Faceoff is scheduled for 3:00 PM ET
Venue: Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC
Broadcast: ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network (FDSN), Sportsnet (SN), TVA Sports (TVAS)

This marks the first-ever postseason meeting between the Senators and Hurricanes. Carolina enters as the top seed in the East with home-ice advantage and one of the league’s most complete rosters, while Ottawa rides a late-season surge that turned a long-shot wild-card berth into playoff momentum. Expect a high-pace, structured battle featuring elite defensive play, goaltending questions, and star power up front.

Team Records and Recent Form

Carolina Hurricanes (53-22-7): Dominated the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference. They posted one of the NHL’s top 5-on-5 expected goals percentages (second league-wide) and boasted a rock-solid home record (29-10-2). Recent form was strong despite a couple of late hiccups: wins over Columbus, NY Islanders (2-1 on Apr 14), Utah, Chicago, and Boston (OT), with a loss to Philadelphia and the Apr 5 road loss to Ottawa. Carolina went 7-3 in their final 10 regular-season games and looked playoff-ready with elite puck possession.

Ottawa Senators (44-27-11): Climbed from the basement with a heroic late push (roughly 23-8-5 since mid-January). They clinched the second Eastern wild card and finished hot, including wins over Tampa Bay, Florida, NY Islanders, and a 6-3 victory over Carolina on Apr 5. Ottawa was 7-2-1 or better in their final stretch and showed resilience on the road (21-15-5). Their point percentage since March 1 matched Carolina’s at around .733.

Injury Report

Ottawa Senators:

Tyler Kleven (D): Day-to-Day (upper body) – skated in non-contact jersey Friday; coach Travis Green indicated he is “closer” but no firm Game 1 confirmation.

Nick Jensen (D): Out for season (knee/lower body).

Brady Tkachuk (F, captain): Cleared after recent health scare (brief vision loss, no head contact); full participant and expected to play.
Core pieces like Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson (returned Apr 4 from upper-body issue), and Linus Ullmark are healthy.

Carolina Hurricanes:

No significant injuries reported. Pyotr Kochetkov (G) has returned from lower-body surgeries and is available as the third goalie option.

Goaltending rotation: Frederik Andersen and Brandon Bussi both fully healthy; coach Rod Brind’Amour has not named a Game 1 starter (Andersen practiced in the starter’s crease recently, but rotation remains fluid). No scratches or day-to-day concerns for skaters.

Depth on the blue line for Ottawa could be tested if Kleven is unavailable.

Key Player Matchups

Linus Ullmark (OTT) vs. Frederik Andersen / Brandon Bussi (CAR): Ullmark (5-1-0 in last six starts, .927 SV%) is locked in for Ottawa. Carolina’s veteran Andersen (playoff-proven .914 career SV% in 85 games) or rookie Bussi (strong regular season) gives the Canes flexibility and a potential edge.

Jake Sanderson (OTT D) vs. Jaccob Slavin (CAR D): Highlight matchup of the series. Slavin remains one of the NHL’s premier shutdown defenders; Sanderson’s two-way excellence could be Ottawa’s X-factor if he neutralizes Carolina’s top threats.

Tim Stützle / Brady Tkachuk (OTT) vs. Sebastian Aho / Carolina shutdown lines: Stützle (team-leading ~83 points) and physical captain Tkachuk will test Carolina’s structure. Aho (80 points) anchors Carolina’s attack; expect heavy checking-line matchups and special-teams battles.

Secondary pieces: Ridly Greig / Shane Pinto (OTT) vs. Carolina’s depth forwards; Ottawa’s offensive finishers must convert against a stingy Canes defense.

Carolina’s 5-on-5 dominance and transition game will clash with Ottawa’s speed and playoff-tested grit.

Series History

Playoffs: 0-0 (first-ever meeting).

Regular season all-time: Hurricanes lead 67-47-13 (approx.).

2025-26 season series: Carolina took it 2-1 (11-11 total goals across three games). Recent head-to-heads have been competitive and high-scoring, with Ottawa winning the most recent regular-season clash 6-3 on Apr 5.

Betting Trends

Hurricanes are 96-39 as home favorites this season and strong in revenge spots.

Over has hit in 3 of the last 4 head-to-head meetings and in 42 of Ottawa’s last 82 games.

Senators covered the spread in 6 straight and 7 of 8 in April; they are 8-3 Over as road underdogs.

Carolina is 2-3 in last 5 but dominant at home; totals have pushed Over in recent playoff-style games.

