1986–87 NHL season
The 1986–87 NHL season was the 70th season of the National Hockey League. The Edmonton Oilers won the Stanley Cup by beating the Philadelphia Flyers four games to three in the Cup finals.
| 1986–87 NHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | October 9, 1986 – May 31, 1987 |
| Number of games | 80 |
| Number of teams | 21 |
| TV partner(s) | CBC, Canwest/Global, SRC (Canada) ESPN (United States) |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Joe Murphy |
| Picked by | Detroit Red Wings |
| Regular season | |
| Presidents' Trophy | Edmonton Oilers |
| Season MVP | Wayne Gretzky (Oilers) |
| Top scorer | Wayne Gretzky (Oilers) |
| Playoffs | |
| Playoffs MVP | Ron Hextall (Flyers) |
| Stanley Cup | |
| Champions | Edmonton Oilers |
| Runners-up | Philadelphia Flyers |
League business
The Chicago-based club officially changed their name from the two-worded "Black Hawks" to the one-worded "Blackhawks" based on the spelling found in their original franchise documents.[1]
Regular season
The Oilers won their second straight Presidents' Trophy as the top team and Wayne Gretzky won his eighth straight Hart Memorial Trophy and his seventh straight Art Ross Trophy.[2]
On November 26, 1986, Toronto's Borje Salming was accidentally cut in the face by a skate, requiring more than 200 stitches. It was the third injury to his face and Salming returned to play wearing a visor.[3]
On January 22, 1987, a massive blizzard resulted in only 334 spectators attending the game between the New Jersey Devils and the Calgary Flames at the Brendan Byrne Arena, leading to the Devils dubbing the spectators the "334 Club".[4][5]
On April 4, 1987, the Islanders' captain Denis Potvin became the first NHL defenceman to reach 1000 points. A shot by the Islanders' Mikko Makela deflected in off Potvin's arm in a 6–6 shootout between the Islanders and Sabres.[6]
Final standings
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes
Prince of Wales Conference
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford Whalers | 80 | 43 | 30 | 7 | 287 | 270 | 93 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 80 | 41 | 29 | 10 | 277 | 241 | 92 |
| Boston Bruins | 80 | 39 | 34 | 7 | 301 | 276 | 85 |
| Quebec Nordiques | 80 | 31 | 39 | 10 | 267 | 276 | 72 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 80 | 28 | 44 | 8 | 280 | 308 | 64 |
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Flyers | 80 | 46 | 26 | 8 | 310 | 245 | 100 |
| Washington Capitals | 80 | 38 | 32 | 10 | 285 | 278 | 86 |
| New York Islanders | 80 | 35 | 33 | 12 | 279 | 281 | 82 |
| New York Rangers | 80 | 34 | 38 | 8 | 307 | 323 | 76 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 80 | 30 | 38 | 12 | 297 | 290 | 72 |
| New Jersey Devils | 80 | 29 | 45 | 6 | 293 | 368 | 64 |
Clarence Campbell Conference
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Blues | 80 | 32 | 33 | 15 | 281 | 293 | 79 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 80 | 34 | 36 | 10 | 260 | 274 | 78 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 80 | 29 | 37 | 14 | 290 | 310 | 72 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 80 | 32 | 42 | 6 | 286 | 319 | 70 |
| Minnesota North Stars | 80 | 30 | 40 | 10 | 296 | 314 | 70 |
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton Oilers | 80 | 50 | 24 | 6 | 372 | 284 | 106 |
| Calgary Flames | 80 | 46 | 31 | 3 | 318 | 289 | 95 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 80 | 40 | 32 | 8 | 279 | 271 | 88 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 80 | 31 | 41 | 8 | 318 | 341 | 70 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 80 | 29 | 43 | 8 | 282 | 314 | 66 |
Playoffs
In an attempt to reduce the number of first round upsets, the NHL expanded the best-of-five series in the first round to a best-of-seven series.
