1985-86 NHL season

The 1985-86 NHL season was the 69th season of the National Hockey League. Twenty-one teams each played 80 games. This season saw the league's Board of Governors introduce the Presidents' Trophy, which would go to the team with the best overall record in the NHL regular season. The Edmonton Oilers would be the first winners of this award.

The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Calgary Flames four games to one in the final series to win the Stanley Cup.

Regular season
On 13 June, 1985, the NHL board of governors voted 17-4 in favor of amending a penalty rule. Previously, coincidental minor penalties would result in 4-on-4 play. The amendment allowed teams to substitute another player to keep the play 5-on-5. It was seen by many as a shot at trying to slow down the high-flying Edmonton Oilers. Wayne Gretzky was quoted as saying, "I think the NHL is making a big mistake. I think the NHL should be more concerned with butt-ending, spearing, and three-hour hockey games than getting rid of 4-on-4 situations." It wasn't until 1993, with the Oiler dynasty (five cups in seven years) a thing of the past, that the NHL reverted back to the original 4-on-4 rules.

The Edmonton Oilers once again regained control of top spot in the NHL and last year's best team, the Philadelphia Flyers slipped to second. The Flyers continued their dominance of the Wales Conference despite the tragic death of their Vezina-winning goaltender, Pelle Lindbergh, in a car accident on November 11. Edmonton's Wayne Gretzky continued his dominance of the NHL by winning his seventh straight Hart Trophy and his sixth straight Art Ross Trophy. This season saw Gretzky score "only" 52 goals, but he set impossible records of 163 assists and 215 points. This was the fourth time in five years that Gretzky reached the 200 point plateau. Gretzky would never again reach the 200 point mark, but neither would any other player. Mario Lemieux, however, came close with 199 points in 1988-89. Edmonton's defenceman Paul Coffey broke legendary Bobby Orr's record for most goals in a season by a defenceman by scoring 48 times.

Final standings
Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalty Minutes

Stanley Cup playoffs
Note: all dates in 1986

The playoffs of 1986 saw three first place teams eliminated in the opening round and the fourth, Edmonton, bowed out in the second.

The Montreal Canadiens decided to go with a rookie goaltender by the name of Patrick Roy. This decision proved to be a good one just like when the Canadiens rode rookie goalie Ken Dryden to a Stanley Cup championship in 1971. In the Final, the Canadiens beat the Calgary Flames, who were also riding a rookie netminder, Mike Vernon. Patrick Roy won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP and had a sparkling 1.92 goals against average along with 15 wins.

Adams Division Semi-Finals
Hartford Whalers vs. Quebec Nordiques

This was Hartford's lone playoff series victory in their NHL history prior to moving to Carolina. Hartford wins best-of-five series 3-0

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens Montreal wins best-of-five series 3-0

Patrick Division Semi-Finals
New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers New York Rangers wins best-of-five series 3-2

New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals Washington wins best-of-five series 3-0

Norris Division Semi-Finals
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Chicago Black Hawks Toronto wins best-of-five series 3-0

St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota North Stars St. Louis wins best-of-five series 3-2

Smythe Division Semi-Finals
Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers Edmonton wins best-of-five series 3-0

Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames Calgary wins best-of-five series 3-0

Divisional Finals
Hartford Whalers vs. Montreal Canadiens Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4-3

New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals New York Rangers wins best-of-seven series 4-2

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. St. Louis Blues St. Louis wins best-of-seven series 4-3

Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers

The deciding goal of game seven between the Oilers and Flames was scored five minutes into the third period when Edmonton's Steve Smith attempted a cross-ice pass from the side of his own net and the puck struck goaltender Grant Fuhr's leg and went in the Edmonton goal. This is significant because it eliminated the Oilers from the playoffs and prevented them from possibly winning a third straight Stanley Cup. The series was the Flames' only playoff victory over the Oilers in the Battle of Alberta (Edmonton beat Calgary in 4 other playoff series), but significantly fueled the rivalry between the teams.

Calgary wins best-of-seven series 4-3

Conference Finals
New York Rangers vs. Montreal Canadiens

This series is best remembered for the third game, in which the Rangers badly outshot the Habs, but were stymied by Patrick Roy. Another Montreal rookie, Claude Lemieux, scored in overtime--his second overtime goal of the playoffs. Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4-1

St. Louis Blues vs. Calgary Flames

In Game 6, the Flames led 4-1 after two periods and 5-2 early in the third, but the Blues came back to tie it and then won on an overtime goal by Doug Wickenheiser. In Game 7, the Flames were up 2-0 before the Blues scored in the third to cut the lead in half. There wouldn't be another comeback, though, as Mike Vernon and the Flames withstood a late assault to advance to their first Stanley Cup Final. Calgary wins best-of-seven series 4-3

Finals
Montreal Canadiens vs. Calgary Flames

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4-1

Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1985-86 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
 * Bill Ranford, Boston Bruins
 * Daren Puppa, Buffalo Sabres
 * Brian Bradley, Calgary Flames
 * Gary Suter, Calgary Flames
 * Brett Hull*, Calgary Flames
 * Adam Oates, Detroit Red Wings
 * Petr Klima, Detroit Red Wings
 * Bob Probert, Detroit Red Wings
 * Shayne Corson, Montreal Canadiens
 * Kirk McLean, New Jersey Devils
 * Scott Mellanby, Philadelphia Flyers
 * Craig Simpson, Pittsburgh Penguins
 * Jeff Brown, Quebec Nordiques
 * Cliff Ronning*, St. Louis Blues
 * Wendel Clark, Toronto Maple Leafs
 * Dave Lowry, Vancouver Canucks
 * Jim Sandlak, Vancouver Canucks

Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1985-86 (listed with their last team):
 * Tom Lysiak, Chicago Blackhawks
 * Mike Rogers, Edmonton Oilers
 * Mario Tremblay, Montreal Canadiens
 * Bob Nystrom, New York Islanders
 * Pelle Lindbergh, Philadelphia Flyers
 * Denis Herron, Pittsburgh Penguins
 * Don Edwards, Toronto Maple Leafs
 * Marian Stastny, Toronto Maple Leafs
 * Jiri Bubla, Vancouver Canucks
 * Dan Bouchard, Winnipeg Jets