Who is better, Gretzky or Messier?
Wayne Gretzky leads with a GOAT score of 97.8 against 88.7 for Mark Messier — a gap of 9.1 points on GOAT Rank's weighted model.
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Gretzky vs Messier
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Quick answer
GOAT Rank currently ranks Wayne Gretzky above Mark Messier: 97.8 vs 88.7. Wayne Gretzky leads on Dominance, Peak, Statistics. Mark Messier leads on Longevity.
How the GOAT Score is calculated →GOAT verdictgoatrank.world
GretzkyWinner
97.8Gretzky wins: Dominance, Peak, Honours, Statistics
Messier
88.7Messier wins: Longevity
Candidates
Locked to Ice HockeyShareable URL · /compare/gretzky-vs-messier
Time range
Showing full careers. Pick a window to recalculate the selected period.
Category radar
Verdict
Weighted GOAT score
🇨🇦 Wayne Gretzky
97.8
Gretzky leads in 4 of 5 weighted categories.
1. Wayne Gretzky
2. Mark Messier
Category breakdown
Season form · Form index per season
Career timeline · Form index per season
Cumulative output season by season — the shape of each career against the other.
GOAT pace tracker
Through age 21 · Form index per season
1. 🇨🇦 Wayne Gretzky513 points
3 seasons by age 21 · 171 per season
Setting the pace at age 21
No verified birth date for Messier — shown in the pro-debut view instead.
Every career is cut at the season the athlete turned 21, so a rookie today is measured against exactly what a legend had banked by the same birthday.
| Metric | GretzkyRetired · New York Rangers | MessierRetired |
|---|---|---|
| Career points | 2,857 | — |
| Career goals | 894 | — |
| Stanley Cups | 4 | 6 |
| Hart Trophies | 9 | 2 |
| Art Ross Trophies | 10 | — |
| Points per game | 1.92 | — |
| NHL points | — | 1,887 |
| Conn Smythe Trophies | — | 1 |
| NHL goals | — | 694 |
| All-Star selections | — | 15 |
| Dominance w25% | 100 | 86 |
| Peak w20% | 100 | 88 |
| Longevity w20% | 92 | 94 |
| Honours w20% | 97 | 88 |
| Statistics w15% | 100 | 88 |
Fan vote — data vs the people
GOAT Rank · the data
Gretzky97.8
Messier88.7
FAQ
Where does Messier beat Gretzky?
Messier scores higher on longevity. Gretzky leads on peak, dominance, honours, statistics.
How is the Gretzky vs Messier score calculated?
Both are scored on peak, dominance, honours, statistics, longevity within their sport. Gretzky: 97.8, Messier: 88.7.
What do you think?
0 commentsMake your case for Gretzky vs Messier. The scoring is published in full — if you can point at the pillar or the weight you disagree with, we read it. Read the methodology paper.