2018-19 NHL season

This is the 2018-19 National Hockey League season.  This is the league's 102nd season of operation (101st of play).
==Salary Cap==
The NHL Players Association and the league announced the salary cap would be $79.5 million.
==Winter Classic==
The 2019 Winter Classic will be held at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana on January 1, 2019. It will match up Original Six rivals the Boston Bruins and the Chicago Blackhawks.
==Stadium Series==
The only other outdoor game scheduled is a February 23, 2019 game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
==Draft==
The 2018 Entry Draft was held June 22-23, 2018 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Rasmus Dahlin a defenseman with the Frölunda HC was the top pick in the draft by the Buffalo Sabres.
==Overseas Games==
The league will have two pre-season games in China. The first game will be on September 15th in Shenzhen, China and the second on September 19 in Beijing.
==Membership Changes==
*None, but; on December 4, 2018, the National Hockey League approved a proposal by Seattle Hockey Partners—an ownership group led by David Bonderman, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Tod Leiweke—to grant an expansion franchise to the city of Seattle, Washington for the 2021-22 season.
==Arena Changes==
*The New York Islanders move half of their home games back to the Nassau Coliseum  after renovations are completed.  The remainder of the home games will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn until their new arena at Belmont Park opens in what is hoped to be in time for the 2021-22 season.
*The Toronto Maple Leafs home arena is renamed the Scotiabank Arena from the Air Canada Centre.
*The St. Louis Blues home arena is renamed the Enterprise Center from the Scottrade Center
==Membership==
===Eastern Conference===
Division 	Team 	City 	Arena 	Capacity 	Joined NHL
Atlantic 	Boston Bruins 	Boston, Massachusetts 	TD Garden 	17,565 	1924
Atlantic 	Buffalo Sabres 	Buffalo, New York 	KeyBank Center 	18,690 	1970
Atlantic 	Detroit Red Wings 	Detroit, Michigan 	Little Caesars Arena 	20,066 	1926
Atlantic 	Florida Panthers 	Sunrise, Florida 	BB&T Center 	19,452 	1993
Atlantic 	Montreal Canadiens 	Montreal, Quebec 	Bell Centre 	21,273 	1917
Atlantic 	Ottawa Senators 	Ottawa, Ontario 	Canadian Tire Centre 	20,500 	1992
Atlantic 	Tampa Bay Lightning 	Tampa, Florida 	Amalie Arena 	19,500 	1992
Atlantic 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	Toronto, Ontario 	Scotiabank Arena 	18,800 	1917
Metroplitan	Carolina Hurricanes 	Raleigh, North Carolina 	PNC Arena 	18,639 	1979
Metroplitan	Columbus Blue Jackets	Columbus, Ohio 	Nationwide Arena 	18,136 	2000
Metroplitan	New Jersey Devils 	Newark, New Jersey 	Prudential Center 	17,625 	1974
Metroplitan	New York Islanders 	Brooklyn, New YorkUniondale, New York	Barclays CenterNassau Coliseum	16,23413,900	1972
Metroplitan	New York Rangers 	New York, New York 	Madison Square Garden 	18,200 	1926
Metroplitan	Philadelphia Flyers 	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 	Wells Fargo Center 	19,500 	1967
Metroplitan	Pittsburgh Penguins 	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 	PPG Paints Arena 	18,387 	1967
Metroplitan	Washington Capitals 	Washington, D.C. 	Capital One Arena 	18,277 	1974
===Western Conference===
Division	Team 	City 	Arena 	Capacity	Joined NHL
Central 	Chicago Blackhawks 	Chicago, Illinois 	United Center 	19,717 	1926
Central 	Colorado Avalanche 	Denver, Colorado 	Pepsi Center 	18,007 	1979
Central 	Dallas Stars 	Dallas, Texas 	American Airlines Center	18,500 	1967
Central 	Minnesota Wild 	St. Paul, Minnesota 	Xcel Energy Center 	18,568 	2000
Central 	Nashville Predators 	Nashville, Tennessee 	Bridgestone Arena 	17,113 	1998
Central 	St. Louis Blues 	St. Louis, Missouri 	Enterprise Center 	19,022 	1967
Central 	Winnipeg Jets 	Winnipeg, Manitoba 	Bell MTS Place 	18,750 	2011
Pacific 	Anaheim Ducks 	Anaheim, California 	Honda Center 	17,174 	1993
Pacific 	Arizona Coyotes 	Glendale, Arizona 	Gila River Arena 	18,000 	1979
Pacific 	Calgary Flames 	Calgary, Alberta 	Scotiabank Saddledome 	19,289 	1972
Pacific 	Edmonton Oilers 	Edmonton, Alberta 	Rogers Place 	18,641 	1979
Pacific 	Los Angeles Kings 	Los Angeles, California 	Staples Center 	18,118 	1967
Pacific 	San Jose Sharks 	San Jose, California 	SAP Center at San Jose 	17,496 	1991
