1983–84 NHL season facts for kids

The 1983–84 NHL season was the 67th season of the National Hockey League. Twenty-one teams played 80 games each. The Edmonton Oilers won the Stanley Cup this year. They beat the New York Islanders, who had won the Cup four times in a row, by four games to one in the finals.

Regular Season Highlights

The 1983–84 NHL season had many exciting moments. Teams played 80 games to see who would make it to the playoffs. The best teams from each division moved on to compete for the Stanley Cup.

Top Teams in Each Conference

The NHL was split into two main groups, called conferences. These were the Prince of Wales Conference and the Clarence Campbell Conference.

Prince of Wales Conference Teams

In the Prince of Wales Conference, the top teams were:

• The Boston Bruins and New York Islanders both had 104 points.
• The Buffalo Sabres were close behind with 103 points.
• The Washington Capitals earned 101 points.
• The Philadelphia Flyers had 98 points.
• The Quebec Nordiques finished with 94 points.
• The New York Rangers earned 93 points.
• The Montreal Canadiens had 75 points.

Clarence Campbell Conference Teams

In the Clarence Campbell Conference, the strongest teams were:

• The Edmonton Oilers were amazing, earning 119 points!
• The Calgary Flames had 82 points.
• The Minnesota North Stars finished with 88 points.
• The Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets both had 73 points.
• The St. Louis Blues earned 71 points.
• The Detroit Red Wings had 69 points.
• The Chicago Black Hawks finished with 68 points.

Top Scorers of the Season

Many players had incredible seasons, scoring lots of goals and assists. Here are the top ten players who earned the most points:

Stanley Cup Playoffs

After the regular season, the best teams competed in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is a knockout tournament where teams play series of games. The team that wins four games first moves on.

Playoff Journey

The playoffs started with Division Semifinals. Then came the Division Finals, followed by the Conference Finals. Finally, the two best teams played in the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup Finals

The final series was between the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Islanders. The Islanders had won the last four Stanley Cups. But the Oilers, led by Wayne Gretzky, were ready to make history.

The Oilers won the series 4 games to 1. This was their first Stanley Cup victory! Mark Messier from the Edmonton Oilers won the Conn Smythe Trophy. This award goes to the most valuable player in the playoffs.

Edmonton wins series 4–1 and Stanley Cup

Mark Messier (Edmonton) wins Conn Smythe Trophy

NHL Awards

At the end of the season, many players and teams received special awards for their achievements.

All-Star Teams

The NHL also picks the best players for "All-Star" teams. These teams show who was considered the very best at each position.