* Alex Ovechkin scored the first goal of his 22nd and final NHL season. It was his 1,007th career tally including playoffs but first to feature assists by a pair of brothers.
* Sebastian Aho scored his sixth goal of the season to tie four players for the League lead and help the reigning Stanley Cup champions leapfrog Edmonton as well as Vegas for the best record in the NHL.
* Tim Stützle and the Senators spar with Nico Hischier and the Devils during the latest edition of Monday Night Hockey on Sportsnet+ as Thanksgiving is celebrated in the visitors’ home country. The week ahead also features the return of NHL Frozen Frenzy, where all 32 teams will be in action across 16 different start times tomorrow.
Ovechkin still doing new things in 22nd and final NHL season
Alex Ovechkin connected on a point-blank snap shot to record the first goal of his 22nd and final NHL season. Ovechkin scored his 1,007th career tally including playoffs but first to feature assists by a pair of brothers, with 20- and 25-year-old siblings Ilya and Aliaksei Protas both factoring on the marker.
* Ovechkin and the younger Protas have an age gap of 20 years and 304 days, which marked the second largest between a goal scorer and player with an assist in franchise history behind Mike Marson and Doug Mohns (21 years, 223 days). A 41-year-old Mohns factored on two tallies by a 19-year-old Marson in the franchise’s inaugural season (Jan. 7 & Jan. 30, 1975).
Wins by Hurricanes, Kraken, Rangers featured in #NHLStats: Live Updates
Sunday’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured more notes from the three-game slate, which saw Carolina, Seattle and New York record victories to cap the first full week of the 2026-27 regular season. Some highlights include:
* Sebastian Aho (1-1—2) scored his sixth goal of the season to tie Evan Bouchard, Kyle Connor, Kirill Kaprizov and Nick Schmaltz for the League lead and help the reigning-champion Hurricanes improve to an NHL-leading 5-1-1 (11 points) on the season. Alexis Lafrenière (1-1—2) logged his fifth to keep pace.
* Freddy Gaudreau (1-1—2), Ryan Winterton (1-1—2) and Ben Meyers (0-2—2) had multiple points, while Jared McCann scored the go-ahead goal with 5:27 remaining in regulation as the Kraken improved to 2-0-0 through the first two contests of their five-game road trip. Seattle has outscored opponents by a combined margin of 11-6 on the journey so far.
* Dylan Garand (19 saves) became the Rangers’ third rookie goaltender over the last 40 years with wins in each of his first two starts during a season and eighth in franchise history. He joined Gilles Villemure (4 GS from Oct. 17 – Nov. 7, 1970), Igor Shesterkin (2 GS from Jan. 7-9, 2020), Mackenzie Skapski (2 GS from Feb. 20 – March 14, 2015), John Vanbiesbrouck (2 GS from March 25-29, 1984), Marcel Paille (2 GS from Nov. 2-3, 1957), Jim Henry (2 GS from Nov. 1-9, 1941) and Lorne Chabot (2 GS from Nov. 20-27, 1926).
QUICK CLICKS
* Evan Rodrigues fined maximum for high-sticking in Devils game
* Rangers ‘know what needs to be done’ to win without Igor Shesterkin
* Connor Bedard nearing return for Blackhawks after full-contact practice
* Kraken focused on building foundation for success during lengthy road trip
* Ryan Craig chronicled lessons learned, relationships formed on road to becoming Vegas coach
Canadian Thanksgiving has Senators dueling Devils on Sportsnet+
Tim Stützle and the Senators visit Nico Hischier and the Devils in the latest edition of Monday Night Hockey on Sportsnet+ during one of three games this Canadian Thanksgiving. The slate also features former Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk and the Panthers playing Tage Thompson and the Sabres during a matinee on Sportsnet as well as Jack Eichel and the Golden Knights jousting Quinn Hughes and the Wild.
* Stützle leads the Senators with eight points through five games this season and can become the seventh player in franchise history to reach 10 in six contests. He would join Marian Hossa (5 GP in 2000-01), Alexandre Daigle (5 GP in 1993-94), Tkachuk (6 GP in 2022-23), Jason Spezza (6 GP 2007-08 & 2005-06), Daniel Alfredsson (6 GP in 2005-06) and Dan Quinn (6 GP in 1995-96).
* Ottawa owns an all-time record of 4-5-2 (10 points) in 11 games during Canadian Thanksgiving, which is celebrated on the second Monday of October. Stützle had three assists in the Senators’ last victory during the holiday on Oct. 14, 2024, including one on the overtime winner as Ottawa and Los Angeles combined for 15 goals.
National Games on the Radar this week
Five #NHLStats and storylines you need to know about other national broadcasts this week:
1. Fourth edition of NHL Frozen Frenzy includes ESPN tripleheader (Tuesday): The fourth edition of NHL Frozen Frenzy (also Oct. 28, 2025, Oct. 22, 2024 & Oct. 24, 2023) has all 32 teams in action across 16 different start times headlined by an ESPN tripleheader featuring Moritz Seider and the Red Wings hosting Jack Hughes and the Devils, Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche visiting Mikko Rantanen and the Stars as well as David Pastrnak and the Bruins battling Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks.
2. McDavid reaches 800-game milestone on Sportsnet ONE, TVA Sports (Tuesday): Connor McDavid, Evan Bouchard and the Oilers look to continue their high-scoring start when they visit Artemi Panarin and the Kings on Sportsnet ONE and TVA Sports. McDavid will play the 800th game of his career and his 1,233 points will be the third most in NHL history through the milestone contest behind Wayne Gretzky (1,892 on Dec. 2, 1989) and Mario Lemieux (1,580 on Jan. 12, 2002).
3. Canadiens-Capitals on Prime, Stars-Avalanche on TNT (Wednesday): Cole Caufield and Alex Ovechkin, one- and nine-time 50-goal scorers, respectively, clash when Montreal visits Washington during the latest edition of NHL on Prime’s Wednesday Night Hockey before Dallas and Colorado conclude a back-to-back, home-and-home set on TNT. The opener of the two-game slate could also feature Lane Hutson playing his younger brother, Cole, for the first time.
4. Nova Scotians and longtime friends Crosby, MacKinnon meet on Sportsnet+ (Friday): Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon go head-to-head for the 21st time when the Penguins visit the Avalanche on Sportsnet+. Crosby (9-8—17; 9-10-1 record) has as many goals through the previous 20 contests as MacKinnon (9-17—26; 11-6-3 record), who holds the advantage for points and wins.
5. Saturday Night Hockey has second game between McKenna, Schaefer (Saturday): Gavin McKenna faces fellow No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer for the second time (also Sept. 30) when the Maple Leafs host the Islanders during a four-game Saturday Night Hockey on Sportsnet programming. McKenna enters the week on a three-game point streak, three back of the longest that Schaefer had as an 18-year-old rookie (6 GP from Oct. 9-21, 2025).
