1985–86 NHL season
The 1985–86 NHL season was the 69th season of the National Hockey League. Twenty-one teams each played 80 games. This season saw the league's Board of Governors introduce the Presidents' Trophy, which would go to the team with the best overall record in the NHL regular season. The Edmonton Oilers would be the first winners of this award.
The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Calgary Flames four games to one in the final series to win the Stanley Cup.
Regular season
Final standings
Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalty Minutes
Prince of Wales Conference
| Adams Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quebec Nordiques | 80 | 43 | 31 | 6 | 92 | 330 | 289 | 1847 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 80 | 40 | 33 | 7 | 87 | 330 | 280 | 1372 |
| Boston Bruins | 80 | 37 | 31 | 12 | 86 | 311 | 288 | 1919 |
| Hartford Whalers | 80 | 40 | 36 | 4 | 84 | 332 | 302 | 1759 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 80 | 37 | 37 | 6 | 80 | 296 | 291 | 1608 |
| Patrick Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Flyers | 80 | 53 | 23 | 4 | 110 | 335 | 241 | 2025 |
| Washington Capitals | 80 | 50 | 23 | 7 | 107 | 315 | 272 | 1418 |
| New York Islanders | 80 | 39 | 29 | 12 | 90 | 327 | 284 | 1343 |
| New York Rangers | 80 | 36 | 38 | 6 | 78 | 280 | 276 | 1496 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 80 | 34 | 38 | 8 | 76 | 313 | 305 | 1538 |
| New Jersey Devils | 80 | 28 | 49 | 3 | 59 | 300 | 374 | 1424 |
Clarence Campbell Conference
| Norris Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Black Hawks | 80 | 39 | 33 | 8 | 86 | 351 | 349 | 1537 |
| Minnesota North Stars | 80 | 38 | 33 | 9 | 85 | 327 | 305 | 1672 |
| St. Louis Blues | 80 | 37 | 34 | 9 | 83 | 302 | 291 | 1478 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 80 | 25 | 48 | 7 | 57 | 311 | 386 | 1716 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 80 | 17 | 57 | 6 | 40 | 266 | 415 | 2393 |
| Smythe Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton Oilers | 80 | 56 | 17 | 7 | 119 | 426 | 310 | 1928 |
| Calgary Flames | 80 | 40 | 31 | 9 | 89 | 354 | 315 | 2297 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 80 | 26 | 47 | 7 | 59 | 295 | 372 | 1774 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 80 | 23 | 44 | 13 | 59 | 282 | 333 | 1813 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 80 | 23 | 49 | 8 | 54 | 284 | 389 | 2004 |
Scoring leaders
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 80 | 52 | 163 | 215 |
| Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | 79 | 48 | 93 | 141 |
| Paul Coffey | Edmonton Oilers | 79 | 48 | 90 | 138 |
| Jari Kurri | Edmonton Oilers | 78 | 68 | 63 | 131 |
| Mike Bossy | New York Islanders | 80 | 61 | 62 | 123 |
| Peter Stastny | Quebec Nordiques | 76 | 41 | 81 | 122 |
| Denis Savard | Chicago Black Hawks | 80 | 47 | 69 | 116 |
| Mats Naslund | Montreal Canadiens | 80 | 43 | 67 | 110 |
| Dale Hawerchuk | Winnipeg Jets | 80 | 46 | 59 | 105 |
| Neal Broten | Minnesota North Stars | 80 | 29 | 76 | 105 |
Leading Goaltenders
| Player | Team | GP | MIN | GA | SO | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Froese | Philadelphia Flyers | 51 | 2728 | 116 | 5 | 2.55 |
| Al Jensen | Washington Capitals | 44 | 2437 | 129 | 2 | 3.18 |
| Clint Malarchuk | Quebec Nordiques | 46 | 2657 | 142 | 4 | 3.21 |
| Kelly Hrudey | New York Islanders | 45 | 2563 | 137 | 1 | 3.21 |
