* Macklin Celebrini, the first-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, put an exclamation mark on the premiere of NHL Coast to Coast on Prime Video Canada as he became the third-youngest player in League history to post multiple points in his debut.
* Trends continue from 2023-24 as the Blues joined the Flames as the second team this season to overcome a three-goal deficit to win, but this time achieving the feat in the third period. Last season saw 27 three-goal comeback wins – the second most in a single campaign after 1989-90 (30). Additionally, there were 10 such victories in the third period in 2023-24, which trailed only 2006-07 (12).
* Anze Kopitar scored his second season-opening hat trick in four years and became just the seventh player in NHL history to net a natural hat trick in his club’s first contest.
* Friday’s four-game slate is set to feature reigning Art Ross Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov making his season debut on ESPN+, teenagers Matvei Michkov and Jett Luchanko logging their first NHL contests as well as Kyle Connor and Jack Eichel following up high-scoring wins.
* Saturday’s game between Tampa Bay and Carolina at Amalie Arena has been postponed amid recovery efforts in the Tampa Bay area from the impact of Hurricane Milton. A makeup date will be announced as soon as it can be confirmed.
CELEBRINI CELEBRATES MULTI-POINT OUTING IN NHL DEBUT
Macklin Celebrini (1-1—2) wasted no time in his NHL debut as he scored his first career goal just 7:01 into the game and added an assist before the end of the opening frame. “It was everything I dreamed of,” Celebrini said during his first intermission interview after becoming the second-fastest first-overall pick to score in their debut behind Mario Lemieux (2:59 on Oct. 11, 1984).
* Celebrini (18 years, 119 days) became the sixth-youngest player in NHL history to score in his League debut, following Aleksander Barkov (18 years, 31 days), Eddie Olczyk (18 years, 56 days), Bobby Carpenter (18 years, 86 days), Dainius Zubrus (18 years, 111 days) and Rick Nash (18 years, 116 days).
* He also became the second-youngest player to score a goal with the Sharks behind Patrick Marleau, who scored seven times at a younger age, with his first coming at 18 years, 34 days on Oct. 19, 1997.
BLUES, UTAH IMPROVE TO 2-0-0 AS ST. LOUIS WINS SECOND STRAIGHT VIA COMEBACK
The Blues and Utah Hockey Club both improved to 2-0-0 after posting come-from-behind wins Thursday. For St. Louis, the feat meant establishing just the eighth instance in NHL history of a club starting a campaign with two straight multi-goal comeback victories.
* Brayden Schenn capped the Blues’ three-goal, third-period comeback in overtime – their second multi-goal come-from-behind win of 2024-25. It marked the second time St. Louis opened a season with two consecutive multi-goal comeback victories (also 2 GP in 2009-10) as well as the fifth three-goal, third-period comeback win in Blues history following Dec. 23, 2023 (7-5 W vs. CHI), Nov. 26, 2022 (5-4 OT W at FLA), Dec. 14, 2019 (4-3 W vs. CHI) and Nov. 29, 2000 (6-5 OT W at TOR).
* Dylan Guenther tallied twice for the second straight game, including netting the franchise’s first overtime winner after he also scored Utah Hockey Club’s first-ever goal. The contest saw Utah erase three deficits and Josh Doan tie the game with less than two minutes remaining – just 13 seconds after the Islanders took the lead. Guenther became the fifth player in NHL history to score multiple goals in each of a franchise’s first two games, joining Cy Denneny (4 GP w/ SEN), Joe Malone (2 GP w/ MTL), Corb Denneny (2 GP w/ TAN) and Reg Noble (2 GP w/ TAN).
KOPITAR opens 2024-25 season with NATURAL HAT Trick
The Sabres held the Kings off the board for 40 minutes but Los Angeles captain Anze Kopitar (3-0—3) finally broke through 13 seconds into the final frame before scoring twice more to complete his season-opening natural hat trick. It was the seventh hat trick of Kopitar’s career, which allowed him to pass Wayne Gretkzy and Dustin Brown for sixth most in franchise history.
* Kopitar, who also scored three goals in the Kings' first contest in 2021-22, became the fifth player in NHL history to record a hat trick in two season-opening games. The others: Auston Matthews (Oct. 11, 2023 & Oct. 12, 2016), Connor McDavid (Oct. 12, 2022 & Oct. 4, 2017), Brendan Shanahan (Oct. 4, 2001 & Oct. 7, 1993) and Cam Neely (Oct. 7, 1995 & Jan. 22, 1995).
