The 1991-92 NHL season was the 75th regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL). Twenty-two teams each played 80 games. The season lasted from October 3, 1991 to June 1, 1992.
The Stanley Cup winners were the Pittsburgh Penguins, who won the best of seven series 4–0 against the Chicago Blackhawks. The championship was the second in a row for the Penguins.
League Business[]
The 1991-92 season was the 75th anniversary season for the NHL.
Accordingly, all players wore a patch on their uniforms depicting the NHL 75th anniversary logo (seen at above right) for this season.
This was the first season for the San Jose Sharks, the first expansion team in the NHL since the 1979-80 NHL season
The birth of the Sharks returned NHL hockey to the San Francisco Bay Area after the California Golden Seals had relocated to Cleveland, Ohio in 1976.
This was also the last season for John Ziegler as the NHL President. He would be succeeded by Gil Stein, who held the position for one year before being replaced by Gary Bettman.
Regular season[]
New York Rangers defenceman Brian Leetch became the fifth, and last as of 2009, defenceman to score 100 points in a season. He finished the season with 102 points and captured the Norris Trophy.
The Rangers also ended the season with the NHL's best record since the 1941-42 season, the same year as the Toronto Maple Leafs' stanley cup comeback.
For the first time, the NHL finished play in the month of June.
A primary reason for this is the 10-day NHL strike that started on April 1st.
The games that were supposed to be played during the strike (which was the first work-stoppage in NHL history) weren't canceled. They were rescheduled and made up when play resumed on April 12th.
For the first time in his NHL career, Wayne Gretzky failed to finish in the top two in scoring.
The Pittsburgh Penguins' Kevin Stevens became only the third person in NHL history to outscore Gretzky in the regular season (Marcel Dionne tied Gretzky in his rookie year, but had more goals and Mario Lemieux won the Art Ross Trophy over Gretzky in 1988 and 1989).
Final standings[]
Wales Conference[]
| Adams Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 80 | 41 | 28 | 11 | 93 | 267 | 207 |
| Boston Bruins | 80 | 36 | 32 | 12 | 84 | 270 | 275 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 80 | 31 | 37 | 12 | 74 | 289 | 299 |
| Hartford Whalers | 80 | 26 | 41 | 13 | 65 | 247 | 283 |
| Quebec Nordiques | 80 | 20 | 48 | 12 | 52 | 255 | 318 |
| Patrick Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Rangers | 80 | 50 | 25 | 5 | 105 | 321 | 246 |
| Washington Capitals | 80 | 45 | 27 | 8 | 98 | 330 | 275 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 80 | 39 | 32 | 9 | 87 | 343 | 308 |
| New Jersey Devils | 80 | 38 | 31 | 11 | 87 | 289 | 259 |
| New York Islanders | 80 | 34 | 35 | 11 | 79 | 291 | 299 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 80 | 32 | 37 | 11 | 75 | 252 | 273 |
Campbell Conference[]
| Norris Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Red Wings | 80 | 43 | 25 | 12 | 98 | 320 | 256 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 80 | 36 | 29 | 15 | 87 | 257 | 236 |
| St. Louis Blues | 80 | 36 | 33 | 11 | 83 | 279 | 266 |
| Minnesota North Stars | 80 | 32 | 42 | 6 | 70 | 246 | 278 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 80 | 30 | 43 | 7 | 67 | 234 | 294 |
| Smythe Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver Canucks | 80 | 42 | 26 | 12 | 96 | 285 | 250 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 80 | 35 | 31 | 14 | 84 | 287 | 296 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 80 | 36 | 34 | 10 | 82 | 295 | 297 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 80 | 33 | 32 | 15 | 81 | 251 | 244 |
| Calgary Flames | 80 | 31 | 37 | 12 | 74 | 296 | 305 |
| San Jose Sharks | 80 | 17 | 58 | 5 | 39 | 219 | 359 |
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against
Scoring leaders[]
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh | 64 | 44 | 87 | 131 | |
| Kevin Stevens | Pittsburgh | 80 | 54 | 69 | 123 | |
| Wayne Gretzky | Los Angeles | 74 | 31 | 90 | 121 | |
| Brett Hull | St. Louis | 73 | 70 | 39 | 109 | |
| Luc Robitaille | Los Angeles | 80 | 44 | 63 | 107 | |
| Mark Messier | NY Rangers | 79 | 35 | 72 | 107 | |
| Jeremy Roenick | Chicago | 80 | 53 | 50 | 103 | |
| Steve Yzerman | Detroit | 79 | 45 | 58 | 103 | |
| Brian Leetch | NY Rangers | 80 | 22 | 80 | 102 | |
| Adam Oates | St. Louis/Boston | 80 | 20 | 79 | 99 |
Leading goaltenders[]
Note: GP = Games Played; TOI = Time On Ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals Against; SO = Shutouts; Sv% = Save Percentage; GAA = Goals Against Average
