1992–93 NHL season

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The 1992–93 NHL season was the 76th regular season of the National Hockey League. Each player wore a patch on their jersey throughout the 1992–93 regular season and playoffs to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the Stanley Cup. Twenty-four teams played 84 games each. It proved, at the time, to be the highest-scoring regular season in NHL history, as a total of 7,311 goals were scored. Twenty of the twenty-four teams scored three goals or more per game, and only two teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks, allowed fewer than three goals per game. Only 63 shutouts were recorded during the regular season. The Montreal Canadiens won their league-leading 24th Cup by defeating the Los Angeles Kings four games to one. As of the end of the 2007–08 season, this is the last time that a Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup.

[edit] League business

This was the final season that the two conferences were known as the Wales and Campbell Conferences, and that the four divisions bore the names Adams, Patrick, Norris, and Smythe. Both the conferences and the divisions would be renamed to reflect geography rather than the league's history for the following season. This was also the last year in which the playoff structure bracketed and seeded teams by division; they would be bracketed and seeded by conference (as in the NBA) for 1993-94.

This season saw two new clubs join the league: the Ottawa Senators and the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Senators were a revival of a previous NHL team of the same name and brought professional hockey back to Canada's capital, while the Tampa Bay franchise (headed by Hockey Hall of Fame brothers Phil and Tony Esposito) strengthened the NHL's presence in the U.S. Sun Belt, which had first started with the birth of the Los Angeles Kings in 1967.

All teams wore a commemorative patch this year celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Stanley Cup.

On February 1, 1993, Gary Bettman became the first NHL Commissioner. Prior to this the title of the NHL's chief executive was "President."

Teemu Selanne of the Winnipeg Jets shattered the rookie scoring record by scoring 76 goals and 56 assists for 132 points this season. He was easily named the winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL Rookie of the Year, and his goals and points marks remain the NHL rookie records to this day.

[edit] Regular season

[edit] Final standings

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points

[edit] Prince of Wales Conference

[edit] Clarence Campbell Conference

Note: x = clinched playoff berth, z = won Presidents' Trophy

[edit] Head coaches of the Prince of Wales Conference

[edit] Head coaches of the Clarence Campbell Conference

[edit] Scoring leaders

[edit] Leading goaltenders

[edit] Stanley Cup playoffs

The Stanley Cup at the Hockey Hall of Fame

The 1993 Stanley Cup Playoffs started on April 18, and ended on June 9. The Presidents' Trophy-winning Pittsburgh Penguins, who had won the cup the two previous years, were the favourite to "three-peat".

[edit] Bracket

[edit] Division semifinals

[edit] Boston vs. Buffalo

Buffalo's four-game upset sweep of the heavily-favored Bruins ended with a memorable overtime goal by Brad May at Buffalo's Memorial Auditorium.

• April 18 - Buffalo 5 Boston 4 (OT)
• April 20 - Buffalo 4 Boston 0
• April 22 - Boston 3 Buffalo 4 (OT)
• April 24 - Boston 5 Buffalo 6 (OT)

Buffalo wins best-of-seven series 4–0

[edit] Quotes

[edit] Quebec vs. Montreal

Montreal coach Jacques Demers held himself to a promise he made to goaltender Patrick Roy earlier in the season and kept him as the starting goalie despite a couple of weak goals allowed in the first two games of the series against the Nordiques. With the Canadiens staring a potential 3–0 series deficit to the rival Nords in the face, overtime in Game 3 was marked by two disputed goals that were reviewed by the video goal judge. The first review ruled that Stephan Lebeau had knocked the puck in with a high stick, but the second upheld the Habs' winning goal, as it was directed in by the skate of Quebec defenceman Alexei Gusarov, and not that of a Montreal player.

As it turned out, this was the final playoff series between the provincial rivals.

