AH Timeline: The NHL-WHA merger: A different story

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1985-86 NHL regular season standings
Playoff teams in BOLD

Adams Division
Quebec Nordiques 108 points
Hartford Whalers 107 points
Boston Bruins 88 points
Detroit Red Wings 84 points
Toronto Maple Leafs 81 points
Buffalo Sabres 78 points
Montreal Canadiens 72 points

Patrick Division
Washington Capitals 104 points
New York Islanders 94 points
Cincinnati Stingers 90 points
Philadelphia Flyers 79 points
Atlanta Flames 78 points
New York Rangers 64 points

Snythe Division
Seattle Thunderbirds 106 points
Los Angeles Kings 97 points
Edmonton Oilers 87 points
Calgary Wranglers 80 points
Vancouver Canucks 74 points
San Diego Penguins 57 points

Norris Division
St Louis Blues 112 points
Houston Aeros 110 points
Colorado Rockies 100 points
Winnipeg Jets 92 points
Minnesota North Stars 63 points
Chicago Black Hawks 50 points

The Washington Capitals entered the 1985-86 season determined to prove their success the previous season was no fluke. Capitan Mark Messier led the charge for the Caps as they once again took top spot in the Patrick Division with 104 points. Soviet deflect Vladislav Tretiak also enjoyed a breakout year, setting a new team record with eight shutouts. Meanwhile, the New York Islanders began to decline, finishing second once again with 94 points, while Cincinnati returned to the playoffs thanks to big performances from Larry Murphy and Luc Robitaille. The Flyers just barely edged out the Atlanta Flames on the final day of the regular season, finishing ahead of Atlanta by one point, while the Rangers endured one of the worst seasons in franchise history with only 64 points.

In the Adams, the defending conference champion Quebec Nordiques were eyeing a repeat. With 108 points, the Nordiques were the top team in the Whales while Phil Housley took home top defenseman honours, and Peter Stasney led the team with 102 points, fifth in the league. The Nords trailed Hartford by just one point heading into their final game against Buffalo. After the Whalers lost to Toronto, Quebec had an opportunity to seal top spot. The Sabres, long out of the playoff picture and playing spoiler, held a 2-0 lead over Quebec heading into the third period. Goals from Stasney and JC Trembley tied the game to send it to overtime, where Risto Jalo beat goaltender Don Beaupre to win the game and clinch first place for the Nordiques.

Once again, the Norris was dominated by St Louis, Houston, and Colorado. The Blues finished first in the league, thanks to another big year from Wayne Gretzky, who scored 74 goals. The Houston Aeros also enjoyed another strong year, coming in second with Guy Carbonneau and Dave Andreychuk leading the way offensively while Chris Chelios steady play on the blueline made them a tough team to play against. The Colorado Rockies, in their first year in the Norris fell to third place, while Winnipeg came in fourth.

In San Diego, the Penguins first home game in their new city was not quite as successful. Facing the Seattle Thunderbirds, the Pens never got into the game, losing 9-0. They would be shut out again by Houston in game two before finally redeeming themselves in their second home game with a 3-2 win against Minnesota. Tom O'Regan scored the first goal in San Deigo Penguins history, and the fans gave their new team a standing ovation in the final minutes of the game. It would be one of the only bright spots in the Penguins inaugural season, as the team finished the year one of the worst in the league. In his first season in Seattle, Guy LaFluer lead the T-Birds to another first place finish in the Snythe Division. Los Angeles and Edmonton fished 2nd and 3rd respectively, while the Calgary Wranglers made the playoffs for the first time in team history. "We feel like we can surprise a lot of people." Said Rob Ramage. "It's going to be quite a playoff year."

Comments apricated! How did your team do?

 

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Entering their first round series against the very average Philadelphia Flyers, the Washington Capitals were a very confident group. With 25 points separating the two teams, the Caps were the overwhelming favorite. Needless to say, hockey fans everywhere were stunned when the Flyers won game one at the Capital Centre 6-1. Brushing it off as a fluke, Washington recovered with a 4-2 win in game two, before the Flyers won games 3 & 4 in overtime to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. After their best regular season in franchise history, the Capitals season was now on the brink. “We haven’t really faced adversity like this all year, well here it is now and we have to find a way to respond” said captain Mark Messier. The Capitals did respond in game five with a big 3-2 win, before forcing game seven with a 5-2 victory. Game seven was a tight one, with the two teams tied through two periods. With less than one minute left, Jari Kurri suddenly tipped an Alan Haworth point shot into the net to give the Capitals the lead. Philadelphia pressed hard but could not solve Vladislav Tretiak. Messier scored the empty-netter as Washington pulled off the comeback and advanced to the second round. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Stingers series with the New York Islanders proved to be one of the most surprising series played in a long time. The home team won every game except game 7 as the underdog Stingers advanced. In the Adams Division, Ray Bourque and the Whalers defeated Boston in five games, while Pat LaFontaine put his team on his back, leading the Detroit Red Wings in a stunning six-game upset over Quebec.

In the Campbell Conference, there were several upsets. Los Angeles was favored to beat the young Edmonton Oilers, but lost the series in six games and the Colorado Rockies stunned the Houston Aeros in a hard-fought six game series. Seattle would not be upset however, as they swept the upstart Calgary Wranglers in four straight.

The series between the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets was considered to be one of the most lopsided matchups in the playoffs with a 20 point difference between the two teams. St. Louis predictably took a 2-0 series lead, but Winnipeg’s checking line did an excellent job shutting down the Gretzky/Gartner Duo in games three and four to tie the series 2-2. Gretzky and Gartner both got back on the board in game 5, scoring twice each in a 4-2 win. The wheels completely fell off for the Blues in game six, however. Bernie Federko scored to give St Louis a 1-0 lead, but the Jets once again did a brilliant job shutting down the St. Louis forwards. Roland Melanson allowed two very soft goals early in the second period and then Winnipeg exploded for five more unanswered goals to stun the Blues 7-1. Melanson struggled again early in game seven and was pulled in favour of backup Rick Heinz after allowing two goals in the first sixteen seconds. Mike Gartner and Alain Lemieux tied the game but Winnipeg responded with another three goals. Gretzky, who had been tightly checked and constantly harassed by the Jet checkers, finally snapped. While being mugged by Jean Hamel in front of the net, Gretzky turned and swung at Hamel and knocked him out. Wayne was ejected and Winnipeg hung on for the win to complete one of the biggest upsets in NHL history. After the series, Blues head coach Jaques Demers didn’t mince words about Winnpeg’s play. “It’s unacceptable that this league can allow the best player in the game to be treated like that.”

Round two saw another one of biggest upsets in league history when Detroit shocked the heavily favored Hartford Whalers in a four game sweep that saw the first three games go into overtime. Pat LaFontaine played a huge role in the upset, scoring three goals including the winner in game one, while Red Wings goalie Mike Liut was a brick-wall in the net. Seattle took down Edmonton also in a sweep with the dynamic duo of Coffey and Langway continuing to lead the way, while Washington managed to win a very gritty series with Cincinnati in five games.

In the Norris Division final, Winnipeg continued their strong play against the Colorado Rockies. After splitting the first four games 2-2, the Jets dropped game five in Denver 4-1. Down 3-2 heading home for game six, the Jets managed to get a big 3-1 win thanks to goals from Morris Lukowich, Dave Donnelly, and Kent Nilsson. Game seven in Colorado remained tied 3-3 heading into overtime. Peter Aslin and Sean Burke both stood on their heads as one overtime turned into two, then three. Halfway through the third overtime, Kent Nilsson finally ended it with his fourth goal of the series to send Winnipeg to the Campbell Conference Finals.

