With the Stanley Cup Playoffs unfolding right now, another spring of overtime thrillers, superstar performances and unforgettable moments has hockey fans revisiting some of the NHL’s most legendary postseason records.
From Wayne Gretzky’s seemingly untouchable scoring marks to marathon streaks and goaltending feats, the playoffs have produced numbers that feel almost impossible to replicate in today’s game.
Connor McDavid holds the NHL playoff record for most assists (34) in a single playoff...
But as the NHL continues to evolve with faster pace, longer careers and expanded opportunities, it’s fair to ask: could some of these historic playoff records actually be broken one day?
Believe it or not, the NHL playoff record for most goals in a single season doesn’t belong to Wayne Gretzky. That distinction goes to Philadelphia Flyers legend Reggie Leach, who scored an incredible 19 goals during the 1976 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
His run included five straight multi-goal games. He also had four goals in four games in the Stanley Cup Final against the Montreal Canadiens. Leach even won the Conn Smythe Trophy despite his Flyers getting swept by the Canadiens.
Leach’s record is going to be difficult to break. Zach Hyman, with 16 goals in 2023-24, is the only player in the 21st century in the top-20 in this category. Even with their offensive prowess, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin rank 23rd and 24th all-time with 15 goals each in 2008-09 and 2017-18, respectively.
Pavel Dorofeyev, through three rounds, is the leader in NHL odds to break this NHL playoff record in 2026. The Vegas Golden Knights forward had a playoff-leading 10 goals in 16 games following Vegas’ four-game sweep of the Colorado Avalanche. He had 37 goals in the regular season, but would need an historic effort with 10 goals in the Stanley Cup Final to break Leach’s record.
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Connor McDavid, one of the betting favorites in Hart Trophy odds, set the NHL record with 34 assists during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, showcasing one of the most dominant playmaking runs in league history. His postseason included multiple four-assist games and several clutch performances that carried the Edmonton Oilers all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
McDavid’s 26 assists in the 2024-25 playoffs ranks eighth in this category. Other current players in the top-10 include Nikita Kucherov (27 in 2019-20) and Leon Draisaitl (25 in 2021-22).
Jack Eichel has emerged as a potential threat to McDavid’s modern benchmark for most assists in a single playoff, one of the most recently broken NHL playoff records. Eichel already has 16 assists in 16 games during Vegas’ current run.
Still, surpassing McDavid’s mark would require sustaining an elite pace deep into multiple series, making it a very difficult but not impossible challenge. Mitch Marner (14) and Taylor Hall (11) are among the other longshot contenders for this NHL playoff record.
Wayne Gretzky recorded an astonishing 47 points during the 1985 Stanley Cup Playoffs, a mark that still feels nearly impossible to reach in today’s NHL. His legendary postseason featured seven games with at least four points as he led the Edmonton Oilers to another Stanley Cup title.
Gretzky is also third, fifth, sixth, and 10th in this category. Among active players, Connor McDavid came closest in 2023-24, registering 42 points (8 goals, 34 assists), which made him the winner in Conn Smythe odds despite losing in the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers.
Mitch Marner is emerging in Vegas as a playoff performer, indicated by his rising Conn Smythe odds. The former Toronto Maple Leafs winger had 21 points in his first 16 playoff games in 2026, leading all players. While impressive, he would need 26 more points to catch up to Gretzky, a feat that seems near impossible. Even assuming Vegas wins the Stanley Cup in seven games, Marner would have to have an historic series to catch The Great One.
Brad Richards scored an NHL-record seven GWG during the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs, delivering countless clutch moments throughout Tampa Bay’s championship run.
Ricards’ postseason heroics included multiple overtime winners and several decisive performances in tight, low-scoring games as the Lightning captured the franchise’s first Stanley Cup title.
Brett Howden became the first player in the 2026 NHL playoffs to hit the three-GWG mark with his winner in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final. Howden scored an empty net goal two games later to tie teammate Pavel Dorofeyev for the playoff lead with 10 goals.
Vegas is just four wins away from the Stanley Cup. Howden would have to score the winning goal in each of those games to tie Richards’ remarkable record, a feat that seems statistically impossible.
