For most hockey players, winning the Stanley Cup is the ultimate goal. From
being drafted to helping a team through the regular season, playoffs and
eventually Stanley Cup Finals, hoisting the cup is always the end-goal. Along
the way, however, players all seek to play the best they can for a variety of
purposes. While players always want to win games, the accolades that come with
personal success are not overlooked by players on their journey - whether it be
 a new contract or the glory that comes with hitting huge career milestones,
players are not only thinking about winning - as much as they may want the
general public to believe so.

One of the most exclusive clubs in the NHL comes in the form of the "500-Goal
Club." It is a club that is so exclusive, that only 45 players in the history
of the league have ever reached such a milestone. Only five active players have
 hit the mark with no player looking primed to reach the mark anytime soon. One
 goal that is even more exclusive than the 500-Goal Club, however, is the
"600-Goal Club."

There have been 20 players in NHL history who have scored 600 goals. Only one
active player has reached the milestone, which is a testament to how impressive
 the feat truly is. This list will include every member of the 600-Goal Club,
in reverse-chronological order starting with those scored their 600th goal most
 recently all the way back to the very first player to do so.

Alexander Ovechkin - March 12, 2018

When Alexander Ovechkin scores his 600th goal in March of 2018, he became only
the sixth payer in NHL history to do so with one franchise, joining the ranks
of Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, Mario Lemieux, Joe Sakic and Bobby Hull.
Ovechkin was also the fourth-quickest player to reach the mark by scoring 600
goals and 1,109 points in only 990 games. Only Wayne Gretzky, Lemieux and Brett
 Hull did so quicker.Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals poses with the
puck commemorating his 600th career goal which he scored during the second
period against the Winnipeg Jets at Capital One Arena on March 12, 2018 in
Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Since his debut in the league, few players have consistently been as electric
and fun to watch as Ovechkin. From jaw-dropping goal-totals in his first five
seasons in the NHL, never tallying below 46 goals in that span, Ovechkin has
never been the gold-standard for goal scoring consistency since his rookie
season in 2005-06. In 13 seasons, including a lockout-shortened 2012-13 season,
 Ovechkin has never recorded under 30 goals in a season. In that time he';s had
 nine 40-plus goal seasons, including seven with over 50 goals - one of which
saw him record a career-high 65.Jarome Iginla - Jan. 4, 2016(Icon SMI)

Jarome Iginla tallied his 600th goal just four days into the 2016 calendar year
 at the age of 38. Though he';s yet to win a Stanley Cup in his career, Iginla
will forever be known as one of the greatest hockey players in the history of
the sport.

Though he';s an unselfish player and has been known throughout his career as a
true team player, Iginla was a scoring machine for the majority of his career,
even scoring 30 goals in 11 consecutive seasons, including a career-high 52
goals in 2001-02. Iginla is last played in in the NHL in the 2016-17 season
with the Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings. He';s scored 625 goals in
his career.Teemu Selanne - March 21, 2010

If there was any player destined to score 600 goals in a career, it was Teemu
Selanne. The 10th overall selection in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, Selanne made
his NHL debut during the 1992-93 season with the Winnipeg Jets. In 84 games, he
 scored 76 goal and 132 points and proved to be a lethal scoring winger from
his very first season.MONTREAL 1990';s: Teemu Selanne #13 of the Winnipeg Jets
skates against the Montreal Canadiens in the early 1990';s at the Montreal
Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Denis Brodeur/NHLI via Getty
Images)

Selanne went on to play for 21 seasons in the NHL, tallying 684 goals and 1,475
 points in 1,451 games. Nicknamed the Finnish Flash, Selanne is one of the best
 Finnish-born players, and one of the best players in general, to ever grace
the NHL ice.Joe Sakic - February 15, 2007

Before Joe Sakic was tasked with running the Colorado Avalanche organization as
 the team';s general manager and executive vice president, he was the leader of
 the franchise for decades. Sakic retired from the NHL in 2009 and had his
jersey number retired by the Avalanche prior to the 2009-10 season. There
aren';t many players who can claim to have been immortalized by a franchise so
soon after retiring, but anyone who saw Sakic play can attest to the fact that
he was worth the honor.

