Best moments from 2025 shared by NHL.com writers

There was no shortage of memorable moments in the hockey world in 2025.

Big goals, bigger saves, outdoor games, the stretch drive in the regular season and the frenzy that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs all played a part in littering the landscape with unforgettable happenings.

But which moments were the best from this year?

We asked a panel of NHL.com writers. Here, in chronological order, are their picks.

McDavid magic in 4 Nations

The 4 Nations Face-Off had it all over the course of eight days in Montreal and Boston. There was the epic game between the United States and Canada in the round robin portion that featured an emotionally charged crowd at Bell Centre and three fights in the first nine seconds during a 3-1 win for the U.S. on Feb 15. But the lasting memory for Canada will be Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers scoring at 8:18 of overtime in the championship game against the United States at TD Garden on Feb. 20. McDavid took the face-off in the offensive zone, and as the puck went around the boards, he hovered in the slot. Eventually the puck went to Mitch Marner, who slid it to McDavid, and the center buried a wrist shot over the glove of Connor Hellebuyck into the top of the net. It was a shot heard around two countries and set the tone for Canada heading into the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

Gaudreau family leads Blue Jackets into Stadium Series

Whether you were among the 94,751 inside Ohio Stadium or among the 1.6 million watching on ESPN, you felt the emotion when Meredith Gaudreau, Johnny Gaudreau's widow, led the Columbus Blue Jackets out of the tunnel and to the ice to start the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series on March 1. Johnny would have been there if the Blue Jackets forward and his brother, Matthew, hadn't been killed Aug. 29, 2024. Instead, the Blue Jackets honored him throughout their first outdoor game. Meredith was accompanied by the couple's children, Noa and Johnny Jr., and Gaudreau's mother, Jane. Columbus teammates Sean Monahan and Erik Gudbranson walked with them. The Blue Jackets players also arrived at the stadium all dressed in the signature outfit of their former teammate. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Ovi tops goals Mount Everest

Many believed Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894 goals would stand forever until Alex Ovechkin arrived. The Washington Capitals left wing completed his record chase by scoring his 895th goal April 6 at the New York Islanders. Gretzky was on hand to see Ovechkin score his record-breaking goal with a wrist shot from his power-play office in the left face-off circle that sailed in past the blocker of goalie Ilya Sorokin at 7:26 of the second period. Ovechkin celebrated with a sliding belly flop across the ice into the neutral zone before being mobbed by his teammates. “They say records are made to be broken,” Gretzky said during the on-ice ceremony that followed. “But I’m not sure who’s going to get more goals than that.” -- Tom Gulitti, senior writer

Rantanen’s revenge

Mikko Rantanen got his revenge. The Colorado Avalanche traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 24, but the Hurricanes flipped him to the Dallas Stars on March 7. The forward had to face the Avalanche in the Western Conference First Round. The Stars fell behind 2-0 in the third period of Game 7 on May 3, but Rantanen erupted for three goals and an assist, leading Dallas to a 4-2 win that eliminated his former team. He became the first player to record a hat trick in the third period of a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Incredible! -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

Panthers win 2nd consecutive Cup title

The fans at Amerant Bank Arena started celebrating before time expired June 17. As opposed to 2024, they didn’t have to wait through the nail-biting final seconds to see the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup. This time around, the Panthers didn’t leave much doubt in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 to win the Cup for the second straight season. This wasn’t about in-game dramatics. You felt the Panthers had the game and the Cup after they went up 3-0 early in the second period on forward Sam Reinhart’s second of four goals that night. No, this was about the Panthers, who had suffered through so many rough seasons, showing they were best in the NHL. The Cats have come a long way. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

Drafting a diamond

The New York Islanders were hoping to change the trajectory of their franchise by choosing defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft on June 27 after winning the NHL Draft Lottery the previous month. As it turns out, the pick could be the defining moment in the managerial career of general manager Mathieu Darche, as Schaefer's impact has been generational. After being selected, Schaefer looked and pointed to the sky in memory of his late mother, Jennifer Schaefer, who died of breast cancer in February 2024. Schaefer then became emotional as he pulled on his Islanders jersey, which had a lavender ribbon stitched on it in honor of his mother. Inside the collar were the initials "J.S." It might have been the most emotional moment in draft history. -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

Legend honored by Canadiens

Growing up in Scarborough, Ontario, road hockey games after school and on weekends were staples for more than a decade. In each of those games, my pals would pick who they were … Darryl Sittler, Mike Palmateer, Guy Lafleur, Bobby Clarke, the list goes on. For me, there was only one choice: Ken Dryden. As a goalie, I would always replicate his stance of leaning on his goal stick with both hands when the tennis ball was at the other end. When Dryden died on Sept. 5 at age 78, I wondered how the Montreal Canadiens, who excel in holding ceremonies, would honor him. They didn’t disappoint. Prior to their home opener Oct. 14, Dryden’s mask sat on top of one of the nets, a lone spotlight shining down on it. The perfect tribute, and a moment of the NHL season that struck deep with me unlike any other. Well done. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

Chara gives his thanks

It was at the end of Zdeno Chara’s Hockey Hall of Fame induction speech Nov. 10, after he’d thanked the Boston Bruins, Patrice Bergeron and his family, among many others, that the longtime Bruins captain and 2011 Stanley Cup winner thanked something else: “The game itself.” He said, “I gave everything I had to this game and it gave me more than I could have ever imagined. I am forever grateful for this opportunity. Hockey is, and always will be, the greatest game.” I was lucky enough to cover Chara for nearly a decade, getting an understanding of his intelligence, his leadership and his grace as a person and a hockey player. This moment illustrated perfectly his humility and his veneration for a game that he worked for with every fiber of his being. -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

Home cooking for Forsberg

The Global Series games across Europe mean so much for the players able to play NHL regular-season games in front of friends and family in their home country. It was no different for Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators, who played two games against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Things weren’t going well for the Predators in Stockholm, but they earned a 2-1 win in the first game of 2025 NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal on Nov. 14, after the forward tied it 1-1 with a backhand goal with 70 seconds remaining. Then, Steven Stamkos won it 44 seconds into overtime for another storybook moment, the kind that are so routinely produced during the Global Series. -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

Draisaitl on the mark

Leon Draisaitl made history by becoming the first NHL player born in Germany to reach 1,000 points, hitting the mark with an assist on a goal by Zach Hyman in the Oilers’ 6-4 win at the Penguins on Dec. 16. Draisaitl achieved the milestone in 824 games. He became the 103rd player to have at least 1,000 points and fifth to reach the number with Edmonton, behind Wayne Gretzky (424 games), Connor McDavid (659), Jari Kurri (716) and Mark Messier (822). What made the accomplishment even more memorable for Draisaitl was that Hyman’s goal came against former teammate Stuart Skinner, who was playing his first game with Pittsburgh after the goalie was traded by Edmonton four days earlier. The entire Oilers bench emptied to celebrate the milestone beside the Penguins net, while Skinner stood alone in his crease. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer