2000–01 NHL season facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 2000–01 NHL season |
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|---|---|
| League | National Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | October 4, 2000 – June 9, 2001 |
| Regular season | |
| Presidents' Trophy | Colorado Avalanche |
| Season MVP | Joe Sakic (Colorado) |
| Top scorer | Jaromir Jagr (Pittsburgh) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | New Jersey Devils |
| Eastern runners-up | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Western champions | Colorado Avalanche |
| Western runners-up | St. Louis Blues |
| Playoffs MVP | Patrick Roy (Colorado) |
| Stanley Cup | |
| Stanley Cup champions | Colorado Avalanche |
| Runners-up | New Jersey Devils |
| NHL seasons | |
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2001–02 → |
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The 2000–01 NHL season was the 84th regular season for the National Hockey League (NHL). Thirty teams played 82 games each. The biggest prize, the Stanley Cup, was won by the Colorado Avalanche. They beat the New Jersey Devils in a thrilling seven-game series, winning 4–3.
A big part of the Colorado's journey to the Stanley Cup was for their star defenceman, Raymond Bourque. He had played for 22 years and was trying to win his very first Stanley Cup championship. It was a dream come true for him!
Contents
Regular Season Highlights
The regular season is when all the teams play many games to see who is the best. Teams earn points for winning or tying games. The teams with the most points get to go to the playoffs.
Top Teams and Divisions
The NHL is split into two main groups called Conferences: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each conference has smaller groups called Divisions. Here are some of the top teams from each division:
Eastern Conference Top Teams
- Northeast Division: The Ottawa Senators were the best, with 48 wins and 109 points.
- Atlantic Division: The New Jersey Devils led the way, with 48 wins and 111 points.
- Southeast Division: The Washington Capitals finished first, with 41 wins and 96 points.
Western Conference Top Teams
- Central Division: The Detroit Red Wings were strong, with 49 wins and 111 points.
- Pacific Division: The Dallas Stars topped their division, with 48 wins and 106 points.
- Northwest Division: The Colorado Avalanche were amazing, leading the entire league with 52 wins and 118 points!
Top Scorers
These players scored the most points during the regular season. Points are earned by scoring goals or helping teammates score goals (assists).
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaromir Jagr | Pittsburgh | 81 | 52 | 69 | 121 |
| Joe Sakic | Colorado | 82 | 54 | 64 | 118 |
| Patrik Elias | New Jersey | 82 | 40 | 56 | 96 |
| Alexei Kovalev | Pittsburgh | 79 | 44 | 51 | 95 |
| Jason Allison | Boston | 82 | 36 | 59 | 95 |
Leading Goaltenders
These goalies were the best at stopping pucks and helping their teams win:
- Most Wins: Martin Brodeur (42 wins)
- Most Shutouts: Dominik Hasek (11 shutouts – meaning he didn't let any goals in!)
- Best Goals Against Average (GAA): Roman Cechmanek (2.01 – meaning he let in about 2 goals per game)
- Best Save Percentage (SV%): Sean Burke (.922 – meaning he stopped 92.2% of shots)
Stanley Cup Playoffs
The playoffs are an exciting tournament after the regular season. Teams play best-of-seven series, meaning the first team to win four games moves on. The last team standing wins the Stanley Cup!
Playoff Journey
The teams battled through several rounds:
- Conference Quarterfinals: The top 8 teams in each conference played.
- Conference Semifinals: The winners from the quarterfinals moved on.
- Conference Finals: The last two teams in each conference played to decide who would represent their conference in the Stanley Cup Final.
| Conference Quarterfinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | Stanley Cup Finals | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | New Jersey | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Carolina | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | New Jersey | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Toronto | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Ottawa | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Toronto | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | New Jersey | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Pittsburgh | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Philadelphia | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Buffalo | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Buffalo | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Pittsburgh | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Washington | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Pittsburgh | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | New Jersey | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Colorado | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Colorado | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Vancouver | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Colorado | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Los Angeles | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Detroit | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Los Angeles | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Colorado | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | St. Louis | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Dallas | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Edmonton | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Dallas | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | St. Louis | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | St. Louis | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | San Jose | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
The Stanley Cup Final
The final series was a thrilling match between the New Jersey Devils (Eastern Conference champions) and the Colorado Avalanche (Western Conference champions).
