BRUINS MATCH FRANCHISE RECORD IN FINAL GAME BEFORE WINTER CLASSIC

Next stop: Fenway Park. The Bruins and Penguins officially have their sights set solely on the 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic after the hosts contested their final game before heading to the “Cathedral of Boston” for the 36th regular-season outdoor game in League history.

* As the home team Monday at Fenway Park, Boston will have a chance to extend its season-opening home point streak. The list below details all season-opening home point streaks of 21-plus games and can include neutral site contests if applicable. However, it should be noted that home/road streaks on Records.NHL.com exclude neutral site games.

* REMINDER: An updated version of the #NHLStats Pack for the 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic is available, as is an Interactive Information Guide.

* As a legacy to the 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic, the Bruins and the Bruins Foundation, the Red Sox and the Red Sox Foundation, and the NHL will contribute to the Martin Richard Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester’s fundraising efforts to build a new, fully-inclusive and accessible Fieldhouse for the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. Click here for more from NHL.com’s ShawnRoarke.

2023 HERITAGE CLASSIC TO MARK 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST OUTDOOR GAME

As we count down the hours to the 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic, more outdoor action is sure to follow in 2023-24 as the NHL announced New Year’s Eve that the Oilers will host the Flames in the 2023 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium on Oct. 29. It will be the third regular-season outdoor game for both Edmonton and Calgary.

* The first-ever outdoor “Battle of Alberta” will be staged at the same stadium that hosted the League’s first-ever regular-season outdoor game. The Oilers-Flames showdown in October will come approximately one month before the 20th anniversary of the League’s inaugural regular-season venture outside – the Oilers hosted the Canadiens in -18ºC (0ºF) temperatures at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton on Nov. 22, 2003 for the first Heritage Classic.

THE NHL WAS FEELING 2022

As another year draws to a close, a look back at some of the most impressive #NHLStats from 2022 (plus, stay tuned on New Year’s Day for an updated version of the Year in Review).

* Connor McDavid had a 2022 to remember, recording 57-86—143 in 87 games en route to becoming just the fifth player in NHL history to post 140-plus points in a calendar year multiple times after tallying 52-105—157 in 2021. McDavid joined Wayne Gretzky (11x), Phil Esposito (3x), Mario Lemieux (3x) and Jaromir Jagr (2x).

* 2022 was a monumental year in terms of production from U.S.-born players as MatthewTkachuk (46-75—121), JohnnyGaudreau (38-81—119) and AustonMatthews (58-57—115) all finished among the top four for regular-season points in a calendar year by skaters born south of the 49th parallel, trailing only PatLaFontaine in 1992 (61-79—140). Gaudreau finished one back of the most assists in a calendar year by a U.S.-born player, a mark set by CraigJanney (82) in 1992.

* Alex Ovechkin (3-0—3) and Filip Forsberg (3-0—3) scored the final hat tricks of the calendar year, boosting 2022’s goals-per-game rate to 6.4 – the highest in a single calendar year in 28 years (6.4 G/GP in 1994). Ovechkin recorded his 30th career hat trick and became just the sixth player in NHL history to do so, joining Wayne Gretzky (50), Mario Lemieux (40), Mike Bossy (39), Brett Hull (33) and Phil Esposito (32).

* Eight players scored 50-plus regular-season goals in 2022 (Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, David Pastrnak, Jason Robertson, Kirill Kaprizov, Tage Thompson, Leon Draisaitl & Alex Ovechkin) – tied for the second most in a calendar year (also 8 in 1989 & 1985). More players have reached the mark in a calendar year just three times: 1993 (9), 1992 (9) and 1983 (9).

* Connor McDavid (86), Johnny Gaudreau (81), Nikita Kucherov (81) and Artemi Panarin (80) each posted 80-plus regular-season assists in 2022, marking just the second calendar year in NHL history to feature four players with at least that many. The other year was 1982, when Wayne Gretzky (127), Denis Savard (91), Peter Stastny (82) and Mike Bossy (81) accomplished the feat.

* Roman Josi (21-74—95 in 85 GP), who collected an assist Saturday, became the sixth different defenseman in NHL history and the first in the past 31 years to post 95 or more regular-season points in a calendar year – the last blueliner to do so was Boston’s Ray Bourque (28-75—103 in 78 GP).

* Jake Oettinger earned his 40th regular-season victory of 2022 – the most among all goaltenders – and became the fifth netminder in NHL history to record as many wins in a calendar year before age 25, joining Terry Sawchuk (44 in 1951 w/ DET), Jonathan Quick (40 in 2009 w/ LAK), Mike Liut (40 in 1980 w/ STL) and Roger Crozier (40 in 1965 w/ DET).

* The NHL continued its trend of competitive balance, with 2022 featuring 799 games – including nine on Saturday – decided by a margin of one goal or two-plus with an empty netter (regular season & playoffs). That number trails only 2021 (807) and 2013 (805) for the most such contests in a single calendar year.

* It truly was the “Year of the Comeback” as a total of 648 games ended as comeback wins (611 regular-season, 37 playoffs) – the most in a calendar year in League history. That total includes 178 multi-goal rallies, 254 third-period comebacks and 63 wins in which a team trailed by multiple goals in the third period (all the highest such totals in League history).

QUICK CLICKS

* #NHLStats: Live Updates – Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022
* Penguins coach recalls family Fenway memories ahead of Winter Classic

* Winter Classic blog: Charlie Coyle

* Young Kraken fan recovering from brain surgery gives out fist bumps

* MLB All-Star Bryce Harper takes in Golden Knights game on New Year's Eve

NEW YEAR’S DAY INCLUDES TRIPLEHEADER ON SPORTSNET, JOINT NIGHTCAP WITH ESPN

The new year will open with a national tripleheader on Sportsnet in Canada, which starts in New Jersey, makes a stopover in Florida and concludes in Seattle where ESPN will also pick up the nightcap for a national telecast in the U.S. to finish the first day of 2023.

* The Blackhawks are set to contest their 50th game on Jan. 1, which will make them the second franchise in League history to play as many games on New Year’s Day. The Bruins, who are set to host the League’s 36th regular-season outdoor game on Jan. 2, top that list – which has the Original Six clubs holding each of the top six spots (BOS: 51 GP; CHI: 50 GP; TOR: 45 GP; MTL: 35 GP; NYR: 33 GP; DET: 30 GP; all inclusive of Jan. 1, 2023).

* Seven of the teams in action on New Year’s Day 2023 also played exactly one year ago, but for the Devils and Sharks it has been a dozen years since they skated on Jan. 1. The Hurricanes’ victory a year ago saw the club rally from a 4-0 deficit to win, marking the second comeback victory in franchise history from a deficit of four-plus goals (also Jan. 19, 1989 as the Whalers).

Thanks to the NHL PR department for the information above.