December 27th has been a memorable date in hockey history, filled with milestones, records, and remarkable performances. Let's explore some of the highlights that occurred on this day in different years.

Gretzky's Greatness

On December 27, 1981, Wayne Gretzky was named "Man of the Year" by the Sporting News. That same night, he showcased his exceptional talent by scoring four goals and assisting on another, contributing to the Edmonton Oilers' dominant 10-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. These five points marked Gretzky's 100th point of the season in just 38 games, making him the fastest player to reach this milestone. He would later break his own record, needing only 34 games in the 1983-84 season to hit the 100-point mark. By the end of that evening, Gretzky had accumulated 400 career points in a mere 197 games.

Wayne Gretzky, known as "The Great One," had an unparalleled 20-year career in the NHL. While not the biggest, strongest, or fastest player, his hockey intelligence and feel for the game were unmatched. Gretzky excelled at anticipating the puck's movement and dodging checks. He often set up plays from behind the opponent's net, an area famously nicknamed "Gretzky's office". Even after retiring in 1999, Gretzky still holds 60 official NHL records, including the most career regular-season goals (894), assists (1,963), points (2,857), and hat tricks (50). In the playoffs, he holds records for most goals (122), assists (260), points (382), hat tricks (10), and game-winning goals (24). Gretzky won four Stanley Cup rings with the Oilers and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999.

Other Notable Events

December 27 has also been a significant date for the Detroit Red Wings. In 1952, goaltender Glenn Hall made his NHL debut on this day, resulting in a 2-2 tie with the Montreal Canadiens. Hall's performance helped the Red Wings extend their record unbeaten streak to 14 games (7-0-7).

In 1979, hockey player Charlie Simmer extended his goal-scoring streak to 13 consecutive games.

On December 27, 1986, Bruins' defenseman Ray Bourque recorded his 500th career point with an assist in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings. The Edmonton Oilers achieved their 500th NHL victory on December 27, 1990, with a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames, boasting the best all-time winning percentage of any NHL team at the time (.612). Petr Nedved extended his point-scoring streak to 15 straight games on December 27, 1992, during which he tallied 15 goals and 24 points.

Joe Sakic recorded his 1,000th NHL career point on December 27, 1999. Mario Lemieux, returning to the NHL, scored a goal and had two assists on December 27, 2000.

Paul Maurice served in his 1,800th regular-season game as an NHL head coach on December 27, 2023, joining Scotty Bowman and Barry Trotz as the only coaches to reach this milestone. Kris Letang had a standout game with six points (five assists in the second period) in the Penguins' 7-0 shutout against the Islanders. Also, Brady Tkachuk became the 12th player to record 300 points with the Senators and the first player from the 2018 NHL Draft class to reach the mark.

PWHL Action

In the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), December 27, 2025, features a game between Toronto and Montreal. Montreal has a perfect 2-0 record on home ice this season and is tied with Boston for the best home winning percentage last season.

Other News

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins announced the recall of defenseman David Breazeale from the Wheeling Nailers on December 27, 2025.