Another year in the NHL was one for the books, with 2025 seeing decades-old League and franchise records fall as new stars of all ages made history. A few key takeaways before a month-by-month look at some of the biggest moments in the #NHLStats: 2025 Year in Review:
* Memorable moments ranged from Connor McDavid and the Tkachuk brothers at the 4 Nations Face-Off to Alex Ovechkin’s completion of The Gr8 Chase to the Panthers winning a Stanley Cup Final rematch to Sidney Crosby breaking a record long held by “Super Mario” to the emergence of teenage stars Macklin Celebrini and Matthew Schaefer.
* International competition was a storyline throughout the year, including the announcement of the return of the World Cup of Hockey in 2028 and finalization of plans for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games – along with roster announcements in both June and December.
* NHL games were closer than ever before, with a calendar-year record 76% decided by a one-goal margin or multiple goals following an empty-netter – including 341 overtime games (eight shy of the League record of 349 set in 2013). Playoff races also went down to the wire for a first-of-its-kind clinching scenario in April.
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* After closing the year with an outdoor game for the first time, the NHL rang in 2025 with a flurry of achievements and announcements in January. Alex Ovechkin scored in his first two games of the year to re-ignite The Gr8 Chase, while Sidney Crosby overtook Joe Sakic on the all-time points list. Connor McDavid had his number retired by the Erie Otters – and met their star defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who was picked No. 1 in the NHL Draft six months later – and five days after moved into second place on the Oilers’ all-time points list behind Wayne Gretzky. Other memorable moments included the first of two goalie goals in 2025 as well as Marc-Andre Fleury’s final NHL appearance in his home province. The NHL also unveiled Quarter-Century Teams for each franchise as part of a months-long celebration and closed January by announcing annual increases to the salary cap.
* Before we look back further on the year that was, a few #NHLStats to look forward to in 2026:
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* The 4 Nations Face-Off – the first best-on-best tournament in nearly a decade – drew spirited competition on the ice and culminated in dramatic fashion with an overtime goal by Connor McDavid to lift Canada to a championship against the USA on American soil. The triumph avenged Canada’s loss in the round-robin portion of the tournament and gave the country its seventh championship in nine NHL International Tournaments (third in a row).
* Playing together on the international stage for the first time, brothers Brady and Matthew Tkachuk starred in the tournament and grabbed headlines – from appearances on Good Morning America to the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce to eventually starting their own podcast, Wingmen. Kelce would later watch Matthew and the Panthers at the Stanley Cup Final, alongside Taylor Swift.
* The tournament also included an MVP caliber performance by Nathan MacKinnon, another championship as captain for Sidney Crosby and saw Zach Werenski become the first defenseman to finish as the outright points leader at an NHL International Tournament. Click here for a look back at some of the most memorable moments from the nine-day event.
* NHL action in February saw Mark Scheifele set the Jets/Thrashers franchise record for career goals (Feb. 24) during Winnipeg’s franchise record-setting 11-game winning streak. Scheifele added other club records to his tally before the year was out, climbing to the top of the career points (Oct. 18) and games played lists (Nov. 18). The on-ice achievements came during an emotional year for Scheifele, who scored a goal hours after the passing of his father, Brad.
* The first weekend back from the 4 Nations break included Skate for LA Strong, “A Celebration to Support the Fire Recovery Efforts in Los Angeles.” The game featured celebrities like Justin Bieber, Steve Carell and Snoop Dogg alongside NHL alumni like Mark Messier and Rob Blake to support relief efforts for the wildfires that devastated greater Los Angeles.
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* The second outdoor game of the 2024-25 season and only one in the calendar year 2025 marked an NHL first as Ohio Stadium welcomed 94,751 fans – the second-highest attendance in NHL history – for the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series. The Blue Jackets earned an emotional win against the Red Wings during the NHL’s first outdoor game in the state of Ohio, with special pre-game moments to honor the lives of Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau. Meredith Gaudreau, joined by her children Johnny Jr. and Noa, mother-in-law Jane as well as her late husband’s teammates Sean Monahan and Erik Gudbranson,led Columbus during itswalk to the ice – after players from both the Blue Jackets and Red Wings arrived in attire honoring the brothers.
* 1.6 million viewers watched the Stadium Series game on ESPN, the second most-watched Stadium Series since 2019. The event also set a single day retail sales record for concession retail sales, up 19% over the previous record holder (2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series between the Rangers and Islanders on Feb. 18, 2024).
