# 1989–90 NHL season

The 1989–90 NHL season was the 73rd season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup winners were the Edmonton Oilers, who won the best of seven series 4–1 against the Boston Bruins. The championship was the Oilers' fifth Stanley Cup in seven seasons.

## Entry draft

The 1989 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 17, at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. Mats Sundin was selected first overall by the Quebec Nordiques.

## Regular season

Wayne Gretzky records his 1,851st point, passing Gordie Howe for the most in NHL history on Oct. 15, 1989.
This season marked the first time that all three New York City area NHL teams, including the New Jersey Devils, made the playoffs in the same season, a feat which has since been repeated thrice more: in the 1993–94, the 2006–07, and the 2022–23 seasons.
Until 2017, this was last time the Detroit Red Wings missed the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Sam St. Laurent of the Red Wings became the last goalie to wear a full fiberglass mask during an NHL game.

### 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 | GF | GA | Pts |
| Boston Bruins | 80 | 46 | 25 | 9 | 289 | 232 | 101 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 80 | 45 | 27 | 8 | 286 | 248 | 98 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 80 | 41 | 28 | 11 | 288 | 234 | 93 |
| Hartford Whalers | 80 | 38 | 33 | 9 | 275 | 268 | 85 |
| Quebec Nordiques | 80 | 12 | 61 | 7 | 240 | 407 | 31 |
Patrick Division :
| | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| New York Rangers | 80 | 36 | 31 | 13 | 279 | 267 | 85 |
| New Jersey Devils | 80 | 37 | 34 | 9 | 295 | 288 | 83 |
| Washington Capitals | 80 | 36 | 38 | 6 | 284 | 275 | 78 |
| New York Islanders | 80 | 31 | 38 | 11 | 281 | 288 | 73 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 80 | 32 | 40 | 8 | 318 | 359 | 72 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 80 | 30 | 39 | 11 | 290 | 297 | 71 |

#### Clarence Campbell Conference

Norris Division :
| | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 80 | 41 | 33 | 6 | 315 | 294 | 88 |
| St. Louis Blues | 80 | 37 | 34 | 9 | 295 | 279 | 83 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 80 | 38 | 38 | 4 | 337 | 358 | 80 |
| Minnesota North Stars | 80 | 36 | 40 | 4 | 284 | 291 | 76 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 80 | 28 | 38 | 14 | 288 | 323 | 70 |
Smythe Division :
| | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| Calgary Flames | 80 | 42 | 23 | 15 | 348 | 265 | 99 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 80 | 38 | 28 | 14 | 315 | 283 | 90 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 80 | 37 | 32 | 11 | 298 | 290 | 85 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 80 | 34 | 39 | 7 | 338 | 337 | 75 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 80 | 25 | 41 | 14 | 245 | 306 | 64 |

## Playoffs
### Bracket

The top four teams in each division qualified for the playoffs. In each round, teams competed in a best-of-seven series (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each best-of-seven series). 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.
| 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 | Boston | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A4 | Hartford | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A4 | Hartford | 3 | | | A1 | Boston | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | A3 | Montreal | 1 | | | | | | | |
| A2 | Buffalo | 2 | | | A3 | Montreal | 1 | | | | | | | |
| A3 | Montreal | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A3 | Montreal | 4 | | | | | | A1 | Boston | 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 | A1 | Boston | 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 | P3 | Washington | 0 | | | | |
| P1 | NY Rangers | 4 | | | | | | | | | P3 | Washington | 0 | | | | |
| P4 | NY Islanders | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| P4 | NY Islanders | 1 | | | P1 | NY Rangers | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | P3 | Washington | 4 | | | | | | | |
| P2 | New Jersey | 2 | | | P3 | Washington | 4 | | | | | | | |
| P3 | Washington | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| P3 | Washington | 4 | | | | | | | | | | A1 | Boston | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | S2 | Edmonton | 4 |
| N1 | Chicago | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | S2 | Edmonton | 4 |
| N4 | Minnesota | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N4 | Minnesota | 3 | | | N1 | Chicago | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | N2 | St. Louis | 3 | | | | | | | |
| N2 | St. Louis | 4 | | | N2 | St. Louis | 3 | | | | | | | |
| N3 | Toronto | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N3 | Toronto | 1 | | | | | | N1 | Chicago | 2 | | | | |
| Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | Clarence Campbell Conference | N1 | Chicago | 2 | | | | |
| 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 | Edmonton | 4 | | | | |
| S1 | Calgary | 2 | | | | | | | | | S2 | Edmonton | 4 | | | | |
| S4 | Los Angeles | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| S4 | Los Angeles | 4 | | | S4 | Los Angeles | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | S2 | Edmonton | 4 | | | | | | | |
| S2 | Edmonton | 4 | | | S2 | Edmonton | 4 | | | | | | | |
| S3 | Winnipeg | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## Awards