Game Odds

Ottawa Senators              6.5

Carolina Hurricanes        – 148

Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, April 17, 2026

* For the first time, Gen Z accounted for 60% of NHL players (61% born 1997-2012; 39% Millennials, born 1981-1996).

* A total of 23 players played as a teenager this season, including seven who were NHL regulars (min. 30 GP). Sixteen of those 23 players were still teenagers when the 2025-26 season ended, and nine will still be teenagers when the 2026-27 campaign begins (Matthew Schaefer, Anton Frondell, Ben Kindel, Brady Martin, Michael Misa, Braeden Cootes, James Hagens, Porter Martone and Victor Eklund).

* Three players selected in last year’s draft were NHL regulars this season (Matthew Schaefer, Ben Kindel and Michael Misa) – among a group of nine whose names were called last June that have played this season. The 2025 draft class was the first that had at least nine players debut the following season since 2017 (12 in 2017-18).

* Gen Z players led 19 teams in points. Anaheim, Chicago and San Jose were all topped by a player age 22 or younger at the end of the season.

* Gen Z players led 18 teams in goals. Anaheim, Dallas and San Jose were all topped by a player age 22 or younger at the end of the season.

* Gen Z accounted for nearly two-thirds of the League’s top point scorers (60%; 31 of 52 players with 70+ points) and more than half of its top goal scorers (51%; 23 of 45 players with 30+ goals).
 
THE ROOKIE CLASS

Matthew Schaefer (age 18), New York Islanders

* Unphased by facing Sidney Crosby (active points leader, 2x NHL MVP), Alex Ovechkin (all-time goals leader; 3x NHL MVP) and Connor McDavid (6x scoring leader including 2025-26, 3x NHL MVP) within the first week of his NHL career, Schaefer got off to a record-setting start and never looked back during his historic season – which includes a long list of achievements detailed on this fact sheet. The No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft less than one year ago, Schaefer accumulated the most goals and points ever by an 18-year-old defenseman. Schaefer regularly honors his mom, Jennifer, who passed away from cancer in February 2024 and since entering the NHL has signed on as a Hockey Fights Cancer champion while continuing his efforts to support kids who have lost loved ones.

Matthew Schaefer Fact Sheet By #NHLStats

Ben Kindel (age 18), Pittsburgh Penguins

* The second-youngest NHL regular this season, Kindel hadthe most goals and points by a Penguins rookie in his lifetime. Kindel’s four game-winning goals were among the most in League history by an 18-year-old. The No. 11 pick from the 2025 NHL Draft, Kindel will celebrate his 19th birthday on April 19, which will be the second day of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Both his parents played professional soccer and for Canadian national teams.

Michael Misa (age 19), San Jose Sharks

* One of the youngest goal scorers in franchise history, the No. 2 pick from the 2025 NHL Draft was part of a youthful Sharks roster. He represented Canada at the World Junior Championship this season and missed some time due to injury but otherwise has been an NHL regular in 2025-26. His brother, Luke, is an NHL prospect who played at Penn State University this season alongside Gavin McKenna, the potential No. 1 pick in June.

Porter Martone (age 19), Philadelphia Flyers
* The No. 6 pick in the NHL Draft made his League debut on March 31 and found the score sheet in seven of nine games to help the Flyers clinch their first playoff berth since 2020. Martone beat the Bruins in extra time on April 5 and became the first player in franchise history to score his first career goal in overtime.
 

Sam Dickinson (age 19), San Jose Sharks

* The second-youngest full-time NHL defenseman this season behind Matthew Schaefer, Dickinson was the No. 11 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft – the highest defenseman selected by the Sharks in more than 25 years. He had the second-most games played, assists and points by a teenage defenseman in franchise history, behind Marc-Edouard Vlasic who tallied 3-21—24 in 76 games at that age – embarking on what would become a 19-season career with the club. He was a goalie when he started playing hockey.

Beckett Sennecke (age 20), Anaheim Ducks

* After being “shocked” when his name was called with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Sennecke made the most of the opportunity during his first NHL campaign – nearly setting franchise rookie records for assists and points. Sennecke, who turned 20 in January, reached a number of milestones including becoming the fastest Ducks rookie to 50 points and second-youngest with a hat trick, as well as contributing to his team’s knack for late-game heroics. He became the third Ducks player to lead all NHL rookies in goals (also Bobby Ryan and Paul Kariya).

