# 1985–86 NHL season

The 1985–86 NHL season was the 69th season of the National Hockey League. 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.

## League business
### Entry draft

The 1985 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 15, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario. This was the first draft held outside of Montreal, Quebec. Wendel Clark was selected first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

### Rule changes

On June 13, 1985, the NHL board of governors voted 17–4 in favour 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 1992, with the Oiler dynasty (five cups in seven years) having ended, that the NHL reverted to the original 4-on-4 rules.

## Regular season

The Edmonton Oilers once again regained control of top spot in the NHL and were awarded with the Presidents' Trophy—the first time the trophy had been awarded for the best record—while last year's best team, the Philadelphia Flyers slipped to second. The Flyers continued their dominance of the Wales Conference despite the death of their Vezina-winning goaltender, Pelle Lindbergh, in a car accident on November 11. Edmonton's Wayne Gretzky won his seventh straight Hart Memorial Trophy and his sixth straight Art Ross Trophy. This season saw Gretzky score 52 goals, and set records of 163 assists and 215 points. This was the fourth time in five years that Gretzky reached the 200 point plateau; no other player has reached 200 point mark, although Mario Lemieux would garner 199 points in 76 games in 1988–89. Edmonton's defenceman Paul Coffey broke Bobby Orr's record of 46 goals 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

#### Prince of Wales Conference

Adams Division :
| | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| Quebec Nordiques | 80 | 43 | 31 | 6 | 330 | 289 | 92 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 80 | 40 | 33 | 7 | 330 | 280 | 87 |
| Boston Bruins | 80 | 37 | 31 | 12 | 311 | 288 | 86 |
| Hartford Whalers | 80 | 40 | 36 | 4 | 332 | 302 | 84 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 80 | 37 | 37 | 6 | 296 | 291 | 80 |
Patrick Division :
| | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 80 | 53 | 23 | 4 | 335 | 241 | 110 |
| Washington Capitals | 80 | 50 | 23 | 7 | 315 | 272 | 107 |
| New York Islanders | 80 | 39 | 29 | 12 | 327 | 284 | 90 |
| New York Rangers | 80 | 36 | 38 | 6 | 280 | 276 | 78 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 80 | 34 | 38 | 8 | 313 | 305 | 76 |
| New Jersey Devils | 80 | 28 | 49 | 3 | 300 | 374 | 59 |

#### Clarence Campbell Conference

Norris Division :
| | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 80 | 39 | 33 | 8 | 351 | 349 | 86 |
| Minnesota North Stars | 80 | 38 | 33 | 9 | 327 | 305 | 85 |
| St. Louis Blues | 80 | 37 | 34 | 9 | 302 | 291 | 83 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 80 | 25 | 48 | 7 | 311 | 386 | 57 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 80 | 17 | 57 | 6 | 266 | 415 | 40 |
Smythe Division :
| | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| Edmonton Oilers | 80 | 56 | 17 | 7 | 426 | 310 | 119 |
| Calgary Flames | 80 | 40 | 31 | 9 | 354 | 315 | 89 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 80 | 26 | 47 | 7 | 295 | 372 | 59 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 80 | 23 | 44 | 13 | 282 | 333 | 59 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 80 | 23 | 49 | 8 | 284 | 389 | 54 |

