NHL · Career head-to-head

Mark MessiervsGordie Howe

Regular-season careers from the StatVault encyclopedia — the same tables as each player's profile.

C · VAL group SKATER

Mark Messier

1980–2004 · 25 seasons

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R · VAL group SKATER

Gordie Howe

1947–1980 · 26 seasons

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At a glance

Mark Messier and Gordie Howe: seasons, VAL, honors and league-leading seasons
Mark Messier	Stat	Gordie Howe
25	Seasons	26
265.7	Career VAL	280.1
19.9 (1990)	Peak-season VAL	18.7 (1969)
Inducted 2007	Hall of Fame	Inducted 1972
0	Black ink (league-leading seasons)	2
14	Gray ink (top-10 finishes)	30

VAL is Value Above League — regular-season production measured against the league at the same position group (NHL VAL board). Black and gray ink count seasons from 1960 on.

Career regular season

Career regular-season statistics both Mark Messier and Gordie Howe have
Mark Messier	Stat	Gordie Howe
Career
1,756	Games	1,767
Skating
694	Goals	801
1,193	Assists	1,049
1,887	Points	1,850
179	Power-play goals	211
92	Game-winning goals	121
1,912

VAL by ageEach season plotted at the player's age that season, so careers line up by age rather than by calendar.

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Age	Mark Messier	Gordie Howe
18	—	1.6
19	1.2	5.6
20	5.3	5.3
21	11.4	9.8
22	13.3	14.3
23	14	14.3
24	5.6	16.3
25	12.7	11.8
26	15.1	9.9
27	14.7	13.3
28	12.4	13.8
29	19.9	10.3
30	8.7	12.9
31	15.5	11.8
32	12.9	8.8
33	14.3	11.6
34	9.4	13.9
35	19.9	10.2
36	16	10.9
37	7.9	10.7
38	7	8.1
39	6.3	13.2
40	8.6	18.7
41	2.7	11.5
42	4.5	8.8
43	6.4	—
51	—	2.7