Ivan Demidov (age 20), Montreal Canadiens

* After making his NHL and Stanley Cup Playoffs debuts last season, Demidov contributed regularly throughout his first full NHL campaign – posting Montreal’s highest point total by a rookie forward in more than 20 years (and among the highest counts overall in the franchise’s 108-season history). The No. 5 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft was two back of the highest assist total by a rookie forward in franchise history. One season after teammate Lane Hutson claimed the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year, Demidov joined him as the second straight Canadiens player to lead all NHL rookies in assists or points (the last team to do that was VAN from 2018-19 to 2019-20). Teammate Oliver Kapanen (age 22) finished the season one back of the NHL rookie goals leaders.

Zeev Buium (age 20), Vancouver Canucks

* The youngest American to play full-time in the NHL this season, Buium ranked among the NHL leaders for assists and points by a rookie defenseman. After making his NHL debut during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Minnesota Wild, Buium was a focal point of a blockbuster trade in December 2025 and made an immediate impact with his new club in Vancouver. With an athletic pedigree, Buium is a champion at both the NCAA and World Junior levels and in 2024-25 was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and a First Team All-American before turning pro. He is among a small group of active California-born defensemen in the NHL and got his start in roller hockey before his parents relocated the family to support the hockey dreams of Zeev and his brother, Shai (a prospect with the Detroit Red Wings).

Jimmy Snuggerud (age 21), St. Louis Blues

* The latest member of his family to play in the NHL after his father, Dave, Snuggerud led NHL rookies in goals, assists and points since the Olympic break and had the highest single-season point total by a Blues rookie in 34 years. Snuggerud was named the NHL’s “Rookie of the Month” for March and became the first Blues player with the honor in seven years (Jordan Binnington, March 2019).

SOPHOMORE AND MORE

Macklin Celebrini (age 19), San Jose Sharks

* The No. 1 pick from the 2024 NHL Draft became the sixth different teenager in NHL history to post a 100-point season, and the fourth teenager in NHL history to finish among the top five in League scoring. He also became the third player (of any age) with a 100-point campaign for the Sharks and passed the legendary “Jumbo” Joe Thornton (114 in 2006-07) for the single-season franchise scoring record. Of note, Thornton is the person who called Celebrini’s name at the draft two years ago, and served as his “landlord” during his rookie season. Celebrini had a record-setting performance as the youngest NHL player at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

Connor Bedard (age 20), Chicago Blackhawks

* The second-youngest non-rookie in the NHL behind Macklin Celebrini, Bedard is the highest-scoring player before age 21 in the 99-season history of his franchise – ranking ahead of second-place Eddie Olczyk (65-115—180 in 228 GP) for goals, assists and points. The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft led Chicago in assists and points during each of his three NHL seasons and became the youngest player in franchise history to score 30 goals in a season.

Did You Know? Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard both hail from North Vancouver, are friends away from the rink and train together during the offseason.

Leo Carlsson (age 21), Anaheim Ducks

* Selected with the No. 2 pick in 2023, Carlsson ranks among the NHL leaders from that draft class and has established a number of benchmarks for the Ducks including the most goals (49), assists (66) and points (115) before age 21. He has increased his output in all three of those categories in each of his three NHL seasons and ranked second in team scoring (behind Cutter Gauthier, age 22). Carlsson, who has stuttered his entire life, has partnered with an organization to support young people who stutter. The second youngest full-time Swedish forward in the NHL, Carlsson was featured in the NHL My World series, played at the 4 Nations Face-Off and was named to the Olympic roster but missed the tournament due to injury.

THIS AND THAT

* Lane Hutson (MTL) turned 22 in February and became the first Canadiens defenseman with a 70-point season since Chris Chelios (73 in 1988-89) while tying the single-season franchise record for assists by a defenseman for the oldest team in the NHL. He is one of three members of his family to play in the NHL this season, along with brothers Quinn (age 24; EDM) and Cole Hutson (age 19; WSH) – who achieved a rare feat alongside Alex Ovechkin during his League debut March 18.

* Of 147 NHL Olympic participants, nearly half were Gen Z (46%; 68 of 147) and five were age 21 or younger when the tournament began (Macklin Celebrini, Dalibor Dvorsky, Oscar Fisker Molgaard, Juraj Slafkovský and Simon Nemec). Celebrini, Dvorsky and Slafkovský all had standout performances.

10 statements that defined the 2025-26 regular season, and the players and stats that brought them to life. But first, here’s the TL;DR:

* There will be six new teams in the running when the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin Saturday and for the first time since 2015, the postseason will begin with one guarantee: a new champion will be crowned. 

