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2018–19 NHL season facts for kids

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2018–19 NHL season
League National Hockey League
Sport Ice hockey
Duration October 3, 2018 – June 12, 2019
Number of games 82
Number of teams 31
Draft
Top draft pick Rasmus Dahlin
Picked by Buffalo Sabres
Regular season
Presidents' Trophy Tampa Bay Lightning
Season MVP Nikita Kucherov (Lightning)
Top scorer Nikita Kucherov (Lightning)
Playoffs
Eastern champions Boston Bruins
  Eastern runners-up Carolina Hurricanes
Western champions St. Louis Blues
  Western runners-up San Jose Sharks
Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup champions St. Louis Blues
  Runners-up Boston Bruins
Stanley Cup [[{{{finals_MVP_link}}}|MVP]] Ryan O'Reilly (Blues)
NHL seasons

← 2017–18

2019–20 →

The 2018–19 NHL season was an exciting year for ice hockey fans! It was the 102nd season of the National Hockey League (NHL). Thirty-one teams played 82 games each during the regular season.

The season started on October 3, 2018. It finished on April 6, 2019. After that, the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs began on April 10, 2019. The playoffs ended with the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals on June 12, 2019. The St. Louis Blues won their very first Stanley Cup! They beat the Boston Bruins in a thrilling seven-game series.

Team Standings

In the NHL, teams are grouped into two main areas: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Within these, there are smaller groups called divisions. Teams play games to earn points. The more points a team has, the higher they are in the standings. The best teams get to play in the playoffs.


Top 3 (Metropolitan Division)
Pos Team GP W L OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts
1 y – Washington Capitals 82 48 26 8 44 278 249 +29 104
2 x – New York Islanders 82 48 27 7 43 228 196 +32 103
3 x – Pittsburgh Penguins 82 44 26 12 42 273 241 +32 100
Source: National Hockey League
x – Clinched playoff spot; y – Clinched division.
Top 3 (Atlantic Division)
Pos Team GP W L OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts
1 p – Tampa Bay Lightning 82 62 16 4 56 325 222 +103 128
2 x – Boston Bruins 82 49 24 9 47 259 215 +44 107
3 x – Toronto Maple Leafs 82 46 28 8 46 286 251 +35 100
Source: National Hockey League
p – Clinched Presidents Trophy; x – Clinched playoff spot.
Eastern Conference Wild Card
Pos Div Team GP W L OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts
1 ME x – Carolina Hurricanes 82 46 29 7 44 245 223 +22 99
2 ME x – Columbus Blue Jackets 82 47 31 4 45 258 232 +26 98
3 AT Montreal Canadiens 82 44 30 8 41 249 236 +13 96
4 AT Florida Panthers 82 36 32 14 33 267 280 −13 86
5 ME Philadelphia Flyers 82 37 37 8 34 244 281 −37 82
6 ME New York Rangers 82 32 36 14 26 227 272 −45 78
7 AT Buffalo Sabres 82 33 39 10 28 226 271 −45 76
8 AT Detroit Red Wings 82 32 40 10 29 227 277 −50 74
9 ME New Jersey Devils 82 31 41 10 28 222 275 −53 72
10 AT Ottawa Senators 82 29 47 6 29 242 302 −60 64
Source: National Hockey League
x – Clinched playoff spot.
Top 3 (Central Division)
Pos Team GP W L OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts
1 y – Nashville Predators 82 47 29 6 43 240 214 +26 100
2 x – Winnipeg Jets 82 47 30 5 45 272 244 +28 99
3 x – St. Louis Blues 82 45 28 9 42 247 223 +24 99
Source: National Hockey League
x – Clinched playoff spot; y – Clinched division.
Top 3 (Pacific Division)
Pos Team GP W L OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts
1 z – Calgary Flames 82 50 25 7 50 289 227 +62 107
2 x – San Jose Sharks 82 46 27 9 46 289 261 +28 101
3 x – Vegas Golden Knights 82 43 32 7 40 249 230 +19 93
Source: National Hockey League
x – Clinched playoff spot; z – Clinched conference.
Western Conference Wild Card
Pos Div Team GP W L OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts
1 CE x – Dallas Stars 82 43 32 7 42 210 202 +8 93
2 CE x – Colorado Avalanche 82 38 30 14 36 260 246 +14 90
3 PA Arizona Coyotes 82 39 35 8 35 213 223 −10 86
4 CE Chicago Blackhawks 82 36 34 12 33 270 292 −22 84
5 CE Minnesota Wild 82 37 36 9 36 211 237 −26 83
6 PA Vancouver Canucks 82 35 36 11 29 225 254 −29 81
7 PA Anaheim Ducks 82 35 37 10 32 199 251 −52 80
8 PA Edmonton Oilers 82 35 38 9 32 232 274 −42 79
9 PA Los Angeles Kings 82 31 42 9 28 202 263 −61 71
Source: National Hockey League
x – Clinched playoff spot.

