1981–82 NHL season

The 1981–82 NHL season was the 65th season of the National Hockey League. The William M. Jennings Trophy made its debut this year as the trophy for the goaltenders from the team with the fewest goals against, thus replacing the Vezina Trophy in that qualifying criteria. The Vezina Trophy would thereafter be awarded to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position. The New York Islanders won their third straight Stanley Cup by sweeping the Vancouver Canucks in four games.

1981–82 NHL season
LeagueNational Hockey League
SportIce hockey
DurationOctober 6, 1981 – May 16, 1982
Number of games80
Number of teams21
Draft
Top draft pickDale Hawerchuk
Picked byWinnipeg Jets
Regular season
Season championsNew York Islanders
Season MVPWayne Gretzky (Oilers)
Top scorerWayne Gretzky (Oilers)
Playoffs
Playoffs MVPMike Bossy (Islanders)
Stanley Cup
ChampionsNew York Islanders
  Runners-upVancouver Canucks

League business

Prior to the start of the season, the divisions of the league were re-aligned to reduce travel costs to better reflect their geographic locations, but the traditional names of the divisions and conferences were retained. The Patrick Division, which had heretofore been in the Clarence Campbell Conference, switched to the Prince of Wales Conference, while the Norris Division went the other way, going from the Wales Conference to the Campbell Conference. This divisional alignment existed until the 1993–94 season, at which point both the divisions and the conferences of the league were renamed to reflect geography.

The schedule and playoff format were also altered. Previously, each team played every other team four times, and the 16-team playoff format had the four divisional champions joined by 12 wild-cards; for all intents and purposes, the divisions were meaningless. Also, under the old format, teams were paired in the first round based on record (i.e., 1st vs. 16th, 2nd vs. 15th, etc.), and then re-paired in each succeeding round based on record (i.e., highest seeded first round winner vs. lowest seeded first round winner, second highest first round winner vs. second lowest first round winner, etc.)

The new format called for each team in the three five-team divisions to play their four divisional opponents eight times each (32 games) and the remaining 16 league teams three times each (48 games). In addition, each team in the six-team division was to play their five divisional opponents seven times each (35 games) and the remaining 15 league teams three times each (45 games). As to the playoffs, the top four teams in each division qualified — no more wild-cards — with 1st Place playing 4th Place, and 2nd Place playing 3rd Place, in the divisional semifinals; the two winners meeting in the divisional finals; followed by the respective conference finals and the Stanley Cup finals. With the exception of the first round changing from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven in 1987, this schedule and playoff arrangement continued until 1993.

Beginning with this season, the Prince of Wales Trophy and the Campbell Bowl were awarded to the Wales Conference (Eastern Conference since 1993) playoffs champion and the Campbell Conference (Western Conference since 1993) playoffs champion, respectively.

Regular season

The New York Islanders led the league with 118 points, seven more than second place Edmonton Oilers. The Islanders also set a league record by winning 15 consecutive games from January 21 to February 20 although this was later eclipsed by the Pittsburgh Penguins' 17-game winning streak[1] from March 9 to April 10, 1993. However, the Islanders 15-game winning streak was accomplished before the advent of the extra OT period in the NHL regular season. The Penguins would need to win 2 of their games in the OT period (in games 2 and 15) and would not have accomplished their streak in 1993 without the extra period, as two of their games would have ended in a tie. Likewise, the Islanders in 1982 (unlike the Penguins in 1993) did not have to risk a loss in overtime, thus endangering their winning streak.

The Edmonton Oilers' young superstar Wayne Gretzky broke several records, including the record of 50 goals in 50 games, set by Maurice Richard and Mike Bossy, by scoring 50 goals in only 39 games. Gretzky also broke Phil Esposito's record of 76 goals in a season with 92, his own assists record of 109 which was set the prior season with 120, and his own point total of 164 which was also set the prior season with 212. He was the first, and thus far only, player to ever score 200 points in a season. The Oilers set a record for most goals in a season with 417, in which Gretzky scored or assisted on over half.

The New York Islanders' Mike Bossy set a regular season scoring record for right-wingers with 147 points in an 80 game season, and finished as runner-up to Gretzky for the Art Ross Trophy.

This was the final season of the Colorado Rockies before moving to New Jersey to become the Devils. The NHL would return to the Denver area in 1995, when the Avalanche won their first Stanley Cup after moving from Quebec City.

The Winnipeg Jets completed one of the biggest single-season turnarounds in league history as the Jets went from nine wins and 32 points in 1980–81 to 33 wins and 80 points.