In the Campbell Final, The Seattle Thunderbirds were quickly becoming the hottest team in the playoffs heading into the Conference Finals. In game one against Winnipeg, the T-Birds showed no signs of slowing down. Guy LaFluer and Paul Coffey each had two goals in addition to goals from Mark Napier, Tim Tookey, and Ken Linsemen in a 7-0 blowout. Game two was better for Winnipeg early on when Nilsson opened the scoring, but Seattle responded with three quick goals during the third period. The Jets hoped to turn things around at home in game three, but were unable to solve Patrick Roy, who earned a 2-0 shutout. Game four went into overtime, as Winnipeg turned in their best effort of the series with Morris Lukowich scoring twice earlier in the game. Overtime would be brief, however, as Napier beat goaltender Aslin to send Seattle to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Meanwhile, the Washington Capitals were a confident team entering the Wales Conference Finals. Mark Messier and Jari Kurri had proven to be one of the deadliest duos in the league, combining for 28 points in the first two rounds of the playoffs. There was little reason to doubt them after games one and two in Washington, where the Capitals won an overtime thriller in game one followed by a shutout victory in game two. Heading back home for game three, the Red Wings knew they needed to win to avoid an enormous uphill battle. Game three would go to overtime, where Pat LaFontaine scored the winner. Detroit tied the series in game four, as Red Wings winger Jim Peplinski drove Messier crazy all game. In game five, Peplinski shoved Jari Kurri to the ice while the referee wasn’t looking, prompting defenseman Larry Melnyk to punch him in the jaw. Melynk was ejected and Detroit took the series lead with a 4-2 win. Game six was delayed a day with Madonna playing a show at Joe Louis Arena. When game day finally arrived Washington was determined to ignore Peplinski, whose antics finally cost him and his team. Late in the game, Peplinski took a spearing penalty which led to a powerplay goal for Messier. Washington hung on to force game seven, but finally succumbed to the Red Wings in a tight game seven where Mike Krushelnyski scored in the final two minutes. For the first time since 1966, Detroit was headed to the Stanley Cup Finals to face Seattle.

Comments apricated! Who you got taking it home?

 

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1986 Stanley Cup Final: SEA vs DET

The 1986 Stanley Cup Finals would pit the Seattle Thunderbirds, looking for their first Stanley Cup in team history, against the Detroit Red Wings, seeking their first cup since 1955. Heavily favored to win it all, the T-Birds found themselves stunned in the first two games at home, losing both contests by 2 goals. Treating game 3 in Detroit like a must-win, Seattle kept things close throughout the game before finally pulling ahead to win the game in the third period on a goal from Mark Napier. Despite still being down 2-1 in the series, it appeared that Seattle was now in control. Game 4 would go to overtime, where the T-Birds dominated, forcing Red Wings goaltender Mike Liut to make 13 saves in OT alone. Late in the extra period Detroit winger Jim Peplinski blocked a Paul Coffey shot, putting center Pat LaFontaine on a breakaway. LaFontaine beat Patrick Roy for the winner, giving Detroit a commanding 3-1 series lead. The city of Seattle was in shock, while Detroit celebrated. It appeared that the Red Wings drought was finally over. In game 5, with the Stanley Cup in the building, Patrick Roy made 46 saves for the shutout as Seattle won 2-0. Game six would go into double overtime. Both teams had several big scoring chances but both goaltenders refused to yield. Finally, early in the second overtime, Guy LaFluer scored for Seattle to force game 7. The Red Wings, determined not to let their disappointment get the better of them in game 7, played their hearts out, keeping the game scoreless until almost the end of the second period despite a barrage of Seattle shots. LaFluer would finally find the back of the net, however, with just 1:36 to go in the second and Detroit found themselves desperately trying to tie it throughout the third. In the end, Patrick Roy, playing in the game of his life, proved to be too much for the Wings in game 7. The heartbroken Red Wings skated off the ice as Rod Langway accepted the Cup from John Ziegler

1986 Stanley Cup Champion: Seattle Thunderbirds

Comments apricated! Congrats to any T-Birds fans out there!

 

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Pro Sports as of 1985-86

National Football League (NFL)

AFC East: Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets
AFC Central: Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Houston Oilers, Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC West: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Seattle Seahawks
NFC East: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, St Louis Cardinals, Washington Redskins
NFC Central: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West: Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers

Major League Baseball (MLB)

AL East: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Spiders (previously Indians), Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays
AL West: California Angels, Chicago White Sox, Denver Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers
NL East: Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, St Louis Cardinals
NL West: Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants

National Basketball Association (NBA)

Atlantic Division: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Bullets
Central Division: Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks
Midwest Division: Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Kansas City Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz
Pacific Division: Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Clippers, Seattle SuperSonics

National Hockey League (NHL)

Adams Division: Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers, Montreal Canadiens, Quebec Nordiques, Toronto Maple Leafs
Patrick Division: Atlanta Flames, Cincinnati Stingers, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals
Smythe Division: Calgary Wranglers, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, San Diego Penguins, Seattle Thunderbirds, Vancouver Canucks
Norris Division: Chicago Black Hawks, Colorado Rockies, Houston Aeros, Minnesota North Stars, St Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets

Canadian Football League (CFL)
East Division: Atlantic Schooners, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Montreal Concordes, Ottawa Rough Riders, Toronto Argonauts
West Division: BC Lions, Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Eskimos, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

United States Football League (USFL)

East Division: Baltimore Stars, Birmingham Stallions, Hartford Generals, Jacksonville Bulls, Memphis Showboats, Ohio Glory, Orlando Renegades
West Division: Arizona Outlaws, Los Angeles Express, Oklahoma Gamblers, Portland Breakers, Sacramento Gold Miners, Salt Lake Snowcaps, San Antonio Gunslingers

To start, the Raiders never moved to L.A. in 1982. Around that time, the Oakland A's were flirting with a possible relocation to Denver before the city of Oakland stepped in and blocked the move. Without the Raiders moving, the city lets the A's move to Colorado. Second, the USFL never moves to the fall for 1986 and sorta becomes an NFL minor-league instead. With this, the teams that are in NFL markets (New Jersey Generals, Tampa Bay Bandits, Oakland Invaders, Denver Gold and Houston Gamblers) move to other cities. New Jersey to Hartford, Tampa to Cloumbus, OH, Oakland to Sacramento, Denver to Salt Lake and Houston to OKC. The reason the Los Angeles Express didn't relocate is because the Rams played in Anaheim at the time and the Express played in the LA Coliseum. With the Raiders never moving there, they have it to themselves. Hopefully you got all that. Oh, and the Indians were re-named to the Spiders in 1983.

 

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1986 NHL Draft - Notable Selections

1. Jimmy Carson (C) - Chicago Blackhawks

2. Vincent Damphousse (C) - San Diego Penguins

6. Brian Leetch (D) - Vancouver Canucks

7. Zarley Zalapski (D) - Atlanta Flames

11. Craig Janney (C) - Calgary Wranglers

21. Adam Graves (LW) - Hartford Whalers

26. Teppo Numminen (D) - Chicago Blackhawks

53. Jyrki Lumme (D) - New York Islanders

65. Tim Cheveldae (G) - Winnipeg Jets

Notable Trades

Boston trades D Michel Goulet to St Louis for 2 draft picks in 1987.
Unhappy in Beantown, Goulet demanded a trade as soon as the offseason began. He got his wish as he joins Wayne Gretzky and Mike Gartner as they chase a third Stanley Cup in 4 years.

