The 2023-24 National Hockey League (NHL) season ended in nail-biting fashion. The Florida Panthers would eventually hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history, but not before the Edmonton Oilers nearly completed a 3-0 comeback. The anticipation for this upcoming season has built since the past season ended. Modern day legends are looking to engrave their names in the history books, young stars are looking to solidify themselves as some of the top names in the league and Canadian teams will look to be the team to bring the Cup back up North.
One of the biggest stories heading into this hockey season is centered around the Washington Capitals’ 39-year-old winger Alex Ovechkin. The future hall of famer has his eyes on Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal scoring record. With 853 goals, Ovechkin is just 41 away from tying The Great One’s record of 894 regular season goals. It’s entirely possible, as 12-time all-star found the net 31 times last season and 42 the season before. While Father Time may be catching up to him, Ovechkin within striking distance and if he can tap into his 2022-23 form, the NHL could find themselves with a new all-time goal scoring leader.
Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard is one of the most talked about prospects in a long time. After taking the ice for a rookie year that saw him win the Calder Trophy for the league’s most proficient rookie, the 19-year-old is ready to take the next step. There’s a lot of hype to live up to, but after accounting for 61 points in his rookie year, the sky is clearly the limit.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes comes from a long line of Hughes brothers to play on the ice. The 21-year-old is entering his third season and his role is just starting to grow. Still rookie eligible last season, Hughes earned All-Rookie First Team honors and is seen as one of the league’s emerging stars. Pretty soon, we could see an All-Star Game including Hughes and his two brothers, Jack and Quinn.
Right winger Dylan Guenther could be a star in the making for the Utah Hockey Club, formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes. Drafted ninth overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, the 21-year-old had a promising 2023 season after getting called up from the American Hockey League. In 45 games, Guenther found the net for 18 goals, four of which were game winners. He also assisted on a nearly identical mark of 17 goals. Executives were so impressed that Utah extended him on an eight year deal for just over $57 million. Now, the pressure is riding on Guenther to continue his early success and take that next jump.
Every time during the Stanley Cup playoffs, one of the main talking points is Canada’s championship drought. The country hasn’t had a Cup winner since the 1992-93 season, when the Montreal Canadiens hoisted the hardware. The Oilers came close to accomplishing the feat last year but ran out of gas in game seven, losing to the Panthers 2-1. With seven teams representing Canada in the NHL, it seems wild that none of those have reached the mountaintop of the league in the last 30 seasons. If anyone is up to the task to end it, it should be the Oilers. With superstar center and captain Connor McDavid leading the charge, everything is right there for the Oilers to earn the sixth Stanley Cup Championship. For Canada, it would be sweet relief to finally have the Cup back in their country, and for McDavid, it would be another box checked off to solidify him as one of the greatest of all time at just 27-years-old.
This season has the chance to build many legendary storylines. From the league’s oldest stars looking to put the finishing touches on their Hall of Fame careers, to veterans in the prime of their careers looking to continue to build their resumes, to budding stars looking to make their childhood dreams a reality, the 2024-25 season could be one of the most entertaining seasons of all time.