* March also saw Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf set a franchise record for shutouts by a rookie (March 8), on his way to a runner-up finish in Calder Trophy voting; Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour set the NHL record for fastest overtime goal (March 12); and Canucks forward Keifer Sherwood set a new benchmark for the most hits on record in a single season (March 22).
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* Just over 26 years after Wayne Gretzky scored his 894th and final NHL goal against the Islanders, Alex Ovechkin netted No. 895 against the same club to break the NHL all-time goals record – a benchmark that was thought to be untouchable. #NHLStats had in depth coverage as the title of NHL All-Time Goals Leader changed hands for the first time in more than 31 years, with “The Great 8” becoming the 10th player in the NHL’s 107-year history to claim the honor – and just the fourth to own the distinction in the past 72 years, following Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Maurice Richard.
* April also saw the League’s active goals-per-game leader Auston Matthews become the fastest U.S.-born player to score 400 goals, hitting the mark on a milestone night that included Mitch Marner securing his first 100-point season and the Maple Leafs clinching their third division title in the NHL’s expansion era.
* Exactly two weeks after the NHL and Rogers announced a 12-year national rights media deal (April 2), the Canadiens clinched the 16th and final playoff spot (April 16) – putting a Canadian team at both the top and bottom of the playoff bracket after the Jets secured their first Presidents’ Trophy (April 13). Overall, five Canadian teams secured a playoff spot in 2025, tied for the most since 1993 (6).
* The $11 billion CDN agreement between the NHL and Rogers starts in 2026-27, following the conclusion of the current landmark 12-year deal, extending the strategic partnership to over two decades.
* The Jets and Capitals proved that a lot can change in a year, as they finished as the No. 1 seed in their respective conference after combining for one playoff win the year prior – a first-of-its-kind feat. In-season turnarounds also were a story in April as the Blues and Canadiens overcame large standings deficits to secure playoff spots. Both clubs clinched in game No. 82, as did the Wild, making 2024-25 the first season under the 16-team playoff bracket in which three teams clinched a playoff spot in their last game.
* The NHL set a regular season attendance record for the 2024-25 season – the highest total attendance for a regular season in the League’s 108-year history. Total attendance for the full, 1,312-game regular season was 23,014,458, surpassing the 23-million mark for the first time and representing 96.9% of capacity. The record marked the third consecutive regular season the NHL has set a total attendance record, following all-time marks established in 2022-23 (22,436,532) and 2023-24 (22,873,142).
* The First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs had rivalry at its core, including the first postseason “Battle of Ontario” in 21 years, the “Battle of Florida” for the fourth time in five years, as well as the Kings and Oilers meeting in the opening round for a fourth straight year.
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* The First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs ended during the first weekend of May, with back-to-back historic Game 7s. On May 3, Stars forward Mikko Rantanen eliminated his former team by scoring the first single-period hat trick in Game 7 history. Less than 24 hours later, Jets forward Cole Perfetti scored the latest tying goal in Game 7 history (59:57).
* Like May in recent years, May 2025 saw the Stars, Oilers, Hurricanes and Panthers make deep runs as three of those clubs made at least a second straight appearance in the Conference Finals (DAL, EDM & FLA) while the other reached the final four for the third time in seven seasons (CAR: 2019, 2023 & 2025). All four eliminated a division champion to get there.
* Unlike May in recent years, the broadcast of the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery featured the drawings live for the first time in the event’s 30-year history, allowing viewers to learn the results at the same time as the Draft Lottery participants. The Islanders and Utah Hockey Club made dramatic moves, with New York jumping from No. 10 to No. 1 and Utah climbing from No. 14 to No. 4.
* Two days after winning the second drawing of the draft lottery and after playing its inaugural season as the Utah Hockey Club, the new franchise officially became the Utah Mammoth on May 7. The year also brought franchise firsts by captain Clayton Keller (five points Feb. 27) and Logan Cooley (four goals Nov. 24) – the latter achievement witnessed by Tusky, the new mascot unveiled before their home opener.
* On May 21, the 4 Nations Face-Off was named Sports Event of the Year at the 2025 Sports Business Journal Sports Business Awards. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh accepted the honor onstage together. The NHL is a 17-time SBA nominee and five-time winner, including two previous Event of the Year victories (for the Winter Classic in 2009 and 2014).
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* Just like last year, the only two teams to play into June were the Oilers and Panthers, who met for just the second Stanley Cup Final rematch in 40 years.
* The Oilers’ trip to a second straight Stanley Cup Final saw them rally from a 2-0 series deficit to eliminate the Kings for a fourth straight year, become the first team in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to capture six consecutive comeback wins (from R1 vs. LAK to R2 vs. VGK) and win a Western Conference Final rematch against Dallas.