* Players spanning three generations – highlighted by the likes of Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Macklin Celebrini and Matthew Schaefer – had record-setting performances.

* The international reach of the game was on full display in 2025-26, including historic performances with the return of NHL players to the Olympic Winter Games – capped by Jack Hughes’ “Golden Goal.”

1. TURNOVER AND TURN-AROUNDS WERE THE STORY OF THE SEASON

The 2025-26 regular season saw an unprecedented Rush to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, highlighted by a six-team turnover – the second-highest total in NHL history – and teams soaring up the standings to turn deficits into playoff spots.

* Stanley Cup Playoffs hockey will head to Buffalo for the first time since 2011, to Anaheim for the first time since 2018 and to Utah for the first time ever. Philadelphia (2020), Pittsburgh (2022) and Boston (2024) also return after at least one season outside the bracket.

* The Sabres were the NHL’s top team since mid-December – when their franchise record-tying winning streak began – en route to their first Atlantic Division crown. Buffalo is the only playoff team to qualify after ranking last place in its conference more than a month into the 2025-26 season (most recently Dec. 17). They also are the only playoff team in 2026 to sit 32nd in the overall standings this season (all in the second week, Oct. 11-14).

* The Senators overcame the largest standings deficit of any club that made the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – sitting 10 points out as late as Jan. 30. Ottawa is the only playoff team to qualify after ranking last place in its division after the holiday break in 2025-26 (most recently Feb. 4).

* The Flyers tied for the most wins and third-most points in the NHL after the Olympic break to clinch a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Philadelphia faced a standings deficit as large as nine points (March 10) and became the first team in NHL history to qualify for the postseason after overcoming a deficit of that size 60-plus games into a season.

* The Pacific Division had six of its eight teams still in playoff contention entering the final weekend of the season and the division title secured by Vegas in game No. 82. The Golden Knights became the second team to finish as the No. 1 seed in its division after hiring a new head coach within its last 20 games (John Tortorella: March 30 debut; 8 GR), while the fourth-place Kings (WC2) were the only other playoff team to make in-season coaching change (D.J. Smith: March 1). Vegas and Los Angeles finished just five points apart, the third time since divisions were introduced in 1967-68 that the top four clubs in one division were separated by that small a margin (also 2018-19 Metropolitan and 1967-68 West). Overall, it took until the penultimate game on the League schedule (1,311 of 1,312) to decide the ranks of seeds 2-4 within the Pacific.

2. TEENAGERS LED A GROUP OF YOUNG STARS

Matthew Schaefer, 18, and Macklin Celebrini, 19, paced a group of 23 teenagers (including six 18-year-olds) that played in 2025-26 – the most since 2018-19 (27). Schaefer was one of nine players from the 2025 NHL Draft who played in 2025-26, the most to debut the season after their draft since the 2017 class and tied for the second-highest total over the past 16 drafts.

#NHLStats Pack: Young Stars of the 2025-26 NHL Season

* Schaefer (NYI) set the League benchmark for most points by an 18-year-old defenseman, tied the single-season NHL record for most goals by a rookie defenseman and became the first defenseman in more than 90 years – and fourth in NHL history – to lead all NHL rookies in goals (tied or outright). Check out the Schaefer Fact Sheet for more on his historic season and impact off the ice.

* Celebrini (SJS) became the sixth teenager in NHL history with a 100-point season, broke Joe Thornton’s franchise record for points in one season, posted the second-highest goal total in club history and rode that performance to a fourth place finish in NHL scoring – joining Sidney Crosby (1st in 2006-07) and Wayne Gretzky (2nd in 1979-80) as the only teenagers to rank that high. Celebrini, who lifted the Sharks into the playoff race by factoring on 46% of the team’s goals (second to Connor McDavid: 49% w/ EDM), completed his final NHL campaign before turning 20 and will have the fifth-highest career point total as a teenager in League history (4th in assists, 7th in goals, t-2nd GWG).

* The Canadiens boasted the second-youngest roster in the NHL at the end of the season, including rookie points leader Ivan Demidov, one of five 20-goal rookies in Oliver Kapanen, rookie wins leader Jakub Dobes had the highest total by a Canadiens rookie since Ken Dryden 54 years ago and was joined in the top five by Jacob Fowler (the first Florida-born goaltender in NHL history) and had defenseman Lane Hutson, 22, match a 49-year old franchise record in his second full season.

