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The 2002-03 NHL season was the 86th regular season of the National Hockey League. Thirty teams each played 82 games. The Stanley Cup winners were the New Jersey Devils,
who won the best of seven series 4–3 against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. This was the
last season that teams would wear their white uniform at home.
Regular season
See also: 2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs
As always the regular season saw several surprises. The San Jose Sharks, who many
felt would be one of the elite teams in the West, stumbled early and badly and disassembled much of the team. The two-year-old
Minnesota Wild, on the other hand, got out to an early start and held onto their first
ever playoff berth throughout the season, winning coach Jacques Lemaire the
Jack Adams Award.
The elite teams of previous years such as the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche and
New Jersey Devils, were joined by two younger Canadian teams, the Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks. The Dallas Stars, which had missed the playoffs the year before, returned as a major power, backed by the
record-setting goaltending of Marty Turco.
The most surprising team was perhaps the Tampa Bay Lightning, which many had
predicted to finish last, contesting for the Southeast Division title and making the playoffs for the first time in seven years.
The most disappointing teams, other than the Sharks, were the New York Rangers, who
finished out of the playoffs again despite bearing the league's leading payroll, and the Carolina Hurricanes, who finished last overall after a surprise run to the Stanley Cup Finals the year before.
At the midpoint of the season the Canucks lead the Western Conference, and Ottawa lead the East. Vancouver stumbled somewhat
over the stretch and lost the Northwest Division title to Colorado and the Western Conference one to Dallas. Ottawa continued to
dominate, having the best season in franchise history and winning both the Eastern Conference and the Presidents' Trophy.
The season was also marred by financial difficulties. Despite their success the Ottawa Senators were in bankruptcy protection
for almost all of 2003, and at one point could not pay the players. Owner Rod Bryden tried a
variety of innovative financing strategies, but these all failed and the team was purchased by billionaire Eugene Melnyk. The Buffalo Sabres also entered bankruptcy
protection before being saved by New York businessman Tom Golisano. The financial struggles
of the Pittsburgh Penguins continued as the team continued to unload its most
expensive players.
The season was marked by a great number of coaches being fired, from Bob Hartley in
Colorado to Darryl Sutter in San Jose and Bryan
Trottier of the New York Rangers.
Worries over the decline in scoring and the neutral zone trap continued. The season
began with an attempted crack down on obstruction and interference, but by the midpoint of the season this effort had petered
out. The expansion teams in the southern United States began to suffer financially, with many empty seats to be found in each
arena. Most teams lost money on the season. The one bright spot was the increasing value of the Canadian dollar, which made the six Canadian teams more competitive than they had been in years.
Final standings
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts =
Points
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points
Stanley Cup Playoffs
Note: All dates in 2003.
The Stanley Cup playoffs was one of shocking upsets in the Western Conference and hard
fought battles in the Eastern Conference.
The most closely watched series in the first round was that between the Toronto Maple
Leafs and the Philadelphia Flyers. Two teams built around physical play with
high salary and front-page trade deadline acquisitions. The series did not disappoint and the
Flyers ousted the Leafs in seven games. The Senators easily dispatched the New York
Islanders, who had traded away their starting goaltender (Chris Osgood) before the
playoffs. Despite losing the first two games, Tampa Bay rallied and defeated their
division rival the Washington Capitals. New
Jersey easily defeated the Boston Bruins, effectively shutting down star player
Joe Thornton.
In the west, the first round was one of unmitigated shock to all hockey watchers. The defending champions and perennial cup
favourite Detroit Red Wings were swept by the underdog Mighty Ducks of Anaheim behind the goaltending of Jean-Sebastien
Giguere. After losing three out of the first four games, the Minnesota Wild came
back and defeated the powerhouse Colorado Avalanche in game seven. Vancouver also lost three of its first four games with the St. Louis Blues, but then rallied and won game seven. The only round that surprised no one was
round seven of the Dallas Stars-Edmonton Oilers
grudge match that saw the first place Stars oust the Oilers with only some difficulty.
