1987–88 NHL season
The 1987–88 NHL season was the 71st season of the National Hockey League. It was an 80-game season with the top four teams in each division advancing to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The NHL introduced a new trophy, the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which was to be awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution in his community.
Regular season
Final standings
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes
Prince of Wales Conference
| Adams Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 80 | 45 | 22 | 13 | 103 | 298 | 238 | 1830 |
| Boston Bruins | 80 | 44 | 30 | 6 | 94 | 300 | 251 | 2443 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 80 | 37 | 32 | 11 | 85 | 283 | 305 | 2277 |
| Hartford Whalers | 80 | 35 | 38 | 7 | 77 | 249 | 267 | 2046 |
| Quebec Nordiques | 80 | 32 | 43 | 5 | 69 | 271 | 306 | 2042 |
| Patrick Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Islanders | 80 | 39 | 31 | 10 | 88 | 308 | 267 | 1732 |
| Washington Capitals | 80 | 38 | 33 | 9 | 85 | 281 | 249 | 1680 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 80 | 38 | 33 | 9 | 85 | 292 | 292 | 2194 |
| New Jersey Devils | 80 | 38 | 36 | 6 | 82 | 295 | 296 | 2315 |
| New York Rangers | 80 | 36 | 34 | 10 | 82 | 300 | 283 | 1775 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 80 | 36 | 35 | 9 | 81 | 319 | 316 | 2211 |
Clarence Campbell Conference
| Norris Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Red Wings | 80 | 41 | 28 | 11 | 93 | 322 | 269 | 2391 |
| St. Louis Blues | 80 | 34 | 38 | 8 | 76 | 278 | 294 | 1919 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 80 | 30 | 41 | 9 | 69 | 284 | 328 | 2228 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 80 | 21 | 49 | 10 | 52 | 273 | 345 | 1782 |
| Minnesota North Stars | 80 | 19 | 48 | 13 | 51 | 242 | 349 | 2313 |
| Smythe Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary Flames | 80 | 48 | 23 | 9 | 105 | 397 | 305 | 2431 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 80 | 44 | 25 | 11 | 99 | 363 | 288 | 2173 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 80 | 33 | 36 | 11 | 77 | 292 | 310 | 2278 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 80 | 30 | 42 | 8 | 68 | 318 | 359 | 2124 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 80 | 25 | 46 | 9 | 59 | 272 | 320 | 2196 |
Scoring leaders
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | 77 | 70 | 98 | 168 |
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 64 | 40 | 109 | 149 |
| Denis Savard | Chicago Blackhawks | 80 | 44 | 87 | 131 |
| Dale Hawerchuk | Winnipeg Jets | 80 | 44 | 77 | 121 |
| Luc Robitaille | Los Angeles Kings | 80 | 53 | 58 | 111 |
| Peter Stastny | Quebec Nordiques | 76 | 46 | 65 | 111 |
| Mark Messier | Edmonton Oilers | 77 | 37 | 74 | 111 |
| Jimmy Carson | Los Angeles Kings | 80 | 55 | 52 | 107 |
| Michel Goulet | Quebec Nordiques | 80 | 48 | 58 | 106 |
| Hakan Loob | Calgary Flames | 80 | 50 | 56 | 106 |
Stanley Cup playoffs
Note: all dates in 1988
Adams Division semi-finals
Buffalo Sabres vs. Boston Bruins
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 6 | Buffalo | 3 | Boston | 7 | |
| April 7 | Buffalo | 1 | Boston | 4 | |
| April 9 | Boston | 2 | Buffalo | 6 | |
| April 10 | Boston | 5 | Buffalo | 6 | |
| April 12 | Buffalo | 4 | Boston | 5 | |
| April 14 | Boston | 5 | Buffalo | 2 |
Boston wins best-of-seven series 4–2
Hartford Whalers vs. Montreal Canadiens
