1992-93 NHL season

The 1992-93 NHL season was the 76th regular season of the National Hockey League. Each player wore a patch on their jersey throughout the 1992-93 regular season and playoffs to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the Stanley Cup. Twenty-four teams played 84 games each. The Montreal Canadiens won their league-leading 24th Cup by defeating the Los Angeles Kings four games to one. As of the end of the 2006-07 season, this is the last time that a Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup.

League Business
This season saw the startup of two new clubs, the Ottawa Senators, a revival of NHL hockey in Ottawa, Canada and the Tampa Bay Lightning in Tampa, Florida.

On February 1, 1993, Gary Bettman, became the first NHL Commissioner. Prior to this the NHL's chief executive was designated as 'President.'

Final standings
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points

Clarence Campbell Conference
Note: x = clinched playoff berth, z = won Presidents' Trophy

Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1993 Stanley Cup Playoffs started on April 18, and ended on June 9. The Presidents' Trophy-winning Pittsburgh Penguins, who had won the cup the two previous years, were the favourite to "three-peat".

Boston vs. Buffalo
Buffalo's four-game sweep of the Bruins ended with a memorable overtime goal by Brad May at Buffalo's Memorial Auditorium, leading to Sabres' play-by-play announcer Rick Jeanneret's famous "May Day! May Day! May Day!" call.


 * April 18 - Buffalo 5 Boston 4 (OT)
 * April 20 - Buffalo 4 Boston 0
 * April 22 - Boston 3 Buffalo 4 (OT)
 * April 24 - Boston 5 Buffalo 6 (OT)

Buffalo wins best-of-seven series 4-0

Quebec vs. Montreal
Montreal coach Jacques Demers held himself to a promise he made to goaltender Patrick Roy earlier in the season and kept him as the starting goalie despite a couple of weak goals allowed in the first two games of the series against the Nordiques. With the Canadiens staring a potential 3-0 series deficit to the rival Nords in the face, overtime in Game 3 was marked by two disputed goals that were reviewed by the video goal judge. The first review ruled that Stephan Lebeau had knocked the puck in with a high stick, but the second upheld the Habs' winning goal, as it was directed in by the skate of Quebec defenceman Alexei Gusarov, and not that of a Montreal player.


 * April 18 - Montreal 2 Quebec 3 (OT)
 * April 20 - Montreal 1 Quebec 4
 * April 22 - Quebec 1 Montreal 2 (OT)
 * April 24 - Quebec 2 Montreal 3
 * April 26 - Montreal 5 Quebec 4 (OT)
 * April 28 - Quebec 2 Montreal 6

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4-2

Pittsburgh vs. New Jersey
The Devils had been a struggling team prior to the 1992-93 season, and in the first round of the playoffs, they met the Presidents' Trophy winners from Pittsburgh. The Penguins entered the series on an 11-game playoff winning streak, which they extended to a record 14 games in this series.


 * April 18 - New Jersey 3 Pittsburgh 6
 * April 20 - New Jersey 0 Pittsburgh 7
 * April 22 - Pittsburgh 4 New Jersey 3
 * April 25 - Pittsburgh 1 New Jersey 4
 * April 26 - New Jersey 2 Pittsburgh 5

Pittsburgh wins best-of-seven series 4-1

Washington vs. New York Islanders
Game 6 of this series was marred by a vicious check on the Islanders' leading scorer, Pierre Turgeon, by the Capitals' Dale Hunter, moments after Turgeon scored a third-period goal to put the game and the series out of reach for Washington. Hunter received a 21-game suspension for the hit, which carried over into the 1993-94 season.


 * April 18 - New York Islanders 1 Washington 3
 * April 20 - New York Islanders 5 Washington 4 (2OT)
 * April 22 - Washington 3 New York Islanders 4 (OT)
 * April 24 - Washington 3 New York Islanders 4 (2OT)
 * April 26 - New York Islanders 4 Washington 6
 * April 28 - Washington 3 New York Islanders 5

NYI win best-of-seven series 4-2

Chicago vs. St. Louis
The Blackhawks, on an overtime goal in Game 4, became the second division champion to be swept in the first round of the playoffs. Chicago goaltender Ed Belfour claimed he had been interfered with by St. Louis star Brett Hull on the play, but to no avail as the tally stood as the game- and series-winner. Belfour famously went on a rampage after the game, breaking a hot tub, coffee maker, and television in the visitors' locker room at the St. Louis Arena. In 1999, Hawk fans would be left to contemplate the irony of the situation when Belfour and Hull were teammates on that year's championship team, the Dallas Stars, who in 1993 were known as the Minnesota North Stars. The previous season, Chicago had won 11 straight playoff games, setting an NHL record, to reach the Stanley Cup Final. Pittsburgh, who had won seven in a row, swept the Hawks to equal the record. After being swept by the Blues, the Hawks had turned an 11-game playoff winning streak into an eight-game playoff losing streak.


