Anyone care for an apple? How about 100 of them?
Goals get a majority of the attention in the NHL. Everyone loves to watch the red light go off after sniping top shelf on a goaltender, or after dangling a defender out of their skates. However, coaches and players know that most goals don't happen without the playmaking of teammates, which brings up the importance of assists.
A skater has not hit triple digits in the assists category for a single season in over 30 years, but that is no longer the case. Oilers superstar Connor McDavid secured assist No. 100 on the 2023-24 campaign to become the first player since 1990-91 to reach that threshold in the NHL.
CONNOR MCDAVID IS THE FOURTH PLAYER IN NHL HISTORY TO RECORD 100 ASSISTS IN A SEASON 🍎 pic.twitter.com/jDOqfUwofF
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 16, 2024
McDavid put himself further in the NHL history books with another stellar season, joining elite company in the 100-assists category.
The crazy part? He may not be the only one to get 100 helpers this season. Lightning star Nikita Kucherov is at 99 assists with one game remaining in the regular season.
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McDavid may have hit 100 apples, but who has the most assists in a season? The Sporting News takes a look at that record.
Who had 100 assists in NHL?
McDavid becomes the fourth player in NHL history to reach 100 assists in a season, joining the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr.
The Oilers captain's 100 helpers in the 2023-24 season marks the 14th time a player has hit triple digits in the assists department. While Lemieux and Orr each accomplished the feat once in their career, Gretzky pulled it off a jaw-dropping 11 times during his 20 years in the show. They don't call him the Great One for nothing.
Most assists in a season
Gretzky owns the record for the most assists in a single season. In 1985-86, he dished out 163 helpers, a record that very likely will never be broken.
The Great One also has the mark for the second-most assists ... and third ... and fourth ... and fifth. In fact, on the top-10 list for the most assists in a season, the legend owns nine of the 10 spots, with just Lemieux sitting in a tie for eighth.
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Here is a look at all of the 100-assist seasons in the NHL.
| Rank | Player | Team | Season | Assists |
| No. 1 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1985-86 | 163 |
| No. 2 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1984-85 | 135 |
| No. 3 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1982-83 | 125 |
| No. 4 | Wayne Gretzky | Los Angeles Kings | 1990-91 | 122 |
| No. 5 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1986-87 | 121 |
| No. 6 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1981-82 | 120 |
| No. 7 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1983-84 | 118 |
| No. 8 | Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1988-89 | 114 |
| Wayne Gretzky | Los Angeles Kings | 1988-89 | 114 | |
| No. 10 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1987-88 | 109 |
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1980-81 | 109 | |
| No. 12 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1989-90 | 102 |
| Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins | 1970-71 | 102 | |
| No. 14 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | 2023-24 | 100 |