* The Panthers’ venture to a third straight appearance in the Final included a series win against the state rival Lightning (R1), a rally from their own 2-0 series deficit (R2 vs. TOR) and an Eastern Conference Final victory against Carolina for the second time in three years.
* Highlights of the Stanley Cup Final included three overtime games, Leon Draisaitl’s record-setting fourth OT goal of the 2025 playoffs and Sam Reinhart making history by becoming the second NHL player with four goals in a Cup-clinching game. The season culminated June 17 when the Panthers claimed a repeat on home ice – less than one year after winning their first championship in Sunrise.
* The Panthers (61 wins in 2025) became the fifth franchise in NHL history with at least 60 wins in three consecutive years (including playoffs), joining the Oilers (5 from 1983 to 1987), Islanders (4 from 1980 to 1983), Red Wings (3 from 2007 to 2009) and Canadiens (3 from 1976 to 1978).
* The day before the Cup was presented, 60 NHL players were named to preliminary rosters for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 (June 16). At the time, the Devils topped all teams with six players named including five still with the team: Ondrej Palat (Team Czechia), Simon Nemec (Team Slovakia) and the Team Switzerland trio of Nico Hischier, Timo Meier and Jonas Siegenthaler.
* The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs reached 25.7 million Canadians, averaging 1.8 million viewers per game.
* For the first time, many NHL Awards were presented with special surprise deliveries. The unique moments included Aleksander Barkov receiving two awards from patients at the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital; Lane Hutson picking up the Calder Trophy during a surprise party; Cale Makar (second Norris Trophy) and Anze Kopitar (third Lady Byng Trophy) each collecting their hardware during a round of golf; as well as Connor Hellebuyck accepting both the Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy from family and friends – including goaltending partner Eric Comrie – after a morning of fishing.
* The final individual award of the season went to Panthers forward Sam Bennett, who was named playoff MVP after leading the League in goals (15) and establishing an NHL record for road goals in one playoff year (13).
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* The trade winds were swirling in the early days of summer, including a July 1 deal that sent Mitch Marner to the Golden Knights. That deal came eight days after the Flyers acquired Trevor Zegras from the Ducks – who had made a splash in mid-June by picking up Chris Kreider from the Rangers. Entering January, Marner and Zegras are the top two scorers among players on new teams this season, while Zegras shares the lead in goals for that cohort – tied with Mammoth forward JJ Peterka – who was acquired in a deal that sent Josh Doan to the Sabres (he also is among the League leaders for players on new teams this season).
* Big trades weren’t limited to the offseason as marquee players were on the move in-season as well, including Mikko Rantanen who was dealt twice in a span of six weeks (Jan. 24 and March 7); former captains Brad Marchand (March 7) and Quinn Hughes (Dec. 12); new captain J.T. Miller (Jan. 31); and a starter-for-starter deal that saw Stuart Skinner and Tristan Jarry swap teams (Dec. 12) before going head-to-head less than a week later.
* Exactly three weeks after the Stanley Cup was awarded (June 17), the NHL and NHLPA ratified a four-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (July 8), more than a year before the expiration of the current contract. Other summer announcements included a multi-year partnership with DAZN, a groundbreaking collaboration with Lega Serie A, an NHL Street Hockey program in the U.K. as well as Matthew Tkachuk named as cover athlete for EA SPORTS NHL 26 – alongside his brother, Brady, and father, Keith, for the deluxe edition.
* As players returned to the ice for training camp, Kings captain Anze Kopitar announced that 2025-26 would be his final NHL season. Kopitar, the only Slovenian in the NHL, is on track to hit 1,300 career points (2 away) and become the franchise scoring leader (10 away from breaking a record held by Marcel Dionne for nearly 45 years).
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* The start of the 108th NHL season was accompanied by a number of major moves off the ice, including the premiere of Season 2 of FACEOFF: Inside the NHL on Prime Video; the launch of a redesigned NHL EDGE platform; and a landmark media partnership between Nine and the NHL airing a live NHL game every Saturday morning to fans in Australia.
* Once the puck dropped, new faces began to make an immediate impact, including 18-year-old No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer. After an emotional moment on stage at the NHL Draft in June, the historic start to Schaefer’s career has seen him become the youngest defenseman in NHL history with a point in his debut, to net a game-winning goal and to score in consecutive games; tie an NHL record by starting his career with a six-game point streak; and become the youngest player ever with a regular-season overtime goal (besting Sidney Crosby). After being named Rookie of the Month for October, Schaefer kept rolling in November by becoming the third 18-year-old defenseman in NHL history with five goals in one month. He also made a touching tribute to his late mom, Jennifer, during the Islanders’ Hockey Fights Cancer Night on Nov. 22, which happened to fall on her birthday. In December, he became the youngest defenseman in NHL history to reach 25 points and signed on as a Hockey Fights Cancer champion.