Minnesota trades D Al MacInnes to Toronto
The All-Star, hard-shooting defensing leaves Minnesota for a rising team in Toronto, as he and Mario Lemieux for possibly one of the deadliest scoring duos in the league.

Other news
The league's US TV contract with CBS expires after this season. With the NHL beating out the NBA in terms of ratings (CBS also had the NBA from 1973-74 to 1989-90), the NBA is also in trouble as Turner will air NHL games, so without CBS, the NBA will not have a national TV contract. FOX has expressed interest in both NHL and NBA games on thier network, which was founded earlier this year.

 

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Sports news from 1985-86

NFL: The Miami Dolphins upset the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX 31-28. Dan Marino was named Super Bowl MVP for the second straight year, throwing for three touchdowns and had a clutch drive to set up the game winning field goal as time expired.

MLB: For the second time in five years, the Montreal Expos have won the World Series, beating the upstart California Angels in six games in the 1986 World Series. Gary Carter won series MVP for hitting 12 hits in the series, 4 of which were home runs. (Unlike IRL, the Expos don't break up that 1981 team that had Carter, Andre Dawson, Tim Raines and more)

NBA: This years NBA finals featured the Milwaukee Bucks (who upset the Celtics in the Conference Finals) and the young Dallas Mavericks team lead by up-and-coming star Clyde "The Glide" Drexler who defeated Portland, Utah and Los Angeles to get there. In the end, however, Sidney Moncrief and the Bucks defeated Dallas in five games to capture their first NBA Championship in fifteen years. After the season, it was leaked the NBA was looking to expand. Miami, Charlotte, Toronto and Orlando appear to be front-runners for expansion spots.

CFL: For the second time in four years, the Toronto Argonauts are Grey Cup champions, crushing the cinderella Calgary Stampeders 50-0.

USFL: The first USFL season as a minor league was a surprising success, both on the field and with fans. The USFL championship was contested between the Birmingham Stallions and the Sacramento Gold Miners. The Stallions would add their first championship to their trophy case.

Rumor Mill: The St Louis Cardinals (NFL) are looking to get out of the Gateway City. Potential locations include Phoenix, Baltimore, Charlotte and Los Angeles. The Philadelphia Eagles are also for sale.

As always, feel free to comment on your thoughts on these events.

 

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1986-87 NHL Regular Season standings
Playoff teams in BOLD

Adams Division
Hartford Whalers 107 points
Quebec Nordiques 105 points
Detroit Red Wings 91 points
Toronto Maple Leafs 87 points
Buffalo Sabres 87 points
Boston Bruins 66 points
Montreal Canadiens 59 points

Patrick Division
Washington Capitals 103 points
Cincinnati Stingers 91 points
Philadelphia Flyers 85 points
New York Islanders 82 points
Atlanta Flames 73 points
New York Rangers 68 points

Smythe Division
Seattle Thunderbirds 104 points
Los Angeles Kings 89 points
Edmonton Oilers 86 points
Vancouver Canucks 79 points
Calgary Wranglers 75 points
San Diego Penguins 62 points

Norris Division
Houston Aeros 111 points
St Louis Blues 110 points
Colorado Rockies 103 points
Winnipeg Jets 84 points
Chicago Blackhawks 61 points
Minnesota North Stars 55 points

In the Adams Division, Quebec and Hartford would battle it out for the division title. The Nordiques looked like they would they would win it for most of the season, but Ray Bourque put the Whalers on his back, having a point in the last 12 games of the year to help the Whalers reclaim the Adams division crown. After their inspiring playoff run last season, the Red Wings finished third thanks to a great year from Pat LaFontaine. The real focus in the Adams, was on the fourth place spot between Buffalo and Toronto which came down to the final day of the season. The Sabres were hosting the last-place Canadiens with the tie-breaker, leading the Maple Leafs by 3 goals. Buffalo defeated Montreal 3-1, meaning Toronto had to score 7 goals to get in the playoffs against an already determined Quebec team, looking for first place. Toronto would fall behind 5-2, but Mario Lemieux would score a hat-trick within 5 minutes and 22 seconds to tie the game. Quebec would score with 58 seconds left to give them the lead. Toronto pressed the net hard, but could not solve goalie Richard Brouder. Finally with .6 seconds left in regulation, Al MacInnes scored to tie the game. Just 33 seconds into overtime, Lemieux would score his fourth goal of the game to send Toronto to the playoffs for the first time since 1978.

The Patrick Division would go to the Capitals once again, but the Cincinnati Stingers were a team to watch. Future stars like Larry Murphy, Luc Robitaille and goalie Bob Essena propelled the team to a second place finish and the most points in team history with 91. Philadelphia and the Islanders finished 3rd and 4th while the Rangers and Flames once again missed the postseason.

Seattle would take the Snythe Division again, thanks to a declining Kings team that dealt Marcel Dionne to Quebec in the hopes he can win a Stanley Cup before he retires. The rest of the division wasn’t much to talk about either, as Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and San Diego were both too young to be a contender.

The Blues-Aeros rivalry continued to be one of Hockey’s premier rivalries. After Chris Chelios took a shot at Wayne Gretzky, Mike Gartner went after Cheilos and the two teams got into a bench-clearing brawl in St Louis. The two teams fought tooth and nail for the Norris division championship until Houston pulled away and also finished first in the league. Colorado and Winnipeg once again finished third and fourth. As the playoffs began, it looked like the Aeros, Blues and Whalers were favorites once more to take home the Cup.

comments appreciated as always!

 

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1987 would be a big year for upsets once the post-season began. The Seattle Thunderbirds, after another series of big off-season moves, hoped to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions. The T-Birds won another division title but shockingly lost to Vancouver five out six times that season. It would prove to be extremely costly. Seattle faced those same Canucks in the first round. The teams were tied 2-2 after the first four before disaster struck for the Thunderbirds. Patrick Roy was chased from the net in an ugly 8-4 win for the Canucks to give them a 3-2 series lead. The T-Birds were simply unable to withstand Vancouver’s grit and tight-checking style, and that continued right through game six as Brain Leetch and Jeff Beukeboom each scored twice in a 6-3 win as the Canucks completed the upset and moved on. The Houston Aeros also got quite a scare in their first-round series with Winnipeg, as the Jets jumped to a 2-0 series lead. The Aeros managed to win two games on the road, however, before winning two more to take the series in six. Houston avoided being the second contending team to be upset in the first round, the St Louis Blues, however, were not so lucky, losing a stunner to Colorado in four straight. Edmonton also advanced in a extremely tight six-game series against Los Angeles.

In the Wales Conference, the Washington Capitals were a confident team entering their first-round matchup against the Islanders, a team that was getting older and older. But the Isles quickly shattered that confidence with two big wins at the Capital Centre to take an unexpected 2-0 series lead. Back at Nassau Coliseum, the Capitals scored early in game three, only to give up three fast goals early in the third period as the Islanders won the game 3-1 to take a chokehold on the series. “We didn’t expect to be in this position” said captain Mark Messier. “Hardly any team has ever come back from 3-0 before but that doesn’t mean we can’t do it” In game four, Messier backed up his words with a two-goal performance in a 2-1 Washington victory to salvage the series. The Capitals were still alive and had a chance to extend it to six when game five went to overtime. Through two extra periods in game five, goaltenders Vladislav Tretiak and Chris Terreri turned the contest into a goaltending duel. Early in the third overtime, Sergio Momesso finally ended the marathon when he knocked in a rebound to complete the upset for the Islanders. In other Wales Conference action, Hartford took six games to eliminate Mario Lemieux and Toronto, Detroit upset Quebec in five games, while the Stingers took out Philadelphia in five games.

