Which NHL players have played the most seasons?

The 2024-25 season marked two decades in the NHL for superstars Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. While 20 years in the league is a long time, they still have quite a few more games to log on the ice before approaching the NHL record.

Here’s a look at the players with the most NHL seasons under their belts:

All-time

26 seasons

▪︎ Chris Chelios (1983-2010)

▪︎ Gordie Howe (1946-71, 1979-80)

25 seasons

▪︎ Mark Messier (1979-2004)

24 seasons

▪︎ Tim Horton (1949-74)

▪︎ Alex Delvecchio (1950-74)

▪︎ Zdeno Chara (1997-2022)

▪︎ Joe Thornton (1997-2022)

▪︎ Jaromir Jagr (1990-08, 2011-18)

23 seasons

▪︎ Al MacInnis (1981-2004)

▪︎ Johnny Bucyk (1955-78)

▪︎ Dave Andreychuk (1982-2006)

▪︎ Ron Francis (1981-2004)

▪︎ Patrick Marleau (1997-2021)

22 seasons

▪︎ Ray Whitney (1991-2014)

▪︎ Dean Prentice (1952-74)

▪︎ Doug Mohns (1953-75)

▪︎ Stan Mikita (1958-80)

▪︎ Steve Yzerman (1983-2006)

▪︎ Ray Bourque (1979-2001)

▪︎ Scott Stevens (1982-2004)

▪︎ Mark Recchi (1988-2011)

Active (total at the end of the 2024-25 season)

▪︎ Brent Burns, 21

▪︎ Marc-Andre Fleury, 21

*Retired at the end of the 2024-25 season

▪︎ Sidney Crosby, 21

▪︎ Alex Ovechkin, 21

▪︎ Corey Perry, 21

▪︎ Ryan Suter, 21

▪︎ Jack Johnson, 20

▪︎ Anze Kopitar, 20

▪︎ Kris Letang, 20

▪︎ Evgeni Malkin, 20

▪︎ Jordan Staal, 20

▪︎ Marc-Edouard Vlasic, 20

Check out the ESPN NHL hub page for stats, schedules, standings, and more.