2000–01 NHL season

The 2000–01 NHL season was the 84th regular season of the National Hockey League. Thirty 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 Raymond 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. The divisions' membership has remained static since (as of 2011). This was the first time the NHL would have a team in Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas, Texas and the first time for Ohio since the Cleveland Barons coincidentally merged with the North Stars.

The Dallas Stars played their final season at the Reunion Arena, before moving to their new home in 2001.

Regular season

On December 27, 2000, Mario Lemieux, returned from his three-and-a-half-year retirement and, that night on Hockey Night in Canada, Mario registered his first assist 33 seconds into the game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. He went on to add a goal and finish with three points, solidifying his return and bringing a struggling Jaromír Jágr back to his elite status, who went on to win his fourth straight Art Ross Trophy, just passing Joe Sakic. Despite playing in only 43 games in 2000–2001, 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 NHLPA awards.

The record for most shutouts in a season (set at 160 in 1997–98 and equalled in 1998–99)^[1][2] was eclipsed, as 186 shutouts were recorded.^[3]

Final standings

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

^[4]

Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points
         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.

Playoffs

The Stanley Cup

The 2001 Playoffs saw many surprises, most notably when the upstart Los Angeles Kings beat the Detroit Red Wings. The Washington Capitals, another Cup favorite, were knocked out in the first round by their longtime rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins. The dark horse Pens (aided by Mario's return) made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Final, where they were dispatched in five games by the New Jersey Devils.

Final

Playoff bracket

• During the first three rounds home ice is determined by seeding number, not position on the bracket. In the Finals the team with the better regular season record has home ice.

NHL awards

The presentation ceremonies were held in Toronto.

All-Star teams

Player statistics

Regular season

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points

^[5]

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:

• Andrew Raycroft, Boston Bruins
• Marty Turco, Dallas Stars
• Eric Belanger, Los Angeles Kings
• Andreas Lilja, Los Angeles Kings
• Lubomir Visnovsky, Los Angeles Kings
• Marian Gaborik, Minnesota Wild
• Rick DiPietro, New York Islanders
• Martin Havlat, Ottawa Senators
• Miikka Kiprusoff, San Jose Sharks
• Brad Richards, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
• Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

Last games

The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 2000–01:

• Greg Adams, Florida Panthers
• Ray Bourque, Colorado Avalanche
• Paul Coffey, Boston Bruins
• Kevin Hatcher, Carolina Hurricanes
• Garry Galley, New York Islanders
• Tony Granato, San Jose Sharks
• Kirk McLean, New York Rangers
• Joe Murphy, Washington Capitals
• Larry Murphy, Detroit Red Wings
• Ron Sutter, Calgary Flames
• Petr Svoboda, Tampa Bay Lightning

Hat Tricks

See also

• List of Stanley Cup champions
• 2000 NHL Entry Draft
• 2000 NHL Expansion Draft
• 51st National Hockey League All-Star Game
• NHL All-Star Game
• NHL All-Rookie Team
• 2000 in sports
• 2001 in sports

References

• Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Toronto, ON: Dan Diamond & Associates. ISBN 978-1-894801-22-5. 
• Fischler, Stan; Fischler, Shirley; Hughes, Morgan; Romain, Joseph; Duplacey, James (2003). The Hockey Chronicle: Year-by-Year History of the National Hockey League. Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International Inc.. ISBN 0-7853-9624-1. 

Notes

External links

• Hockey Database
• nhl.com