* Other young players with breakout seasons include Beckett Sennecke (ANA), who shared the rookie goals lead and is part of a top three in team scoring whose average age is 22; Jimmy Snuggerud (STL), the highest-scoring rookie post-Olympics ahead of Schaefer; and Connor Bedard (CHI), the youngest 30-goal scorer in Blackhawks history.

3. IT WAS ANOTHER THREE-HORSE RACE FOR THE SCORING TITLE

For a second time in three years, the combination of Connor McDavid (EDM; 138 points), Nikita Kucherov (TBL; 130) and Nathan MacKinnon (COL; 127) finished as the top three in the Art Ross Trophy race – just the third grouping in League history to rank 1-3 in League scoring multiple times (any order). The three players combined to lead the Art Ross Trophy race for 138 of 167 game days in 2025-26 (79%; McDavid: 72; MacKinnon: 60; Kucherov: 6), including 136 in a row from Nov. 8 onward. The last player to lead before that trio took over was 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini (SJS; through Nov. 7), who finished his second NHL season ranked fourth in League scoring.

* McDavid became the fourth player to win the Art Ross Trophy six times, joining Wayne Gretzky (10), Gordie Howe (6) and Mario Lemieux (6). McDavid, who became the fifth player in NHL history to claim 15 individual awards, did so in a campaign in which he hit a collection of career milestones (1,100 points; 1,200 points; 400 goals; 800 assists) as well as single-season benchmarks including his ninth 100-point season and third 130-point season. McDavid secured the Art Ross Trophy in his final game of the season when he helped the Oilers lock in home ice in the First Round with a 0-4—4 showing that lifted him ahead of Bobby Orr (4-assist games; 7th) and Jari Kurri (4-point games; 10th)on a pair of all-time NHL lists. McDavid finished with more assists (90) than 99% of the League had points and became the sixth player in League history with multiple 90-assist seasons (also 100 in 2023-24).

* Kucherov topped the NHL in points-per-game (1.71) and trailed in the scoring race by as many as 22 points (Dec. 23, 2025) but paced all players with 85 points after the Christmas break – 14 more than the next closest player – to finish among the top two in League scoring for the fourth time in his career (the others were his Art Ross Trophy wins). Kucherov topped the NHL in four-point games (9) – the second most by any player over the past 29 seasons (McDavid: 10 in 2022-23) – and finished second in multi-point (40) and three-point (19) showings, behind McDavid (43) in the first category and MacKinnon (20) in the latter. Kucherov will enter his 13th NHL season needing 13 points to tie Tampa Bay’s career scoring record.

* MacKinnon led the NHL in even-strength points (97), the most since Wayne Gretzky 35 years ago, and topped his team in points for the eighth time – overtaking Peter Stastny (7x) to trail only Joe Sakic (12x) for the second-most instances in franchise history. MacKinnon picked up a career first by securing the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL goals leader with 53 – just the second player in franchise history to claim the honor. MacKinnon, who in December became the career leader for goals in Avalanche team history, held at least a share of the NHL goals lead for 136 consecutive game days from Nov. 8 onward (standing as the outright leader from Dec. 2 until the end of the season).

* The list of NHL leaders from the defensive end was a mix of established veterans and newcomers, with Evan Bouchard (EDM) topped all blueliners in assists (74) and points (95) – the second Oilers defenseman to top both lists after Paul Coffey (4x) – while Jakob Chychrun (WSH) had 26 goals (including an NHL record-tying 8 GWG) to finish ahead of second-place Matthew Schaefer (NYI) and pace a group of six 20-goal scorers from the back end – the most the NHL has seen in 32 years.

* Other notable veteran contributors to those totals: Zach Werenski (CBJ; 10th defenseman in NHL history to lead his team in points in consecutive seasons), Cale Makar (COL; first defenseman in 34 years with three straight 20-goal seasons), Quinn Hughes (MIN; franchise records for assists and points by defensemen after in-season trade), Rasmus Dahlin (BUF; most points by a Sabres defenseman in 36 years) and Darren Raddysh (TBL; franchise record 22 goals for a blueliner). Achievements by the two youngest defensemen among the defensive scoring leaders, Lane Hutson and Schaefer, are explored above in Section 2.

4. SID AND OVI KEPT IT 100

Twenty-one seasons into their NHL careers, 38-year-old Sidney Crosby and 40-year-old Alex Ovechkin continued to make an impact as both players led their team in points in a campaign capped by their 100th all-time head-to-head meeting during the final weekend of the season.