* October also marked the start of Centennial celebrations for the last members of the Original Six to celebrate 100 years: the Rangers guided by new captain J.T. Miller (back with the team in time for their next Winter Classic appearance), the Blackhawks back in the playoff hunt thanks to the scoring prowess of Connor Bedard, and the Red Wings surging to the top of the standings in a campaign likely to see Patrick Kane become the all-time NHL scoring leader among U.S.-born players (9 away).
* The NHL started the 2025-26 season with its sponsorship business at the best it’s ever been, adding at least a half dozen new sponsors to its already robust list of corporate partners, and revenues projected to exceed $7 billion. It also started hot out of the gates across ESPN and TNT Sports, with audiences up 26% from this point last year at the end of October.
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* On Nov. 5, 2005, “The Great 8” Alex Ovechkin had eight career NHL goals as a 20-year-old rookie. Fast forward exactly 20 years to Nov. 5, 2025, when he became the first player in NHL history with 900 career regular-season goals. He added 10 goals to his tally in November – the third 40-year-old in NHL history with as many in one month – during the league-wide celebration month for Hockey Fights Cancer Hockey Fights Cancer, as he continued THE GR8 CHASE for Victory Over Cancer.
* At the other end of the NHL’s age spectrum, 20-year-old Connor Bedard and 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini both were among the top scorers in November – putting the Blackhawks and Sharks in the thick of the playoff race. Celebrini, the NHL scoring leader Nov. 7, finished the calendar with 98 points to match Dale Hawerchuk (1982) for the third most regular-season points by a teenager in a calendar year – behind only Wayne Gretzky (140 in 1980) and Sidney Crosby (118 in 2006). Celebrini did so hours after finding out that he would be joining Crosby on Team Canada’s Olympic roster – as he is set to become the first teenager to represent that country at Olympics involving NHL players.
* Bedard, among the November Stars of the Month, was sidelined for the final weeks of 2025 but still recorded the most regular-season points in a calendar year by a Blackhawks player age 20 or younger since 1990 (78; Jeremy Roenick: 80).
* Overall in 2025, players age 20 or younger accounted for 361 goals (including playoffs) – the most in a calendar year since 2018 (493). Ducks forward Leo Carlsson, who celebrated his 21st birthday on Boxing Day, had 74 regular season points as a 20-year-old – by far the most by a Ducks player at that age or younger in one calendar year.
* Not to be outdone by the emerging young stars, the NHL’s active points leader Sidney Crosby is among the crew of players age 37 or older that combined for 273 goals and 707 points (including playoffs). The goal count was the second-highest ever by players in that age group (tied with 2011 & 2009, behind 287 in 2008), while the point total was the highest since 2013 (716 points). Crosby had two points Dec. 21 to break Mario Lemieux’s franchise record for career points, also overtaking him for eighth place in NHL history. Click here for more on Crosby.
* It was also a November to remember for Predators forward Filip Forsberg, who scored a late tying goal to help secure a win during his first NHL game in his home country during 2025 NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal (Nov. 14). Likewise for his countryman Jesper Wallstedt, who was named Rookie of the Month after posting a 6-0-0 record including three shutouts. The Wild goaltender foreshadowed more positives for the club, which made a splash Dec. 12 by acquiring Quinn Hughes – the first Norris Trophy winner to play for the franchise – who scored in his debut two days later in a contest that also saw Kirill Kaprizov set a franchise record for career 20-goal seasons and move closer to becoming the club’s all-time goals leader (12 away).
* On Nov. 10, as part of the festivities leading up to the 2025 NHL Global Series, the NHL announced the opening of its new office located in Zürich, Switzerland. The office, having officially opened its doors in August 2025, will expand the League’s footprint across Europe, focusing on international operations, strategy, and development, including media and sponsorship sales. The Zürich office bolsters the League’s commitment to evolving its international business and continues to fuel the excitement around its global calendar of events, including the 2025 NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal, NHL player participation at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, and the World Cup of Hockey 2028.
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Most Goals (Regular Season Only): Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon led all players with 52 goals ahead of Bruins forward Morgan Geekie (50), Stars forward Jason Robertson (49), Bruins forward David Pastrnak (47) and Sabres forward Tage Thompson (46). Geekie had more goals during the 2025 calendar year than he did in his NHL career before the calendar flipped (47 in 290 GP through Dec. 31, 2024).
