Oilers' Janmark nearly set an NHL speed record last night
Edmonton Oilers depth forward Mattias Janmark nearly set an NHL record last night in one of the most unexpected areas.
The 31-year-old Janmark did not score a goal, nab an assist, and only played a total of 14:29 throughout Edmonton’s 4-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche. On the surface, it looks like a pretty mediocre game where the utility forward didn’t do much. Yet, the NHL had something else to say.
According to NHL Edge, the league’s player-tracking database, Janmark reached a top speed of 24.36 mp/h (39.23 km/h) during a second-period end-to-end rush with the puck. The play would end up being broken up by Avalanche defender Calvin De Haan, but Janmark’s top speed is the fastest one recorded by the NHL this season and the second-fastest ever since player tracking started in 2021.
This would be nearly 10km over the speed limit in most Canadian school zones.
Move over Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.
#LetsGoOilers forward Mattias Janmark reached the top skating speed (24.36 mph) of this season Saturday & the 2nd-fastest mark in the player tracking era ⤵️ https://t.co/qzhNeWfHo6
— NHL Fantasy / EDGE 🏒 (@NHLFantasy) December 1, 2024
The only player to record a faster top speed in a game is former Dallas Stars forward Denis Gurianov, who just topped Janmark with a speed of 24.6 mp/h (39.5 km/h) during a game against the Boston Bruins in October of 2021.
According to NHL Edge, Janmark last recorded a speed that eclipsed 23 mp/h (37 km/h) on New Year’s Eve in 2021 while he was a member of the Vegas Golden Knights.
It’s a remarkable stat for a player more well-known for his PK abilities than anything else. Though McDavid has not recorded a speed that fast, the Oilers captain has Janmark beat when it comes to how often he turns on the jets.
McDavid is second in the NHL this season with 27-speed bursts of at least 22 mp/h (35 km/h). First place belongs to Mackinnon with 30, adding to the irony that neither was able to beat Janmark when the two faced off against each other on Saturday night.
This will surely add some drama to the team’s fastest skater challenge during this year’s Oilers skills competition.