The second round in the west brought more upsets. The Minnesota Wild again fell 3–1 behind while playing Vancouver, but
rallied and defeated them in seven games. Giguere's stellar goaltending continued to triumph as the Ducks ousted the Stars in six
games. The Western Conference final was a meeting of two dark horse teams, but the superb goaltending of Giguere and the Ducks
triumphed over the tight checking of the Minnesota Wild.
The east was far more predictable as Tampa Bay's youth showed when playing the grizzled veterans of the New Jersey Devils and
the Ottawa Senators dispatched a tired Flyers team for the second year in a row. The Eastern Conference finals were a contrast of
styles between the offensively explosive Senators and the defense minded Devils. The Devils came out to an early lead in the
series, Ottawa rallied, winning games five and six on the energizing play of rookie Jason
Spezza, but then the Devils regained their form as goaltender Martin Brodeur
helped them win game seven and advance to the Stanley Cup finals for the third time in four years.
The Stanley Cup finals were a duel between two elite goaltenders, but after seven games the Devils triumphed to win their
third Cup in seven years. The series also saw Scott Stevens land one of his prototypical
crushing hits on Anaheim captain Paul Kariya, similar to the one that had knocked out
Eric Lindros, then of the Flyers in the 2000
Playoffs. Unlike Lindros, Kariya returned to the game only ten minutes later and scored.
Playoff bracket
Conference Quarterfinals
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
| Ottawa vs. NY Islanders |
| Date |
Away |
Home |
|
| April 9 |
NY Islanders 3 |
0 Ottawa |
| April 12 |
NY Islanders 0 |
3 Ottawa |
| April 14 |
Ottawa 3 |
2 NY Islanders |
2OT |
| April 16 |
Ottawa 3 |
NY Islanders 1 |
| April 17 |
NY Islanders 1 |
3 Ottawa |
| Ottawa wins series 4–1 |
|
| New Jersey vs. Boston |
| Date |
Away |
Home |
| April 9 |
Boston 1 |
2 New Jersey |
| April 11 |
Boston 2 |
4 New Jersey |
| April 13 |
New Jersey 3 |
0 Boston |
| April 15 |
New Jersey 1 |
5 Boston |
| April 17 |
Boston 0 |
3 New Jersey |
| New Jersey wins series 4–1 |
|
| Tampa Bay vs. Washington |
| Date |
Away |
Home |
|
| April 10 |
Washington 3 |
0 Tampa Bay |
| April 12 |
Washington 6 |
3 Tampa Bay |
| April 15 |
Tampa Bay 4 |
3 Washington |
OT |
| April 16 |
Tampa Bay 3 |
1 Washington |
| April 18 |
Washington 1 |
2 Tampa Bay |
| April 20 |
Tampa Bay 2 |
1 Washington |
3OT |
| Tampa Bay wins series 4–2 |
|
| Philadelphia vs. Toronto |
| Date |
Away |
Home |
|
| April 9 |
Toronto 5 |
3 Philadelphia |
| April 11 |
Toronto 1 |
4 Philadelphia |
| April 14 |
Philadelphia 3 |
4 Toronto |
2OT |
| April 16 |
Philadelphia 3 |
2 Toronto |
3OT1 |
| April 19 |
Toronto 1 |
4 Philadelphia |
| April 21 |
Philadelphia 1 |
2 Toronto |
2OT |
| April 22 |
Toronto 1 |
6 Philadelphia |
| Philadelphia wins series 4–3 |
|
1As of 2007, this playoff game is the 19th longest NHL overtime game ever. 53 minutes and 34 seconds of overtime were played before
Mark Recchi scored the game-winning goal.