Playoff bracket
| Division semifinals | Division finals | Conference finals | Stanley Cup Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Hartford | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| A4 | Quebec | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| A4 | Quebec | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Montreal | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Montreal | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| A3 | Boston | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Montreal | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Prince of Wales Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| P1 | Philadelphia | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| P1 | Philadelphia | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| P4 | NY Rangers | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| P1 | Philadelphia | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| P3 | NY Islanders | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| P2 | Washington | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| P3 | NY Islanders | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| P1 | Philadelphia | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| S1 | Edmonton | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| N1 | St. Louis | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| N4 | Toronto | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| N4 | Toronto | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| N2 | Detroit | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| N2 | Detroit | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| N3 | Chicago | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| N2 | Detroit | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Clarence Campbell Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| S1 | Edmonton | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| S1 | Edmonton | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| S4 | Los Angeles | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| S1 | Edmonton | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| S3 | Winnipeg | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| S2 | Calgary | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| S3 | Winnipeg | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
Stanley Cup Finals
The Oilers and Flyers met again in the final for the second time in three years. This time, Edmonton was the regular season champion with 50 wins and 106 points, and Philadelphia was second with 46 wins and 100 points. Unlike the 1985 final, this series would go the full seven games. Edmonton took the first two games at home, then split in Philadelphia. However, the Flyers won the next two games, one in Edmonton and one back in Philadelphia by one goal, to force a deciding seventh game. Edmonton won game seven to earn its third Stanley Cup in four seasons. This was the first final to go seven games, since 1971.
| May 17 | Philadelphia Flyers | 2–4 | Edmonton Oilers | Northlands Coliseum | ||||
| May 20 | Philadelphia Flyers | 2–3 | OT | Edmonton Oilers | Northlands Coliseum | |||
| May 22 | Edmonton Oilers | 3–5 | Philadelphia Flyers | Spectrum | ||||
| May 24 | Edmonton Oilers | 4–1 | Philadelphia Flyers | Spectrum | ||||
| May 26 | Philadelphia Flyers | 4–3 | Edmonton Oilers | Northlands Coliseum | ||||
| May 28 | Edmonton Oilers | 2–3 | Philadelphia Flyers | Spectrum | ||||
| May 31 | Philadelphia Flyers | 1–3 | Edmonton Oilers | Northlands Coliseum | ||||
| Edmonton won series 4–3 | |
Awards
| 1987 NHL awards | |
|---|---|
| Presidents' Trophy: Team with most points, regular season | Edmonton Oilers |
| Prince of Wales Trophy: (Wales Conference playoff champion) | Philadelphia Flyers |
| Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: (Campbell Conference playoff champion) | Edmonton Oilers |
| Art Ross Trophy: (Top scorer, regular season) | Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers |
| Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: (Perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication) | Doug Jarvis, Hartford Whalers |
| Calder Memorial Trophy: (Best first-year player) | Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings |
