1987; Landover, MD, USA; Edmonton Oilers Wayne Gretzky. Mandatory Credit: Porter Binks/USA TODAY NETWORK
1987; Landover, MD, USA; Edmonton Oilers Wayne Gretzky. Mandatory Credit: Porter Binks/USA TODAY NETWORK
Comparing Connor McDavid and Wayne Gretzky is one of the biggest debates in hockey. McDavid keeps putting up great numbers in today's NHL, while Gretzky still holds many of the game's biggest records. Despite that, McDavid has already built an amazing career of his own.
But both played in different eras, so it is not easy to compare them. Even so, their career stats give fans a good way to see how they match up. McDavid has scored 1,220 points in 794 NHL games. He averages 1.5 points per game. He has 409 goals, 811 assists, a +186 plus-minus rating, and a 15.1% shooting percentage on 2,713 shots.
Gretzky's career numbers are even higher. He finished with 2,857 points in 1,487 NHL games, averaging 1.9 points per game. He scored 894 goals, added 1,963 assists, recorded a +520 plus-minus rating, and had a 17.6% shooting percentage on 5,088 shots.
April 21, 2025, Los Angeles, California, USA: CONNOR MCDAVID of the NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA s Edmonton Oilers skates during warmups before a game against the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Quarter Finals at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California on April 21, 2025 Los Angeles USA - ZUMAc239 20250421_zsp_c239_016 Copyright: xAlexxCavex
April 21, 2025, Los Angeles, California, USA: CONNOR MCDAVID of the NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA s Edmonton Oilers skates during warmups before a game against the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Quarter Finals at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California on April 21, 2025 Los Angeles USA - ZUMAc239 20250421_zsp_c239_016 Copyright: xAlexxCavex
According to Statspros, the comparison also shows how great Gretzky was in many scoring categories. He scored 617 even-strength goals, 204 power-play goals, 73 short-handed goals, and 91 game-winning goals during his career.
On the other hand, McDavid has scored 76 game-winning goals. He has scored 300 even-strength goals, 100 power-play goals, nine short-handed goals, both being roughly half of Gretzky's. But the numbers are so because McDavid has also played roughly half the games that Gretzky did.
Even so, he continues to score at an elite rate. His speed, passing, and goal-scoring ability keep him among the NHL's best players. If he keeps playing at this level for the next few seasons, many fans will continue to debate where he ranks among the greatest players in hockey history.
McDavid's recent production keeps adding to the debate
The same StatsPros comparison also shows how well Connor McDavid played in his latest NHL season. He played all 82 games and scored 48 goals.
He also recorded 90 assists for 138 points, averaging 1.7 points per game. He finished with a +17 rating, took 306 shots, and shot 15.7%. These numbers show why many people still see him as the NHL's top offensive player.
Since Gretzky played his last years ago and his career numbers are standard for others, the debate is not about who is better today.
Instead, people ask if McDavid can keep playing at an elite level long enough to challenge some of Gretzky's records. Many of Gretzky's records still look very hard to break, but McDavid's strong and consistent play means this debate will likely continue for years.
For now, Wayne Gretzky still holds the top spot in NHL history with his incredible career numbers. McDavid, however, continues to build a career that could add his name to many NHL record lists.
As McDavid plays more seasons, one big question remains: How close can he really get to Gretzky's historic career numbers? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
Read more at the NHL Fan Central.
Written by
Kapil Manghnani
Edited by
Suyashdeep Sason