Sakic was originally drafted with the 15th overall selection in the 1987 NHL
Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques. He has remained with the franchise ever
since as a player and executive, even after the franchise moved from Quebec to
Colorado.In 1,378 games with the Nordiques/Avalanche organization, Sakic scored
 625 goals and 1,641 points and was a crucial part of the Avalanche';s Stanley
Cup victories and Canada';s first gold medal in 50 years in the 2002 Olympic
Games.Jaromir Jagr - Nov. 19, 2006

Jaromir Jagr has always been one of the NHL';s best players. Whether he was an
18-year-old playing with the Pittsburgh Penguins, or 44-years old and scoring
27 goals in his 25th season in the NHL, he has continually been
excellence-personified. As the second-highest point scorer in NHL history -
despite playing overseas during the 2004-05 lockout year, as well as taking
three years off from 2008-09 until 2010-11, Jagr will forever be known as one
of the greatest players in the NHL. With over 760 goals in his career, Jagr has
 earned his place in NHL history.Brendan Shanahan - Oct. 5, 2006

Brendan Shanahan has had a long career in hockey. Before being hired as the
President of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2014, Shanahan served as the NHL';s
Senior Vice President. While he';s remained prominent in the NHL since
retiring, it was his 21-year career split between the New Jersey Devils, St.
Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers.Brendan
Shanahan #14 of the Detroit Red Wings (Tom Pidgeon /NHLI/Getty Images)

In 1,524 career games, Shanahan went on to score 656 career goal and was the
winner of three Stanley Cups (all with the Detroit Red Wings). He also holds
the unofficial record for Gordie Howe hat trick - an accolade earned by scoring
 a goal, recording an assist and getting into a fight in the same game, with 17
 in his career.Dave Andreychuk - Nov. 23, 2002Dave Andreychuk scored his 600th
and 601st goal in the very same game - a trend that a few players in this
league had done before him, on Nov. 23, 2002. While scoring 640 goals in a
career would be the most impressive individual accolade for most players in NHL
 history, the fact that Andreychuk played in the NHL for 26 seasons gives that
milestone a significant run for its money.Scoring goals is certainly
impressive, but it was the amount of time that Andreychuk played, and remained
on top of his game, that is truly so impressive. Scoring 640 goals, however,
should still be appreciated for what it is, as Andreychuk truly
excelled through his 1,639 NHL games.Luc Robitaille - Nov. 9, 2001(Jayne
Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE)

Not many ninth round draft picks ever make the NHL. For Luc Robitaille, success
 was in the cards. Not only was Robitaille a fan-favorite in Los Angeles (long
before Gretzky was traded to the Kings in a move that ultimately helped the NHL
 expand), but he was one of the best players in the history of the franchise,
and the NHL. In 1,431 games in the NHL, Robitaille scored 668 NHL goals and
1,394 points.

Though he was never able to win a Stanley Cup with the Kings as a player, he
did end up winning the Cup with the Detroit Red Wings at 36-years-old before
returning to the Kings for his final two seasons. Robitaille as remained with
the Kings after being hired as the team';s President of Business Operations on
May 25, 2007. He has won two more Stanley Cups with the Kings in that
role.Brett Hull - Dec. 31, 1999

When Brett Hull hit the 600 goal mark in the NHL, it simply wasn';t good enough
 for him. He tallied the 601st goal of his career in the same game, proving to
be one of the greatest scorers in history. Hull ultimately scored 741 goals in
 his career, averaging a goal in 58.4 percent of his career games. For
reference, only seven players in history have recorded a higher goals-per-game
average, including Mike Bossy, Cy Denneny, Lemieux, Cecil Dye, Pavel Bure and
Ovechkin.DETROIT, MI - JUNE 13: Head Coach Scotty Bowman (L) and Brett Hull (R)
 of the Detroit Red Wings celebrate with the Stanley Cup in the locker-room
after eliminating the Carolina Hurricanes during game five of the NHL Stanley
Cup Finals on June 13, 2002 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The
Red Wings won 3-1. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images/NHLI)

As a former sixth-round draft pick in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, it was clear
that Hull was overlooked by NHL teams despite scoring 105 goals and 188 points
in 57 games in his draft year with the Penticton Knights of the BCJHL with 153
goals and 292 points overall through 107 games.Steve Yzerman - Nov. 26, 1999

Before Steve Yzerman became one of the more successful general managers in the
NHL, he was a superstar forward with the Detroit Red Wings. Playing with one
team for an entire career is extremely rare in sports. Some of the greatest
athletes in the history of hockey - as well as baseball, basketball and
football, made their mark with one franchise before finishing with another.
This has become even truer in recent decades, which makes Yzerman';s career
trajectory even more impressive.Steve Yzerman and Sid Abel during Sid Abel
Night at Joe Louis Arena.

