1987–88 NHL season
National Hockey League season
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The 1987–88 NHL season was the 71st season of the National Hockey League. It was an 80-game season with the top four teams in each division advancing to the Stanley Cup playoffs. This season would see the Edmonton Oilers win their fourth Stanley Cup in five years by sweeping the Boston Bruins 4–0[1] in the Stanley Cup Final. In the process of their Cup win, Edmonton lost only two games, a record for the "16 wins" playoff format.
| 1987–88 NHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | October 8, 1987 – May 26, 1988 |
| Games | 80 |
| Teams | 21 |
| TV partner(s) | CBC, Canwest/Global, TSN, SRC (Canada) ESPN (United States) |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Pierre Turgeon |
| Picked by | Buffalo Sabres |
| Regular season | |
| Presidents' Trophy | Calgary Flames |
| Season MVP | Mario Lemieux (Penguins) |
| Top scorer | Mario Lemieux (Penguins) |
| Playoffs | |
| Playoffs MVP | Wayne Gretzky (Oilers) |
| Stanley Cup | |
| Champions | Edmonton Oilers |
| Runners-up | Boston Bruins |
Entry draft
The 1987 NHL entry draft was held on June 13, at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. This was the first draft held in the United States instead of in Canada. Pierre Turgeon was selected first overall by the Buffalo Sabres.
Regular season
This was Wayne Gretzky's final season with the Edmonton Oilers and, as injuries held him out of 20% of the season, this would be the only season of the decade in which he was not the winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy and the first season of his career that he did not hold or share the league lead in points. Mario Lemieux would capture his first Hart Trophy and lead the league in scoring with 70 goals and 168 total points. His goals and points still rank first as of 2026 for the most by a player on a team that finished last place in their division.[2]
On December 8, Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers became the first goalie to directly score a goal, shooting the puck into an empty net after their opponent had pulled their goalie for a sixth attacker.[3]
On December 19, the St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins combined to score two goals in two seconds. The Bruins were trailing 6-4 in the third period when Ken Linseman scored with 10 seconds remaining, followed by Blues center Doug Gilmour scoring off the resulting faceoff into an empty net.[4]
The New Jersey Devils qualified for the playoffs for the first time, since their move from Denver in 1982.
Linesman John D'Amico retires after the season, becoming the last on-ice official from the Original Six era.
Final standings
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Wales Conference:
Adams Division 
Patrick DivisionCampbell Conference:
Norris Division 
Smythe DivisionNote: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.
Prince of Wales Conference
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 80 | 45 | 22 | 13 | 298 | 238 | 103 |
| Boston Bruins | 80 | 44 | 30 | 6 | 300 | 251 | 94 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 80 | 37 | 32 | 11 | 283 | 305 | 85 |
| Hartford Whalers | 80 | 35 | 38 | 7 | 249 | 267 | 77 |
| Quebec Nordiques | 80 | 32 | 43 | 5 | 271 | 306 | 69 |
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Islanders | 80 | 39 | 31 | 10 | 308 | 267 | 88 |
| Washington Capitals | 80 | 38 | 33 | 9 | 281 | 249 | 85 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 80 | 38 | 33 | 9 | 292 | 292 | 85 |
| New Jersey Devils | 80 | 38 | 36 | 6 | 295 | 296 | 82 |
| New York Rangers | 80 | 36 | 34 | 10 | 300 | 283 | 82 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 80 | 36 | 35 | 9 | 319 | 316 | 81 |
Clarence Campbell Conference
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Red Wings | 80 | 41 | 28 | 11 | 322 | 269 | 93 |
| St. Louis Blues | 80 | 34 | 38 | 8 | 278 | 294 | 76 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 80 | 30 | 41 | 9 | 284 | 328 | 69 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 80 | 21 | 49 | 10 | 273 | 345 | 52 |
| Minnesota North Stars | 80 | 19 | 48 | 13 | 242 | 349 | 51 |
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary Flames | 80 | 48 | 23 | 9 | 397 | 305 | 105 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 80 | 44 | 25 | 11 | 363 | 288 | 99 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 80 | 33 | 36 | 11 | 292 | 310 | 77 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 80 | 30 | 42 | 8 | 318 | 359 | 68 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 80 | 25 | 46 | 9 | 272 | 320 | 59 |
Playoffs
Bracket
The top four teams in each division qualified for the playoffs. In each round, teams competed in a best-of-seven series (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each best-of-seven series). In the division semifinals, the fourth seeded team in each division played against the division winner from their division. The other series matched the second and third place teams from the divisions. The two winning teams from each division's semifinals then met in the division finals. The two division winners of each conference then played in the conference finals. The two conference winners then advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.