Mike Bossy (1981) and Cam Neely (1991) share the NHL playoffs record for most PPG in a single playoff with nine each. Bossy did it in 18 games, while Neely needed 19.
Bossy’s run featured relentless finishing for the Islanders, while Neely powered Boston with physical dominance and key goals in multiple high-pressure postseason matchups.
Mark Stone has been in and out of the lineup for the Golden Knights, but is a key reason why the team is in the Stanley Cup odds conversation. Stone has been fantastic with the man advantage, scoring four power-play goals in just 11 games. It’s not out of the question for him to score five more in a potential seven-game series.
Stone’s teammate Dorofeyev also has four PPGs.
There are seven players who have scored three short-handed goals in a single NHL playoffs. Wayne Gretzky equaled the mark in 1983 with the Edmonton Oilers. Derek Sanderson, with the Boston Bruins in 1969, was the first player to reach the three SHG mark in the playoffs. Tobias Reider of the Calgary Flames, in 2020, was the last player to equal the record.
Brett Howden has a great chance to break this NHL playoffs record. The Vegas Golden Knights forward had three shorthanded goals through the first three rounds, making him the eighth player to tie the record. Howden scored a pair of shorthanded tallies in Vegas’ first round victory over the Utah Mammoth and added another in the second round against the Anaheim Ducks.
Bernie Parent posted a staggering .963 save percentage during the 1974 Stanley Cup Playoffs, one of the most dominant goaltending runs in NHL history. He allowed almost nothing in net while carrying the Philadelphia Flyers to their first-ever Stanley Cup, including multiple shutout performances in key games of the Final.
Before the start of the 2026 NHL playoffs, nobody would have predicted Frederik Andersen to have a shot at this record. He wasn’t even certain to start for the Carolina Hurricanes due in part to his past injuries and the play of Brandon Bussi, who went 31-6-2 for the Hurricanes in the 2025-26 regular season.
Andersen, meanwhile, had just a 16-14-5 record with a .874 save percentage. He has been lights out in the playoffs, pushing near the NHL playoff record for best save percentage among goalies with a minimum of five starts. He was 12-1 with a 1.41 GAA and .931 save percentage through 13 games.
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Most career playoff goals: Wayne Gretzky (122)
Most career playoff penalty minutes: Dale Hunter (731)
Most playoff hat tricks: Wayne Gretzky (10)
Most career playoff shutouts: Martin Brodeur (24)
Most Game 7 goals: Justin Williams (7)
Most playoff overtime goals: Joe Sakic (8)
Most career playoff wins by a goalie: Patrick Roy (151)
Most playoff games played: Chris Chelios (266)
Longest playoff point streak: Bryan Trottier (18 games)
Most consecutive playoff appearances by a player: Nicklas Lidström (20 seasons)
Most playoff overtime wins by a goalie: Patrick Roy (23)
Most playoff series-winning goals: Glenn Anderson (9)
Most playoff PPG (career): Brett Hull (38)
Many fans consider Wayne Gretzky’s 122 career playoff goals the most untouchable record. Alex Ovechkin is the active leader with 77 and is nearing retirement. Nathan MacKinnon had 55 playoff goals before the start of the 2026 NHL playoffs.
Justin Williams, aptly nicknamed “Mr. Game 7,” holds the NHL record with seven career Game 7 goals, cementing his reputation as one of hockey’s ultimate clutch playoff performers.
The 1936 playoff marathon between the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Maroons lasted an incredible 176 minutes and 30 seconds, stretching into six overtimes before finally ending 1-0. The longest in the 21st century was the Pittsburgh Penguins vs the Philadelphia Flyers in 2000. That went to the fifth OT before Keith Primeau scored the GWG.
Martin Brodeur holds the NHL record with 24 postseason shutouts, combining elite consistency with years of deep playoff runs for the New Jersey Devils.
It’s possible, but difficult. Salary caps, parity and shorter dynasties make repeated Stanley Cup runs much harder than during previous NHL eras dominated by powerhouse franchises.
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