| John Vanbiesbrouck | New York Rangers | 61 | 3326 | 184 | 3 | 3.32 |
| Patrick Roy | Montreal Canadiens | 47 | 2651 | 148 | 1 | 3.35 |
| Pat Riggin | Washington Capitals / Boston Bruins | 46 | 2641 | 150 | 1 | 3.41 |
| Rick Wamsley | St. Louis Blues | 42 | 2517 | 144 | 1 | 3.43 |
| Pete Peeters | Boston Bruins / Washington Capitals | 42 | 2506 | 144 | 1 | 3.45 |
| Don Beaupre | Minnesota North Stars | 52 | 3073 | 182 | 1 | 3.55 |
Stanley Cup playoffs
Note: all dates in 1986
Adams Division Semi-Finals
Hartford Whalers vs. Quebec Nordiques
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 9 | Hartford | 3 | Quebec | 2 | (OT) |
| April 10 | Hartford | 4 | Quebec | 1 | |
| April 12 | Quebec | 4 | Hartford | 9 |
Hartford wins best-of-five series 3–0
Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 9 | Boston | 1 | Montreal | 3 | |
| April 10 | Boston | 2 | Montreal | 3 | |
| April 12 | Montreal | 4 | Boston | 3 |
Montreal wins best-of-five series 3–0
Patrick Division Semi-Finals
New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 9 | New York | 6 | Philadelphia | 2 | |
| April 10 | New York | 1 | Philadelphia | 2 | |
| April 12 | Philadelphia | 2 | New York | 5 | |
| April 13 | Philadelphia | 7 | New York | 1 | |
| April 15 | New York | 5 | Philadelphia | 2 |
New York Rangers wins best-of-five series 3–2
New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 9 | New York | 1 | Washington | 3 | |
| April 10 | New York | 2 | Washington | 5 | |
| April 12 | Washington | 3 | New York | 1 |
Washington wins best-of-five series 3–0
Norris Division Semi-Finals
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Chicago Black Hawks
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 9 | Toronto | 5 | Chicago | 3 | |
| April 10 | Toronto | 6 | Chicago | 4 | |
| April 12 | Chicago | 2 | Toronto | 7 |
Toronto wins best-of-five series 3–0
St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota North Stars
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 9 | St. Louis | 2 | Minnesota | 1 | |
| April 10 | St. Louis | 2 | Minnesota | 6 | |
| April 12 | Minnesota | 3 | St. Louis | 4 | |
| April 13 | Minnesota | 7 | St. Louis | 4 | |
| April 15 | St. Louis | 6 | Minnesota | 3 |
St. Louis wins best-of-five series 3–2
Smythe Division Semi-Finals
Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 9 | Vancouver | 3 | Edmonton | 7 | |
| April 10 | Vancouver | 1 | Edmonton | 5 | |
| April 12 | Edmonton | 5 | Vancouver | 1 |
Edmonton wins best-of-five series 3–0
Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 9 | Winnipeg | 1 | Calgary | 5 | |
| April 10 | Winnipeg | 4 | Calgary | 6 | |
| April 12 | Calgary | 4 | Winnipeg | 3 | (OT) |
Calgary wins best-of-five series 3–0
Divisional Finals
Hartford Whalers vs. Montreal Canadiens
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 17 | Hartford | 4 | Montreal | 1 | |
| April 19 | Hartford | 1 | Montreal | 3 | |
| April 21 | Montreal | 4 | Hartford | 1 | |
| April 23 | Montreal | 1 | Hartford | 2 | (OT) |
| April 25 | Hartford | 3 | Montreal | 5 | |
| April 27 | Montreal | 0 | Hartford | 1 | |
| April 29 | Hartford | 1 | Montreal | 2 | (OT) |
Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4–3
New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 17 | New York | 4 | Washington | 3 | (OT) |
| April 19 | New York | 1 | Washington | 8 | |
| April 21 | Washington | 6 | New York | 3 | |
| April 23 | Washington | 5 | New York | 6 | (OT) |
