The NHL announced its Three Stars of the Week for the period ending January 4, 2026, honoring Tampa Bay Lightning's Nikita Kucherov as the top performer, followed by Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews. Kucherov led with 10 points in three games, helping his team extend a winning streak. Crosby and Matthews also delivered standout contributions in their respective matchups.
The National Hockey League recognized three standout players for their exceptional performances during the week ending January 4, 2026. Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov earned the First Star honors, tallying 3 goals and 7 assists for 10 points across three games. His efforts propelled the Lightning to a seven-game winning streak, dating back to December 20, positioning them first in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference with a 25-13-3 record and 53 points.
Kucherov notched 1 goal and 1 assist in a 4-3 overtime victory against the Anaheim Ducks on December 31, followed by 1 goal and 2 assists in a 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings on January 1. He capped the week with a career-highlight 1 goal and 4 assists—his eighth five-point game—in a 7-3 triumph versus the San Jose Sharks on January 3. The 32-year-old leads the Lightning with 20 goals and 39 assists for 59 points in 37 games, ranking fourth in the NHL overall. He is on a seven-game point streak with 7 goals and 10 assists, including six consecutive multi-point games and goals in five straight contests. Kucherov ranks highly in even-strength assists (fourth with 26), even-strength points (fourth with 41), assists (tied for fourth with 39), power-play points (tied for eighth with 18), and power-play assists (tied for ninth with 13).
Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby secured the Second Star, producing 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points in four victories, boosting the Penguins to a perfect week and the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference at 20-12-9 with 49 points. Crosby scored the opener in a 5-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on December 30, added 2 goals and 1 assist—including the primary assist on the overtime winner—in a 4-3 decision against the Detroit Red Wings on January 1, contributed 2 assists in a 4-1 win over Detroit on January 3, and finished with 1 goal and 1 assist in a 5-4 comeback overtime victory versus the Columbus Blue Jackets on January 4. That overtime goal marked his 25th career overtime tally and pushed his total overtime points to 50, a league first. The 38-year-old Crosby has points in seven straight games (5 goals, 7 assists for 12 points) and sits 14th league-wide with 24 goals and 23 assists for 47 points in 41 games—his 21st NHL season. He ties for fifth in goals (24) and power-play goals (9), and ranks sixth in shooting percentage at 24.2% (minimum one shot per game). The Penguins led the NHL with four wins and eight points that week, and since the holiday break, they top the league in wins (5), points (10), goals per game (5.00), and goal differential (+13).
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews took Third Star honors, scoring 5 goals and adding 1 assist for 6 points in two games as the Leafs went 2-0-1 with a 19-15-7 record and 45 points. He missed a 4-0 shutout of the New Jersey Devils on December 30 but returned with a 3-goal, 1-assist hat trick—his 14th career hat trick and most by a U.S.-born player—plus his 66th game-winning goal in a 6-5 win over the Winnipeg Jets on January 1. Against the New York Islanders on January 3, Matthews scored his 420th and 421st career goals (all with Toronto) in a 4-3 overtime loss, surpassing Mats Sundin as the franchise's all-time leading goal-scorer and reaching 20 goals for the 10th straight season. The 28-year-old, a three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner, has 20 goals and 13 assists for 33 points in 35 games this season and leads the NHL with 421 career goals since his 2016-17 debut.