 * April 18 - St. Louis 4 Chicago 3
 * April 21 - St. Louis 2 Chicago 0
 * April 23 - Chicago 0 St. Louis 3
 * April 25 - Chicago 3 St. Louis 4 (OT)

St. Louis wins best-of-seven series 4-0

Detroit vs. Toronto
In a revival of the heated Original Six rivalry, Nikolai Borschevsky's Game 7 overtime goal gave Toronto the series and made them the sixth club to eliminate a team with a better regular season record in the first round of the playoffs. This was also Toronto's first win over Detroit since the Leafs beat the Wings in the full seven games back in the 1964 Stanley Cup Finals.


 * April 19 - Toronto 3 Detroit 6
 * April 21 - Toronto 2 Detroit 6
 * April 23 - Detroit 2 Toronto 4
 * April 25 - Detroit 2 Toronto 3
 * April 27 - Toronto 5 Detroit 4 (OT)
 * April 29 - Detroit 7 Toronto 3
 * May 1 - Toronto 4 Detroit 3 (OT)

Toronto wins best-of-seven series 4-3

Vancouver vs. Winnipeg
The Smythe Division champions from Vancouver managed to shut down the Jets in six games.


 * April 19 - Winnipeg 2 Vancouver 4
 * April 21 - Winnipeg 2 Vancouver 3
 * April 23 - Vancouver 4 Winnipeg 5
 * April 25 - Vancouver 3 Winnipeg 1
 * April 27 - Winnipeg 4 Vancouver 3 (OT)
 * April 29 - Vancouver 4 Winnipeg 3 (OT)

Vancouver wins best-of-seven series 4-2

Calgary vs. Los Angeles
The Kings upset the Flames in a high-scoring six-game series.


 * April 18 - Los Angeles 6 Calgary 3
 * April 21 - Los Angeles 4 Calgary 9
 * April 23 - Calgary 5 Los Angeles 2
 * April 25 - Calgary 1 Los Angeles 3
 * April 27 - Los Angeles 9 Calgary 4
 * April 29 - Calgary 6 Los Angeles 9

Los Angeles wins best-of-seven series 4-2

Montreal vs. Buffalo
The long-awaited series between Patrick Roy and Grant Fuhr had finally arrived. However the Canadiens swept the series, winning every game by a score of 4-3.
 * May 2 - Buffalo 3 Montreal 4
 * May 4 - Buffalo 3 Montreal 4 (OT)
 * May 6 - Montreal 4 Buffalo 3 (OT)
 * May 8 - Montreal 4 Buffalo 3 (OT)

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4-0

Pittsburgh vs. New York Islanders
The Isles' improbable upset of the Penguins was capped off by David Volek's series-winning goal at 5:16 of overtime in Game 7.


 * May 2 - New York Islanders 3 Pittsburgh 2
 * May 4 - New York Islanders 0 Pittsburgh 3
 * May 6 - Pittsburgh 3 New York Islanders 1
 * May 8 - Pittsburgh 5 New York Islanders 6
 * May 10 - New York Islanders 3 Pittsburgh 6
 * May 12 - Pittsburgh 5 New York Islanders 7
 * May 14 - New York Islanders 4 Pittsburgh 3 (OT)

New York Islanders win best-of-seven series 4-3

Toronto vs. St. Louis
The Maple Leafs defeated the Blues in seven games, despite Blues' goaltender Curtis Joseph's efforts. The Blues were heavily outshot throughout the series.


 * May 3 - St. Louis 1 Toronto 2 (2OT)
 * May 5 - St. Louis 2 Toronto 1 (2OT)
 * May 7 - Toronto 3 St. Louis 4
 * May 9 - Toronto 4 St. Louis 1
 * May 11 - St. Louis 1 Toronto 5
 * May 13 - Toronto 1 St. Louis 2
 * May 15 - St. Louis 0 Toronto 6

Toronto wins best-of-seven series 4-3

Vancouver vs. Los Angeles
Despite Vancouver's huge win in Game 4, Game 5 in Vancouver saw a stoppage of play as King center Gary Shuchuk got hurt and was sent into the dressing room. Many thought he was out of the playoffs, but he later came back in the game and ended up winning Game 5 in double overtime for the Kings. The Canucks couldn't recover and thus the Kings advanced to the Conference Finals.