In Round two, the Vancouver Canucks entered their series with Edmonton determined to carry the momentum from their first round upset. After Vancouver won game one, the Oilers managed to get their act together in game two, tying the series with a 4-3 win. In Vancouver for game three, Bill Ranford was the hero in net, stopping 42 shots in a 2-0 shutout. After a 4-2 win in game four, the Canucks held a commanding 3-1 series lead. Back in Edmonton for game five, Steve Yzerman scored early to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead, but it would be the final goal of the Oiler season. Goals from Brian Leetch and John Tucker gave Vancouver a 2-1 win and a 4-1 series victory. Meanwhile in the Norris Final, Houston dispatched Colorado in another close 5 game series with 4 out 5 games going to overtime.

In the Wales Conference, the Cincinnati Stingers struggled to stay a step ahead of the surging New York Islanders. After just edging out the Isles in game one 1-0, the Stingers were embarrassed on home ice in game two as the Islanders took a 7-2 victory. After the teams split the two games on Long Island, they headed back to Cincy tied 2-2. Game five ended in controversy, Cincinnati led 2-1 when Sergio Momesso's shot beat Bob Essensa and appeared to roll across the goal line for just a split second. The goal was reviewed and ultimately disallowed due to lack of evidence that the puck actually crossed the line. The Islanders were irate, especially when TV replays all but confirmed that the puck had crossed the line. Cincinnati sealed the win with an empty-net goal to lead the series 3-2. New York had to quickly get over the hard feelings from game five, now facing elimination at home. Mike Bossy opened the scoring and Kevin Maxwell scored just minutes later to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead. Halfway through the third period, Larry Murphy brought the Stingers to within a goal but it would be the closest they would get. The series would go to a game seven at the Riverfront Coliseum. As if to redeem himself after the disallowed goal, Momesso opened the scoring for the Islanders, but unfortunately it wouldn’t be enough. Cincy exploded for four goals in the second period and never allowed New York back into the game. The Stingers were headed to the Wales Conference Finals for the first time in team history to face the Hartford Whalers, who swept Detroit in four straight.

Hartford certainly had an uphill battle against a powerful Stingers squad playing in the Wales Conference Final for the first time in their brief history. Hartford took control of the series early on, winning the first two games at home. Back in Cincinnati, however, the Whalers struggled while the Stingers rode the enthusiasm and noise of their fans to a pair of wins of their own to tie the series including an emotional overtime win in game four where Luc Robitaille, playing a great post-season, scored the winner. Game five would be pivotal, as the winner would have an opportunity to close out the series two nights later. Cincinnati appeared to have the upper hand, carrying a 3-2 lead into the third period. Late in the third, however, Ray Bourque tied the game for the Whalers, sending it to overtime. Larry Murphy had an incredible chance to end the game just minutes into OT, but Grant Fuhr stood tall. Finally, Boruque came up big once again, winning the game with his second goal of the night. Game six back in Cincinnati was a must-win for the home team. A capacity crowd of 17,556 packed into the Riverfront Coliseum as fans from all over Ohio showed up to support their desperate team. Murphy, Robitaille, Dirk Graham, and Dave Simpson each scored in a big 4-2 win to force game seven. The Houston Aeros were now awaiting the winner, having won a hard-fought series with Vancouver in six games. In Hartford, the Civic Center was packed nearly to capacity. In Cincinnati, thousands of fans gathered at a watch party in downtown Cincy to watch the game on a projector. The game was a tight one, tied at two through two periods. In the third, Ron Handy beat Bob Essensa to give the Whalers their second lead of the game. Cincinnati pushed hard for the tying goal, pulling Essensa for the extra attacker. The move backfired as Mark Howe scored the empty-netter to make in 4-2. With only 13 seconds to go, Larry Murphy scored for the Stingers to bring it within one, but it was too little too late, as Hartford advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the third time in the 1980s, where they would face the same team as last time, the Houston Aeros.

Would like some comments. It feels lonely without them.

 

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The NHL’s two great teams of the decade met once more in the 1987 Stanley Cup Finals. The Hartford Whalers, led by Ray Bourque, were seeking their second Stanley Cup of the decade. The Houston Aeros, led by young stars Dave Andreychuk and Chris Chelios, were seeking their first Cup in team history and redemption from their loss to the Whalers in 1983.

Game one in Houston was close. Hartford gained the lead early and despite the Aeros continuously tying the game, the Whalers always retook the lead. Hartford held a 4-3 lead with only 53 seconds left in the game when Moe Lemay tied it once again. Goaltenders Pelle Lindberg and Grant Fuhr then put on the performance of a lifetime, forcing the game into triple overtime. With only 33 seconds left in the third OT, Mark Howe scored to give Hartford the win and a 1-0 series lead. Game two was another close one, with Houston once again pressing for the tying goal in the final minutes down a goal. With just 19 seconds left, Andreychuk was sprung on a breakaway. The Houston crowd rose to their feet and began to roar as Andreychuk got closer to the net. He deked Fuhr, attempting to squeeze the puck past him on the far left side. Somehow, Fuhr stretched out his pad and stopped Andreychuk cold. Seconds later, Bourque put the puck in the empty net to seal the win for Hartford and give them a 2-0 lead in the series.

Heading to Hartford for game three, things did not look good for Houston. After losing the first two games at home, the Aeros now had to win at least two in Hartford. Game three looked good, as Houston jumped to a 3-0 lead on the strength of a Chris Chelios hat-trick. As the second period began, the Whalers began to push. Ray Bourque scored twice in 28 seconds to bring the Whalers within one. Chelios scored his fourth to give Houston a 4-2 lead late in the second period, before Mark Howe responded quickly to once again make it a one-goal game. Houston pressed hard to regain their two-goal lead, but Fuhr met every challenge. Finally, with less than two minutes left, trade-deadline acquisition Bruce Driver scored to tie the game. Five minutes into overtime, Bourque completed a hat-trick of his own to give Hartford a commanding 3-0 series lead. The rematch everyone had been anticipating between the Whalers and Aeros had arrived and Hartford clearly had the upper hand.

With the Cup in the arena for game four, Houston was in pure survival mode. Andreychuk opened the scoring. Just three minutes later, Guy Carbonneau made it 2-0. It looked like the series was headed to a fifth game as the first period closed and the second began. Suddenly, Bourque hit Ron Handy with a long pass, springing him on a breakaway. Handy deked Lindberg and scored. The crowd erupted, as if they knew what was about to happen. Bourque and Howe each scored just minutes later to give the Whalers a 3-2 lead. In the third period, things finally unraveled for Houston, as Howe scored his second of the game, Steve Smith scored his first of the playoffs, and Perry Anderson scored the empty net goal to seal it. The Hartford Whalers took home their second Stanley Cup in five years with a 5-2 win. Even some of the Whaler fans poured on to the ice to congratulate their heroes. For Houston, the loss was disappointing, even though they had the better team on paper. Despite the loss, Guy Carbonneau felt the Aeros had made some important strides and learned some valuable lessons during the run. “Our team really bonded this spring” said Carbonneau. “Sometimes you have to lose to learn how to win. I have full confidence this is a championship team, the next step is to finish the job.”

