IHM News
NHL Weekly: January’s Hat Trick Surge, Goalie Storylines, and Kane’s New U.S. Points Mark
By IceHockeyMan Newsroom | February 2, 2026
The last full NHL week before the Olympic break delivered exactly what fans expect from a season hitting peak intensity: star forwards stacking points, goalies stealing headlines, and a statistical oddity that pushed league history into new territory. January 2026 became the ultimate month for three-goal nights, while individual milestones and a few unexpected names made the weekly wrap feel anything but routine.
Top scorers of the week
Two elite producers finished the week tied at eight points in three games, each posting two goals and six assists: Nikita Kucherov and Leon Draisaitl. Kucherov’s output landed inside a perfect team week, highlighted by a wild outdoor win where Tampa Bay’s offense never stopped pushing the pace. Draisaitl’s week leaned heavily on playmaking, including a four-assist performance against Anaheim that showcased how quickly he can turn a normal shift into a scoring sequence.
The only cloud on the Edmonton side was Draisaitl’s early exit in a heavy loss to Minnesota after he scored, with the concern centered on a hand issue. With the Olympic pause approaching, any short-term limitation becomes a bigger storyline than usual because teams lose rhythm, then immediately return into high-stakes scheduling.
Goalie spotlight of the week
In net, two goaltenders managed three wins: Jakub Dobes for Montreal and Andrei Vasilevskiy for Tampa Bay. Vasilevskiy’s week carried extra weight because his results came with statement moments. He also recorded his second shutout of the season in one of the starts, and his weekly goals-against average sat at 1.95, which is elite territory over any three-game stretch.
There was also a notable achievement from Carolina’s Brandon Bussi, who reached 20 wins faster than any goalie in league history, adding another data point to how unpredictable crease storylines can be when confidence and team structure align.
Highlight of the week: January turns into hat trick history
The biggest trend of the week was actually the month itself. January 2026 closed as the most hat trick-heavy month the NHL has ever seen: 31 three-goal games. The previous record was 29, set in December 1985.
What made it even more interesting was the mix of names. Boston’s Pavel Zacha contributed his first career hat trick during a blowout win, while several players who are not typically labeled hat trick threats also joined the party. San Jose forward Pavol Regenda exploded for three in one night despite entering the game with only a small NHL goal total, and Minnesota’s Marcus Foligno finally hit his first career hat trick deep into his NHL journey, turning a quiet season goal count into a sudden headline.
Defensemen added another layer to the record. Hat tricks from blue-liners are already rare, but January featured multiple defensemen doing it, including two Edmonton defensemen accomplishing it in consecutive games for the same team, something that had never happened before in league history.
Stat of the week: Kane passes Modano among U.S.-born scorers
One of the week’s cleanest legacy notes came from Detroit. During a shootout loss to Washington, Patrick Kane recorded an assist that moved him past Mike Modano for the most points by an American-born player in NHL history, surpassing Modano’s long-standing total of 1,374. Records like this usually happen quietly, but this one matters because it is a career-length marker, not a seasonal spike.
Coach Mark Comment
From a coaching perspective, this week was a reminder that the NHL calendar creates its own momentum cycles. Before a long break, teams often play with a sprint mentality, which naturally inflates scoring swings and special moments. The hat trick record is not only about individual talent, it is also about game state. More transition rushes, more stretched structures, and more aggressive activation from defensemen. When teams chase games early, the middle of the ice opens, and that is where three-goal nights are born. I also watch the goalie narratives carefully at this time of year. A shutout or a strong three-win week right before a pause can lock in confidence, but it can also hide small details like rebound control and slot coverage that return after the break. For Kane’s milestone, it is a perfect example of longevity plus adaptability. His scoring did not survive on one style. He adjusted, changed his pace, and kept creating under different systems, and that is why the record is his.
Q&A
What is a hat trick in hockey?
A hat trick is when one player scores three goals in a single game. It can happen at even strength, on the power play, or shorthanded, and the goals can be scored in any period.
Why do hat trick totals sometimes spike in certain months?
Hat trick spikes usually come from a mix of factors: higher tempo games, more power plays, more goalie rotation due to fatigue, and more high-danger chances created by aggressive defensive activation.
Can defensemen realistically score hat tricks?
It is rare, but possible. It often requires heavy usage, power-play time, and a game script where the defenseman is repeatedly involved in the final shot or the net-front chaos.
What does “fastest to 20 wins” mean for a goalie?
It refers to the fewest games or shortest time needed to reach 20 wins in NHL history. It is a team-dependent stat, but still reflects consistent performance and strong results.
Why is Kane passing Modano a major milestone?
Because it is a career total record for U.S-born points, reflecting elite production over many seasons, not just a single hot year.