Connor McDavid Breaks Wayne Gretzky’s NHL Record for Assists in Single Playoff Run

Jack MurrayJune 16, 2024

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Connor McDavid passed some really elite company on Saturday night.

The Edmonton Oilers captain broke the record set by Wayne Gretzky for most assists in a single postseason during the Oilers Game 4 matchup against the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final.

B/R Open Ice @BR_OpenIceCONNOR MCDAVID HAS BROKEN THE RECORD FOR MOST ASSISTS IN A SINGLE POSTSEASON 🍎🚨 pic.twitter.com/MA6q8giUXf

The record was broken on his third assist of the night, which came on a Dylan Holloway goal in the third period of the Oilers 8-1 victory over the Panthers. This broke Gretzky’s mark from 1987, when he had 31 for the Oilers.

B/R Open Ice @BR_OpenIceHOLLOWAY GETS HIS SECOND OF THE NIGHT 👀 pic.twitter.com/jjK5aw2xD9

The third assist was McDavid’s 32nd of the postseason, and his four points on the night gave him 38 points during the playoffs. That leads the entire league and he is just nine points behind Gretzky’s all-time record of 48 from the 1984-85 season.

For Edmonton to win the Stanley Cup, McDavid may need to break that record. While Game 4’s victory was significant, it was the team’s first victory in the series. Edmonton now trails Florida 3-1 in the series, and need to perform to a similar caliber for the remainder of the series.

Only one team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup final round. That came in 1942 postseason, when the Toronto Maple Leafs completed a reverse sweep on the Detroit Red Wings.

The last time a team overcame a 3-0 deficit in general was in the 2014 first round when the Los Angeles Kings knocked down the San Jose Sharks