Brutal, but also balletic, Hockey is a game that may not be for the faint of heart, however, it is definitely for the deft of hand.
With a puck that flies, often, it seems, at the speed of light, raw power and pure precision in equal measures are what separates the greats from the rest of the pack as they cut, weave, score, or find the open man.
Hockey is also a sport that doesn't just laud those who set the sirens off by putting the puck in the back of the net, it also rewards those who set up the goalscorers.
Unlike other sports, players can earn points for scoring goals as well as creating assists, so there's no need to be greedy, as those who share the puck also share the same statistical kudos.
From contemporary heroes to those who took to the ice back in the day, here are the National Hockey League's top ten greatest point-scorers of all time.
1. Wayne Gretzky (1979-1999) – 894 goals/1963 assists/2857 points – Edmonton, Los Angeles, St Louis and New York Rangers
2. Jaromir Jagr (1990-2018) – 766 goals/1153 assists/1921 points – Pittsburgh, Washington, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Dallas, Boston, New Jersey and Calgary
3. Mark Messier (1979-2004) – 694 goals/1193 assists/1887 points – Edmonton, New York Rangers and Vancouver
4. Gordie Howe (1946-1980) – 801 goals/1049 assists/1850 points – Detroit and Hartford
5. Ron Francis (1981-2004) – 549 goals/1249 assists/1798 points – Hartford, Pittsburgh, Carolina and Toronto
6. Marcel Dionne (1971-1989) – 731 goals/1040 assists/1771 points – Detroit, Los Angeles and New York Rangers
7. Steve Yzerman (1983-2006) – 692 goals/1063 assists/1755 points – Detroit
8. Mario Lemieux (1984-2006) – 690 goals/1033 assists/1723 points – Pittsburgh
9. Joe Sakic (1988-2009) – 625 goals/1016 assists/1641 points – Quebec and Colorado
10. Phil Esposito (1963-1981) – 717 goals/873 assists/1590 points – Chicago, Boston and New York Rangers
