Story Summary
Connor McDavid has been named the NHL’s First Star for October after a month in which the Edmonton Oilers centre rewrote the League record for assists in the opening month of a season. McDavid produced 8-27-35 in 13 October games, leading the NHL in assists and points as Edmonton went 10-2-1 during the month and reached the top of the Western Conference standings.
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov was selected as Second Star after scoring a League-leading 14 goals in 15 games. Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov took Third Star following a 9-0-0 month in which he posted a 1.66 goals-against average, a.919 save percentage and one shutout for the defending Stanley Cup champions.
McDavid entered November with 37 points in 14 games, including 29 assists. Kaprizov began the month one point short of 500 in his NHL career, while Kochetkov’s winning streak matched the longest ever by a Hurricanes or Whalers goaltender.
Key Facts
- Connor McDavid recorded 8-27-35 in 13 October games, leading the NHL in both assists and points.
- McDavid’s 27 October assists were the most by any player in a single October in NHL history.
- McDavid registered at least one assist in every October appearance and extended his season-opening assist streak to 14 games, surpassing the previous NHL record of 12.
- The Edmonton Oilers went 10-2-1 in October and held first place in the Western Conference at the end of the month.
- Kirill Kaprizov scored a League-high 14 goals in 15 October games as Minnesota posted a 9-3-3 record and moved into first place in the Central Division.
- Pyotr Kochetkov went 9-0-0 with a 1.66 goals-against average, a.919 save percentage and one shutout as Carolina finished October with the NHL's best record.
IHM Discussion
The October selections reflect three different forms of dominance. McDavid controlled games through distribution at a historic level, finishing 11 assists clear of the next player and recording 20 even-strength points as well as 14 power-play points. His average ice time of 23:32 led all NHL forwards during the month, underlining how much of Edmonton’s game ran through him.
Kaprizov supplied the month’s most prolific finishing. His 14 goals matched the Minnesota franchise record for any calendar month, a mark he had already set in March 2022. He scored in 10 of 15 appearances, including a four-point night featuring his seventh career hat trick against Florida on 10 October. The Wild’s place at the top of the Central Division gave that production added team context.
Kochetkov’s award is built on consistency rather than a single standout performance. Limited to nine total appearances in 2025-26, he started nine games in October and won every one. He allowed two goals or fewer in eight of those starts, while his shutout against St. Louis on 24 October was the 12th of his NHL career.
Why It Matters
McDavid’s opening stretch has moved beyond an ordinary hot start. No NHL player had previously recorded more than 25 assists through the first 14 games of a season; McDavid reached 29. His 37 points through that stage trail only three Mario Lemieux seasons in League history, placing the scale of his October in clear historical company.
For Minnesota, Kaprizov’s scoring has helped turn a strong individual month into a divisional lead. His 24 points ranked tied for third in the NHL during October, but his 14 goals stood two ahead of the next-closest player. He also ranked among the League leaders in even-strength goals, game-winning goals, even-strength points, power-play goals and shots.
Kochetkov’s unbeaten run has given Carolina a reliable foundation during a month in which the Hurricanes went 11-2-2. His nine consecutive wins to start the season tied Felix Potvin for the third-longest season-opening winning streak by an NHL goaltender, behind only Jack Campbell’s 11-game run and Carey Price’s 10-game streak.
Mini Q&A
Why was Connor McDavid named the NHL’s First Star for October?
McDavid led the NHL with 27 assists and 35 points in 13 October games, while setting a new record for assists in a single October.
How close is Kirill Kaprizov to 500 NHL points?
Kaprizov began November with 499 points, made up of 244 goals and 255 assists in 412 NHL games with Minnesota.
What made Pyotr Kochetkov’s October notable?
Kochetkov won all nine of his starts, posted a 1.66 goals-against average and.919 save percentage, and tied the longest winning streak by a Hurricanes or Whalers goaltender.
Coach Mark Comment
McDavid’s 14-game assist streak is striking because it asks more than one spectacular pass from him. It means he found a way to affect the scoresheet every time Edmonton played through the opening month, while carrying more ice time than any other NHL forward.
The numbers show a player involved in every phase: 13 even-strength assists, 14 power-play assists and a League-leading 20 even-strength points. That is difficult for opponents to manage because attention cannot simply be saved for one special-teams shift or one preferred area of the ice.
IHM Final View
October’s Three Stars capture an exceptional start across three key positions. McDavid owns the month’s defining record, Kaprizov delivered its most productive goal-scoring run, and Kochetkov turned every October start into a Carolina victory. Each player’s award is supported by individual production and by a club that finished the month near the top of its conference or the League.