| New Jersey vs. Colorado | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Away | Home | |
| May 26 | New Jersey 0 | 5 Colorado | |
| May 29 | New Jersey 2 | 1 Colorado | |
| May 31 | Colorado 3 | 1 New Jersey | |
| June 2 | Colorado 2 | 3 New Jersey | |
| June 4 | New Jersey 4 | 1 Colorado | |
| June 7 | Colorado 4 | 0 New Jersey | |
| June 9 | New Jersey 1 | 3 Colorado | |
| Colorado wins series 4–3 and Stanley Cup |
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| Patrick Roy (Colorado) wins Conn Smythe Trophy |
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The Colorado Avalanche won the series 4-3, making them the Stanley Cup champions! Patrick Roy, the goalie for Colorado, was named the most valuable player of the playoffs, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Playoff Scoring Leaders
These players scored the most points during the intense playoff games.
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Sakic | Colorado Avalanche | 21 | 13 | 13 | 26 |
| Patrik Elias | New Jersey Devils | 25 | 9 | 14 | 23 |
| Milan Hejduk | Colorado Avalanche | 23 | 7 | 16 | 23 |
| Petr Sykora | New Jersey Devils | 25 | 10 | 12 | 22 |
| Alex Tanguay | Colorado Avalanche | 23 | 6 | 15 | 21 |
NHL Awards
At the end of the season, special awards are given to players and teams for their amazing achievements. The 2001 NHL Awards ceremony was held in Toronto.
| Presidents' Trophy: | Awarded to the team with the most points in the regular season. Won by Colorado Avalanche. |
| Prince of Wales Trophy: | Awarded to the Eastern Conference playoff champions. Won by New Jersey Devils. |
| Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: | Awarded to the Western Conference playoff champions. Won by Colorado Avalanche. |
| Art Ross Memorial Trophy: | Awarded to the player who leads the league in points. Won by Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins. |
| Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: | Awarded to the player who shows perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. Won by Adam Graves, New York Rangers. |
| Calder Memorial Trophy: | Awarded to the best rookie player. Won by Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose Sharks. |
| Frank J. Selke Trophy: | Awarded to the best defensive forward. Won by John Madden, New Jersey Devils. |
| Hart Memorial Trophy: | Awarded to the league's most valuable player (MVP). Won by Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche. |
| Jack Adams Award: | Awarded to the best coach. Won by Bill Barber, Philadelphia Flyers. |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy: | Awarded to the best defenceman. Won by Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings. |
| King Clancy Memorial Trophy: | Awarded for leadership qualities on and off the ice, and humanitarian contributions. Won by Shjon Podein, Colorado Avalanche. |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: | Awarded for sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability. Won by Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche. |
| Lester B. Pearson Award: | Awarded to the most outstanding player as voted by the players themselves. Won by Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche. |
| Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy: | Awarded to the player who scores the most goals. Won by Pavel Bure, Florida Panthers. |
| NHL Plus/Minus Award: | Awarded to the players with the best plus/minus rating (how many more goals their team scored than allowed when they were on the ice). Won by Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche and Patrik Elias, New Jersey Devils. |
| Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award: | Awarded to the goalie with the best save percentage. Won by Marty Turco, Dallas Stars. |
| Vezina Trophy: | Awarded to the best goaltender. Won by Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres. |
| William M. Jennings Trophy: | Awarded to the goalie(s) for the team with the fewest goals allowed. Won by Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres. |
All-Star Teams
The NHL also picks the best players for "All-Star Teams" at the end of the season. These are like dream teams made up of the top players in each position.
| First Team | Position | Second Team |
|---|---|---|
| Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres | G | Roman Cechmanek, Philadelphia Flyers |
| Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings | D | Rob Blake, L.A./Colorado |
| Ray Bourque, Colorado Avalanche | D | Scott Stevens, New Jersey Devils |
| Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche | C | Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins | RW | Pavel Bure, Florida Panthers |
| Patrik Elias, New Jersey Devils | LW | Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings |
New and Retiring Players
Each season brings new talent and sees some legends play their last games.
Players Who Started Their NHL Careers
Here are a few notable players who played their very first NHL game in the 2000–01 season:
- Andy McDonald, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
- Marty Turco, Dallas Stars
- Marian Gaborik, Minnesota Wild
- Rick DiPietro, New York Islanders
- Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
- Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
Players Who Played Their Last NHL Games
These are some well-known players who retired after the 2000–01 season:
- Paul Coffey, Boston Bruins
- Ray Bourque, Colorado Avalanche (who retired as a Stanley Cup champion!)
- Larry Murphy, Detroit Red Wings
Images for kids
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The Stanley Cup, the ultimate prize in hockey.
