One of the great stats of the game of hockey is points per game. Measured as a fixed number, Points-Per-Game (PPG) measures the average number of points the player scores per game. For example if you played one NHL game and had two points, your Points per Game would be 2.0. The Points-Per-Game calculation is a simple one, you take the player’s total points divided by the number of games played.
NHL Points Per Game FAQs
- Did you know that over the course of 1,487 games, Wayne Gretzky averaged nearly two points per game over his career? He has the highest regular season points-per-game at 1.92.
- Of the top 50 players to have the highest points-per-game, there are only two defensemen
- Bobby Orr with 1.39 PPG, good for fifth all-time
- Paul Coffey with 1.09 PPG good for thirty-first all-time
- Of the top 50 players to have the highest points-per-game, there are nine players who are currently active in the NHL
- The highest European-born NHLer in terms of points-per-game is Peter Stastny with 1.27
- With 1.41 points-per-game, Connor McDavid is fourth all-time on the list
All-Time NHL Leaders in Points-per-Game
The following list consists of the top fifty NHL players with the highest regular season point-per-game averages. Playoff games are not included. List is as of February 2022.
NHL Regular Season Points Per Game Leaders
Rk | Name | Pos | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM | +/- | P.P.G. |
1 | Wayne Gretzky | F | 1,487 | 894 | 1,963 | 2,857 | 577 | 520 | 1.921 |
2 | Mario Lemieux | F | 915 | 690 | 1,033 | 1,723 | 834 | 114 | 1.883 |
3 | Mike Bossy | F | 752 | 573 | 553 | 1,126 | 210 | 380 | 1.497 |
4 | Connor McDavid | F | 452 | 219 | 419 | 638 | 167 | 72 | 1.412 |
5 | Bobby Orr | D | 657 | 270 | 645 | 915 | 953 | 582 | 1.393 |
6 | Marcel Dionne | F | 1,348 | 731 | 1,040 | 1,771 | 600 | 27 | 1.314 |
7 | Sidney Crosby | F | 1,076 | 499 | 870 | 1,369 | 717 | 195 | 1.272 |
8 | Peter Stastny | F | 977 | 450 | 789 | 1,239 | 824 | -15 | 1.268 |
9 | Peter Forsberg | F | 708 | 249 | 636 | 885 | 690 | 238 | 1.25 |
10 | Kent Nilsson | F | 553 | 264 | 422 | 686 | 116 | -25 | 1.241 |
11 | Phil Esposito | F | 1,282 | 717 | 873 | 1,590 | 910 | 252 | 1.24 |
12 | Guy Lafleur | F | 1,126 | 560 | 793 | 1,353 | 399 | 446 | 1.202 |
13 | Joe Sakic | F | 1,378 | 625 | 1,016 | 1,641 | 614 | 30 | 1.191 |
14 | Dale Hawerchuk | F | 1,188 | 518 | 891 | 1,409 | 740 | -98 | 1.186 |
15 | Evgeni Malkin | F | 953 | 429 | 688 | 1,117 | 986 | 64 | 1.172 |
16 | Pat Lafontaine | F | 865 | 468 | 545 | 1,013 | 552 | -6 | 1.171 |
17 | Steve Yzerman | F | 1,514 | 692 | 1,063 | 1,755 | 924 | 184 | 1.159 |
18 | Eric Lindros | F | 760 | 372 | 493 | 865 | 1,398 | 215 | 1.138 |
19 | Bernie Federko | F | 1,000 | 369 | 761 | 1,130 | 487 | -131 | 1.13 |
20 | Denis Savard | F | 1,196 | 473 | 865 | 1,338 | 1,336 | 103 | 1.119 |
21 | Jari Kurri | F | 1,251 | 601 | 797 | 1,398 | 545 | 304 | 1.118 |
22 | Bryan Trottier | F | 1,279 | 524 | 901 | 1,425 | 912 | 449 | 1.114 |
23 | Gilbert Perreault | F | 1,191 | 512 | 814 | 1,326 | 500 | 41 | 1.113 |
24 | Pavel Bure | F | 702 | 437 | 342 | 779 | 484 | 42 | 1.11 |
25 | Jaromír Jágr | F | 1,733 | 766 | 1,155 | 1,921 | 1,167 | 322 | 1.108 |
26 | Alexander Ovechkin | F | 1,245 | 759 | 621 | 1,380 | 737 | 88 | 1.108 |
27 | Artemi Panarin | F | 475 | 178 | 347 | 525 | 142 | 114 | 1.105 |
28 | Bobby Hull | F | 1,063 | 610 | 560 | 1,170 | 634 | 249 | 1.101 |
29 | Brett Hull | F | 1,269 | 741 | 650 | 1,391 | 458 | 23 | 1.096 |
30 | Leon Draisaitl | F | 524 | 232 | 339 | 571 | 190 | 9 | 1.09 |
31 | Paul Coffey | D | 1,409 | 396 | 1,135 | 1,531 | 1,802 | 298 | 1.087 |
32 | Jean Beliveau | F | 1,125 | 507 | 712 | 1,219 | 1,033 | 117 | 1.084 |
33 | Mark Messier | F | 1,756 | 694 | 1,193 | 1,887 | 1,912 | 211 | 1.075 |
34 | Bernie Nicholls | F | 1,127 | 475 | 734 | 1,209 | 1,292 | -39 | 1.073 |
35 | Mike Rogers | F | 484 | 202 | 317 | 519 | 184 | -51 | 1.072 |
36 | Nikita Kucherov | F | 528 | 227 | 338 | 565 | 267 | 126 | 1.07 |
37 | Adam Oates | F | 1,337 | 341 | 1,079 | 1,420 | 415 | 33 | 1.062 |
38 | Michel Goulet | F | 1,089 | 548 | 605 | 1,153 | 825 | 99 | 1.059 |
39 | Bobby Clarke | F | 1,144 | 358 | 852 | 1,210 | 1,453 | 507 | 1.058 |
40 | Patrick Kane | F | 1,074 | 416 | 718 | 1,134 | 402 | 47 | 1.056 |
41 | Stan Mikita | F | 1,396 | 541 | 926 | 1,467 | 1,264 | 329 | 1.051 |
42 | Gordie Howe | F | 1,767 | 801 | 1,049 | 1,850 | 1,685 | 160 | 1.047 |
43 | Alexander Mogilny | F | 990 | 473 | 559 | 1,032 | 432 | 81 | 1.042 |
44 | Zigmund Palffy | F | 684 | 329 | 384 | 713 | 322 | 83 | 1.042 |
45 | Ron Francis | F | 1,731 | 549 | 1,249 | 1,798 | 977 | -18 | 1.039 |
46 | Steven Stamkos | F | 888 | 461 | 459 | 920 | 529 | 61 | 1.036 |
47 | Tim Kerr | F | 655 | 370 | 304 | 674 | 596 | 77 | 1.029 |
48 | Pierre Turgeon | F | 1,294 | 515 | 812 | 1,327 | 452 | 139 | 1.026 |
49 | Darryl Sittler | F | 1,096 | 484 | 637 | 1,121 | 948 | 57 | 1.023 |
50 | Rick Martin | F | 685 | 384 | 317 | 701 | 477 | 14 | 1.023 |
*Players in bold are currently active players in the NHL.