The most goals scored in a single season or Once again a statistic unmatched by Wayne Gretzky in the NHL

In the NHL, the extra class threshold is 50 goals per season. The competition itself started with the 1917-18 season and it wasn’t until the 1944-45 season that the first person to break this mythical mark was Maurice Richard, who scored 50 goals in 50 games.

Below, we will present the best scorers in the history of the NHL itself, with Wayne Gretzky once again holding the top spot, having broken the 70-goal mark 4 times in a season.

Wayne Gretzky

Edmonton Oilers (1981-82) 92 goals in 80 games

He exploded shooting this season, surpassing Phil Esposito’s shooting record (76 goals), which he held for over 20 years. He clearly dominated the 1981-82 season, being the top scorer and passer, and his 212 points for the season is the second best performance of all time. He is the only player to surpass that mark, and he did it four times!

Wayne Gretzky

Edmonton Oilers (1983-84) 87 goals in 74 games

If he hadn’t missed 6 games, he could have hit the 90-goal mark again. Gretzky was already clearly the best hockey player in the world and it was a breakthrough season as his offensive exploits finally brought the Oilers the Stanley Cup. Once again, he dominated in all metrics, breaking the 200-point mark (205) for the second time.

Brett Hull

St. Louis Blues (1990-91) 86 goals in 78 games

By this season, goal scorer Brett Hull, son of the legendary Bobby Hull, was already in office. He was unrivalled in the number of goals scored, with only 3 players having surpassed the 50 goal mark and Hull himself scoring 35 more!

This meant second place in scoring behind the unbeatable Gretzky, who was already racking up mostly assists. Of course he was awarded the Hart trophy for the best player in the league and the Lester B trophy. Pearson Award for the best player according to the players themselves.

Mario Lemieux

Pittsburgh Penguins (1988-89) 85 goals in 76 games

Became the second player to break the 80-goal mark! He dominated every metric and just missed the magic 200-point mark with 199 points. Ironically, however, the Hart Trophy went to his eternal rival Gretzky. Lemieux, however, took the Art Ross Trophy for the second consecutive year for the scoring winner.

Phil Esposito

Boston Bruins (1970-71) 76 goals in 78 games

This season marked a point and goal explosion by Esposito. He became the first player in history to surpass 70 goals and 150 points! Only the legendary Gretzky was able to break those records in those stats.

Alexander Mogilnyj

Buffalo Sabres (1992-93) 76 goals in 77 games

A very offensive season in 1992-93 brought a race in the scorers’ table between Mogilnyj and Teemu Selanne, but in the end the two parted amicably. However, the Triple Gold Club member needed 7 fewer games to reach that mark. Still a valid record amongst corps hockey players.

Teemu Selanne

Winnipeg Jets (1992-93) 76 goals in 84 games

Like a bolt from the blue, this Finn came out of nowhere and made Jari Kurri’s memory come alive. Selanne set a still-standing rookie record for goals scored, pushing the record set by the legendary Mike Bossy in the 1977-78 season by a full 23 goals.

The skilled Finn was the league’s top scorer with Mogilny and a top-5 scoring record with 132 points. He deservedly took the Calder Trophy.

Wayne Gretzky

Edmonton Oilers (1984-85) 73 goals in 80 games

Broke the 70-goal barrier for the fourth time in a row. Though he was mightily pursued by teammate Kurri. This marked his second Stanley Cup, sixth Hart Trophy, fifth Art Ross Trophy and the premiere Conn Smythe Trophy for the best player in the playoffs.

Brett Hull

St. Louis Blues (1989-90) 72 goals in 80 games

He surpassed the 70-goal mark three times between the 1989-90 and 1991-92 seasons. He was unrivaled during that period and was clearly the top scorer.

Wayne Gretzky

Edmonton Oilers (1982-83) 71 goals in 80 games

He broke the 70-goal mark for the second time and pushed his own record for assists to 125. Just four points shy of the 200-point mark. Still, it was enough for the second best performance in history.

Jari Kurri

Edmonton Oilers (1984-85) 71 goals in 73 games

The Oilers celebrated winning two Stanley Cups in a row. The league had only one better goal scorer, and that was Gretzky, who managed to score 2 more goals. However, the Finnish goal scorer became the first European to break the mythical 70 goal mark. This season he took at least the Lady Byng Trophy for the gentleman on the ice.

Source: NHL