The Top 50 Goal-Scoring Snipers in NHL History

The term sniper is applied to hockey players who score at a prolific pace. With little regard for defense and passing, the typical sniper gets assists solely on the rebounds from all the shots he takes. That being said, the evolution of the NHL and hockey overall, expands the term "sniper" to more complete players.

Steve Yzerman, for example, was one of the preeminent goal scorers in the league for his first ten seasons, before Scotty Bowman got him to backcheck. His final stats are among the all-time greats weighted by his huge numbers early, and deserves note as one of the greatest scorers in history.

I also wrestled with the notion that "power forward" and "sniper" were mutually exclusive, before deciding that they really aren't. Just because a big, strong forward who actually checks people can light up the score sheet, he shouldn't be considered less of a sniper. Some of the greatest goal scorers don't fit the typical mold of "sniper", but they are absolutely worthy of mention.

That being said let me address the top two goal scorers in NHL history, Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe. I won't include them on my list mostly because they transcend all lists with their unique and very different styles of play. Gretzky's early career saw him scoring goals at a level that no one had ever seen. Technically he is the number one sniper of all time based on all the records he set and the ridiculous per-game scoring pace he set.

Conversely, Gordie Howe was the prototypical power forward who would knock a puck in the goal just as quickly as he would an opponents teeth down their throat. He set every major offensive record in the NHL before Gretzky came along. The longevity of Mr. Hockey's career is also noteworthy as his talents covered five decades.

So here is my list of the top 50 snipers of all time. Subjective lists like this are always fun, because someone invariably gets slighted, underrated, overrated or just forgotten. Enjoy now!

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50. Ziggy Palffy

Don't laugh at the first name on the list until you take a look at his stats. Piling up goals on some mediocre Islanders teams in the late 1990's, Palffy would end up heading back to Eastern Europe with a lot left in the tank. His 329 goals aren't mind blowing until you consider that he only played 684 games. That's a pace of .481 goals-per-game.

49. Dany Heatley

As much as we don't want to concede that Heatley is an elite scorer, his numbers tell us he is. 349 goals at .464 goals per game are pretty impressive. Those numbers are likely to improve after last years' stinker from the Wild winger. Adding Zach Parise could free up some room for Heatley to shine in Minnesota.

48. Peter Stastny

Peter "the Great" Stastny was one of the first Slovak players to hit the NHL. Missing out on some prime playing years, Stastny came to the NHL at age 24 and won the Calder Trophy as the league's top "rookie". While his primary goal was to facilitate his teammates, he was never afraid to shoot.

Stastny, playing on some  bad Quebec teams, was always among the league leaders in scoring. He finished his career with 450 goals in 977 games.

47. Pierre Larouche

Blessed with one of the great hockey names of all time, "Lucky Pierre" was the first NHL player to hit the 50-goal mark with two teams. He began his career in Pittsburgh hitting a high of 53 goals and 111 points in 1976. Larouche was moved to Montreal two years later and again hit 50 in 1980.

He finished his career with 395 goals in 812 games.

46. Marian Gaborik

One of the best snipers in the NHL today, Marian Gaborik has averaged just under 30 goals per season. He seemed to find a pretty good groove in New York last season, knocking in 41 before a torn labrum derailed him in the playoffs. If he can recover well this fall, look for the 30-year-old Slovak to pick up where he left off.

45. Rick Martin

Rick Martin was a mustachioed winger for the Buffalo "French Connection" line in the 1970's. Teaming with Gilbert Perreault and Rene Robert, Martin hit the 50-goal mark twice in ten years with the Sabres.

Not to be confused with the Puerto Rican pop singer, Martin finished with 384 goals in 685 games in an injury-shortened career.

44. Darryl Sittler

The owner of an impressive single game points record is Darryl Sittler with six goals and four assists against Boston in 1976. Though he would never tip the 50-goal mark, Sittler was always in the 40's finishing with 484 in 1096 games. Most of those goals came in Toronto where Sittler's 27 hangs in the rafters.

43. Bernie Geoffrion

"Boom Boom" Bernie is noted for his hard slapshot, which he claimed to have invented. His career was largely overshadowed by teammates and fan favorites Rocket Richard and Jean Beliveau. His career, abbreviated by various ailments after 883 games saw Geoffrion light the lamp 393 times.

42. Charlie Simmer

Armed with a mustache that might make George Parros jealous, Charlie Simmer composed one third of the Triple Crown line in Los Angeles.

Twice eclipsing the 50-goal mark with the Kings, Simmer benefited greatly from playing alongside Marcel Dionne. He would finish his career in Boston and Pittsburgh with 342 goals in 712 games.

