Nov 14, 2025, 09:09 AM ET
For generations, NHL defensemen weren’t typically known for their offensive prowess. Their priority was to protect the net. But a group of defensemen came along and broke the mold. Ray Bourque led the evolution.
The former Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche All-Star helped usher in the modern defenseman — a more offensive defenseman who possesses a special blend of physicality and skill. A defenseman who can be a stopper on the defensive end and a generator of points on offense.
In 22 NHL seasons (1979-2001), Bourque won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league’s best defenseman five times and finished runner-up for the award six times. He also twice finished second in the race for the Hart Memorial Trophy (awarded annually to the league’s most valuable player), a rarity for a defenseman.
Bourque was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004 as the NHL’s all-time leader in career goals (410), assists (1,169) and points (1,579) by a defenseman. Those records still stand more than two decades later.
Here is a look at the defensemen with the most goals in NHL history:
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Ray Bourque, 410
Paul Coffey, 396
Al MacInnis, 340
Phil Housley, 338
Denis Potvin, 310
Larry Murphy, 288
Bobby Orr, 270
Nicklas Lidstrom, 264
Brent Burns, 262
Brian Leetch, 247
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