TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Nikita Kucherov became the third-fastest active player to reach the 1,000-point club, reaching the milestone Saturday in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 4-3 win against the Anaheim Ducks.

Kucherov finished with two assists and reached milestone in his 809th career game. Only Connor McDavid (659) and Sidney Crosby (757) have reached the mark faster among active players. He is the 101st player in NHL history and 17th fastest to score at least 1,000 career points.

kAm“xE’D D@>6E9:?8 x ?6G6C E9@F89E x H@F=5 C6249[’’ zF496C@G D2:5] “x’> C62==J 9@?@C65 2?5 7@CEF?2E6 E@ 92G6 8C62E E62>>2E6D 2=@?8 E96 H2J] (:E9@FE E96>[ x H@F=5?’E 36 96C6]”k^Am

kAm%96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^I]4@>^%q{:89E?:?8^DE2EFD^`hgaa`gg`fefgfc`fhcQm>:=6DE@?6 A@:?E 42>6 H:E9 fic` =67E 😕 E96 D64@?5 A6C:@5k^2m H96? zF496C@G 7@F?5 qC2J56? !@:?E 2E E96 =67E 4:C4=6 7@C 2 A2DD 324< E@ y2<6 vF6?EK6=[ H9@ 8F:565 E96 AF4< :?E@ E96 ?6E @77 9:D D<2E6 7@C 9:D D64@?5 @7 E96 ?:89E 2?5 2 a\` =625] zF496C@G’D E62>>2E6D 42>6 A@FC:?8 @77 E96 36?49 E@ 4@?8C2EF=2E6 E96 E9C66\E:>6 pCE #@DD %C@A9J H:??6C 2?5 a_`h w2CE %C@A9J H:??6C 7@C E96 244@>A=:D9>6?E]k^Am

kAm“xE’D E96 H@C< 6E9:4[ E6?24:EJ[ 565:42E:@? E@ E96 82>6[’’ {:89E?:?8 5676?D6>2? ‘:4E@C w65>2? D2:5] “(6’G6 2== D66? :E 7:CDE92?5 9@H >F49 677@CE 2?5 E:>6 96 AFED :?E@ 9:D 4C27E] xE’D ?@E 2 7=F<6] xE’D :>AC6DD:G6]”k^Am

kAmzF496C@G 😀 2=D@ 7@FCE9\72DE6DE A=2J6C 3@C? @FED:56 @7 }@CE9 p>6C:42 E@ C6249 E96 >2C< H:E9 !6E6C $E2DE?J Wega v!X[ y2C: zFCC: Wf`e v!X 2?5 y2C@>:C y28C Wfeb v!X] zF496C@G ;@:?D $E6G6? $E2><@D W`[`bfX 2D E96 @?=J EH@ A=2J6CD E@ C6249 `[___ 😕 {:89E?:?8 7C2?49:D6 9:DE@CJ]k^Am

kAmw6’D E96 E9:C5 A=2J6C 😕 }w{ 9:DE@CJ E@ C64@C5 9:D 7:CDE `[___ A@:?ED H:E9 E96 D2>6 9625 4@249 😕 y@? r@@A6C[ ;@:?:?8 qCJ2? %C@EE:6C 2?5 |:<6 q@DDJ[ H9@ 3@E9 244@>A=:D965 E96 762E H:E9 p= pC3@FC 2?5 E96 }6H *@C< xD=2?56CD]k^Am

kAmzF496C@G E96? 8@E 2? 2DD:DE 7@C A@:?E }@] `[__` @? p?E9@?J r:C6==:VD E:63C62<:?8 A@H6C\A=2J 8@2= H:E9 bi`d C6>2:?:?8 😕 E96 E9:C5 A6C:@5 E@ 8:G6 E96 {:89E?:?8 E96 H:?]k^Am

kAmzF496C@G D4@C65 9:D 7:CDE 42C66C 8@2= 2?5 A@:?E @? 9:D 7:CDE 42C66C D9:7E[ 362E:?8 w6?C:< {F?5BG:DE @7 E96 }6H *@C< #2?86CD 2E E96 ai`a >2C< @7 E96 7:CDE A6C:@5 @? }@G] ad[ a_`b[ H9:49 H2D r@@A6C’D 7:CDE 7F== D62D@? 2D {:89E?:?8 4@249]k^Am

kAm“xE’D 366? 2 AC:G:=686 E@ DE2?5 @? E96 36?49 E@ H2E49 9:> 86E `[___[’’ r@@A6C D2:5] “w6’D 2 DA64:2=[ DA64:2= A=2J6C] w6’D 8@:?8 E@ 8@ 5@H? 2D @?6 @7 E96 8C62E6DE[ :7 ?@E E96 8C62E6DE[ A=2J6C E@ A=2J 😕 E9:D @C82?:K2E:@?[ 2?5 96’D 8@E 2 =@E @7 CF?H2J =67E 😕 9:>]’’k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! }w{i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^}w{Qm9EEADi^^HHH]2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^}w{k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.