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1985–86 NHL season

1985–86 NHL season

The1985–86 NHL seasonwas the 69th season of the National Hockey League. This season saw the league’s Board of Governors introduce the Presidents’ Trophy, which would go to the team with the best overall record in the NHL regular season. The Edmonton Oilers would be the first winners of this award.

The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Calgary Flames four games to one in the final series to win theStanley Cup.

1985–86 NHL season
League National Hockey League
Sport Ice hockey
Duration October 10, 1985 – May 24, 1986
Number of games 80
Number of teams 21
Draft
Top draft pick Wendel Clark
Picked by Toronto Maple Leafs
Regular season
Presidents’ Trophy Edmonton Oilers
Season MVP Wayne Gretzky (Oilers)
Top scorer Wayne Gretzky (Oilers)
Playoffs
Playoffs MVP Patrick Roy (Canadiens)
Stanley Cup
Champions Montreal Canadiens
  Runners-up Calgary Flames

League business

On June 13, 1985, the NHL board of governors voted 17–4 in favour of amending a penalty rule. Previously, coincidental minor penalties would result in 4-on-4 play. The amendment allowed teams to substitute another player to keep the play 5-on-5. It was seen by many as a shot at trying to slow down the high-flying Edmonton Oilers. Wayne Gretzky was quoted as saying,“I think the NHL is making a big mistake. I think the NHL should be more concerned with butt-ending, spearing, and three-hour hockey games than getting rid of 4-on-4 situations.”It wasn’t until 1993, with the Oiler dynasty (fivecupsin seven years) a thing of the past, that the NHL reverted to the original 4-on-4 rules.

Regular season

The Edmonton Oilers once again regained control of top spot in the NHL and were awarded with the Presidents’ Trophy — the first time the trophy had been awarded for the best record — while last year’s best team, the Philadelphia Flyers slipped to second. The Flyers continued their dominance of the Wales Conference despite the death of their Vezina-winning goaltender, Pelle Lindbergh, in a car accident on November 11. Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky won his seventh straight Hart Memorial Trophy and his sixth straight Art Ross Trophy. This season saw Gretzky score 52 goals, and set records of 163 assists and 215 points. This was the fourth time in five years that Gretzky reached the 200 point plateau; no other player has reached 200 point mark, although Mario Lemieux would garner 199 points in 76 games in 1988–89. Edmonton’s defenceman Paul Coffey broke Bobby Orr’s record of 46 goals for most goals in a season by a defenceman by scoring 48 times.

Final standings

Note:GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalty Minutes

Prince of Wales Conference

Adams Division
Team GP W L T GF GA PTS
Quebec Nordiques 80 43 31 6 330 289 92
Montreal Canadiens 80 40 33 7 330 280 87
Boston Bruins 80 37 31 12 311 288 86
Hartford Whalers 80 40 36 4 332 302 84
Buffalo Sabres 80 37 37 6 296 291 80

[1]

Patrick Division
GP W L T GF GA Pts
Philadelphia Flyers 80 53 23 4 335 241 110
Washington Capitals 80 50 23 7 315 272 107
New York Islanders 80 39 29 12 327 284 90
New York Rangers 80 36 38 6 280 276 78
Pittsburgh Penguins 80 34 38 8 313 305 76
New Jersey Devils 80 28 49 3 300 374 59

[1]

Clarence Campbell Conference

Norris Division
GP W L T GF GA Pts
Chicago Black Hawks 80 39 33 8 351 349 86
Minnesota North Stars 80 38 33 9 327 305 85
St. Louis Blues 80 37 34 9 302 291 83
Toronto Maple Leafs 80 25 48 7 311 386 57
Detroit Red Wings 80 17 57 6 266 415 40

[1]

Smythe Division[[CITE|1|https://openlibrary.org/search?q=Dinger%2C%20Ralph%2C%20ed.%20%282011%29.%20*The%20National%20Hockey%20Le]]
GP W L T GF GA PTS
Edmonton Oilers 80 56 17 7 426 310 119
Calgary Flames 80 40 31 9 354 315 89
Winnipeg Jets 80 26 47 7 295 372 59
Vancouver Canucks 80 23 44 13 282 333 59
Los Angeles Kings 80 23 49 8 284 389 54

Playoffs

The playoffs of 1986 saw three first place teams eliminated in the opening round and the fourth, Edmonton, bowed out in the second.

The Montreal Canadiens decided to go with a rookie goaltender by the name of Patrick Roy. This decision proved to be a good one just like when the Canadiens rode rookie goalie Ken Dryden to a Stanley Cup championship in1971. In the Final, the Canadiens beat the Calgary Flames, who were also riding a rookie netminder, Mike Vernon. Patrick Roy won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP and had a sparkling 1.92 goals against average along with 15 wins.

