The 1983–84 NHL season was the 67th season of the National Hockey League. The Edmonton Oilers de-throned the four-time defending Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders four games to one in the Cup finals.

1983–84 NHL season
LeagueNational Hockey League
SportIce hockey
DurationOctober 4, 1983 – May 19, 1984
Number of games80
Number of teams21
TV partner(s)CBC, SRC (Canada)
USA (United States)
Draft
Top draft pickBrian Lawton
Picked byMinnesota North Stars
Regular season
Season championsEdmonton Oilers
Season MVPWayne Gretzky (Oilers)
Top scorerWayne Gretzky (Oilers)
Playoffs
Playoffs MVPMark Messier (Oilers)
Stanley Cup
ChampionsEdmonton Oilers
  Runners-upNew York Islanders
NHL seasons

League business

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Not since World War II travel restrictions caused the NHL to drop regular season overtime games in 1942–43 had the NHL used overtime to decide regular season games. Starting this season, the NHL introduced a five-minute extra period of overtime following the third period in the event of a tied game. A team losing in overtime would get no points. This rule remained in effect until the 1999–2000 season, where a team losing in overtime was awarded 1 point. If the game remained tied after the five-minute extra period, it remained a tie with each team getting 1 point, until the NHL shootout arrived in the 2005–06 season. Overtime in the Stanley Cup playoffs remained unchanged.[1]

In the entry draft, Brian Lawton became the first American to be chosen first overall, by the Minnesota North Stars. Three Americans were chosen in the top five: Lawton, Pat Lafontaine (third) and Tom Barrasso (fifth). Sylvain Turgeon was chosen second and Steve Yzerman was chosen fourth overall. The St. Louis Blues did not participate in the draft, having been "orphaned" by Ralston Purina. The NHL took control of the franchise after the draft. On July 27, 1983, Harry Ornest purchased the Blues for US$3 million.[2]

Arthur M. Wirtz, long-time chairman and part-owner of the Chicago Black Hawks, died at the age of 82 on July 21, 1983.[3] His son, Bill, took over ownership of the team.

Arena changes

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Teams

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1983-84 National Hockey League
Prince of Wales Conference
Division Team City Arena Capacity
Adams Boston Bruins Boston, Massachusetts Boston Garden 14,451
Buffalo Sabres Buffalo, New York Buffalo Memorial Auditorium 16,433
Hartford Whalers Hartford, Connecticut Hartford Civic Center 14,817
Montreal Canadiens Montreal, Quebec Montreal Forum 18,076
Quebec Nordiques Quebec City, Quebec Colisée de Québec 15,250
Patrick
New Jersey Devils East Rutherford, New Jersey Brendan Byrne Arena 19,025
New York Islanders Uniondale, New York Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum 15,850
New York Rangers New York, New York Madison Square Garden 17,500
Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Spectrum 17,191
Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Civic Arena 16,033
Washington Capitals Landover, Maryland Capital Centre 18,130
Campbell Conference
Norris Chicago Black Hawks Chicago, Illinois Chicago Stadium 16,666
Detroit Red Wings Detroit, Michigan Joe Louis Arena 19,275
Minnesota North Stars Bloomington, Minnesota Met Center 15,000
St. Louis Blues St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis Arena 17,968
Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto, Ontario Maple Leaf Gardens 16,182
Smythe
Calgary Flames Calgary, Alberta Olympic Saddledome 16,605
Edmonton Oilers Edmonton, Alberta Northlands Coliseum 17,498
Los Angeles Kings Inglewood, California The Forum 16,005
Vancouver Canucks Vancouver, British Columbia Pacific Coliseum 16,553
Winnipeg Jets Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg Arena 15,565

Regular season

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The Edmonton Oilers ran away with the best record in the league, and for the third straight year set a new record for most goals in a season, 446. The Oilers' new captain, Wayne Gretzky, was once again breaking records and rewriting his name into the record book. This season saw Gretzky score at least one point in the first 51 games of the season. During those 51 games, Gretzky had 61 goals and 92 assists for 153 points, which is equivalent to exactly three points per game. He also won his fifth straight Hart Trophy and his fourth straight Art Ross Trophy. The season's second leading scorer was Gretzky's teammate Paul Coffey, who, with 126 points, became the third defenceman to score 100 points in a season.

