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NHL: 30 most prolific scorers of all-time

By Nick Villano

UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - JANUARY 18: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrates his empty net goal against the New York Islanders which tied him with Steve Yzerman on the NHL all time goal scoring list at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum on January 18, 2020 in Uniondale, New York. The Capitals defeated the Islanders 6-4. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - JANUARY 18: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrates his empty net goal against the New York Islanders which tied him with Steve Yzerman on the NHL all time goal scoring list at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum on January 18, 2020 in Uniondale, New York. The Capitals defeated the Islanders 6-4. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Guy Lafleur
Guy Lafleur (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

NHL: 30 most prolific scorers of all-time: No. 8 Guy Lafleur

Guy Lafleur was a player whose peak might have been one of the best seven-year stretches in the history of hockey. Between 1974 and 1979, Lafleur broke the 50-goal plateau every season, went well north of 100 points, and won four Stanley Cup Championships. Can anyone compete with such a peak? The real issue with Lafleur’s career is it cratered for some reason, but his peak was impossible to touch.

Lafleur put up 70 goals in the 1977-78 season when including his run to the Stanley Cup. He led the league in regular-season goals and playoff goals. He won one of his two Hart Trophies that season. He also won the Pearson and Art Ross Trophies that season. Again, it’s hard to really convey how great this run of seasons was. Lafleur was unstoppable on the ice. The only other players to have a stretch of games with as many points as Lafleur were Gretzky and Lemieux, considered by far the two best players to ever skate.

Lafleur’s final season with the Canadiens was a mess. He had a falling out with his head coach, which led to his subsequent retirement at the halfway mark of the 1984-85 season at the age of 33. Lafleur would eventually forgo retirement and make his way back to the hockey rink three years later, signing with the New York Rangers. He was pretty good at 37 years old before a knee injury knocked him out. The 1988 Hall of Famer later wrapped up the final two years of his career with the Quebec Nordiques.

But let’s not focus on the end. The peak of Guy Lafleur is one of the best offensive players to ever play in this game.

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