What is the NHL Top 100?

The NHL top 100 objectively ranks the careers of NHL players by assigning points based on a combination of achievements, yearly performance and longevity.

For achievements, a forward receives points for being a yearly top-three point producer, a defenseman receives points for being voted a top-two defenseman, and a goalie receives points for being voted top goalie. Additionally, players earn points for finishing in the top six in league MVP voting, winning the playoff MVP, and winning the Stanley Cup. Consistent performance and career longevity are measured by combining era-adjusted points scored and games played for both the regular season and playoffs.

Five Players Added to the NHL Top 100

Congratulations to the Carolina Hurricanes for winning the 2026 Stanley cup.  It is their second Stanley Cup in franchise history.  With all individual awards presented it is time to update the NHL top 100 lists.  David Pastrnak finished 6th in Hart Trophy voting which helped him to rise 18 spots to number 78 on NHLtop100 for forwards.

Zach Werenski is known for his elite skating, offensive creativity, and heavy minutes, Werenski has become the cornerstone of the Blue Jackets' defense. He has earned multiple NHL all-Star selections and emerged as one of the league’s top two-way defensemen. In recent seasons, he posted back-to-back 80-point campaigns and was a finalist for the Norris Trophy, winning the award in 2026.  Werenski joins the top 100 defencemen at number 63. 

Aaron Ekblad is one of the longest serving players in Panthers history. Ekblad has become the franchise's all-time leader among defensemen in several categories, including games played, goals, assists and points. He played a key role in Florida's recent success, helping the team win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2024 and 2025. Ekblad joins the top 100 defencemen at number 100.

Jacob Markstrom is known for his size, athleticism, and strong positional play. During his NHL career, he has played for Florida, Vancouver, Calgary and New Jersey. He was the finalist for the Vezina Trophy in 2021-22 after a standout season with Calgary, leading the league with nine shutouts. Markstrom joins the top 100 goalies at number 94.

Jake Allen has established himself as a reliable NHL netminder and was part of the St. Louis Blues team taht won the Stanley Cup in 2019. Known for his calm style and consistency, he has recorded more than 200 NHL wins and, in 2024 became the first goaltender in NHL history to earn victories against 33 different NHL franchises. Allen joins the top 100 goalies at number 100.

Linus Ullmark is known his calm positioning, strong puck tracking, and consistency in net. He played for Buffalo from 2015 to 2021 before joining Boston, where he enjoyed the best years of his career. His biggest achievement came in the 2022-23 season when he won the Vezina Trophy after posting a remarkable 40-6-1 record and a .938 save percentage. Ullmark joins the top 100 goalies at number 99.

Wayne Gretzky Tops the Top 100

Wayne Gretzky is widely recognized as the greatest hockey player to ever live. This is understandable considering all of his records and career achievements. Gretzky is the NHL career leader in assists, and points in the regular season and playoffs. It would surprise no one that Wayne Gretzky is also the number one ranking forward on the NHL top 100 with 6,605 points which is 800 points more than second place Gordie Howe. Among Gretzky’s many records is the record for most regular season MVP awards with nine and scoring leader awards with ten. To go along with these achievements Gretzky has two playoff MVP awards and four Stanley Cup victories. It is no wonder that Wayne Gretzky leads all others on the NHL top 100 with 2,214 adjusted points and has an incredible 4,175 award points which leads second place Gordie Howe who has 3,563. We may never see anyone reach the career heights of Wayne Gretzky ever again.

In Memoriam

Scroll to Top