 * May 2 - Los Angeles 2 Vancouver 5
 * May 5 - Los Angeles 6 Vancouver 3
 * May 7 - Vancouver 4 Los Angeles 7
 * May 9 - Vancouver 7 Los Angeles 2
 * May 11 - Los Angeles 4 Vancouver 3 (2OT)
 * May 13 - Vancouver 3 Los Angeles 5

Los Angeles wins best-of-seven series 4-2

Montreal vs. New York Islanders
All teams in the Conference Finals were seeded third in their division.

Montreal's win in game three was their eleventh straight, tying the single-playoff record set a year earlier by Pittsburgh and Chicago.


 * May 16 - New York Islanders 1 Montreal 4
 * May 18 - New York Islanders 3 Montreal 4 (2OT)
 * May 20 - Montreal 2 New York Islanders 1 (OT)
 * May 22 - Montreal 1 New York Islanders 4
 * May 24 - New York Islanders 2 Montreal 5

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4-1

Toronto vs. Los Angeles
This exciting and very heated seven-game series has long been remembered by hockey fans. The Toronto Maple Leafs iced a highly competitive team for the first time in years and were hoping to break their 26-year Stanley Cup drought; they had not even been to the Final since their last Cup win in 1967. The Los Angeles Kings, led by captain Wayne Gretzky, also had high ambitions. During Game 1 (a dominating victory for the Leafs) Los Angeles blue-liner Marty McSorley delivered a serious open ice hit on Toronto's Doug Gilmour. Leafs captain Wendel Clark took exception to the hit and went after McSorley for striking their star player. Toronto coach Pat Burns tried scaling the bench to get at Los Angeles coach Barry Melrose because he thought he ordered the hit on Gilmour (McSorley later remarked in interviews that he received dozens of death threat messages on his hotel phone from angry fans). Toronto would take a 3-2 series lead after five games. Game 6 went back west to the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles; it too was not without controversy and was also decided on an overtime goal. During the 1992-93 season, there was a league-wide crackdown on high-sticking infractions, whether they were accidental or not. In Game 6, Gilmour was part of controversy once again. With the game tied at 4 in overtime, Wayne Gretzky accidentally clipped him in the face with the blade of his stick. Many thought that referee Kerry Fraser should have called a penalty on the play, but Gretzky was not penalized, and he went on to score the overtime goal moments later, evening the series at 3-3. He would score three goals in the deciding game to give Los Angeles a berth in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history and also the first time the Kings win a playoff series against an Original Six team. Gretzky has been quoted as saying that his performance in Game 7 was the best NHL game of his career. 


 * May 17 - Los Angeles 1 Toronto 4
 * May 19 - Los Angeles 3 Toronto 2
 * May 21 - Toronto 2 Los Angeles 4
 * May 23 - Toronto 4 Los Angeles 2
 * May 25 - Los Angeles 2 Toronto 3 (OT)
 * May 27 - Toronto 4 Los Angeles 5 (OT)
 * May 29 - Los Angeles 5 Toronto 4

Los Angeles wins best-of-seven series 4-3

Montreal vs. Los Angeles
''Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4-1. Patrick Roy (Montreal) wins Conn Smythe Trophy''

Notable Events

 * Manon Rheaume became the first female athlete in history to play for a major sports league in North America as she tended goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning in an exhibition game on September 23, 1992 versus the St. Louis Blues,
 * Ottawa Senators reinstated and Tampa Bay Lightning added, bringing the league to 24 teams. Interesting to note is that both teams would win their opening games and sit atop their respective Divisions. Which lead to Harry Neale jokingly proclaiming before the end of Ottawa's first win that both the Senators and Lightning would reach the Finals in May.
 * October 1992: Gil Stein named NHL President,
 * February 1993: Gary Bettman named NHL Commissioner,
 * record set for most 100-point scorers and most 50-goal scorers in one season,
 * the Los Angeles Kings played against Canadian teams all throughout the playoffs (Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens),
 * the 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs marked the 100th anniversary of the Stanley Cup,
 * the Montreal Canadiens are the last Canadian team to have won the Stanley Cup, and the last Canadian team to have had home ice advantage in the finals.