1989–90 NHL awards :
| Award | Recipient(s) | Runner(s)-up/Finalists |
| Stanley Cup | Edmonton Oilers | Boston Bruins |
| Presidents' Trophy (Best regular-season record) | Boston Bruins | Calgary Flames |
| Prince of Wales Trophy (Wales Conference playoff champion) | Boston Bruins | Washington Capitals |
| Clarence S. Campbell Bowl (Campbell Conference playoff champion) | Edmonton Oilers | Chicago Blackhawks |
| Alka-Seltzer Plus-Minus Award (Best plus-minus statistic) | Paul Cavallini (St. Louis Blues) | Stéphane Richer (Montreal Canadiens) |
| Art Ross Trophy (Player with most points) | Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) | Mark Messier (Edmonton Oilers) |
| Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (Perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication) | Gord Kluzak (Boston Bruins) | N/A |
| Calder Memorial Trophy (Best first-year player) | Sergei Makarov (Calgary Flames) | Mike Modano (Minnesota North Stars) Jeremy Roenick (Chicago Blackhawks) |
| Conn Smythe Trophy (Most valuable player, playoffs) | Bill Ranford (Edmonton Oilers) | N/A |
| Frank J. Selke Trophy (Best defensive forward) | Rick Meagher (St. Louis Blues) | Guy Carbonneau (Montreal Canadiens) Esa Tikkanen (Edmonton Oilers) |
| Hart Memorial Trophy (Most valuable player, regular season) | Mark Messier (Edmonton Oilers) | Ray Bourque (Boston Bruins) Brett Hull (St. Louis Blues) |
| Jack Adams Award (Best coach) | Bob Murdoch (Winnipeg Jets) | Mike Milbury (Boston Bruins) Roger Neilson (New York Rangers) |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy (Best defenceman) | Ray Bourque (Boston Bruins) | Al MacInnis (Calgary Flames) Doug Wilson (Chicago Blackhawks) |
| King Clancy Memorial Trophy (Leadership and humanitarian contribution) | Kevin Lowe (Edmonton Oilers) | N/A |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (Sportsmanship and excellence) | Brett Hull (St. Louis Blues) | Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) Pat LaFontaine (New York Islanders) |
| Lester B. Pearson Award (Outstanding player) | Mark Messier (Edmonton Oilers) | N/A |
| Vezina Trophy (Best goaltender) | Patrick Roy (Montreal Canadiens) | Andy Moog (Boston Bruins) Daren Puppa (Buffalo Sabres) |
| William M. Jennings Trophy (Goaltender(s) of team with fewest goals against) | Andy Moog and Réjean Lemelin (Boston Bruins) | N/A |

### All-Star teams

| First team | Position | Second team |
| Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens | G | Daren Puppa, Buffalo Sabres |
| Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins | D | Paul Coffey, Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Al MacInnis, Calgary Flames | D | Doug Wilson, Chicago Blackhawks |
| Mark Messier, Edmonton Oilers | C | Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles Kings |
| Brett Hull, St. Louis Blues | RW | Cam Neely, Boston Bruins |
| Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings | LW | Brian Bellows, Minnesota North Stars |

## Player statistics
### Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes, PPG = Powerplay Goals, SHG = Shorthanded Goals, GWG = Game Winning Goals
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG | GWG |
| Wayne Gretzky | Los Angeles Kings | 73 | 40 | 102 | 142 | 42 | +8 | 10 | 4 | 4 |
| Mark Messier | Edmonton Oilers | 79 | 45 | 84 | 129 | 79 | +19 | 13 | 6 | 3 |
| Steve Yzerman | Detroit Red Wings | 79 | 62 | 65 | 127 | 79 | -6 | 16 | 7 | 8 |
| Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | 59 | 45 | 78 | 123 | 78 | -18 | 14 | 3 | 4 |
| Brett Hull | St. Louis Blues | 80 | 72 | 41 | 113 | 24 | -1 | 27 | 0 | 12 |
| Bernie Nicholls | Los Angeles Kings/ New York Rangers | 79 | 39 | 73 | 112 | 86 | -9 | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| Pierre Turgeon | Buffalo Sabres | 80 | 40 | 66 | 106 | 29 | +10 | 17 | 1 | 10 |
| Pat LaFontaine | New York Islanders | 74 | 54 | 51 | 105 | 38 | -13 | 13 | 2 | 8 |
| Paul Coffey | Pittsburgh Penguins | 80 | 29 | 74 | 103 | 95 | -25 | 10 | 0 | 3 |
| Joe Sakic | Quebec Nordiques | 80 | 39 | 63 | 102 | 27 | -40 | 8 | 1 | 2 |
| Adam Oates | St. Louis Blues | 80 | 23 | 79 | 102 | 30 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
Sources: NHL, Quanthockey.com.

