The 2022-23 NHL season begins Friday and in the coming days, weeks and months, there could be plenty of players reaching milestones. Here’s a look at some which could occur.
GOALS
800: Alex Ovechkin — With 20 goals this season, the Washington Capitals forward will join Gordie Howe (801) and Wayne Gretzky (894) as the only players in NHL history with at least 800. If Ovechkin scores 22, he will pass Howe for second. In his 17 NHL seasons, Ovechkin has 780 goals, scoring fewer than 32 goals once (24 in 45 games of the 56-game season of 2020-21).
500: Steven Stamkos — After having his best offensive season to date with 106 points (42 goals, 64 assists) last season, the Tampa Bay Lightning forward has 481 goals and is 19 from the milestone. Stamkos ranks third in goals among active players behind Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby (517).
400: Phil Kessel, John Tavares — Kessel’s first goal of the season will be the 400th in the NHL for the Vegas Golden Knights forward. Tavares, a Toronto Maple Leafs center, needs nine to reach the milestone.
POINTS
1,500: Ovechkin, Crosby — Ovechkin enters with 1,410 points, first among active players. If he gets 90, the total he had last season, he’d become the 15th player with 1,500. Crosby is one point behind Ovechkin with 1,409 and needs 91 to hit the mark.
1,000: There are five players within 77 points of 1,000 in the NHL. Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron is the closest needing 18, with Stamkos (28) and Kessel (44) also closing in. Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski (76) and Ottawa Senators forward Claude Giroux (77) could also reach the milestone.
GAMES PLAYED
1,000: There are 13 players within 78 games. The closest is the Minnesota Wild defenseman Alex Goligoski (four), New York Islanders forward Josh Bailey (seven) and Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (19). Tavares (51), St. Louis Blues Center Ryan O’Reilly (62) and Stamkos (78) are also closing in.
CONSECUTIVE GAMES PLAYED
990: Kessel — With 982 straight games played, Kessel is seven behind Keith Yandle for the NHL record. If he plays the first seven games to start the season, he’ll tie Yandle, and will pass him with eight straight. Kessel has not missed a game since the 2009-10 season.
GOAL WINS
552: Marc-Andre Fleury — If the Wild goalie wins 32 games this season, a total he has reached nine times in his NHL career, he’ll move into second on the wins list. Fleury trails Hockey Hall of Famers Patrick Roy (551) and Martin Brodeur (691). He’s also 61 games from 1,000 in the NHL.
COACHING WINS
800: Lindy Ruff, Paul Maurice — Ruff, who enters his third season with the New Jersey Devils, is 18 wins away from becoming the fifth coach to win 800 games. He is 782-630-141 with 78 ties in 21 seasons and would join Scotty Bowman (1,244), Joel Quenneville (969), Barry Trotz (914) and Ken Hitchcock (849). Paul Maurice, who is starting his first season with the Florida Panthers, needs 25 to join the group. He is 775-680-130 with 99 ties in 24 seasons.
GENERAL MANAGER GAMES
3,000: David Poile — The GM of the Nashville Predators since their inaugural season of 1997-98, Poile already tops all GMs in games with 2,993 and wins (1,491), needing nine wins for 1,500. Prior to Nashville, he was GM of the Capitals for 15 seasons from 1982-97.
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