The NHL officially only recognizes the 50 goals in 50 games achievement if it is done from the start of a season and also within the teams first 50 games. But it is also recognized as an unofficial achievement if it is done within the players first 50 games but not the teams first 50 games. 50 goals in 50 games during the middle of a season is not currently a recognized achievement in any sense. However judging by the fact that it has only been accomplish an additional 8 times within the same season(Matthews being the most recent), this lends some credence to the argument that it should also be acknowledged in some manner.
Players like Marcel Dionne, Reggie Leach & Dennis Maruk all only achieved 45 goals in 50 games at best during their best seasons in higher scoring eras and even all-time goal scoring greats like Ovechkin, Jagr, Stamkos and Lafleur, all with a 60(+) goal season under their belts, never came close to achieving 50 in 50, not even in the middle of a season which shows just how difficult it is to achieve the feat in any way. The official and unofficial version have been only been achieved 13th times in NHL history and if including mid-season 50 in 50’s only 21 individual player seasons have reached the mark. Here is a list of all players and seasons who have achieved this elite level of scoring prowess.
Official 50 in 50 (8 times) – from the start of the season in the teams first 50 games
| Goals | Season | Player | Notes |
| 50 in 50 | 1944-45 | Maurice Richard | |
| 50 in 50 | 1980-81 | Mike Bossy | |
| 61 in 50 | 1981-82 | Wayne Gretzky | 50 scored in 39th game |
| 60 in 50 | 1983-84 | Wayne Gretzky | 50 scored in 42nd game |
| 53 in 50 | 1984-85 | Wayne Gretzky | 50,51,52 scored in 49th game |
| 54 in 50 | 1988-89 | Mario Lemieux | 50 scored in 44th game |
| 52 in 50 | 1990-91 | Brett Hull | 50 scored in 49th game |
| 50 in 50 | 1991-92 | Brett Hull |
near misses
| Goals | Season | Player | Notes |
| 50 in 52 | 1965-66 | Bobby Hull | Scored #48 in 50th game |
| 50 in 51 | 1980-81 | Charlie Simmer | Scored #47,48 & 49 in 50th game |
| 50 in 51 | 1988-89 | Bernie Nicholls | Scored #48 in 50th game |
Unofficial 50 in 50 (5 times) – from the start of the season in the players first 50 games
| Goals | Team gm# | Season | Player | Notes |
| 51 in 50 | 53 | 1984-85 | Jari Kurri | 50th & 51st in 50th game |
| 54 in 50 | 53 | 1992-93 | Alexander Mogilny | 50th scored in his 46th game |
| 53 in 50 | 72 | 1992-93 | Mario Lemieux | 50th scored in his 48th game |
| 50 in 50 | 66 | 1993-94 | Cam Neely | 50th scored in his 44th game |
| 50 in 50 | 59 | 1995-96 | Mario Lemieux |
near misses
| Goals | Team gm# | Season | Player | Notes |
| 50 in 51 | 54 | 1987-88 | Mario Lemieux | Scored #48 in 48th game, 49 & 50 in 51st game |
Mid-season 50 in 50 (8 times) – 50 or more goals in any 50 game stretch within one season
| Goals | Season | Player | Games | Notes |
| 53 in 50 | 1970-71 | Phil Esposito | Game 30 to 78 | 50 in 49 |
| 50 in 50 | 1980-81 | Charlie Simmer | Game 2 to 51 | 50 in 50 |
| 50 in 50 | 1985-86 | Jari Kurri | Game 23 to 71 | 50 in 49 |
| 52 in 50 | 1987-88 | Mario Lemieux | Game 4 to 51 | 50 in 48 |
| 51 in 50 | 1988-89 | Bernie Nicholls | Game 3 to 52 | 50 in 49 |
| 50 in 50 | 1989-90 | Brett Hull | Game 24 to 73 | 50 in 50 |
| 51 in 50 | 1992-93 | Teemu Selänne | Game 27 to 76 | 50 in 47 |
| 51 in 50 | 2021-22 | Auston Matthews | Game 19 to 67 | 50 in 49 |
End of season + playoffs 50 in 50 (once), within the same season
| Goals | Season | Player | Games | Notes |
| 51 in 50 | 1982-83 | Wayne Gretzky | Game 32 to 80 & playoff game 1 | 50 in 49 |
50 in 50 over a two season stretch of regular season games (3 times)
| Goals | Seasons | Player | Game Number | Notes |
| 50 in 50 | 1966-67-68 | Bobby Hull | game 25 to 66 1966-67 + game 1 to 8 1967-68 | 41 in 42 & 9 in 8 |
| 53 in 50 | 1972-73-74 | Phil Esposito | game 60 to 78 1972-73 + game 1 to 31 1973-74 | 18 in 19 & 35 in 31 |
