McDavid earns first star in NHL’s monthly awards

Edmonton Oilers centre Connor McDavid was named the NHL’s first star for the month of October on Sunday.

Minnesota Wild left-winger Kirill Kaprizov and Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov were second and third in the monthly honours.

McDavid led the NHL with 27 assists, the most by any player in a single October in league history.

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He also had 35 points — the third-most by any player in a single October in NHL history — to lift the Oilers to a 10-2-1 month and the top of the Western Conference standings.

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Kaprizov scored a league-high 14 goals, two more than the next-closest player, to lead the Wild to a 9-3-3 record in October and into first place in the Central Division.

Kochetkov was a perfect 9-0 in October, with a 1.66 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage to help the defending Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes finish the month with the best record in the NHL.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2026.