The Philadelphia Flyers become the first team to wear long pants. The idea was to create a more streamlined uniform with lighter padding, thus making the players faster.[2] The downside was that the players slid into the boards faster after being bodychecked.[2]

Final standings

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold

Prince of Wales Conference
Adams Division
  GP W L T GF GA PIM PTS
Montreal Canadiens804617173602231463109
Boston Bruins80432710323285126696
Buffalo Sabres80392615307273142593
Quebec Nordiques80333116356345175782
Hartford Whalers80214118264351149360

[3]

Patrick Division
  GP W L T GF GA PTS
New York Islanders80541610385250118
New York Rangers8039271431630692
Philadelphia Flyers8038311132531387
Pittsburgh Penguins8031361331033775
Washington Capitals8026411331933865

[3]

Clarence Campbell Conference
Norris Division
GP W L T GF GA Pts
Minnesota North Stars8037232034628894
Winnipeg Jets8033331431933280
St. Louis Blues803240831534972
Chicago Black Hawks8030381233236372
Toronto Maple Leafs8020441629838056
Detroit Red Wings8021471227035154

[3]

Smythe Division
GP W L T GF GA PTS
Edmonton Oilers80481715417295111
Vancouver Canucks8030331729028677
Calgary Flames8029341733434575
Los Angeles Kings8024411531436963
Colorado Rockies8018491324136249

[3]

Playoffs
Main article: 1982 Stanley Cup playoffs

Playoff bracket
  Division Semifinals Division Finals Conference Finals Stanley Cup Finals
                                     
A1 Montreal 2  
A4 Quebec 3  
  A4 Quebec 4  
 
  A2 Boston 3  
A2 Boston 3
A3 Buffalo 1  
  A4 Quebec 0  
Prince of Wales Conference
  P1 NY Islanders 4  
P1 NY Islanders 3  
P4 Pittsburgh 2  
  P1 NY Islanders 4
 
  P2 NY Rangers 2  
P2 NY Rangers 3
P3 Philadelphia 1  
  P1 NY Islanders 4
  S2 Vancouver 0
N1 Minnesota 1  
N4 Chicago 3  
  N4 Chicago 4
 
  N3 St. Louis 2  
N2 Winnipeg 1
N3 St. Louis 3  
  N4 Chicago 1
Clarence Campbell Conference
  S2 Vancouver 4  
S1 Edmonton 2  
S4 Los Angeles 3  
  S4 Los Angeles 1
 
  S2 Vancouver 4  
S2 Vancouver 3
S3 Calgary 0  

The 1982 playoffs used a new format. Four teams from each division would qualify for the playoffs, and played a best-of-five semifinal round followed by a best-of-seven series to determine the division playoff champions. The Adams and Patrick winners would meet in the Wales Conference Final, while the Norris and Smythe winners played in the Campbell Conference Final. The two Conference Champions played for the Stanley Cup. With the exception of extending the first round to a best-of-seven in 1987, this format remained in place through the 1993 playoffs.

The first round of the 1982 playoffs saw three first-place teams (Edmonton, Minnesota, and Montreal) upset by fourth-place teams, a round which featured what is still the greatest comeback in NHL history: The Kings' 6–5 win over Edmonton in game three. After trailing 5–0 after two periods, the Kings scored five third period goals—three in the last 5:22, the final goal coming with only five seconds left in regulation. Los Angeles then scored on a face-off early in overtime, thus completing the "Miracle on Manchester".

The eventual champion New York Islanders nearly lost in the first round as well, dropping games three and four of their first round playoff series with Pittsburgh after crushing the Penguins in the first two games. In game five, the Islanders scored twice in the last five minutes to force overtime and then won the series on John Tonelli's goal 6:19 into the extra session. This served as a wake-up call for New York, who lost only two more games the rest of the way as they rolled to their third straight Stanley Cup. Their Final opponents, the Vancouver Canucks, finished the regular season with only 77 points, defeating three teams beneath them in the standings (Calgary 75, Los Angeles 63, and Chicago 72) in the much weaker Campbell Conference.

Stanley Cup Finals
Main article: 1982 Stanley Cup Finals
New York won series 4–0

Awards

From this season forward, the Prince of Wales and Clarence S. Campbell trophies were given to the playoff champions of the respective conferences.

