NASHVILLE — Steven Stamkos has scored three goals in two games to move into 17th on the NHL’s all-time goals list, passing a pair of Hall of Famers who were among his idols growing up.
Stamkos began the 2026-27 season in 19th place, then scored his 625th career goal on Saturday against the Dallas Stars, tying Jarome Iginla and Joe Sakic for 17th. The goal came on the power play at 4:46 of the first period, off a cross-slot pass from Ryan O’Reilly. After the game, Stamkos said it meant a lot to see his name among his heroes.
“It’s cool when you hear those names,” Stamkos said following Saturday’s game. “Those are guys that certainly, as a Canadian kid growing up, watching those guys play… I wore 19 as a kid because of Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman. Never in your wildest dreams do you think you’re going to be sitting here and tied with them for goals. But at the same time, you just go with the flow, right? I do anything I can to continue to try to score goals and help our team win, and it’s just neat to hear some of the names.”
He didn’t stay tied for long. On Tuesday in Toronto, Stamkos opened the scoring with a first-period power-play goal for No. 626 and sole possession of 17th place, then added another in the second. Nashville lost the game in overtime, but Stamkos finished the night with 627 career goals, 13 behind Dave Andreychuk, who sits 16th with 640.
Head coach Andrew Brunette said the start isn’t a surprise.
“With Stammer, anytime a goal scorer scores his first one, usually goals follow,” Andrew Brunette said.
Stamkos is now three games into a season that could keep him climbing the list. He scored 42 goals last year, the eighth time he has reached the 40-goal mark. Of his career goals, 555 came with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
For his teammates, the climb is as much about who he’s passing as how fast. O’Reilly, who has played alongside Stamkos on the line for the last three years, said Wednesday that it means something to the group.
“It’s so incredible,” O’Reilly said Wednesday. “For being around the same age as him growing up, Sakic and Iginla are like our heroes, and for him to pass them, it’s unfathomable. But the way he is, the way he works, his intelligence, it’s like the puck always seems to find him. Getting to play with him on the line, he somehow is always in the scoring area, and if you just get it to him, he’s going to put it in the net. He’s so fun to play with, and as a leader, a guy you can always just rely on. He’s just such an incredible player, and it’s just so cool to see him keep climbing this. It’s like every day he’s passing someone new, and it’s just so impressive to see.”
- Alex Ovechkin, 929
- Wayne Gretzky, 894
- Gordie Howe, 801
- Jaromír Jágr, 766
- Brett Hull, 741
- Marcel Dionne, 731
- Phil Esposito, 717
- Mike Gartner, 708
- Mark Messier, 694
- Steve Yzerman, 692
- Mario Lemieux, 690
- Teemu Selänne, 684
- Luc Robitaille, 668
- Brendan Shanahan, 656
- Sidney Crosby, 654
- Dave Andreychuk, 640
- Steven Stamkos, 627
- Jarome Iginla & Joe Sakic, 625
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