41. Bill Barber

Bill Barber played with Bobby Clarke and Reggie Leach on a productive offensive line known (not so creatively) as the LCB Line. He was a key part of the Flyers two Stanley Cup titles in 1974 and 1975. Barber hit the 50-goal mark once, but never scored less than 20 in any season in his 12 seasons. He would finish with 420 goals in 903 games.

40. Peter Bondra

The speedy Slovakian winger typically had his name among the goal scoring leaders. Scoring at a pace of .465 goals per game, Bondra finished his career at 503.

39. Rick Vaive

Rick Vaive was the first 50-goal scorer in Toronto Maple Leaf history, topping the magic number three times with Toronto. He would also play for Chicago and Buffalo in his 13-year career. He would never reach 50 after he left Toronto, but would finish with 441 goals in 876 games.

38. Mark Recchi

Mark Recchi enjoyed a great deal of success in his 22-year career. Nothing could cap it better than officially retiring after winning his third Stanley Cup as a member of the Boston Bruins. Recchi would score over 50-goals once in his career, with Philadelphia, and finished with 577 goals in 1652.

37. Joe Nieuwendyk

Joe Nieuwendyk always had a nose for the goal. His first two full seasons in Calgary saw him hit the 50-goal mark each year. Though he would never hit 50 in his remaining 18 seasons, Nieuwendyk still lit the lamp regularly with Calgary, Dallas, New Jersey, Toronto and Florida.

He finished his career with 564 in 1257 games.

36. Brendan Shanahan

In spite of an inconsistent reign as the NHL's "Lord of Discipline", Shanahan was an elite goal scorer. He fits the bill as a "power forward" and was always a physical presence everywhere he played.

He would finish his career where it began in New Jersey, with 656 career goals in 1524 games.

35. Steve Shutt

The consumate sniper from a statistical standpoint, Steve Shutt was the left wing on Montreal's "Dynasty Line" with Guy LaFleur and Jaques Lemaire. Shutt set the gold standard for left wings with a 60-goal season in 1977, until Luc Robitaille came along.

Shutt helped the Habs win five Stanley Cups between 1973 and 1979. He finished his career with 424 goals in 930 games.

34. Michel Goulet

Michel Goulet teamed with Paul Stastny in the 1980's to form one of the leagues best scoring tandems on one of the leagues worst teams. Goulet averaged 53 goals per season from 1983 to 1988 hitting the 50 -goal mark four consecutive seasons during that time.

Goulet would finish his career with 548 goals averaging .503 goals-per-game.

33. Glenn Anderson

Glenn Anderson was a winger for the Edmonton Oilers during their glory years in the 1980's. He would twice top the 50-goal mark with Edmonton. He was particularly lethal in the playoffs and still ranks in the top five in playoff goals.

He won six Stanley Cups, five with Edmonton and another as a role player with the New York Rangers in 1994. He finished his career with 498 goals in 1129 games.

32. Mike Modano

The leading scorer in American hockey, Mike Modano spent his career with the Minnesota/Dallas Stars organization before a forgetable final year in Detroit. Modano would hit the 50-goal mark once, his first year in Dallas, and would average over 25 goals per season over the course of his 21 year career.

Modano finished with 561 goals in 1499 games.

31. Alexander Mogilny

Part of the famed Russian line featuring Pavel Bure and Sergei Fedorov, Alex Mogilny came to the NHL's Buffalo Sabres in 1989. He peaked with 76 goals in 1993 with some video game like numbers. Though he would never approach those numbers again, Mogilny was a constant threat on the ice with his great speed and quick snap-shot.

He would finish his NHL career with 473 goals in 990 games playing for Buffalo, Vancouver, New Jersey and Toronto.

30. Joey Mullen

Joey Mullen set the bar for American born hockey talent. As a member of the Calgary Flames Mullen would post his career high in goals with 51. Mullen would play for Pittsburgh and Boston over his 17-year career, winning three Stanley Cups and finishing with 502 goals in 1062 games.

29. Dino Ciccarelli

The feisty right winger scored the most goals ever for a draft eligible player who was never drafted. A two-time member of the 50-goal club, Ciccarelli played for five teams over 19 years. He finished up with 608 goals in 1232 games.

28. Stan Mikita

Stan Mikita's interesting career took a turn when he stopped playing a chippy style, and started working on his offense. He centered Chicago's "Scooter Line", and with Bobby Hull sharing a locker room, the Hawks became one of the most potent offenses in the league.

Mikita would tie Hull's  NHL-scoring record with 97 points in 1969. He finished his career with 541 goals in 1394 games.

