2000–01 NHL season
The 2000–01 NHL season was the 84th regular season of the National Hockey League. With the addition of the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild, 30 teams each played 82 games. The Stanley Cup winners were the Colorado Avalanche, who won the best of seven series 4–3 against the New Jersey Devils. The focus of Colorado's Stanley Cup run was on star defenceman Ray Bourque, who was on a quest to win his first Stanley Cup championship in his illustrious 22-year career. League business. Two expansion teams, the Minnesota Wild and the Columbus  Blue Jackets, joined the league at the beginning of the season, increasing the number of NHL teams to 30. The Blue Jackets would join the Central Division, while the Wild would join the Northwest Division. This divisional alignment would remain static until the 2012–13 season, while the league not expand again until the 2017–18 season when the Vegas Golden Knights entered the league. This was the first time the NHL would have a team in Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas, Texas in 1993, and the first time for Ohio since the Cleveland Barons merged with the  North Stars in 1978. The Dallas Stars played their final season at the Reunion Arena before moving to the American Airlines Center in 2001. The four-official system (two referees and two linesmen) becomes mandatory for all games. It was used only for selected regular season games in 1998–99 and 1999–2000, but was used for all playoff games in both seasons. The NHL opened the season in Tokyo, Japan with two games between the Nashville Predators and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Uniform changes. Buffalo: New Red Alternates. Calgary: Previous Black Alternates become the new road uniforms. Carolina: Black outline added to  players' names. Chicago: 75th-anniversary patch. Colorado: 2001 NHL All-Star Game Patch. Columbus: White Jerseys with red and blue stripes, Blue road jerseys have Red stripe. Team also wears an inaugural season patch. Alt marks are on the shoulders. Detroit: 75th-anniversary patch Minnesota: White Jerseys with red and green stripes, the Green jerseys have just the red stripe. Alt marks are on the shoulders. New York Rangers: 75th-anniversary patch. Ottawa: The team introduces a new alternate jersey -- this one black with the forward-looking centurion crest. Pittsburgh: The Penguins introduce a new alternate jersey, welcoming back the  skating penguin and introducing Vegas gold. San Jose: 10th Anniversary patch. Toronto: Alternates from 1998 to 1999 return, as well as a new TML Patch. Washington: Black alternates from 1999 to 2000 become new road uniforms. Regular season. On December 27, 2000, Mario Lemieux returned from his three-and-a-half-year retirement and, in a game nationally televised on "Hockey Night in Canada" and "ESPN National Hockey Night", registered his first assist 33 seconds into the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He went on to add a goal and finish with three points, solidifying his return and bringing  a struggling Jaromir Jagr back to his elite status, who went on to win his fourth straight Art Ross Trophy, narrowly surpassing Joe Sakic. Despite playing in only 43 games in 2000–01, Lemieux scored 76 points to finish 26th in scoring, finishing the season with the highest points-per-game average that season among NHL players. Lemieux was one of the three finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award. The record for most shutouts in a season (set at 160 in 1997–98 and equalled in 1998–99) was eclipsed, as 186 shutouts were recorded. Playoffs. The 2001  Playoffs saw many surprises, most notably when the upstart Los Angeles Kings beat the Detroit Red Wings. The Washington Capitals, another Stanley Cup favorite, were knocked out in the first round by their longtime rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins. The darkhorse Penguins (aided by Mario Lemieux's return) made it to the Eastern Conference Final, where they were dispatched in five games by the New Jersey Devils. Awards. The presentation ceremonies were held in Toronto. Player statistics. Regular season. Scoring leaders. "Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points" Leading goaltenders. Wins: Martin Brodeur (42 ); Shutouts: Dominik Hasek (11); GAA: Roman Cechmanek (2.01); SV%: Marty Turco (.925) Playoffs. Scoring leaders. "Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points" Milestones. Debuts. The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 2000–01: Last games. The following is a list of players of note who played their last NHL game in 2000–01, listed with their team: