1987-88 NHL season

The 1987-88 NHL season was the 71st season of the National Hockey League (NHL). It was an 80 game season with the top four teams in each division advancing to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The season lasted from October 8, 1987 to May 26, 1988.

The NHL introduced a new trophy, the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which was to be awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution in his community.

Regular season[]

This was Wayne Gretzky's final season with the Edmonton Oilers, and as injuries held him out of 20% of the season, this would be the only season of the decade in which he was not the winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy and did not hold or share the league lead in points.

Mario Lemieux would capture his first Hart Trophy and lead the league in scoring.

This season would also see the Edmonton Oilers win their 4th Stanley Cup in 5 years by sweeping the Boston Bruins 4-0 (plus one cancelled game) in the Stanley Cup finals. In the process of their cup win, Edmonton lost only 2 games, a record for the "16 wins" playoff format.

Final standings[]

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Prince of Wales Conference[]

Adams Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA	PIM
Montreal Canadiens	80	45	22	13	103	298	238	1830
Boston Bruins	80	44	30	6	94	300	251	2443
Buffalo Sabres	80	37	32	11	85	283	305	2277
Hartford Whalers	80	35	38	7	77	249	267	2046
Quebec Nordiques	80	32	43	5	69	271	306	2042

Patrick Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA	PIM
New York Islanders	80	39	31	10	88	308	267	1732
Philadelphia Flyers	80	38	33	9	85	292	292	2194
Washington Capitals	80	38	33	9	85	281	249	1680
New Jersey Devils	80	38	36	6	82	295	296	2315
New York Rangers	80	36	34	10	82	300	283	1775
Pittsburgh Penguins	80	36	35	9	81	319	316	2211

Clarence Campbell Conference[]

Norris Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA	PIM
Detroit Red Wings	80	41	28	11	93	322	269	2391
St. Louis Blues	80	34	38	8	76	278	294	1919
Chicago Blackhawks	80	30	41	9	69	284	328	2228
Toronto Maple Leafs	80	21	49	10	52	273	345	1782
Minnesota North Stars	80	19	48	13	51	242	349	2313

Smythe Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA	PIM
Calgary Flames	80	48	23	9	105	397	305	2431
Edmonton Oilers	80	44	25	11	99	363	288	2173
Winnipeg Jets	80	33	36	11	77	292	310	2278
Los Angeles Kings	80	30	42	8	68	318	359	2124
Vancouver Canucks	80	25	46	9	59	272	320	2196

Scoring leaders[]

Player	Team	GP	G	A	PTS
Mario Lemieux	Pittsburgh Penguins	77	70	98	168
Wayne Gretzky	Edmonton Oilers	64	40	109	149
Denis Savard	Chicago Blackhawks	80	44	87	131
Dale Hawerchuk	Winnipeg Jets	80	44	77	121
Luc Robitaille	Los Angeles Kings	80	53	58	111
Peter Stastny	Quebec Nordiques	76	46	65	111
Mark Messier	Edmonton Oilers	77	37	74	111
Jimmy Carson	Los Angeles Kings	80	55	52	107
Michel Goulet	Quebec Nordiques	80	48	58	106
Hakan Loob	Calgary Flames	80	50	56	106

Leading goaltenders[]

Stanley Cup playoffs[]

Note: all dates in 1988

The 1988 Stanley Cup Playoffs started on April 6, and ended on May 26. The Presidents' Trophy winning Calgary Flames had home ice during the playoffs thanks in part to Edmonton's struggles without Gretzky.

The Oilers, who had won the Cup in three of the previous four seasons, were still the favourites to repeat, with Gretzky's return.

In spite of Lemieux's prolific offence, the Penguins missed the playoffs.
Five of the North Stars' final six games were on the road. Minnesota went 1-4-1 in that stretch allowing Toronto survive their 1-8 finish.
On March 18th, Quebec was three points ahead of the Whalers (68-65). Quebec finished 0-7-1, costing themselves a chance to fend off Hartford who finished 6-3.

Adams Division semi-finals[]

Buffalo Sabres vs. Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins were led by team co-captain Ray Bourque, Rick Middleton and the goaltending duo of Reggie Lemelin and the newly acquired Andy Moog. The Buffalo Sabres returned to the playoffs thanks to added depth provided by rookie Ray Sheppard.

Hartford Whalers vs. Montreal Canadiens

The Habs almost squandered a 3-0 series lead. The deep Habs roster was the best team in the Wales Conference during the season, consisting of six 20-goal scorers and another six with between 10 and 20 goals.

Their best assets were goaltenders Patrick Roy and backup Brian Hayward who won 23 and 22 games respectively. The Ron Francis-led Whalers went 2-4-2 against the Canadiens during the season, twice losing by just one goal.

