Welcome to the Golden Age of the NHL, where the legends of the past, like Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, are co-mingling with the stars of today and tomorrow, such as Matthew Schaefer and Macklin Celebrini, in a way in which we’ve never seen before.
Something special is happening in the NHL this season. Something that defies logic, as well as age, and really hasn’t happened ever before.
You can see it in the stats. But the eye test is just as accurate.
There’s a lot more grey and crow’s feet at the top of the NHL’s scoring races. There's also a lot more baby faces, belonging to youngsters who are still too young to order a beer in the U.S. — or Canada, for that matter.
Welcome to the Golden Age of the NHL, where the legends of the past are co-mingling with the future stars of tomorrow in a way in which we’ve never seen before.
Ten years separate the two players tied for the Art Ross Trophy lead in points. And another 17 years separate the three players tied for the goal-scoring lead.
Two nights after 18-year-old rookie Matthew Schaefer become the youngest defenseman in NHL history to record a multi-goal game, 40-year-old Alex Ovechkin scored his 900th career goal on a no-look backhand that was a throwback to his 2005-06 debut season.
Sidney Crosby, who is 38 years old, is now tied for the goal-scoring lead (11) with 21-year-old Cutter Gauthier, who was one years old when Crosby was drafted. Macklin Celebrini, who is 19 years old, is tied for the points lead (21) with Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid, who are both 28.
Fans, Media React To Binnington Hiding Ovechkin's 900th Goal Puck: 'His Ebay Account Would've Been Popping Off'
Regardless of Jordan Binnington's intention when he appeared to put Alex Ovechkin's 900th goal puck in his pants Wednesday night, his actions drew a ton of reaction online.
It doesn't usually work out this way. The NHL, which is now all about speed and agility, is supposed to be a young man's game. But it's not supposed to be this young. And while there's always been a place for the mature hockey player, that place is rarely atop the leader board.
And yet, we're seeing representation from nearly four different decades in the top-10 in scoring. You've got players in their teens (Celebrini), their 20s (McDavid, Eichel, William Nylander, Mikko Rantanen, Nick Suzuki, Kirill Kaprizov and Leo Carlsson), their 30s (Crosby, Mark Scheifele and Nathan MacKinnon) and even in their 40s, if you include 39-year-old Evgeni Malkin, who celebrates a milestone birthday in 2026.
On defense, the top 10 scorers' ages range from 18 to 35 years old.
That's a big age gap. Not since a teenaged Wayne Gretzky was skating around against a helmet-less Gordie Howe, who was still in his 50s, have we seen anything like this.
Never has the NHL had this much talent. Never have we seen so many players at different stages of their career all vying for the spotlight in a league that is faster, more skilled and arguably more entertaining than ever before.
And it's not just the players.
Is Alex Ovechkin Still A Top-Line NHL Winger? It's No Longer Looking Like It
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin played on the third line over the weekend as his scoring slump continues. Will he bounce back this time, or is the reduced scoring a new reality?
Old guard teams, like the Penguins, who began winning championships in 2009 with a core that still includes Crosby, Malkin and Kris Letang, are tied for the most points in the Eastern Conference with the Montreal Canadiens, who had the youngest opening-night roster in the NHL.
Anaheim, which has six players under the age of 23, has the best record in the Pacific Division. Winnipeg, which has the oldest roster in the NHL, is one of the best teams in the West.
Enjoy it while it lasts, because next year could see the Penguins back at the bottom of the standings and Ovechkin announcing his retirement — or worse, becoming irrelevant.
For now, we're witnessing history being played before our eyes.
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