* The Kings captain has now amassed 12-14—26 in 18 career season-opening games. The only players with as many points in season openers are Jaromir Jagr (13-26—39 in 23 GP), Ray Bourque (9-21—30 in 21 GP), Joe Sakic (11-16—27 in 20 GP) and Gretzky (9-18—27 in 19 GP).
SEVERAL TEAMS SKATED TO THEIR FIRST WINS OF 2024-25
Several teams earned their first wins of the 2024-25 season during Thursday’s nine-game slate, highlighted by Evgeni Malkin who reached 800 NHL assists:
* Malkin and Sidney Crosby both tallied 0-2—2 to help Pittsburgh score six, earn its first victory of 2024-25 and improve to 388-89-47 when the pair records a point in the same game. For Malkin, it meant reaching the 800-assist milestone, while the Penguins captain moved within two points of 1,600. Malkin became the third player in franchise history to record 800 career assists, joining Mario Lemieux (1,033) and Crosby (1,006).
* Logan Stankoven (0-3—3) factored on three goals and Mason Marchment scored twice as the Stars held off a Predators rally to start the 2024-25 campaign with a victory. Stankoven became the second rookie in Stars/North Stars history to record three points in the team’s season-opening contest, alongside Roland Eriksson (0-4—4 w/ MNS) on Oct. 6, 1976.
* Jeremy Swayman earned his 80th career win during his season debut and led the Bruins to victory in the 100th home opener in franchise history as Boston extended its point streak against Montreal to 15 games dating to Nov. 26, 2019 (14-0-1) – the League's longest active run against one franchise. Swayman (133 GP) became the second-fastest U.S.-born goaltender in NHL history to reach 80 career wins, behind only Frank Brimsek (123 GP).
* Max Pacioretty (1-0—1) and Steven Lorentz (1-1—2) logged their first goals since being signed by the Maple Leafs on Oct. 7 and Dennis Hildeby had 22 saves in his NHL debut as Toronto defeated former head coach Sheldon Keefe to earn its first victory of the season. Lorentz grew up cheering for the Maple Leafs and joined the team after winning the Stanley Cup with the Panthers – he brought the trophy to his hometown of Kitchener this summer, which is roughly 70 miles from Toronto.
JOHNSON SCORES BLUE JACKETS’ FIRST GOAL OF SEASON FEATURED IN LIVE UPDATES
Thursday’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured more notes from the nine-game slate, including Kent Johnson (1-1—2) collecting Columbus’ first regular-season goal since the passing of Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau. Minnesota honored the Gaudreau brothers before facing Columbus on Thursday, while the Devils and New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association announced the creation of the Johnny & Matthew Gaudreau MVP Award.
Quick Clicks
* Donnie Marshall dies at 92, last survivor of Canadiens' 5-time Cup champion dynasty
* Steven Stamkos savors ‘really cool’ experience of Predators debut
* Tkachuk brothers take pregame family photo with Brady’s newborn son
* Joey Daccord signs 5-year, $25 million contract with Kraken
* NHL Announces 2024-25 NHL Saturday and NHL Sunday presented by Fastenal
FRIDAY’S FOUR-GAME SLATE STARTS WITH LIGHTNING-HURRICANES ON ESPN+
Three more teams open their season during Friday’s four-game slate, which starts with the Lightning-Hurricanes on ESPN+ and Hulu in the U.S. and features three contests carried by Sportsnet programming in Canada.
* Nikita Kucherov follows up his franchise-record 144-point campaign when the Lightning visit Sebastian Aho and the Hurricanes in a mutual season-opening game at the newly-named Lenovo Center. Kucherov’s longtime teammate Victor Hedman is also set to contest his first regular-season game as Tampa Bay’s captain.
* Matvei Michkov (No. 7 in 2023) is set to make his highly-anticipated League debut when the Flyers open their campaign against Quinn Hughes and the Canucks. Michkov (19 years, 307 days) and Jett Luchanko (18 years, 51 days) were two of 10 teenagers named to opening-day rosters Tuesday, while Luchanko (No. 13 in 2024) was one of two 2024 NHL Draft class members (also Macklin Celebrini).
* Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks vie for their first victory of the season when they square off with Kyle Connor and the Jets, who earned a 6-0 win in their opener Wednesday. The most unanswered goals by a team from the start of a campaign in NHL history is 10 by the 2014-15 Sharks.
* Jack Eichel can lead his team to a 2-0-0 record when they take on Jordan Kyrou and the Blues on Friday after recording four assists in the Golden Knights’ high-scoring 8-4 victory Wednesday.
