Story Summary
Edmonton Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl has been named the NHL’s First Star for the week ending 25 October after scoring six goals and nine points in three appearances. Calgary Flames goaltender Devin Cooley earned Second Star honours, while Montreal Canadiens rookie Jacob Fowler was selected as the Third Star.
Draisaitl scored twice in every game he played, leading the League in goals for the week and finishing second in points as Edmonton collected two wins and moved into first place in the Pacific Division. His week included two power-play goals in a 4-3 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild, followed by a five-point night against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
Cooley stopped 66 of 68 shots over two starts as Calgary extended its winning streak to three games. Fowler went 2-0-0 for Montreal, including a record-setting victory at the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic.
Key Facts
- Leon Draisaitl scored six goals and nine points in three games to be named the NHL’s First Star for the week ending 25 October.
- Draisaitl produced two goals in each of his three appearances and led the NHL with five power-play goals during the week.
- Draisaitl recorded two power-play goals in Edmonton’s 4-3 overtime victory over Minnesota on 20 October.
- Draisaitl posted two goals and three assists for his eighth career five-point game in a 6-5 shootout win over Carolina on 22 October.
- Draisaitl scored both Edmonton goals in a 7-2 loss to Toronto on 24 October, extending his goal-scoring streak to six games.
- Draisaitl has 12 goals and 23 points in 11 games this season and ranks second in the NHL in both categories.
- Devin Cooley made 66 saves on 68 shots in two Calgary starts, posting a 1.00 goals-against average and.971 save percentage.
- Cooley made 38 saves in a 2-1 win over Minnesota and stopped 28 of 29 shots in a 4-1 victory against Detroit.
- Jacob Fowler went 2-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and.964 save percentage for Montreal.
- Fowler became the youngest goaltender to start and win an outdoor NHL game at 21 years and 335 days old after making 33 saves in Montreal’s 2-1 Heritage Classic win over Winnipeg.
- Fowler has won five consecutive starts since 10 October and owns a 5-1-0 record, 1.79 goals-against average and.924 save percentage in six appearances this season.
IHM Discussion
Draisaitl’s selection is built on an unusually concentrated run of production. Six goals in three games would be enough to lead most weekly races, but he paired that total with three assists and five power-play goals. The sequence also showed how much of Edmonton’s offence ran through him: two man-advantage goals against Minnesota, a five-point performance against Carolina and both Oilers goals against Toronto.
His six-game goal streak from 13 to 24 October contains nine goals and 14 points. Across 11 games in 2026-27, he has already reached 12 goals, 11 assists and 23 points. The First Star recognises the particular three-game burst, while the season figures show that it has arrived within a broader high-output start.
Cooley’s Second Star was driven by efficiency and volume in different ways. His 38-save performance against Minnesota required 17 third-period stops as Calgary protected a one-goal result. He then allowed one goal on 29 Detroit shots. The two victories extended both his own and Calgary’s winning streaks to three games dating to 18 October.
Fowler’s week carried both performance and occasion. He first stopped 20 of 21 Chicago shots in a 4-1 win, then made 33 saves against Winnipeg at the Heritage Classic. The outdoor victory gave the 21-year-old a specific League record, while his five consecutive wins underline the form that accompanied it.
Why It Matters
The three selections highlight three different routes to a decisive week. Draisaitl’s scoring lifted Edmonton to an 8-2-1 record and first place in the Pacific Division, with his power-play production standing well clear of the rest of the League during the period. His 2024-25 Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy and four 50-goal seasons provide context for the scoring pace, but the current numbers are substantial in their own right.
For Calgary, Cooley’s two starts helped a 4-6-0 team build a three-game winning streak. He has a 3-2-0 record in five appearances this season, and the two-game stretch improved his season save percentage to.912.
Montreal moved into the final playoff position in the Eastern Conference with a 6-3-2 record after Fowler’s two wins. His 1.79 goals-against average,.924 save percentage and five victories place him among the League’s leading goaltenders through six appearances, not solely among rookies.
Mini Q&A
Why was Leon Draisaitl named the NHL’s First Star?
Draisaitl led the NHL with six goals and ranked second with nine points across three games, scoring twice in every appearance and registering five power-play goals.
What did Devin Cooley do to earn Second Star honours?
Cooley stopped 66 of 68 shots in two Calgary wins, producing a 1.00 goals-against average and.971 save percentage.
What record did Jacob Fowler set at the Heritage Classic?
At 21 years and 335 days old, Fowler became the youngest goaltender to start and win an outdoor NHL game after stopping 33 of 34 Winnipeg shots.
Coach Mark Comment
Cooley’s 17 saves in the third period against Minnesota give his week its clearest hockey detail. Calgary had a 2-1 lead, and the job changed from making the first stop to absorbing every rebound, screen and loose puck that comes with protecting a narrow score late in a game.
The following start against Detroit was quieter on the scoresheet only because he handled 29 shots and conceded once. Two strong outings can look similar in a weekly total, yet the Minnesota game asked him to close a one-goal contest under sustained pressure. That is the sort of finish a goaltender remembers when he returns to the crease a couple of nights later.
IHM Final View
Draisaitl’s First Star is the headline of a week in which his finishing, power-play impact and overall scoring placed him at the front of the NHL. Cooley and Fowler completed a goaltending-heavy group with two unbeaten weeks, each supplying a timely contribution to his club’s recent results.