NEW YORK, N.Y. — Connor McDavid needed just 15 games to reach 30 assists, the quickest any player has done it in NHL history, on Sunday night in Manhattan, where Edmonton handled the Rangers 4-1.
Wayne Gretzky had owned the mark since 1984-85, when he got there in 16 games. McDavid’s 30th helper came in the second period, a secondary assist on a power-play goal by Evan Bouchard. It also stretched his NHL record for opening a season with an assist in every game to 15 straight.
The 29-year-old captain, in his 12th NHL season, did not wait long to get on the board himself. He scored 50 seconds after the opening faceoff, his eighth career score inside a game’s opening 60 seconds, which moved him ahead of Mark Messier for the most in team history.
That goal was the 418th of his career. It lifted him past Glenn Anderson into fourth alone on the franchise list, trailing only Gretzky, Jari Kurri and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid now has nine goals and 39 points on the season.
Bouchard finished with a goal and two assists and has 26 points, making him one of four blueliners ever, along with Bobby Orr, Al MacInnis and Denis Potvin, with 25 or more through 15 games. Colton Dach scored twice for the first time in his NHL career, and goalie Matt Tomkins stopped 27 shots in his first NHL start since April 2024.
Edmonton has won three in a row, sits at 11-2-2 and is a perfect 7-0-0 away from home after also blanking the Islanders on Saturday. The Rangers have dropped four straight.
Section: More Birmingham AL sports news
Filed under: Birmingham AL Sports News