Patrick Division semi-finals[]

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Washington Capitals

The Flyers needed to beat Washington at home in their season finale to gain home ice advantage, but only managed to tie them 2-2.

The Flyers were led by Vezina Trophy winner Ron Hextall who was playoff MVP the previous season. In a very physical series, Washington overcame a 3-1 deficit to advance to the second round for the first time in two years.

Game 7 was a classic, ending with Dale Hunter beating Hextall on a breakaway in overtime.

New Jersey Devils vs. New York Islanders

This would be the last hurrah for both the Islanders and Denis Potvin whose departure would signal dark days for the Isles, as his arrival had brought them to prominence.

The Isles would be upset by the Devils, who finished 7-0-1, including two wins over Pittsburgh in which they stifled Lemieux, and a 7-2 win over the Rangers, whom they edged out for the final Patrick Division playoff spot.

The physical Devils would keep former MVP Bryan Trottier pointless, as they won in six.

Norris Division semi-finals[]

Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues

The Chicago Blackhawks were led by their three 40-goal scorers Denis Savard, Rick Vaive, and Steve Larmer.

They were poor defensively, and were matched up against a similar St. Louis Blues squad that was better defensively if not in goal. Vaive had eight points, while Larmer and Savard had seven each.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings

The storied rivalry continued as the Detroit Red Wings met the Toronto Maple Leafs. While the seemingly lame-duck Leafs finished 1-8, the one win was 5-3 over Detroit in the season finale that pushed them into the playoffs.

Game six in Maple Leaf Gardens was future Hall of Famer Borje Salming's final playoff game in the NHL. Toronto lost all three home games.

Smythe Division semi-finals[]

Winnipeg Jets vs. Edmonton Oilers

The high-flying offence of the Edmonton Oilers played exactly as they were expected to, averaging five goals a game. Despite their best efforts, the franchise that Oilers captain Wayne Gretzky would one day own and coach just could not keep pace with his Oilers.

Los Angeles Kings vs. Calgary Flames

The Kings fourth place finish in the Smythe Division tied their best finish in their history, since being moved to the Smythe.

Their defence was the worst in the league, and they relied on offence. The Kings met Calgary twice in the week before the playoffs and triumphed 9-7 at home and 6-3 in Calgary.

The Flames would make a mockery of the Kings' defence and would light the lamp 26 times, even more than the Oilers scored against the Jets.

Four months after this series mercifully ended, the only NHL franchise in California would undergo a massive makeover, thanks to new uniforms and a savior from the north.

Four of the five teams who trailed a series 2-0 won game three of the series at home (L.A., Winnipeg, Buffalo, Chicago). The fifth team was Hartford, who rallied to 3-2 from 3-0.

Divisional finals[]

Adams Division

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens

The Wales Conference's two best teams, and the NHL's two best defensive teams, met in this series with equal rest time.

The Habs had beaten Boston in the Adams Division Semi-Finals four years in a row, sweeping the Bruins in three of the past four seasons, and beating them 3-2 in a best-of-five the other year.

This time, the Bruins' defence would wear down Montreal, as Ken Linseman, Ray Bourque and Cam Neely provided the offence to finally conquer the Canadiens. It was the first Bruins' playoff series win over the Habs in 44 seasons.

Patrick Division

New Jersey Devils vs. Washington Capitals

After upsetting the Islanders, whose defence was second in the division, the Devils were now matched up with the number one defence in the division.

Patrik Sundstrom and Kirk Muller led the Devils to a series win in seven games in a surprisingly high-scoring series. Sundstrom's eight-point effort in Game 3 (4 goals, 4 assists) set a new Stanley Cup playoff record.

Norris Division

St. Louis Blues vs. Detroit Red Wings

In another case of a team down 2-0 rallying to win game three, the Red Wings got aggressive, unafraid of the Blues' offence and won in five.

Smythe Division

Edmonton Oilers vs. Calgary Flames

In the "Battle of Alberta" the Oilers would claim the first sweep of the playoffs.

In Game 2, Wayne Gretzky scored a short-handed overtime goal on a brilliant slapshot while streaking down the left wing.

Conference finals[]

Prince of Wales Conference

New Jersey Devils vs. Boston Bruins

The Devils would take Boston to the limit, but their offence couldn't compete with the Bruins, who would make their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals since consecutive appearances in 1976-77 and 1977-78.

This series would also have the infamous confrontation between Devils coach Jim Schoenfeld and referee Don Koharski after Game 3, when during an argument in the tunnel after the game, Koharski tripped and fell, accusing Schoenfield of pushing him.

Schoenfield famously responded, "You tripped and fell you fat pig!" Then, he yelled "Have another doughnut! Have another doughnut!"

The incident was played repeatedly on ESPN and has become part of NHL lore.