• April 18 - Montreal 2 Quebec 3 (OT)
• April 20 - Montreal 1 Quebec 4
• April 22 - Quebec 1 Montreal 2 (OT)
• April 24 - Quebec 2 Montreal 3
• April 26 - Montreal 5 Quebec 4 (OT)
• April 28 - Quebec 2 Montreal 6

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4–2

[edit] Pittsburgh vs. New Jersey

The Devils had been a struggling team prior to the 1992–93 season, and in the first round of the playoffs, they met the Presidents' Trophy winners from Pittsburgh. The Penguins entered the series on an 11-game playoff winning streak, which they extended to a record 14 games in this series.

• April 18 - New Jersey 3 Pittsburgh 6
• April 20 - New Jersey 0 Pittsburgh 7
• April 22 - Pittsburgh 4 New Jersey 3
• April 25 - Pittsburgh 1 New Jersey 4
• April 26 - New Jersey 2 Pittsburgh 5

Pittsburgh wins best-of-seven series 4–1

[edit] Washington vs. New York Islanders

Game 6 of this series was marred by a vicious check on the Islanders' leading scorer, Pierre Turgeon, by the Capitals' Dale Hunter, moments after Turgeon scored a third-period goal to put the game and the series out of reach for Washington. Hunter received a 21-game suspension for the hit, the longest in NHL history up to that time, which carried over into the 1993–94 season.

• April 18 - New York Islanders 1 Washington 3
• April 20 - New York Islanders 5 Washington 4 (2OT)
• April 22 - Washington 3 New York Islanders 4 (OT)
• April 24 - Washington 3 New York Islanders 4 (2OT)
• April 26 - New York Islanders 4 Washington 6
• April 28 - Washington 3 New York Islanders 5

NYI win best-of-seven series 4–2

[edit] Chicago vs. St. Louis

The Blackhawks, on an overtime goal in Game 4, became the second division champion to be swept in the first round of the playoffs. Chicago goaltender Ed Belfour claimed he had been interfered with by St. Louis star Brett Hull on the play, but to no avail as the tally stood as the game- and series-winner. Belfour famously went on a rampage after the game, breaking a hot tub, coffee maker, and television in the visitors' locker room at the St. Louis Arena. In 1999, Hawk fans would be left to contemplate the irony of the situation when Belfour and Hull were teammates on that year's championship team, the Dallas Stars, who in 1993 were known as the Minnesota North Stars. The previous season, Chicago had won 11 straight playoff games, setting an NHL record, to reach the Stanley Cup Final. Pittsburgh, who had won seven in a row, swept the Hawks to equal the record. After being swept by the Blues, the Hawks had turned an 11-game playoff winning streak into an eight-game playoff losing streak.

• April 18 - St. Louis 4 Chicago 3
• April 21 - St. Louis 2 Chicago 0
• April 23 - Chicago 0 St. Louis 3
• April 25 - Chicago 3 St. Louis 4 (OT)

St. Louis wins best-of-seven series 4–0

[edit] Detroit vs. Toronto

In a revival of the heated Original Six rivalry, Nikolai Borschevsky's Game 7 overtime goal gave Toronto the series and made them the sixth club to eliminate a team with a better regular season record in the first round of the playoffs. This was also Toronto's first playoff win over Detroit since the Leafs beat the Wings in the full seven games back in the 1964 Stanley Cup finals.

• April 19 - Toronto 3 Detroit 6
• April 21 - Toronto 2 Detroit 6
• April 23 - Detroit 2 Toronto 4
• April 25 - Detroit 2 Toronto 3
• April 27 - Toronto 5 Detroit 4 (OT)
• April 29 - Detroit 7 Toronto 3
• May 1 - Toronto 4 Detroit 3 (OT)

Toronto wins best-of-seven series 4–3

[edit] Quotes of the series

[edit] Vancouver vs. Winnipeg

The Smythe Division champions from Vancouver managed to shut down the Jets in six games.

• April 19 - Winnipeg 2 Vancouver 4
• April 21 - Winnipeg 2 Vancouver 3
• April 23 - Vancouver 4 Winnipeg 5
• April 25 - Vancouver 3 Winnipeg 1
• April 27 - Winnipeg 4 Vancouver 3 (OT)
• April 29 - Vancouver 4 Winnipeg 3 (OT)

Vancouver wins best-of-seven series 4–2

[edit] Calgary vs. Los Angeles

The Kings upset the Flames in a high-scoring six-game series.