| Player | Team | GP | TOI | W | L | T | GA | SO | Sv% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Roy | Montreal | 67 | 3935 | 36 | 22 | 8 | 155 | 5 | .914 | 2.36 |
| Ed Belfour | Chicago | 52 | 2928 | 21 | 18 | 10 | 132 | 5 | .894 | 2.70 |
| Kirk McLean | Vancouver | 65 | 3852 | 38 | 17 | 9 | 176 | 5 | .901 | 2.74 |
| John Vanbiesbrouck | NY Rangers | 45 | 2526 | 27 | 13 | 3 | 120 | 2 | .910 | 2.85 |
| Bob Essensa | Winnipeg | 47 | 2627 | 21 | 17 | 6 | 126 | 5 | .910 | 2.88 |
Stanley Cup playoffs[]
The Stanley Cup
Note: All dates in 1992
Playoff bracket[]
| Division Semifinals | Division Finals | Conference Finals | Stanley Cup Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Montreal | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Hartford | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Montreal | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Boston | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Boston | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Buffalo | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| P3 | Pittsburgh | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Prince of Wales Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Boston | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | NY Rangers | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | New Jersey | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | NY Rangers | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Pittsburgh | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Washington | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Pittsburgh | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| P3 | Pittsburgh | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| N2 | Chicago | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Detroit | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Minnesota | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Detroit | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Chicago | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Chicago | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | St. Louis | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| N2 | Chicago | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Clarence Campbell Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| S3 | Edmonton | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Vancouver | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Winnipeg | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Vancouver | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Edmonton | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Los Angeles | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Edmonton | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
Division semi-finals[]
Wales Conference[]
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Campbell Conference[]
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Division Finals[]
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Conference Finals[]
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Finals[]
- Main article: 1992 Stanley Cup Finals
| Pittsburgh vs. Chicago | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Away | Home | |
| May 26 | Chicago 4 | 5 Pittsburgh | |
| May 28 | Chicago 1 | 3 Pittsburgh | |
| May 30 | Pittsburgh 1 | 0 Chicago | |
| June 1 | Pittsburgh 6 | 5 Chicago | |
| Pittsburgh wins series 4–0 and Stanley Cup | |||
| Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh) wins Conn Smythe Trophy | |||
NHL Awards[]
| Presidents' Trophy: | New York Rangers |
| Prince of Wales Trophy: | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: | Chicago Blackhawks |
| Art Ross Memorial Trophy: | Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: | Mark Fitzpatrick, New York Islanders |
| Calder Memorial Trophy: | Pavel Bure, Vancouver Canucks |
| Conn Smythe Trophy: | Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Frank J. Selke Trophy: | Guy Carbonneau, Montreal Canadiens |
| Hart Memorial Trophy: | Mark Messier, New York Rangers |
| Jack Adams Award: | Pat Quinn, Vancouver Canucks |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy: | Brian Leetch, New York Rangers |
| King Clancy Memorial Trophy: | Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: | Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles Kings |
| Lester B. Pearson Award: | Mark Messier, New York Rangers |
| NHL Plus-Minus Award: | Paul Ysebaert, Detroit Red Wings |
| Vezina Trophy: | Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens |
| William M. Jennings Trophy: | Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens |
| Lester Patrick Trophy: | Al Arbour, Art Berglund, Lou Lamoriello |
Although not an award per se, the Buffalo Sabres set an NHL record for team penalty minutes, with 2713.
