The National Hockey League announced their Three Stars of the Week for the week of October 12th through 18th.
First Star – Brady Tkachuk (LW – FLA)
- Tkachuk, buoyed by back-to-back natural hat tricks, led the NHL with 6-4—10 in four contests to propel the Panthers (5-2-2, 12 points) to a trio of wins. He collected an assist, his first point with Florida, in a 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres Oct. 12. Tkachuk then became the third player in League history (and first in 40 years) to record a natural hat trick in consecutive games, notching 3-1—4 in a 7-3 triumph over the Columbus Blue Jackets Oct. 13 before scoring three times (including the tying goal with 12.8 seconds remaining in regulation and his 13th career overtime winner) in a 3-2 comeback victory against the Vancouver Canucks Oct. 15. Tkachuk additionally became the third player in Panthers history to post a hat trick (of any kind) in back-to-back appearances, joining Noel Acciari (Dec. 16-20, 2019) and Pavel Bure (Feb. 10-14, 2001), as well as the first player on any NHL team to achieve the feat since Auston Matthews from Feb. 15-17, 2024 (w/ TOR). Tkachuk finished the week with a pair of helpers, in an 8-3 win versus the Seattle Kraken Oct. 17, as Florida became the first team in League history to register a natural hat trick in three straight contests. The 27-year-old Tkachuk, one of 31 NHL players (and three Panthers) with at least 10 points already this season (6-4—10 in 9 GP), has compiled 219-254—473 through 581 career NHL games.
Second Star – Connor McDavid (C – EDM)
- McDavid placed second in the NHL with 3-7—10 in three appearances as the Oilers (6-1-1, 13 points) earned a pair of victories. He recorded 1-3—4, his 50th career four-point performance, while playing in his 800th career game – a 4-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings Oct. 13. McDavid then assisted on one of Edmonton’s two goals in a 4-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth Oct. 15. He capped the week with 2-3—5, his 16th career five-point effort, in a 6-2 triumph over the Mammoth Oct. 17. The 29-year-old McDavid, who has found the scoresheet in each of his first eight outings of the season, tops the League with 6-17—23 in 2026-27. His 23 points are the most by any NHL player through their first eight games of a campaign since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96 (10-17—27 w/ PIT).
Third Star – Kirill Kaprizov (LW – MIN)
- Kaprizov registered 4-3—7 in four games to lift the Wild (6-2-1, 13 points) to a 3-1-0 week and into first place in the Central Division. He picked up one assist in a 4-2 win versus the Vegas Golden Knights Oct. 12, followed by a pair of goals in a 5-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets Oct. 13. Kaprizov then collected 1-2—3 in a 5-4 triumph over the St. Louis Blues Oct. 15 before closing the week with his 36th career game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets Oct. 18. The 29-year-old Kaprizov, the first player in franchise history to be the first in the League with a double-digit goal total in a given season, leads the NHL with 10 goals and sits fifth with 15 points through nine contests in 2026-27 (10-5—15).
*All Graphics courtesy of the NHL, Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers, and Minnesota Wild .
*Player Profiles written by NHL PR Staff.
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