* Anthony Duclair and Connor McDavid became the latest players with a three-goal performance through the first six days of the New Year, which has featured nine combined hat tricks, five five-point games and five penalty-shot attempts.
* Nikita Kucherov and Darren Raddysh helped the Lightning log a win as they continue to approach the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1 (6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, SN, TVAS). The League will hold a tie-down meeting at the venue today.
* Several players featured in the new series “NHL My World” on the League’s YouTube channel contributed to victories Tuesday. The eight episodes offer an authentic look at eight of today’s top players from across the globe.
* Wednesday’s five-game slate is headlined by national doubleheaders in both the U.S. and Canada.
Duclair delivers three consecutive goals as hats continue to fly in 2026
Anthony Duclair (3-2—5) tallied three straight times to record his fourth NHL hat trick (also Dec. 14, 2019, Nov. 18, 2017 & Oct. 14, 2015) and concluded the contest with a career-high five points as the Islanders scored nine goals in a game for the first time since Feb. 11, 2011 (9-3 W vs. PIT) while matching their franchise mark for largest margin of victory in a shutout win. Ilya Sorokin made 44 saves to record his 26th career shutout and pass Glenn Resch (25) for the most in club history.
* The NHL has featured at least one hat trick in each of the first six days since the start of the New Year, tied for the longest run in League history (also Jan. 1-6, 1976). Current or eventual Islanders players accounted for half of the three-goal performances during the previous instance (Jude Drouin, Butch Goring & Wayne Merrick).
LIGHTNING LOG EIGHTH STRAIGHT WIN AS THE ROAD TO STADIUM SERIES PROGRESSES
The Lightning (26-13-3, 55 points) earned their eighth straight victory and matched the fifth-longest winning streak in franchise history as they passed the idle Red Wings (25-25-4, 54 points) for first in the Atlantic Division. Tampa Bay is gearing up to face another division rival, the Bruins, at the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series on Feb. 1.
* Multi-assist games from Nikita Kucherov (0-2—2) and Darren Raddysh (0-2—2) helped lift Tampa Bay over the League-leading Avalanche and handed them their fourth regulation loss of the season. Kucherov extended his multi-point streak to seven games and became the second player in Lightning history to record 300 multi-point performances. Raddysh, meanwhile, became the third defenseman in the past 35 years to record a three-game multi-point streak to begin a calendar year, joining Kris Letang (3 GP in 2022) and Alex Pietrangelo (3 GP in 2014 & 2012).
* ICYMI: Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke about the event at a luncheon Tuesday, and the League will hold a meeting at Raymond James Stadium today when multiple departments will tie down loose ends for the last time before the NHL takes over the venue. Click here to read more.
Italy-bound players shine with one month until Opening Ceremony
Tuesday’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured more notes from the 10-game slate, including several involving players named to rosters for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026:
* Team Canada’s Connor McDavid extended his point streak to 16 games – tied for the third-longest of his career – with a hat trick performance that included his fourth career penalty-shot goal. McDavid (14) passed Mark Messier (13) for the fourth-most hat tricks in Oilers history and boosted his goal total during this 16-game stretch to 17, which is now the most in any of his point streaks.
* Tage Thompson tallied his first goal since learning he was named to Team USA’s roster to help Buffalo improve to 11-1-0 in 12 games since Dec. 9, 2025.Thompson is set to become the third Sabres player to represent Team USA at an Olympics with NHL participation, following Ryan Miller (2014 & 2010) and Chris Drury (2006).
* Team Finland’s Kaapo Kakko (2-1—3) posted a game-high three points and scored the winning goal to help Seattle extend its point streak to nine games (8-0-1) – the second-longest stretch in franchise history (11-0-2 in 2022-23). Kakko and rookie Berkly Catton (2-0—2) – who scored his first two NHL goals – marked the fifth game in Kraken history to feature multiple players score two-plus goals. The last time they achieved this feat was Dec. 28, 2024 (Jaden Schwartz & Vince Dunn).
* Auston Matthews scored a second-period tally after being honored by Mats Sundin during pre-game ceremony for recently passing Sundin atop the franchise’s all-time goals list. Matthews’ first game after claiming the Maple Leafs’ goals record was similar to Sundin’s, who also had a second-period goal with head coach Paul Maurice in the building on Oct. 13, 2007.
