NHL 2026-27: The First Week in Numbers
Thirty-nine games, 240 goals and an average of 6.15 a night. The first week of the 2026-27 season produced six clubs scoring six or more in their opener, the first goalie goal in Rangers history, and a hat trick from a defenceman that had not happened in an opener since 1980.
The first week: quick answers
- How many games were played? Thirty-nine, over six nights from 29 September to 4 October.
- How many goals? Two hundred and forty — an average of 6.15 a game.
- Which clubs scored six or more in their opener? Pittsburgh, Colorado, Edmonton, Seattle, Columbus and Vancouver.
- Who scored the goalie goal? Igor Shesterkin of the Rangers — the first in franchise history.
- What was the highest-scoring game? Edmonton 9-7 Vancouver — sixteen goals.
- How many games went to overtime? Nine.
Key takeaways
- Thirty-nine games have been played, producing 240 goals — an average of 6.15 a night.
- Six clubs scored six or more in their season opener: Pittsburgh, Colorado, Edmonton, Seattle, Columbus and Vancouver. It is only the fourth season in NHL history to start that way.
- Igor Shesterkin scored the first goalie goal in New York Rangers history.
- Evan Bouchard's hat trick on opening night was the first by a defenceman in a season opener since 1980.
- Nine games have needed overtime and seven have featured a shutout. Home teams are 22-17.
The first week in numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Games played | 39 |
| Goals scored | 240 |
| Goals per game | 6.15 |
| Games decided in overtime | 9 |
| Games with a shutout | 7 |
| Home wins / road wins | 22 / 17 |
| Clubs scoring 6+ in their opener | 6 |
| Highest-scoring game | 16 goals (Oilers 9, Canucks 7) |
Swipe the table sideways →
The highest-scoring nights
| Result | Goals | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Oilers 9, Canucks 7 | 16 goals | Edmonton lost it, and Bouchard scored a hat trick. |
| Avalanche 8, Kings 4 | 12 goals | Colorado's opener, and the widest scoreline of the first week. |
| Canadiens 5, Penguins 6 (OT) | 11 goals | Decided in overtime. |
| Blackhawks 3, Sabres 4 | 7 goals | Buffalo's opener. |
| Golden Knights 5, Blackhawks 2 | 7 goals | Vegas opened at home. |
| Kraken 6, Flames 1 | 7 goals | Seattle's opener. |
Swipe the table sideways →
The first week told us six things
Six clubs opened with six or more — only the fourth time in league history
Pittsburgh (7-0 at Philadelphia), Colorado (8-4 over Los Angeles), Edmonton (9, in a 9-7 loss at Vancouver), Seattle (6-1 over Calgary), Columbus (6-3 over Buffalo) and Vancouver (6-5 over Edmonton) all scored at least six in their first game. That has happened only three times before: seven clubs in 1980-81, and six in both 1985-86 and 1976-77. It is a small sample, and it is also the sort of opening week that sets the tone for how the season gets talked about.
A goalie scored, and it was a first for the Rangers
Igor Shesterkin put the puck in the net, the first goalie goal in the history of the New York Rangers. The previous goalie to score was his friend Ilya Sorokin, for the Islanders on 1 March 2025, who had joked that he would get there before Shesterkin did. It is the kind of moment that gets watched a hundred times more than the game it happened in.
A defenceman's hat trick, and a record that had stood since 1980
Evan Bouchard scored three and added two assists in Edmonton's 6-5 overtime defeat in Vancouver. He is the first defenceman to score a hat trick in his team's season opener since Mark Howe did it for the Hartford Whalers in 1980. Five points in a game your team loses is a strange kind of night, and it says something about where Edmonton's problems are.
Three nights, three debutants scoring twice
Paul Cotter scored twice in his Vancouver debut on 29 September. Nick Robertson did the same for Pittsburgh on 30 September. Then Matthew Knies did it for Columbus on 1 October, becoming the first player in Blue Jackets history to score multiple goals in a franchise debut. Columbus have had six-goal openers before — this was their second-highest, behind eight in 2021-22.
The champions raised the banner and lost the game
Carolina took the Stanley Cup out at centre ice, did the Storm Surge and sent the banner to the rafters, then lost 1-0 in overtime to the club that won the two Cups before theirs. Gustav Forsling scored with 4.3 seconds left. The Hurricanes still took a point, which is the consolation the standings offer and the crowd does not.
Boston have now won eleven straight home openers
Jeremy Swayman stopped 24 shots and the Bruins scored three goals in 75 seconds late in the third period to beat the Rangers 3-0, extending a run of winning home openers that now stands at eleven and ties an NHL record previously held by Montreal. It is the most reliable statistic in the opening week.
What the numbers are built from
All thirty-nine games from 29 September to 4 October. The totals above are calculated from the scorelines, not quoted: 240 goals across 39 games is 6.15 a night, and the split of 22 home wins to 17 road wins is the closest a six-night sample gets to meaningful.
Sources: scores and records per NHL.com and the Associated Press; the six-clubs-with-six-goals note and the goaltender goal per league media. All totals and averages are calculated from the scorelines.
Shirt demand index: opening week
Built from our own order flow and range depth after the first six nights.
Rangers and Blue Jackets. A goaltender scoring and a debutant scoring twice are the two most-watched clips of the week, and neither market had a good season last year — which is exactly when a moment like this sells.
Bruins, Avalanche and Golden Knights. Boston have won eleven straight home openers, Colorado scored eight and Vegas opened with a comfortable home win. Three ranges that move in October whatever the standings say.
Hurricanes and Oilers. The champions lost their banner-night game with four seconds left; Edmonton lost a game in which their defenceman scored a hat trick. Both are the sort of start that keeps a price honest rather than inflating it.
Opening-week shirts
The clubs at the centre of the first week, in fan and player editions. Printed names add a few days.
Seth Jarvis Carolina Hurricanes Alternate Bre…
Florida Panthers Home Pro Custom Shirt Red
Toronto Maple Leafs Home Pro Custom Shirt Blue
Juraj Slafkovsky Montreal Canadiens Premium S…
Edmonton Oilers Away Premium Shirt in White
Vegas Golden Knights Home Breakaway Custom Sh…
Boston Bruins Away Breakaway Custom Shirt - W…
Igor Shesterkin New York Rangers Centennial P…
Our verdict
Six nights is not a season, but it is long enough to say one thing with confidence: the goals are coming. 240 in 39 games is more than six a night, and it is not just one or two clubs running up the score — six different teams put six or more past an opponent in their opener, which has happened only three times before in league history. Whether that is a blip or a shift depends on the next month, but it has already produced the first goalie goal in Rangers history and the first opening-night hat trick by a defenceman since 1980.
How many games were played in the first week?
How many goals were scored?
Which teams scored six or more in their opener?
Who scored the goalie goal?
Who scored a hat trick on opening night?
What was the highest-scoring game?
How many games went to overtime?
How does an NHL game end in overtime?
How many games is the NHL season?
Which club has the longest active home-opener streak?
Where can I buy NHL jerseys?
Start the season
Every club in stock, with custom printing. Free worldwide shipping over $49.9.
Shop NHL jerseys