2015-16 NHL season

The 2015–16 NHL season was the 99th season of operation (98th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). Thirty teams competed 82-game regular season schedules prior to the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs. The regular season began on Wednesday, October 7, 2015, and ended on Saturday, April 10, 2016. The playoffs began on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 and ended on June 12 with the Pittsburgh Penguins winning their fourth Stanley Cup.

Membership changes

 * The 2015-16 season marked the New York Islanders first season at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, after previously playing at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York

Rule changes
The league approved the following rule changes at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the AHL Board of Governors in late June.
 * The overtime period was a five minute 3 on 3 sudden death period. There was a dry scrape of the entire ice prior to the start of the overtime period and the teams changed ends at the start of the overtime.  If the game is still tied a winner will be determined by a three player shoot out and if still tied sudden death shoot out.
 * The coaches are now able to use a "coach's challenge" to initiate an official video review but only on items that are by rule reviewable (potential offside on a goal and goaltender interference).  The challenge must be issued prior to the resumption of play.  The must have a time out available as if the review does not result in the original call being overturned the team will be charged with a time out.
 * For all face-offs (excluding center ice), the defending player shall place his stick on the ice first; for face-offs at center ice, the visiting player shall place his stick on the ice first.

Outdoor Games
The 2015-16 season featured 3 outdoor games:

2016 NHL All-Star Game
The 61st National Hockey League All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game being played on Sunday, January 31, 2016. The game will be held in Nashville, Tennessee at Bridgestone Arena, home of the Nashville Predators. This is Nashville's first time hosting the NHL All–Star Game.

The NHL announced a new format for the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Wednesday November 18th.

The game, on Sunday, Jan. 31, will be a 3-on-3 tournament pitting the four divisions against one another in a winner-take-all format. The Atlantic Division will face the Metropolitan Division in one semifinal and the Central Division will face the Pacific Division in the other semifinal. The winners play in the championship game.

Games will be 40 minutes in length, teams will switch goals after 10 minutes in each quarter, and will be decided by a shootout if tied after the 40 minutes in Semi-Finals. In the All-Star Game final, if tied after 40 minutes, 20 minutes of overtime with teams switch goals after 10 minutes in overtime, and if tied after 20 minutes, a shootout will be decided.

Each division's roster will have six forwards, three defenseman and two goalies. One player from each division will be voted onto the team by the fans and the other 40 players will be selected by the League's Hockey Operations Department. Each team will have at least one player from every team in their division.

Teams
The National Hockey League currently consists of 30 teams, 23 of which are based in the United States and 7 in Canada.

The league divides the teams into two conferences. Each conference has two divisions, and each division has seven (Western) or eight (Eastern) teams. The newest team alignment happened in after the 2012-2013 season due to the move of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg. On December 5, 2011, the NHL Board of Governors proposed a relocation plan. The NHLPA rejected it and said to wait for the Draft to see if they would change their decision. In February 2013, they proposed the idea again. On March 7, 2013, the NHLPA approved the plan which would move the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets to the Eastern conference and the Winnipeg Jets to the Western conference. The realignment started in the 2013/2014 season. The current league organization divides the teams into two conferences, the Eastern and Western. Each conference has two divisions. The Eastern conference includes the Atlantic and Metropolitan divisions. The Western conference includes the Pacific and Central divisions.

Format
The top three teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. The next two best records in each conference also qualify as wildcard teams. The wild card team with the fewer points plays the team with the best record in the conference regardless of division. The other wild card team plays the other division winner. The wild card team then stays in that division's playoffs. The division semifinal winners meet in the division finals. The two division winners in each conference meet in the conference finals. The two conference winners meet in the Stanley Cup final. All series are best-of-seven.

Atlantic Division Semifinals

 * New York Islanders defeated Florida Panthers 4 games to 2 (5-4, 1-3, 4-3 (ot), 1-2, 2-1 (2ot), 2-1 (2ot))
 * Tampa Bay Lightning defeated Detroit Red Wings 4 games to 1 (3-2, 5-2, 0-2, 3-2, 1-0)

Metropolitan Division Semifinals

 * Washington Capitals defeated Philadelphia Flyers 4 games to 2 (2-0, 2-1, 6-1, 1-2, 0-2, 1-0)
 * Pittsburgh Penguins defeated New York Rangers 4 games to 1 (5-2, 2-4, 3-1, 5-0, 6-3)

Central Division Semifinals

 * Dallas Stars defeated Minnesota Wild 4 games to 2 (4-0, 2-1, 3-5, 3-2, 4-5 (ot), 5-4)
 * St. Louis Blues defeated Chicago Blackhawks 4 games to 3 (1-0 (ot), 2-3, 3-2, 4-3, 3-4 (2ot), 3-6, 3-2)

Pacific Division Semifinals

 * Nashville Predators defeated Anaheim Ducks 4 games to 3 (3-2, 3-2, 0-3, 1-4, 2-5, 3-1, 3-2)
 * San Jose Sharks defeated Los Angeles Kings 4 games to 1 (4-3, 2-1, 1-2 (ot), 3-2, 6-3)

Atlantic Division Final

 * Tampa Bay Lightning defeated New York Islanders 4 games to 1 (3-4, 4-1, 5-4 (ot), 2-1 (ot), 4-0)

Metropolitan Division Final

 * Pittsburgh Penguins defeated Washington Capitals 4 games to 2 (3-4 (ot), 2-1, 3-2, 3-2 (ot), 1-3, 4-3 (ot))

Central Division Final

 * St. Louis Blues defeated Dallas Stars 4 games to 3 (1-2, 4-3 (ot), 6-1, 2-3 (ot), 4-1, 2-3, 6-1)

Pacific Division Final

 * San Jose Sharks defeated Nashville Predators 4 games to 3 (5-2, 3-2, 1-4, 3-4 (3ot), 5-1, 3-4 (ot), 5-0)

Eastern Conference Final

 * Pittsburgh Penguins defeated Tampa Bay Lightning 4 games to 3 (1-3, 3-2 (ot), 4-2, 3-4, 3-4 (ot), 5-2, 2-1)

Western Conference Final

 * San Jose Sharks defeated St. Louis Blues 4 games to 2 (1-2, 4-0, 3-0, 3-6, 6-3, 5-2)

Stanley Cup Final

 * Pittsburgh Penguins defeated San Jose Sharks 4 games to 2 (3-2, 2-1 (ot), 1-2 (ot), 3-1, 2-4, 3-1)

The Pittsburgh Penguins win their 4th Stanley Cup championship.