Team

 * Most Losses, One Season: San Jose Sharks (71)
 * Fewest Ties, One Season: San Jose Sharks (2)
 * Most Home Losses, One Season: San Jose Sharks (32)
 * Most Road Losses, One Season: Ottawa Senators (40)
 * Fewest Road Wins, One Season: Ottawa Senators (1)*
 * Longest Winning Streak: Pittsburgh Penguins (17)
 * Longest Losing Streak: San Jose Sharks (17)*
 * Longest Road Losing Streak: Ottawa Senators (38)
 * Longest Road Winless Streak: Ottawa Senators (38)
 * Most 100-or-more Point Scorers, One Season: Pittsburgh Penguins (4)
 * Fastest Three Goals from the Start of Period, One Team: Calgary Flames (0:53, February 10, 1993)

Individual

 * Most Goals, Including Playoffs: Wayne Gretzky (875)
 * Most 30-Goal Seasons: Mike Gartner (14)*
 * Most Consecutive 30-Goal Seasons: Mike Gartner (14)
 * Most Goals, One Season, by a Left Winger: Luc Robitaille (63)
 * Most Goals, One Season, by a Rookie: Teemu Selanne (76)
 * Most Assists, One Season, by a Left Winger: Joe Juneau (70)
 * Most Assists, One Season, by a Rookie: Joe Juneau (70)* (Note: Wayne Gretzky scored 86 assists in his first year, but he was not considered a rookie)
 * Most Points, One Season, by a Left Winger: Luc Robitaille (125)
 * Most Points, One Season, by a Rookie: Teemu Selanne (132) (Note: Wayne Gretzky scored 137 points in his first year, but he was not considered a rookie)
 * Most Assists, One Game, by a Goaltender: Jeff Reese (3, February 10, 1993)
 * Most Games Missed While Winning Art Ross Trophy: Mario Lemieux (24)

Team

 * Most Overtime Games, One Playoff Year: 28
 * Most Overtime Wins, One Playoff Year: Montreal Canadiens (10)
 * Most Consecutive Overtime Wins, One Playoff Year: Montreal Canadiens (10)
 * Most Consecutive Wins, One Playoff Year: Montreal Canadiens (11)*

Individual

 * Most Consecutive Wins, One Playoff Year: Patrick Roy (11)*
 * Most Goals by a Defenceman, One Game: Eric Desjardins (3, June 3, 1993)*
 * Most Power-Play Goals, One Game: Dino Ciccarelli (3, April 29, 1993)*
 * Most Shorthanded Goals, One Game: Tom Fitzgerald (2, May 8, 1993)*
 * Most Assists, One Period: Adam Oates (3, April 24, 1993)*

* Equalled existing record

Rule Changes

 * Schedule length changed to 84 games. Two games in each team's schedule to be played in non-NHL cities.
 * Instigating a fight results in a game misconduct penalty.
 * Substitutions disallowed for coincidental minor penalties when teams are at full strength.
 * Minor penalty for diving introduced.
 * Wearing of a helmet made optional.

Major Transactions

 * June 30, 1992: Eric Lindros traded from Quebec to Philadelphia for Peter Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Mike Ricci, Kerry Huffman, Steve Duchesne, "future considerations" (eventually became enforcer Chris Simon), two first-round draft picks and US$15 million. One of the draft picks was used by the Nordiques to select goaltender Jocelyn Thibault, the other was traded twice and ultimately used by the Washington Capitals to select Nolan Baumgartner.

Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1992-93 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
 * Bryan Smolinski, Boston Bruins
 * Matthew Barnaby, Buffalo Sabres
 * Philippe Boucher, Buffalo Sabres
 * Michael Nylander, Hartford Whalers
 * Alexei Zhitnik, Los Angeles Kings
 * Robert Lang, Los Angeles Kings
 * Darius Kasparaitis, New York Islanders
 * Vladimir Malakhov, New York Islanders
 * Alexei Kovalev, New York Rangers
 * Sergei Zubov, New York Rangers
 * Eric Lindros, Philadelphia Flyers
 * Martin Straka, Pittsburgh Penguins
 * Sandis Ozolinsh, San Jose Sharks
 * Roman Hamrlik, Tampa Bay Lightning
 * Byron Dafoe, Washington Capitals
 * Teemu Selanne, Winnipeg Jets
 * Alexei Zhamnov, Winnipeg Jets

Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1992-93 (listed with their last team):
 * Reggie Lemelin, Boston Bruins
 * Carey Wilson, Calgary Flames
 * Brent Ashton, Calgary Flames
 * John Ogrodnick, Detroit Red Wings
 * Tim Kerr, Hartford Whalers
 * Bobby Smith, Minnesota North Stars
 * Brian Mullen, New York Islanders
 * Brad Marsh, Ottawa Senators
 * Laurie Boschman, Ottawa Senators
 * Brian Hayward, San Jose Sharks
 * Brian Lawton, San Jose Sharks
 * Petri Skriko, San Jose Sharks
 * Doug Wilson, San Jose Sharks
 * Steve Kasper, Tampa Bay Lightning
 * Ryan Walter, Vancouver Canucks
 * Rod Langway, Washington Capitals
 * Randy Carlyle, Winnipeg Jets