| Conn Smythe Trophy: (Most valuable player, playoffs) | Ron Hextall, Philadelphia Flyers |
| Frank J. Selke Trophy: (Best defensive forward) | Dave Poulin, Philadelphia Flyers |
| Hart Memorial Trophy: (Most valuable player, regular season) | Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers |
| Jack Adams Award: (Best coach) | Jacques Demers, Detroit Red Wings |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy: (Best defenceman) | Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: (Excellence and sportsmanship) | Joe Mullen, Calgary Flames |
| Lester B. Pearson Award: (Outstanding player, regular season) | Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers |
| NHL Plus/Minus Award: (Player with best plus/minus record) | Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers |
| William M. Jennings Trophy: (Goaltender(s) of team(s) with best goaltending record) | Patrick Roy/Brian Hayward, Montreal Canadiens |
| Vezina Trophy: (Best goaltender) | Ron Hextall, Philadelphia Flyers |
| Lester Patrick Trophy: (Service to hockey in the U.S.) | Hobey Baker, Frank Mathers |
All-Star teams
Source: NHL[8]
Player statistics
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes, PPG = Powerplay Goals, SHG = Shorthanded Goals, GWG = Game Winning Goals
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG | GWG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 79 | 62 | 121 | 183 | 28 | +70 | 13 | 7 | 4 |
| Jari Kurri | Edmonton Oilers | 79 | 54 | 54 | 108 | 41 | +35 | 12 | 5 | 10 |
| Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | 63 | 54 | 53 | 107 | 57 | +13 | 19 | 0 | 4 |
| Mark Messier | Edmonton Oilers | 77 | 37 | 70 | 107 | 73 | +21 | 7 | 4 | 5 |
| Doug Gilmour | St. Louis Blues | 80 | 42 | 63 | 105 | 58 | -2 | 17 | 1 | 2 |
| Dino Ciccarelli | Minnesota North Stars | 80 | 52 | 51 | 103 | 88 | +10 | 22 | 0 | 5 |
| Dale Hawerchuk | Winnipeg Jets | 80 | 47 | 53 | 100 | 52 | +3 | 10 | 0 | 4 |
| Michel Goulet | Quebec Nordiques | 75 | 49 | 47 | 96 | 61 | -12 | 17 | 0 | 6 |
| Tim Kerr | Philadelphia Flyers | 75 | 58 | 37 | 95 | 57 | +38 | 26 | 0 | 10 |
| Ray Bourque | Boston Bruins | 78 | 23 | 72 | 95 | 36 | +44 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
Source: NHL.[9]
Leading goaltenders
Minimum 2000 min. GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; Sv% = Save percentage[10]
| Goalie | Team | GP | Min | W | L | T | SO | GAA | Sv% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Hayward | Montreal Canadiens | 37 | 2178 | 19 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 2.81 | .894 |
| Patrick Roy | Montreal Canadiens | 46 | 2686 | 22 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 2.94 | .892 |
| Ron Hextall | Philadelphia Flyers | 66 | 3799 | 37 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 3.00 | .902 |
| Pete Peeters | Washington Capitals | 37 | 2002 | 17 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 3.21 | .885 |
| Mike Liut | Hartford Whalers | 59 | 3476 | 31 | 22 | 5 | 4 | 3.23 | .885 |
| Eldon Reddick | Winnipeg Jets | 48 | 2762 | 21 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 3.24 | .881 |
| Bob Mason | Washington Capitals | 45 | 2536 | 20 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 3.24 | .890 |
| Kelly Hrudey | New York Islanders | 46 | 2634 | 25 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 3.30 | .881 |
| Bill Ranford | Boston Bruins | 41 | 2231 | 16 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 3.33 | .891 |
| Clint Malarchuk | Quebec Nordiques | 54 | 3092 | 18 | 26 | 9 | 1 | 3.40 | .884 |
Coaches
Patrick Division
- New Jersey Devils: Doug Carpenter
- New York Islanders: Terry Simpson
- New York Rangers: Tom Webster
- Philadelphia Flyers: Mike Keenan
- Pittsburgh Penguins: Bob Berry
- Washington Capitals: Bryan Murray
Adams Division
- Boston Bruins: Terry O'Reilly
- Buffalo Sabres: Scotty Bowman and Craig Ramsay
- Hartford Whalers: Jack Evans
- Montreal Canadiens: Jean Perron
- Quebec Nordiques: Michel Bergeron
Norris Division
- Chicago Blackhawks: Bob Pulford
- Detroit Red Wings: Jacques Demers
- Minnesota North Stars: Lorne Henning and Glen Sonmor
- St. Louis Blues: Jacques Martin
- Toronto Maple Leafs: John Brophy
Smythe Division