Comments apricated! Congrats to any Whaler fans out there!

 

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NFL: For the second time in the 80s and the first since 1980, the Cleveland Browns are NFL Champions, defeating the San Francisco 49ers 31-21 in Super Bowl XXI. After, the season, it was announced that the St Louis Cardinals would move west to Los Angeles, CA for the 1987 season. The team will play in the AFC West while the Seattle Seahawks will move to the NFC West. The team will play at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, previously home to the Los Angeles Rams from 1946 to 1979 before moving to Anaheim. The team will also be renamed to the California Cardinals.

MLB: The Detroit Tigers win their first World Series since 1945 by defeating the San Francisco Giants 4 games to 1. Alan Trammell was named MVP of the series by going a combined 12 for 22 in the series at bat, including 3 home runs.

NBA: Since 1979-80, all NBA champions had come from the Eastern Conference. That streak was snapped when the Denver Nuggets won their first NBA Championship in franchise history over the favored Boston Celtics 4 games to 2. Thanks to an injury to Boston star Larry Bird in game 5, the Nuggets were able to win the last two games handily to capture a title for the first time since playing in the American Basketball Association. After the season, the league announced expansion to Miami, Toronto, Charlotte and Orlando. The Miami and Toronto franchises will begin play in 1988, while Charlotte and Orlando will begin play the following season. The San Antonio Spurs are also for sale. Potential locations for the club include New Orleans, Minneapolis/St Paul, St Louis and Tampa.

CFL: The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are CFL champions for the second time in four seasons, defeating the defending champion Toronto Argonauts 28-12. The Montreal Concordes, expected to fold, managed to field a team this season and looked uncertain to wither they would return for 1988 or not. That changed when Detroit-based businessman Bernard Gliebermann bought the team halfway through the season and said the team has a "great future ahead of them"

USFL: The second USFL season as a minor-league was another hit across America in the spring/summer of '87. The Birmingham Stallions hoped to repeat as league champions with a return to the league title game. However, they would be shocked by the red-hot Salt Lake Snowcaps 30-13. Salt Lake, led by quarterback Jeff Hostetler finished the season on a 10 game win streak (including post-season) to win their first USFL championship. After the season, the Los Angeles Express announced they would be moving to Louisville, Kentucky. They will be re-named to the Louisville Jockeys for the 1988 season and beyond.

Comments apricated! What do you think?

 

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1987 NHL Entry Draft
Notable Picks

1. Brendan Shanahan (LW) - Minnesota North Stars

2. Glen Wesley (D) - Montreal Canadiens

3. Pierre Turgeon (C) - Chicago Blackhawks

7. Joe Sakic (C) - Atlanta Flames

15. Andrew Cassels (C) - Washington Capitals

30. John LeClair (RW) - New York Rangers

36. Eric Dejardins (D) - Edmonton Oilers

43. Matheiu Schenider (D) - Colorado Rockies

162. Theoren Fleury (RW) - Quebec Nordiques

Offseason News
The biggest news of the 1987 off-season came when John Ziegler announced that the league would begin accepting bids for expansion franchises beginning in the summer of 1988. Three teams would debut in the 1990-91 season. Milwaukee is rumoured to be a lock for a new team, while other cities rumoured to be interested include Portland, San Jose, Tampa, Charlotte, Ottawa, Kansas City, and Orlando. “Next summer we’re going to focus on choosing the best cities for new franchises.” Said Ziegler. “Once selected, our teams should have plenty of time to then prepare for October ’90.”

Comments apricated!

 

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1987-88 NHL Regular Season Standings
Playoff teams in BOLD

Adams Division
Hartford Whalers 105 points
Quebec Nordiques 104 points
Toronto Maple Leafs 92 points
Detroit Red Wings 88 points
Buffalo Sabres 83 points
Boston Bruins 65 points
Montreal Canadiens 55 points

Patrick Division
Washington Capitals 105 points
Cincinnati Stingers 95 points
Philadelphia Flyers 89 points
New York Islanders 81 points
New York Rangers 72 points
Atlanta Flames 63 points

Smythe Division
Seattle Thunderbirds 98 points
Vancouver Canucks 93 points
Edmonton Oilers 81 points
Calgary Wranglers 76 points
Los Angeles Kings 74 points
San Diego Penguins 52 points

Norris Division
St Louis Blues 115 points
Houston Aeros 111 points
Colorado Rockies 101 points
Chicago Blackhawks 75 points
Winnipeg Jets 69 points
Minnesota North Stars 54 points

In the summer of 1987, NHL President John Ziegler made a big announcement: the NHL would be expanding to 28 teams for the 1990-91 season. The league immediately began accepting bids for ownership. Surprisingly, in January of '88, just three weeks after the applications were due, Ziegler announced that the new franchises would be granted in Tampa, Portland and Milwaukee. Though most of the owners had expected that an expansion council would be formed, they narrowly voted to accept his choices.

On the ice, however, on October 8, 1987, after being traded that offseason, Ron Francis began his first full season in Vancouver. Francis gave Canucks fans a lot to be excited about right away when he lit up the Seattle Thunderbirds in the home opener, scoring four goals in a 6-3 win. The native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario enjoyed a career season in 1987-88, nearly winning the Rocket Richard trophy with 94 points including 45 goals. The team hired GM Lou Lamoriello, who flourished working with Francis and up and coming defenseman Brain Leetch. and Vancouver finished second place in the Smythe Division. After spending his early career in Cincinnati and Buffalo, Francis finally found himself on a contending team. “It’s been a lot of fun this year” said Francis. “I really believe this team has what it takes to make a run at the Cup.”

The Canucks were edged out by the Seattle Thunderbirds for first place. The two teams went back and fourth for the top spot heading into the final week of the year, before Seattle won the last two games of the season while Vancouver did not, giving the T-Birds the title despite some injuries to key players.

The Norris Division was a tight race, with St Louis, Houston and Colorado all fighting for home ice advantage in the playoffs. The Chicago Blackhawks climbed back into the post-season for the First time since 1981. Part of the reason for Chicago's playoff return was the disastrous season in Winnipeg. The Jets lost stars such as Kent Nilsson and Morris Lukowich to retirement and plummeted to 5th place in the Norris Division with 69 points. Winnipeg struggled with goaltending all season but most of the blame was placed on the Jets’ depth players, and ultimately, on head coach Tom McVie. McVie was dismissed immediately after the season ended.

In the Wales, Washington finished first in the conference despite Mark Messier missing ten games with a knee injury. Jari Kurri stepped up big for the Capitals, who also relied heavily on Glenn Andersen and Jeff Brown and of course, goaltender Vladislav Tretiak. The Caps became one of the tightest teams to play against, taking the division thanks to their ability to come back late in a game. The defending champion Hartford Whalers won the Adams Division with Ray Bourque taking defenseman of the year honors. Quebec nearly beat out Hartford for the division with one of the most balanced rosters in the league. Mario Lemieux and the Maple Leafs came in third, while Detroit slipped to fourth.

The week before the playoffs began, accusations of corruption against NHL President John Ziegler were made public. A rejected ownership applicant based in Charlotte, North Carolina alleged that Ziegler attempted to solicit a bribe from him in exchange for granting his ownership bid. Though no proof was offered at the time, the regular season ended under a dark cloud.

Comments apricated! What do you think?

