The 1982-83 NHL season was the 66th season of the National Hockey League. Twenty-one teams each played 80 games. The New York Islanders won their fourth Stanley Cup in a row with their second consecutive finals sweep by beating the Edmonton Oilers four games to none. No team in any major professional North American sport has won four consecutive championships since the Islanders.
Regular Season[]
The Boston Bruins led the league in overall points with 110. The defending Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders fell from first overall and finished tied for 6th overall and the high-powered, high offence, Edmonton Oilers tied for second overall. The Oilers set a new record, which they had just set the previous year, for most goals in a season with 424 and were led by Wayne Gretzky's 196 points. The Oilers also set a record for most 100-point players in one season on one team as Wayne Gretzky, Glenn Anderson, Jari Kurri, and Mark Messier all scored more than 100 points.
For the start of the season, the Colorado Rockies (originally known as the Kansas City Scouts) moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey and became the New Jersey Devils. They also moved to the Patrick Division, forcing a reluctant Winnipeg Jets organization to leave the Norris Division and take Colorado's place in the Smythe. This would be the last relocation of an NHL team until the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas, Texas and became the Stars in 1993, while Denver would not see another NHL team of their own until the Quebec Nordiques moved there to become the Colorado Avalanche in June of 1995.
Some fans consider this season as the true end for the Original Six era, as the remaining 3 players from that era (Carol Vadnais, Serge Savard, and Wayne Cashman) retired after the season. Cashman was the last to play, losing in the Wales Conference Finals as a member of the Bruins.
Final Standings[]
Prince of Wales Conference[]
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Bruins | 80 | 50 | 20 | 10 | 327 | 228 | 110 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 80 | 42 | 24 | 14 | 350 | 286 | 98 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 80 | 38 | 29 | 13 | 318 | 285 | 89 |
| Quebec Nordiques | 80 | 34 | 34 | 12 | 343 | 336 | 80 |
| Hartford Whalers | 80 | 19 | 54 | 7 | 261 | 403 | 45 |
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Flyers | 80 | 49 | 23 | 8 | 326 | 240 | 106 |
| New York Islanders | 80 | 42 | 26 | 12 | 302 | 226 | 96 |
| Washington Capitals | 80 | 39 | 25 | 16 | 306 | 283 | 94 |
| New York Rangers | 80 | 35 | 35 | 10 | 306 | 287 | 80 |
| New Jersey Devils | 80 | 17 | 49 | 14 | 230 | 338 | 48 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 80 | 18 | 53 | 9 | 250 | 394 | 45 |
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.
Clarence Campbell Conference[]
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Black Hawks | 80 | 47 | 23 | 10 | 338 | 268 | 104 |
| Minnesota North Stars | 80 | 40 | 24 | 16 | 321 | 290 | 96 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 80 | 28 | 40 | 12 | 293 | 330 | 68 |
| St. Louis Blues | 80 | 25 | 40 | 15 | 285 | 316 | 65 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 80 | 21 | 44 | 15 | 263 | 344 | 57 |
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton Oilers | 80 | 47 | 21 | 12 | 424 | 315 | 106 |
| Calgary Flames | 80 | 32 | 34 | 14 | 321 | 316 | 78 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 80 | 30 | 35 | 15 | 303 | 309 | 75 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 80 | 33 | 39 | 8 | 311 | 333 | 74 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 80 | 27 | 41 | 12 | 308 | 365 | 66 |
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.