| Division semifinals | Division finals | Conference finals | Stanley Cup Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Montreal | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| A4 | Hartford | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Montreal | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Boston | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Boston | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| A3 | Buffalo | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Boston | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Prince of Wales Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| P4 | New Jersey | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| P1 | NY Islanders | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| P4 | New Jersey | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| P4 | New Jersey | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| P2 | Washington | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| P2 | Washington | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| P3 | Philadelphia | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Boston | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| S2 | Edmonton | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| N1 | Detroit | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| N4 | Toronto | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| N1 | Detroit | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| N2 | St. Louis | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| N2 | St. Louis | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| N3 | Chicago | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| N1 | Detroit | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Clarence Campbell Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| S2 | Edmonton | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| S1 | Calgary | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| S4 | Los Angeles | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| S1 | Calgary | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| S2 | Edmonton | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| S2 | Edmonton | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| S3 | Winnipeg | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
Awards
The NHL introduced a new trophy, the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which was to be awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution in his community.
| Award | Recipient(s) | Runner(s)-up/Finalists |
|---|---|---|
| Presidents' Trophy (Best regular season record) | Calgary Flames | Montreal Canadiens |
| Prince of Wales Trophy (Wales Conference playoff champion) | Boston Bruins | New Jersey Devils |
| Clarence S. Campbell Bowl (Campbell Conference playoff champion) | Edmonton Oilers | Detroit Red Wings |
| Art Ross Trophy (Player with most points) | Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) | Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) |
| Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (Perseverance, Sportsmanship, and Dedication) | Bob Bourne (Los Angeles Kings) | N/A |
| Calder Memorial Trophy (Best first-year player) | Joe Nieuwendyk (Calgary Flames) | Darren Pang (Chicago Blackhawks) Ray Sheppard (Buffalo Sabres) |
| Conn Smythe Trophy (Most valuable player, playoffs) | Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) | N/A |
| Emery Edge Award (Best plus-minus statistic) | Brad McCrimmon (Calgary Flames) | Petr Svoboda (Montreal Canadiens) |
| Frank J. Selke Trophy (Best defensive forward) | Guy Carbonneau (Montreal Canadiens) | Jan Erixon (New York Rangers) Steve Kasper (Boston Bruins) |
| Hart Memorial Trophy (Most valuable player, regular season) | Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) | Grant Fuhr (Edmonton Oilers) Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) |
| Jack Adams Award (Best coach) | Jacques Demers (Detroit Red Wings) | Terry Crisp (Calgary Flames) Jean Perron (Montreal Canadiens) |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy (Best defenceman) | Ray Bourque (Boston Bruins) | Scott Stevens (Washington Capitals) Gary Suter (Calgary Flames) |
| King Clancy Memorial Trophy (Leadership and humanitarian contribution) | Lanny McDonald (Calgary Flames) | Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) Bryan Trottier (New York Islanders) |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (Sportsmanship and excellence) | Mats Naslund (Montreal Canadiens) | Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) Joe Nieuwendyk (Calgary Flames) |
| Lester B. Pearson Award (Outstanding player) | Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) | N/A |
| Vezina Trophy (Best goaltender) | Grant Fuhr (Edmonton Oilers) | Tom Barrasso (Buffalo Sabres) Kelly Hrudey (New York Islanders) |
| William M. Jennings Trophy (Goaltender(s) of team with fewest goals against) | Patrick Roy and Brian Hayward (Montreal Canadiens) | Clint Malarchuk and Pete Peeters (Washington Capitals) |
All-Star teams
Player statistics
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes, PPG = Powerplay Goals, SHG = Shorthanded Goals, GWG = Game Winning Goals
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG | GWG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | 77 | 70 | 98 | 168 | 92 | +23 | 22 | 10 | 7 |
