1982–83 NHL season


The 1982–83 NHL season was the 66th season of the National Hockey League. The Colorado Rockies relocated to East Rutherford, New Jersey, becoming the New Jersey Devils. 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. It remains to date the last time that any major professional North American sports team has won four consecutive playoff championships.

League business

Franchise relocation

Prior the start of the season, the Colorado Rockies moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey where they were renamed New Jersey Devils, leaving Denver without an NHL franchise until 1995. They were also moved to the Patrick Division, forcing the reluctant Winnipeg Jets to leave the Norris Division and take Colorado's place in the Smythe Division. This would be the last relocation of an NHL team until 1993, and the last time a team would be transferred to a new division until 1993. The period between this move and the adding of the expansion San Jose Sharks in 1991 is the second-longest period of stability in league history, surpassed only by the Original Six era. After the season, the St. Louis Blues were sold to Harry Ornest after the NHL prevented Wild Bill Hunter from purchasing that team and moving it to Saskatoon.

Entry draft

The 1982 NHL entry draft was held on June 9, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. Gord Kluzak was selected first overall by the Boston Bruins.

Uniforms

At the end of the season, the long pants worn by the Philadelphia Flyers and Hartford Whalers were banned, due to player safety concerns.

Arenas

Regular season

The last remaining players from the Original Six era –Carol Vadnais, Serge Savard and Wayne Cashman–all retired after this season. Cashman was the last to play, losing in the Wales Conference Finals as a member of the Bruins.
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 set the previous year, for most goals in a season with 424 and were led by Wayne Gretzky's 196 points. The Oilers also tied the Boston Bruins' 1970–71 record for most 100-point players in one season as Wayne Gretzky, Glenn Anderson, Jari Kurri, and Mark Messier all scored more than 100 points.
The Washington Capitals qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Playoffs

Bracket

The top four teams in each division qualified for the playoffs. In the division semifinals, the fourth seeded team in each division played against the division winner from their division. The other series matched the second and third place teams from the divisions. The two winning teams from each division's semifinals then met in the division finals. The two division winners of each conference then played in the conference finals. The two conference winners then advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.
In the division semifinals, teams competed in a best-of-five series. In the other three rounds, teams competed in a best-of-seven series.

Awards

All-Star teams

Source: NHL.

Player statistics

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points
PlayerTeamGPGAPtsPIM
Wayne GretzkyEdmonton Oilers807112519659
Peter StastnyQuebec Nordiques75477712478
Denis SavardChicago Black Hawks78358612199
Mike BossyNew York Islanders79605811820
Marcel DionneLos Angeles Kings80565110722
Barry PedersonBoston Bruins77466110747
Mark MessierEdmonton Oilers77485810672
Michel GouletQuebec Nordiques80574810551
Glenn AndersonEdmonton Oilers72485610470
Kent NilssonCalgary Flames80465810410
Jari KurriEdmonton Oilers80455910422

Source: NHL.

Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage
PlayerTeamGPMINGAGAAWLTSOSV%
Pete PeetersBoston Bruins6236111422.36401198.904
Bob FroesePhiladelphia Flyers251407592.5217424.896
Rollie MelansonN.Y. Islanders4424601092.66241251.910
Billy SmithN.Y. Islanders4123401122.87181471.906
Pelle LindberghPhiladelphia Flyers4023331162.98231333.891
Murray BannermanChicago Black Hawks4124601273.10241254.901
Richard SevignyMontreal Canadiens3821301223.44151181.883
Bob SauveBuffalo Sabres5231101793.45252071.872
Eddie MioN.Y. Rangers4123651363.45161862.883
Tony EspositoChicago Black Hawks3923401353.46231151.888

Coaches

Patrick Division

Adams Division

Norris Division

Smythe Division

Milestones

Debuts

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1982–83 :

Last games

The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1982–83 :

Broadcasting

Hockey Night in Canada on CBC Television televised Saturday night regular season games and Stanley Cup playoff games.
This was the first season of the league's U.S. national broadcast rights deal with USA, covering a slate of regular season games and selected playoff games.