Connor McDavid Approaches 1,000 Points Milestone
Connor McDavid, after a stellar 132-point season followed by a 42-point playoff run, is widely regarded as one of the most talented hockey players in history. At 27, McDavid is on the brink of reaching 1,000 career points. As the 2023-24 season concluded, he amassed 982 points over 645 regular-season games. If he continues this trajectory, he could become the third-fastest player in NHL history to reach this milestone.
With an impressive career average of 1.52 points per game, McDavid needs just 18 more points to hit 1,000. This pace suggests he could achieve this in approximately 12 games. But how does this compare to the fastest players to reach 1,000 points?
Fastest Players to 1,000 Career Points
Wayne Gretzky holds the record, achieving 1,000 points in just 424 games. Remarkably, Gretzky’s next 1,000 points took only 433 more games. Mario Lemieux follows, reaching the milestone in 513 games. The top ten fastest players are:
1. Wayne Gretzky – 424 games
2. Mario Lemieux – 513 games
3. Mike Bossy – 656 games
4. Peter Stastny – 682 games
5. Jari Kurri – 716 games
6. Guy Lafleur – 720 games
7. Bryan Trottier – 726 games
8. Denis Savard – 727 games
9. Steve Yzerman – 737 games
10. Marcel Dionne – 740 games
If McDavid maintains his scoring pace, he will likely reach 1,000 points in 657 games, placing him fourth on this prestigious list. Notably, McDavid has reached the 18-point mark in fewer than 12 games four times in the past five seasons. Here are his point tallies for each season:
Even though it took him 17 games last season, McDavid still maintained over a point per game. Based on his historical performance, it’s reasonable to expect he will reach 1,000 points in fewer than 12 games, potentially tying Mike Bossy for third place.
McDavid is almost certain to rank at least fourth. To fall to fourth, he would need 37 games to accumulate 18 points, which has never happened in his career. The main question is whether he can surpass Bossy.
McDavid Among Active Players
Among active NHL players, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Alex Ovechkin are the fastest to reach 1,000 points, with Crosby achieving it in 757 games, Malkin in 848, and Ovechkin in 880.
McDavid is already in the conversation as one of the greatest players of all time. Although Crosby has enjoyed more team success, McDavid’s individual achievements are more impressive, and he is ten years younger. If McDavid reaches 1,000 points in 100 fewer games than Crosby, it will underscore his offensive prowess. Only a few players have matched such remarkable numbers.
In addition to his chase for 1,000 points, McDavid recently became the fourth player to record 100 assists in a season, one of six to score 150 points in a season, and surpassed Gretzky’s record for most assists in a playoff year with 34.
McDavid is a phenomenal talent, and at 27, he has the potential to break more records than anyone anticipated. As he continues to improve each season, McDavid is on track to becoming one of the greatest players in NHL history.
