The wild NHL record Jake Oettinger could break in his very next game

The Dallas Stars have leaned on Jake Oettinger for years, but this season could mark his biggest personal milestone yet. Sitting at 149 career wins, the 26-year-old goaltender is just one victory away from joining an exclusive club in NHL history.

If Oettinger picks up that win quickly, he will become the fastest U.S.-born goalie ever to reach 150 victories. That would put him ahead of legends like Frank Brimsek, Ryan Miller, and Connor Hellebuyck, names that have defined American goaltending for decades.

Jake Oettinger's rise puts him alongside NHL's elite American goaltenders

Oettinger's career record sits at 149-66-27 across just 251 games, which is seven games faster than Brimsek, the long-time record holder, who needed 258 appearances to hit the same mark.

According to NHL Public Relations, only a handful of U.S.-born netminders have ever reached 150 wins in under 300 games, and all of them carved out Hall of Fame-level careers.

That list includes Jonathan Quick, Mike Richter, Tim Thomas, and Ryan Miller. Oettinger's name is about to join theirs, and in Dallas, it is a reminder of how important he is to the franchise's championship hopes.

The Stars already feature cornerstone skaters like Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, and Miro Heiskanen, but Oettinger is the anchor that holds it all together. He has been central to Dallas's three straight trips to the Western Conference Final, giving them a chance in nearly every playoff series they've played.

"The Stars have built one of the most reliable goalie situations in the NHL,"

Sportsnet analysts recently noted, pointing to Oettinger's career save percentage above .915 and his steady growth as he enters his prime years.

Even NHL.com highlighted how his consistency has put Dallas in position to remain a Cup contender for years to come. With a strong start to the 2025-26 season, Oettinger could not only make history but also send a clear message that the Stars are ready for another deep run.

I think what makes this moment so special is that Oettinger is rewriting history books while still in his mid-20s, a sign that Dallas's window is far from closing.