Wayne Gretzky.
That’s basically the beginning and the end of the conversation when you talk about the nhl goals in a season record. Most people know "The Great One" holds a lot of records, but the number 92 is something different. It’s a mathematical anomaly. It’s a glitch in the simulation of professional sports.
Back in the 1981-82 season, Gretzky didn't just break the previous record; he essentially set a bar so high that modern players look at it like a mountain peak hidden in the clouds. Before Gretzky blew the doors off, Phil Esposito held the title with 76 goals. People thought 76 was insane. Then Gretzky came along and hit 50 goals in 39 games—a feat that still sounds like a typo—and finished the year with 92.
Honestly, we might never see anything like it again. The game has changed too much. Goalies are better, systems are tighter, and the sheer volume of rubber you have to put on net to score 90-plus times in 82 games is staggering.
The Night the Record Shattered
It happened on March 28, 1982. The Edmonton Oilers were playing the Los Angeles Kings. Gretzky entered the game with 91 goals. He wasn't just chasing the record anymore; he was padding a lead against history itself.
Early in the third period, he beat Mike Blake to net number 92. The Forum in Inglewood actually cheered for the guy destroying their home team. That’s how big the moment was. Even more wild? Gretzky later admitted he felt a bit disappointed he didn't hit 100. He had two games left after that and didn't score another goal.
You’ve got to think about the pace. To hit 92 goals, you aren't just having a good week. You are scoring 1.15 goals every single time you step on the ice for six months straight. Most elite snipers today are thrilled if they can maintain a 0.60 or 0.70 pace.
Close But No Cigar: The Other Legends
If you look at the all-time list for the nhl goals in a season record, it’s a very short, very prestigious guest list.
- Brett Hull (86 goals, 1990-91): "The Golden Brett" is the only person who truly threatened the 90-goal barrier. He had that legendary one-timer and played on a St. Louis Blues team that basically existed to feed him the puck.
- Mario Lemieux (85 goals, 1988-89): Super Mario was arguably the most talented pure goal scorer ever. In '88-89, he also had 114 assists. Think about that. He was involved in 199 goals.
- Alexander Mogilny & Teemu Selanne (76 goals, 1992-93): This was the last time the league saw a truly "dead ball" era-shattering performance. Selanne was a rookie. A rookie! Nobody has touched 76 since.
Why Nobody Hits 80 Anymore
It’s not just that players aren’t as good. That’s a common misconception. In reality, the average NHL player today is significantly more athletic than the average player in 1982. The problem is the goalies.
In the early 80s, goalie pads were made of leather and stuffed with deer hair. When they got wet, they got heavy. Goalies mostly stood up and kicked at pucks. Today, goalies are 6'5" giants who play a "butterfly" style that covers the bottom of the net with mathematical precision.
Then there's the coaching. In Gretzky's era, games often ended 7-5 or 8-6. It was "run and gun" hockey. Now, if a coach loses a game 6-5, they’re having a defensive breakdown meeting the next morning at 6:00 AM. Neutral zone traps and shot-blocking have turned the ice into a minefield for goal scorers.
The Auston Matthews Factor
We have to talk about Auston Matthews. In the 2023-24 season, Matthews went on a tear that felt different. He finished with 69 goals. For a few weeks in April, the hockey world was holding its breath. Could he hit 70?
He didn't quite get there, hitting the post in the final game of the season. But 69 goals in the modern era is, adjusted for league scoring averages, nearly as impressive as Gretzky’s 92. When Gretzky scored 92, the league average for goals per game was around 4.0. When Matthews scored 69, it was closer to 3.1.
Matthews proves that the nhl goals in a season record isn't completely forgotten, but it highlights just how massive the gap is between "generational talent" and "Wayne Gretzky."
Beyond the Numbers: The Mental Toll
Scoring at that rate requires a level of selfishness that most team players struggle with. You have to want the puck every second. You have to shoot from everywhere. Brett Hull used to say he never saw a shot he didn't like.
Gretzky was different because he was a playmaker first. He had 120 assists the year he scored 92 goals. He wasn't just cherry-picking; he was controlling the entire flow of the game. That’s why his record is likely safe forever. You need someone who can score like a sniper but see the ice like a chess master.
What to Look for in the Future
If you’re watching the league today and wondering if anyone will ever challenge 92, keep an eye on these factors:
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- Power Play Opportunities: The league occasionally cracks down on cross-checking or slashing. If the NHL enters a phase where teams get 6 or 7 power plays a game, a guy like Matthews or Connor McDavid could potentially sniff 80.
- The "Empty Net" Meta: Teams are pulling their goalies earlier than ever. Sometimes with five minutes left. This provides "free" goals for the league's top stars that players in the 80s didn't get as often.
- Expansion Dilution: As the league adds more teams (like the recent additions of Vegas and Seattle), the talent pool of defensemen sometimes gets stretched thin. This can lead to more high-scoring blowouts.
Actionable Takeaway for Hockey Fans
If you want to truly appreciate the nhl goals in a season record, stop looking at the total number and start looking at Goals Per Game (GPG).
Gretzky’s 1.15 GPG in '81-82 is the gold standard, but Mario Lemieux actually had a season ('92-93) where he was on pace for 94 goals before he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. He finished with 69 goals in just 60 games. That is a 1.15 pace.
When you see a player today hitting a 0.80 GPG pace over the first 20 games of the season, pay attention. That’s the "danger zone" where history starts to feel possible again. To track this yourself, simply divide a player's current goal total by the games they've played. If that number is over 1.10 in January, we might actually have a race on our hands.
The 92-goal mark is a monument to a specific time in hockey history, a perfect storm of a legendary player, a high-scoring era, and a team that refused to play defense. It’s the ultimate "unbreakable" record, but as we saw with Matthews recently, watching someone try to climb that mountain is still the best show in sports.
To get a deeper feel for how the game has evolved, compare the save percentages of the top 10 goalies from 1982 (roughly .870) to the top 10 today (roughly .915). That gap is where those missing 20 goals went. Until the nets get bigger or the goalie pads get smaller, 92 is staying right where it is.
Next steps for stats junkies: Check the current NHL leaderboards for "Goals per 60 minutes" at even strength. This stat removes power play inflation and shows you who the most dangerous natural scorers really are. It's often a better predictor of future record-breaking runs than simple goal totals.