Evan Bouchard has had a fast start to the 2026-27 campaign, which has helped the Edmonton Oilers get off to a 2-0-1 start while also making them look like one of the league's more dangerous scoring outfits. His efforts have now also earned him one of the NHL's first awards of the season.
On Monday, the defenceman was named by the NHL as the second star of the week for the opening week of the 2026-27 NHL season. The nomination comes off the heels of an opening three-game stretch that saw Bouchard record four goals and four assists for a total of eight points. That total included an opening day hat trick against the Vancouver Canucks; he also added three assists during that contest.
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin was named the first start of the week; he won two of his first three starts of the season while becoming the first netminder since Ilya Sorokin to score a goal. Meanwhile, Vancouver Canucks forward Paul Cotter was given the third star of the week for a performance that saw him record as many goals as Bouchard (both players had four goals last week) while adding another two assists.
How many Oilers earned this award last season?
The NHL's 3 Stars of the Week award aims to highlight the league's top players over the course of a given week, regardless of position played. Oftentimes, goaltenders will find themselves as part of a given 3 Stars of the Week list.
Last season, Connor McDavid won the first star of the week for two consecutive weeks in December. When he earned it for the first time that season, it came off the heels of a 10-point week that saw him record four goals and six assists. The other two stars that week were Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson and Minnesota Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek.
His second first star award of the season came as a result of a second consecutive 10-point week, one that saw him score five times while recording five assists. Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark and Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski won the second and third stars of the week, respectively.
That said, McDavid was the only Oiler to win first star of the week or to even be named to any of the NHL's 3 Stars of the Week list last season.
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