The Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid hit a major milestone on Monday night, racking up his 100th assist of the season against the San Jose Sharks. This achievement makes him just the fourth player in NHL history to reach triple digits for assists in a single season.
After sitting out three games due to a lower-body injury, McDavid made a triumphant return to the ice, entering the game against San Jose with 99 assists in 74 games. He made a significant impact, providing the primary assist on Zach Hyman's second-period goal, which marked Hyman's 54th goal of the season.
Joining the ranks of hockey legends Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Bobby Orr, McDavid expressed his gratitude, saying, "It means a lot. Those three are obviously three of the greatest players to ever play. To share a little something with them, it means a lot to me."
Bobby Orr was the first NHL player to achieve this feat in the 1970-71 season, while Mario Lemieux accomplished it in 1988-89. Gretzky, the all-time NHL leader in career assists with 1,963, surpassed 100 assists in a season an impressive 11 times. He was the last player before McDavid to achieve this milestone, doing so in the 1990-91 season.
McDavid's previous career high in assists was 89, set last season. With Tampa Bay Lightning's Nikita Kucherov also on the cusp of breaking the 100-assist mark, the NHL could witness two players achieving this feat in the same season for the first time in 32 years. Kucherov currently has 99 assists in 80 games, with the Lightning set to finish their season against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In their game against the Sharks, the Oilers dominated with a 9-2 victory, keeping their hopes for a Pacific Division title alive. McDavid further contributed to the win by scoring his 32nd goal of the season.
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