Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard has set a new NHL record for most assists by a defenseman in a single playoff run with his 26th of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Bouchard, 24, achieved this milestone during the Oilers’ 5-3 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday evening. He recorded his 26th assist midway through the second period.
With the Oilers on the power play, Bouchard passed the puck back to captain Connor McDavid, who maneuvered through the Panthers’ defense and set up Corey Perry for a goal. Although Bouchard last touched the puck in the defensive zone, he was credited with his third assist of the game. Bouchard, from Oakville, Ontario, assisted on all three Oilers goals in the second period, with Perry’s goal being the game-winner.
With his 26th assist of the playoffs, Bouchard surpassed Paul Coffey’s record for most assists by a defenseman in a single postseason. Through 23 games, Bouchard has amassed six goals and 32 points. The Oilers currently trail the Panthers three games to two in the Stanley Cup Final.
Paul Coffey, now an assistant coach for the Oilers, previously held the record with 25 assists in 18 games during the Oilers’ second consecutive Stanley Cup championship run.
Bouchard was drafted 10th overall by the Oilers in the 2018 NHL Draft. He debuted in the 2018-19 season and became a regular in the 2021-22 season. Over 265 career games with the Oilers, Bouchard has 41 goals and 171 points, and in 51 playoff games, he has 13 goals and 58 points.
In Game 5 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, the Panthers outshot the Oilers 32 to 24. McDavid scored twice and added two assists for the Oilers, while Matthew Tkachuk, Evan Rodrigues, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for the Panthers.
The Oilers are now one win away from tying the series, with the Panthers on the verge of winning their first Stanley Cup. The pivotal Game 6 will take place at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. MT.
