Connor McDavid Breaks Franchise Record as Edmonton Oilers Edge Hurricanes
The Oilers captain notched five points in a 6-5 shootout win over Carolina to reach 31 points through his first 10 games of the season.
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid continued his historic start to the season on Thursday, recording five points to help his team secure a 6-5 shootout victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. McDavid finished the game with two goals and three assists, bringing his total to 31 points through his first 10 games and surpassing Wayne Gretzky's previous franchise record of 30 points in the opening 10 games of a campaign.
The thrilling victory extended the Oilers' winning streak to three games and improved their early-season record to 8-1-1. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins contributed a goal and an assist in his season debut before netting the game-winning goal in the shootout, while defenseman Evan Bouchard also remained among the league's top scorers with 19 points.
McDavid's stellar performance placed him in elite company alongside Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy, and Mario Lemieux as just the fourth player in NHL history to record at least 30 points in the first 10 games of a season. Furthermore, McDavid and Lemieux are now the only players in league history to register three separate five-point games within their first 10 appearances of a single season.
With eight goals and 23 assists so far, McDavid is averaging 3.1 points per game, putting him on an early pace that could challenge historic scoring milestones. Earlier in the week, he also set an NHL record by becoming the fastest player to reach 20 assists, achieving the milestone in just his ninth game to break a mark previously shared by Gretzky, Lemieux, and Pat LaFontaine.
Teammate Leon Draisaitl matched McDavid's production on Thursday with two goals and three assists of his own, bringing his season tally to 21 points. Speaking to reporters after the game, Draisaitl praised the evolution of the Oilers captain, noting that McDavid's game has matured significantly beyond his early offensive brilliance.
"It's not real," Draisaitl told reporters when asked about McDavid's historic start. "He's maybe the greatest player to ever play in my books, probably, from what I've seen, certainly. Pleasure to share the ice with him. Pleasure to learn from him every day. He deserves everything."
Draisaitl highlighted that while McDavid remains an elite offensive threat with unmatched speed, his overall play has become exceptionally complete. "Now his game is as complete as it gets, and he hasn't lost a step offensively," Draisaitl added.
The Oilers have scored 46 goals through their first 10 games, with McDavid participating in 31 of them either as a scorer or an assister, accounting for roughly 80 percent of the team's total goals while on the ice. Edmonton will look to maintain its momentum when it hosts Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.