The 1986 Stanley Cup playoffs are the last time to date (as of 2019) that all active Canadian teams have qualified in the same season. It is also the second time that all seven active teams at the time qualified, the first occurring three years earlier. Also, the Hartford Whalers won their only playoff series during their tenure in Hartford against the Quebec Nordiques.

Playoff bracket

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

Stanley Cup Finals

Montreal won series 4–1

Awards

1986 NHL awards
Presidents’ Trophy:
Team with most points, regular season		 Edmonton Oilers
Prince of Wales Trophy:
(Wales Conference champion)		 Montreal Canadiens
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl:
(Campbell Conference champion)		 Calgary Flames
Art Ross Trophy:
(Top scorer, regular season)		 Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy:
(Perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication)		 Charlie Simmer, Boston Bruins
Calder Memorial Trophy:
(Best first-year player)		 Gary Suter, Calgary Flames
Conn Smythe Trophy:
(Most valuable player, playoffs)		 Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens
Frank J. Selke Trophy:
(Best defensive forward)		 Troy Murray, Chicago Black Hawks
Hart Memorial Trophy:
(Most valuable player, regular season)		 Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers
Jack Adams Award:
(Best coach)		 Glen Sather, Edmonton Oilers
James Norris Memorial Trophy:
(Best defenceman)		 Paul Coffey, Edmonton Oilers
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy:
(Excellence and sportsmanship)		 Mike Bossy, New York Islanders
Lester B. Pearson Award:
(Outstanding player, regular season)		 Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL Plus/Minus Award:
(Player with best plus/minus record)		 Mark Howe, Philadelphia Flyers
William M. Jennings Trophy:
(Goaltender(s) of team(s) with best goaltending record)		 Bob Froese/Darren Jensen, Philadelphia Flyers
Vezina Trophy:
(Best goaltender)		 John Vanbiesbrouck, New York Rangers
Lester Patrick Trophy:
(Service to hockey in the U.S.)		 John MacInnes, Jack Riley

All-Star teams

First Team   Position   Second Team
John Vanbiesbrouck, New York Rangers G Bob Froese, Philadelphia Flyers
Paul Coffey, Edmonton Oilers D Larry Robinson, Montreal Canadiens
Mark Howe, Philadelphia Flyers D Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins
Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers C Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins
Mike Bossy, New York Islanders RW Jari Kurri, Edmonton Oilers
Michel Goulet, Quebec Nordiques LW Mats Naslund, Montreal Canadiens

Player statistics

Scoring leaders

Player Team GP G A Pts
Wayne Gretzky Edmonton Oilers 80 52 163 215
Mario Lemieux Pittsburgh Penguins 79 48 93 141
Paul Coffey Edmonton Oilers 79 48 90 138
Jari Kurri Edmonton Oilers 78 68 63 131
Mike Bossy New York Islanders 80 61 62 123
Peter Stastny Quebec Nordiques 76 41 81 122
Denis Savard Chicago Black Hawks 80 47 69 116
Mats Naslund Montreal Canadiens 80 43 67 110
Dale Hawerchuk Winnipeg Jets 80 46 59 105
Neal Broten Minnesota North Stars 80 29 76 105

Source: NHL[2]

Leading goaltenders

Player Team GP MIN GA SO GAA
Bob Froese Philadelphia Flyers 51 2728 116 5 2.55
Al Jensen Washington Capitals 44 2437 129 2 3.18
Clint Malarchuk Quebec Nordiques 46 2657 142 4 3.21
Kelly Hrudey New York Islanders 45 2563 137 1 3.21
John Vanbiesbrouck New York Rangers 61 3326 184 3 3.32
Patrick Roy Montreal Canadiens 47 2651 148 1 3.35
Pat Riggin Washington Capitals / Boston Bruins 46 2641 150 1 3.41
Rick Wamsley St. Louis Blues 42 2517 144 1 3.43
Pete Peeters Boston Bruins / Washington Capitals 42 2506 144 1 3.45
Don Beaupre Minnesota North Stars 52 3073 182 1 3.55

Source: NHL[2]

Coaches

Patrick Division

  • New Jersey Devils: Tom McVie

  • New York Islanders: Al Arbour

  • New York Rangers: Ted Sator

  • Philadelphia Flyers: Mike Keenan

  • Pittsburgh Penguins: Bob Berry

  • Washington Capitals: Bryan Murray

Adams Division

  • Boston Bruins: Butch Goring

  • Buffalo Sabres: Jim Schoenfeld and Scotty Bowman

  • Hartford Whalers: Jack Evans

  • Montreal Canadiens: Jean Perron

  • Quebec Nordiques: Michel Bergeron

Norris Division

  • Chicago Black Hawks: Bob Pulford

  • Detroit Red Wings: Harry Neale and Brad Park

  • Minnesota North Stars: Lorne Henning

  • St. Louis Blues: Jacques Demers

  • Toronto Maple Leafs: Dan Maloney

Smythe Division

  • Calgary Flames: Bob Johnson

  • Edmonton Oilers: Glen Sather

  • Los Angeles Kings: Pat Quinn

  • Vancouver Canucks: Tom Watt

  • Winnipeg Jets: Barry Long and John Ferguson, Sr.