Scoring Leaders[]
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 80 | 71 | 125 | 196 | 59 |
| Peter Stastny | Quebec Nordiques | 75 | 47 | 77 | 124 | 78 |
| Denis Savard | Chicago Black Hawks | 78 | 35 | 86 | 121 | 99 |
| Mike Bossy | New York Islanders | 79 | 60 | 58 | 118 | 20 |
| Marcel Dionne | Los Angeles Kings | 80 | 56 | 51 | 107 | 22 |
| Barry Pederson | Boston Bruins | 77 | 46 | 61 | 107 | 47 |
| Mark Messier | Edmonton Oilers | 77 | 48 | 58 | 106 | 72 |
| Michel Goulet | Quebec Nordiques | 80 | 57 | 48 | 105 | 51 |
| Jari Kurri | Edmonton Oilers | 80 | 45 | 59 | 104 | 22 |
| Glenn Anderson | Edmonton Oilers | 72 | 48 | 56 | 104 | 70 |
| Kent Nilsson | Calgary Flames | 80 | 46 | 58 | 104 | 10 |
Leading Goaltenders[]
Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts
| Player | Team | GP | MIN | GA | GAA | W | L | T | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Peeters | Boston Bruins | 62 | 3611 | 142 | 2.36 | 40 | 11 | 9 | 8 |
| Bob Froese | Philadelphia Flyers | 25 | 1407 | 59 | 2.52 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Rollie Melanson | N.Y. Islanders | 44 | 2460 | 109 | 2.66 | 24 | 12 | 5 | 1 |
| Billy Smith | N.Y. Islanders | 41 | 2340 | 112 | 2.87 | 18 | 14 | 7 | 1 |
| Pelle Lindbergh | Philadelphia Flyers | 40 | 2333 | 116 | 2.98 | 23 | 13 | 3 | 3 |
| Murray Bannerman | Chicago Black Hawks | 41 | 2460 | 127 | 3.10 | 24 | 12 | 5 | 4 |
| Richard Sevigny | Montreal Canadiens | 38 | 2130 | 122 | 3.44 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 1 |
| Bob Sauve | Buffalo Sabres | 52 | 3110 | 179 | 3.45 | 25 | 20 | 7 | 1 |
| Eddie Mio | N.Y. Rangers | 41 | 2365 | 136 | 3.45 | 16 | 18 | 6 | 2 |
| Tony Esposito | Chicago Black Hawks | 39 | 2340 | 135 | 3.46 | 23 | 11 | 5 | 1 |
Stanley Cup Playoffs[]
Playoff Bracket[]
| Division Semifinals | Division Finals | Conference Finals | Finals | |||||||||||||||
| A1 | Boston Bruins | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| A4 | Quebec Nordiques | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Boston Bruins | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| A3 | Buffalo Sabres | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Montreal Canadiens | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| A3 | Buffalo Sabres | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Boston Bruins | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| P2 | New York Islanders | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| P1 | Philadelphia Flyers | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| P4 | New York Rangers | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| P4 | New York Rangers | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| P2 | New York Islanders | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| P2 | New York Islanders | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| P3 | Washington Capitals | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| P2 | New York Islanders | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| S1 | Edmonton Oilers | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| N1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| N4 | St. Louis Blues | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| N1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| N2 | Minnesota North Stars | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| N2 | Minnesota North Stars | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| N3 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| N1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| S1 | Edmonton Oilers | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| S1 | Edmonton Oilers | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| S4 | Winnipeg Jets | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| S1 | Edmonton Oilers | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| S2 | Calgary Flames | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| S2 | Calgary Flames | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| S3 | Vancouver Canucks | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
Finals[]
| Date | Visitors | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10 | New York | 2 | Edmonton | 0 | |
| May 12 | New York | 6 | Edmonton | 3 | |
| May 14 | Edmonton | 1 | New York | 5 | |
| May 16 | Edmonton | 2 | New York | 4 |
New York wins the series 4–0.