## Playoffs
### Bracket

The top four teams in each division qualified for the playoffs. In the division semifinals, the fourth seeded team in each division played against the division winner from their division. The other series matched the second and third place teams from the divisions. The two winning teams from each division's semifinals then met in the division finals. The two division winners of each conference then played in the conference finals. The two conference winners then advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.
In the division semifinals, teams competed in a best-of-five series. In the other three rounds, teams competed in a best-of-seven series (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each series).
| Division semifinals | Division semifinals | Division semifinals | | | Division finals | Division finals | Division finals | Conference finals | Conference finals | Conference finals | | Stanley Cup Finals | Stanley Cup Finals | Stanley Cup Finals |
| A1 | Quebec | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A4 | Hartford | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A4 | Hartford | 3 | | | A4 | Hartford | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | A2 | Montreal | 4 | | | | | | | |
| A2 | Montreal | 3 | | | A2 | Montreal | 4 | | | | | | | |
| A3 | Boston | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A3 | Boston | 0 | | | | | | A2 | Montreal | 4 | | | | |
| Prince of Wales Conference | Prince of Wales Conference | Prince of Wales Conference | Prince of Wales Conference | Prince of Wales Conference | Prince of Wales Conference | Prince of Wales Conference | Prince of Wales Conference | A2 | Montreal | 4 | | | | |
| Prince of Wales Conference | Prince of Wales Conference | Prince of Wales Conference | Prince of Wales Conference | Prince of Wales Conference | Prince of Wales Conference | Prince of Wales Conference | Prince of Wales Conference | P4 | NY Rangers | 1 | | | | |
| P1 | Philadelphia | 2 | | | | | | | | | P4 | NY Rangers | 1 | | | | |
| P4 | NY Rangers | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| P4 | NY Rangers | 3 | | | P4 | NY Rangers | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | P2 | Washington | 2 | | | | | | | |
| P2 | Washington | 3 | | | P2 | Washington | 2 | | | | | | | |
| P3 | NY Islanders | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| P3 | NY Islanders | 0 | | | | | | | | | | A2 | Montreal | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | S2 | Calgary | 1 |
| N1 | Chicago | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | S2 | Calgary | 1 |
| N4 | Toronto | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N4 | Toronto | 3 | | | N4 | Toronto | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | N3 | St. Louis | 4 | | | | | | | |
| N2 | Minnesota | 2 | | | N3 | St. Louis | 4 | | | | | | | |
| N3 | St. Louis | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N3 | St. Louis | 3 | | | | | | N3 | St. Louis | 3 | | | | |
| Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | N3 | St. Louis | 3 | | | | |
| Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | S2 | Calgary | 4 | | | | |
| S1 | Edmonton | 3 | | | | | | | | | S2 | Calgary | 4 | | | | |
| S4 | Vancouver | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| S4 | Vancouver | 0 | | | S1 | Edmonton | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | S2 | Calgary | 4 | | | | | | | |
| S2 | Calgary | 3 | | | S2 | Calgary | 4 | | | | | | | |
| S3 | Winnipeg | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## Awards

1986 NHL awards :
| Presidents' Trophy: Team with most points, regular season | Edmonton Oilers |
| Prince of Wales Trophy: (Wales Conference playoff champion) | Montreal Canadiens |
| Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: (Campbell Conference playoff champion) | Calgary Flames |
| Art Ross Trophy: (Top scorer, regular season) | Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers |
| Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: (Perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication) | Charlie Simmer, Boston Bruins |
| Calder Memorial Trophy: (Best first-year player) | Gary Suter, Calgary Flames |
| Conn Smythe Trophy: (Most valuable player, playoffs) | Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens |
| Frank J. Selke Trophy: (Best defensive forward) | Troy Murray, Chicago Black Hawks |
| Hart Memorial Trophy: (Most valuable player, regular season) | Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers |
| Jack Adams Award: (Best coach) | Glen Sather, Edmonton Oilers |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy: (Best defenceman) | Paul Coffey, Edmonton Oilers |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: (Excellence and sportsmanship) | Mike Bossy, New York Islanders |
| Lester B. Pearson Award: (Outstanding player, regular season) | Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins |
| NHL Plus/Minus Award: (Player with best plus/minus record) | Mark Howe, Philadelphia Flyers |
| William M. Jennings Trophy: (Goaltender(s) of team(s) with best goaltending record) | Bob Froese/Darren Jensen, Philadelphia Flyers |
| Vezina Trophy: (Best goaltender) | John Vanbiesbrouck, New York Rangers |

### All-Star teams

| First Team | Position | Second Team |
| John Vanbiesbrouck, New York Rangers | G | Bob Froese, Philadelphia Flyers |
| Paul Coffey, Edmonton Oilers | D | Larry Robinson, Montreal Canadiens |
| Mark Howe, Philadelphia Flyers | D | Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins |
| Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers | C | Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Mike Bossy, New York Islanders | RW | Jari Kurri, Edmonton Oilers |
| Michel Goulet, Quebec Nordiques | LW | Mats Naslund, Montreal Canadiens |