All-Star teams[]
| First Team | Position | Second Team |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens | G | Kirk McLean, Vancouver Canucks |
| Brian Leetch, New York Rangers | D | Phil Housley, Winnipeg Jets |
| Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins | D | Scott Stevens, New Jersey Devils |
| Mark Messier, New York Rangers | C | Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Brett Hull, St. Louis Blues | RW | Mark Recchi, PIT/PHI |
| Kevin Stevens, Pittsburgh Penguins | LW | Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings |
Throwback Uniforms[]
As part of the NHL's 75th anniversary celebration, throwback uniforms were worn by Original Six teams for select games and throwbacks were also worn for the All-Star Game.
The uniform styles that were worn include:
- Boston Bruins - circa 1933
- Chicago Blackhawks - circa 1940
- Detroit Red Wings - circa 1928
- Montreal Canadiens - circa 1926
- New York Rangers - circa 1940
- Toronto Maple Leafs - circa 1940
- Wales All-Stars - white All-Star jersey circa 1952
- Campbell All-Stars - red All-Star jersey circa 1952
The throwback uniforms would have an impact on future seasons in the NHL, as several teams adopted throwbacks as alternate jerseys.
The National Football League (NHL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) would follow the NHL's lead, with teams wearing throwbacks to celebrate their leagues' 75th and 50th anniversaries, respectively.
Debuts[]
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1991-92 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
- Glen Murray, Boston Bruins
- Joe Juneau, Boston Bruins
- Jozef Stumpel, Boston Bruins
- Brad May, Buffalo Sabres
- Keith Carney, Buffalo Sabres
- Dean McAmmond, Chicago Blackhawks
- Martin Lapointe, Detroit Red Wings
- Vyacheslav Kozlov, Detroit Red Wings
- Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings
- Vladimir Konstantinov, Detroit Red Wings
- Martin Rucinsky, Edmonton Oilers
- Darryl Sydor, Los Angeles Kings
- Derian Hatcher, Minnesota North Stars
- Bill Guerin, New Jersey Devils
- Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
- Scott Niedermayer, New Jersey Devils
- Adam Foote, Quebec Nordiques
- Valeri Kamensky, Quebec Nordiques
- Arturs Irbe, San Jose Sharks
- Pat Falloon, San Jose Sharks
- Ray Whitney, San Jose Sharks
- Bret Hedican, St. Louis Blues
- Guy Hebert, St. Louis Blues
- Felix Potvin, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Pavel Bure, Vancouver Canucks
- Steve Konowalchuk, Washington Capitals
- Keith Tkachuk, Winnipeg Jets
- Stu Barnes, Winnipeg Jets
Last games[]
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1991-92 (listed with their last team):
- Barry Pederson, Boston Bruins
- Rick Vaive, Buffalo Sabres
- Tony Tanti, Buffalo Sabres
- Clint Malarchuk, Buffalo Sabres
- Greg Millen, Detroit Red Wings
- Ilkka Sinisalo, Los Angeles Kings
- Larry Robinson, Los Angeles Kings
- Chris Nilan, Montreal Canadiens
- Patrik Sundstrom, New Jersey Devils
- Rick Green, New York Islanders
- John Tonelli, Quebec Nordiques
- Mark Pavelich, San Jose Sharks
- Ken Linseman, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Mike Bullard, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Randy Gregg, Vancouver Canucks
- Mike Liut, Washington Capitals
- Mario Marois, Winnipeg Jets
- Lucien DeBlois, Winnipeg Jets
- Aaron Broten, Winnipeg Jets
See also[]
- List of Stanley Cup champions
- 1991 NHL Entry Draft
- 1991 NHL Dispersal and Expansion Drafts
- 43rd National Hockey League All-Star Game
- National Hockey League All-Star Game
- NHL All-Rookie Team