* Crosby (16x, all w/ PIT) now trails only Wayne Gretzky (19x; 9 w/ EDM, 7 w/ LAK, 3 w/ NYR) and Gordie Howe (17x, all w/ DET) for the most seasons as any team’s points leader – with Ovechkin (15, all w/ WSH) and Anze Kopitar (15x, all w/ LAK) right behind them. From a single franchise perspective, Crosby moved within one campaign of matching Howe’s mark set with Detroit.

* Crosby extended his NHL record by averaging a point-per-game or better for the 21st time in his 21-season career, ahead of second-place Gretzky (19) and five more than the closest active player (Evgeni Malkin: 16). In the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2022, Crosby captained Team Canada to silver at the Olympics in campaign in which he also: overtook Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman to climb into seventh place on the all-time points list, breaking Lemieux’s franchise scoring record in the process; reached milestones for assists (1,100), games played (1,400) and points (1,700); climbed into third all-time for career multi-point games (breaking another franchise record); matched Yzerman as the longest tenured captain in NHL history (19 seasons) while overtaking both him and Adam Oates to move into eighth place for career assists – with his 1,107 now within four of tying Ray Bourque (1,111 w/ BOS) for the most in NHL history with a single franchise. Crosby (1,761) also trails only Howe (1,809 w/ DET) for the most points with one franchise all-time.

* Ovechkin also led the Capitals in goals for the 21st time in his 21-season career, by far the most in League history (Howe: 15) and 11 more than the closest active player (Crosby: 10). Set to make a decision on his future this summer, Ovechkin played in all 82 games in 2025-26 and achieved many feats in the process – building the pot for THE GR8 CHASE for Victory Over Cancer with each tally: first player to 900 regular-season goals; second player to 1,000 total NHL goals; 21st career 20-goal season (2nd all-time); 20th career 30-goal season (extending NHL record); reached 1,500 games played; overtook Joe Sakic for 10th place on the all-time points list; set the NHL record for total career game-winning goals; moved into fourth place for career hat tricks; posted the third-most goals by a 40-year-old in League history (32; behind Howe: 44 in 1968-69 and Johnny Bucyk: 36 in 1975-76); and climbed within four of tying longtime teammate Nicklas Backstrom’s club record for career assists.

5. IT TRULY WAS A RECORD-BREAKING SEASON

Other veterans made their mark in 2025-26 as the League’s oldest player, 41-year-old Brent Burns (COL), became the second in NHL history to play 1,000 consecutive games, and the League’s oldest goaltender, 40-year-old Jonathan Quick (NYR), climbed into 12th place on the all-time wins list before announcing his retirement. Quick will retire alongside Anze Kopitar (LAK), his teammate in Los Angeles for 16 seasons and two Stanley Cup wins. Kopitar will aim to add another Cup to his tally before hanging up the skates in a season that saw him break the Kings’ all-time points record – a benchmark held by Marcel Dionne for more than 45 years. Another longtime teammate of theirs, Drew Doughty (LAK), set a new Kings record for career goals by a defenseman.

* It was a historic year on many fronts as 15 teams had a major all-time or single-season scoring record broken or matched. Among the highlights not mentioned elsewhere in this recap: Auston Matthews (TOR) and Kirill Kaprizov (MIN) set career goals records; Mark Scheifele (WPG) set career and single-season points records and also became the franchise leader in games played; Jared Spurgeon (MIN) became the franchise leader in assists and points by a defenseman; while New York teams had records set by Mika Zibanejad (NYR; power-play goals), Ilya Sorokin (NYI; career shutouts, tied single-season) and Matthew Schaefer (NYI; a long list).

* Patrick Kane (DET) hit 500 goals and 1,400 points during the same campaign in which he became the all-time leader for points by both a U.S.-born player and by an American national – and finished within two of Phil Housley’s American benchmark for career assists. In addition, Nikolaj Ehlers (CAR) set the mark for assists by Danish players – adding to the goal and point records he already held.

6. THERE WERE PLENTY OF OTHER AMAZING ACHIEVEMENTS FROM OTHER STARS

A collection of other notable stats from the 2025-26 regular season, which was led nearly gate-to-gate by the Avalanche, who sat atop the NHL standings for 153 games days overall including 143 in a row to end the campaign. The club capped the regular season with a hat trick of NHL awards: its fourth Presidents’ Trophy, as well as individual honors to Nathan MacKinnon (Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy) and goaltenders Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood,who claimed the William M. Jennings Trophy. ICYMI: Wedgewood and Blackwood were recently featured in the latest Skates Off where they discussed their chemistry and explored goalie mask artistry.