 

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Amid the growing bribery scandel, the playoffs got underway with uncertainty in the background regarding who would be the next president of the league. But on the ice, the first round of the 1988 Stanley Cup Playoffs was uneventful and predictable. No series in the Campbell Conference went more than five games with the favored team winning each one. St. Louis swept the Chicago Blackhawks in four straight, Seattle defeated the young Calgary Wranglers in five, Vancouver took down Steve Yzerman and the Oilers in five, and the Houston ousted Colorado also in five games. In the Wales, Mario Lemieux’s post-season was once again short-lived, as the Leafs succumbed to the Quebec Nordiques in a sweep. Philadelphia also stunned the Cincinnati Stingers in a sweep, the only real upset in the first round.

Not every series was so lopsided, however. In a rematch of 1987, Washington defeated the Islanders in six games with goaltender Vladislav Tretiak turning in an incredible performance in possibly his final season. Hartford and Detroit played a very close, hard-fought series with the Red Wings jumping to a 3-2 series lead. The Whalers then stormed back, winning game six 5-3. Grant Fuhr played brilliantly while Pat Verbeek scored twice in game seven as the Whalers took the series with a 7-2 victory.

Hartford advanced to face the Nordiques in the second round. Quebec put up a good fight, winning games two and five, but ultimately could not solve Fuhr as Hartford advanced in six games. Elsewhere in the Wales, the Washington Capitals faced the Philadelphia Flyers in a classic six-game series. Four of the six games went into overtime. Philly appeared to be on their way to a second upset after taking a 2-1 series lead, before Mark Messier and Jari Kurri put the Capitals on their backs, scoring ten goals between the two of them and carrying the team to an intense six game series victory.

In the Smythe Final, Pacific Northwest rivals Vancouver and Seattle found themselves locked in a 2-2 tie after the first four games. Seattle’s Paul Coffey had been injured in game one, but returned to score the overtime winner in game five to give the T-Birds a 3-2 series lead. Thanks to a hat-trick from Ron Francis, Vancouver won game six 4-3 to force a game seven in Seattle. Game seven proved to be a triple-overtime epic. Goaltenders Bill Ranford for Vancouver and Patrick Roy for Seattle turned away shot after shot as the game extended into the early morning hours. Finally, with two minutes left in the third OT, Thunderbirds veteran Guy LaFluer beat Ranford in a scramble in front of the net to end the game and the series in Seattle’s favor.

For the second time in the decade the Houston Aeros would face the St Louis Blues in a playoff series. Both teams had spilt the regular season series evenly. The Aeros’ chances of beating their increasingly bitter rivals looked very good when they found themselves ahead three games to two in what turned out to be an extremely physical series. Game six would be no different, as Houston had an opportunity to close out the series at home. After the Aeros opened the scoring in game six, St Louis went on to score four unanswered goals to send the series to a seventh and deciding game. As game six wound down, several fights broke out as tension between the two rivals finally boiled over. “We just wanted to play the right way and they insisted on mugging our guys every chance they got. It’s disappointing a team is allowed to play that way” said Houston coach Pat Burns. St Louis coach Jaques Demers was quick to respond; “If they were playing the ‘right’ way you’d think they would’ve won.” Game seven was close, tied 3-3 through two periods. Early in the third, Wayne Gretzky gave St Louis the lead with a scrappy goal in front of the net. Pelle Lindberg protested, along with Burns and the rest of the Aeros, claiming he was interfered with. Nevertheless, the goal stood and minutes later, Michal Goulet added another one to give St Louis a 5-3 win, sending them to the Campbell Conference finals. “I’m very disappointed” said Burns after game seven. “I guess this league just really didn’t want another Sun Belt team in the Finals. It amazes me that we get officiating like this at this level.” Demers once again responded; “I can’t believe that idiot has a friggin job.”

In the conference final round, the Washington Capitals would face the Hartford Whalers, while the St Louis Blues would face the Seattle Thunderbirds for the right to play for the Stanley Cup. The Capitals found themselves down 2-0 heading home as it appeared the Whalers were on their way back to the championship round. However, the Caps managed to win the next two at home including an overtime win in game four to tie the series. Hartford took the lead once again in game five and had an opportunity to end it in game six, but Messier would be the hero, scoring two goals in a 4-2 victory in game six to force seven. Jeff Brown was the hero in game seven, scoring in double overtime for Washington as the Capitals advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history. In the Wales, Seattle kept things close against St Louis, but they ran out of gas as the Blues won the series in six to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the fourth time in less than a decade.

As always, feel free to comment what your think and predictions for the Finals. We're set up for a good one! Gretzky vs Messier!

 

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The 1988 Stanley Cup Finals would pit the heavily favored St Louis Blues against the Washington Capitals. The Blues entered the championship series full of confidence despite a rough road through the playoffs as they had tough times with Houston and Seattle. Wayne Gretzky had already set a new mark for playoff points with 30 in just 17 games. Washington, meanwhile, relied heavily on late game play and their ability to shut down other teams top players. The Capitals did a good job shutting down the Gretzky/Gartner duo in game one, keeping the two of them off the scoreboard. However Michal Goulet finally scored for St Louis in the third period and the Blues hung on for the win. In game two, Washington finally found the scoreboard when Mark Messier scored with a hard slapshot from the point, giving Washington their first lead of the series. three minutes later, Jari Kurri scored to give Washington a 2-0 lead. Early in the second period, Wayne Gretzky was at it again, deking everyone one the ice before putting the puck between Vladislav Tretiak's legs to bring the game within 1. Seconds later, Gretzky connected again with Mike Gartner to tie the game. 94 seconds later, Gretzky scored again to give St Louis a 3-2 lead. After allowing three goals within two minutes and watching their lead evaporate, the Capitals never found their way back into the game and the Blues held on to win 3-2. Heading back to DC for games 3 and 4 the Caps were still confident they could compete with the Blues despite being down 2-0. That confidence would turn into results in game 3, as the Capitals did an excellent job shutting down St Louis's superstars while Tretiak made 38 saves in a 4-1 win. The Capitals rode the momentum from game 3 into game 4, with Glenn Andersen scoring halfway into the first period. The Capitals brilliantly held the Blues off the scoreboard throughout the remainder of the game. As the clock wound down, frustration boiled over as for the first time, St Louis could not find a way to break through.

Heading back to St Louis tied 2-2, the Blues confidence was shaky. They could not figure out a way to solve Vladislav Tretiak or the Capitals clutch play. Prior to game 5 at the Arena in St Louis, veteran Larry Robinson showed the team his Stanley Cup ring he had earned as a member of the Montreal Canadiens in 1973, the first of four he would win in the 1970s. Robinson talked about the challenges the Canadiens had faced and the perseverance that had ultimately made them a dynasty. Motivated by Robinson's words, the Blues came out firing, scoring two goals just ten minutes in. Washington quickly responded with two goals of their own to tie the game. The teams remained tied through most of the game before Robinson finally beat Tretiak to give the Blues the lead. With the Washington net empty, Robinson slid the puck to Gretzky who who slipped it in the open net to seal the win as the St Louis crowd gave their team a standing ovation. Two nights later in Washington, Gretzky, Robinson and Bernie Federko each scored while Peter Zezel and Jeff Brown each scored for Washington as St Louis held a 3-2 lead with two minutes remaining. That’s when Wayne Gretzky scored on a penalty shot that went through the legs of Tretiak to give the Blues a two goal lead. Gretzky would make it a hat trick, hitting the empty netter with 2 seconds left in regulation. The Blues piled off the bench and mobbed goalie Ron Hextall as the officials, in a peculiar decision, decided to not play the final two seconds and ending the game there as the Blues were already celebrating and the Capitals were waiting to shake their hands. Wayne Gretzky was named MVP of the playoffs with 39 points as the Blues hoisted the Stanley Cup for the third time in four seasons.

