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 ) : 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 ) :