The Calgary Flames played their inaugural season at the Olympic Saddledome.

Prior to the season, the St. Louis Blues were purchased by Harry Ornest, keeping the team from folding after a proposed move to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan was rejected by the NHL Board of Governors. The Blues remain in Missouri as of 2024. In addition, the team's home venue, the Checkerdome, reverted to its original name, the Arena, after six seasons.

Final standings

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Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes

Prince of Wales Conference

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Adams Division
GP W L T GF GA Pts
Boston Bruins 80 49 25 6 336 261 104
Buffalo Sabres 80 48 25 7 315 257 103
Quebec Nordiques 80 42 28 10 360 278 94
Montreal Canadiens 80 35 40 5 286 295 75
Hartford Whalers 80 28 42 10 288 320 66

[4]

Patrick Division
GP W L T GF GA Pts
New York Islanders 80 50 26 4 357 269 104
Washington Capitals 80 48 27 5 308 226 101
Philadelphia Flyers 80 44 26 10 350 290 98
New York Rangers 80 42 29 9 314 304 93
New Jersey Devils 80 17 56 7 231 350 41
Pittsburgh Penguins 80 16 58 6 254 390 38

[5]

Clarence Campbell Conference

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Norris Division
GP W L T GF GA Pts
Minnesota North Stars 80 39 31 10 345 344 88
St. Louis Blues 80 32 41 7 293 316 71
Detroit Red Wings 80 31 42 7 298 323 69
Chicago Black Hawks 80 30 42 8 277 311 68
Toronto Maple Leafs 80 26 45 9 303 387 61

[6]

Smythe Division
GP W L T GF GA Pts
Edmonton Oilers 80 57 18 5 446 314 119
Calgary Flames 80 34 32 14 311 314 82
Vancouver Canucks 80 32 39 9 306 328 73
Winnipeg Jets 80 31 38 11 340 374 73
Los Angeles Kings 80 23 44 13 309 376 59

[7]

Playoffs

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Bracket

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The top four teams in each division qualified for the playoffs. In the division semifinals, the fourth seeded team in each division played against the division winner from their division. The other series matched the second and third place teams from the divisions. The two winning teams from each division's semifinals then met in the division finals. The two division winners of each conference then played in the conference finals. The two conference winners then advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.

In the division semifinals, teams competed in a best-of-five series. In the other three rounds, teams competed in a best-of-seven series (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each series).

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

Awards

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1983–84 NHL awards
Award Recipient(s) Runners-up/finalists
Stanley Cup Edmonton Oilers New York Islanders
Prince of Wales Trophy
(Wales Conference playoff champion)
New York Islanders Montreal Canadiens
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl
(Campbell Conference playoff champion)
Edmonton Oilers Minnesota North Stars
Art Ross Trophy
(Player with most points)
Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) Paul Coffey (Edmonton Oilers)
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
(Perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication)
Brad Park (Detroit Red Wings) N/A
Calder Memorial Trophy
(Best first-year player)
Tom Barrasso (Buffalo Sabres) Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings)
Conn Smythe Trophy
(Most valuable player, playoffs)
Mark Messier (Edmonton Oilers) N/A
Emery Edge Award
(Best plus-minus statistic)
Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) Bryan Trottier (New York Islanders)
Frank J. Selke Trophy
(Defensive forward)
Doug Jarvis (Washington Capitals) Bryan Trottier (New York Islanders)
Hart Memorial Trophy
(Most valuable player, regular season)
Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) Rod Langway (Washington Capitals)
Jack Adams Award
(Best coach)
Bryan Murray (Washington Capitals) Scotty Bowman (Buffalo Sabres)
James Norris Memorial Trophy
(Best defenceman)
Rod Langway (Washington Capitals) Paul Coffey (Edmonton Oilers)
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
(Sportsmanship and excellence)
Mike Bossy (New York Islanders) Rick Middleton (Boston Bruins)
Lester B. Pearson Award
(Outstanding player)
Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) N/A
Vezina Trophy
(Best goaltender)
Tom Barrasso (Buffalo Sabres) Rejean Lemelin (Calgary Flames)
William M. Jennings Trophy
(Goaltenders of team with fewest goals against)
Al Jensen and Pat Riggin (Washington Capitals) Tom Barrasso and Bob Sauve (Buffalo Sabres)