| April 25 | New York | 4 | Washington | 2 | |
| April 27 | Washington | 1 | New York | 2 |
New York Rangers wins best-of-seven series 4–2
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. St. Louis Blues
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 18 | Toronto | 1 | St. Louis | 6 | |
| April 20 | Toronto | 3 | St. Louis | 0 | |
| April 22 | St. Louis | 2 | Toronto | 5 | |
| April 24 | St. Louis | 7 | Toronto | 4 | |
| April 26 | Toronto | 3 | St. Louis | 4 | (OT) |
| April 28 | St. Louis | 3 | Toronto | 5 | |
| April 30 | Toronto | 1 | St. Louis | 2 |
St. Louis wins best-of-seven series 4–3
Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 18 | Calgary | 4 | Edmonton | 1 | |
| April 20 | Calgary | 5 | Edmonton | 6 | (OT) |
| April 22 | Edmonton | 2 | Calgary | 3 | |
| April 24 | Edmonton | 7 | Calgary | 4 | |
| April 26 | Calgary | 4 | Edmonton | 1 | |
| April 28 | Edmonton | 5 | Calgary | 2 | |
| April 30 | Calgary | 3 | Edmonton | 2 |
Calgary wins best-of-seven series 4–3
Conference Finals
New York Rangers vs. Montreal Canadiens
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | New York | 1 | Montreal | 2 | |
| May 3 | New York | 2 | Montreal | 6 | |
| May 5 | Montreal | 4 | New York | 3 | (OT) |
| May 7 | Montreal | 0 | New York | 2 | |
| May 9 | New York | 1 | Montreal | 3 |
Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4–1
St. Louis Blues vs. Calgary Flames
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2 | St. Louis | 3 | Calgary | 2 | |
| May 4 | St. Louis | 2 | Calgary | 8 | |
| May 6 | Calgary | 5 | St. Louis | 3 | |
| May 8 | Calgary | 2 | St. Louis | 5 | |
| May 10 | St. Louis | 2 | Calgary | 4 | |
| May 12 | Calgary | 5 | St. Louis | 6 | (OT) |
| May 14 | St. Louis | 1 | Calgary | 2 |
Calgary wins best-of-seven series 4–3
Finals
Montreal Canadiens vs. Calgary Flames
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16 | Montreal | 2 | Calgary | 5 | |
| May 18 | Montreal | 3 | Calgary | 2 | (OT) |
| May 20 | Calgary | 3 | Montreal | 5 | |
| May 22 | Calgary | 0 | Montreal | 1 | |
| May 24 | Montreal | 4 | Calgary | 3 |
Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4–1
NHL awards
All-Star teams
First games
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1985–86 (listed with their first team, stars(*) mark start in playoffs):
- Bill Ranford, Boston Bruins
- Daren Puppa, Buffalo Sabres
- Brian Bradley, Calgary Flames
- Gary Suter, Calgary Flames
- Brett Hull*, Calgary Flames
- Adam Oates, Detroit Red Wings
- Petr Klima, Detroit Red Wings
- Bob Probert, Detroit Red Wings
- Shayne Corson, Montreal Canadiens
- Kirk McLean, New Jersey Devils
- Scott Mellanby, Philadelphia Flyers
- Craig Simpson, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Jeff Brown, Quebec Nordiques
- Cliff Ronning*, St. Louis Blues
- Wendel Clark, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Dave Lowry, Vancouver Canucks
- Jim Sandlak, Vancouver Canucks
Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1985–86 (listed with their last team):
- Tom Lysiak, Chicago Black Hawks
- Mike Rogers, Edmonton Oilers
- Mario Tremblay, Montreal Canadiens
- Bob Nystrom, New York Islanders
- Pelle Lindbergh, Philadelphia Flyers
- Denis Herron, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Don Edwards, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Marian Stastny, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Jiri Bubla, Vancouver Canucks
- Dan Bouchard, Winnipeg Jets