NHL NEWS FEBRUARY 1, 2023 – HURRICANES STORM BACK WITH A THREE-GOAL, THIRD-PERIOD COMEBACK VICTORY

Four days after overcoming a two-goal deficit in the final two minutes of regulation and winning in overtime, the Hurricanes (33-9-8, 74 points) found themselves in another multi-goal deficit in the third period. It was Paul Stastny (1-0—1), Jordan Staal (1-0—1) and Teuvo Teravainen (1-0—1) who helped Carolina erase a 4-1 deficit and and set the stage for Sebastian Aho with 54 seconds remaining in the extra frame to help the club match the franchise’s best 50-game start to a season (also 74 points in 2021-22 & 2005-06).

• The Hurricanes recorded a three-goal, third-period comeback win for the fifth time in team history following Dec. 13, 2016 (vs. VAN), Dec. 31, 2013 (vs. MTL), April 7, 2007 (vs. FLA) as well as Jan. 11, 2007 (vs. FLA) and became the fourth team this season to achieve the feat, joining the Oilers (Nov. 26, 2022), Blues (Nov. 26, 2022) and Stars (Nov. 23, 2022).
• Aho’s winner helped Carolina extend its point streak to nine games (8-0-1 since Jan. 12) and the NHL’s longest active win streak to six games. The Hurricanes forward, who has produced a League-leading nine goals and two game-winning tallies since Jan. 12, has guided his team into the All-Star break with a six-point cushion on second-place New Jersey (32-13-4, 68 points) in the Metropolitan Division.

SENATORS, CAPITALS HOLD OFF MULTI-GOAL RALLIES IN WINS

As the Senators (24-23-3, 51 points) and Capitals (27-20-6, 60 points) each saw their multi-goal leads vanish by the final frame, both teams held off their opponents’ rally and collected two points thanks to Brady Tkachuk (1-1—2) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (1-0—1), respectively.

• Tkachuk (20-31—51 in 50 GP), who netted the go-ahead goal with 1:18 remaining in the third period after Montreal erased 3-1 and 4-3 deficits, became the first Ottawa skater to reach the 50-point mark in 2022-23. The 2023 NHL All-Star has now accounted for two of the past three go-ahead goals in the final two minutes of regulation for the club after also doing so on Feb. 13, 2021 (59:51).
• Kuznetsov’s eighth career overtime goal helped Washington open up a three-point edge on idle Pittsburgh (24-16-9, 57 points) for the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Three other teams are within six points or fewer of the Capitals for playoff positioning and hold games in hand (Buffalo: 26-19-4, 56 points; NY Islanders: 25-22-5, 55 points; & Florida: 24-22-6, 54 points).

LOOKING AHEAD TO ALL-STAR: METROPOLITAN DIVISION PREVIEW

The Metropolitan Division enters 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend hoping to win its fourth 3-on-3 title since the format was introduced in 2016 – a division that already holds the most final wins among all teams through that span (3x: 2017, 2019 & 2022). Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Jack Hughes are set to return in 2023, having each represented the division at least once in the past seven years.

• Veterans Crosby and Ovechkin are no strangers to All-Star Game records. Crosby (6-6—12 in 3 GP) is tied for the most goals, second-most points – collecting five in the 2019 final en route to being named the tournament’s MVP (2-3—5) – and most NHL All-Star game titles (tied w/ 2) since the 3-on-3 format was introduced. Meanwhile, Ovechkin (7-8—15 in 7 GP) is among only eight players in NHL history with 15-plus career All-Star points under any format.
• Hughes, who will become the first Florida-born player to skate in multiple NHL All-Star Games (also 2022), has 33-31—64 (49 GP) in 2022-23 and is on pace to become the first Devils/Rockies/Scouts skater to eclipse the 50-goal mark in a season. The New Jersey forward is one of the three U.S.-born players in this season’s tightly-contested Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy race who are set to appear this weekend.
• The Rangers have three representatives on Team Metropolitan, with Artemi Panarin, Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox each set to make their first All-Star appearance. Panarin, who leads New York with 12-38—50 in 49 games, is one of six players set to attend the event that were either undrafted or selected in the fifth round or later at the NHL Draft (also Connor Hellebuyck, Kirill Kaprizov, Logan Thompson, Troy Terry & Linus Ullmark).
• Click here for the 2023 NHL All-Star information guide, featuring notes on this season’s event as well as all-time records and results from both the All-Star Game and All-Star Skills.