Milestones

Debuts

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1985–86 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):

  • Bill Ranford, Boston Bruins

  • Daren Puppa, Buffalo Sabres

  • Brian Bradley, Calgary Flames

  • Gary Suter, Calgary Flames

  • Brett Hull*, Calgary Flames

  • Adam Oates, Detroit Red Wings

  • Petr Klima, Detroit Red Wings

  • Bob Probert, Detroit Red Wings

  • Shayne Corson, Montreal Canadiens

  • Kirk McLean, New Jersey Devils

  • Craig Wolanin, New Jersey Devils

  • Scott Mellanby, Philadelphia Flyers

  • Craig Simpson, Pittsburgh Penguins

  • Jeff Brown, Quebec Nordiques

  • Cliff Ronning*, St. Louis Blues

  • Wendel Clark, Toronto Maple Leafs

  • Dave Lowry, Vancouver Canucks

  • Jim Sandlak, Vancouver Canucks

Last games

The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1985–86 (listed with their last team):

  • Tom Lysiak, Chicago Black Hawks

  • Mike Rogers, Edmonton Oilers

  • Mario Tremblay, Montreal Canadiens

  • Bob Nystrom, New York Islanders

  • Pelle Lindbergh, Philadelphia Flyers

  • Denis Herron, Pittsburgh Penguins

  • Don Edwards, Toronto Maple Leafs

  • Marian Stastny, Toronto Maple Leafs

  • Jiri Bubla, Vancouver Canucks

  • Dan Bouchard, Winnipeg Jets

Trading deadline

  • Trading deadline: March 11, 1986.[3]

  • March 8, 1986: John Anderson traded from Quebec to Hartford for Risto Siltanen.

  • March 10, 1986: Peter Andersson traded from Washington to Quebec for Quebec’s third round choice in 1986 Entry Draft.

  • March 10, 1986: Reed Larson traded from Detroit to Boston for Mike O’Connell.

  • March 10, 1986: Darren Veitch traded from Washington to Detroit for John Barrett and Greg Smith.

  • March 11, 1986: Bob Crawford traded from Hartford to NY Rangers for Mike McEwen.

  • March 11, 1986: Ron Duguay traded from Detroit to Pittsburgh for Doug Shedden.

  • March 11, 1986: Dwight Foster traded from Detroit to Boston for Dave Donnelly.

  • March 11, 1986: Nick Fotiu traded from NY Rangers to Calgary for future considerations.

  • March 11, 1986: Glenn Resch traded from New Jersey to Philadelphia for Philadelphia’s third round choice in 1986 Entry Draft.

  • March 11, 1986: Phil Russell traded from New Jersey to Buffalo for Buffalo’s 12th round choice in 1986 Entry Draft.

  • March 11, 1986: John Tonelli traded from NY Islanders to Calgary for Steve Konroyd and Richard Kromm.

  • March 11, 1986: Rik Wilson traded from Calgary to Chicago for Tom McMurchy.

See also

  • List of Stanley Cup champions

  • 1985 NHL Entry Draft

  • 38th National Hockey League All-Star Game

  • National Hockey League All-Star Game

  • NHL All-Rookie Team

  • 1985 in sports

  • 1986 in sports

References

[1]

Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgDinger, Ralph, ed. (2011).The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 153. ISBN 9781894801225.

Sep 19, 2019, 4:47 PM
[2]

Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgDinger, Ralph, ed. (2011).The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Toronto: Dan Diamond & Associates. ISBN 978-1-894801-22-5.Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011).The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 153. ISBN 9781894801225..

Sep 19, 2019, 4:47 PM
[3]

Citation Linkweb.archive.orgNHL trade deadline: Deals since 1980 | Habs Inside/Out Archived 2009-02-16 at the Wayback Machine

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[4]

Citation Linkwww.hockeydb.comHockey Database

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Citation Linknhl.comNHL.com

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Citation Linkwww.hockey-reference.comhockey-reference

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[7]

Citation Linkwww.habsinsideout.comNHL trade deadline: Deals since 1980 | Habs Inside/Out

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[8]

Citation Linkweb.archive.orgArchived

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[9]

Citation Linkwww.hockeydb.comHockey Database

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[10]

Citation Linknhl.comNHL.com

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[11]

Citation Linkwww.hockey-reference.comhockey-reference

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[12]

Citation Linken.wikipedia.orgThe original version of this page is from Wikipedia, you can edit the page right here on Everipedia.Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Additional terms may apply.See everipedia.org/everipedia-termsfor further details.Images/media credited individually (click the icon for details).

Sep 19, 2019, 4:47 PM