Season achievements
The 2006–07 season saw the largest number of players (five) achieve their 500th goal (Teemu Selänne, Mike Modano, Mark Recchi, Mats Sundin, and Peter Bondra). A total of four players scored their 500th goal in 1995–96 (Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, Mark Messier, and Dale Hawerchuk)
The longest stretch between 500 goal scorers was the eight seasons between Gordie Howe (second to achieve the mark), in 1961–62, and Bobby Hull, in 1969–70.
Player achievements
The 48 players to score 500 goals consist of 35 Canadian-born Canadians, [note 1] four US-born Americans (Joe Mullen, Mike Modano, Jeremy Roenick, and Keith Tkachuk), three Slovaks (Stan Mikita, Peter Bondra, and Marian Hossa), [note 2] two Finns (Jari Kurri and Teemu Selänne), two Russians (Evgeni Malkin and Alexander Ovechkin), one Czech (Jaromir Jagr) and one Swede (Mats Sundin). Stan Mikita was the first player not born in Canada to score 500 goals (he was born in the Slovak Republic, but represented Canada internationally); Jari Kurri was the first 500-goal scorer who never played for the Canadian national team.
The fewest NHL games required to reach the mark is 575, set by Wayne Gretzky. Second-quickest is Mario Lemieux, who achieved the mark in his 605th game. With Mike Bossy (647) and Brett Hull (693) following, only these four players needed fewer than 800 games to score their first 500 goals.
Of the 48 players to score at least 500 goals in their career, 19 reached the mark in fewer than 1000 career games played.
Of those on the list, Lanny McDonald came closest to not achieving 500 goals; he reached the mark with only four games left in his final NHL season. Similarly, Joe Mullen scored his 500th goal with only ten games left in his final season. Glenn Anderson was the closest player to never reach the mark, retiring in 1996 with 498 career NHL goals.
Four players have scored their 500th goal on an empty net: Mike Bossy, Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, and Keith Tkachuk.
Maurice Richard and Peter Bondra are the only players with over 500 goals but fewer than 1,000 points.
Patrick Roy is the only goaltender to concede more than one opponent's 500th career goal: Steve Yzerman in 1996, Joe Mullen in 1997, and Brendan Shanahan in 2002. A contributing factor for this statistical coincidence is Roy playing the third-most games ever by a goaltender, at 1,029.
In 2006, on Hockey Night in Canada , Mats Sundin scored his 500th goal short handed, in overtime, to finish off a hat trick and to win the game for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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