Wayne Gretzky led the NHL in assists 16 times.
That total is one of the clearest measures of his extraordinary playmaking. Gretzky spent 20 seasons in the NHL, and he finished as the league's assist leader in 16 of them. His dominance was especially striking during the Edmonton Oilers' high-scoring era, when he repeatedly reached totals that were once considered extraordinary.
Gretzky's single-season assist records included 125 in 1982–83, 135 in 1984–85 and 163 in 1985–86. The last figure remains the NHL record for assists in one regular season. He also recorded 11 seasons with at least 100 assists, a mark that illustrates how consistently he created scoring chances for teammates.
The number 16 refers to seasons leading the NHL in regular-season assists, not total seasons with 100 assists and not playoff assist titles. Gretzky finished his NHL career with 1,963 regular-season assists, another league record. His passing also powered his overall scoring record: he retired with 2,857 regular-season points, including 894 goals and 1,963 assists.