Though he';s now the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Yzerman was
drafted with the fourth overall selection in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the
Red Wings, playing his rookie season that year and playing with the Red Wings
until he retired following the 2005-06 season. Yzerman is one of the game';s
greats, and he went on to fall just short of 700 goals in his career,
finishing with 692 goals and 1,755 points in 1,514 games.Dino Ciccarelli - Feb.
 3, 1998

Dino Ciccarelli was one of the best goal scorers of his time, scoring 608 goals
 and 1,200 points in 1,232 career NHL games. After scoring at an elite level
throughout his career, Ciccarelli reached the 600-goals milestone in his
penultimate season, scoring his 600th marker against the Detroit Red Wings on
Feb. 3, 1998.

Ciccarelli scored at least 30 goals seven times in his nine seasons with the
Minnesota North Stars, reaching the 50-goal plateau twice in that time. As is
the case with every player on this list, consistency played a big role in
Ciccarelli';s ability to reach 600 goals.Mark Messier - Oct. 23, 1998

One of hockey';s most successful players, Mark Messier has done it all in the
NHL. Messier became just the 10th player in NHL history to reach the 600-goals
 mark when he did so in 1998, though that accolade has always come second to
him after his six Stanley Cup championships.Canadian professional hockey player
 Mark Messier of the New York Rangers hoists the Stanley Cup (Photo by Bruce
Bennett Studios/Getty Images)

Messier has always been the ultimate teammates, and though he was slightly
overshadowed by Gretzky while playing together in Edmonton, Messier went on to
dominate while playing with the New York Rangers from including winning a
Stanley Cup in New York in 1994 - the franchise';s first Stanley Cup since
1940, and the last since.Mario Lemieux - Feb. 4, 1997(Photo courtesy of the
Pittsburgh Penguins)

Mario Lemieux was a special player. Despite suffering through various injuries,
 and even overcoming cancer, at various points throughout his career, Lemieux
was one of the greatest players to ever lace up a pair of skates. Just how
impressive was Super Mario? He not only reached the 600-goal milestone, he did
so in just 719 career games. A truly talented player, Lemieux went on to score
690 goals and an astounding 1,723 points in just 915 games.

Going from a player who once refused to wear the Penguins jersey to owning the
franchise and saving them from relocation, Lemieux was a legend on the ice and
has remained a legend through his second retirement, allowing the Penguins to
bring two more Stanley Cups to the city of Pittsburgh.Jari Kurri - Dec. 23,
1997Jari Kurri

Jari Kurri was best known for his time spent with Gretzky and Messier with the
Edmonton Oilers' dynasty, but he was still one of the best players in the
league despite perhaps being overshadowed by the two in his time there. In
fact, while playing with the Oilers from 1980 until 1990, Kurri never scored
less than 32 goals, including 71 goals in 1984-85, and 68 goals in 1985-86.
Kurri also recorded over 100 points six times in his career and was a very
significant piece in each of the five Stanley Cups he was a part of.Mike
Gartner - Dec. 26, 1993

When Mike Gartner scored his 600th goal at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 26,
1993, he was just the sixth player in NHL history to do so. He made sure to get
 a head start on his next 600th goal, however, as he scored his 601st on the
very same night. Gartner was no stranger to reaching milestones, however, as he
 also became just the first Ranger to have three consecutive seasons with at
least 40 goals - Gartner however, had been scoring goals his entire career.

