The 5 Best NHL Right Wings of All-Time Ranked

The best NHL right wings in history dominated their eras and set an array of records, many of which still stand today. Our list of the top right wings ever runs down the top players, including who they played for and for how long, sharing stories and anecdotes that illustrate why they’re some of the best players to have ever laced up their skates.

1. Gordie Howe

• Years Played: 1946–1980
• Teams: Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers, Houston Aeros (WHA), New England Whalers (WHA)
• Stanley Cups: 4
• Hart Trophies (MVP):  6

It’s hard to sum up Gordie Howe in a few paragraphs, but I’ll start by saying not only is he the best NHL right wing ever, he’s likely the best player ever (along with Wayne Gretzky). “Mr. Hockey” played from 1946 until 1980, and is the only player to have ever played in the NHL in five separate decades. 

His 1,767 NHL games played is the second most in history. Howe led the league in points from 1951–1954, and again from 1957–1963. He also led the NHL in goals scored four times, playoff scoring six times, and was top 10 in league scoring for 21 consecutive years. Mr. Hockey also set the record for most points in a season in 1953, and retired with the most points scored in NHL history. 

He first retired from hockey in 1971, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame the next year. However, he returned to professional hockey two years later to join his sons Mark and Marty on the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association (WHA). He won two championships in the WHA with his sons.

The WHA folded in 1979, and the team the Howes played on joined the NHL as the Hartford Whalers. Gordie Howe played for the Whalers with his sons for one more season in the NHL, retiring for good in 1980. He was 52 years old in his final NHL season; the oldest player to have ever played in the league. Despite his age he still scored 41 points in 80 games played in his final season.

Howe won four Stanley Cups during his career, and both the Hart Trophy (league MVP) and the Art Ross Trophy (most points in the regular season) six times each. He’s still third in all-time goals scored, and fourth in all time-points behind Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Jaromír  Jágr.

Gordie “Mr. Hockey”  Howe passed away in 2016, and even though he last played in the NHL 45 years ago his name is still synonymous with the game of hockey. 

2. Jaromír Jágr

• Years Played: 1995–2004, 2005–2008, 2011–2018
• Teams: Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames
• Stanley Cups: 2
• Hart Trophies (MVP): 1

Jaromír Jágr is easily the second-best right wing in history after Gordie Howe, and could reasonably be called one of the top NHL players in history regardless of position. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins selected him fifth overall in 1990, and he was the first Czech player to be drafted in the NHL. Jágr won the Stanley Cup in 1991 and 1992, and played again for the Cup in 2013 for Boston. While he didn’t win in 2013, his 21 years between Finals appearances is the longest gap in NHL history. He’s also the only player to have ever played for the Stanley Cup as both a teenager and as a player over 40 years old. 

Over the course of his NHL career Jágr played for nine teams. Even though he left the Pittsburgh in 2001, Jágr still holds 31 scoring records for the Penguins. He also has five scoring records for the New York Rangers.

Jágr left the NHL in 2018 with the second-most points in history behind only Wayne Gretzky. He’s sixth in all-time playoff scoring too. Among his many NHL scoring records are most career points and assists by a right wing, most single-season points by a right wing, oldest player to score more than 60 points, and most consecutive 70+ seasons at 15. He’s also tied for the most consecutive 30 goal seasons, a record that includes the lockout-shortened 1994–1995 season. 

Jaromír Jágr won five Art Ross Trophies in his NHL career, four of which came in consecutive seasons. From 1981 until 2001 he was only of only three players to win the league’s scoring title, the other two being Wayne Gretzky and teammate Mario Lemieux. 

As a testament to his longevity, the only reason Jágr isn’t in the Hockey Hall of Fame is because he’s still actively playing* in the Czech Republic’s top league at age 53, and has played pro hockey for 37 seasons and over 2,000 games; the longest career in professional hockey history. 

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*As of December 2025

3. Maurice “Rocket” Richard

• Years Played: 1942–1960
• Team: Montreal Canadiens
• Stanley Cups: 8
• Hart Trophies (MVP): 1

Maurice “Rocket” Richard was the best pure goal scorer of his time, and was the most prolific goal scorer the league had seen up until that point. He was the first player to ever score 50 goals in a single season, and was the first of only five players in history ever to score 50 goals in 50 games. Later he became the first player to ever score 500 goals in the NHL, and he retired as the league’s all-time leading goal scorer. 

Richard won eight Stanley Cups playing for his hometown Montreal Canadiens, including a record-breaking five Cups in a row; a record that still stands to this day. The Rocket is the all-time leading goal scorer in Montreal Canadiens history too.

He played a hard-nosed, sometimes vicious brand of hockey that was once described as having “no finesse.” The most famous example of his tough style occurred in 1955. He was struck with a high stick that would cause him to get five stitches, and Richard retaliated by striking the other player in the head with his stick. The linesman (referee) stepped in to separate them, and Richard broke his stick over the other player’s back. He then punched the linesman twice in the face, knocking him unconscious. 

After the NHL suspended Richard for the rest of the season (including the playoffs), the famous “Richard Riot” broke out in downtown Montreal, causing over $100,000 in property damage.  

Richard became a significant cultural symbol across Canada, particularly in his home province of Quebec. One example of his impact is The Hockey Sweater, one of Canada’s most celebrated books and animated films ever. The story revolves around a young boy asking his mother for a Rocket Richard jersey. 

