–84; 61 goals, 92 assists for 153 points (October 5 to January 28)
Playoff records (15) Most playoff goals, career: 122 Most playoff assists, career: 260 Most assists, one playoff year: 31 in 1988 (19 games) (Since broken by Connor McDavid) Most assists in one series: 14 (at the time tied with Rick Middleton and since broken by Leon Draisaitl) in 1985 Conference Finals (six games vs. Chicago) Most assists in final series: 10 in 1988 (four games, plus suspended game vs. Boston) Most assists, one playoff game: 6 (tied with Mikko Leinonen) on April 9, 1987 Most assists, one playoff period: 3 — Three assists by one player in one period of a playoff game has been recorded on 70 occasions, five of them by Gretzky Most points, career: 382 Most points, one playoff year: 47 in 1985 (17 goals and 30 assists in 18 games) Most points in final series: 13 in 1988 three goals and 10 assists (four games plus suspended game vs. Boston, three goals) Most points, one playoff period: 4 (tied with nine other players) Most short-handed goals, one playoff year: 3 (tied with five other players) 1983 Most short-handed goals, one playoff game: 2 (tied with eight other players) April 9, 1983 Most game-winning goals in playoffs, career: 24 (tied with Brett Hull) Most three-or-more goals games (hat trick): 10 (eight three-goal games, two four-goal games)
All-Star records (6) Most All-Star game goals, career: 13 (in 18 games played) Most All-Star game goals, one game: 4 (tied with three players) 1983 Campbell Conference Most All-Star game goals, one period: 4 1983 Campbell Conference, third period Most All-Star game assists, career: 12 (tied with four others) Most All-Star game points, career: 25 (13 goals, 12 assists in 18 games) Most All-Star game points, one period: 4 (tied with Mike Gartner and Adam Oates) 1983 Campbell Conference, third period (four goals)
Record updates Since Gretzky's retirement, six of his records have been broken, and he has gained one. The current NHL Record Book also now recognizes additional records held by Gretzky.
Broken Gretzky's record of 15 regular season overtime assists has now been surpassed by over 40 players. Regular season overtime was not introduced until his fifth season in the NHL, and was played 5-on-5 during his tenure; after he retired, in a successful effort to increase scoring in overtime, the league changed the rule to 4-on-4, and later to 3-on-3. Patrick Kane is the current record holder at 26 assists in regular season overtime. Joe Sakic (16), Mark Messier (14), and Ray Bourque (13) have passed Gretzky's record (12) for most All-Star game assists. In the second round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, Leon Draisaitl recorded 15 assists to break Gretzky's record of 14. On March 21, 2023, Alexander Ovechkin broke Gretzky's record for most 40-or-more goal seasons, with his 13th. On June 15, 2024, Connor McDavid recorded his 32nd assist in his 22nd game of the 2024 playoffs to break Gretzky's record of 31 assists in a playoff year. McDavid finished the 2024 playoffs with 34 assists in 24 games. On April 6, 2025, Alexander Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal to break Gretzky's 31-year-old record of 894.
Set Gretzky finished his career with a 1.921 points per game average. At the time, Mario Lemieux held the record at 2.005. After Lemieux returned to the NHL, from 2000 to 2005, his average fell to second place, and Gretzky became the record holder.
Retroactively recognized Most 3-point games, season: 40 Most 5-point games, season: 15 Most multi-point games, career: 824 Most 3-goal games, season: 10 Most multi-goal games, career: 189 Most 2-assist games, season: 44 Most 3-assist games, season: 27 Most 4-assist games, season: 12 Most 5-assist games, season: 4 Most multi-assist games, career: 575
Unofficial records Along with his numerous official records, Wayne Gretzky also has over 100 "unofficial" ones. These other records — though not recognized by the 1999 NHL Official Guide and Record Book — are still significant.
NHL scoring Youngest player to score 50 goals in a season (19 years, two months) Most points by an NHL player in his first year: 137. Because of Gretzky's season played in the WHA, the then-19-year-old was not considered a rookie when he finished his first year, so the rookie record belongs to Teemu Selanne, who had played for two seasons in the top professional league in Finland, achieved 132 NHL points as a 22-year-old. Most assists by an NHL player in his first year: 86. The rookie record is held jointly by Peter Stastny and Joe Juneau with 70 assists. Note that the record book gives Gretzky the record for most assists and points in a game as a first year player, but there is no official record for the season totals. Most 200-or-more point seasons: 4. In addition to holding the official record for most 100 point seasons, Gretzky is the only player to reach 200 points in a season. Most consecutive 200 point seasons: 3 Most 70-or-more goal seasons: 4. The NHL has a record for most 60 goal seasons, but not 70. Eight players have achieved 70 goals, and Brett Hull did so three times. Most consecutive 70 goal seasons: 4 Most 80-or-more goal seasons: 2 Most 90-or-more goal seasons: 1. Gretzky is the only player to achieve this. Fastest 50 goals from start of season: 50 goals in 39 games. While not an official record, the mark of 50 goals in 50 games is a celebrated and rare event, achieved by only five players. The quickest, 50 goals in 39 games, is often labelled as the most difficult one to break of all of Gretzky's recordsofficial or otherwise. The NHL has an official record for the most goals in first 50 games (held, and later repeated, by Gretzky, with 61 goals), but not the fastest to 50 goals. Fastest 100 points: 34 games in 1983–84 Most seasons averaging at least 1 point per game: 19 (surpassed by Sidney Crosby in the 2024–25 season) Most consecutive seasons averaging at least 1 point per game: 19 (surpassed by Sidney Crosby in the 2024–2025 season) Most seasons averaging at least 2 points per game: 10 Most consecutive seasons averaging at least 2 points per game: 9 Most game-winning goals in the playoffs: 24 (tied with Brett Hull) Most game-winning assists in one season: 23 Most game-winning assists in regular season career: 234 Most game-winning points in regular season career: 325 Highest career game-winning points per game average: 0.2185 Most 100-or-more assist seasons: 11 Most consecutive 100-or-more assist seasons: 11 Most seasons leading in even strength goals: 4 Most career even strength goals: 617 Most seasons leading in short-handed goals: 5 Most seasons leading in assists: 16 Most seasons leading in points: 11 Most seasons leading in both goals and assists: 5 (this was only achieved 7 other times in history, with Gordie Howe (2) and Mario Lemieux (2) accounting for 4 of those other occurrences).