1982 NHL awards
Prince of Wales Trophy:
(Wales Conference playoff champion)		New York Islanders
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl:
(Campbell Conference playoff champion)		Vancouver Canucks
Art Ross Trophy:
(Top scorer, regular season)		Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy:
(Perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication)		Glenn Resch, Colorado Rockies
Calder Memorial Trophy:
(Best first-year player)		Dale Hawerchuk, Winnipeg Jets
Conn Smythe Trophy:
(Most valuable player, playoffs)		Mike Bossy, New York Islanders
Frank J. Selke Trophy:
(Best defensive forward)		Steve Kasper, Boston Bruins
Hart Memorial Trophy:
(Most valuable player, regular season)		Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers
Jack Adams Award:
(Best coach)		Tom Watt, Winnipeg Jets
James Norris Memorial Trophy:
(Best defenceman)		Doug Wilson, Chicago Black Hawks
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy:
(Excellence and sportsmanship)		Rick Middleton, Boston Bruins
Lester B. Pearson Award:
(Outstanding player, regular season)		Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers
NHL Plus/Minus Award:
(Player with best plus/minus record)		Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers
William M. Jennings Trophy:
(Goaltender(s) of team(s) with best goaltending record)		Rick Wamsley, Denis Herron, Montreal Canadiens
Vezina Trophy:
(Best goaltender)		Billy Smith, New York Islanders
Lester Patrick Trophy:
(Service to hockey in the U.S.)		Emile Francis

All-Star teams
First Team  Position  Second Team
Billy Smith, New York Islanders G Grant Fuhr, Edmonton Oilers
Doug Wilson, Chicago Black Hawks D Paul Coffey, Edmonton Oilers
Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins D Brian Engblom, Montreal Canadiens
Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers C Bryan Trottier, New York Islanders
Mike Bossy, New York Islanders RW Rick Middleton, Boston Bruins
Mark Messier, Edmonton Oilers LW John Tonelli, New York Islanders

Player statistics

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points

Player Team GP G A Pts
Wayne GretzkyEdmonton Oilers8092120212
Mike BossyNew York Islanders806483147
Peter StastnyQuebec Nordiques804693139
Dennis MarukWashington Capitals806076136
Bryan TrottierNew York Islanders805079129
Denis SavardChicago Black Hawks803287119
Marcel DionneLos Angeles Kings785067117
Bobby SmithMinnesota North Stars804371114
Dino CiccarelliMinnesota North Stars765551106
Dave TaylorLos Angeles Kings783967106

Source: NHL.[4]

Leading goaltenders
Player Team GP MIN GA SO GAA
Denis HerronMontreal2715476832.64
Rick WamsleyMontreal38220610122.75
Billy SmithNew York Islanders46268513302.97
Roland MelansonNew York Islanders36211511403.23
Grant FuhrEdmonton48284715703.31
Richard BrodeurVancouver52301016823.35
Marco BaronBoston44251514413.44
Gilles MelocheMinnesota51302617513.47
Don EdwardsBuffalo62350020503.51
Eddie MioNew York Rangers2515008903.56

[5]

Coaches

Patrick Division

Adams Division

Norris Division

Smythe Division

Milestones

Debuts

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1981–82 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):

Last games

The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1981–82 (listed with their last team):

1982 Trading deadline trades

Trading Deadline: March 9, 1982[6]

See also

References
  • Diamond, Dan, ed. (2000). Total Hockey. Kingston, NY: Total Sports. ISBN 1-892129-85-X.
  • Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Toronto, ON: Dan Diamond & Associates. ISBN 978-1-894801-22-5.
  • Dryden, Steve, ed. (2000). Century of hockey. Toronto, ON: McClelland & Stewart Ltd. ISBN 0-7710-4179-9.
  • Fischler, Stan; Fischler, Shirley; Hughes, Morgan; Romain, Joseph; Duplacey, James (2003). The Hockey Chronicle: Year-by-Year History of the National Hockey League. Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International Inc. ISBN 0-7853-9624-1.
  • "1981-82 NHL Playoff Results". hockeyDB.com.
Notes
  1. List of NHL records (team)
  2. Weekes, Don (2003). The Best and Worst of Hockey's Firsts: The Unofficial Guide. Canada: Greystone Books. pp. 240. ISBN 9781550548600.
  3. Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 152. ISBN 9781894801225.
  4. Dinger 2011, p. 152.
  5. "1981-82 NHL Leaders - Hockey-Reference.com". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  6. NHL trade deadline: Deals since 1980 | Habs Inside/Out Archived 2009-02-16 at the Wayback Machine
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