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NHL Game-Winning Goals Leaders: Forwards

2020-21All situationsThrough 56 team games

This board ranks forwards only by game-winning goals, so centres and wingers are not mixed with defensemen.

The game-winning goal is the winning team's goal that put it one ahead of the loser's final total: in a 5-2 win, the third goal. Shootout winners do not count. For leagues that split positions: the forward slots' view of game-winning goals.

Leader in 2020-21: Auston Matthews (TOR), 12 GWG.

Season2026-27 2025-26 2024-25 2023-24

2020-21

2022-23 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20 2018-19 2017-18

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NHL Game-Winning Goals Leaders: Forwards, 2020-21, All situations
#	Player	Team	GWG	GP	Per game	G	GWG % of G
1	Auston MatthewsFTOR	TOR	12	52	0.23	41	29.3%	21:33	99%
2	Connor McDavidFEDM	EDM	11	56	0.20	33	33.3%	22:09	100%▲1.5
3	Leon DraisaitlFEDM	EDM	8	56	0.14	31	25.8%	22:11	100%
4	Mark StoneFVGK	VGK	8	55	0.15	21	38.1%	19:04	93%▲9.6
5	Gabriel LandeskogFCOL	COL	8	54	0.15	20	40.0%	19:57	50%▲32
6	Mika ZibanejadFNYR	NYR	7	56	0.13	24	29.2%	20:06	98%▲1.4
7	Jake GuentzelFPIT	PIT	7	56	0.13	23	30.4%	20:16	100%
8	Frank VatranoFFLA	FLA	7	56	0.13	18	38.9%	14:31	6.4%▲6.2
9	Sebastian AhoFCAR	CAR	7	56	0.13	24	29.2%	19:28	99%▲1.2
10	Mikko RantanenFCOL	COL	7	52	0.13	30	23.3%	19:55	99%▲0.5
11	Alex DeBrincatFCHI	CHI	7	52	0.13	32	21.9%	20:32	100%▲2.5
12	Jakub VranaFWSH/DET	WSH/DET	7	50	0.14	19	36.8%	15:00	—
13	Bryan RustFPIT	PIT	6	56	0.11	22	27.3%	19:43	85%▲2.5
14	Brayden PointFTBL	TBL	6	56	0.11	23	26.1%	18:26	95%▲7.5
15	Ondrej PalatFTBL	TBL	6	55	0.11	15	40.0%	17:27	0.1%
16	Aleksander BarkovFFLA	FLA	6	50	0.12	26	23.1%	20:56	97%▲7
17	Max PaciorettyFVGK	VGK	6	48	0.13	24	25.0%	17:56	—
18	Alex OvechkinFWSH	WSH	6	45	0.13	24	25.0%	19:30	96%▲1.2
19	Johnny GaudreauFCGY	CGY	5	56	0.09	19	26.3%	18:25	—
20	Kyle ConnorFWPG	WPG	5	56	0.09	26	19.2%	18:44	99%▲1.1
21	Sidney CrosbyFPIT	PIT	5	55	0.09	24	20.8%	20:24	100%▲2.4
22	Mitch MarnerFTOR	TOR	5	55	0.09	20	25.0%	22:26	99%▲1.3
23	Sam ReinhartFBUF	BUF	5	54	0.09	25	20.0%	19:32	99%
24	Brad MarchandFBOS	BOS	5	53	0.09	29	17.2%	18:55	73%▲0.7
25	Tyler ToffoliFMTL	MTL	5	52	0.10	28	17.9%	17:31	38%▼18
