2016–17 NHL season

This is the 2016-17 National Hockey League season. This is the league's 100th season of operation (99th of play)  Each team is scheduled to play 82 games.  The regular season is scheduled to rune from October 12, 2016 through April 9, 2017.  The Stanley Cup playoffs will begin on April 12th and run through mid-June.
==Pre-season==
The pre-season schedule will consist of 106 games played over the course of 15 days. Pre-season games will be held at 13 different non-NHL arenas including  the T-Mobile Arena, the future home of the Las Vegas expansion team will have the Los Angeles Kings hosting games on October 7th and 8th. Kraft Hockeyville winners Lumby, BC and Marquette, Michigan will host games on October 2nd at Kal Tire Place and Lakeview Arena on October 8th respectively. Ten other facilities will host games durng the pre-season including Penn State will host a game at the Pegula Ice Arena and the Tate Rink at the United States Military Academy.
==Membership changes==
*None for 2016-17; however on June 22, 2016 the league awarded an expansion team to a group based in Las Vegas, Nevada that will begin play with the 2017-18 season.  On November 22nd the team announced it would be named the Vegas Golden Knights.
==Arena changes==
*The Edmonton Oilers moved into Rogers Place which replaced their home since 1974, Rexall Place.
*The Detroit Red Wings are playing their final season at Joe Louis Arena which has been their home since 1979.  They will be moving into the Little Caesars Arena for the 2017-18 season.
==Outdoor Games==
*The Winnipeg Jets will host the Edmonton Oilers in the 2016 Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg on October 23, 2016
*The Toronto Maple Leafs will host the Detroit Red Wings at BMO Field in Toronto in the Centennial Classic on January 1, 2017 to celebrate the Maple Leafs organizaton's 100th anniversary.
*The St. Louis Blues will host the Chicago Blackhawks in the Winter Classic at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri
*The Pittsburgh Penguins will host the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL Stadium Series game on February 25, 2017 at Heinz Field.
==All Star Game==
*The 62nd All Star Game will be held on January 29, 2017 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California
==Teams==
===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 	Key Bank Center 	18,690 	1970
Atlantic 	Detroit Red Wings 	Detroit, Michigan 	Joe Louis Arena (2016-17); Little Caesars Arena (2017-18)	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 	Air Canada Centre 	18,800 	1917
Metropolitan	Carolina Hurricanes 	Raleigh, North Carolina 	PNC Arena 	18,639 	1979
Metropolitan	Columbus Blue Jackets	Columbus, Ohio 	Nationwide Arena 	18,136 	2000
Metropolitan	New Jersey Devils 	Newark, New Jersey 	Prudential Center 	17,625 	1974
Metropolitan	New York Islanders 	Brooklyn, New York 	Barclays Center 	16,234 	1972
Metropolitan	New York Rangers 	New York, New York 	Madison Square Garden 	18,200 	1926
Metropolitan	Philadelphia Flyers 	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Wells Fargo Center 	19,500 	1967
Metropolitan	Pittsburgh Penguins 	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 	PPG Paints Arena 	18,087 	1967
Metropolitan	Washington Capitals 	Washington, D.C. 	Verizon Center 	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 	Scottrade Center 	19,022 	1967
Central 	Winnipeg Jets 	Winnipeg, Manitoba 	MTS Center 	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 	2016
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
==Standings==
===Eastern Conference===
====Metropolitan Division====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	ROW	GF 	GA 	Pts
Washington Capitals 	82	55	19	8 	53 	263	182	118
Pittsburgh Penguins 	82	50	21	11	46 	282	234	111