Schonefeld was suspended by NHL president John Ziegler for game four, but the Devils received an injunction from a New Jersey court, allowing Schoenfeld to coach the fourth game.

In protest, the officials scheduled to work that game in the Meadlowands refused to take the ice, forcing the NHL to scramble for amateur officials to call the contest.

The injunction was lifted and Schoenfeld served his suspension during game five in the Boston Garden.

Clarence Campbell Conference

Detroit Red Wings vs. Edmonton Oilers

Steve Yzerman and the Wings were no match for the Oilers in Edmonton, and were edged out in five games.

Finals[]

Main article: 1988 Stanley Cup Finals

The series pitted the Oilers' offensive juggernaut against the Bruins' more balanced team. The Oilers showed their defensive prowess, surrendering just 9 goals in the four completed games.

Game 4 is well-known for fog that interfered with the game and a power outage that caused its cancellation before a faceoff. This would allow the Oilers to win the Cup at home in the Northlands Coliseum and complete the "sweep" in a rescheduled Game 4.

Ray Bourque was physical in defending against Gretzky, but that wouldn't ground the Great One on his way to claiming his second Conn Smythe Trophy and setting playoff records with 31 assists in just 18 games, and 13 points in the Finals series.

Boston Bruins vs. Edmonton Oilers

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
May 18	Boston	1	Edmonton	2
May 20	Boston	2	Edmonton	4
May 22	Edmonton	6	Boston	3
May 24	Edmonton	3	Boston	3	Game suspended at 16:37 of 2nd period due to power failure.
May 26	Boston	3	Edmonton	6

Edmonton wins best-of-seven series 4-0

Playoff scoring leaders[]

NHL awards[]

Presidents' Trophy:	Calgary Flames
Prince of Wales Trophy:	Boston Bruins
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl:	Edmonton Oilers
Art Ross Trophy:	Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy:	Bob Bourne, Los Angeles Kings
Calder Memorial Trophy:	Joe Nieuwendyk, Calgary Flames
Conn Smythe Trophy:	Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers
Frank J. Selke Trophy:	Guy Carbonneau, Montreal Canadiens
Hart Memorial Trophy:	Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins
Jack Adams Award:	Jacques Demers, Detroit Red Wings
James Norris Memorial Trophy:	Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins
King Clancy Memorial Trophy:	Lanny McDonald, Calgary Flames
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy:	Mats Naslund, Montreal Canadiens
Lester B. Pearson Award:	Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL Plus/Minus Award:	Brad McCrimmon, Calgary Flames,
William M. Jennings Trophy:	Patrick Roy/Brian Hayward, Montreal Canadiens
Vezina Trophy:	Grant Fuhr, Edmonton Oilers
Lester Patrick Trophy:	Keith Allen, Fred Cusick, Bob Johnson

All-Star teams[]

First Team	Position	Second Team
Grant Fuhr, Edmonton Oilers	G	Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens
Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins	D	Gary Suter, Calgary Flames
Scott Stevens, Washington Capitals	D	Brad McCrimmon, Calgary Flames
Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins	C	Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers
Hakan Loob, Calgary Flames	RW	Cam Neely, Boston Bruins
Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings	LW	Michel Goulet, Quebec Nordiques

Debuts[]

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1987-88 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):

Craig Janney, Boston Bruins
Glen Wesley, Boston Bruins
Calle Johansson, Buffalo Sabres
Pierre Turgeon, Buffalo Sabres
Ray Sheppard, Buffalo Sabres
Adam Graves, Detoit Red Wings
Scott Young, Hartford Whalers
Mathieu Schneider, Montreal Canadiens
Brendan Shanahan, New Jersey Devils
Sean Burke, New Jersey Devils
Jeff Norton, New York Islanders
Brian Leetch, New York Rangers
Kevin Stevens, Pittsburgh Penguins
Rob Brown, Pittsburgh Penguins
Ron Tugnutt, Quebec Nordiques
Tommy Albelin, Quebec Nordiques
Luke Richardson, Toronto Maple Leafs

Last games[]

The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1987-88 (listed with their last team):

Rick Middleton, Boston Bruins
Clark Gillies, Buffalo Sabres
Doug Risebrough, Calgary Flames
Dave Lewis, Detroit Red Wings
Doug Jarvis, Hartford Whalers
Tiger Williams, Hartford Whalers
Richard Brodeur, Hartford Whalers
Bob Bourne, Los Angeles Kings
Steve Payne, Minnesota North Stars
Denis Potvin, New York Islanders
Pierre Larouche, New York Rangers
Charlie Simmer, Pitttsburgh Penguins
Gilles Meloche, Pittsburgh Penguins
Wilf Paiement, Pittsburgh Penguins
Brian Sutter, St. Louis Blues
Perry Turnbull, St. Louis Blues
Dave Semenko, Toronto Maple Leafs