26	Josh AndersonFMTL	MTL	5	52	0.10	17	29.4%	16:25	10%▲9.2
27	Chandler StephensonFVGK	VGK	5	51	0.10	14	35.7%	18:06	17%▲13
28	Sean MonahanFCGY	CGY	5	50	0.10	10	50.0%	17:41	19%▲13
29	Kevin FialaFMIN	MIN	5	50	0.10	20	25.0%	16:54	67%▼8.3
30	Nikolaj EhlersFWPG	WPG	5	47	0.11	21	23.8%	16:55	93%▲7.5
31	Anthony BeauvillierFNYI	NYI	5	47	0.11	15	33.3%	16:24	4.0%▲3.8
32	Robby FabbriFDET	DET	5	30	0.17	10	50.0%	17:16	—
33	Joe PavelskiFDAL	DAL	4	56	0.07	25	16.0%	19:01	—
34	Paul StastnyFWPG	WPG	4	56	0.07	13	30.8%	17:25	—
35	Anze KopitarFLAK	LAK	4	56	0.07	13	30.8%	21:11	0.5%
36	Ryan O'ReillyFSTL	STL	4	56	0.07	24	16.7%	20:45	84%▲5
37	Brock NelsonFNYI	NYI	4	56	0.07	18	22.2%	17:50	88%▼3.6
38	Nino NiederreiterFCAR	CAR	4	56	0.07	20	20.0%	15:43	4.0%▲3.8
39	William KarlssonFVGK	VGK	4	56	0.07	14	28.6%	18:40	24%▲20
40	Mark ScheifeleFWPG	WPG	4	56	0.07	21	19.0%	20:58	99%
41	Yanni GourdeFTBL	TBL	4	56	0.07	17	23.5%	17:04	4.9%▲4
42	Elias LindholmFCGY	CGY	4	56	0.07	19	21.1%	19:54	43%▲4.7
43	Christian DvorakFARI	ARI	4	56	0.07	17	23.5%	18:24	16%▲13
44	Andrew MangiapaneFCGY	CGY	4	56	0.07	18	22.2%	16:40	3.2%▲3.1
45	Alexis LafrenièreFNYR	NYR	4	56	0.07	12	33.3%	13:53	82%▲13
46	Jonathan MarchessaultFVGK	VGK	4	55	0.07	18	22.2%	17:25	24%▼21
47	Valeri NichushkinFCOL	COL	4	55	0.07	10	40.0%	14:05	60%
48	Craig SmithFBOS	BOS	4	54	0.07	13	30.8%	14:53	—
49	Jordan StaalFCAR	CAR	4	53	0.08	16	25.0%	18:29	20%▲13
50	J.T. MillerFVAN	VAN	4	53	0.08	15	26.7%	20:58	92%▲7.7
51	Chris KreiderFNYR	NYR	4	50	0.08	20	20.0%	17:24	62%▲29
52	Pavel ZachaFNJD	NJD	4	50	0.08	17	23.5%	17:09	78%▲13
53	Sam BennettFCGY/FLA	CGY/FLA	4	48	0.08	10	40.0%	14:25	84%▲4.3
54	Tom WilsonFWSH	WSH	4	47	0.09	13	30.8%	16:32	94%▲6.3
55	Sean CouturierFPHI	PHI	4	45	0.09	18	22.2%	19:20	9.2%▲7.2
56	Zach HymanFTOR	TOR	4	43	0.09	15	26.7%	19:22	98%▼1.8
57	Evgeny KuznetsovFWSH	WSH	4	41	0.10	9	44.4%	16:34	—
58	Eeli TolvanenFNSH	NSH	4	40	0.10	11	36.4%	14:48	35%▼9.7
59	Ross ColtonFTBL	TBL	4	30	0.13	9	44.4%	10:34	8.1%▲7.8
60	Phil KesselFARI	ARI	3	56	0.05	20	15.0%	17:05	—
61	Patrick KaneFCHI	CHI	3	56	0.05	15	20.0%	22:14	80%▲0.9
62	Nazem KadriFCOL	COL	3	56	0.05	11	27.3%	16:28	71%▼9
63	Casey CizikasFNYI	NYI	3	56	0.05	7	42.9%	13:50	0.1%
64	Nic DowdFWSH	WSH	3	56	0.05	11	27.3%	14:22	3.2%▲3.1
65	Bo HorvatFVAN	VAN	3	56	0.05	19	15.8%	19:53	90%▲1.2
