Records are expected to fall in the upcoming 2026-27 NHL season.
Arenas are being prepped for Opening Night on Sept. 29. Training camps opened on Sept. 17, and a shortened preseason schedule began on Sept. 19. In less than two weeks, all 32 teams will be chasing the Stanley Cup.
Players and goalies climbing the all-time lists—in wins, assists, goals, and perhaps an Ironman streak—will add excitement in arenas across North America for the 84-game schedule.
David Pastrnak, starting his 13th season with the Boston Bruins at 933 career points, begins just 67 points away from 1,000 regular-season points. The Bruins’ top right wing should have little difficulty in being the 104th skater in league history to attain 1,000 points. He has registered 100 or more points consecutively over the past four seasons.
With the Bruins since the 2014–15 season, Pastrnak is also just 67 games away from reaching the 900-game mark. The Czech is closing in on the 550-assist mark, needing just 37 to reach the goal during what has already become a Hall of Fame career.
Moving from the NHL’s Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division to the Western Conference’s Central Division, Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele is also closing in on career-high statistics that should lead him to the Toronto-based Hall of Fame. He needs 28 goals for 400, 93 points for 1,000 and 65 assists for 600. For the No. 7 pick in the 2011 draft, those are all within reach.
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Last season, his 15th with Winnipeg, Scheifele tallied a 100-point season (103) for the first time in his career. With the Jets finishing in seventh place last season in the Central, another strong season from Scheifele’s stick remains crucial.
Players are expected to arrive at camp already in shape. Showing up to get fit, Chicago’s Frank Nazar said, is a recipe for failure.
“If you’re not coming into camp ready to go, in good shape, ready to dominate those tests, then really what are you doing?” the Blackhawks center said. “You’re responsible for your own summer and for your body, and if you’re not coming ready to go, then someone’s going to take your spot and for good reason. I think it just cuts that babysitting aspect of it out and you’re able to just take responsibility for actions.”
Connor McDavid, the Edmonton Oilers’ high-scoring center who has won the Art Ross Trophy six times as the NHL’s regular-season top scorer, seems to set new records each time his stick slaps at a puck. A 100-point scoring season in 2026–27 would mean McDavid joins exclusive company with Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux as one of three skaters to have accomplished this in 10 different seasons. McDavid, coming off a 90-assist season, is six games away from reaching an even 800. Entering his 12th season with Edmonton, McDavid has 1,220 career points. Collecting 80 more to join the 1,300 club is all but a certainty barring any injury.
Two goaltenders are also staring at impressive personal bests. The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has led his team to two Stanley Cup championships, is looking to be the second goalie to put up 30 or more wins in 10 consecutive seasons. Darcy Kuemper, now entering his fourth overall career season with the Los Angeles Kings, is 11 games short of playing in his 500th NHL game. It was during the 2021–22 season with the Colorado Avalanche that Kuemper won 37 games, the most in any of his previous 10 NHL seasons, and celebrated with his team’s capturing the Stanley Cup.
Arguably one of the greatest offensive threats to NHL goalies of all time, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby is preparing to join exclusive company among all-time scorers. Entering the season, his 22nd with the Penguins, Crosby occupies seventh place on the all-time scoring list. Entering Pittsburgh’s season opener on Sept. 30 in Philadelphia against the Flyers, Crosby (1,761) is 10 points behind Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne for sixth place on the all-time list. He is also a mere 38 points from jumping into fifth place, by passing Hall of Famer Ron Francis and ultimately surpassing the 1,800-point mark.
Sidney Crosby (87) of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena in Washington on April 12, 2026. Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
Brent Burns is the NHL’s version of baseball’s “Ironman” and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. The Avalanche’s defenseman is 58 games away from overtaking Phil Kessel’s consecutive games played record of 1,064. Burns began his streak on Nov. 21, 2013, with the San Jose Sharks. As the puck drops on Colorado’s season, Burns begins with 1,007 consecutive games in the lineup.
The 25 NHL teams in the United States and seven in Canada are skating, shooting, and blocking pucks during drills and practice games for now. In less than two weeks, the rebounds, checking, and fights will count toward what all participants hope will lead to a long and prosperous postseason experience. Along the way, a number of really impressive individual efforts will be added to the NHL’s record book that could stand for many seasons to come.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.