27. Frank Mahovlich

Long before he entered the Canadian Senate, "The Big M" Frank Mahovlich was filling the nets in the NHL for Toronto, Detroit and Montreal. Mahovlich played for six Stanley Cup winning teams and scored 533 goals in 1181 games.

26. Dave Andreychuk

Dave Andreychuk was a big, slow skating left wing, who happens to hold the NHL record for career powerplay goals. Andreychuk would play 22 seasons in the NHL, twice eclipsing 50 goals. He finished his career in Tampa Bay with 640 goals in 1639 games.

25. Pat LaFontaine

Pat LaFontaine's career is a cautionary tale to concussions and head injuries. He was on track to be one of the great scorers in NHL history and still managed to write his own ticket to the Hall of Fame.

LaFontaine is still the highest point per game player in American hockey history and finished with 468 goals in 865 games.

24. Evgeni Malkin

Capable of dominating any game at any time, Evgeni Malkin almost seems to improve when teammate and captain Sidney Crosby isn't in the lineup. The reigning Art Ross and Hart Trophy winner will look to stockpile more hardware next season with Crosby back.

Through 427 games, Malkin already has 207 goals. Stay tuned.

23. Ilya Kovalchuk

The Russian winger has no shortage of shots in his arsenal and has capitalized 406 times in just 779 games. The Devil's sniper seems to have found his scoring touch again, after an off year in 2011.

22. Jean Beliveau

There is probably nothing cooler to say among friends than, "My name is on the Stanley Cup 17 times." Beliveau lifted the cup 10 times as a player, then seven more times as an executive. "Le Gros Bill" scored 507 goals while he was winning championships in Montreal at a .450 per game clip.

21. Sidney Crosby

Sid the Kid seems torn between being a facilitator and a sniper. With his skill set, he can do either at a world class level. If he can stay healthy, there is no telling where Crosby's statistical ceiling might be. He is always mentioned among the leagues best players, and puts up the stats to back it up.

223 goals in 434 games is an impressive snapshot of Crosby's potential so far.

20. Alex Ovechkin

A fiery start to Alex Ovechkin's career saw him on track to challenge some of the NHL's most hallowed goal scoring marks. Though he has seen his numbers taper recently, Alex Ovechkin is still electric to watch on the ice. His pace of .613 goals per game is likely to drop a little bit, but Ovechkin is still only 26, in the prime of his career.

339 goals in 553 games has Ovechkin sitting just ahead of Wayne Gretzky in the per-game category.

19. Jaromir Jagr

Jaromir Jagr benefitted from a great sense of timing as he joined Mario Lemieux in 1990. The two formed one of the most prolific scoring tandems in the NHL, winning back to back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992. With Lemieux's erratic health issues, Jagr stepped to the forefront and led the league in scoring five times between 1995 and 2001.

Jagr is currently the active goal scoring leader with 665 goals in 1346 games.

18. Steve Yzerman

Long before Steve Yzerman started playing a "team friendly" game, he was one of the NHL's elite snipers. Quick feet, great hands and a deceptive shot had Yzerman in the company of Gretzky and Lemieux in the mid and late 1980's.

The longest serving captain in NHL history, Yzerman finished his career with 692 goals.

17. Joe Sakic

While he was playing for the Quebec Nordiques, Joe Sakic seemed like he would be on track to be the best player never to make the playoffs. When the team moved to Colorado in 1995, it seemed to revitalize his career and the franchise.

Known for having one of the best wrist shots in the game, Sakic would finish his career with 625 career goals and two Stanley Cups.

16. Cam Neely

A classic example of a power forward with golden hands Neely was one of the most feared snipers in the late 1980's and early 1990's. "Sea Bass" Neely hit the 50 goal mark three times in his abbreviated career, totaling 395 in 726 games.

A chronic hip injury forced him to retire to the silver screen at age 31.

15. Guy Lafleur

After a sluggish start in Montreal, Guy Lafleur hit his smooth skating stride in 1974. He began a string of six consecutive seasons with 50 goals or more, peaking at 60 in 1978. Lafleur centered the "Dynasty Line" with Jaques Lemaire and Steve Shutt.

"The Flower" would collect five Stanley Cup titles in his career finishing with 560 goals in 1127 games.

14. Luc Robitaille

Lucky Luc never really got the love he deserved because of his sub-par skating, but his stick was magical. History will be kind to him as his numbers will cement him among the game's elite players.

Robitaille's 668 career goals are a testament to his skill with the puck more than luck.

13. Tim Kerr

Though his numbers don't initially blow you away, Tim Kerr was a Broad Street sniper for his 12 years with the Flyers. With 34 of his 58 goals in 1985-86 coming on the power play, Kerr still holds the NHL record for extra man goals in a season.

