Syndication: Westchester — The second highest scorer in Stanley Cup playoff history never scored an overtime goal

5 Hockey Hall of Famers who never scored a Stanley Cup playoff overtime goal ft. Mark Messier

Modified May 24, 2024 17:33 GMT

According to statistics from NHL.com, there have been 4,358 players who skated in the Stanley Cup playoffs. After a century of hockey, only 690 of those skaters have been an overtime hero.

On Thursday night (May 23), Connor McDavid collected his second career overtime goal, making him one of 191 skaters to have multiple playoff overtime lamplighters.

Surprisingly, some of the game's greatest players have never had the privilege of scoring an overtime goal. Here's a look at some Hockey Hall of Famers who never did so.

Five Hockey Hall of Famers who never scored a Stanley Cup playoff overtime goal

#5 Gordie Howe

Gordie Howe, also known as "Mr. Hockey," was the NHL's leading scorer with 1,850 points until Wayne Gretzky broke his record in 1989. During his legendary career spanning 26 seasons, Howe was a four-time Stanley Cup winner.

In 20 postseason appearances, he compiled 68 goals and 160 points, which ranks 24th all time. Despite scoring 11 game-winning goals in 157 games, Howe never scored a playoff overtime goal, leaving him one of the greatest players who has never been an overtime hero.

#4 Mario Lemieux

Mario Lemieux hands off the Stanley Cup (2017)

Mario Lemieux, or "Le Magnifique," is a two-time Conn Smythe winner and one of two players (the other being Wayne Gretzky) to score over 40 points in a postseason, finishing with 44 in 1990-91.

As one of the most dominant players in NHL history, Lemieux was a two-time Stanley Cup winner and won three more as an owner. Although he ranks 19th all-time in scoring, he has the fifth-highest points-per-game average (1.61) in history.

In 107 playoff games, he netted 76 goals and 172 points with 11 game-winners, none came in overtime.

#3 Ray Bourque

Ray Bourque had a storybook ending to his career, winning his first Stanley Cup at the end of his 22nd season in Game 7. As the highest-scoring defenseman of all time, with 1,579 points, he skated in the postseason 21 times.

Bourque dressed for 214 games in the playoffs and is one of 22 skaters to reach 200 contests. As a defenseman, he ranks 15th in scoring, third among defenders, behind Paul Coffey and Nicklas Lidstrom.

Surprisingly, despite having 49 goals and 180 points, he scored only four game-winning goals and no overtime goals.

#2 Paul Coffey

Coffey is one of the best defensemen in NHL history and one of the smoothest skaters ever. With 196 points, he was the seventh-highest scorer in the postseason and the closest anyone else has come to 200 points.

During his time with the Edmonton Oilers, he won three Stanley Cups before capturing a fourth with Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991. He ranks second, behind Bourque, for most points by a defender, with 1,531.

In 194 playoff games, Coffey tallied 59 goals, with eight game-winners, which didn't include any overtime lamplighters.

#1 Mark Messier

Mark Messier is one of the last players to win six Stanley Cup titles and is the only one in NHL history to captain two franchises to a championship. As one of four skaters to amass over 1,800 points, it's safe to say that "The Mosse" is one of the all-time greats.

With 295 points in the playoffs, Messier came within five points of joining Gretzky as the only other one with over 300 points in the postseason. As the second-highest scorer, he also ranks second in goals (109) and assists (186), behind his former linemate.

Messier ranks 17th all time in game-winning goals in the Stanley Cup playoffs, with 14. However, despite all his magical postseason runs, which include the Cup-clinching goal in 1994, he never scored an overtime goal.