BETTMAN MARKS 30 YEARS AS NHL COMMISSIONER

Thirty years ago today, on Feb. 1, 1993, Gary Bettman took office as the first Commissioner in NHL history. During his tenure, Commissioner Bettman has presided over 55% of all games in NHL history (35,874 of 65,561 GP) and more than 51% of all goals the League has seen (204,439 of 398,547).

• A total of 4,885 players have appeared in at least one NHL regular-season or playoff game since Feb. 1, 1993 (including 4,101 who debuted since then), accounting for more than 58% of all players in League history. During that same time frame, 288 individuals have served as an NHL head coach or general manager (57% of the 507 who have been credited with at least one game in either role since the League’s inception in 1917-18).
• Looking at today’s game, 74% of current NHL players were born after the Commissioner’s first day in office (694 of 944 born after Feb. 1, 1993; based on min. 1 GP in 2022-23 through Jan. 31).
• The NHL has welcomed more than 592 million fans at regular-season and playoff games staged in 117 different venues since Feb. 1, 1993 (117 regular season and 54 playoffs), including the League’s first-ever ventures for regular-season games outside North America (38 in total) and outdoors (36 in total; soon to be 37).
• The NHL All-Star Game was held at Montreal Forum just six days into Bettman’s tenure. Four months later, the Commissioner returned to “the most storied building in hockey history” to present the Stanley Cup for the first time, to Canadiens captain Guy Carbonneau.
• ICYMI: Commissioner Bettman will receive the Sports Business Journal Lifetime Achievement Award in May.

CHEL INTEL: EA SPORTS NHL 23 ALL-STAR OPEN FINAL THURSDAY

The 2023 EA SPORTS NHL 23 World Championship, the NHL’s premier global esports competition, is back for its sixth season and offers more opportunities to compete and win than ever before. The NHL announced today that the first LAN event of the season will be played at the Truly Hard Seltzer #NHLAllStar Beach Festival at Fort Lauderdale Beach on Thursday, Feb. 2.

• The event will showcase four international hockey superstars taking their talents to the virtual ice. EA SPORTS NHL 23 cover athlete and Olympian Sarah Nurse will be joined by Canadian teammate Emily Clark and a pair of U.S. rivals in Hilary Knight and Alex Carpenter to compete in a fun and friendly gaming competition.
• The EA SPORTS NHL 23 All-Star Open Final will immediately follow, with four top Chel players all competing for prize money, bragging rights and a locally-flavored championship trophy. The players automatically qualified for the North American Console Final as well as a trip to 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend in South Florida.

TNT SHOWDOWN HIGHLIGHTS FINAL GAMES BEFORE ALL-STAR BREAK

A pair of Eastern Conference matchups will mark the final games before the 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend when the Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes (33-9-8, 74 points) take on the Sabres (26-19-4, 56 points) on TNT, while the NHL-leading Bruins (38-7-5, 81 points) visit Scotiabank Arena for a bout against the Maple Leafs (31-12-8, 70 points).

Sabres’ Luukkonen Named NHL ‘Rookie of the Month’ for January

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who led rookie netminders with six wins in nine starts (6-2-1, 3.05 GAA, .907 SV%) to help Buffalo climb within one point of a playoff spot, has been named the NHL’s “Rookie of the Month” for January.

Luukkonen edged Calgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar (5-0-1, 2.63 GAA, .908 SV%), Nashville Predators center Juuso Parssinen (2-10—12 in 13 GP), Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers (6-5—11 in 13 GP), Winnipeg Jets center Cole Perfetti (1-8—9 in 14 GP) and Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Kirill Marchenko (8-0—8 in 16 GP) for the honor.

Luukkonen made at least 25 saves in seven of his nine January appearances, including five contests with 30 or more stops. He made 39 saves (two shy of his career high) Jan. 7 vs. MIN to extend his personal winning streak to a career-best six games dating to Dec. 15, the longest such run by a Sabres rookie since Ryan Miller also won six straight from Jan. 24 – Feb. 7, 2006.

Luukkonen, who went 6-2-0 in eight December starts (3.12 GAA, .908 SV%), became Buffalo’s first rookie goaltender with six or more victories in consecutive calendar months since Don Edwards in February (6-2-2 in 10 GP) and March (6-3-3 in 12 GP) 1978 and the first rookie netminder on any team to do so since Jordan Binnington in February (10-1-0 in 11 GP) and March (6-3-0 in 9 GP) 2019 with the St. Louis Blues.