Playoffs and the Stanley Cup

Winter Classic at Notre Dame Stadium, 2019
The 2019 NHL Winter Classic at Notre Dame Stadium saw the NHL return to Indiana for their sixth game hosting and the first in over 50 years.

The 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs are a special tournament. Teams that did well in the regular season compete in a knockout style. The goal is to win the Stanley Cup, which is one of the oldest and most famous trophies in sports.

Playoff Journey

The playoffs start with 16 teams. Eight teams come from the Eastern Conference. Eight teams come from the Western Conference. Teams play best-of-seven series. This means a team must win four games to move on. If they lose four games, they are out.

The winners of the Eastern and Western Conference finals play each other. This final series is called the Stanley Cup Finals. In 2019, the St. Louis Blues won the Western Conference. The Boston Bruins won the Eastern Conference. The Blues then beat the Bruins to win the Stanley Cup!

Player Statistics

Hockey players keep track of many stats. These show how well they are playing.

Top Scorers

Points are a big deal in hockey. A player gets a point for scoring a goal or for helping another player score (an assist). Here are the players who got the most points in the 2018–19 regular season:

Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIM
Kucherov, NikitaNikita Kucherov Tampa Bay Lightning 82 41 87 128 +24 62
McDavid, ConnorConnor McDavid Edmonton Oilers 78 41 75 116 +3 20
Kane, PatrickPatrick Kane Chicago Blackhawks 81 44 66 110 +2 22
Draisaitl, LeonLeon Draisaitl Edmonton Oilers 82 50 55 105 +2 52
Marchand, BradBrad Marchand Boston Bruins 79 36 64 100 +15 96
Crosby, SidneySidney Crosby Pittsburgh Penguins 79 35 65 100 +18 36
MacKinnon, NathanNathan MacKinnon Colorado Avalanche 82 41 58 99 +20 34
Gaudreau, JohnnyJohnny Gaudreau Calgary Flames 82 36 63 99 +18 24
Stamkos, StevenSteven Stamkos Tampa Bay Lightning 82 45 53 98 +4 37
Barkov, AleksanderAleksander Barkov Florida Panthers 82 35 61 96 –3 8

Best Goaltenders

Goaltenders are key players. They try to stop the puck from going into their net. Their stats include how many goals they let in (Goals Against Average, GAA) and how many shots they stop (Save Percentage, SV%). Here are the top goaltenders from the 2018–19 season:

Player Team GP TOI W L OTL GA SO SV% GAA
Binnington, JordanJordan Binnington St. Louis Blues 32 1,876:25 24 5 1 59 5 .927 1.89
Bishop, BenBen Bishop Dallas Stars 46 2,637:18 27 15 2 87 7 .934 1.98
Lehner, RobinRobin Lehner New York Islanders 46 2,615:49 25 13 5 93 6 .930 2.13
Greiss, ThomasThomas Greiss New York Islanders 43 2,293:42 23 14 2 87 5 .927 2.28
Kuemper, DarcyDarcy Kuemper Arizona Coyotes 55 3,251:15 27 20 8 126 5 .925 2.33
Halak, JaroslavJaroslav Halak Boston Bruins 40 2,308:07 22 11 4 90 5 .922 2.34
Mrazek, PetrPetr Mrazek Carolina Hurricanes 40 2,386:51 23 14 3 95 4 .914 2.39
Vasilevskiy, AndreiAndrei Vasilevskiy Tampa Bay Lightning 53 3,203:45 39 10 4 128 6 .925 2.40
Rinne, PekkaPekka Rinne Nashville Predators 56 3,219:44 30 19 4 130 4 .918 2.42
Rask, TuukkaTuukka Rask Boston Bruins 46 2,635:09 27 13 5 109 4 .912 2.48

NHL Awards

At the end of each season, the NHL gives out awards to the best players, coaches, and teams. These awards celebrate great achievements.