Multiple shoulder surgeries and personal tragedy brought Kerr's career to a close prematurely. He retired in 1993 with 370 goals in just 655 games.

12. Marcel Dionne

Spending most of his career in hockey Siberia, (ironic on so many different levels) Los Angeles, Marcel Dionne is one of the most underrated players in NHL history.

He sits fourth on the all-time goal scoring list with a staggering 731 tallies.

11. Steven Stamkos

Possibly a little high on the list, it's impossible to believe that Steven Stamkos won't leave an indelible mark on the NHL scoring records. Having just dropped 60 goals at the ripe age of 22, Stamkos scores goals at a clip of .5507 per game.

15 more years at that pace could have Stamkos sniffing, dare I say, Gretzky territory.

10. Maurice Richard

Considering the award for most goals awarded in a season is named in his honor, it should be expected that Rocket Richard is near the top of this list. The first player to score 50 goals in a season, Richard also happened to do it in 50 games.

A lifetime Montreal Canadien, Richard set the gold standard for scoring proficiency in the NHL with 544 goals in 978 games.

9. Phil Esposito

Phil Esposito made a career out of playing for Original Six franchises, but his finest years were in a Boston uniform. During a seven year stretch from 1969 to 1975, Esposito averaged 60 goals per season. OK it was only 59.7142857 per season, but you get the idea, right?

8. Mike Gartner

Nineteen years in the NHL, five teams and a member of the exclusive 700-goal club, Mike Gartner was widely regarded as one of the fastest skaters in the league. A model of consistency, Gartner only hit the 50-goal mark once (1984-85), but averaged a goal every other game at .4944 per.

7. Bobby Hull

The "Golden Jet" Bobby Hull was noted as much for his mouth as his big shot. He is credited with pioneering the curved blade on his hockey stick, before the NHL stepped in to regulate the curve. Hull became the first NHL player to surpass the 50-goal mark in 1966, finishing with 54.

The senior Hull was something of a hockey rock star in the 1960's and would finish his NHL career with 610 goals. Another 303 goals while Hull played in the WHA from 1972 to 1979 after leaving Chicago for a big money deal in Winnipeg.

6. Pavel Bure

One of the most electric goal scorers of his generation, Bure was a player that made you get out of your seat for every time he had the puck. With a filthy set of hands, wicked shot piled on top of some turbo charged CCM skates, the "Russian Rocket" terrorized goalies for 12 NHL seasons in Vancouver, Florida and New York.

His career cut short by a chronic knee injury, Bure finished with 437 goals in just 702 games.

5. Teemu Selanne

The Finnish Flash burst onto the NHL scene with a flair and gusto with 76 goals in his rookie campaign. Though he would never come within 24 goals of that total in a single season, Selanne would have a prolific goal scoring career with Winnipeg, Anaheim, San Jose and Colorado.

With another year signed on at the (former Arrowhead) pond, Finland's favorite Duck will add to his totals.

4. Jari Kurri

Of Jari Kurri's 601 goals, Wayne Gretzky assisted on 364. That's 60.6% to save you the calculating. One of the "Great One's" most lethal wing men, the Finnish national was a key component to the Edmonton Oiler dynasty of four titles in five years. His 106 playoff goals are good for third in NHL history.

3. Mario Lemieux

Ladies and gentlemen, with the first pick in the 1984 NHL Draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins select.....Dustin Diamond. Twenty eight years later, Pittsburgh could say that Mario Lemieux saved the the Penguins franchise, but not "by the bell". Sorry, had to.

The awkward French-Canadien spark plug pictured above persevered through more than almost any player in the history of the NHL to rank second in goals-per-game average. Gifted with size, silky soft hands, and a deadly shot, Lemieux is the name people almost always associate with "What if he had been healthy?"

2. Mike Bossy

The holder of one of the most impressive NHL records, nine consecutive 50-goal seasons, does not belong to Wayne Gretzky. The man in sole possession of said record is New York Islander legend Mike Bossy.

Having retired after only 10 seasons on Long Island due to chronic back issues, Bossy also holds the all time goals per game record at an astounding .762 per game. Imagine what he could have done with five more healthy seasons.

1. Brett Hull

The "Golden Brett" is the prototype for an NHL sniper. His quick release and lazer-like accuracy helped him finish his Hall of Fame career with 741 goals. Hull lit the lamp at a pace of .584 goals-per-game with Calgary, St. Louis, Dallas and Detroit.

His most (in)famous goal may have come with his foot clearly in the crease, but Hull scored plenty with his nasty slapper.