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Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin – who each began February by participating in the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend – have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the month of February.
Matthews paced the NHL with 13 goals in 12 contests (13-7—20) to lift the Maple Leafs (34-17-8, 76 points) into third place in the Atlantic Division on the strength of a 9-3-0 February, the third-best record in the League.
Matthews, who started the month by earning All-Star Game MVP honors in front of his home fans at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, reached the 50-goal milestone in his 54th game of 2023-24 (Feb. 21 at ARI) to become the fastest NHL player to achieve the feat since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96 (50 GP w/ PIT).
Matthews, who also placed among the February leaders in power-play goals (t-1st; 5), even-strength goals (2nd; 8), points (3rd; 20), power-play points (t-4th; 8), shots on goal (t-5th; 50), game-winning goals (t-7th; 2) and plus/minus (t-12th; +8), scored in eight of his 12 appearances during the month.
That included a five-game goal streak from Feb. 15-22 (10-3—13) that saw him become the second Maple Leafs player in the League’s modern era (since 1943-44) to produce at least 10 goals over a span of five contests, after Rick Vaive from Dec. 29, 1982 – Jan. 6, 1983 (11-1—12 in 5 GP).
That stretch also featured back-to-back hat tricks, Feb. 15 vs. PHI (3-0—3) and Feb. 17 vs. ANA (3-2—5), the second time Matthews has produced hat tricks in consecutive contests this season (also Oct. 11-14).
He became the fifth player in NHL history to register hat tricks in consecutive games multiple times within a single season, joining Wayne Gretzky (1983-84 w/ EDM), Mike Bossy (1980-81 w/ NYI), Joe Malone (1917-18 w/ MTL) and Reg Noble (1917-18 w/ TAN).
Matthews also set a franchise record and became the 10th different player in League history – and first Lemieux in 1995-96 – with at least six hat tricks in a single campaign. The 26-year-old Matthews, who already owns two Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies (2021-22 and 2020-21), tops the League with 53 goals – 12 more than the next-closest player – through 58 total appearances this season (53-25—78).
He also ranks among the 2023-24 leaders in even-strength goals (1st; 38), power-play goals (t-2nd; 15), shots on goal (4th; 248), game-winning goals (t-5th; 7), points (8th; 78) and plus/minus (t-9th; +22).