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 64 | 40 | 109 | 149 | 24 | +39 | 9 | 5 | 3 |
| Denis Savard | Chicago Blackhawks | 80 | 44 | 87 | 131 | 95 | +4 | 14 | 7 | 6 |
| Dale Hawerchuk | Winnipeg Jets | 80 | 44 | 77 | 121 | 59 | -9 | 20 | 3 | 4 |
| Luc Robitaille | Los Angeles Kings | 80 | 53 | 58 | 111 | 82 | -9 | 17 | 0 | 6 |
| Peter Stastny | Quebec Nordiques | 76 | 46 | 65 | 111 | 69 | +2 | 20 | 0 | 2 |
| Mark Messier | Edmonton Oilers | 77 | 37 | 74 | 111 | 103 | +21 | 12 | 3 | 7 |
| Jimmy Carson | Los Angeles Kings | 80 | 55 | 52 | 107 | 45 | -19 | 22 | 0 | 7 |
| Hakan Loob | Calgary Flames | 80 | 50 | 56 | 106 | 47 | +41 | 9 | 8 | 4 |
| Michel Goulet | Quebec Nordiques | 80 | 48 | 58 | 106 | 56 | -31 | 29 | 1 | 4 |
Source: NHL.[6]
Leading goaltenders
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; Sv% = Save percentage
| Goalie | Team | GP | Min | W | L | T | SO | GAA | Sv% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant Fuhr | Edmonton Oilers | 75 | 4304 | 40 | 24 | 9 | 4 | 3.43 | 88.1 |
| Mike Vernon | Calgary Flames | 64 | 3565 | 39 | 16 | 7 | 1 | 3.53 | 87.7 |
| Ron Hextall | Philadelphia Flyers | 62 | 3561 | 30 | 22 | 7 | 0 | 3.5 | 88.6 |
| Mike Liut | Hartford Whalers | 60 | 3532 | 25 | 28 | 5 | 2 | 3.18 | 88.5 |
| John Vanbiesbrouck | New York Rangers | 56 | 3319 | 27 | 22 | 7 | 2 | 3.38 | 89.0 |
| Daniel Berthiaume | Winnipeg Jets | 56 | 3010 | 22 | 19 | 7 | 2 | 3.51 | 88.2 |
| Ken Wregget | Toronto Maple Leafs | 56 | 3000 | 12 | 35 | 4 | 2 | 4.44 | 87.0 |
| Tom Barrasso | Buffalo Sabres | 54 | 3133 | 25 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 3.31 | 89.6 |
| Mario Gosselin | Quebec Nordiques | 54 | 3002 | 20 | 28 | 4 | 2 | 3.78 | 86.7 |
| Clint Malarchuk | Washington Capitals | 54 | 2926 | 24 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 3.16 | 88.5 |
Source: Quanthockey.com[7]
Coaches
Patrick Division
- New Jersey Devils: Doug Carpenter and Jim Schoenfeld
- New York Islanders: Terry Simpson
- New York Rangers: Michel Bergeron
- Philadelphia Flyers: Mike Keenan and Paul Holmgren
- Pittsburgh Penguins: Pierre Creamer
- Washington Capitals: Bryan Murray
Adams Division
- Boston Bruins: Terry O'Reilly
- Buffalo Sabres: Ted Sator
- Hartford Whalers: Jack Evans
- Montreal Canadiens: Jean Perron
- Quebec Nordiques: Andre Savard and Ron Lapointe
Norris Division
- Chicago Blackhawks: Bob Murdoch
- Detroit Red Wings: Jacques Demers
- Minnesota North Stars: Herb Brooks
- St. Louis Blues: Jacques Martin
- Toronto Maple Leafs: John Brophy
Smythe Division
- Calgary Flames: Terry Crisp
- Edmonton Oilers: Glen Sather
- Los Angeles Kings: Robbie Ftorek
- Vancouver Canucks: Bob McCammon
- Winnipeg Jets: Dan Maloney
Milestones
Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1987–88:
- Tommy Albelin, Quebec Nordiques
- Rob Brown, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Sean Burke, New Jersey Devils
- Adam Graves, Detroit Red Wings
- Jiri Hrdina, Calgary Flames
- Craig Janney, Boston Bruins
- Calle Johansson, Buffalo Sabres
- Brian Leetch, New York Rangers
- Jeff Norton, New York Islanders
- Luke Richardson, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Mathieu Schneider, Montreal Canadiens
- Brendan Shanahan, New Jersey Devils
- Ray Sheppard, Buffalo Sabres
- Kevin Stevens, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Ron Tugnutt, Quebec Nordiques
- Pierre Turgeon, Buffalo Sabres
- Glen Wesley, Boston Bruins
- Trent Yawney, Chicago Blackhawks
- Scott Young, Hartford Whalers
- Zarley Zalapski, Pittsburgh Penguins
Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1987–88:
- Bob Bourne, Los Angeles Kings
- Richard Brodeur, Hartford Whalers
- Clark Gillies, Buffalo Sabres
- Doug Jarvis, Hartford Whalers
- Pierre Larouche, New York Rangers
- Dave Lewis, Detroit Red Wings
- Gilles Meloche, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Rick Middleton, Boston Bruins
- Wilf Paiement, Pittsburgh Penguins (The last active player to have been a member of the Kansas City Scouts.)
- Steve Payne, Minnesota North Stars
- Denis Potvin, New York Islanders
- Dave Semenko, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Charlie Simmer, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Brian Sutter, St. Louis Blues
- Perry Turnbull, St. Louis Blues
- Tiger Williams, Hartford Whalers
Firsts
- Ron Hextall, Philadelphia Flyers, First goaltender in NHL history to shoot and score a goal.
Broadcasting
In Canada, the cable network TSN began airing a schedule of Monday and Thursday night regular season games. The Molson-sponsored Hockey Night in Canada on CBC continued to air Saturday night regular season games. This was the last season of the Carling O'Keefe-sponsored telecasts on Canwest/Global, with Global airing selected regular season games between January and March. Coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs were split between CBC and Global, with the later branding its postseason broadcasts as Stanley Cup '88. Carling O'Keefe's rights expired at the end of the season,[8] and 1989 merger between Molson and Carling O'Keefe eventually put an end to the competition.
This was the third and final season of the league's U.S. national broadcast rights deal with ESPN, airing up to 33 regular season games each season as well as the All-Star Game and the playoffs.[9][10] SportsChannel America then signed a three-year contract to take over the rights from ESPN.[11]