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Nikita Kucherov makes Lightning history, securing all-time points record

The Lightning winger is now at the top of the team's all-time leaderboard for career points
ByHarrison Smajovits
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Kucherov has earned his spot at the top of the Lightning all-time leaderboard
Kucherov has earned his spot at the top of the Lightning all-time leaderboard | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At last, he’s done it. 

Nikita Kucherov now stands alone as the Tampa Bay Lightning’s all-time points leader. The milestone came when he assisted on Brayden Points’ goal that put the team up 3-1 over the Utah Mammoth in the first period. 

He now has 1,138 points and counting in his career. The record belongs to Steven Stamkos, Kucherov’s former longtime teammate and a fellow all-time member of the franchise. 

So far, with 14 points through 10 games, he's on pace for 117 points this season. He's finished the season with an estimated 1,241 points. So, even if a contract doesn't materialize, he's in a good position to hang onto the record for quite a while.

A look back at the road to the record-breaking moment

Kucherov picked up his first career point in his first career game when he scored a goal against the New York Rangers on Nov. 25, 2013. The Lightning won 5-0. He had just 18 points in 52 games, but then he started to establish himself further the next season.

During the 2014-15 season, he became part of the fondly remembered Triplet line with Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson. That team helped the Lightning reach their first Stanley Cup Final since 2004. All three of them, though no longer together, would be part of the team's back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.

By the 2017-18 season, he was an absolute force, reaching 100 points in a season for the first time. The following season, his 128 points won him the Art Ross and Hart Memorial Trophies.

Since then, he's had four more seasons with at least 100 points, all of which were actually at least 130 points. One season would have earned him 100 points just on assists alone. In 2023-24, he became the fifth player in NHL history to record at least 100 assists in a season.

Now, he's a two-time Hart Trophy winner and a three-time Art Ross Trophy winner. It's been an accomplished career as is. Now, he stands out in his own team's history as the highest-scoring player.

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