1992 -1993 NHL Season Replay

1992 – 1993 NHL “As Played” Replay

The 1992-1993 NHL season was the best season in the modern era.  It was the end of the line of the “post WHA” era and marked the end of many good things and also the beginning of less popular aspects of the NHL.  A monster year for the history of the NHL.

• 100th Anniversary of the Stanley Cup
•  It was the first season for Ottawa and Tampa Bay.
• It was the final season for the Minnesota North Stars, who would move to Dallas.
• Gary Bettman became the NHL Commissioner on February 1st, 1993.
• It was the final season for the Adams, Patrick, Norris, and Smythe Divisions.  The NHL would move toward the geographical Division names.  It would also be the end of the Wales and Campbell Conference, to also be discarded for geographical names.
• The final year for Divisional Playoffs.
• The instigator rule resulted in a game misconduct penalty.
• 84 Game schedule with 2 games for each team to be played at neutral sites such as Saskatoon, Hamilton, Miami, Indianapolis, and Cleveland.
• The Eric Lindros trade preceded the season and was responsible for building what would become the Colorado Avalanche.
• Eric Lindros would become the highest paid player at $3.5 Million.  In the coming years, salaries would skyrocket.
• Ottawa Senators won 1 road game, and lost 38 straight on the road at one point.
• San Jose lost 71 games.
• Pittsburgh won 17 straight and San Jose lost 17 straight.
• Last Stanley Cup won by a Canadian team (Montreal) who won 11 straight and had 10 overtime wins.
• Bruce McNall, the behind-the scenes architect of the Southern NHL expansion and modern NHL, sees his Los Angeles Kings defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs in a thrilling series to make the Stanley Cup Finals.
• Record set for most 100-point scorers (21) and most 50-goal scorers (14) in one season.
• Teemu Selanne sets the rookie record for goals (76) and Alexander Mogilny matches the league lead.
• The highest-scoring regular season in NHL history, as a total of 7,311 goals were scored over 1,008 games for an average of 7.25 per game.  All without Wayne Gretzky for half the season.
• Classic arenas were still intact including Maple Leaf Garden, Boston Garden, Chicago Stadium, Buffalo memorial Auditorium, and the Montreal Forum.
• The Last NHL All-Star Game held at the Montreal Forum.
• Mario Lemieux winning the Hart Trophy after missing 24 games.
• Dale Hunter assaulting Pierre Turgeon after scoring a clinching goal in the playoffs.
• The New York Islanders upset and sudden end of the brief, but powerful Pittsburgh Penguins dynasty.