1998–99 NHL season

The 1998–99 NHL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 82 games each. 

The Dallas Stars finished first in regular season play. They won the Stanley Cup Championship over the Buffalo Sabres with a disputed overtime goal by Brett Hull. 

Goaltenders continued to rule the league; only two teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New Jersey Devils, averaged more than three goals scored per game. In addition, no player reached the 50-goal plateau. A total of 160 shutouts were recorded for the second-straight regular season.

Regular season
Final standings
Eastern Conference
 Atlantic Division GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM New Jersey Devils  82  47  24  11 105  248  196  1355 Philadelphia Flyers  82  37  26  19  93  231  196  1075 Pittsburgh Penguins  82  38  30  14  90  242  225  977 New York Rangers  82  33  38  11  77  217  227  1087 New York Islanders  82  24  48  10  58  194  244  1111

 Northeast Division GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM Ottawa Senators  82  44  23  15  103  239  179  892 Toronto Maple Leafs  82  45  30  7  97  268  231  1095 Boston Bruins  82  39  30  13  91  214  181  1182 Buffalo Sabres  82  37  28  17  91  207  175  1561 Montreal Canadiens  82  32  39  11  75  184  209  1299
 Southeast Division GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM Carolina Hurricanes  82  34  30  18  86  210  202  1158 Florida Panthers  82  30  34  18  78  210  228  1522 Washington Capitals  82  31  45  6  68  200  218  1381 Tampa Bay Lightning  82  19  54  9  47  179  292  1316

Western Conference
 Central Division GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM Detroit Red Wings  82  43  32  7  93  245  202  1202 St. Louis Blues  82  37  32  13  87  237  209  1308 Chicago Blackhawks  82  29  41  12  70  202  248  1807 Nashville Predators  82  28  47  7  63  190  261  1420

 Northwest Division GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM Colorado Avalanche  82  44  28  10  98  239  205  1619 Edmonton Oilers  82  33  37  12  78  230  226  1373 Calgary Flames  82  30  40  12  72  211  234  1389 Vancouver Canucks  82  23  47  12  58  192  258  1764

 Pacific Division GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM Dallas Stars  82  51  19  12  114  236  168  1108 Phoenix Coyotes  82  39  31  12 90  205  197  1412 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim  82  35  34  13  83  215  206  1323 San Jose Sharks  82  31  33  18  80  196  191  1423 Los Angeles Kings  82  32  45  5  69  189  222  1383

Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points
 Player Team GP G A Pts PIM Jaromir Jagr  Pittsburgh Penguins  81  44  83  127  66 Teemu Selanne  Mighty Ducks of Anaheim  75  47  60  107  30 Paul Kariya  Mighty Ducks of Anaheim  82  39  62  101  40 Peter Forsberg  Colorado Avalanche  78  30  67  97  108 Joe Sakic  Colorado Avalanche  73  41  55  96  29 Alexei Yashin  Ottawa Senators  82  44  50  94  54 Eric Lindros  Philadelphia Flyers  71  40  53  93  120 Theoren Fleury  Calgary Flames /Colorado Avalanche  75  40  53  93  86 John Leclair  Philadelphia Flyers  76  43  47  90  30 Pavol Demitra  St. Louis Blues  82  37  52  89  16

Postseason
Playoff bracket

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
 New Jersey (1) vs. Pittsburgh (8) Date  Away  Home  OT  Score April 22  Pittsburgh  New Jersey   3 – 1 April 24  Pittsburgh  New Jersey   4 – 1 April 25  New Jersey  Pittsburgh   4 – 2 April 27  New Jersey  Pittsburgh   4 – 2 April 30  Pittsburgh  New Jersey   4 – 3 May 2  New Jersey  Pittsburgh  OT  3 – 2 May 4  Pittsburgh  New Jersey   4 – 2 Pittsburgh wins series 4–3 Ottawa (2) vs. Buffalo (7) Date  Away  Home  OT  Score April 21  Buffalo  Ottawa   2 – 1 April 23  Buffalo  Ottawa  2OT  3 – 2 April 25  Ottawa  Buffalo   3 – 0 April 27  Ottawa  Buffalo   4 – 3 Buffalo wins series 4–0 Carolina (3) vs. Boston (6) Date  Away  Home  OT  Score April 22  Boston  Carolina   2 – 0 April 24  Boston  Carolina  OT  3 – 2 April 26  Carolina  Boston   3 – 2 April 28  Carolina  Boston   4 – 1 April 30  Boston  Carolina  2OT  4 – 3 May 2  Carolina  Boston   2 – 0 Boston wins series 4–2 Toronto (4) vs. Philadelphia (5) Date  Away   Home  OT  Score April 22  Philadelphia  Toronto   3 – 0 April 24  Philadelphia  Toronto   2 – 1 April 26  Toronto  Philadelphia   2 – 1 April 28  Toronto  Philadelphia   5 – 2 April 30  Philadelphia  Toronto  OT  2 – 1 May 2  Toronto  Philadelphia   1 – 0 Toronto wins series 4–2