Comments appreciated! Congrats to Blues fans!

 

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List of NHL owners as of 1988

Atlanta Flames - Ted Turner
Boston Bruins - Boston Garden Corp.
Buffalo Sabres - Seymour H. Knox III
Calgary Wranglers - Nelson Skalbania
Chicago Blackhawks - Bill Wirtz
Cincinnati Stingers - Taft Broadcasting Company
Colorado Rockies - Bill Daniels
Detroit Red Wings - Mike Illitch
Edmonton Oilers - Peter Pocklington
Hartford Whalers - Howard Baldwin
Houston Aeros - For sale
Los Angeles Kings - Bruce McNall & Dr Jerry Buss
Minnesota North Stars - George & Gordon Gund
Montreal Canadiens - Molson Family
New York Islanders - John Pickett
New York Rangers - Gulf + Western Industries
Philadelphia Flyers - Ed Snider
Quebec Nordiques - Marcel Aubut
San Diego Penguins - Barron Hilton
Seattle Thunderbirds - Herman Sawkowski
St Louis Blues - Ralston Purnia
Toronto Maple Leafs - Alfred J. Billies
Vancouver Canucks - Frank Griffiths
Washington Capitals - Abe Pollin
Winnipeg Jets - Barry Shenkarow

 

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1988 NHL Draft
Notable Picks

1. Mike Modano (C) - San Diego Penguins

3. Trevor Linden (C/RW)- Montreal Canadiens

5. Martin Gelinas (LW) - Boston Bruins

7. Jeremy Roenick (C) - New York Rangers

9. Rod Brind'Amour (C) - Buffalo Sabres

10. Teemu Selanne (RW) - Chicago Blackhawks

65. Mark Reechi (RW) - Hartford Whalers

68. Tony Amonte (RW) - San Diego Penguins

71. Rob Blake (D) - Atlanta Flames

77. Alexander Mogilny (RW) - Calgary Wranglers

127. Vareri Kamensky (LW) - Seattle Thunderbirds

Here are the cities and bids for the expansion, hoping to get a team that will hit the ice in the fall of '90

Expansion Council Options

Milwaukee, WI

Bio: Milwaukee is a very solid upper-Midwest market, and an great pick for another team in the Norris Division. The City is currently home to Baseball's Brewers and Basketball's Bucks. The NFL's Green Bay Packers also call the state of Wisconsin home.

Metro Population: 〜 628,000

History of Milwaukee Hockey: While Milwaukee has never had an NHL team, the city is currently home to the minor-league Milwaukee Admirals and the Wisconsin Badgers college hockey team in nearby Madison, WI have been very successful.

Poteintial Owner: Herb Kohl (age 53) is currently owner of the Kohl's department store chain based in Milwaukee and also the owner of the NBA's Bucks. Prior to his bid, he attempted to purchase the Birmingham Bulls and move them to Milwaukee, but lost out to a Seattle bid. He's excited about bringing hockey to his hometown!

Potential Arena: A new arena is under construction in Milwaukee which is expected to open in the fall of '88 for the Bucks, the Admirals and Marquette University Basketball.

Ranking: Definitely the best looking bid out of them all, with the Blackhawks and North Stars nearby in the division, Milwaukee would provide a great rival to them, not to mention one of the more promising potential owners out of all the bids, and proof that the city will have a strong fanbase for a future team. 5 Stars.

Ottawa, ON

Bio: Much like Milwaukee, Ottawa is another strong candidate. A historic hockey city and well between Toronto and Montreal, it’s a great market to tap into.

Metro Population: - 295,000

History of Ottawa Hockey: The Ottawa Senators were a historic NHL franchise from 1917-1934. They were very successful, winning the Stanley Cup 4 times during their NHL stay. The OHL's Ottawa 67's currently call the city home today.

Potential Owner: The potential ownership group is headed by real estate developer Bruce Firestone (age 38). Quite a big NHL fan, he tried to purchase the Colorado Rockies in 1981 and move them to Ottawa before the NHL stepped in and sold the team to Bill Daniels. He's gotten popular with younger fans of the game, especially in Canada.

Potential Arena: A new arena in suburban Ottawa is being discussed by management which would seat 20,500 fans. While it's being built, the team can play at the Ottawa Civic Center, which can be expanded to about 10,000 fans.

Ranking: Despite a small market size and uncertainty about an arena, it's a surprise 4.5 stars. A city with hockey history and natural rivalries with Toronto, Montreal and Quebec.

Portland, OR

Bio: Portland has plenty of Hockey History. The city has a knack for junior hockey, as the WHL's Winterhawks have been one of the best. The city is ready to make the leap to the NHL though!

Metro Population: - 437, 300

History of Portland Hockey: The Portland Rosebuds were members of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association from 1914-1918 and again in 1925-26. The city has had several minor league teams such as the Portland Buckaroos who played in the Western Hockey League in the 1960s.

Potential Owner: Paul Allen (age 47) is a Seattle-based businessman but recently bought the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers pretty recently. He also tried to purchase the Thunderbirds from Herman Sawkowski but was unsuccessful.

Potential Arena: The city is rumored to build a large arena for the Blazers and a potential NHL team that will complete between 1993 and 1997. The team can play at the 13,000 seat Memorial Coliseum while they wait as a temporary venue if needed.

Ranking: A great potential arena, owner, and a history of great hockey teams means shows how great this possibility is. 5 Stars.

Miami, FL

Bio: The first of two Sun Belt cities, Miami has maybe the least promising of all the bids, but it’s still worth counting.

Metro Population: 〜 358,000

History of Hockey in Miami: There is no prior history of Hockey in Miami. Albeit the Miami Screaming Eagles nearly played a game in the World Hockey Assocaition before they backed out last second.

Potential Owner: Wayne Huizenga (age 50) is a local businessman, founder of Waste Management and owner of a handful of video retail stores known as Blockbuster. Huizenga is also leading Miami's MLB bid and also looks to buy the Miami Dolphins of the NFL.

Potential Arena: The Miami Arena was recently completed for the city's new NBA team, the Heat who will begin play in the fall of 1988. The arena sits 17,000 fans and is suitable for Basketball and Hockey.

Ranking: With an unproven market and an unstable owner, this bid isn’t as polished as some of the others, the hope is it will get better with time. But right now it’s only 3 stars.

Kansas City, MO

Bio: Another Midwestern city, Kansas City has some of the most passionate sports fans in the county.


Metro Population - 435,000

History of Kansas City Hockey: KC had the NHL Scouts from 1974-76. While they were never successful, both on the ice and at the Box office, the city has hosted a variety of minor league teams.

Potential Owner: Lamar Hunt (age 55) is an oil tycoon and experienced sports owner of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, the NBA’s Kansas City Kings and various other sports teams in his career.

Potential Arena: Kemper Arena is where the Scouts played during their brief NHL existence. It could be used again for an NHL team. It sits 17, 513.

Ranking: Its a high risk, high reward kind of thing. The owner is financially stable but the arena is kinda old and a previous NHL team failed in the same city. 3.5 stars.

Phoenix, AZ

Bio: The second sun belt city on here, Phoenix has tried to gain an NHL team in years past, but they have lost out to other cities each time.

