1980–81 NHL transactions
The following is a list of all team-to-team transactions that occurred in the National Hockey League during the 1980–81 NHL season. It lists what team each player was traded to, signed by, or claimed by, and for which player or draft pick, if applicable.
Trades between teams
May
| May 26, 1980 | To Quebec Nordiques cash | To Winnipeg Jets Barry Legge |
June
- Toronto's third-round pick went to Washington as the result of a trade on June 11, 1980 that sent Tim Coulis, Robert Picard and a second-round pick in the 1980 Entry Draft to Toronto in exchange for Mike Palmateer and this pick.
July
| July 1, 1980 | To Calgary Flames cash | To Washington Capitals Jean Pronovost |
| July 4, 1980 | To Minnesota North Stars future considerations | To New York Islanders Alex Pirus |
| July 15, 1980 | To Boston Bruins Rogatien Vachon | To Detroit Red Wings Gilles Gilbert |
August
| August 6, 1980 | To Winnipeg Jets cash | To New York Rangers Gord Smith |
| August 11, 1980 | To Quebec Nordiques John Paddock | To Philadelphia Flyers cash |
| August 21, 1980 | To Washington Capitals Bob Kelly | To Philadelphia Flyers 3rd-rd pick - 1982 entry draft |
September
| September 1, 1980 | To Montreal Canadiens Dave Gorman | To Calgary Flames Tim Burke |
| September 4, 1980 | To Hartford Whalers cash | To Colorado Rockies Al Smith |
| September 15, 1980 | To Quebec Nordiques Andre Dupont | To Philadelphia Flyers 7th-rd pick - 1981 entry draft cash |
| September 26, 1980 | To Montreal Canadiens Canadiens option to swap 3rd-rd pick - 1983 entry draft1 2 | To Pittsburgh Penguins Gilles Lupien |
| September 26, 1980 | To Montreal Canadiens 2nd-rd pick - 1982 entry draft | To Winnipeg Jets Norm Dupont |
- Montreal exercised the option and swap the 58th pick for the 43rd overall pick in 1983.
- Montreal's third-round pick went to Winnipeg with $50,000 cash as compensation to allow Montreal to hire Serge Savard as the new general manager on April 28, 1983.
October
| October 6, 1980 | To Vancouver Canucks Richard Brodeur 5th-rd pick - 1981 entry draft | To New York Islanders 5th-rd pick - 1981 entry draft |
| October 8, 1980 | To Quebec Nordiques cash | To Winnipeg Jets Danny Geoffrion |
| October 9, 1980 | To Calgary Flames Alex McKendry | To New York Islanders 3rd-rd pick - 1981 entry draft |
| October 30, 1980 | To Buffalo Sabres Bob Hess 4th-rd pick - 1981 entry draft | To St. Louis Blues Bill Stewart |
| October 31, 1980 | To Detroit Red Wings cash | To Winnipeg Jets Barry Long |
November
- Philadelphia's second-round pick went to Toronto as the result of a trade on January 20, 1982 that sent Darryl Sittler to Philadelphia in exchange for Rich Costello, future considerations and this pick.
December
| December 1, 1980 | To Chicago Black Hawks Peter Marsh | To Winnipeg Jets Doug Lecuyer Tim Trimper |
| December 2, 1980 | To Toronto Maple Leafs cash | To Winnipeg Jets Richard Mulhern |
| December 4, 1980 | To Toronto Maple Leafs Jim Rutherford | To Detroit Red Wings Mark Kirton |
| December 8, 1980 | To Colorado Rockies cash | To Vancouver Canucks Mike Christie |
| December 12, 1980 | To Los Angeles Kings cash | To Quebec Nordiques Ron Grahame |
| December 16, 1980 | To Hartford Whalers Mike Fidler | To Minnesota North Stars Gordie Roberts |
| December 18, 1980 | To Boston Bruins Mike O'Connell | To Chicago Black Hawks Al Secord |
| December 26, 1980 | To Washington Capitals Dwayne Lowdermilk | To New York Islanders future considerations |
| December 29, 1980 | To Minnesota North Stars Ken Solheim 2nd-rd pick - 1981 entry draft | To Chicago Black Hawks Glen Sharpley |
January
| January 2, 1981 | To Washington Capitals 5th-rd pick - 1981 entry draft | To Pittsburgh Penguins Gary Rissling |
| January 8, 1981 | To Detroit Red Wings Gary McAdam | To Pittsburgh Penguins Errol Thompson |
| January 15, 1981 | To Hartford Whalers 5th-rd pick - 1981 entry draft | To New York Rangers Nick Fotiu |
| January 30, 1981 | To Toronto Maple Leafs Rene Robert | To Colorado Rockies 3rd-rd pick - 1981 entry draft |
| January 30, 1981 | To Quebec Nordiques Dan Bouchard | To Calgary Flames Jamie Hislop |
February
| February, 1981 exact date unknown | To Hartford Whalers John Stewart | To Calgary Flames future considerations |
| February 2, 1981 | To Minnesota North Stars future considerations1 | To Edmonton Oilers Gary Edwards |
| February 3, 1981 | To Calgary Flames Dan Labraaten | To Detroit Red Wings Earl Ingarfield Jr. |
| February 10, 1981 | To Quebec Nordiques cash | To Winnipeg Jets Michel Dion |
| February 17, 1981 | To Montreal Canadiens 2nd-rd pick - 1983 entry draft | To Los Angeles Kings Rick Chartraw |
| February 18, 1981 | To Boston Bruins Mike Gillis | To Colorado Rockies Bob Miller |
| February 18, 1981 | To Toronto Maple Leafs Ron Sedlbauer | To Chicago Black Hawks cash |
| February 20, 1981 | To Hartford Whalers Gilles Lupien | To Pittsburgh Penguins 6th-rd pick - 1981 entry draft |
| February 24, 1981 | To Calgary Flames future considerations2 | To Detroit Red Wings Brad Smith |
| February 26, 1981 | To Colorado Rockies Phil Myre | To Philadelphia Flyers cash |
- Trade completed on June 9, 1982, at the 1982 NHL entry draft.
- Trade completed on May 28, 1981.
March
- Trading Deadline: March 10, 1981
- Trade completed on May 12, 1981.
- Montreal exercised the option and swap the 74th pick for the 65th overall pick in 1984.
Additional sources
- - search for player and select "show trades"