1980–81 Minnesota North Stars season

The 1980–81 Minnesota North Stars season was the North Stars' 14th season. Although the North Stars finished the season with one less win and one less point than the previous year, they made a surprise appearance in the 1981 Stanley Cup Finals against the New York Islanders, which they lost 4 games to 1.
==Off-season==
===Draft Picks===
Round	Pick	Player 	Nationality	College/junior/club team
1 	16 	Brad Palmer (F)	 	Victoria Cougars (WHL)
==Regular Season==
===Final Standings===
===Game Log===
Regular Season Results	Regular Season Results	Regular Season Results	Regular Season Results	Regular Season Results 	Regular Season Results
No. 	R 	Date 	Score 	Opponent 	Record
1 	W 	October 11, 1980 	9–3 	Hartford Whalers (1980–81) 	1–0–0
2 	W 	October 15, 1980 	3–2 	Boston Bruins (1980–81) 	2–0–0
3 	T 	October 17, 1980 	5–5 	@ Colorado Rockies (1980–81) 	2–0–1
4 	L 	October 18, 1980 	2–6 	@ Calgary Flames (1980–81) 	2–1–1
5 	W 	October 22, 1980 	4–2 	Quebec Nordiques (1980–81) 	3–1–1
6 	W 	October 24, 1980 	4–2 	@ Edmonton Oilers (1980–81) 	4–1–1
7 	W 	October 25, 1980 	4–1 	Winnipeg Jets (1980–81) 	5–1–1
8 	T 	October 29, 1980 	2–2 	St. Louis Blues (1980–81) 	5–1–2
9 	W 	November 1, 1980 	6–3 	Pittsburgh Penguins (1980–81) 	6–1–2
10 	W 	November 2, 1980 	8–3 	Calgary Flames (1980–81) 	7–1–2
11 	L 	November 7, 1980 	2–3 	@ Vancouver Canucks (1980–81) 	7–2–2
12 	W 	November 9, 1980 	7–1 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1980–81)	8–2–2
13 	T 	November 11, 1980 	6–6 	@ New York Islanders (1980–81) 	8–2–3
14 	W 	November 12, 1980 	5–1 	@ Hartford Whalers (1980–81) 	9–2–3
15 	W 	November 15, 1980 	5–2 	Chicago Black Hawks (1980–81) 	10–2–3
16 	L 	November 17, 1980 	1–2 	New York Islanders (1980–81) 	10–3–3
17 	W 	November 19, 1980 	3–2 	@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1980–81)	11–3–3
18 	T 	November 20, 1980 	1–1 	@ Philadelphia Flyers (1980–81)	11–3–4
19 	L 	November 22, 1980 	2–6 	Chicago Black Hawks (1980–81) 	11–4–4
20 	L 	November 26, 1980 	2–5 	@ Quebec Nordiques (1980–81) 	11–5–4
21 	W 	November 29, 1980 	4–2 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1980–81) 	12–5–4
22 	W 	December 1, 1980 	5–3 	@ New York Rangers (1980–81) 	13–5–4
23 	T 	December 3, 1980 	3–3 	@ Washington Capitals (1980–81)	13–5–5
24 	T 	December 6, 1980 	3–3 	Buffalo Sabres (1980–81) 	13–5–6
25 	T 	December 7, 1980 	1–1 	Detroit Red Wings (1980–81) 	13–5–7
26 	L 	December 9, 1980 	1–4 	@ St. Louis Blues (1980–81) 	13–6–7
27 	L 	December 10, 1980 	2–7 	Los Angeles Kings (1980–81) 	13–7–7
28 	W 	December 13, 1980 	4–3 	Winnipeg Jets (1980–81) 	14–7–7
29 	L 	December 15, 1980 	3–6 	Toronto Maple Leafs (1980–81) 	14–8–7
30 	L 	December 17, 1980 	2–4 	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1980–81)	14–9–7
31 	T 	December 20, 1980 	3–3 	New York Rangers (1980–81) 	14–9–8
32 	W 	December 23, 1980 	6–2 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1980–81) 	15–9–8
33 	W 	December 26, 1980 	5–3 	@ Winnipeg Jets (1980–81) 	16–9–8
34 	W 	December 27, 1980 	6–4 	Colorado Rockies (1980–81) 	17–9–8
35 	W 	December 30, 1980 	6–5 	Philadelphia Flyers (1980–81) 	18–9–8
36 	W 	January 3, 1981 	3–0 	Washington Capitals (1980–81) 	19–9–8
37 	T 	January 4, 1981 	2–2 	@ Buffalo Sabres (1980–81) 	19–9–9
38 	T 	January 7, 1981 	1–1 	Vancouver Canucks (1980–81) 	19–9–10
39 	L 	January 9, 1981 	2–4 	@ Colorado Rockies (1980–81) 	19–10–10
40 	W 	January 10, 1981 	3–2 	Washington Capitals (1980–81) 	20–10–10
41 	L 	January 12, 1981 	3–4 	@ Boston Bruins (1980–81) 	20–11–10
42 	T 	January 14, 1981 	1–1 	@ Buffalo Sabres (1980–81) 	20–11–11
43 	W 	January 17, 1981 	7–1 	Quebec Nordiques (1980–81) 	21–11–11
44 	W 	January 19, 1981 	6–3 	Montreal Canadiens (1980–81) 	22–11–11
45 	W 	January 21, 1981 	2–1 	@ Washington Capitals (1980–81)	23–11–11
46 	L 	January 22, 1981 	4–5 	@ Philadelphia Flyers (1980–81)	23–12–11
47 	W 	January 24, 1981 	6–1 	Edmonton Oilers (1980–81) 	24–12–11
48 	W 	January 26, 1981 	3–2 	Calgary Flames (1980–81) 	25–12–11
