The 1988–89 NHL season was the 72nd season of the National Hockey League. Twenty-one teams each played 80 games. The Calgary Flames won an all Canadian Stanley Cup final against the Montreal Canadiens four games to two. To date, this is the last time two Canadian teams squared off for the Stanley Cup.

Regular season

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

Clarence Campbell Conference

Scoring leaders 
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points

Stanley Cup playoffs

Division semi-finals
Hartford Whalers vs. Montreal Canadiens

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 0

Buffalo Sabres vs. Boston Bruins

Boston wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 1

Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 2

New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 0

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings

Chicago wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 2

Minnesota North Stars vs. St. Louis Blues

St. Louis wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 1

Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames

Calgary wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 3

Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings

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

Division finals
Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 1

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Philadelphia wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 3

Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues

Chicago wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 1

Los Angeles Kings vs. Calgary Flames

Calgary wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 0

Conference finals
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Montreal Canadiens

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 2

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Calgary Flames

Calgary wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 1

Finals
Montreal Canadiens vs. Calgary Flames

The Stanley Cup Finals was decided between the top two teams during the 1988–89 NHL regular season. Captain Lanny McDonald scored the second Flames goal in Game 6. This turned out to be the last goal in his NHL Hall of Fame career because he retired during the following off-season. Doug Gilmour scored two goals in the third period, including the eventual game and Cup winner to cement the victory for the Flames.

Playoff scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points

NHL awards

All-Star teams

First games
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1988–89 (listed with their first team, stars(*) mark start in playoffs):
Don Sweeney, Boston Bruins
Stephane Quintal, Boston Bruins
Sergei Priakin, Calgary Flames
Paul Ranheim, Calgary Flames
Theoren Fleury, Calgary Flames
Ed Belfour, Chicago Blackhawks
Jeremy Roenick, Chicago Blackhawks
Randy McKay, Detroit Red Wings
Tim Cheveldae, Detroit Red Wings
Martin Gelinas, Edmonton Oilers
Mike Modano*, Minnesota North Stars
Eric Desjardins, Montreal Canadiens
Jyrki Lumme, Montreal Canadiens
Mike Keane, Montreal Canadiens
Eric Weinrich, New Jersey Devils
Paul Ysebaert, New Jersey Devils
Tom Fitzgerald, New York Islanders
Tony Granato, New York Rangers
Mike Richter*, New York Rangers
John Cullen, Pittsburgh Penguins
Mark Recchi, Pittsburgh Penguins
Curtis Leschyshyn, Quebec Nordiques
Joe Sakic, Quebec Nordiques
Rod Brind'Amour*, St. Louis Blues
Trevor Linden, Vancouver Canucks
Bob Essensa, Winnipeg Jets

Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1988–89 (listed with their last team):
Mark Napier, Buffalo Sabres
Hakan Loob, Calgary Flames
Lanny McDonald, Calgary Flames
Doug Halward, Edmonton Oilers
Tomas Jonsson, Edmonton Oilers
John Anderson, Hartford Whalers
Ron Duguay, Los Angeles Kings
Craig Hartsburg, Minnesota North Stars
Dennis Maruk, Minnesota North Stars
Bob Gainey, Montreal Canadiens
Billy Smith, New York Islanders
Marcel Dionne, New York Rangers
Anton Stastny, Quebec Nordiques
Mel Bridgman, Vancouver Canucks
Bengt Gustafsson, Washington Capitals

References

Hockey Database
NHL.com