Auston Matthews is the most prolific goal scorer in the NHL today. The three-time Maurice “Rocket” Richard trophy winner is also, arguably, the most outstanding player the Toronto Maple Leafs have ever had in their long, storied history.
For the past 20 years, the first of these two titles has belonged to Alex Ovechkin. “The Great 8” has a record nine “Rocket” Richard Trophies as the league’s top scorer. He is now less than 20 goals away from breaking the once-thought-to-be untouchable all-time goal-scoring record.
For those who might be new to statistical hockey lore and legend, the record is currently held by Wayne Gretzky. It has been safely positioned atop his iconic pedestal since 1999.
Gretzky, commonly known as “The Great One,” backhanded a loose puck past an Islanders netminder at MSG late in the ‘99 season for his 894th. That goal had a deeper meaning for Gretzky himself. It was actually goal number 1072 for his professional career, including playoffs, finally putting him past Gordie Howe across the same categories.
That’s right, his 1072nd. Like the longtime Red Wings legend, Gretzky had played in the World Hockey Association (WHA). The young phenom totaled an impressive 46 regular season goals during his time in that league. Some would argue that the number 1072 is the actual number, representing the WHA, the NHL, and all playoff goals — the total, all-time goal-scoring record.
Think similarly to the United States Football League (USFL). The professional football league existed in some major cities across the US from 1983 to 1985. Hall of Famers such as Steve Young, Herschel Walker, Jim Kelly, and Reggie White played and were recognized with awards and accolades as some of the top statistical leaders in the now-defunct experimental league.
Their USFL stats are not factored into their career totals. If they were, White would be standing alone as the all-time sacks leader, and Walker would be among the top 10 in career rushing yards. Given the talent and competition in the USFL during its time, many feel that its stats should be factored into professional football’s all-time records.
The same argument can be made for the WHA. Back in 1978, the NHL had placed age restrictions on incoming players. No player on an NHL roster was to be under 20 years of age. Despite being one of the best players in the world as a 17-year-old, Gretzky was left with very few options of where to play against top competition.
One option was to remain with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he dominated, with 182 points in 63 games in 1977-78. Junior hockey in those days meant boarding with a local family and being paid a small stipend for lunch money. The other option was to accept an offer from the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA in 1978 for $1.75 million.
Gretzky, of course, chose the second of the two options. The Racers folded 10 games into the season, relocating to Edmonton, and became the now famously recognized Edmonton Oilers. The WHA itself folded after that season, and the Oilers, along with the Hartford Whalers (now Carolina Hurricanes), Quebec Nordiques (Colorado Avalanche), and Winnipeg Jets were added to the NHL.
Like the USFL, the WHA boasted a who’s who of top hockey talent at the time. Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull were at the tail ends of their career but would have been more than welcome on any NHL roster in the mid to late 1970s. They opted, instead, to play in the upstart WHA.
Marc Tardif left the Montreal Canadiens in his prime to sign and play with the Quebec Nordiques, racking up over 300 goals through five seasons in the WHA. Combined with the 194 he scored in the NHL, Tardif should be considered for the Hall of Fame. The point is that in the true sense, the actual record for goals, the holy grail of all time, should be the elusive 1072.
At some point in the not-so-distant future, even that titanic number for career goals will likely come toppling down, not once, but potentially twice. At this rate, Ovechkin is on pace to break the NHL record of 894 well before the end of this season at the age of 39. It would be foolish to think that Ovechkin would hang them up afterward. Once the record is broken, it is conceivable that he would play two or even three more years into his age 42 season. At a moderate 25-30 goal clip during each of those years, while including his playoff totals, he should blow right past 1072.
As for Auston Matthews, he is also on a torrid pace. The Maple Leafs’ star center will likely reach 500 goals in fewer games than Ovechkin. Matthews is on pace to eclipse Gretzky’s mark of 894 in just over 10 seasons from now when he is 37 years old. Assuming he can stay healthy in one of the world’s most physically taxing pro sports, Matthews would probably have three to five seasons left in the tank to chase 1072. It is certain that a deeper run into the playoffs by his Maple Leafs, or any team for whom he might play in the future, would only help towards capturing this number.
Who knows if 1072 means anything to today’s top goal-scorers? It’s doubtful that Connor McDavid has the number written on a sticky note on his fridge or that Matthew Tkachuk brings it up in conversation with his Dad, Keith. That said, the number deserves respect, as it embodies the history of expansion and transition in our great sport. Eight hundred ninety-four will be broken first by Alex Ovechkin and then by Auston Matthews. As for 1072, I’ll take Matthews as the one to take it and officially be known as the greatest goal-scorer the game has ever known.
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