### Leading goaltenders

GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; Sv% = Save percentage
| Player | Team | GP | Min | W | L | T | SO | GAA | Sv% |
| Kirk McLean | Vancouver Canucks | 63 | 3739 | 21 | 30 | 10 | 0 | 3.47 | 88.0 |
| Jon Casey | Minnesota North Stars | 61 | 3407 | 31 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 3.22 | 89.6 |
| Daren Puppa | Buffalo Sabres | 56 | 3241 | 31 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 2.89 | 90.3 |
| Bill Ranford | Edmonton Oilers | 56 | 3107 | 24 | 16 | 9 | 1 | 3.19 | 88.7 |
| Patrick Roy | Montreal Canadiens | 54 | 3173 | 31 | 16 | 5 | 3 | 2.53 | 91.2 |
| Sean Burke | New Jersey Devils | 52 | 2914 | 22 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 3.60 | 88.0 |
| Kelly Hrudey | Los Angeles Kings | 52 | 2860 | 22 | 21 | 6 | 2 | 4.07 | 87.3 |
| Ken Wregget | Philadelphia Flyers | 51 | 2961 | 22 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 3.42 | 89.2 |
| Greg Millen | Quebec Nordiques | 49 | 2900 | 19 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 3.89 | 87.2 |
| Don Beaupre | Washington Capitals | 48 | 2793 | 23 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 3.22 | 89.0 |
Source: Quanthockey.com.

## Coaches
### Patrick Division

* New Jersey Devils: Jim Schoenfeld and John Cunniff
* New York Islanders: Al Arbour
* New York Rangers: Roger Neilson
* Philadelphia Flyers: Paul Holmgren
* Pittsburgh Penguins: Gene Ubriaco and Craig Patrick
* Washington Capitals: Bryan Murray and Terry Murray

### Adams Division

* Boston Bruins: Mike Milbury
* Buffalo Sabres: Rick Dudley
* Hartford Whalers: Rick Ley
* Montreal Canadiens: Pat Burns
* Quebec Nordiques: Michel Bergeron

### Norris Division

* Chicago Blackhawks: Mike Keenan
* Detroit Red Wings: Jacques Demers
* Minnesota North Stars: Pierre Page
* St. Louis Blues: Brian Sutter
* Toronto Maple Leafs: Doug Carpenter

### Smythe Division

* Calgary Flames: Terry Crisp
* Edmonton Oilers: John Muckler
* Los Angeles Kings: Tom Webster
* Vancouver Canucks: Bob McCammon
* Winnipeg Jets: Bob Murdoch

## Milestones

This season would be the last the Toronto Maple Leafs would play under the 29 year ownership of Harold Ballard as a result of his death in April 1990 and the subsequent sale of the franchise.

### Debuts

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1989–90 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
* Wes Walz, Boston Bruins
* Alexander Mogilny, Buffalo Sabres
* Rob Ray, Buffalo Sabres
* Donald Audette*, Buffalo Sabres
* Sergei Makarov, Calgary Flames
* Rob Blake, Los Angeles Kings
* Helmut Balderis, Minnesota North Stars
* Mike Modano, Minnesota North Stars
* Andrew Cassels, Montreal Canadiens
* Lyle Odelein, Montreal Canadiens
* Vyacheslav Fetisov, New Jersey Devils
* Alexei Kasatonov, New Jersey Devils
* Murray Baron, Philadelphia Flyers
* Curtis Joseph, St. Louis Blues
* Tie Domi, Toronto Maple Leafs
* Vladimir Krutov, Vancouver Canucks
* Igor Larionov, Vancouver Canucks
* Olaf Kolzig, Washington Capitals

### Last games

The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1989–90 (listed with their last team):
* Reed Larson, Buffalo Sabres
* Al Secord, Chicago Blackhawks
* Bob Murray, Chicago Blackhawks
* Duane Sutter, Chicago Blackhawks
* Bernie Federko, Detroit Red Wings
* Borje Salming, Detroit Red Wings
* Reijo Ruotsalainen, Edmonton Oilers
* Barry Beck, Los Angeles Kings
* Helmut Balderis, Minnesota North Stars
* Curt Fraser, Minnesota North Stars
* Mark Johnson, New Jersey Devils
* Ron Greschner, New York Rangers
* Doug Smith, Pittsburgh Penguins
* Vladimir Krutov, Vancouver Canucks
* Paul Reinhart, Vancouver Canucks
* Doug Wickenheiser, Washington Capitals

## Broadcasting

This was the second season of the league's Canadian national broadcast rights deals with TSN and Hockey Night in Canada on CBC. Saturday night regular season games continued to air on CBC, while TSN televised selected weeknight games. Coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs was primarily on CBC, with TSN airing first round all-U.S. series.
This was also the second season of the league's U.S. national broadcast rights deal SportsChannel America, with up to three regular season games a week and coverage of the playoffs. Meanwhile, NBC agreed to televise the All-Star Game, reportedly wanting to test the appeal of hockey.