Connor McDavid continues to make NHL history.
On Monday night, McDavid became the fourth-ever NHL player to record 100 assists in a single season. The Edmonton Oilers phenom achieved the milestone by assisting on a Zach Hyman goal in Monday’s blowout loss against the San Jose Sharks.
With the Oilers leading the Sharks 8-1 in the third period, McDavid collected an up-ice pass from defenseman Darnell Nurse and broke in 2-on-1 against San Jose. McDavid perfectly set up Hyman with a tape-to-tape pass for his 100th assist of the campaign.
Oilers Connor McDavid
4th player – 14th instance – in NHL history with an 100-assist season pic.twitter.com/BtP54NsADK
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) April 16, 2024
With the milestone assist, McDavid joins Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Bobby Orr as the only NHL players to record 100 assists in a single season.
McDavid was enjoying the moment, giggling on the bench after the tally. It was nice to see the usually serious McDavid crack a smile. He was clearly loving the support from his teammates and fans.
RARE SIGHTING:
Connor McDavid smiling 😁 pic.twitter.com/4CuKjFft5r
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 16, 2024
McDavid spoke after the game about the milestone and joining the exclusive group.
“Those three obviously are three of the greatest players to ever play, and to share, I guess, something with, you know, a little something with them; it means a lot to me,” McDavid said.
“But obviously, I am just thankful for my teammates, the staff here in Edmonton, coaches, and everybody, but I feel very, very grateful for our staff here in Edmonton and all the players here.”
While McDavid’s accomplishment is impressive, he likely won’t come close to touching Wayne Gretzky’s all-time single-season assists record. Wayne’s record of 163 assists in 1985-86 is considered one of the most unbreakable records in hockey.
Here is a table displaying the full list of 100-assist seasons in NHL history. Gretzky dominates the list with a staggering 11 100-assist seasons throughout his NHL career.
| Player | Team | Season | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1985-86 | 163 |
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1982-83 | 125 |
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1990-91 | 122 |
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1986-87 | 121 |
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1984-85 | 135 |
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1981-82 | 120 |
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1983-84 | 118 |
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1987-88 | 109 |
| Wayne Gretzky | Los Angeles Kings | 1991-92 | 107 |
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1980-81 | 109 |
| Wayne Gretzky | Los Angeles Kings | 1989-90 | 102 |
| Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1988-89 | 114 |
| Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1987-88 | 108 |
| Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins | 1970-71 | 102 |
| Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | 2023-24* | 100 |
Reporters informed McDavid following the game that Wayne had done it (100 assists) 11 times:
“That’s insane, that’s insane, yeah, McDavid replied. “Just casual 100 assists here every year. So, that’s why he’s the greatest of all time.”
The reporter followed up by asking Connor if he thinks he can catch Gretzky.
“Can I catch him? Like I said, we got some more important things to deal with right now.”, MCDavid replied.
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov could join McDavid in becoming the second NHL player with 100 assists this season. Kucherov, who has 99 points, could achieve the milestone Wednesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs in his final regular-season game.
If Kucherov does reach 100 assists, it will be the second time in NHL history that two players have reached at least 100 assists in a season. Gretzky and Lemieux each recorded 114 assists in 1988-89.
100 assists are undoubtedly special to McDavid, but the Oilers’ captain has his eyes on the bigger prize. The 27-year-old is more determined than ever to capture his first Stanley Cup.
