1988-89 NHL season facts for kids

The 1988–89 NHL season was the 72nd season for the National Hockey League. Twenty-one teams played 80 games each. The Calgary Flames won the Stanley Cup by beating the Montreal Canadiens four games to two. This was a special final because it was the last time two Canadian teams played against each other for the Stanley Cup.

Regular Season Highlights

The regular season ran from October 1988 to April 1989. Teams played to earn a spot in the playoffs.

Top Teams and Divisions

The NHL was split into two main conferences: the Prince of Wales Conference (Eastern) and the Clarence Campbell Conference (Western). Each conference had two divisions.

Prince of Wales Conference Teams

• Adams Division: The Montreal Canadiens were the best team in this division. Other playoff teams included the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, and Hartford Whalers.
• Patrick Division: The Washington Capitals led this division. The Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, and Philadelphia Flyers also made the playoffs.

Clarence Campbell Conference Teams

• Norris Division: The Detroit Red Wings finished first here. The St. Louis Blues, Minnesota North Stars, and Chicago Blackhawks also qualified for the playoffs.
• Smythe Division: The Calgary Flames were the top team in the entire league, winning the Presidents' Trophy. The Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks also made it to the playoffs.

Top Scorers of the Season

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

• Mario Lemieux from the Pittsburgh Penguins was the top scorer with an incredible 199 points (85 goals, 114 assists). He won the Art Ross Trophy.
• Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings was second with 168 points (54 goals, 114 assists). He also won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player.
• Steve Yzerman from the Detroit Red Wings scored 155 points.
• Bernie Nicholls of the Los Angeles Kings had 150 points.
• Rob Brown (Pittsburgh Penguins) had 115 points.
• Paul Coffey (Pittsburgh Penguins) had 113 points.
• Joe Mullen (Calgary Flames) had 110 points.
• Jari Kurri (Edmonton Oilers) had 102 points.
• Jimmy Carson (Edmonton Oilers) had 100 points.
• Luc Robitaille (Los Angeles Kings) had 98 points.

Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Stanley Cup, the championship trophy of the NHL.

The playoffs are an exciting tournament where teams compete to win the Stanley Cup.

First Round: Division Semi-Finals

• The Montreal Canadiens swept the Hartford Whalers 4-0.
• The Boston Bruins defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-1.
• The Philadelphia Flyers won a tough series against the Washington Capitals 4-2.
• The Pittsburgh Penguins swept the New York Rangers 4-0.
• The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-2.
• The St. Louis Blues won against the Minnesota North Stars 4-1.
• The Calgary Flames had a very close series, winning 4-3 against the Vancouver Canucks in overtime in Game 7!
• The Los Angeles Kings also won a tight series, beating the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in Game 7.

Second Round: Division Finals

• The Montreal Canadiens continued their strong play, beating the Boston Bruins 4-1.
• The Philadelphia Flyers won a high-scoring series against the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3.
• The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-1.
• The Calgary Flames swept the Los Angeles Kings 4-0.

Third Round: Conference Finals

• In the Eastern Conference, the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 to become the Eastern Conference champions.
• In the Western Conference, the Calgary Flames beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 to become the Western Conference champions.

The Stanley Cup Final

The 1989 Stanley Cup Final was a thrilling matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary Flames. Both teams were the best in their conferences.

The Flames won the series 4 games to 2. In the final Game 6, Captain Lanny McDonald scored a key goal for the Flames. This was the last goal of his amazing career before he retired. Doug Gilmour scored two goals in the third period, including the winning goal, to secure the Stanley Cup for the Flames!

Playoff Scoring Leaders

Al MacInnis from the Calgary Flames was the top scorer in the playoffs with 31 points (7 goals, 24 assists) in 22 games. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs.

NHL Awards and Honors

Many players and teams were recognized for their great performances during the season:

• Presidents' Trophy: Awarded to the team with the most points in the regular season, won by the Calgary Flames.
• Prince of Wales Trophy: Awarded to the Eastern Conference playoff champion, won by the Montreal Canadiens.
• Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: Awarded to the Western Conference playoff champion, won by the Calgary Flames.
• Art Ross Memorial Trophy: For the league's top scorer, won by Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins).
• Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: For perseverance and sportsmanship, won by Tim Kerr (Philadelphia Flyers).
• Calder Memorial Trophy: For the best rookie player, won by Brian Leetch (New York Rangers).
• Conn Smythe Trophy: For the most valuable player in the playoffs, won by Al MacInnis (Calgary Flames).
• Frank J. Selke Trophy: For the best defensive forward, won by Guy Carbonneau (Montreal Canadiens).
• Hart Memorial Trophy: For the league's most valuable player, won by Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings).
• Jack Adams Award: For the best coach, won by Pat Burns (Montreal Canadiens).
• James Norris Memorial Trophy: For the best defenseman, won by Chris Chelios (Montreal Canadiens).
• King Clancy Memorial Trophy: For leadership and community work, won by Bryan Trottier (New York Islanders).
• Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: For sportsmanship and skill, won by Joe Mullen (Calgary Flames).
• Lester B. Pearson Award: For the most outstanding player as voted by players, won by Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings).
• NHL Plus/Minus Award: For the player with the best plus/minus rating, won by Joe Mullen (Calgary Flames).
• William M. Jennings Trophy: For goalies on the team with the fewest goals against, won by Patrick Roy and Brian Hayward (Montreal Canadiens).
• Vezina Trophy: For the best goalie, won by Patrick Roy (Montreal Canadiens).
• Lester Patrick Trophy: For contributions to hockey in the United States, awarded to Dan Kelly, Lou Nanne, Lynn Patrick, and Bud Poile.

All-Star Teams

The best players at each position were chosen for the First and Second All-Star Teams:

• Goaltenders: First Team: Patrick Roy (Montreal Canadiens); Second Team: Mike Vernon (Calgary Flames)
• Defensemen: First Team: Chris Chelios (Montreal Canadiens) and Paul Coffey (Pittsburgh Penguins); Second Team: Al MacInnis (Calgary Flames) and Ray Bourque (Boston Bruins)
• Centers: First Team: Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins); Second Team: Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings)
• Right Wingers: First Team: Joe Mullen (Calgary Flames); Second Team: Jari Kurri (Edmonton Oilers)
• Left Wingers: First Team: Luc Robitaille (Los Angeles Kings); Second Team: Gerard Gallant (Detroit Red Wings)

New and Departing Players

The 1988-89 season saw some future stars play their first NHL games, like Mike Modano for the Minnesota North Stars, Ed Belfour for the Chicago Blackhawks, Jeremy Roenick for the Chicago Blackhawks, Joe Sakic for the Quebec Nordiques, and Trevor Linden for the Vancouver Canucks.

Some well-known players also played their last NHL games this season, including Lanny McDonald and Håkan Loob from the Calgary Flames, and Bob Gainey from the Montreal Canadiens.