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2016–17 NHL season facts for kids

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2016–17 NHL season
League National Hockey League
Sport Ice hockey
Duration October 12, 2016 – June 11, 2017
Number of games 82
Number of teams 30
Regular season
Presidents' Trophy Washington Capitals
Season MVP Connor McDavid (Oilers)
Top scorer Connor McDavid (Oilers)
Playoffs
Eastern champions Pittsburgh Penguins
  Eastern runners-up Ottawa Senators
Western champions Nashville Predators
  Western runners-up Anaheim Ducks
Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup champions Pittsburgh Penguins
  Runners-up Nashville Predators
NHL seasons

← 2015–16

2017–18 →

The 2016–17 NHL season was the 100th season for the National Hockey League (NHL). It was a super exciting year for ice hockey fans!

The regular season had 82 games for each team. It started on October 12, 2016, and finished on April 9, 2017. After that, the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs began on April 12. The season ended on June 11 when the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup Final. They beat the Nashville Predators in game six.

Stanley Cup Champions

The Pittsburgh Penguins made history by winning their fifth Stanley Cup. This was their third win in just nine seasons! They also won the Stanley Cup in 2016. This means they were the first team since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998 to win two Stanley Cups in a row. It was a huge achievement for the Penguins!

Top Teams and Players

The Washington Capitals were the best team during the regular season. They won the Presidents' Trophy for having the most points.

A player from the Edmonton Oilers, Connor McDavid, won two big awards. He received the Hart Memorial Trophy for being the most valuable player to his team. He also won the Art Ross Trophy for scoring the most goals and assists in the league. The Oilers also made it to the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 NHL season. This tied a record for the longest time without making the playoffs, at 10 seasons.

The Detroit Red Wings missed the playoffs, which was a big surprise. This was the first time they missed them since the 1989-90 NHL season. Their amazing streak of 25 seasons in the playoffs was the fourth longest in NHL history. It was also the longest streak across the NHL, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, and the National Football League. After the Red Wings' streak ended, the Penguins now had the longest active streak in the NHL, at 11 seasons.

Exciting Playoff Moments

The first round of the playoffs was full of thrilling games. It set a new record with 18 games going into overtime! This showed how close and competitive the teams were.

In the Eastern Conference, the Ottawa Senators made it to the Conference Final. They played hard but lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the Western Conference, the Anaheim Ducks reached the Conference Final. They were defeated by the Nashville Predators.

Sidney Crosby, a star player for the Pittsburgh Penguins, won the Conn Smythe Trophy. This award goes to the most valuable player during the entire playoffs.

Team Standings

Here's how the teams finished in their conferences during the regular season:

Eastern Conference Standings

Top 3 (Metropolitan Division)
Pos Team GP W L OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts
1 p – Washington Capitals 82 55 19 8 53 263 182 +81 118
2 x – Pittsburgh Penguins 82 50 21 11 46 282 234 +48 111
3 x – Columbus Blue Jackets 82 50 24 8 47 249 195 +54 108
Source: National Hockey League
p – Clinched Presidents Trophy; x – Clinched playoff spot.
Top 3 (Atlantic Division)
Pos Team GP W L OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts
1 y – Montreal Canadiens 82 47 26 9 44 226 200 +26 103
2 x – Ottawa Senators 82 44 28 10 38 212 214 −2 98
3 x – Boston Bruins 82 44 31 7 42 234 212 +22 95
Source: National Hockey League
x – Clinched playoff spot; y – Clinched division.
Eastern Conference Wild Card
Pos Div Team GP W L OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts
1 ME x – New York Rangers 82 48 28 6 45 256 220 +36 102
2 AT x – Toronto Maple Leafs 82 40 27 15 39 251 242 +9 95
3 ME New York Islanders 82 41 29 12 39 241 242 −1 94
4 AT Tampa Bay Lightning 82 42 30 10 38 234 227 +7 94
5 ME Philadelphia Flyers 82 39 33 10 32 219 236 −17 88
6 ME Carolina Hurricanes 82 36 31 15 33 215 236 −21 87
7 AT Florida Panthers 82 35 36 11 30 210 237 −27 81
8 AT Detroit Red Wings 82 33 36 13 24 207 244 −37 79
9 AT Buffalo Sabres 82 33 37 12 31 201 237 −36 78
10 ME New Jersey Devils 82 28 40 14 25 183 244 −61 70
Source: National Hockey League
x – Clinched playoff spot.

Western Conference Standings

Top 3 (Central Division)
Pos Team GP W L OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts
1 z – Chicago Blackhawks 82 50 23 9 46 244 213 +31 109
2 x – Minnesota Wild 82 49 25 8 46 266 208 +58 106
3 x – St. Louis Blues 82 46 29 7 44 235 218 +17 99
Source: National Hockey League
x – Clinched playoff spot; z – Clinched conference.
Top 3 (Pacific Division)
Pos Team GP W L OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts
1 y – Anaheim Ducks 82 46 23 13 43 223 200 +23 105
2 x – Edmonton Oilers 82 47 26 9 43 247 212 +35 103
3 x – San Jose Sharks 82 46 29 7 44 221 201 +20 99
Source: National Hockey League
x – Clinched playoff spot; y – Clinched division.
Western Conference Wild Card
Pos Div Team GP W L OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts
1 PA x – Calgary Flames 82 45 33 4 41 226 221 +5 94
2 CE x – Nashville Predators 82 41 29 12 39 240 224 +16 94
3 CE Winnipeg Jets 82 40 35 7 37 249 256 −7 87
4 PA Los Angeles Kings 82 39 35 8 37 201 205 −4 86
5 CE Dallas Stars 82 34 37 11 33 223 262 −39 79
6 PA Arizona Coyotes 82 30 42 10 24 197 260 −63 70
7 PA Vancouver Canucks 82 30 43 9 26 182 243 −61 69
8 CE Colorado Avalanche 82 22 56 4 21 166 278 −112 48
Source: National Hockey League
x – Clinched playoff spot.
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