January NHL Birthdays: Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Connor McDavid and More

When it comes to NHL superstars and their birthday months, you'll have a hard time topping January – especially if you're an Edmonton Oilers fan.

Here's a list of the most notable players with January birthdays, listed chronologically by day (players ranked according to Hockey Reference's total Player Shares; active player stats up-to-date as of Dec. 31, 2024; players with asterisks are Hockey Hall of Famers):

January 1

Two players with fairly similar career arcs top the list of New Year's NHL babies. One notable quirk on 1/1: Just one goalie graces the list, and that guy (John Aiken) appeared in exactly one NHL game, allowing six goals on 18 shots for Montreal in a 7-3 loss to Boston in March 1958.

January 2

Two-way defenseman Svehla is the most prominent player on this list, at least among retired players, while Boucher is the top goalie born on Jan. 2 by virtue of still owning the NHL record for longest shutout streak at 332 minutes, one second. Cole Caufield was also born Jan. 2; he'll be on this list soon.

January 3

"The Golden Jet" (Bobby Hull) has the distinction of being the Hockey Hall of Famer born earliest in the calendar year. He's far and away the top Jan. 3 baby on the list, with Ryan Ellis the No. 1 defenseman and Jacques Cloutier the top goalie at No. 6.

January 4

We have our first active player on the January birthday list in Hischier, who is beginning to thrive as an offensive threat with the Devils as a compliment to his elite defensive prowess. It won't be long before he has the most win shares of any player born on Jan. 4.

January 5

Today's hockey fanatics would do well to get to know Kerr, who was one of the elite goal-scoring threats of his time and remains one of the most underrated wingers of the 1980s. Juneau might have also been on that list, but he faded hard toward the tail end of his career.

January 6

Moore was absolute magic for the Canadiens in the late-1950s, winning back-to-back scoring titles while serving a key role in Montreal's five consecutive Stanley Cup championships from 1956-60. There's no doubting that team would have been the Stanley Cup odds favorites for most of their Cup runs. 

Reinhart, one of the most underappreciated offensive defensemen of the 1980s, edges Moore out by just over four win shares.

January 7

It's a goaltending jamboree atop the Jan. 7 birthday list.

Liut was one of the most beloved players in Hartford Whalers history, joining the club in a 1985 trade with St. Louis and leading it to its only Adams Division title in 1986-87. Hebert was the first expansion pick in Anaheim Mighty Ducks history, and the last remaining member of the original roster.

January 8

Ellis's death in May 2024 sent waves of sadness through Leaf Nation, who mourned one of the most revered players to ever wear the blue and white. Karlsson is a former 40-goal scorer with the Vegas Golden Knights but has struggled with injuries and inconsistency since reaching his high-water mark in 2017-18.

January 9

The list of Jan. 9 notables is made up of players who toiled in the 2000s, led by journeyman netminder Garon. In fact, all five players who top this list played for at least three teams (highlighted by Eriksson, who suited up for eight different NHL franchises in parts of 12 seasons.)

January 10

Mahovlich is living proof that once upon a time, the Maple Leafs actually did win a Stanley Cup or two. Mahovlich won six NHL championships during his Hall of Fame career, along with the 1957-58 Calder Trophy and nine All-Star nods. Sturdy Capitals defenseman John Carlson is a worthy No. 2 on the list.

January 11

Haven't heard of Dave Kerr? History lesson time! Kerr was one of the most durable netminders of his generation, missing just 12 games over his final eight seasons. That stretch included a Vezina Trophy as the league's top netminder after posting a 1.54 goals-against average and eight shutouts in 48 games with the New York Rangers in 1939-40. 

January 12

This is the most impressive list of birthday boys men so far. At the top are Hossa, a wonderfully proficient offensive machine who was named to five All-Star teams in his career; and Horton, who was one of the league's most imposing defenders long before people gobbled up his donuts and coffee en masse. Horton's prototype doesn't exactly scream Norris Trophy odds favorite these days, as those spots are almost always reserved for the NHL's best offensive defensemen. 

January 13

Sandwiched between two enigmatic netminders is McDavid, the best player of this generation and a legitimate threat to one day become the NHL's second-leading scorer all-time (sorry, McDavid stans, but Gretzky is untouchable.) Expect him top this list soon – and he'll be there a while when he does. Also, expect No. 97 to be among the Hart Trophy odds favorites into his 30s and possibly beyond. 

January 14

Siebert might be a forgotten star by even the most seasoned hockey fans, but we need to properly fete the only player to switch positions from forward to defense and then win a Hart Trophy in his new role. Three of the other four players on the list have won a Stanley Cup, while Brown reached the final with Edmonton last season.

January 15

Huber and Burt leading the Jan. 15 birthday contingent is admittedly a bit of a bummer, but two electric forwards are charging hard. Necas is off to an incredible start for the Hurricanes and is on pace to shatter his previous career high in points, while Stutzle is a good bet to at least approach his previous single-season best of 90 points this year.

