1985-86 NHL season facts for kids
The 1985–86 NHL season was the 69th season for the National Hockey League (NHL). Twenty-one teams played 80 games each. This season was special because the league started giving out the Presidents' Trophy. This award goes to the team with the best overall record during the regular season. The Edmonton Oilers were the very first team to win this trophy!
In the end, the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup. They beat the Calgary Flames in the final series, winning four games to one. It was an exciting season for hockey fans!
Contents
Regular Season Highlights
The 1985–86 NHL season was full of great games. Teams played hard to get into the playoffs. Here's a look at some of the top players and teams from that year.
Top Scorers: Who Led the League?
Scoring goals and making assists is a big part of hockey. These players were the best at getting points for their teams during the season.
| Player | Team | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Best Goaltenders: Stopping the Pucks
Goaltenders are super important! They try to stop every shot. Here are some of the top goalies from the 1985–86 season. Their Goals Against Average (GAA) shows how many goals they let in per game on average. A lower number is better!
| Player | Team | Games Played | Minutes Played | Goals Against | Shutouts | 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: The Road to the Championship
The Stanley Cup playoffs are where the best teams battle it out. Teams play a series of games, and the first team to win a certain number of games moves on. It's super exciting!
Divisional Semi-Finals
These were the first rounds of the playoffs. Teams played within their divisions.
- Hartford Whalers vs. Quebec Nordiques
* Hartford won the series 3–0.
- Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
* Montreal won the series 3–0.
- New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers
* New York Rangers won the series 3–2.
- New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals
* Washington won the series 3–0.
- Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Chicago Black Hawks
* Toronto won the series 3–0.
- St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota North Stars
* St. Louis won the series 3–2.
- Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers
* Edmonton won the series 3–0.
- Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames
* Calgary won the series 3–0.
Divisional Finals
The winners from the semi-finals played each other in their divisions.
- Hartford Whalers vs. Montreal Canadiens
* Montreal won a very close series 4–3.
- New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals
* New York Rangers won the series 4–2.
- Toronto Maple Leafs vs. St. Louis Blues
* St. Louis won a tough series 4–3.
- Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers
* Calgary won a super close series 4–3.
Conference Finals
The winners from the Divisional Finals played to see who would represent their conference in the Stanley Cup Finals.
- New York Rangers vs. Montreal Canadiens
* Montreal won the series 4–1.
- St. Louis Blues vs. Calgary Flames
* Calgary won a very close series 4–3.
Stanley Cup Finals: The Big Championship!
This was the final showdown for the Stanley Cup!
- Montreal Canadiens vs. Calgary Flames
* The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Calgary Flames 4 games to 1 to win the Stanley Cup. It was a great victory for Montreal!
NHL Awards: Recognizing the Best
At the end of the season, special awards are given to players and teams for their amazing achievements.
| Presidents' Trophy: | Edmonton Oilers (Best regular season record) |
| Prince of Wales Trophy: | Montreal Canadiens (Eastern Conference champion) |
| Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: | Calgary Flames (Western Conference champion) |
| Art Ross Memorial Trophy: | Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers (Most points in regular season) |
| Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: | Charlie Simmer, Boston Bruins (Perseverance and sportsmanship) |
| Calder Memorial Trophy: | Gary Suter, Calgary Flames (Best rookie player) |
| Conn Smythe Trophy: | Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens (Most valuable player in playoffs) |
| Frank J. Selke Trophy: | Troy Murray, Chicago Black Hawks (Best defensive forward) |
| Hart Memorial Trophy: | Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers (Most valuable player to his team) |
| Jack Adams Award: | Glen Sather, Edmonton Oilers (Best coach) |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy: | Paul Coffey, Edmonton Oilers (Best defenseman) |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: | Mike Bossy, New York Islanders (Sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct) |
| Lester B. Pearson Award: | Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins (Most outstanding player, voted by players) |
| NHL Plus/Minus Award: | Mark Howe, Philadelphia Flyers (Best plus/minus rating) |
| William M. Jennings Trophy: | Bob Froese/Darren Jensen, Philadelphia Flyers (Goaltenders for team with fewest goals against) |
| Vezina Trophy: | John Vanbiesbrouck, New York Rangers (Best goaltender) |
| Lester Patrick Trophy: | Jack MacInnes, Jack Riley (For contributions to hockey in the United States) |
All-Star Teams: The Dream Teams
The NHL also picks the best players for "All-Star" teams. These are like dream teams made up of the top players at each position.
| First Team | Position | Second Team |
|---|---|---|
| John Vanbiesbrouck, New York Rangers | G | Bob Froese, Philadelphia Flyers |
| Paul Coffey, Edmonton Oilers | D | Larry Robinson, Montreal Canadiens |
| Mark Howe, Philadelphia Flyers | D | Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins |
| Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers | C | Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Mike Bossy, New York Islanders | RW | Jari Kurri, Edmonton Oilers |
| Michel Goulet, Quebec Nordiques | LW | Mats Naslund, Montreal Canadiens |
New Faces in the NHL
Many players started their NHL careers in the 1985–86 season. Some of them became famous! Here are a few notable players who played their first game:
- Bill Ranford, Boston Bruins
- Daren Puppa, Buffalo Sabres
- Brian Bradley, Calgary Flames
- Gary Suter, Calgary Flames
- Brett Hull*, Calgary Flames (Played his first game in the playoffs!)
- 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 (Played his first game in the playoffs!)
- Wendel Clark, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Dave Lowry, Vancouver Canucks
- Jim Sandlak, Vancouver Canucks
