NEW YORK – Florida Panthers left wing Brady Tkachuk, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” presented by GEICO for the week ending Oct. 18.
FIRST STAR – BRADY TKACHUK, LW, FLORIDA PANTHERS
Tkachuk, buoyed by back-to-back natural hat tricks, led the NHL with 6-4—10 in four contests to propel the Panthers (5-2-2, 12 points) to a trio of wins. He collected an assist, his first point with Florida, in a 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres Oct. 12. Tkachuk then became the third player in League history (and first in 40 years) to record a natural hat trick in consecutive games, notching 3-1—4 in a 7-3 triumph over the Columbus Blue Jackets Oct. 13 before scoring three times (including the tying goal with 12.8 seconds remaining in regulation and his 13th career overtime winner) in a 3-2 comeback victory against the Vancouver Canucks Oct. 15. Tkachuk additionally became the third player in Panthers history to post a hat trick (of any kind) in back-to-back appearances, joining Noel Acciari (Dec. 16-20, 2019) and Pavel Bure (Feb. 10-14, 2001), as well as the first player on any NHL team to achieve the feat since Auston Matthews from Feb. 15-17, 2024 (w/ TOR). Tkachuk finished the week with a pair of helpers, in an 8-3 win versus the Seattle Kraken Oct. 17, as Florida became the first team in League history to register a natural hat trick in three straight contests. The 27-year-old Tkachuk, one of 31 NHL players (and three Panthers) with at least 10 points already this season (6-4—10 in 9 GP), has compiled 219-254—473 through 581 career NHL games.
SECOND STAR – CONNOR McDAVID, C, EDMONTON OILERS
McDavid placed second in the NHL with 3-7—10 in three appearances as the Oilers (6-1-1, 13 points) earned a pair of victories. He recorded 1-3—4, his 50th career four-point performance, while playing in his 800th career game – a 4-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings Oct. 13. McDavid then assisted on one of Edmonton’s two goals in a 4-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth Oct. 15. He capped the week with 2-3—5, his 16th career five-point effort, in a 6-2 triumph over the Mammoth Oct. 17. The 29-year-old McDavid, who has found the scoresheet in each of his first eight outings of the season, tops the League with 6-17—23 in 2026-27. His 23 points are the most by any NHL player through their first eight games of a campaign since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96 (10-17—27 w/ PIT).
THIRD STAR – KIRILL KAPRIZOV, LW, MINNESOTA WILD
Kaprizov registered 4-3—7 in four games to lift the Wild (6-2-1, 13 points) to a 3-1-0 week and into first place in the Central Division. He picked up one assist in a 4-2 win versus the Vegas Golden Knights Oct. 12, followed by a pair of goals in a 5-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets Oct. 13. Kaprizov then collected 1-2—3 in a 5-4 triumph over the St. Louis Blues Oct. 15 before closing the week with his 36th career game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets Oct. 18. The 29-year-old Kaprizov, the first player in franchise history to be the first in the League with a double-digit goal total in a given season, leads the NHL with 10 goals and sits fifth with 15 points through nine contests in 2026-27 (10-5—15).