• April 18 - Los Angeles 6 Calgary 3
• April 21 - Los Angeles 4 Calgary 9
• April 23 - Calgary 5 Los Angeles 2
• April 25 - Calgary 1 Los Angeles 3
• April 27 - Los Angeles 9 Calgary 4
• April 29 - Calgary 6 Los Angeles 9

Los Angeles wins best-of-seven series 4–2

[edit] Division finals

[edit] Montreal vs. Buffalo

The long-awaited series between Patrick Roy and Grant Fuhr had finally arrived. However the Canadiens swept the series, winning every game by a score of 4–3.

• May 2 - Buffalo 3 Montreal 4
• May 4 - Buffalo 3 Montreal 4 (OT)
• May 6 - Montreal 4 Buffalo 3 (OT)
• May 8 - Montreal 4 Buffalo 3 (OT)

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4–0

[edit] Pittsburgh vs. New York Islanders

The Isles' improbable upset of the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins, who finished far ahead of New York in the regular season, was capped off by David Volek's overtime goal in Game 7.

• May 2 - New York Islanders 3 Pittsburgh 2
• May 4 - New York Islanders 0 Pittsburgh 3
• May 6 - Pittsburgh 3 New York Islanders 1
• May 8 - Pittsburgh 5 New York Islanders 6
• May 10 - New York Islanders 3 Pittsburgh 6
• May 12 - Pittsburgh 5 New York Islanders 7
• May 14 - New York Islanders 4 Pittsburgh 3 (OT)

New York Islanders win best-of-seven series 4–3

[edit] Quotes of the series

Samuelsson pass off a skate. Volek turns. With Ferraro. Here they come, 2 on 1; Volek shoots, SCORES!!! David Volek, Islanders! And there'll be a new Stanley Cup Champion in 1993!

—Chris Cuthbert calling David Volek's series-clinching overtime goal in game 7.

[edit] Toronto vs. St. Louis

The Maple Leafs defeated the Blues in seven games, despite Blues' goaltender Curtis Joseph's efforts. The Blues were heavily outshot throughout the series.

• May 3 - St. Louis 1 Toronto 2 (2OT)
• May 5 - St. Louis 2 Toronto 1 (2OT)
• May 7 - Toronto 3 St. Louis 4
• May 9 - Toronto 4 St. Louis 1
• May 11 - St. Louis 1 Toronto 5
• May 13 - Toronto 1 St. Louis 2
• May 15 - St. Louis 0 Toronto 6

Toronto wins best-of-seven series 4–3

[edit] Vancouver vs. Los Angeles

Despite Vancouver's huge win in Game 4, Game 5 in Vancouver saw a stoppage of play as Kings center Gary Shuchuk got hurt and was sent into the dressing room. Many thought he was out of the playoffs, but he later came back in the game and ended up winning Game 5 in double overtime for the Kings. The Canucks could not recover and thus the Kings advanced to the Conference finals.

• May 2 - Los Angeles 2 Vancouver 5
• May 5 - Los Angeles 6 Vancouver 3
• May 7 - Vancouver 4 Los Angeles 7
• May 9 - Vancouver 7 Los Angeles 2
• May 11 - Los Angeles 4 Vancouver 3 (2OT)
• May 13 - Vancouver 3 Los Angeles 5

Los Angeles wins best-of-seven series 4–2

[edit] Conference finals

[edit] Montreal vs. New York Islanders

All teams in the Conference finals were seeded third in their division.

Montreal's win in game three was their eleventh straight, tying the single-playoff record set a year earlier by Pittsburgh and Chicago.