Most Points (Regular Season Only): MacKinnon (52-73—125) became the first player since Wayne Gretzky to top the NHL in regular-season points in three straight calendar years – and fifth to do so all-time: MacKinnon (3 from 2023-2025), Gretzky (8 from 1980-1987), Guy Lafleur (4 from 1975-1978), Phil Esposito (6 from 1969-1974) and Gordie Howe (4 from 1950-1953). MacKinnon also became the first player since Nikita Kucherov in 2017 to finish a calendar year as the outright leader in regular-season goals and points.
* Kucherov (38-80—118), who finished the season with the second-most points, recorded 100 or more regular-season points in a calendar year for the seventh time, tied with Jari Kurri for the most among players born outside of North America.
* For the second straight year, MacKinnon and Cale Makar (31-60—91) finished with the most points among forwards and defensemen, respectively, after also doing so in 2024. It marks the first time in more than 35 years that teammates led forwards and defensemen in regular-season points in consecutive years (Mario Lemieux and Paul Coffey with the Penguins in 1988 and 1989).
Most Goals (Including Playoffs): MacKinnon also topped the list with 59 total goals in 2025, ahead of Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (56), Robertson (53), Geekie (50) and last year’s leader Sam Reinhart (50). Draisaitl accumulated 50-plus goals for a fifth straight calendar year, with his 2025 count including a Stanley Cup Playoffs record four overtime goals.
Most Points (Including Playoffs): Oilers captain Connor McDavid (42-107—149) topped the list for total points, just ahead of Draisaitl (56-84—140) – aided by a 34-point December, the highest single-month total by any player since Mario Lemieux in December 1995. McDavid became the fourth player in NHL history to lead the League in total points (tied or outright) in five straight calendar years, following Wayne Gretzky (8 from 1980-1987), Guy Lafleur (5 from 1975 to 1979) and Phil Esposito (6 from 1969 to 1974).
* Eleven players hit the 100-point milestone in 2025, marking the fourth straight calendar year with 10 or more skaters with 100-plus points (including playoffs) – a first since 1980 to 1993 (14 years).
* Leaders Among Defensemen: Makar led NHL blueliners in regular-season points, while Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard (21-78—99) topped the list when including playoffs (Makar: 32-64—96). Makar also paced all blueliners in goals, 31 for regular-season only and 32 including playoffs. Among the defensive scoring leaders was Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin (15-55—70), who had the second-highest calendar year point total of his career (behind 71 in 2022) despite taking personal leave in the months after he penned a letter to fans discussing the heart transplant that his fiancée, Carolina, underwent in the summer. Dahlin’s Sabres enter January riding a franchise record-tying 10-game winning streak that has propelled them from last place in the Eastern Conference standings before the streak into a Wild Card spot on New Year’s Day.
* Leaders Among Goaltenders: The distinction of regular-season wins leader came down to the wire, with Andrei Vasilevskiy (37) securing that title for the third time in his career (also 2021 and 2020). Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky topped the League in wins including playoffs (49, five ahead of Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger) as well as shutouts (7 for regular-season only, 10 including playoffs).
* Leaders Among Teams: The Stars led all teams with 62 wins (including playoffs), just ahead of the Panthers (61), Oilers (60), Avalanche (59) and Hurricanes (58). The Stars hit 60 wins in a calendar year for the second straight year and third time in franchise history (63 in 1999, 62 in 2024).
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Check out the NHL.com Year in Review of NHL EDGE stats, with a snapshot of leaders below (regular season and playoffs):
High-Danger Zone
- Goals – Jake Guentzel (33)
- Shots on Goal – Zach Hyman (138)
- Saves – Ilya Sorokin (435)
- Save Percentage – Jet Greaves (.878; min. 200 shots faced)
Mid-Range Zone:
- Goals – Nathan MacKinnon (26)
- Shots on Goal – Nathan MacKinnon (163)
Speed Bursts:
- Max Skating Speed – Miles Wood (24.82 mph on April 10, 2025)
- 20+ MPH – Connor McDavid (756)
- 22+ MPH – Connor McDavid (158)\
- McDavid had 243 and 92 more than the next closest player in the respective categories (Nathan MacKinnon: 513 and 66).
Total Skating Distance:
- Connor McDavid (387 miles)
Shot Speed
- Hardest Shot – Gustav Forsling (105.05 mph on March 20, 2025)
- 90+ MPH Shots – Evan Bouchard (87)
- 100+ MPH Shots – Colin Miller (4)