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 6 | Hartford | 3 | Montreal | 4 | |
| April 7 | Hartford | 3 | Montreal | 7 | |
| April 9 | Montreal | 4 | Hartford | 3 | |
| April 10 | Montreal | 5 | Hartford | 7 | |
| April 12 | Hartford | 5 | Montreal | 3 | |
| April 14 | Montreal | 4 | Hartford | 2 |
Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4–2
Patrick Division semi-finals
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Washington Capitals
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 6 | Philadelphia | 4 | Washington | 2 | |
| April 7 | Philadelphia | 4 | Washington | 5 | |
| April 9 | Washington | 3 | Philadelphia | 4 | |
| April 10 | Washington | 4 | Philadelphia | 5 | |
| April 12 | Philadelphia | 2 | Washington | 5 | |
| April 14 | Washington | 7 | Philadelphia | 2 | |
| April 16 | Philadelphia | 3 | Washington | 4 | OT |
Washington wins best-of-seven series 4–3
New Jersey Devils vs. New York Islanders
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 6 | New Jersey | 4 | New York | 3 | |
| April 7 | New Jersey | 2 | New York | 3 | |
| April 9 | New York | 0 | New Jersey | 3 | |
| April 10 | New York | 5 | New Jersey | 4 | |
| April 12 | New Jersey | 4 | New York | 2 | |
| April 14 | New York | 5 | New Jersey | 6 |
New Jersey wins best-of-seven series 4–2
Norris Division semi-finals
Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 6 | Chicago | 1 | St. Louis | 5 | |
| April 7 | Chicago | 2 | St. Louis | 3 | |
| April 9 | St. Louis | 3 | Chicago | 6 | |
| April 10 | St. Louis | 6 | Chicago | 5 | |
| April 12 | Chicago | 3 | St. Louis | 5 |
St. Louis wins best-of-seven series 4–1
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 6 | Toronto | 6 | Detroit | 2 | |
| April 7 | Toronto | 2 | Detroit | 6 | |
| April 9 | Detroit | 6 | Toronto | 3 | |
| April 10 | Detroit | 8 | Toronto | 0 | |
| April 12 | Toronto | 6 | Detroit | 5 | |
| April 14 | Detroit | 5 | Toronto | 3 |
Detroit wins best-of-seven series 4–2
Smythe Division semi-finals
Winnipeg Jets vs. Edmonton Oilers
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 6 | Winnipeg | 4 | Edmonton | 7 | |
| April 7 | Winnipeg | 2 | Edmonton | 3 | |
| April 9 | Edmonton | 4 | Winnipeg | 6 | |
| April 10 | Edmonton | 5 | Winnipeg | 3 | |
| April 12 | Winnipeg | 2 | Edmonton | 6 |
Edmonton wins best-of-seven series 4–1
Los Angeles Kings vs. Calgary Flames
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 6 | Los Angeles | 2 | Calgary | 9 | |
| April 7 | Los Angeles | 4 | Calgary | 6 | |
| April 9 | Calgary | 2 | Los Angeles | 5 | |
| April 10 | Calgary | 7 | Los Angeles | 3 | |
| April 12 | Los Angeles | 4 | Calgary | 6 |
Calgary wins best-of-seven series 4–1
Divisional finals
- Adams Division
Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 18 | Boston | 1 | Montreal | 5 | |
| April 20 | Boston | 4 | Montreal | 3 | |
| April 22 | Montreal | 1 | Boston | 3 | |
| April 24 | Montreal | 0 | Boston | 2 | |
| April 26 | Boston | 4 | Montreal | 1 |
Boston wins best-of-seven series 4–1
- Patrick Division
New Jersey Devils vs. Washington Capitals
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 18 | New Jersey | 1 | Washington | 3 | |
| April 20 | New Jersey | 5 | Washington | 2 | |
| April 22 | Washington | 4 | New Jersey | 10 | |
| April 24 | Washington | 4 | New Jersey | 1 | |
| April 26 | New Jersey | 3 | Washington | 1 | |
| April 28 | Washington | 7 | New Jersey | 2 | |
| April 30 | New Jersey | 3 | Washington | 2 |