January 16

Duchene has continued his professional resurrection in Big D after a Nashville stop rejuvenated his stagnant career. Stars players have another reason to love this date: Morrow, a foe-smashing forward who played 835 games with the Star on his chest, also celebrates a Jan. 16 birthday.

January 17

As top-twos go, this one might be difficult to top. Let's start with Plante, who did double duty as hockey equipment innovator and historically dominant netminder. Roenick was the complete opposite – a bruising forward who compiled more than 1,200 regular-season points – but, like Plante, did get hit in the face a lot.

January 18

Before becoming the World's Most Famous Lays Potato Chip Fanatic, Messier was quite possibly the greatest dual-threat forward not named Gordie Howe. Blessed with otherworldly hockey hands but also unafraid to hurl opponents into the boards, Messier was the greatest captain in NHL history, and worthy of his six Stanley Cup wins.

January 19

He might rank behind Vanek and Cote in career win shares, but Jackson is far and away the best player born on Jan. 19. Jackson won a scoring title in 1932, led the Maple Leafs to a Stanley Cup that same season and was named to the NHL First All-Star Team four times. The only active player on the list: Anaheim Ducks rookie Cutter Gauthier, who won't be mistaken any time soon for a Calder Trophy odds front-runner.

January 20

With respect to the current Maple Leafs No. 1A netminder, this list isn't exactly flush with superstars. Lindholm takes down top spot by virtue of having dressed for the most NHL games of any player born on Jan. 20. Lindholm's best season came in 2022-23, when he placed fourth in Norris Trophy voting.

January 21

Anyone following the NHL over the past quarter-century should recognize all five of these names. Suter and Quick have been stalwarts for 15+ years; Quick likely has a better shot at the Hall than Suter. Heatley was an elite goal scorer during his NHL tenure, while Weight was one of the top passers of his era.

January 22

Jan. 22 belongs to Montreal fans. Three of the five players on this list spent their entire careers with the Canadiens, while Serge Savard – one of two Habs Hall of Famers with Jan. 22 birthdays – played 917 of his 1,040 regular-season games in bleu, blanc et rouge. And let's not forget Bossy, a Montreal native and one of the NHL's greatest goal scorers.

January 23

Red Wings fans are undoubtedly grateful for Jan. 23. Not one, but two key members of three Detroit Stanley Cup championships were born on this date: Shanahan, who had a combined 45 points in those three playoff runs; and Holmstrom, who had a second-year breakout with 19 points in 22 games in the Wings' 1998 triumph.

January 24

Mortson doesn't get enough credit. In an era where toughness was critical but true "tough guys" didn't get much respect, Mortson led the NHL in penalty minutes four times while scoring between 11 and 23 points in 12 straight seasons. Oh, and he won four Stanley Cups while skating in eight All-Star Games over that span.

January 25

We know Chelios played for a long time – but here's just how long: He was once teammates with Guy LaFleur (who debuted in 1971) and Evander Kane (who is still active). Three Stanley Cups, three Norris Trophies, seven All-Star nods and a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame is a heck of a resume.

January 26

It might not be a national holiday, but it's the most notable NHL birthday of this or any other month. The Great One will turn 64 on Jan. 26, 2025, and still owns 60+ major NHL records, many of which might never be broken. More than a quarter-century after playing his final NHL game, Gretzky's star still shines bright.

January 27

The top three players on this list have one thing in common: It probably surprises people to know that each of them surpassed 1,000 career NHL games, a feat that isn't quite as rare as it used to be but is still impressive. Fun fact about Manson: He wore seven different numbers in his NHL career.

January 28

Paul Henderson might not be in the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player, but he's still the most prolific player to be born on Jan. 28. He's joined by two underappreciated players who spent their careers with one team: Stan Smyl in Vancouver, and Michal Pivonka in Washington. Also born on this day: Colin Campbell, inducted into the Hall in 2024 as a builder.

January 29

Only one of the top two guys born on Jan. 29 is in the Hall of Fame, but make no mistake: Both Hasek and Burke are revered among NHL goalie fanatics. Hasek made a compelling case to be considered one of the greatest goaltenders in history, while Burke carved out a great career before excelling in the coaching realm.

January 30

Chabot aside, we have a nice collection of NHL journeymen who share a Jan. 30 birthday. Among them: the late Chris Simon, who toiled for eight NHL teams and won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 1996; and Heinze, who wore four different jerseys over his final four seasons (and wore No. 57 for the last three ... get it? Heinze 57? Ketchup!)

January 31

The top two guys on the list of Jan. 31 birthdays share some parallels. Both Seguin and Markstrom broke into the NHL in 2011, and both have enjoyed career resurgences following some rough stretches. And let's give a shout out to Dollas, who suited up for nine teams despite scoring just 42 career NHL goals.

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