Clayton Keller tied the all-time Arizona Coyotes record for points in a single season with the primary assist on Travis Boyd’s goal against the Vancouver Canucks at Mullett Arena on Thursday night.
Keller, 24, tied Keith Tkachuk’s club record with his 86th point of the 2022–23 regular season, finding Boyd in the slot from behind the net in the dying seconds of the first period.
Nick Schmaltz picked up the secondary helper on Boyd’s 15th goal of the season, which cut the Canucks’ lead to 4–2 at the 19:53 mark of the opening frame.
Tkachuk holds the all-time Coyotes records for goals (52) and points (86) in a single season. He hit both marks in the 1996–97 campaign, the franchise’s first since relocating from Winnipeg. (Tkachuk also recorded 228 penalty minutes that year, setting a club record that would last until Daniel Carcillo amassed 324 in 2007–08).
Keller appeared in all 82 of the Coyotes’ games during the 2022–23 regular season after breaking his leg in March 2022. The Chesterfield, Mo. product underwent surgery and spent the 2022 offseason rehabilitating and training to be in shape in time for the season opener in October. Keller ultimately collected 37 goals, 49 assists, and 86 points — all career bests — with the 2022–23 Coyotes.
In recognition of his impressive recovery efforts, the Arizona chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association named Keller its 2023 nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which honors the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
The Coyotes originally selected Keller with the No. 7 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. The 5-foot-10 winger has 133 goals and 342 points in 442 career games over parts of seven regular seasons with the Coyotes; he’s added four goals and seven points in nine playoff games. Keller is under contract with the Coyotes through 2028 at a $7.15M cap hit.
The Canucks defeated the Coyotes in overtime by a 5–4 score on Thursday. Up next for both teams: the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery, which is scheduled to take place on May 8.
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