Western Conference Quarterfinals
 Dallas (1) vs. Edmonton (8) Date  Away  Home  OT  Score April 21  Edmonton  Dallas   2 – 1 April 23  Edmonton  Dallas   3 – 2 April 25  Dallas  Edmonton   3 – 2 April 28  Dallas  Edmonton  3OT  3 – 2 Dallas wins series 4–0 Colorado (2) vs. San Jose (7) Date  Away  Home  OT  Score April 24  San Jose  Colorado   3 – 1 April 26  San Jose  Colorado  OT  2 – 1 April 28  Colorado  San Jose   4 – 2 April 30  Colorado  San Jose   7 – 3 May 1  San Jose  Colorado   6 – 2 May 3  Colorado  San Jose  OT  3 – 2  Colorado wins series 4–2 Detroit (3) vs. Anaheim (6) Date  Away  Home  Score April 21  Anaheim  Detroit  5 – 3 April 23  Anaheim  Detroit  5 – 1 April 25  Detroit  Anaheim  4 – 2 April 27  Detroit  Anaheim  3 – 0 Detroit wins series 4–0 Phoenix (4) vs. St. Louis (5) Date  Away   Home  OT  Score April 22  St. Louis  Phoenix   3 – 1 April 24  St. Louis  Phoenix  OT  4 – 3 April 25  Phoenix  St. Louis   5 – 4 April 27  Phoenix  St. Louis   2 – 1 April 30  St. Louis  Phoenix  OT  2 – 1 May 2  Phoenix  St. Louis   5 – 3 May 4  St. Louis  Phoenix  OT  1 – 0 St. Louis wins series 4–3

Eastern Conference Semifinals
 Toronto (4) vs. Pittsburgh (8) Date  Away  Home  OT  Score May 7  Pittsburgh  Toronto   2 – 0 May 9  Pittsburgh  Toronto   4 – 2 May 11  Toronto  Pittsburgh   4 – 3 May 13  Toronto  Pittsburgh  OT  3 – 2 May 15  Pittsburgh  Toronto   4 – 1 May 17  Toronto  Pittsburgh  OT  4 – 3 Toronto wins series 4–2 Boston (6) vs. Buffalo (7) Date  Away  Home  Score May 6  Buffalo   Boston   4 – 2 May 9  Buffalo    Boston  3 – 1 May 12  Boston    Buffalo  3 – 2 May 14  Boston    Buffalo  3 – 0  May 16  Buffalo   Boston   5 – 3 May 18  Boston    Buffalo  3 – 2 Buffalo wins series 4–2

Western Conference Semifinals
 Dallas (1) vs. St. Louis (5) Date  Away  Home  OT  Score May 6   St. Louis  Dallas   3 – 0 May 8  St. Louis  Dallas  OT  5 – 4 May 10  Dallas  St. Louis  OT  3 – 2 May 12  Dallas  St. Louis  OT  3 – 2 May 15  St. Louis  Dallas   3 – 1 May 17 Dallas  St. Louis  OT  2 – 1 Dallas wins series 4–2 Colorado (2) vs. Detroit (3) Date  Away  Home  OT  Score May 7  Detroit  Colorado  OT  3 – 2 May 9  Detroit  Colorado   4 – 0 May 11  Colorado  Detroit   5 – 3 May 13  Colorado  Detroit   6 – 2 May 16  Detroit  Colorado   3 – 0 May 18  Colorado  Detroit   5 – 2 Colorado wins series 4–2