## Player statistics
### Scoring leaders

| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts |
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 80 | 52 | 163 | 215 |
| Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | 79 | 48 | 93 | 141 |
| Paul Coffey | Edmonton Oilers | 79 | 48 | 90 | 138 |
| Jari Kurri | Edmonton Oilers | 78 | 68 | 63 | 131 |
| Mike Bossy | New York Islanders | 80 | 61 | 62 | 123 |
| Peter Stastny | Quebec Nordiques | 76 | 41 | 81 | 122 |
| Denis Savard | Chicago Black Hawks | 80 | 47 | 69 | 116 |
| Mats Naslund | Montreal Canadiens | 80 | 43 | 67 | 110 |
| Dale Hawerchuk | Winnipeg Jets | 80 | 46 | 59 | 105 |
| Neal Broten | Minnesota North Stars | 80 | 29 | 76 | 105 |
Source: NHL

### Leading goaltenders

| Player | Team | GP | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
| Bob Froese | Philadelphia Flyers | 51 | 2728 | 116 | 5 | 2.55 | .909 |
| Al Jensen | Washington Capitals | 44 | 2437 | 129 | 2 | 3.18 | .890 |
| Clint Malarchuk | Quebec Nordiques | 46 | 2657 | 142 | 4 | 3.21 | .895 |
| Kelly Hrudey | New York Islanders | 45 | 2563 | 137 | 1 | 3.21 | .906 |
| John Vanbiesbrouck | New York Rangers | 61 | 3326 | 184 | 3 | 3.32 | .887 |
| Patrick Roy | Montreal Canadiens | 47 | 2651 | 148 | 1 | 3.35 | .875 |
| Pat Riggin | Washington Capitals / Boston Bruins | 46 | 2641 | 150 | 1 | 3.41 | .827 |
| Rick Wamsley | St. Louis Blues | 42 | 2517 | 144 | 1 | 3.43 | .894 |
| Pete Peeters | Boston Bruins / Washington Capitals | 42 | 2506 | 144 | 1 | 3.45 | .875 |
| Don Beaupre | Minnesota North Stars | 52 | 3073 | 182 | 1 | 3.55 | .892 |
Source: NHL

## Coaches
### Patrick Division

* New Jersey Devils: Doug Carpenter
* New York Islanders: Al Arbour
* New York Rangers: Ted Sator
* Philadelphia Flyers: Mike Keenan
* Pittsburgh Penguins: Bob Berry
* Washington Capitals: Bryan Murray

### Adams Division

* Boston Bruins: Butch Goring
* Buffalo Sabres: Jim Schoenfeld and Scotty Bowman
* Hartford Whalers: Jack Evans
* Montreal Canadiens: Jean Perron
* Quebec Nordiques: Michel Bergeron

### Norris Division

* Chicago Black Hawks: Bob Pulford
* Detroit Red Wings: Harry Neale and Brad Park
* Minnesota North Stars: Lorne Henning
* St. Louis Blues: Jacques Demers
* Toronto Maple Leafs: Dan Maloney

### Smythe Division

* Calgary Flames: Bob Johnson
* Edmonton Oilers: Glen Sather
* Los Angeles Kings: Pat Quinn
* Vancouver Canucks: Tom Watt
* Winnipeg Jets: Barry Long and John Ferguson Sr.

## Milestones
### 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
* Craig Wolanin, 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 Black Hawks
* 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

## Broadcasting

This was the second and final season that the Canadian national broadcast rights were split between the Molson-sponsored Hockey Night in Canada on CBC, and the Carling O'Keefe-sponsored telecasts on CTV. HNIC aired on Saturday nights, while CTV primarily televised Friday night games. CTV was also supposed to televise the All-Star Game, but due to a prior programming commitment, the game aired instead on the cable network TSN for the first time. CBC and CTV also split the Stanley Cup playoffs. After the season, CTV decided to pull the plug on the venture, citing its limited access to Canadian-based teams, which translated into poor ratings. Carling O'Keefe retained the rights for the next two seasons, and syndicated its playoff telecasts to a chain of local stations that would one day become the Global Television Network.
This was the first season of the league's three-year U.S. national broadcast rights deal with ESPN. The contract called for the network to air up to 33 regular season games each season as well as the All-Star Game and the playoffs.