GOAT Rank · 34

Greatest Ice Hockey athletes of the 1970s

This ranking uses verified career records and GOAT Rank's published model. Every listed athlete clears the data eligibility threshold.

#AthleteGOAT Score

1

97.8

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1979–1999
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 100.0
Dominance: 100.0
Statistics: 100.0
Honours: 97.0
Longevity: 92.0

Athlete: Wayne Gretzky

5

Viacheslav Fetisov

92.1

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1974–1998
Country: 🇷🇺 Russia

Peak: 94.0
Dominance: 90.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 96.0
Longevity: 92.0

Athlete: Viacheslav Fetisov

9

91.6

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1976–1997
Country: 🇷🇺 Russia

Peak: 94.0
Dominance: 92.0
Statistics: 92.0
Honours: 92.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Sergei Makarov

41

89.3

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1979–2001
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 92.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 96.0

Athlete: Ray Bourque

48

Vyacheslav Fetisov

88.9

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1974–1998
Country: 🇷🇺 Russia

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 88.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Vyacheslav Fetisov

51

88.7

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1978–2004
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 94.0

Athlete: Mark Messier

59

88.4

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1973–1995
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 92.0
Honours: 84.0
Longevity: 92.0

Athlete: Mark Howe

63

88.4

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1979–1998
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 92.0
Honours: 84.0
Longevity: 94.0

Athlete: Mike Gartner

73

87.9

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1978–1993
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Rod Langway

107

87.1

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1979–1994
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Michel Goulet

119

86.9

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1973–1989
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Lanny McDonald

125

86.7

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1973–1989
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 92.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Bob Gainey

128

86.6

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1971–1991
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 84.0

Athlete: Guy Lafleur

130

86.5

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1975–1994
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Bryan Trottier

132

86.4

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1970–1979
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 96.0
Dominance: 90.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 94.0
Longevity: 62.0

Athlete: Ken Dryden

136

86.3

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1972–1992
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 86.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 92.0

Athlete: Larry Robinson

138

86.3

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1972–1984
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 92.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Bill Barber

151

85.9

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1973–1988
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 84.0

Athlete: Denis Potvin

153

85.8

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1971–1989
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 76.0
Longevity: 92.0

Athlete: Marcel Dionne

159

85.6

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1977–1998
Country: 🇫🇮 Finland

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Jari Kurri

173

85.3

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1977–1987
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 92.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 72.0

Athlete: Mike Bossy

187

84.9

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1979–1996
Country: 🇸🇪 Sweden

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Håkan Loob

189

84.9

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1976–1990
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 78.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Bernie Federko

194

Gilbert Perreault

84.7

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1970–1987
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 80.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Gilbert Perreault

211

84.0

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1974–1995
Country: 🇸🇪 Sweden

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Kent Nilsson

220

Peter Šťastný

83.6

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1975–1995
Country: 🇸🇰 Slovakia

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 78.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Peter Šťastný

221

83.6

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1972–1985
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 78.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 78.0

Athlete: Steve Shutt

227

83.4

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1979–1997
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 76.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 84.0
Longevity: 84.0

Athlete: Joe Mullen

250

82.5

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1970–1993
Country: 🇸🇪 Sweden

Peak: 84.0
Dominance: 78.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 78.0
Longevity: 90.0

Athlete: Börje Salming

252

82.5

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1979–1998
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 84.0
Dominance: 74.0
Statistics: 80.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Kevin Lowe

260

82.1

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1974–1988
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 76.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 78.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Rick Middleton

264

82.1

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1974–1988
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 86.0
Dominance: 76.0
Statistics: 82.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 78.0

Athlete: Clark Gillies

305

77.2

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1974–1984
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 72.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 68.0
Longevity: 74.0

Athlete: Guy Chouinard

308

76.3

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1971–1979
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 82.0
Dominance: 70.0
Statistics: 80.0
Honours: 78.0
Longevity: 74.0

Athlete: Craig Patrick

#	Athlete	Sport	Country	Career	GOAT Score
1	Wayne Gretzky	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1979–1999	97.8
5	Viacheslav Fetisov	Ice Hockey	🇷🇺 Russia	1974–1998	92.1
9	Sergei Makarov	Ice Hockey	🇷🇺 Russia	1976–1997	91.6
41	Ray Bourque	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1979–2001	89.3
48	Vyacheslav Fetisov	Ice Hockey	🇷🇺 Russia	1974–1998	88.9
51	Mark Messier	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1978–2004	88.7
59	Mark Howe	Ice Hockey	🇺🇸 United States	1973–1995	88.4
63	Mike Gartner	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1979–1998	88.4
73	Rod Langway	Ice Hockey	🇺🇸 United States	1978–1993	87.9
107	Michel Goulet	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1979–1994	87.1
119	Lanny McDonald	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1973–1989	86.9
125	Bob Gainey	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1973–1989	86.7
128	Guy Lafleur	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1971–1991	86.6
130	Bryan Trottier	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1975–1994	86.5
132	Ken Dryden	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1970–1979	86.4
136	Larry Robinson	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1972–1992	86.3
138	Bill Barber	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1972–1984	86.3
151	Denis Potvin	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1973–1988	85.9
153	Marcel Dionne	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1971–1989	85.8
159	Jari Kurri	Ice Hockey	🇫🇮 Finland	1977–1998	85.6
173	Mike Bossy	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1977–1987	85.3
187	Håkan Loob	Ice Hockey	🇸🇪 Sweden	1979–1996	84.9
189	Bernie Federko	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1976–1990	84.9
194	Gilbert Perreault	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1970–1987	84.7
211	Kent Nilsson	Ice Hockey	🇸🇪 Sweden	1974–1995	84
220	Peter Šťastný	Ice Hockey	🇸🇰 Slovakia	1975–1995	83.6
221	Steve Shutt	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1972–1985	83.6
227	Joe Mullen	Ice Hockey	🇺🇸 United States	1979–1997	83.4
250	Börje Salming	Ice Hockey	🇸🇪 Sweden	1970–1993	82.5
252	Kevin Lowe	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1979–1998	82.5
260	Rick Middleton	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1974–1988	82.1
264	Clark Gillies	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1974–1988	82.1
305	Guy Chouinard	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1974–1984	77.2
308	Craig Patrick	Ice Hockey	🇺🇸 United States	1971–1979	76.3

Compare the leaders

Wayne Gretzky vs Viacheslav Fetisov

Read the full methodology

Sport lists use the raw In-Sport GOAT Score. Cross-sport lists use the official competition-depth adjustment. No scores are recalculated for this page.

Read the full methodology

Frequently asked questions

How is this ranking calculated?

Five verified components are weighted consistently: dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.

Who is included?

Only verified athletes with sufficient career history, metrics, honours and independent sources are eligible.

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