- Calgary Flames: Bob Johnson
- Edmonton Oilers: Glen Sather
- Los Angeles Kings: Pat Quinn and Mike Murphy
- Vancouver Canucks: Tom Watt
- Winnipeg Jets: Dan Maloney
Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1986–87 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
- Gary Roberts, Calgary Flames
- Joe Nieuwendyk, Calgary Flames
- Dave Manson, Chicago Blackhawks
- Joe Murphy, Detroit Red Wings
- Steve Chiasson, Detroit Red Wings
- Kelly Buchberger*, Edmonton Oilers
- Jimmy Carson, Los Angeles Kings
- Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings
- Steve Duchesne, Los Angeles Kings
- Craig Berube, Philadelphia Flyers
- Ron Hextall, Philadelphia Flyers
- Vincent Damphousse, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Fredrik Olausson, Winnipeg Jets
Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1986–87 (listed with their last team):
- Thomas Gradin, Boston Bruins
- Mike Milbury, Boston Bruins
- Lee Fogolin, Buffalo Sabres
- Don Lever, Buffalo Sabres
- Gilbert Perreault, Buffalo Sabres
- Phil Russell, Buffalo Sabres
- Doug Risebrough, Calgary Flames
- Murray Bannerman, Chicago Blackhawks
- Darryl Sutter, Chicago Blackhawks
- Danny Gare, Edmonton Oilers
- Wayne Babych, Hartford Whalers
- Peter McNab, New Jersey Devils
- Mike Bossy, New York Islanders
- Chico Resch, Philadelphia Flyers (Last player born in the 1940s)
Broadcasting
In Canada, the Molson-sponsored Hockey Night in Canada on CBC continued to air Saturday night regular season games, but sponsor Carling-O'Keefe's rights fell into limbo after CTV pulled out of its sub-license prior to the season.[11] Things became problematic when the 1987 Stanley Cup playoffs opened with Carling O'Keefe still without a network. The problems peaked when the Montreal–Quebec second-round playoff series opened without Molson being allowed to broadcast from Quebec City, leaving Games 3 and 4 off of English-language television altogether. This led to a hastily arranged syndicated package on a chain of channels[12] that would one day form the basis of the Global Television Network. The deal between Carling O'Keefe and the Canwest/Global consortium (with a few CBC and CTV affiliates sprinkled in for good measure) came just in time for Game 6 of the Montreal-Quebec series on April 30. These Carling O'Keefe/Canwest/Global broadcasts were aired under the name Stanley Cup '87.
This was the second season of the league's three-year U.S. national broadcast rights deal with ESPN. The contract called for the network to air up to 33 regular season games each season as well as the All-Star Game and the playoffs.[13][14][15][16]
See also
References
- Notes
- Diamond, Dan (1991). The Official National Hockey League 75th anniversary commemorative book. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart. pp. 291. ISBN 0-7710-6727-5
- Fischler et al. 2003, p. 483.
- Fischler et al. 2003, p. 485.
- Boylen, Rory. "When 334 fans showed up for Devils-Flames game". www.sportsnet.ca. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
- Politi, Steve. "Remembering the night 334 fans watched the Devils play in a blizzard 30 years ago". www.nj.com. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- Fischler et al. 2003, p. 482.
- Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 153. ISBN 9781894801225.
- Dinger 2011, p. 229.
- Dinger 2011, p. 153.
- NHL Leading Goaltenders During 1986-87 Season | QuantHockey.com
- Matsumoto, Rick (August 5, 1987). "Brian Propp determined to make Team Canada". Toronto Star. p. F1.
- McKee, Ken (May 6, 1987). "No game for fans in north". Toronto Star. p. C4.
- Strachan, Al (July 30, 1985). "ESPN acquires NHL games Backroom bickering in TV deal". The Globe and Mail.
- Mulligan, Kevin (July 26, 1985). "NHL Finds a Home at ESPN". Philadelphia Daily News.
- Strachan, Al (July 30, 1985). "ESPN acquires NHL games Backroom bickering in TV deal". The Globe and Mail.
- Mulligan, Kevin (July 26, 1985). "NHL Finds a Home at ESPN". Philadelphia Daily News.
- Bibliography
- Diamond, Dan, ed. (2008). Total Stanley Cup 2008. NHL.
- Diamond, Dan, ed. (2000). Total Hockey. Kingston, NY: Total Sports. ISBN 1-892129-85-X.
- 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, IL: Publications International Inc. ISBN 0-7853-9624-1.