• May 16 - New York Islanders 1 Montreal 4
• May 18 - New York Islanders 3 Montreal 4 (2OT)
• May 20 - Montreal 2 New York Islanders 1 (OT)
• May 22 - Montreal 1 New York Islanders 4
• May 24 - New York Islanders 2 Montreal 5

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4–1

[edit] Toronto vs. Los Angeles

The Toronto Maple Leafs iced a competitive team for the first time in many years and were hoping to reach the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since their championship in 1967. The Los Angeles Kings, led by captain Wayne Gretzky, also had high ambitions. During Game 1, Los Angeles blue-liner Marty McSorley delivered a serious open ice hit on Toronto's Doug Gilmour. Leafs captain Wendel Clark took exception to the hit and went after McSorley for striking their star player. Toronto coach Pat Burns tried scaling the bench to get at Los Angeles coach Barry Melrose because he thought he ordered the hit on Gilmour (McSorley later remarked in interviews that he received dozens of death threat messages on his hotel phone from angry fans). Toronto would take a 3–2 series lead after five games. Game 6 was also not without controversy. With the game tied at 4 in overtime, Wayne Gretzky accidentally clipped Doug Gilmour in the face with the blade of his stick. Many thought that referee Kerry Fraser should have called a penalty on the play, but Gretzky was not penalized, and he went on to score the overtime goal moments later, evening the series at 3–3. He would score three goals in the deciding game to give Los Angeles a berth in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history. Gretzky has been quoted as saying that his performance in Game 7 was the best NHL game of his career. [1]

• May 17 - Los Angeles 1 Toronto 4
• May 19 - Los Angeles 3 Toronto 2
• May 21 - Toronto 2 Los Angeles 4
• May 23 - Toronto 4 Los Angeles 2
• May 25 - Los Angeles 2 Toronto 3 (OT)
• May 27 - Toronto 4 Los Angeles 5 (OT)
• May 29 - Los Angeles 5 Toronto 4

Los Angeles wins best-of-seven series 4–3

[edit] Quotes of the series

[edit] Finals

Main article: 1993 Stanley Cup Finals

[edit] Montreal vs. Los Angeles

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4–1. Patrick Roy (Montreal) wins Conn Smythe Trophy

[edit] Notable events

• Manon Rheaume became the first female to play for a major sports league in North America as she tended goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning in an exhibition game on September 23, 1992, versus the St. Louis Blues,
• Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning added, bringing the league to 24 teams. Both teams would win their opening games and briefly sit atop their respective Divisions, which led to Harry Neale jokingly proclaiming before the end of Ottawa's first win that both the Senators and Lightning would reach the Stanley Cup finals in May.
• October 1992: Gil Stein named NHL President.
• February 1993: Gary Bettman named NHL Commissioner.
• Record set for most 100-point scorers and most 50-goal scorers in one season.
• The 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs marked the 100th anniversary of the Stanley Cup.
• As a part of the strike settlement, the NHL and Bruce McNall's Multivision Marketing and Public Relations Co. organized 24 regular season games in cities without a franchise. These games were seen as a litmus test for future expansion, and several of the cities chosen - Phoenix, Atlanta, Dallas and Miami - were eventually indeed the sites of expansion or relocations.

[edit] Complete list of neutral-site games

[edit] Records broken/equalled

[edit] Regular season

[edit] Team

• Most losses, one season: San Jose Sharks (71)
• Fewest ties, one season: San Jose Sharks (2)
• Most home losses, one season: San Jose Sharks (32)
• Most road losses, one season: Ottawa Senators (40)
• Fewest road wins, one season: Ottawa Senators (1)*
• Longest winning streak: Pittsburgh Penguins (17)
• Longest losing streak: San Jose Sharks (17)*
• Longest road losing streak: Ottawa Senators (38)
• Longest road winless streak: Ottawa Senators (38)
• Most 100-or-more point scorers, one season: Pittsburgh Penguins (4)
• Fastest three goals from the start of period, one team: Calgary Flames (0:53, February 10, 1993)

[edit] Individual

• Most goals, including playoffs: Wayne Gretzky (875)
• Most 30-goal seasons: Mike Gartner (14)*
• Most consecutive 30-goal seasons: Mike Gartner (14)
• Most goals, one season, by a left winger: Luc Robitaille (63)
• Most goals, one season, by a rookie: Teemu Selanne (76)
• Most assists, one season, by a left winger: Joe Juneau (70)
• Most assists, one season, by a rookie: Joe Juneau (70)* (Note: Wayne Gretzky scored 86 assists in his first year, but he was not considered a rookie)
• Most points, one season, by a left winger: Luc Robitaille (125)
• Most points, one season, by a rookie: Teemu Selanne (132) (Note: Wayne Gretzky scored 137 points in his first year, but he was not considered a rookie)
• Most assists, one game, by a goaltender: Jeff Reese (3, February 10, 1993)
• Most games missed while winning Art Ross Trophy: Mario Lemieux (24)