As a testament to his legacy, when he died in 2000 he became the first non-politician to ever receive a state funeral, and more than 115,000 people came to view him lying in state at the Montreal Canadiens’ home arena. 

4. Mike Bossy

• Years Played: 1977–1987
• Teams: New York Islanders
• Stanley Cups: 4
• Hart Trophies (MVP): 0

Mike Bossy may be the most under-appreciated winger on our list. He only played from 1977 to 1987, and his career was a story of quality over quantity, as his offensive output was truly elite.

Bossy broke the rookie scoring record his first year in the league, scoring 53 times. It would be the first of nine 50+ goal seasons in a row; still an NHL record to this day. He’s tied with Wayne Gretzky and Alexander Ovechkin for the most 50+ goal campaigns, but Bossy is the only one to have set the record in consecutive seasons. 

Twice in his career Bossy led the league in scoring, and another three times he finished second. He was only the second player to score 50 goals in 50 games (the first was Maurice Richard), and is still the all-time leader in average goals scored per-game in league history. 

He’s most widely known for being a driving force behind the New York Islanders dynasty of the 1980s, which saw the team win four Cups in a row between 1980 and 1983. And since he only played in 10 years, that means Bossy won the Stanley Cup in 40% of his career seasons. 

Sadly his career was cut short due to chronic knee and back pain. Bossy had broken his kneecap doing the long jump in high school, and the injury continued to take its toll on him for his entire career. Eventually his back developed in-operable problems from him skating awkwardly to take the pressure off of his knees. After sitting out the entire 1988–1989 season, Mike Bossy retired from the NHL at the age of 30 as one of the purest goal scorers the game has ever seen.

Mike Bossy passed away on April 15, 2022, exactly one week before Guy Lafleur. 

5. Guy Lafleur

• Years Played: 1971–1985, 1988–1991
• Teams: Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Quebec Nordiques
• Stanley Cups: 5
• Hart Trophies (MVP): 2

While Rocket Richard powered the Montreal Canadiens of the 1940s and 50s, Guy Lafleur drove the team throughout the 1970s and 80s. Not only did “The Flower” win five Stanley Cups and two Hart Trophies, he also won three Art Ross Trophies (regular season scoring), three Lester B. Pearson Trophies (MVP as voted on by his peers), and one Conn Smythe Trophies (playoff MVP) during his career. 

He was the first player in league history to score 50 goals in six consecutive seasons. He was also the first player to ever score 50 goals and 100 points in a season, and at the time was the fastest player to reach 1,000 points, doing so in only 720 games. 

The Flower retired in 1985 and was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988. Later that year Lafleur returned to the NHL with the New York Rangers and Quebec Nordiques before retiring for good in 1991. He is one of only three players to have resumed their career after being inducted into the Hall of Fame, along with Bobby Hull and Mario Lemieux. 

Lafleur is the all-time leading points scorer in Montreal Canadiens history, a team that has been around since 1909. He’s also the all-time assists leader for the franchise, has the single-season points scoring record, and is second in all-time goals for Montreal behind Maurice “Rocket” Richard. 

Guy Lafleur passed away on April 22, 2022; exactly one week after Mike Bossy.

Honorable Mentions

• Brett Hull: Fifth-most goals in NHL history, and has the third-highest single-season goal total ever with 86.
• Jari Kurri: First Finnish player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, won five Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers.
• Jarome Iginla: One of only 20 players to score more than 600 career goals, and one of seven to have ever scored 30 goals in 11 consecutive seasons.
• Teemu Selänne: Scored a record 76 goals in his rookie season for the Winnipeg Jets, a benchmark that still stands to this day.
• Mike Gartner: One of only eight players to score 700 career goals, and is tied with Alexander Ovechkin and Jaromír Jágr for the most consecutive 30 goal seasons ever (15).

Brett Hull is the son of Bobby Hull, one of the greatest NHL left wings in history. Hull was a sniper that is one of only five players to have ever scored 50 goals in 50 games. He joined his father Bobby in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009. 

Jari Kurri played on the Edmonton Oilers dynasty of the 1980s, and at the time of his retirement was the highest scoring European player ever. He still has the record for most career goals and points in history by a non-Canadian player.

In 2002 Jarome Iginla became the first person since 1981 to win the Art Ross Trophy that wasn’t Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, or Jaromír Jágr. He’s considered one of the best players to have never won the Stanley Cup.

Teemu Selänne followed his 76-goal rookie campaign with a Hall of Fame career that saw him become the NHL’s 11th highest scoring player ever, finishing with 1,457 points. In 1998 he won the inaugural Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal scorer. 

Mike Gartner was the first ever player to record his 500th goal, 500th assist, and 1,000th point all in the same season. He’s been a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee since 2009, and the chair of the committee since 2022.

Want to see how these legends compare to the greatest players on the other side? Check out our ranking of the best NHL left wings of all time.

The Best Right Wings in NHL History

As far as who is the best right wing in NHL history is concerned, the answer is Gordie Howe. “Mr. Hockey” played in five different decades, led the league in scoring for consecutive years multiple times, and retired with the most points scored in NHL history. And after being inducted into the Hall of Fame, he returned to the game to play professional hockey with two of his sons before finally retiring at the age of 52.

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