This past year in the NHL ran the gambit. The highest of highs were followed by the worst tragedies and everything in between. With 2025 arriving, let’s take a look back at the top NHL moments in 2024.
Jessica Campbell became the first full-time female NHL coach when she was named an assistant coach for the Seattle Kraken. She was promoted to her current role following two seasons as an assistant with the Kraken’s AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. It was an important first for the NHL, and Campbell is far from the last woman to make an impact in the NHL coaching circuit.
The Arizona Coyotes played their final NHL game in 2024, paving the way for the Utah Hockey Club to debut. They played their first regular season game in front of an electric sold out crowd, with scoring winger Dylan Guenther registering the first goal in franchise history. The team is in the middle of the playoff picture in their inaugural season, and it all started with a fantastic debut.
The 2024 NHL Draft went big, becoming the first major North American sports league to host an event at the Sphere in Las Vegas. It was a step up for the usual draft protocol, and the presentation was top notch. Highly-touted prospect Macklin Celebrini went first overall to the San Jose Sharks and is now leading the Calder Trophy race for top rookie.
The 2023-2024 season concluded with one of the most epic scoring races in recent NHL memory. Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov won the scoring title with 144 points, edging out Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon by just four points. The two went back and forth for the lead for much of the season, and both finished with fantastic, MVP-worthy season. It was the closest scoring race in over a decade, but it was also the most exciting.
After losing in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals, the Florida Panthers made good in 2024. Their seven game series with the Edmonton Oilers was a classic, and it ended with the Panthers hoisting their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. Even more special was the fact their head coach, Paul Maurice, finally tasted championship glory after nearly 30 years working in the NHL. It was an incredible end to the 2023-2024 season, and the undoubted top moment in the NHL in 2024.
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