Columbus Blue Jackets	82	50	24	8 	47 	249	195	108
====Atlantic Division====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	ROW	GF 	GA 	Pts
Montreal Canadiens	82	47	26	9 	44 	226	200	103
Ottawa Senators 	82	44	28	10	38 	212	214	98
Boston Bruins 	82	44	31	7 	42 	234	212	95
====Eastern Conference Wild Card====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	ROW	GF 	GA 	Pts
New York Rangers 	82	48	28	6 	45 	256	220	102
Toronto Maple Leafs	82	40	27	15	39 	251	242	95
New York Islanders 	82	41	29	12	39 	241	242	94
Tampa Bay Lightning	82	42	30	10	38 	234	227	94
Philadelphia Flyers	82	39	33	10	32 	219	236	88
Carolina Hurricanes	82	36	31	15	33 	215	236	87
Florida Panthers 	82	35	36	11	30 	210	237	81
Detroit Red Wings 	82	33	36	13	24 	207	244	79
Buffalo Sabres 	82	33	37	12	31 	201	237	78
New Jersey Devils 	82	28	40	14	25 	183	244	70
===Western Conference===
====Central Division Division====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	ROW	GF 	GA 	Pts
Chicago Blackhawks	82	50	23	9 	46 	244	213	109
Minnesota Wild 	82	49	25	8 	46 	266	208	106
St. Louis Blues 	82	46	29	7 	44 	235	218	99
====Pacific Division====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	ROW	GF 	GA 	Pts
Anaheim Ducks 	82	46	23	13	43 	223	200	105
Edmonton Oilers	82	47	26	9 	43 	247	212	103
San Jose Sharks	82	46	29	7 	44 	221	201	99
====Western Conference Wild Card====
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	ROW	GF 	GA 	Pts
Calgary Flames 	82	45	33	4 	41 	226	221	94
Nashville Predators	82	41	29	12	39 	240	224	94
Winnipeg Jets 	82	40	35	7 	37 	249	256	87
Los Angeles Kings 	82	39	35	8 	37 	201	205	86
Dallas Stars 	82	34	37	11	33 	223	262	79
Arizona Coyotes 	82	30	42	10	24 	197	260	70
Vancouver Canucks 	82	30	43	9 	26 	182	243	69
Colorado Avalanche 	82	22	56	4 	21 	166	278	48
==2017 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===
*New York Rangers defeated Montreal Canadiens 4 games to 2
*Ottawa Senators defeated Boston Bruins 4 games to 2
===Metropolitan Division Semifinals===
*Washington Capitals defeated Toronto Maple Leafs 4 games to 2
*Pittsburgh Penguins defeated Columbus Blue Jackets 4 games to 1
===Central Division Semifinals===
*Nashville Predators defeated Chicago Blackhawks 4 games to none
*St. Louis Blues defeated Minnesota Wild 4 games to 1
===Pacific Division Semifinals===
*Anaheim Ducks defeated Calgary Flames 4 games to none
*Edmonton Oilers defeated San Jose Sharks 4 games to 2
===Atlantic Division Final===
*Ottawa Senators defeated New York Rangers 4 games to 2
===Metropolitan Division Final===
*Pittsburgh Penguins defeated Washington Capitals 4 games to 3
===Central Division Final===
*Nashville Predators defeated St. Louis Blues 4 games to 2
===Pacific Division Final===
*Anaheim Ducks defeated Edmonton Oilers 4 games to 3
===Eastern Conference Final===
*Pittsburgh Penguins defeated Ottawa Senators 4 games to 3
===Western Conference Final===
*Nashville Predators defeated Anaheim Ducks 4 games to 2
===Stanley Cup Final===
*Pittsburgh Penguins defeated Nashville Predators 4 games to 2
*
====Stanley Cup Final Misc.====
*The Penguins win their fifth Stanley Cup become the first team to win back-to-back Stanley Cups since the 1997 & 1998 Detroit Red Wings.  All five of the Penguins championships were won on the road.
*Sidney Crosby named Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP.  This is the second time he had been awarded the trophy.
*Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan becomes first American born head coach to win two Stanley Cups and the first head coach since Toe Blake (1956 & 1957) to win Stanley Cups in his first two years coaching a team.
*Matt Murray becomes the first goaltender to end the Stanley Cup final with back-to-back shut outs since Terry Sawchuck in 1952.
Category:National Hockey League seasons
Category:2017 in hockey