In his first NHL season with the Washington Capitals, Gartner scored 36 goals
in 77 games - he went on to score at least 30 goals in every season from 1979
until the 1993-94 season. Gartner, in fact, missed the 30-goal mark just twice
n his career - once during the 1994-95 season when he played in only 38 games,
and once again in his final season with the Phoenix Coyotes in 1997-98. Gartner
 went on to score 708 goals in his career.Wayne Gretzky - Nov. 23, 1988Wayne
Gretzky (Phil/Flickr)

Wayne Gretzky, otherwise known as "The Great One" has scored the most goals in
NHL history. His mark of 894 goals will likely live on as the bar that players
try to reach forever. There have been better pure goal scorers in the NHL who
made their mark by sniping pucks past goaltenders. Still, nobody found twine
more than the Brantford, Ontario-native who is widely considered as the
greatest player in history.

At just 21 years old, Gretzky scored 92 goals (and 212 points). 92 Goals are
still the NHL record to this very day and were just a sign of what was to come
for Edmonton. Not only did Gretzky reach the 600 goals mark, he did so at just
27 years old. As his nickname suggests, Gretzky truly was "The Great
One."Marcel Dionne - Dec. 15, 1984

Hockey has always been a physical game. Despite being just 5 foot 8 and 185
pounds, Marcel Dionne proved that being undersized doesn';t mean a player
can';t produce. In fact, Dionne played in parts of 19 NHL seasons and scored
731 goals and 1,771 points in 1,348 games.

Originally drafted by the Detroit Red Wings, Dionne played for the Red Wings
for four seasons before joining the Los Angeles Kings where he spent the
majority of his career - shining with eight 40-goal seasons, including six with
 50 or more.TORONTO, CANADA - NOVEMBER 14: Marcel Dionne #16 of the Los Angeles
 Kings skates up ice against the Toronto Maple Leafs in game action November
14, 1984 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel
 Collection/Getty Images)

Dionne ranks fifth all-time in NHL history in goals and sixth in points. There
have been many "undersized" forward and players in the league since Dionne who
have gone on to have very successful careers, and though some teams still find
reasons to avoid drafting a player who is under a certain size threshold,
Dionne was one of the pioneers for smaller players finding success in the
NHL.Phil Esposito - Nov. 4, 1977

One of the best goal scorers in the history of the league, Phil Esposito made
his mark with the Boston Bruins for nine seasons in the late 1960 until the
mid-1970s, after playing with the Chicago Blackhawks for four seasons and prior
 to being traded to the New York Rangers during the 1975-76 season.

In 1,282 games in his career, the Sault Ste. Marie-native scored 717 goal and
1,590 points. Few players played as hard and showed as much emotion on the ice
as Esposito, who went on to become a fan-favorite in Boston throughout his time
 spent wearing the spoked-B.Bobby Hull - March 25, 1972Bobby Hull

As his son Brett went on to do 27 years later, Bobby Hull became just the
second player in the history of NHL to score 600 career goals. While Brett
scored his 600th and 601st goal in his milestone game, his father arguably hit
the milestone in a more impressive way, scoring his 598th, 599th and 600th
goal in the same game against the Boston Bruin to make his mark in league
history.

Hull went on to score 610 NHL goals and 1,170 points in 1,063 games before
playing in the WHL, where he played in 411 games, scoring 303 goals and 638
points before playing another 27 games in the NHL.Gordie Howe - Nov. 27, 1965

Earning the nickname "Mr. Hockey" is a good indication that Gordie Howe was a
very good hockey player. Playing in the NHL for 26 years - 25 of which with
the Detroit Red Wings, Howe scored 801 career NHL goals. Howe took six seasons
away from the NHL, playing in the WHA from the 1973-74 season until the 1978-79
 season, before playing his final season in the NHL with the Hartford Whalers
in the 1979-80 season. The most impressive thing to consider here, however, is
the fact that Howe was 52 years old when he finally retired in 1980. Long
before Jagr was playing at 45 years old, Howe was making headlines as a
50-year-old playing at the highest level in the world.Gordie Howe

Very few players have ever hit the 600-goal milestone. As such, those that
have done so, deserve to be recognized as some of the greatest players of all
time. Consistency is a big element in the formula for success, and every single
 player on this list proved to be consistent when playing - even if some dealt
with injuries that hampered them throughout their careers. These men are
members of the NHL';s 600-goal club, and they will forever be immortalized in
history as the best.

The post The NHL 600-Goal Club appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

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