Western Conference Quarterfinals
|
|
| Detroit vs. Anaheim |
| Date |
Away |
Home |
|
| April 10 |
Anaheim 2 |
1 Detroit |
3OT |
| April 12 |
Anaheim 3 |
2 Detroit |
| April 14 |
Detroit 1 |
2 Anaheim |
| April 16 |
Detroit 2 |
3 Anaheim |
OT |
| Anaheim wins series 4–0 |
|
| Colorado vs. Minnesota |
| Date |
Away |
Home |
|
| April 10 |
Minnesota 4 |
2 Colorado |
| April 12 |
Minnesota 2 |
3 Colorado |
| April 14 |
Colorado 3 |
0 Minnesota |
| April 16 |
Colorado 3 |
1 Minnesota |
| April 19 |
Minnesota 3 |
2 Colorado |
| April 21 |
Colorado 2 |
3 Minnesota |
OT |
| April 22 |
Minnesota 3 |
2 Colorado |
OT |
| Minnesota wins series 4–3 |
|
| Vancouver vs. St. Louis |
| Date |
Away |
Home |
| April 10 |
St. Louis 6 |
0 Vancouver |
| April 12 |
St. Louis 1 |
2 Vancouver |
| April 14 |
Vancouver 1 |
3 St. Louis |
| April 16 |
Vancouver 1 |
4 St. Louis |
| April 18 |
St. Louis 3 |
5 Vancouver |
| April 20 |
Vancouver 4 |
3 St. Louis |
| April 22 |
St. Louis 1 |
4 Vancouver |
| Vancouver wins series 4–3 |
|
Conference Semifinals
Eastern Conference Semifinals
| Ottawa vs. Philadelphia |
| Date |
Away |
Home |
|
| April 25 |
Philadelphia 2 |
4 Ottawa |
| April 27 |
Philadelphia 2 |
0 Ottawa |
| April 29 |
Ottawa 3 |
2 Philadelphia |
OT |
| May 1 |
Ottawa 0 |
1 Philadelphia |
| May 3 |
Philadelphia 2 |
5 Ottawa |
| May 5 |
Ottawa 5 |
1 Philadelphia |
| Ottawa wins series 4–2 |
|
| New Jersey vs. Tampa Bay |
| Date |
Away |
Home |
|
| April 24 |
Tampa Bay 0 |
3 New Jersey |
| April 26 |
Tampa Bay 2 |
3 New Jersey |
OT |
| April 28 |
New Jersey 3 |
4 Tampa Bay |
| April 30 |
New Jersey 3 |
1 Tampa Bay |
| May 2 |
Tampa Bay 1 |
2 New Jersey |
3OT |
| New Jersey wins series 4–1 |
|
Western Conference Semifinals
| Dallas vs. Anaheim |
| Date |
Away |
Home |
|
| April 24 |
Anaheim 4 |
3 Dallas |
5OT2 |
| April 26 |
Anaheim 3 |
2 Dallas |
OT |
| April 28 |
Dallas 2 |
1 Anaheim |
|
| April 30 |
Dallas 0 |
1 Anaheim |
| May 3 |
Anaheim 1 |
4 Dallas |
| May 5 |
Dallas 3 |
4 Anaheim |
| Anaheim wins series 4–2 |
|
| Vancouver vs. Minnesota |
| Date |
Away |
Home |
|
| April 25 |
Minnesota 3 |
4 Vancouver |
OT |
| April 27 |
Minnesota 3 |
2 Vancouver |
| April 29 |
Vancouver 3 |
2 Minnesota |
| May 2 |
Vancouver 3 |
2 Minnesota |
OT |
| May 5 |
Minnesota 7 |
2 Vancouver |
| May 7 |
Vancouver 1 |
5 Minnesota |
| May 8 |
Minnesota 4 |
2 Vancouver |
| Minnesota wins series 4–3 |
|
2As of 2006, this playoff game is the 4th longest NHL overtime game. 80 minutes and 48 seconds of overtime were played before
Petr Sykora scored the game-winning goal.
Conference Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points
NHL awards
The NHL Awards presentation took place in Toronto.
