The 2025-26 NHL season reaches its halfway mark with puck-drop of the 13th and final game on Saturday, Jan. 3 (656 GP) between the Bruins and Canucks. Storylines and stats below are through 639 games played (entering play on Friday).
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167 – Games requiring extra time in 2025-26, the second-highest total at this stage of a season in NHL history, behind 2003-04 (171).
78% – Percentage of close games (decided by a 1-goal margin, or by 2 goals following at least 1 empty-net goal) – the highest percentage at this stage of a season in NHL history and the second straight campaign at 75% or higher at this stage of a season (75% in 2024-25).
78% – Of goals scored at even strength, tied with 2024-25 for the highest percentage in 52 years.
74% – Of playing time spent tied or within one goal. In the expansion era, only two seasons have had a higher rate at this point of the season: 2015-16 (76%) and 2003-04 (75%).
76 – Game-tying goals scored in the final five minutes of regulation this season, tied with 2013-14 for the most through 639 games of a season.
42% – Percentage of games this season that have seen a team overcome a deficit to win, marking the eighth straight season with at least 40 percent of games resulting in a comeback victory at this point of a season – the longest stretch in NHL history.
32 – All 32 teams have recorded a third-period comeback win in 2025-26, with the Kraken, Golden Knights and Canadiens leading the League with six each.
12 – Three-goal comeback wins in 2025-26, the third straight campaign with at least 10 at this stage – tied for the longest stretch (also 2018-19 to 2020-21) since a seven-season span from 1983-84 to 1989-90.
6.2 – The average number of goals per game this season, marking the fifth consecutive campaign averaging at least 6.0 at this stage – the second-longest run behind 26 seasons from 1970-71 to 1995-96.
70 – League-leading point total shared by Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid entering the second half of the season, with both players on pace to surpass 130 points in 2025-26. It would mark just the fourth season in the last 36 years that multiple players reached that benchmark in the same campaign (last: 2023-24).
45 – Points registered by two-time Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar, who leads all defensemen. Makar is on pace to reach the 90-point mark for a third consecutive season – he would join Bobby Orr (6 from 1969-70 – 1974-75) and Paul Coffey (2x; longest: 4 from 1982-83 – 1985-86) as the third blueliner in League history to register three straight 90-point campaigns.
34 – League-leading goal total for Nathan MacKinnon, nine more than the next-closest player (Morgan Geekie & Matt Boldy: 25). MacKinnon is in search of his first career Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy and on pace to become the NHL’s first 70-goal scorer since Alexander Mogilny and Teemu Selanne in 1992-93.
30 – Goal pace of defensemen Zach Werenski (14 G in 35 GP) and Jakob Chychrun (15 G in 41 GP). The duo can produce just the second season in NHL history to feature multiple 30-goal defensemen, alongside 1983-84 (Paul Coffey: 40, Ray Bourque: 31 & Phil Housley: 31). Werenski finished second to Cale Makar in Norris Trophy voting in 2024-25.
14 – Career awards won by Connor McDavid (Art Ross Trophy: 5, Ted Lindsay Award: 4, Hart Memorial Trophy: 3, Conn Smythe Trophy: 1 & Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy: 1), who is tied for the League lead in points and can become the fifth player in NHL history to capture at least 15 individual NHL Awards, following Wayne Gretzky (31), Alex Ovechkin (19), Bobby Orr (17) and Mario Lemieux (17).
14 – Defensemen who have won the Calder Trophy, including Montreal’s Lane Hutson in 2024-25. With Islanders No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer a rookie of the year contender, it could mark the second time in NHL history a defenseman has won the Calder Trophy in back-to-back seasons: Kent Douglas in 1962-63 (w/ TOR) and Jacques Laperriere in 1963-64 (w/ MTL).
6 – The number of Art Ross Trophy victories leading scorer Connor McDavid is hoping to claim at the conclusion of the season. He would join elite company in League history with as many: Wayne Gretzky (10), Gordie Howe (6) and Mario Lemieux (6).
2 – Consecutive campaigns in which the Canadiens could produce the Calder Trophy winner if Ivan Demidov can capture the award in 2025-26, after Lane Hutson did so in 2024-25. Montreal can become the first franchise to generate the NHL’s rookie of the year in back-to-back seasons since the Bruins in 1966-67 (Bobby Orr) and 1967-68 (Derek Sanderson).
1 – Nathan MacKinnon is aiming to add the first Art Ross Trophy to his resume after finishing in second place each of the past two seasons. The only players in NHL history to have captured their first Art Ross Trophy at age 30 or older are Daniel Sedin (2010-11 w/ VAN), Roy Conacher (1948-49 w/ CHI) and Elmer Lach (1947-48 w/ MTL). Sedin is the only player to earn the award in his 10th NHL season or later.
32 – All 32 teams either hold a playoff spot or sit within seven points of one. Under the Wild Card format (since 2013-14), the most teams to qualify for the postseason after sitting outside the bracket at the halfway mark is five in 2015-16.
14 – Eastern Conference teams that have held a playoff spot at some point since Dec. 1.
11 – Western Conference teams that have held a playoff spot at some point since Dec. 1.
10 – Active franchise record-tying win streak for the Sabres, who currently hold the second wild card position in the Eastern Conference. When the win streak started Dec. 9, Buffalo sat last in the Eastern Conference. They have since jumped over eight teams in the standings (doing so in a 14-day span).
8 – The point deficit overcome in the standings by at least one team to secure a playoff spot in seven of 10 seasons under the Wild Card format (at any stage)– including multiple clubs in each of the past two campaigns: Montreal (9 points) and St. Louis (8 points) in 2024-25; Edmonton (10 points), Nashville (8 points) and Washington (8 points) in 2023-24. Buffalo was eight points back prior to its win streak.
7 – Teams hold a playoff spot at the halfway mark after missing in 2024-25: Detroit, NY Islanders, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Anaheim, San Jose and Seattle. There has been a playoff turnover of at least seven teams four times in the Wild Card format (since 2013-14): seven in 2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2020-21. There has never been a playoff turnover of eight or more teams year-over-year.
3 – The 2025-26 campaign can be the third under the Wild Card format to see two teams finish atop their division after failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs the season prior, with Detroit (1st in Atlantic) and Anaheim (1 point back in Pacific) among teams who could do so this season. The prior instances since 2013-14: Vegas and Tampa Bay in 2017-18, as well as Dallas and Florida in 2015-16.
1 – The 2025-26 season could mark the first in NHL history to feature multiple teams overcome a standings deficit of at least eight points (at any stage) to secure a playoff spot in three consecutive seasons. The only other instance to feature back-to-back campaigns came in 1992-93 (NYI: 8 points & STL: 8 points) and 1993-94 (NYI: 12 points & BUF: 8 points).
The second half of the 2025-26 season will not only see star players participate in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 and a second outdoor game in Florida, it could also see three players skate atop meaningful NHL or franchise lists:
* Patrick Kane is eight points from surpassing Mike Modano for the most all-time by a U.S.-born player. Modano has held the mark since Nov. 7, 2007.
* Auston Matthews is two goals from surpassing Mats Sundin for the most goals in Maple Leafs history. He would become the only active skater to hold an all-time goals, assists or points record for an Original Six franchise.
* In his 20th and final season, Anze Kopitar is 10 points back of passing Kings icon Marcel Dionne atop the franchise’s all-time points list.