The 23-year-old Luukkonen, a second-round pick (54th overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft, shares second place among rookie goaltenders with 13 wins in 20 total contests this season (13-5-2, 3.26 GAA, .900 SV%).

The first Sabres player to win “Rookie of the Month” honors since left wing Victor Olofsson in December 2019, Luukkonen joins Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto (October), Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson (November) and Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (December) as a recipient in 2022-23.

Hughes, Pastrnak and Dunn Named NHL ‘Three Stars’ for January

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak and Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the month of January, 2023.

FIRST STAR – JACK HUGHES, C, NEW JERSEY DEVILS

Hughes led the NHL with 13-10—23 in 13 games – and ranked second with 67 shots on goal – to propel the Devils (32-13-4, 68 points) to a 9‑2-2 January. He found the scoresheet in 12 of his 13 outings, including each of his last eight to close the month (Jan. 13-27: 7-8—15). Hughes recorded nine multi-point games (including four straight to end January: 4-4—8), four multi-goal performances (highlighted by three in four contests from Jan. 5-13: 6-2—8), two three-point efforts (Jan. 7 vs. NYR: 2-1—3 and Jan. 13 at ANA: 2-1—3) and a pair of game-winning goals (Jan. 13 at ANA and Jan. 27 at DAL). He became the fastest player in franchise history to reach the 60-point milestone, doing so in his 47th contest of 2022-23 (Jan. 24 vs. VGK), and the third-fastest to compile 30 goals (46 GP; Jan. 22 vs. PIT) – behind only Paul Gardner (44 GP in 1977-78 w/ CLR) and Claude Lemieux (45 GP in 1991-92). The 21-year-old Hughes, who this week will become the first Florida-born player in NHL history to skate in multiple All-Star Games (also 2022), ranks among the League leaders in shots on goal (4th; 220), goals (t-5th; 33) and points (9th; 64) through 49 total appearances this season (33-31—64).

SECOND STAR – DAVID PASTRNAK, RW, BOSTON BRUINS

Pastrnak shared the League lead with 13 goals and placed third overall with 21 points (13-8—21) in 14 contests to power the Bruins (38-7-5, 81 points) to a 10-3-1 January en route to becoming the fastest team in NHL history to reach the 80-point milestone (47 GP). He found the scoresheet in 10 of his 14 appearances, highlighted by four-point performances Jan. 8 at ANA (3-1—4) and Jan. 24 at MTL (1‑3—4). Pastrnak produced four other multi-point outings, a total of four multi-goal games (including three straight from Jan. 5-8: 7-1—8) and a pair of game-winning goals (Jan. 7 at SJS and Jan. 16 vs. PHI). He also hit the 30-goal milestone for a sixth time Jan. 8 at ANA (40 GP), becoming the fastest Boston player to do so since Cam Neely in 1993-94 (27 GP). The 26-year-old Pastrnak, who will be making his third career All-Star Game appearance this week (also 2019 and 2020), sits among the League leaders in shots on goal (1st; 243), goals (2nd; 38), power-play goals (t-3rd; 14), points (4th; 71), power-play points (5th; 28) and plus/minus (t-10th; +24) through 50 total games this season.

THIRD STAR – VINCE DUNN, D, SEATTLE KRAKEN

Dunn topped defensemen with 5-12—17 in 15 games and tied for the League lead among all skaters with a +18 rating to lift the Kraken (29-15-5, 63 points) from fifth to first place in the Pacific Division on the strength of an NHL-best 11-3-1 January. Dunn, who nearly doubled his scoring from his first 34 games of the season (4-15—19), collected points in 11 of his 15 appearances – including a career-high nine straight outings from Jan. 5-19 (5-8—13). He also posted an even or better plus/minus rating 11 times, highlighted by a career-best +6 performance Jan. 14 at CHI. The 26-year-old Dunn, who played the fourth-most minutes of any skater in January (365:37), sits 11th among defensemen with 9‑27—36 and tied for fifth among all players with a +26 rating in 49 total contests this season. His 36 points already are a career high, ahead of the 35 he compiled in 78 games in 2018-19 (12-23—35 w/ STL) and matched in 73 appearances in 2021-22 (7-28—35 w/ SEA).