Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby became the 10th player in NHL history to score 1,600 points on Wednesday night with an assist on a Bryan Rust power play in the first period against the Buffalo Sabres.
Last year, the 37-year-old Crosby surpassed Hockey Hall of Famer Phil Esposito with his 1,591st point to take sole possession of 10th place on the scoring list.
Additionally, with 52 assists in 2023-2024, he became only the 14th skater to collect more than 1,000 assists in his career and remains the active leader in assists and points.
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With 59 goals, Crosby is about to become the 21st player to join the 600-goal club. With three seasons left he can reach 700 goals and 1,800 points.
For now, here’s Crosby on the NHL’s top scoring list and the names he’ll be chasing in the coming seasons.
10. Sidney Crosby – 1,600
Crosby became the latest player to reach 1,600 points, joining Joe Sakic, Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman as the only players this high on the list to reach those points with one franchise.
9. Joe Sakic – 1,641
Sakic stayed with the Quebec Nordiques when they became the Colorado Avalanche and went on to lead them to two Stanley Cup titles. A feared sniper during his playing career, he has the third-fewest career goals (625) among the top ten.
8. Mario Lemieux – 1,723
If Lemieux had stayed healthy throughout his career, there’s an argument he wouldn’t be ranked so low at No. 8. However, he skated in only 915 games and still scored 1,723 points. Lemieux is the only player in the top 50 all-time leading scorers who has not reached 1,000 games.
7. Steve Yzerman – 1,755
Yzerman played his entire career with the Detroit Red Wings, and while his scoring increased during his era, his 1,755 points still fell short of Gordie Howe’s career totals in the Motor City. However, Yzerman remains the longest-serving captain in NHL history, a milestone that Crosby will soon break.
6. Marcel Dionne – 1,771
Marcel Dionne is often considered the greatest NHL player never to win the Stanley Cup. The third player to score 700 goals, he never played against a contender and won only one scoring title.
5. Ron Francis – 1,798
Ron Francis quietly became the NHL’s fifth leading scorer thanks to his playmaking abilities. Historically, he is behind Gretzky in career assists. With just 549 goals, he ranks last in the lamplighter rankings of all players in the top ten.
4. Gordie Howe – 1,850
Howe remains one of the most dominant professional players ever. He played for what seemed like an eternity, setting every major record during his 26 seasons in the NHL. Ultimately, Gretzky surpassed him and eventually a handful of other legends. However, there will always only be one ‘Mr. hockey’.
3. Mark Messier – 1,887
When Mark Messier retired, he was only the third player to accumulate more than 1,800 points, with Gretzky and Howe ranking second in games played behind Howe. Although Patrick Marleau moved him down the list, ‘The Moose’ remains the only captain in NHL history to lead two different franchises to the Stanley Cup.
2. Jaromir Jagr – 1,921
Jaromir Jagr came within 79 points and became only the second player to reach 2,000 points. Can anyone imagine his final totals if he hadn’t played in the KHL for three seasons in his prime? As of 2024, Jagr’s place as the NHL’s second leading scorer is safe for the foreseeable future, as Crosby would need 321 points to catch him.
1. Wayne Gretzky – 2,857
Did you know that if Gretzky never scored a goal, his 1,963 assists would still make him the all-time leading scorer? Since Howe’s points total record was broken in 1989 and his goals record was broken in 1993, Gretzky has been king of the mountain. While no one will ever reach his points total, Alex Ovechkin is getting closer to surpassing his goal total and could become the first player to score 900 goals.
Related: 7 Fascinating Statistics About Sidney Crosby’s Career
Related: Say It Ain’t So! Former Penguins legend Jaromir Jagr will retire in 2025
Related: Does Mario Lemieux Still Own the Penguins?
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