66	Clayton KellerFARI	ARI	3	56	0.05	14	21.4%	16:40	100%▲2.1
67	Drake BathersonFOTT	OTT	3	56	0.05	17	17.6%	16:28	97%▲7.2
68	Brady TkachukFOTT	OTT	3	56	0.05	17	17.6%	18:14	100%▲2
69	Evgenii DadonovFOTT	OTT	3	55	0.05	13	23.1%	15:35	0.1%
70	Blake ColemanFTBL	TBL	3	55	0.05	14	21.4%	15:28	38%▼24
71	Chris TierneyFOTT	OTT	3	55	0.05	6	50.0%	14:59	—
72	Alex TuchFVGK	VGK	3	55	0.05	18	16.7%	16:50	94%▼5.5
73	Kirill KaprizovFMIN	MIN	3	55	0.05	27	11.1%	18:18	98%▼0.9
74	Maxime ComtoisFANA	ANA	3	55	0.05	16	18.8%	15:28	—
75	Pius SuterFCHI	CHI	3	55	0.05	14	21.4%	16:20	4.1%▲3.3
76	Patrice BergeronFBOS	BOS	3	54	0.06	23	13.0%	18:13	—
77	Jean-Gabriel PageauFNYI	NYI	3	54	0.06	14	21.4%	16:47	12%▲11
78	Gabriel VilardiFLAK	LAK	3	54	0.06	10	30.0%	14:45	80%▲7.7
79	Yegor SharangovichFNJD	NJD	3	54	0.06	16	18.8%	16:48	7.8%▲0.9
80	Andre BurakovskyFCOL	COL	3	53	0.06	19	15.8%	15:06	5.6%▲5.4
81	Martin NecasFCAR	CAR	3	53	0.06	14	21.4%	17:17	100%▲1.8
82	Mike HoffmanFSTL	STL	3	52	0.06	17	17.6%	15:04	—
83	Adam LowryFWPG	WPG	3	52	0.06	10	30.0%	15:32	5.7%▲5.5
84	Zachary SanfordFSTL	STL	3	52	0.06	10	30.0%	14:53	—
85	Joonas DonskoiFCOL	COL	3	51	0.06	17	17.6%	14:32	—
86	Jason RobertsonFDAL	DAL	3	51	0.06	17	17.6%	16:53	100%
87	Anthony CirelliFTBL	TBL	3	50	0.06	9	33.3%	17:45	51%▲19
88	David PastrnakFBOS	BOS	3	48	0.06	20	15.0%	18:37	100%▲1.1
89	Carl GrundstromFLAK	LAK	3	47	0.06	6	50.0%	12:28	0.1%
90	Pierre-Luc DuboisFWPG/CBJ	WPG/CBJ	3	46	0.07	9	33.3%	15:02	42%▲33
91	Zach PariseFMIN	MIN	3	45	0.07	7	42.9%	13:57	—
92	Nick BjugstadFMIN	MIN	3	44	0.07	6	50.0%	11:49	0.1%
93	Michael RafflFPHI/WSH	PHI/WSH	3	44	0.07	4	75.0%	13:15	—
94	Carter VerhaegheFFLA	FLA	3	43	0.07	18	16.7%	17:44	72%
95	Jared McCannFPIT	PIT	3	43	0.07	14	21.4%	14:07	72%▲1.9
96	Daniel SprongFWSH	WSH	3	42	0.07	13	23.1%	11:40	—
97	Trent FredericFBOS	BOS	3	42	0.07	4	75.0%	11:15	4.0%▲3.8
98	Kasperi KapanenFPIT	PIT	3	40	0.07	11	27.3%	15:32	9.2%▲9
99	Filip ForsbergFNSH	NSH	3	39	0.08	12	25.0%	18:17	99%▲1.7
100	Marcus JohanssonFMIN	MIN	3	36	0.08	6	50.0%	15:56	0.7%

How to read it

Goals that were the winning team's (loser's final score + 1)th goal, shootouts excluded.

How reliable is it?

Game-winning goals are goals plus timing luck: year-to-year correlation is weak (about 0.1 beyond what goals explain).

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