All-Star teams

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First Team   Position   Second Team
Tom Barrasso, Buffalo Sabres G Pat Riggin, Washington Capitals
Rod Langway, Washington Capitals D Paul Coffey, Edmonton Oilers
Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins D Denis Potvin, New York Islanders
Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers C Bryan Trottier, New York Islanders
Mike Bossy, New York Islanders RW Jari Kurri, Edmonton Oilers
Michel Goulet, Quebec Nordiques LW Mark Messier, Edmonton Oilers

Source: NHL.[8]

Player statistics

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Scoring leaders

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

Player Team GP G A Pts PIM
Wayne Gretzky Edmonton Oilers 74 87 118 205 39
Paul Coffey Edmonton Oilers 80 40 86 126 104
Michel Goulet Quebec Nordiques 75 56 65 121 76
Peter Stastny Quebec Nordiques 80 46 73 119 73
Mike Bossy New York Islanders 67 51 67 118 8
Barry Pederson Boston Bruins 80 39 77 116 64
Jari Kurri Edmonton Oilers 64 52 61 113 14
Bryan Trottier New York Islanders 68 40 71 111 59
Bernie Federko St. Louis Blues 79 41 66 107 43
Rick Middleton Boston Bruins 80 47 58 105 14

Source: NHL.[9]

Leading goaltenders

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Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage

Player Team GP MIN GA GAA W L T SO SV%
Pat Riggin Washington Capitals 41 2299 102 2.66 21 14 2 4 .890
Tom Barrasso Buffalo Sabres 42 2475 117 2.84 26 12 3 2 .893
Al Jensen Washington Capitals 43 2414 117 2.91 25 13 3 4 .882
Doug Keans Boston Bruins 33 1779 92 3.10 19 8 3 2 .883
Bob Froese Philadelphia Flyers 48 2863 150 3.14 28 13 7 2 .887
Pete Peeters Boston Bruins 50 2868 151 3.16 29 16 2 0 .876
Dan Bouchard Quebec Nordiques 57 3373 180 3.20 29 18 8 1 .882
Roland Melanson N.Y. Islanders 37 2019 110 3.27 20 11 2 0 .903
Richard Sevigny Montreal Canadiens 40 2203 124 3.38 16 18 2 1 .869
Murray Bannerman Chicago Black Hawks 56 3335 188 3.38 23 29 4 2 .887

[10]

Coaches

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Patrick Division

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Adams Division

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Norris Division

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Smythe Division

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Milestones

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Debuts

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The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1983–84 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):

Last games

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The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1983–84 (listed with their last team):

Broadcasting

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Hockey Night in Canada on CBC Television televised Saturday night regular season games and Stanley Cup playoff games. This was the last season that the Molson-sponsored HNIC had sole Canadian national broadcast rights. During the next season, rival brewery Carling O'Keefe began airing games on CTV.

This was the second season of the league's U.S. national broadcast rights deal with USA, covering a slate of regular season games and selected playoff games.

See also

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References

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  • Diamond, Dan, ed. (2008). Total Stanley Cup 2008. NHL.
  • 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, Illinois: Publications International Inc. ISBN 0-7853-9624-1.
  • McFarlane, Brian (1989). One hundred years of hockey. Toronto: Deneau Publishers. ISBN 0-88879-216-6.
Notes
  1. ^ UPI (June 24, 1983). "5-MINUTE OVERTIME IS VOTED BY N.H.L." New York Times. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  2. ^ McFarlane 1989, p. 232.
  3. ^ McFarlane 1989, p. 233.
  4. ^ Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 152. ISBN 9781894801225.
  5. ^ Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 152. ISBN 9781894801225.
  6. ^ Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 152. ISBN 9781894801225.
  7. ^ Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 152. ISBN 9781894801225.
  8. ^ Dinger 2011, p. 229.
  9. ^ Dinger 2011, p. 152.
  10. ^ "1983-84 NHL Leaders".
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