The 1983-84 NHL season was the 67th season of the National Hockey League. Twenty-one teams each played 80 games. The Edmonton Oilers de-throned the four-time defending Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders four games to one in the Cup finals.
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. If the game remained tied after the five minute extra period, it remained a tie, until the NHL shootout arrived in the 2005-06 season. Overtime in the Stanley Cup playoffs remained unchanged.
Regular Season[]
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 re-writing the record book with his name. This season saw Gretzky score at least one point in the first 51 games of the season, a mark that is often compared to Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak in Major League Baseball. During those 51 games, Gretzky had 61 goals and 92 assists for 153 points, which is exactly three points a game. He also won his fifth straight Hart Trophy and his fourth straight Art Ross Trophy.
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Paul Coffey becomes the third defenseman to score 100 points in a season.
The Calgary Flames play their inaugural season at the Olympic Saddledome (later the Canadian Airlines Saddledome, now the Pengrowth Saddledome).
Prior to the season, the St. Louis Blues were purchased by Harry Ornest, keeping the team from moving to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and remaining in the Missouri city, where it remains to this date.
Final Standings[]
Prince of Wales Conference[]
| 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 |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota North Stars | 80 | 39 | 31 | 10 | 345 | 344 | 88 |
| St. Louis Blues | 80 | 32 | 41 | 17 | 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 |
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 | 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 |
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 | 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 | 76 | 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 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Riggin | Washington Capitals | 41 | 2299 | 102 | 2.66 | 21 | 14 | 2 | 4 |
| Tom Barrasso | Buffalo Sabres | 42 | 2475 | 117 | 2.84 | 26 | 12 | 3 | 2 |
| Al Jensen | Washington Capitals | 43 | 2414 | 117 | 2.91 | 25 | 13 | 3 | 4 |
| Doug Keans | Boston Bruins | 33 | 1779 | 92 | 3.10 | 19 | 8 | 3 | 2 |
| Bob Froese | Philadelphia Flyers | 48 | 2863 | 150 | 3.14 | 28 | 13 | 7 | 2 |
| Pete Peeters | Boston Bruins | 50 | 2868 | 151 | 3.16 | 29 | 16 | 2 | 0 |
| Dan Bouchard | Quebec Nordiques | 57 | 3373 | 180 | 3.20 | 29 | 18 | 8 | 1 |
| Roland Melanson | N.Y. Islanders | 37 | 2019 | 110 | 3.27 | 20 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Richard Sevigny | Montreal Canadiens | 40 | 2203 | 124 | 3.38 | 16 | 18 | 2 | 1 |
| Murray Bannerman | Chicago Black Hawks | 56 | 3335 | 188 | 3.38 | 23 | 29 | 4 | 2 |
Stanley Cup Playoffs[]
Playoff Bracket[]
| Division Semifinals | Division Finals | Conference Finals | Stanley Cup Finals | |||||||||||||||
| A1 | Boston Bruins | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| A4 | Montreal Canadiens | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| A4 | Montreal Canadiens | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| A3 | Quebec Nordiques | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Buffalo Sabres | |||||||||||||||||
| A3 | Quebec Nordiques | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| A4 | Montreal Canadiens | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| P1 | New York Islanders | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| P1 | New York Islanders | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| P4 | New York Rangers | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| P1 | New York Islanders | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| P2 | Washington Capitals | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| P2 | Washington Capitals | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| P3 | Philadelphia Flyers | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| P1 | New York Islanders | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| S1 | Edmonton Oilers | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| N1 | Minnesota North Stars | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| N4 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| N1 | Minnesota North Stars | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| N2 | St. Louis Blues | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| N2 | St. Louis Blues | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| N3 | Detroit Red Wings | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| N1 | Minnesota North Stars | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| S1 | Edmonton Oilers | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| S1 | Edmonton Oilers | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| S4 | Winnipeg Jets | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| S1 | Edmonton Oilers | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| S2 | Calgary Flames | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| S2 | Calgary Flames | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| S3 | Vancouver Canucks | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
Finals[]
| Edmonton Oilers vs. New York Islanders | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
| Edmonton | 1 | New York | 0 | |
| Edmonton | 1 | New York | 6 | |
| New York | 2 | Edmonton | 7 | |
| New York | 2 | Edmonton | 7 | |
| New York | 2 | Edmonton | 5 | |
Edmonton wins series 4–1 and Stanley Cup
Mark Messier (Edmonton) wins Conn Smythe Trophy
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: | Brad Park, Detroit Red Wings |
| Calder Memorial Trophy: | Tom Barrasso, Buffalo Sabres |
| Conn Smythe Trophy: | Mark Messier, Edmonton Oilers |
| Frank J. Selke Trophy: | Doug Jarvis, Washington Capitals |
| Hart Memorial Trophy: | Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers |
| Jack Adams Award: | Bryan Murray, Washington Capitals |
| 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: | Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers |
| William M. Jennings Trophy: | Al Jensen/Pat Riggin, Washington Capitals |
| Vezina Trophy: | Tom Barrasso, Buffalo Sabres |
| Lester Patrick Trophy: | John A. Ziegler, Jr., Arthur Howie Ross |
All-Star Teams[]
| 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 |
Debuts[]
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):
- Geoff Courtnall, Boston Bruins
- Tom Barrasso, Buffalo Sabres
- Hakan Loob, Calgary Flames
- Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings
- Sylvain Turgeon, Hartford Whalers
- Bob Rouse, Minnesota North Stars
- Brian Lawton, Minnesota North Stars
- Dirk Graham, Minnesota North Stars
- Chris Chelios, Montreal Canadiens
- Claude Lemieux, Montreal Canadiens
- John MacLean, New Jersey Devils
- Ken Daneyko, New Jersey Devils
- Patrick Flatley, New York Islanders
- Kelly Hrudey, New York Islanders
- Pat LaFontaine, New York Islanders
- Peter Sundstrom, New York Rangers
- James Patrick, New York Rangers
- Marty McSorley, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Doug Gilmour, St. Louis Blues
- Russ Courtnall, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Doug Lidster, Vancouver Canucks
- Cam Neely, Vancouver Canucks
Last Games[]
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):
- Guy Lapointe, Boston Bruins
- Tony Esposito, Chicago Black Hawks
- Rick MacLeish, Detroit Red Wings
- Billy Harris, Los Angeles Kings
- Blaine Stoughton, New York Rangers
- Bill Barber, Philadelphia Flyers
- Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia Flyers
- Guy Chouinard, St. Louis Blues
- Michel Larocque, St. Louis Blues
- Dale McCourt, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Darcy Rota, Vancouver Canucks
See Also[]
- List of Stanley Cup champions
- 1983 NHL Entry Draft
- 36th National Hockey League All-Star Game
- National Hockey League All-Star Game
- NHL All-Rookie Team
References[]
| 1983–84 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 | 1983 NHL Entry Draft • All-Star Game • 1984 Stanley Cup Finals |
| NHL Seasons |
|---|
|
1979-80 | 1980-81 | 1981-82 | 1982-83 | 1983-84 | 1984-85 | 1985-86 | 1986-87 | 1987-88 |
| 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 | |