NHL Awards[]
| Prince of Wales Trophy: | New York Islanders |
| Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: | Edmonton Oilers |
| Art Ross Memorial Trophy: | Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers |
| Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: | Lanny McDonald, Calgary Flames |
| Calder Memorial Trophy: | Steve Larmer, Chicago Black Hawks |
| Conn Smythe Trophy: | Billy Smith, New York Islanders |
| Frank J. Selke Trophy: | Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia Flyers |
| Hart Memorial Trophy: | Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers |
| Jack Adams Award: | Orval Tessier, Chicago Black Hawks |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy: | Rod Langway, Washington Capitals |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: | Mike Bossy, New York Islanders |
| Lester B. Pearson Award: | Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers |
| NHL Plus/Minus Award: | Charlie Huddy, Edmonton Oilers |
| William M. Jennings Trophy: | Roland Melanson/Billy Smith, New York Islanders |
| Vezina Trophy: | Pete Peeters, Boston Bruins |
| Lester Patrick Trophy: | Bill Torrey |
All-Star Teams[]
| First Team | Position | Second Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pete Peeters, Boston Bruins | G | Roland Melanson, New York Islanders |
| Mark Howe, Philadelphia Flyers | D | Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins |
| Rod Langway, Washington Capitals | D | Paul Coffey, Edmonton Oilers |
| Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers | C | Denis Savard, Chicago Black Hawks |
| Mike Bossy, New York Islanders | RW | Lanny McDonald, Calgary Flames |
| Mark Messier, Edmonton Oilers | LW | Michel Goulet, Quebec Nordiques |
Debuts[]
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1982-83 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
- Gord Kluzak, Boston Bruins
- Dave Andreychuk, Buffalo Sabres
- Phil Housley, Buffalo Sabres
- Jamie Macoun, Calgary Flames
- Mike Vernon, Calgary Flames
- Murray Craven, Detroit Red Wings
- Brian Bellows, Minnesota North Stars
- Craig Ludwig, Montreal Canadiens
- Mats Naslund, Montreal Canadiens
- Pat Verbeek, New Jersey Devils
- Bob Froese, Philadelphia Flyers
- Dave Poulin, Philadelphia Flyers
- Ron Sutter, Philadelphia Flyers
- Rich Sutter, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Gary Leeman*, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Michel Petit, Vancouver Canucks
- Patrik Sundstrom, Vancouver Canucks
- Milan Novy, Washington Capitals
- Scott Stevens, Washington Capitals
- Brian Hayward, Winnipeg Jets
Last Games[]
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1982-83 (listed with their last team):
- Wayne Cashman, Boston Bruins
- Gilles Gilbert, Detroit Red Wings
- Reggie Leach, Detroit Red Wings
- Garry Unger, Edmonton Oilers
- Mike Murphy, Los Angeles Kings
- Rejean Houle, Montreal Canadiens
- Carol Vadnais, New Jersey Devils
- John Davidson, New York Rangers
- Ulf Nilsson, New York Rangers
- Ian Turnbull, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Jacques Richard, Quebec Nordiques
- Marc Tardif, Quebec Nordiques
- Vaclav Nedomansky, St. Louis Blues
- Ivan Hlinka, Vancouver Canucks
- Milan Novy, Washington Capitals
- Serge Savard, Winnipeg Jets
See Also[]
- List of Stanley Cup champions
- 1982 NHL Entry Draft
- 35th National Hockey League All-Star Game
- National Hockey League All-Star Game
- NHL All-Rookie Team
References[]
| 1982–83 NHL season by team | |
|---|---|
| Patrick | New Jersey • NY Islanders • NY Rangers • Philadelphia • Pittsburgh • Washington |
| Adams | Boston • Buffalo • Hartford • Montreal • Quebec |
| Norris | Chicago • Detroit • Minnesota • St. Louis • Toronto |
| Smythe | Calgary • Edmonton • Los Angeles • Winnipeg • Vancouver |
| See also | 1982 NHL Entry Draft • All-Star Game • 1983 Stanley Cup Finals |
| NHL Seasons |
|---|
|
1978-79 | 1979-80 | 1980-81 | 1981-82 | 1982-83 | 1983-84 | 1984-85 | 1985-86 | 1986-87 |
| National Hockey League | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||
| Structure | Playoffs (Streaks • Droughts • All-time playoff series) • Conference Finals • Finals |
|---|---|
| Annual events | Seasons • Stanley Cup (Champions • Winning players • Traditions and anecdotes) • Presidents' Trophy • All-Star Game • Draft • Awards • All-Star Teams |
| Players | List of players • Association • Retired jersey numbers • Captains |
| History | Lore • Organizational changes :: • Defunct teams • NHA • Original Six • 1967 Expansion • WHA Merger • Lockouts |
| Others | Outdoor games (Winter Classic • Heritage Classic • Stadium Series) • Potential expansion • Hall of Fame (Members) • Rivalries • Arenas • Rules • Fighting • Violence : International games • Kraft Hockeyville • Collective bargaining agreement • Television and radio coverage |
| Category • 2022–23 Season • 2023–24 Season • 2024–25 Season | |