1997–98 NHL season


The 1997–98 NHL season was the 81st regular season of the National Hockey League. For the first time, there was a break in the regular season to allow NHL players join their respective national hockey teams competing at the Winter Olympics. The Hartford Whalers relocated to North Carolina, becoming the Carolina Hurricanes. The Stanley Cup champions were the Detroit Red Wings, who swept the Washington Capitals in four games.

League business

Approval of four expansion teams

On June 25, 1997, the National Hockey League approved of four expansion franchises for Nashville, Atlanta, Columbus, and Saint Paul expanding the league to 30 teams by 2000. These franchises became the Nashville Predators in 1998, the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999, and the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild in 2000.
To accommodate the incoming expansion teams, 1997–98 became the last season of the four-division quasi-geographic alignment inherited from the traditional Adams/Patrick/Norris/Smythe set. The league would change the following season to a six-division, more purely geographic alignment, with the Toronto Maple Leafs moving from the Western to Eastern Conference, among others.

Franchise relocation

The Hartford Whalers relocated to North Carolina, becoming the Carolina Hurricanes. They would remain in the Northeast Division until realignment the following season. It would be another 14 years before another NHL team would relocate.

Entry draft

The 1997 NHL entry draft was held at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 21. Joe Thornton was selected first overall by the Boston Bruins.

Rule changes

Due to the retirement of Craig MacTavish after the 1996–97 season, all NHL players were now required to wear helmets. MacTavish was the last helmetless player remaining in the league to be grandfathered in to 1979–80 rules requiring incoming players to wear helmets.

Arena changes

First international regular season games

The Vancouver Canucks and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim opened the season with a two-game series at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan, on October 3 and 4, 1997, the first time the NHL played regular games outside of North America.

Olympics and new All-Star Game format

This was the first time that the NHL took a break during the regular season to allow NHL players join their respective national hockey teams competing at the Winter Olympics. The league's break lasted 17 days from February 8 to 24 while NHL players participated at the men's hockey event at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
As a preview for the NHL's first Olympic participation, a new format was introduced at the 1998 All-Star Game at General Motors Place in Vancouver, the home to the Vancouver Canucks, on January 18. The league had the all-star teams consist of a team of North Americans playing against a team of players from the rest of the world.

Highlights

The all-time record for most shutouts in a season, set at 127 just a year earlier, was broken again as 160 shutouts were recorded, 13 of which were earned by Dominik Hasek, who set a League record with 11 teams shut-out. He zeroed the New York Rangers three times, and Los Angeles, Anaheim, Tampa Bay, Boston, Calgary, Washington, Montreal, Ottawa, Pittsburgh and Edmonton once each. Only two teams, the St. Louis Blues and the Detroit Red Wings, averaged more than three goals scored per game. In addition, only one player, Jaromir Jagr, reached the 100-point plateau during the regular season.
Jari Kurri reached 600 goals in his career, finishing with 601.
For the first time since 1968–69 season, the Chicago Blackhawks missed the playoffs.

Final standings

;Eastern Conference
;Western Conference

Playoffs

Bracket

The top eight teams in each conference made the playoffs, with the two division winners seeded 1–2 based on regular season records, and the six remaining teams seeded 3–8. In each round, teams competed in a best-of-seven series. The NHL used "re-seeding" instead of a fixed bracket playoff system. During the first three rounds, the highest remaining seed in each conference was matched against the lowest remaining seed, the second-highest remaining seed played the second-lowest remaining seed, and so forth. The higher-seeded team was awarded home-ice advantage. The two conference winners then advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Awards

The NHL Awards took place in Toronto, Ontario
Presidents' Trophy:Dallas Stars
Prince of Wales Trophy:
Washington Capitals
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl:
Detroit Red Wings
Art Ross Trophy:Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy:Jamie McLennan, St. Louis Blues
Calder Memorial Trophy:Sergei Samsonov, Boston Bruins
Frank J. Selke Trophy:Jere Lehtinen, Dallas Stars
Hart Memorial Trophy:Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres
Conn Smythe Trophy:Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings
Jack Adams Award:Pat Burns, Boston Bruins
James Norris Memorial Trophy:Rob Blake, Los Angeles Kings
King Clancy Memorial Trophy:Kelly Chase, St. Louis Blues
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy:Ron Francis, Pittsburgh Penguins
Lester B. Pearson Award:Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres
NHL Foundation Player Award:Kelly Chase, St. Louis Blues
NHL Plus-Minus Award:Chris Pronger, St. Louis Blues
Vezina Trophy:Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres
William M. Jennings Trophy:Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils

All-Star teams

Player statistics

Scoring leaders

Note: ''GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points''

Leading goaltenders

Regular season
PlayerTeamGPMINGASOGAASV%
Ed BelfourDallas65358111291.88.916
Martin BrodeurNew Jersey704128130101.89.917
Tom BarrassoPittsburgh63354212272.07.922
Dominik HasekBuffalo724220147132.09.932
Ron HextallPhiladelphia4626889742.17.911
Trevor KiddCarolina4726859732.17.922
Jamie McLennanSt. Louis3016586022.17.903
Jeff HackettChicago58344112682.20.917
Olaf KolzigWashington64378813952.20.920
Chris OsgoodDetroit64380714062.21.913

Coaches

Eastern Conference

Debuts

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1997–98 :
  • Matt Cullen, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
  • Joe Thornton, Boston Bruins
  • Sergei Samsonov, Boston Bruins
  • Derek Morris, Calgary Flames
  • Olli Jokinen, Los Angeles Kings
  • Sheldon Souray, New Jersey Devils
  • Zdeno Chara, New York Islanders
  • Marc Savard, New York Rangers
  • Chris Phillips, Ottawa Senators
  • Marian Hossa, Ottawa Senators
  • Daniel Briere, Phoenix Coyotes
  • Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks
  • Mattias Ohlund, Vancouver Canucks

    Last games

The following is a list of players of note who played their last game in the NHL in 1997–98 :
  • Brent Sutter, Chicago Blackhawks
  • Jari Kurri, Colorado Avalanche
  • Slava Fetisov, Detroit Red Wings
  • Kevin Lowe, Edmonton Oilers
  • Andy Moog, Montreal Canadiens
  • Pat LaFontaine, New York Rangers
  • Joel Otto, Philadelphia Flyers
  • Mike Gartner, Phoenix Coyotes
  • Al Iafrate, San Jose Sharks
  • Kelly Hrudey, San Jose Sharks
  • Jeff Brown, Washington Capitals
  • Brian Bradley, Tampa Bay Lightning
  • Norm Maciver, Phoenix Coyotes