New Jersey wins best-of-seven series 4–3
- Norris Division
St. Louis Blues vs. Detroit Red Wings
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 19 | St. Louis | 4 | Detroit | 5 | |
| April 21 | St. Louis | 0 | Detroit | 6 | |
| April 23 | Detroit | 3 | St. Louis | 6 | |
| April 25 | Detroit | 3 | St. Louis | 1 | |
| April 27 | St. Louis | 3 | Detroit | 4 |
Detroit wins best-of-seven series 4–1
- Smythe Division
Edmonton Oilers vs. Calgary Flames
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 19 | Edmonton | 3 | Calgary | 1 | |
| April 21 | Edmonton | 5 | Calgary | 4 | OT |
| April 23 | Calgary | 2 | Edmonton | 4 | |
| April 25 | Calgary | 4 | Edmonton | 6 |
Edmonton wins best-of-seven series 4–0
Conference finals
- Prince of Wales Conference
New Jersey Devils vs. Boston Bruins
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2 | New Jersey | 3 | Boston | 5 | |
| May 4 | New Jersey | 3 | Boston | 2 | (OT) |
| May 6 | Boston | 6 | New Jersey | 1 | |
| May 8 | Boston | 1 | New Jersey | 3 | |
| May 10 | New Jersey | 1 | Boston | 7 | |
| May 12 | Boston | 3 | New Jersey | 6 | |
| May 14 | New Jersey | 2 | Boston | 6 |
Boston wins best-of-seven series 4–3
- Clarence Campbell Conference
Detroit Red Wings vs. Edmonton Oilers
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3 | Detroit | 1 | Edmonton | 4 | |
| May 5 | Detroit | 3 | Edmonton | 5 | |
| May 7 | Edmonton | 2 | Detroit | 5 | |
| May 9 | Edmonton | 4 | Detroit | 3 | (OT) |
| May 11 | Detroit | 4 | Edmonton | 8 |
Edmonton wins best-of-seven series 4–1
Finals
Boston Bruins vs. Edmonton Oilers
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18 | Boston | 1 | Edmonton | 2 | |
| May 20 | Boston | 2 | Edmonton | 4 | |
| May 22 | Edmonton | 6 | Boston | 3 | |
| May 24 | Edmonton | 3 | Boston | 3 | Game terminated at 16:37 of 2nd period due to power failure. |
| May 26 | Boston | 3 | Edmonton | 6 |
Edmonton wins best-of-seven series 4–0
NHL awards
All-Star teams
First games
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1987–88:
- Tommy Albelin, Quebec Nordiques
- Rob Brown, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Sean Burke, New Jersey Devils
- Adam Graves, Detoit Red Wings
- Craig Janney, Boston Bruins
- Calle Johansson, Buffalo Sabres
- Brian Leetch, New York Rangers
- Jeff Norton, New York Islanders
- Luke Richardson, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Mathieu Schneider, Montreal Canadiens
- Brendan Shanahan, New Jersey Devils
- Ray Sheppard, Buffalo Sabres
- Kevin Stevens, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Ron Tugnutt, Quebec Nordiques
- Pierre Turgeon, Buffalo Sabres
- Glen Wesley, Boston Bruins
- Scott Young, Hartford Whalers
Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1987–88:
- Bob Bourne, Los Angeles Kings
- Richard Brodeur, Hartford Whalers
- Clark Gillies, Buffalo Sabres
- Doug Jarvis, Hartford Whalers
- Pierre Larouche, New York Rangers
- Dave Lewis, Detroit Red Wings
- Gilles Meloche, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Rick Middleton, Boston Bruins
- Wilf Paiement, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Steve Payne, Minnesota North Stars
- Denis Potvin, New York Islanders
- Doug Risebrough, Calgary Flames
- Dave Semenko, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Charlie Simmer, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Brian Sutter, St. Louis Blues
- Perry Turnbull, St. Louis Blues
- Tiger Williams, Hartford Whalers