Pacific 	Vancouver Canucks 	Vancouver, British Columbia	Rogers Arena 	18,630 	1970
Pacific 	Vegas Golden Knights	Las Vegas, Nevada 	T-Mobile Arena 	17,368 	2017
==Standings==
===Eastern Conference===
====Metropolitan Division====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	ROW	GF 	GA 	Pts
Washington Capitals	82	48	26	8 	44 	278	249	104
New York Islanders 	82	48	27	7 	43 	228	196	103
Pittsburgh Penguins	82	44	26	12	42 	273	241	100
====Atlantic Division====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	ROW	GF 	GA 	Pts
Tampa Bay Lightning	82	62	16	4 	56 	325	22 	128
Boston Bruins 	82	49	24	9 	47 	259	215	107
Toronto Maple Leafs	82	46	28	8 	46 	286	251	100
====Eastern Conference Wild Card====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	ROW	GF 	GA 	Pts
Carolina Hurricanes 	82	46	29	7 	44 	245	223	99
Columbus Blue Jackets	82	47	31	4 	45 	258	232	98
Montreal Canadiens 	82	44	30	8 	41 	249	236	96
Florida Panthers 	82	36	32	14	33 	267	280	86
Philadelphia Flyers 	82	37	37	8 	34 	244	281	82
New York Rangers 	82	32	36	14	26 	227	272	78
Buffalo Sabres 	82	33	39	10	28 	226	271	76
Detroit Red Wings 	82	32	40	10	29 	227	277	74
New Jersey Devils 	82	31	41	10	28 	222	275	72
Ottawa Senators 	82	29	47	6 	29 	242	302	64
===Western Conference===
====Central Division Division====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	ROW	GF 	GA 	Pts
Nashville Predators	82	47	29	6 	43 	240	214	100
Winnipeg Jets 	82	47	30	5 	45 	272	244	99
St. Louis Blues 	82	45	28	9 	42 	247	223	99
====Pacific Division====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	ROW	GF 	GA 	Pts
Calgary Flames 	82	50	25	7 	50 	289	227	107
San Jose Sharks 	82	46	27	9 	46 	289	261	101
Vegas Golden Knights	82	43	32	7 	40 	249	230	93
====Western Conference Wild Card====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	ROW	GF 	GA 	Pts
Dallas Stars 	82	43	32	7 	42 	210	202	93
Colorado Avalanche	82	38	30	14	36 	260	246	90
Arizona Coyotes 	82	39	35	8 	35 	213	223	86
Chicago Blackhawks	82	36	34	12	33 	270	292	84
Minnesota Wild 	82	37	36	9 	36 	211	237	83
Vancouver Canucks 	82	35	36	11	29 	225	254	81
Anaheim Ducks 	82	35	37	10	32 	199	251	80
Edmonton Oilers 	82	35	38	9 	32 	232	274	79
Los Angeles Kings 	82	31	42	9 	28 	202	263	71
==Stanley Cup Playoffs==
===Format===
The top three teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. The next two best records in each conference also qualify as wildcard teams. The wild card team with the fewer points plays the team with the best record in the conference regardless of division. The other wild card team plays the other division winner. The wild card team then stays in that division's playoffs. The division semifinal winners meet in the division finals. The two division winners in each conference meet in the conference finals. The two conference winners meet in the Stanley Cup final. All series are best-of-seven.
===Atlantic Division Semifinals===
*Columbus Blue Jackets defeated Tampa Bay Lightning 4 games to none
*Boston Bruins defeated Toronto Maple Leafs 4 games to 3
===Metropolitan Division Semifinals===
*Carolina Hurricanes defeated Washington Capitals 4 games to 3
*New York Islanders defeated Pittsburgh Penguins 4 games to none
===Central Division Semifinals===
*Dallas Stars defeated Nashville Predators 4 games to 2
*St. Louis Blues defeated Winnipeg Jets 4 games to 2
===Pacific Division Semifinals===
*Colorado Avalanche defeated Calgary Flames 4 games to 2
*San Jose Sharks defeated Vegas Golden Knights 4 games to 3
===Atlantic Division Final===
*Boston Bruins defeated Columbus Blue Jackets 4 games to 2
===Metropolitan Division Final===
*Carolina Hurricanes defeated New York Islanders 4 games to none
===Central Division Final===
*St. Louis Blues defeated Dallas Stars 4 games to 3
===Pacific Division Final===
*San Jose Sharks defeated Colorado Avalanche 4 games to 3
===Eastern Conference Final===
*Boston Bruins defeated Carolina Hurricanes 4 games to none
===Western Conference Final===
*St. Louis Blues defeated San Jose Sharks 4 games to 2
===Stanley Cup Final===
*St. Louis Blues defeated Boston Bruins 4 games to 3
The St. Louis Blues win the Stanley Cup. Ryan O'Reilly was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as Stanley Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player
Category:2019 in hockey
Category:National Hockey League seasons