How Do Hockey Players Get Points? (& All Time Records)
When looking at sports and their scoring systems, each one varies from one other. When it comes to ice hockey, it has its ins and outs to understand in terms of scoring goals and the points awarded from them, such as goals and assists. I’ll walk you through everything in this article, so I invite you to stick around.
Ice hockey players get points by scoring goals on the opponent’s net. This awards one goal point for the scorer and one assist point for up to two teammates who assisted the goal. A player’s points are calculated by adding both goals and assists into the record.
That said, the only way to score points is to make goals; however, the goal scorer isn’t necessarily the only one getting points from it. In fact, it’s as, if not even more important, to assist well because those are the plays that really make scoring goals effective.
Each player involved in the goal-making, meaning the scorer and up to two assisting players, will get the point in their player statistics.
So, getting points in hockey is quite simple, assist or make goals!
Contents
What Is a Point In Hockey?
The point awarded from scoring or assisting isn’t the only thing called a point in ice hockey, which can be confusing from time to time.
A point is most commonly meant to describe goals and assists made by the players. A point can mean other things as well.
Two points are given from a win, one from a tie and 0 from a loss in the NHL needed to advance to the playoffs. Point also means the offensive zone’s area near the blue line and boards. In addition, the defenceman’s position when on the powerplay is called “the point.”
That said, there are four things that the word point can describe in hockey. The two most common are points made by the players and points awarded to the teams from victories. Here’s a short list to remind you;
- A goal or assist made by the players
- A point awarded from a victory or tie for the team
- The area on the offensive zone near the blue line and boards
- The powerplay position usually held by the defenceman
So, when you hear, read, or use the word point, be sure to understand its context.
Most Hockey Points In The NHL
Now we get to the most interesting part: the highest point scored in the NHL. Again, this can mean many things considering the time frame we are looking for the records. That’s why I have divided it into three portions; game, season, and career. Let’s start by game.
Most Points During A Hockey Game
Remember that hockey players are awarded one point per goal or assist, so getting many points per game is extremely tough, no matter how you get them. Below you’ll find the players with the most points from a game in NHL history.
| NHL Player | Most Points, Game |
|---|---|
| Darryl Sittler | 10 |
| Maurice Richard | 8 |
| Bryan Trottier | 8 |
| Mario Lemieux | 8 |
| Bert Olmstead | 8 |
As you can see from the data table, only one player, Darryl Sittler, has reached a two-digit point number per game, which is quite impressive. After Darryl, 13 players earned 8 points during a game. To see the full list, see the records here.
Most Points During a Hockey Season
Now, this is where things get interesting. Below, you can find the top achievements with the most points during an NHL season. The greatest hockey player of all time dominates the list easily.
| NHL Player | Most Points, Season |
|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | 215 |
| Wayne Gretzky | 212 |
| Wayne Gretzky | 208 |
| Wayne Gretzky | 205 |
| Mario Lemieux | 199 |
The only player to get more than 200 points during an NHL season is Wayne Gretzky, who has done it four times. That’s what dominating a whole sport is called. However, note that he had an amazing team with him, contributing to the achievement.
In the fifth position, Mario Lemieux has 199 points as his record, which is an incredible deed. A funny thing to note is that Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux dominate the list to the 14th position, where Steve Yzerman reached 155 points during a season. You can see the full record here.
Most Points During an NHL Career
As you might guess by now, the man who has achieved four most season point records in the NHL is also the first on the NHL career record list. See the data table below.
| NHL Player | Most Points, Career |
|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | 2857 |
| Jaromir Jagr | 1 921 |
| Mark Messier | 1 887 |
| Gordie Howe | 1 850 |
| Ron Francis | 1 798 |
Wayne Gretzky once again has done the undoable, which is over 2000 points during an NHL career. However, he didn’t stop there as he reached almost 3000 points, whereas no other has reached 2000. I’d argue that the record is unbeatable, but if you believe otherwise, let me know which player you think can break it in the comment section. PS. see the career records here.