* Wedgewood finished as the NHL leader in both goals-against average (2.02) and save percentage (.921) – with sizeable advantages atop both lists – while Blackwood (2.51; 8th) also ranked among the top 10 for goals-against average. Colorado set a franchise record for points (121), matched their benchmark for road wins (29) and had their second-highest win total overall (55) – thanks in part to a pair of double digit winning streaks.

* Like the Avalanche, the Hurricanes spent the entire season inside the playoff bracket including 104 consecutive game days atop its division and sat as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for more than half the campaign (53%). That was thanks in large part to the emergence of 27-year-old first-year NHLer Brandon Bussi, an undrafted netminder who became the fastest goaltender in NHL history to 30 career wins (37 GP) and the eighth goaltender in NHL history with 30-plus in his debut campaign. 

* Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL; 39) led the NHL in wins for the first time since 2021-22 and sixth time overall, which matches Clint Benedict (6x) for second place in League history behind Martin Brodeur (9x; tied or outright). Vasilevskiy’s active streak of nine consecutive 30-win seasons ranks second all-time and helped him edge second-place Karel Vejmelka (UTA; 38) atop the wins list. Vejmelka had the highest single-season win total by a Czech goaltender in nearly 20 years and third highest all time (tied).

* A snapshot of some of the top-scoring duos in 2025-26: In Montreal, Cole Caufield and captain Nick Suzuki recorded the first 50-goal and 100-point seasons in 36 and 40 years, respectively. In Winnipeg, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor factored on the same goal a League-best 65 times. Set to face off in the First Round, Dallas (Jason Robertson & Wyatt Johnston) and Minnesota (Kirill Kaprizov & Matt Boldy) each had multiple 40-goal scorers in the same season for the first time in team history, while Nashville did so for the second time (Steven Stamkos & Filip Forsberg).

* The Canadiens and Ducks both qualified for the playoffs after sharing the League lead with 26 comeback wins, a franchise record for both (tied for ANA) and outdone by only seven teams in NHL history. Both also made a habit of late rallies: Anaheim paced all teams in third-period comeback wins (12) ahead of Montreal and Vegas (tied w/ 10). Overall, the Ducks scored 68 tying goals – tied for the second-highest total in League history (1985-86 CHI: 73) – including 11 in the final five minutes of regulation. Furthermore, Anaheim set an NHL record with tying or go-ahead goals scored in the final five minutes of regulation (previous: 16 by 2008-09 DET, 2000-01 BOS & 1986-87 NYI).

* An all-time high 17 players skated in their 1,000th game, including four who hit the mark in the final three weeks of the season: Brock Nelson (COL), Evander Kane (VAN), Adam Larsson (SEA) and Mika Zibanejad (NYR). Larsson became the third player to reach the milestone while wearing a Kraken sweater.

7. NHL PLAYERS BROUGHT HISTORIC PERFORMANCES IN RETURN TO OLYMPICS

NHL players returned to the Olympic Winter Games, an event that culminated with an unforgettable Canada-USA showdown for gold and included a long list of record-setting performances. A few highlights:

* Jack Hughes (NJD) scored the “Golden Goal” in overtime to secure his country’s first Olympic gold medal in 46 years, finishing the tournament as the team’s top goal scorer and tied for second among Americans in points behind brother Quinn Hughes (MIN) – who set or tied Olympic records for assists (7) and points (8; tied) by an American NHL player. Connor Hellebuyck (WPG) made 41 saves in the gold medal game – including highlight-reel stops against the two tournament scoring leaders – as he secured Best Goaltender honors and joined Quinn on the tournament All-Star team. After the break, Jack ranked second in scoring with 41 points, behind Olympic MVP Connor McDavid (EDM; 42).

* A total of 91 Olympians will be part of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – including 16 from Team USA who will now pursue a second championship in 2025-26.

* Other notable achievements were had by: Canadian teammates McDavid and Macklin Celebrini (SJS), the youngest NHL player at the event; Sebastian Aho (CAR), the top goal-scorer for Finland’s bronze-medal entry; Czech tandem Martin Necas (COL) and David Pastrnak (BOS); German trio Leon Draisaitl (EDM), Tim Stützle (OTT) and Moritz Seider (DET); Swedish and Swiss scoring leaders Lucas Raymond (DET) and Roman Josi (NSH); as well as the young Slovak pairing Juraj Slafkovský (MTL) and Dalibor Dvorsky (STL).