* Team USA teammates shone in a back-and-forth affair between the Jets and Golden Knights as Kyle Connor – who registered his ninth consecutive 20-goal season – gave Winnipeg its second lead of the game in the third period before Vegas later tied the game and won in overtime after Jack Eichel collected his 400th career assist on Tomas Hertl’s game-winning goal. Eichel is one of 12 American players in NHL history to hit the mark in 650 games or fewer and required the second-fewest contests among active skaters behind Patrick Kane (636 GP).
* Brandon Bussi made 20 saves to earn his 15th career win (15-2-1 in 18 GP) and required the fewest games in NHL history by a goaltender to hit the mark. His teammate, Sebastian Aho (0-1—1), is one of the eight players featured in current or upcoming episodes of “NHL My World,” a new short-form series debuting on the League’s YouTube channel. Click here to read more.
QUICK CLICKS
* Maple Leafs celebrate Auston Matthews becoming team’s all-time leading goal scorer
* Ovi Jr. gets tooth pulled by Dad, leading to iconic selfie
* Lightning celebrates Jon Cooper’s 1,000th NHL game with special pre-game ceremony
* Evgeni Malkin feels ‘so much better,’ could return for Penguins on Thursday
* Season’s first ABC Hockey Saturday game delivered 1.6 million viewers
FIVE WEEKS UNTIL NHL PLAYERS RETURN TO OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES
NHL players will soon be heading to Italy to play for gold at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. The men’s tournament begins exactly in five weeks (Wednesday, Feb. 11), when Team Finland faces Team Slovakia and Team Italy meets Team Sweden. Two players facing off tonight in Los Angeles will also be heading overseas to take part in the event: Macklin Celebrini (Team Canada) and Adrian Kempe (Team Sweden).
Macklin Celebrini, F, San Jose Sharks / Team Canada (1st Olympics)
* Celebrini last represented Canada at the 2025 World Championship alongside current Olympic teammates Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Bo Horvat, Travis Sanheim and Jordan Binnington, collecting 3-3—6 in eight games. In 2025-26, Celebrini has posted an 11-game point streak, the longest by a teenager in Sharks history, and has moved within striking distance of 130 career points (48-79—127 in 112 GP) – a benchmark only 11 players in NHL history have reached before age 20.
Adrian Kempe, F, Los Angeles Kings / Team Sweden (1st Olympics)
* Kempe suited up for Team Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off and scored in the tournament opener against Canada. The Kings forward, closing in on becoming the 10th player in franchise history with five consecutive 20-goal seasons (15-19—34 in 41 GP), has done so with 37 career game-winning goals since making his NHL debut in 2016-17; only three Swedish players have more during that span: Filip Forsberg (49), William Nylander (48) and Elias Lindholm (39).
DOUBLEHEADERS ON SPORTSNET, TNT HIGHLIGHT WEDNESDAY’S SLATE
A five-game Wednesday features a two-pack on Sportsnet, beginning with a clash between the Canadiens and Flames, as well as a doubleheader on TNT and HBO Max that pits the Stars against the Capitals and the Blues against the Blackhawks.
* Lane Hutson has collected 2-18—20 in 13 games since Dec. 11 on the back of eight multi-point outings – the most points among all defensemen and tied for the fourth most among all skaters over that span. Hutson (13-97—110 in 126 GP) needs three helpers to become the fastest player in Canadiens history to reach the 100-assist milestone after debuting with the club – a distinction held by Buddy O’Connor (129 GP) since March 18, 1944.
* Alex Ovechkin (17-19—36 in 43 GP) is fresh off a two-goal performance Monday and needs three tallies to reach the 20-goal plateau for the 21st time in his career. The Capitals captain can surpass Ron Francis (20) for the second-most 20-goal seasons in NHL history, behind Gordie Howe (22). Ovechkin can also move within one of Howe (22 from 1949-50 – 1970-71) for the most consecutive 20-goal campaigns in League history.
* Tyler Bertuzzi netted his second hat trick of the season Sunday – and one of nine in the first six days of 2026 – and will look to continue his goal-scoring ways against the Blues. Bertuzzi can become just the second Blackhawks skater in the past 30 years to record three hat tricks in a season, following Alex DeBrincat (3 in 2017-18).