49 	L 	January 28, 1981 	1–3 	@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1980–81)	25–13–11
50 	T 	January 29, 1981 	3–3 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1980–81) 	25–13–12
51 	L 	January 31, 1981 	3–7 	New York Rangers (1980–81) 	25–14–12
52 	L 	February 4, 1981 	2–6 	@ Quebec Nordiques (1980–81) 	25–15–12
53 	L 	February 5, 1981 	0–7 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1980–81) 	25–16–12
54 	T 	February 7, 1981 	5–5 	@ New York Islanders (1980–81) 	25–16–13
55 	T 	February 8, 1981 	3–3 	@ New York Rangers (1980–81) 	25–16–14
56 	L 	February 12, 1981 	3–4 	Toronto Maple Leafs (1980–81) 	25–17–14
57 	W 	February 14, 1981 	7–4 	Hartford Whalers (1980–81) 	26–17–14
58 	W 	February 15, 1981 	7–2 	Vancouver Canucks (1980–81) 	27–17–14
59 	W 	February 18, 1981 	6–2 	Colorado Rockies (1980–81) 	28–17–14
60 	W 	February 20, 1981 	5–3 	@ Winnipeg Jets (1980–81) 	29–17–14
61 	L 	February 21, 1981 	3–5 	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1980–81)	29–18–14
62 	L 	February 23, 1981 	1–4 	New York Islanders (1980–81) 	29–19–14
63 	L 	February 25, 1981 	2–3 	@ Hartford Whalers (1980–81) 	29–20–14
64 	L 	February 26, 1981 	1–5 	@ Boston Bruins (1980–81) 	29–21–14
65 	L 	February 28, 1981 	2–4 	Philadelphia Flyers (1980–81) 	29–22–14
66 	T 	March 4, 1981 	3–3 	Boston Bruins (1980–81) 	29–22–15
67 	W 	March 7, 1981 	8–5 	Pittsburgh Penguins (1980–81) 	30–22–15
68 	T 	March 9, 1981 	1–1 	Montreal Canadiens (1980–81) 	30–22–16
69 	W 	March 11, 1981 	3–1 	Buffalo Sabres (1980–81) 	31–22–16
70 	L 	March 12, 1981 	3–6 	@ Calgary Flames (1980–81) 	31–23–16
71 	L 	March 14, 1981 	4–10 	@ Los Angeles Kings (1980–81) 	31–24–16
72 	L 	March 18, 1981 	3–5 	Edmonton Oilers (1980–81) 	31–25–16
73 	T 	March 20, 1981 	1–1 	@ Edmonton Oilers (1980–81) 	31–25–17
74 	W 	March 22, 1981 	9–3 	Detroit Red Wings (1980–81) 	32–25–17
75 	L 	March 24, 1981 	3–4 	Los Angeles Kings (1980–81) 	32–26–17
76 	L 	March 28, 1981 	2–3 	@ Los Angeles Kings (1980–81) 	32–27–17
77 	W 	March 29, 1981 	4–2 	@ Vancouver Canucks (1980–81) 	33–27–17
78 	W 	March 31, 1981 	6–3 	St. Louis Blues (1980–81) 	34–27–17
79 	W 	April 4, 1981 	5–0 	@ St. Louis Blues (1980–81) 	35–27–17
80 	L 	April 5, 1981 	4–8 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1980–81)	35–28–17
==Playoffs==
===Minnesota North Stars 3, Boston Bruins 0===
===Minnesota North Stars 4, Buffalo Sabres 1===
===Minnesota North Stars 4, Calgary Flames 2===
===New York Islanders 4, Minnesota North Stars 1===
Date 	Visitors 	Score	Home 	Score	Notes
May 12	Minnesota	3 	New York 	6 	
May 14	Minnesota	3 	New York 	6 	
May 17	New York 	7 	Minnesota	5 	
May 19	New York 	2 	Minnesota	4 	
May 21	Minnesota	1 	New York 	5 	OT
==Player Stats==
===Skaters===
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	+/-	PIM
Bobby Smith 	78	29	64	93 	+1 	73
Tim Young 	74	25	41	66 	+6 	40
Al MacAdam 	78	21	39	60 	-6 	94
Steve Payne 	76	30	28	58 	+14	88
Tom McCarthy 	62	23	25	48 	+3 	62
Craig Hartsburg 	74	13	30	43 	-9 	124
Kent-Erik Andersson	77	17	24	41 	8 	22
Steve Christoff 	56	26	13	39 	-9 	58
Gordie Roberts 	50	6 	31	37 	2 	94
Mike Eaves 	48	10	24	34 	1 	18
Dino Ciccarelli 	32	18	12	30 	2 	29
Curt Giles 	67	5 	22	27 	8 	56
Greg Smith 	74	5 	21	26 	7 	126
Glen Sharpley 	28	12	12	24 	-4 	18
Mike Fidler 	 	 	 	 	 	
Ron Zanussi 	 	 	 	 	 	
Brad Maxwell 	 	 	 	 	 	
Mike Polich 	 	 	 	 	 	
Fred Barrett 	 	 	 	 	 	
Gary Sargent 	 	 	 	 	 	
Tom Younghans 	 	 	 	 	 	
Paul Shmyr 	 	 	 	 	 	
Jack Carlson 	 	 	 	 	 	
Brad Palmer 	 	 	 	 	 	
Kevin Maxwell 	 	 	 	 	 	
Don Jackson 	 	 	 	 	 	
http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/MNS/1981.html
===Goaltending===
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average
Player	GP	W	L	T	SO	GAA
 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Awards and Records==
*The North Stars did not win any awards this season.
==References==
* North Stars on Hockey Database
Category:Minnesota North Stars seasons
Category:1980 in hockey
Category:1981 in hockey