Eastern Conference Final
 Toronto (4) vs. Buffalo (7) Date  Away  Home  Score May 23  Buffalo  Toronto  5 – 4  May 25  Buffalo  Toronto  6 – 3 May 27  Toronto  Buffalo  4 – 2 May 29  Toronto  Buffalo  5 – 2 May 31  Buffalo  Toronto  4 – 2 Buffalo wins series 4–1 and Prince of Wales Trophy

Western Conference Final
 Dallas (1) vs. Colorado (2) Date  Away  Home  OT  Score May 22  Colorado  Dallas   2 – 1 May 24  Colorado  Dallas   4 – 2 May 26  Dallas  Colorado   3 – 0 May 28  Dallas  Colorado  OT  3 – 2 May 30  Colorado  Dallas   7 – 5 June 1   Dallas  Colorado   4 – 1 June 4  Colorado  Dallas   4 – 1 Dallas wins series 4–3 and Clarence S. Campbell Bowl

Finals
 Dallas (1) vs. Buffalo (7) Date  Away  Home  OT  Score June 8  Buffalo  Dallas  OT  3 – 2 June 10  Buffalo  Dallas   4 – 2 June 12  Dallas  Buffalo   2 – 1 June 15  Dallas  Buffalo   2 – 1 June 17  Buffalo  Dallas   2 – 0 June 19  Dallas  Buffalo  3OT  2 – 1 Dallas wins series 4—2 and the Stanley CupJoe Nieuwendyk (Dallas) wins Conn Smythe Trophy

NHL awards
 Presidents' Trophy:  Dallas Stars Prince of Wales Trophy:  Buffalo Sabres Clarence S. Campbell Bowl:  Dallas Stars Art Ross Memorial Trophy:  Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy:  John Cullen, Tampa Bay Lightning Calder Memorial Trophy:  Chris Drury, Colorado Avalanche Conn Smythe Trophy:  Joe Nieuwendyk, Dallas Stars Frank J. Selke Trophy:  Jere Lehtinen, Dallas Stars Hart Memorial Trophy:  Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins Jack Adams Award:  Jacques Martin, Ottawa Senators James Norris Memorial Trophy:  Al MacInnis, St. Louis Blues King Clancy Memorial Trophy:  Rob Ray, Buffalo Sabres Lady Byng Memorial Trophy:  Wayne Gretzky, New York Rangers Lester B. Pearson Award:  Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy:  Teemu Selänne, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL Plus/Minus Award:  John LeClair, Philadelphia Flyers Vezina Trophy:  Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres William M. Jennings Trophy:  Ed Belfour & Roman Turek, Dallas Stars Lester Patrick Trophy:  Harry Sinden

All-Star teams
 First Team    Position    Second TeamDominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres GByron Dafoe, Boston BruinsAl MacInnis, St. Louis Blues DRay Bourque, Boston BruinsNicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings DEric Desjardins, Philadelphia FlyersPeter Forsberg, Colorado Avalanche CAlexei Yashin, Ottawa SenatorsJaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins RWTeemu Selanne, Mighty Ducks of AnaheimPaul Kariya, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim LWJohn LeClair, Philadelphia Flyers

First games
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1998–99 (listed with their first team, stars(*) mark start in playoffs):
Martin St. Louis, Calgary Flames
Jean-Pierre Dumont, Chicago Blackhawks
Chris Drury, Colorado Avalanche
Milan Hejduk, Colorado Avalanche
Tom Poti, Edmonton Oilers
Dan Boyle, Florida Panthers
Jason Blake, Los Angeles Kings
David Legwand, Nashville Predators
Karlis Skrastins, Nashville Predators
Kimmo Timonen, Nashville Predators
John Madden, New Jersey Devils
Eric Brewer, New York Islanders
Sami Salo, Ottawa Senators
Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning
Tomas Kaberle, Toronto Maple Leafs

Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1998–99 (listed with their last team):
Dale Hunter, Colorado Avalanche
Wayne Gretzky, New York Rangers
Ron Hextall, Philadelphia Flyers

References

Hockey Database
http://nhl.com/

Category:National Hockey League seasons