[edit] Playoffs

[edit] Team

• Most overtime games, one playoff year: 28
• Most overtime wins, one playoff year: Montreal Canadiens (10)
• Most consecutive overtime wins, one playoff year: Montreal Canadiens (10)
• Most consecutive wins, one playoff year: Montreal Canadiens (11)*

[edit] Individual

• Most consecutive wins, one playoff year: Patrick Roy (11)*
• Most goals by a defenceman, one game: Eric Desjardins (3, June 3, 1993)*
• Most power-play goals, one game: Dino Ciccarelli (3, April 29, 1993)*
• Most shorthanded goals, one game: Tom Fitzgerald (2, May 8, 1993)*
• Most assists, one period: Adam Oates (3, April 24, 1993)*

* Equalled existing record

[edit] Rule changes

• Schedule length changed to 84 games. Two games in each team's schedule to be played in non-NHL cities.
• Instigating a fight results in a game misconduct penalty.
• Substitutions disallowed for coincidental minor penalties when teams are at full strength.
• Minor penalty for diving introduced.
• Wearing of a helmet made optional.

[edit] Major transactions

• June 30, 1992: Eric Lindros traded from Quebec to Philadelphia for Peter Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Mike Ricci, Kerry Huffman, Steve Duchesne, "future considerations" (eventually became enforcer Chris Simon), two first-round draft picks and US$15 million. One of the draft picks was used by the Nordiques to select goaltender Jocelyn Thibault, the other was traded twice and ultimately used by the Washington Capitals to select Nolan Baumgartner.

[edit] NHL Awards

[edit] All-Star teams

[edit] Debuts

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1992–93 (listed with their first team):

[edit] Last games

The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1992–93 (listed with their last team):

[edit] 1993 trading deadline

Trading deadline: March 22, 1993.^[1]

• March 22, 1993: Mark Hardy and Ottawa's 5th round choice in 1993 Entry Draft (previously acquired from Ottawa) traded from NY Rangers to Los Angeles for John McIntyre.
• March 22, 1993: Jim Hrivnak and future considerations traded from Washington to Winnipeg for Rick Tabaracci.
• March 22, 1993: Peter Taglianetti traded from Tampa Bay to Pittsburgh for Pittsburgh's 3rd round choice in 1993 Entry Draft.
• March 22, 1993: Steve Konroyd traded from Hartford to Detroit for Detroit's 6th round choice in 1993 Entry Draft.
• March 22, 1993: Vancouver's 9th round choice in 1993 Entry Draft traded from Vancouver to Winnipeg for Dan Ratushny.
• March 22, 1993: Mike Hartman traded from Tampa Bay to New York Rangers for Randy Gilhen.
• March 22, 1993: Murray Craven and Vancouver's 5th round choice in 1993 Entry Draft (previously acquired from Vancouver) traded from Hartford to Vancouver for Robert Kron, Vancouver's 3rd round choice in 1993 Entry Draft and future considerations.
• March 22, 1993: Mike Ramsey traded from Buffalo to Pittsburgh for Bob Errey.
• March 22, 1993: Craig Muni traded from Edmonton to Chicago for Mike Hudson.

[edit] See also

• List of Stanley Cup champions
• 1992 NHL Entry Draft
• 1992 NHL Expansion Draft
• 1992 NHL Supplemental Draft
• 44th National Hockey League All-Star Game
• National Hockey League All-Star Game
• NHL All-Rookie Team
• 1992 in sports
• 1993 in sports

[edit] References

1. ^ NHL trade deadline: Deals since 1980 | Habs Inside/Out

• Hockey Database
• [2]
• (1993) NHL Official Guide & Record Book 1993–94. Toronto, ON: NHL Publishing. ISBN 0–920445–30–6.