| 50 in 50 | 1982-83-84 | Mike Bossy | game 55 to 79 1982-83 + game 1 to 25 1983-84 | 27 in 25 & 23 in 25 |
Most goals in any 50-game stretch within a single season
only incudes the single best 50 game stretch for each player in each season
66 – Wayne Gretzky 1981-82 (game 13 to 62)
63 – Wayne Gretzky 1983-84 (game 8 to 57)
59 – Mario Lemieux 1988-89 (game 25 to 74)
59 – Brett Hull 1990-91 (game 18 to 67)
59 – Alexander Mogilny 1992-93 (game 16 to 64
56 – Mario Lemieux 1992-93 (game 9 to 58)
54 – Brett Hull 1991-92 (game 17 to 66)
53 – Phil Esposito 1970-71 (game 29 to 78)
53 – Wayne Gretzky 1984-85 (game 3 to 52)
52 – Mario Lemieux 1987-88 (game 4 to 53)
51 – Mike Bossy 1981-82 (game 2 to 51)
51 – Jari Kurri 1984-85 (multiple stretches)
51 – Bernie Nicholls 1988-89 (game 3 to 52)
51 – Teemu Selänne 1992-93 (game 27 to 76)
51 – Auston Matthews 2021-22 (game 18 to 67)
all others scored 50 in 50 games
Most goals in any 50-game stretch across multiple seasons
Only the single best 50 game stretch of each players career is listed, modern era players in bold
82 – Joe Malone – from 12/19/1917 to 3/6/1920
77 – Newsy Lalonde – from 12/22/1917 to 3/3/1920
75 – Babe Dye – from 1/17/1921 to 1/13/1923
69 – Cy Denneny – from 2/28/1920 to 3/4/1922
66 – Wayne Gretzky – from 10/31/1981 to 2/19/1982
62 – Mario Lemieux – from 3/20/1993 to 11/18/1995
59 – Frank Nighbor – from 2/25/1918 to 1/8/1921
59 – Brett Hull – from 11/13/1990 to 3/9/1991
59 – Alexander Mogilny – from 11/22/1992 to 3/20/1993
57 – Maurice Richard – from 2/26/1944 to 2/17/1945
56 – Cam Neely – from 3/27/1993 to 3/7/1994
53 – Punch Broadbent – from 2/18/1919 to 2/15/1922
53 – Phil Esposito – from 12/13/1970 to 4/4/1971
52 – Howie Morenz – from 11/26/1929 to 12/11/1930
52 – Teemu Selanne – from 12/29/1992 to 10/6/1993
51 – Mike Bossy – from 10/12/1980 to 1/26/1981
51 – Corb Denneny – from 2/18/1919 to 12/28/1921
51 – Reg Noble – from 12/19/1917 to 2/4/1920
51 – Jari Kurri – from 10/11/1984 to 2/3/1985
51 – Bernie Nicholls – from 10/9/1988 to 1/31/1989
50 – Bobby Hull – from 12/21/1966 to 10/28/1967
50 – Charlie Simmer – from 10/14/1980 to 1/26/1981
Fewest games needed to score 50 goals from the start of a season
39 – Wayne Gretzky 1981-82 (39 team games)
42 – Wayne Gretzky 1983-84 (42 team games)
44 – Mario Lemieux 1988-89 (46 team games – missed 2 games)
44 – Cam Neely 1993-94 (unofficial – in 66 team games, missed 22 games)
46 – Alexander Mogilny 1992-93 (unofficial – in 53 team games, missed 7 games)
48 – Mario Lemieux 1992-93 (unofficial – in 72 team games, missed 24 games)
49 – Wayne Gretzky 1984-85 (49 team games)
49 – Brett Hull 1990-91 (49 team games)
all others needed 50 games
Fewest games needed to score 50 goals in any stretch within a single season
34 – Wayne Gretzky 1983-84 (game 32 to 65)
35 – Wayne Gretzky 1981-82 (game 32 to 66)
36 – Wayne Gretzky 1981-82 (game 12 to 47)
best by others;
38 – Alexander Mogilny 1992-93 (game 23 to 60)
40 – Brett Hull 1990-91 (game 31 to 70)
43 – Mario Lemieux 1988-89 game 2 to 44)
43 – Mario Lemieux 1988-89 (game 32 to 74)
44 – Cam Neely 1993-94 (game 1 to 44)
Fewest games needed to score 50 goals in any stretch across multiple seasons
28 – Joe Malone – from 12/19/1917 to 2/15/1919
31 – Cy Denneny – from 12/19/1917 to 1/23/1919
33 – Newsy Lalonde – from 12/29/1917 to 1/10/1920
34 – Wayne Gretzky – from 12/14/1983 to 3/11/1984
35 – Babe Dye – from 3/7/1921 to 1/10/1923
Most times a player had 50 goals in a 50 game stretch in the same season
31 – Gretzky 81-82 (all opportunities, meaning the player scored 50 goals in all 50-game stretches)
29 – Hull 90-91 (all opportunities)
28 – Mogilny 92-93 (all opportunities)
25 – Gretzky 83-84 (all opportunities)
24 – Hull 91-92 (all opportunities)
14 – Kurri 84-85
13 – Lemieux 88-89
11 – Lemieux 92-93 (all opportunities)
9 – Selanne 92-93
7 – Esposito 70-71
6 – Lemieux 95-96
5 – Hull 89-90
TheStatican 