2018–19 NHL awards
Award Winner(s) Other Top Players
Stanley Cup St. Louis Blues Boston Bruins
Presidents' Trophy
(Best regular-season team)		 Tampa Bay Lightning Calgary Flames
Boston Bruins
Prince of Wales Trophy
(Eastern Conference champion)		 Boston Bruins Carolina Hurricanes
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl
(Western Conference champion)		 St. Louis Blues San Jose Sharks
Art Ross Trophy
(Player with most points)		 Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning) Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
(Perseverance, Sportsmanship, and Dedication)		 Robin Lehner (New York Islanders) Nick Foligno (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Joe Thornton (San Jose Sharks)
Calder Memorial Trophy
(Best first-year player)		 Elias Pettersson (Vancouver Canucks) Jordan Binnington (St. Louis Blues)
Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres)
Conn Smythe Trophy
(Most valuable player in playoffs)		 Ryan O' Reilly (St. Louis Blues) N/A
Frank J. Selke Trophy
(Best defensive forward)		 Ryan O'Reilly (St. Louis Blues) Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins)
Mark Stone (Ottawa Senators/Vegas Golden Knights)
Hart Memorial Trophy
(Most valuable player in regular season)		 Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning) Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
Jack Adams Award
(Best coach)		 Barry Trotz (New York Islanders) Craig Berube (St. Louis Blues)
Jon Cooper (Tampa Bay Lightning)
James Norris Memorial Trophy
(Best defenseman)		 Mark Giordano (Calgary Flames) Brent Burns (San Jose Sharks)
Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning)
King Clancy Memorial Trophy
(Leadership and community help)		 Jason Zucker (Minnesota Wild) Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Arizona Coyotes)
Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers)
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
(Sportsmanship and excellence)		 Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers) Sean Monahan (Calgary Flames)
Ryan O'Reilly (St. Louis Blues)
Ted Lindsay Award
(Outstanding player, voted by players)		 Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning) Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)
Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
Mark Messier Leadership Award
(Leadership and community activities)		 Wayne Simmonds (Philadelphia Flyers/Nashville Predators) Mark Giordano (Calgary Flames)
Justin Williams (Carolina Hurricanes)
Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy
(Top goal-scorer)		 Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers)
NHL General Manager of the Year Award
(Top general manager)		 Don Sweeney (Boston Bruins) Doug Armstrong (St. Louis Blues)
Don Waddell (Carolina Hurricanes)
Vezina Trophy
(Best goaltender)		 Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning) Ben Bishop (Dallas Stars)
Robin Lehner (New York Islanders)
William M. Jennings Trophy
(Goaltender(s) of team with fewest goals against)		 Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss (New York Islanders) Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin (Dallas Stars)
Lester Patrick Trophy
(Service to ice hockey in U.S.)		 N/A

All-Star Teams

At the end of the season, the NHL picks the best players for "All-Star Teams." These teams are like dream teams of the season's top performers.

  Position   First Team Second Team Position All-Rookie
G Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning Ben Bishop, Dallas Stars G Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
D Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks John Carlson, Washington Capitals D Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
D Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning D Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars
C Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins F Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning
RW Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks F Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
LW Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins F Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators

Player Milestones

Every season, players reach special milestones. These can be their first game, or their last, or other big achievements.

First Games Played

Here are some important players who played their first NHL game during the 2018–19 season:

Player Team What Made Them Special
Rasmus Dahlin Buffalo Sabres He was the very first player picked in the 2018 NHL Draft.
Elias Pettersson Vancouver Canucks He won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the best rookie player in 2019.

Last Games Played

Some famous players played their final NHL games during this season. They had long and successful careers.

Player Team What Made Them Special
Roberto Luongo Florida Panthers A great goalie with over 1,000 career games and many wins.
Brooks Orpik Washington Capitals Played over 1,000 games in his career.
Tomas Plekanec Montreal Canadiens Also played over 1,000 games in his career.
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