| Presidents' Trophy: |
Ottawa Senators |
| Prince of Wales Trophy: |
New Jersey Devils |
| Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: |
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim |
| Art Ross Memorial Trophy: |
Peter Forsberg, Colorado Avalanche |
| Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: |
Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings |
| Calder Memorial Trophy: |
Barret Jackman, St. Louis
Blues |
| Conn Smythe Trophy: |
Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim |
| Frank J. Selke Trophy: |
Jere Lehtinen, Dallas Stars |
| Hart Memorial Trophy: |
Peter Forsberg, Colorado Avalanche |
| Jack Adams Award: |
Jacques Lemaire, Minnesota Wild |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy: |
Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings |
| King Clancy Memorial Trophy: |
Brendan Shanahan, Detroit Red Wings |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: |
Alexander Mogilny, Toronto Maple
Leafs |
| Lester B. Pearson Award: |
Markus Naslund, Vancouver Canucks |
| Lester Patrick Trophy: |
Willie O'Ree, Raymond Bourque, Ron DeGregorio |
| Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy: |
Milan Hejduk, Colorado Avalanche |
| NHL Plus/Minus Award: |
Peter Forsberg & Milan Hejduk, Colorado Avalanche |
| Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award: |
Marty Turco, Dallas Stars |
| Vezina Trophy: |
Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils |
| William M. Jennings Trophy: |
Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils;
Roman Cechmanek & Robert Esche, Philadelphia
Flyers |
All-Star teams
| First Team |
Position |
Second Team |
| Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils |
G |
Marty Turco, Dallas Stars |
| Al MacInnis, St. Louis Blues |
D |
Sergei Gonchar, Washington Capitals |
| Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings |
D |
Derian Hatcher, Dallas Stars |
| Peter Forsberg, Colorado Avalanche |
C |
Joe Thornton, Boston Bruins |
| Todd Bertuzzi, Vancouver Canucks |
RW |
Milan Hejduk, Colorado Avalanche |
| Markus Naslund, Vancouver Canucks |
LW |
Paul Kariya, Anaheim Mighty Ducks |
Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 2002-03 (listed with their first team):
- Martin Gerber, Anaheim Mighty Ducks
- Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins
- Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres
- Jordan Leopold, Calgary Flames
- Rick Nash, Columbus Blue Jackets
- Steve Ott, Dallas Stars
- Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings
- Ales Hemsky, Edmonton Oilers
- Fernando Pisani, Edmonton Oilers
- Jarret Stoll, Edmonton Oilers
- Marc-Andre Bergeron, Edmonton Oilers
- Jay Bouwmeester, Florida Panthers
- Alexander Frolov, Los Angeles Kings
- Cristobal Huet, Los Angeles Kings
- Joe Corvo, Los Angeles Kings
- Mike Cammalleri, Los Angeles Kings
- Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Minnesota Wild
- Francois Beauchemin, Montreal Canadiens
- Vernon Fiddler, Nashville Predators
- Anton Volchenkov, Ottawa Senators
- Jason Spezza, Ottawa Senators
- Ray Emery, Ottawa Senators
- Jonathan Cheechoo, San Jose Sharks
- Christian Backman, St. Louis Blues
- Petr Cajanek, St. Louis Blues
Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 2002-03 (listed with their last
team):
- Uwe Krupp, Atlanta Thrashers
- Craig Berube, Calgary Flames
- Theoren Fleury, Chicago Blackhawks
- Todd Gill, Chicago Blackhawks
- Patrick Roy, Colorado Avalanche
- Kevin Dineen, Columbus Blue Jackets
- Kirk Muller, Dallas Stars
- Ulf Dahlen, Dallas Stars
- Claude Lemieux, Dallas Stars
- Fredrik Olausson, Detroit Red Wings
- Adam Deadmarsh, Los Angeles Kings
- Randy McKay, Montreal Canadiens
- Ken Daneyko, New Jersey Devils
- Mike Richter, New York Rangers
- Pavel Bure, New York Rangers
- Paul Ranheim, Phoenix Coyotes
- Adam Graves, San Jose Sharks
- Tom Barrasso, St. Louis Blues
- Jyrki Lumme, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Robert Svehla, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Phil Housley, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Doug Gilmour, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Craig Billington, Washington Capitals
- Sylvain Cote, Washington Capitals
See also
References
2002-03 NHL season by team
Atlantic: New Jersey • NY
Islanders • NY Rangers • Philadelphia • Pittsburgh
Northeast: Boston • Buffalo • Montreal • Ottawa • Toronto
Southeast: Atlanta • Carolina • Florida • Tampa Bay • Washington
Central: Chicago • Columbus • Detroit • Nashville • St.
Louis
Northwest: Calgary • Colorado •
Edmonton • Minnesota • Vancouver |