* Many of those players also had notable performances during the NHL campaign; some highlights not covered elsewhere in this document: Necas and Pastrnak became the first Czech players to have 100 points in the same season; Stützle (also 2022-23) joined Alexei Yashin (5x) as the second player in Senators history to lead the team in goals, assists and points multiple times; Aho matched Eric Staal (8x) for the most seasons as points leader for the Hurricanes/Whalers; Seider extended his consecutive games played streak to 410 games (the longest ever to begin a career for a defenseman); Slafkovský became the first Slovakian 30-goal scorer since Marian Hossa a dozen years ago.

8. HIGH-SCORING, COMPETITIVE BALANCE TRENDS CONTINUED

With half the League still in playoff contention entering the final weekend of the regular season (16 teams had not yet clinched or been eliminated) and the final Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket determined after the penultimate game, the competitive balance in the standings was paired with high-scoring close games on the ice.

* Teams that missed the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs had a .533 points percentage, the fourth-highest rate in any 82-game season (tied). Their collective .474 winning percentage also tied for fourth.

* 20 teams improved their point total versus last season, the most ever in one campaign.

* This was the fifth straight season that at least 40% of games were comeback wins (an NHL first).

* Nearly half of all games were tied in the third (46%), the highest rate over the past nine seasons.

* An NHL record 246 tying or go-ahead goals were scored in the final five minutes of regulation. The 148 tying goals in that window were a record, while the 98 go-ahead tallies ranked fourth.

* This was the third time in five seasons that goals-per-game was 6.3 or higher, and the fifth time in eight campaigns that it hit at least 6.0. By contrast, the League averaged 6.0 goals-per-game only once over 21 seasons from 1996-97 to 2017-18.

9. THE BUSINESS OF THE GAME AND OFF-ICE IMPACT ARE STRONGER THAN EVER

The NHL set a total attendance record for the fourth consecutive regular season, with 23,158,522 fans – 97.5% of capacity – eclipsing the previous high of 23,014,458 set in 2024-25. The per-game average was 17,651 and includes contests at 35 venues. Click here for more on the attendance four-peat. Many of those fans sported new jerseys, with Connor Bedard (CHI) the go-to choice for many.

* More than 100,000 fans attended the two outdoor games this season – the first two ever held in Florida. First, 36,153 in attendance at loanDepot park in Miami saw Mika Zibanejad (NYR) score the first Winter Classic hat trick and set an outdoor record with five points. The Rangers also came up with a hat trick in the first-ever Inside Out Classic in April.

* The second outdoor game in Florida was staged less than one month later when a capacity crowd of 64,617 packed inside a football stadium on the coldest Feb. 1 in Tampa in 126 years. They witnessed countless memorable moments in a game oozing with intensity and record-setting performances before the Lightning claimed a Stadium Series victory with the largest comeback win in its history and the largest outdoor rally across the 45 NHL outdoor contests.

* More kids are playing hockey around the world than ever before in NHL, NHLPA and 32 Club programs. Leaguewide, NHL Clubs invest nearly $100 million in their communities each season. The NHL’s charitable foundations – NHL Foundation U.S., Inc. and NHL Foundation Canada – granted $400,000 to 13 best-in-class organizations in the U.S. and Canada this season. And in collaboration with Megan Keller, who scored the gold-medal winning goal, the NHL Foundation U.S. will make a $100,000 donation to two organizations as part of its Empowerment Grant for Girls Hockey.

* The final week of the season saw the Blues become the first in the NHL to broadcast a regional game in American Sign Language, with the game holding special significance to Jake Neighbours (STL). The NHL in ASL will return for the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.

10. NHL EDGE SHOWCASES STARS, HIGHLIGHTS UNDERLYING TALENTS OF EVERY PLAYER

* Connor McDavid (EDM; 151) was once again the NHL leader in speed burst of 22+ mph – with more than triple the amount of all but one player across the rest of the League (Owen Tippett, PHI: 61) – and covered the most miles (330.27).

* The 2025-26 leaderboards included players who set new NHL EDGE era benchmarks: Louis Crevier (CHI) for the hardest shot resulting in a goal (102.54 mph) and Beck Malenstyn (BUF) for the fastest max skating speed (24.94 mph).

* Devin Cooley (CGY; 73.1%) was one of two goaltenders with a save percentage greater than .900 in at least 73% of his starts, showing his personality both in the media and part of an all-California goaltending tandem in Calgary alongside Dustin Wolf, who made a young fan’s day during the team’s final homestand.

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