Metro Population - 983, 400

History of Phoenix Hockey: Phoenix has had the Roadrunners of the Western Hockey League and the WHA from 1967 to 1977. Since then, Phoenix has had a couple of short lived minor league teams.

Potential Owner: Jerry Colangeo (age 48) is the owner and GM of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and head of the investors leading the bid. He tried to lure the Birmingham Bulls and Penguins to the Grand Canyon State but was unsuccessful.

Potential Area: The Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum housed the Roadrunners during their time in the WHL and WHA. It seats a little over 14,000. A new arena is in the works and would seat about 17,000 fans for the Suns and a potential hockey team once it is scheduled to open in the fall of 1992.

Ranking: Like Miami, Phoenix is a sun-belt city where hockey is not to well known. Unlike Miami, it does have a Hockey history and the Roadrunners had some passionate fans. Ownership seams committed and an arena is suitable for the time being. 4 stars

Here is how to take part in the expansion council. There are 6 bids and I want everyone to pick 3 of them. Instead of just listing your 3 choices, I want you to rank them. 1st place votes get 3 points, 2nd place votes get 2, and 3rd place votes get 1. I’ll be excited to see how this shakes out, usually I have a feeling about how these will turn out but this time all the bids are pretty good so I can see any of them getting in or missing out.

When submitting a bid, please give me your:
Name:
Age: (Character must be older than 21 years as of June 5, 1988)
Bio:
Favorite Team:
Three Choices for Expansion *Ranked*:
Any Additional Identity Ideas (Colors, Logo Ideas, Names)

I'll let you guys vote for a couple days and tally the results once I feel like enough votes are in I'll count the votes and we'll found out who the next members of the NHL will be!

 

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NHL BACK IN OTTAWA FOR 1990!
Bruce Firestone's bid to bring the sport of Ice Hockey back to Canada's Capital was approved unanimously by the National Hockey League's owners. The former Senators franchise called Ottawa home from 1917 until 1934. After 16 seasons, the Senators were moved to St Louis, where they played one NHL season as the Eagles before folding in 1935. It is unclear if whether the new Ottawa franchise will rehash the old Senators name, but whatever they are called, they will begin play in the fall of 1990. What we do know is that the new NHL club will play in the Ottawa Civic Center until a new arena can be built.

- The Ottawa Citizen

NHL COMES TO THE ROSE CITY!​

The seven year old Seattle Thunderbirds of the National Hockey League will have plenty of company for hockey supremacy in the American Pacific Northwest about 28 months from now. The board of directors of Rose City Hockey, Inc announced with great enthusiasm that their bid for an expansion franchise was approved 24-1 by the owners of the NHL. The new franchise will share the Memorial Coliseum with the NBA Trail Blazers starting in the fall of 1990

- The Oregonian

MILWAUKEE AWARDED NHL FRANCHISE​

Just today, Herb Kohl, owner of the Milwaukee Bucks and Kohl's department stores, announced the NHL had approved his bid for a Franchise for Milwaukee earlier today. The bid was approved by the other NHL owners by a 24-1 margin, the only objection being the Chicago Blackhawks, who claimed Milwaukee as their territory. The team will hit the ice in October of 1990, playing at the new Bradley Center in downtown Milwaukee, will they will be co-tenants of the Milwaukee Bucks.

- Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel​

 

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NFL: John Elway and the Denver Broncos are Super Bowl Champions for the first time in franchise history, defeating the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XXII 28-21. After the season, the Philadelphia Eagles, rumored to be moving to Phoenix, were sold to Flyers owner Ed Snider, keeping the team in Philly.

NBA: 1988 would continue to be a banner year for Denver Sports, as the Nuggets repeat as NBA Champions over the Atlanta Hawks 4-2. The new expansion franchises will be called the Miami Heat and Toronto Huskies (both debuting in 1988) and the Orlando Challengers and Charlotte Hornets (debuting in 1989). The San Antonio Spurs also announced they were re-locating to Minnesota after the 1988-89 NBA Season.

MLB: For the third time in the 1980s and for the second time in three years, the Montreal Expos are World Series champions, beating the Boston Red Sox in the 1988 World Series in seven games.

NASCAR: Bill Elliot wins the NASCAR title just barley over Rusty Wallace.

CFL: The Saskatchewan Roughriders are Grey Cup Champions for the first time since 1966, defeating the surprising Atlantic Schooners in the 76th Grey Cup 30-24.

USFL: The Baltimore Stars are back on top of the USFL mountain, winning their third USFL championship in five years over the Oklahoma Gamblers 17-7. After the season, it was announced that the Ohio Glory will be moving to St. Louis for the 1989 season and beyond. They will move to the West Division, while the Louisville Thoughbreads (former LA Express) will replace them in the East Division.


Top 10 films (in total of box office revenue) for 1988

1. Rain Main (MGM) ($354,825,435)
2. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Disney) ($329,803,958)
3. Coming to America (Paramount) ($288,752,301)
4. Crocodile Dundee II (Paramount) ($239,606,210)
5. Twins (Universal) ($216,614,388)
6. Rambo III (TriStar) ($189,015,611)
7. A Fish Called Wanda (MGM) ($177,889,000)
8. Cocktail (Disney) ($171,504,781)
9. Big (Fox) ($151,668,774)
T-10: Die Hard (Fox) ($140,767,9560
T-10: The Naked Gun: From the Files of the Police Squad! (Paramount) ($140,000,000)

1988 in American Television

Series debuts:
C.O.P.S. (syndication) (September 19)
Murphy Brown (CBS) (November 14)
Wipeout (syndication) (September 12)
Yo! MTV Raps (MTV) (August 6)
The Wonder Years (ABC) (January 31)

Series Ending:
Magnum P.I. (orginal) (May 1)
Truth or Consequences (May 1)

 

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1988-89 NHL Regular Season
Playoff teams in BOLD

Adams Division
Quebec Nordiques 111 points
Hartford Whalers 106 points
Toronto Maple Leafs 94 points
Detroit Red Wings 88 points
Buffalo Sabres 78 points
Montreal Canadeins 64 points
Boston Bruins 57 points

Patrick Division
Cincinnati Stingers 99 points
Philadelphia Flyers 91 points
Atlanta Flames 83 points
Washington Capitals 78 points
New York Islanders 72 points
New York Rangers 68 points

Smythe Division
Vancouver Canucks 96 points
Seattle Thunderbirds 95 points
Calgary Wranglers 82 points
San Diego Penguins 77 points
Los Angeles Kings 73 points
Edmonton Oilers 61 points

Norris Division
St Louis Blues 110 points
Colorado Rockies 103 points
Chicago Blackhawks 88 points
Houston Aeros 88 points
Winnipeg Jets 69 points
Minnesota North Stars 38 points

There were many interesting story lines going into the 1988-89 regular season, after a breakout 1987-88 season, the Vancouver Canucks had more success in 1988-89, in part due to the success of Ron Francis and Brian Leetch. In December, the team pulled of a blockbuster trade, acquiring superstar Dave Andreychuk from the injury-riddled Houston Aeros. The trade meant that Vancouver was serious about contending for a championship. It showed as the Canucks edged out Seattle for the top-spot in the Smythe Division.

In the Norris Division, the Blues won the Division again, with Wayne Gretzky doing what Wayne Gretzky does. He easily won league MVP scoring 91 goals on the season. Colorado gave them a run for their money however, with Dale Hawerchuk having a breakout year as well as Scott Stevens emerging as one of the toughest defensemen in the league gave Colorado 103 points and a second place finish. The Houston Aeros, as previously mentioned, got bit buy the injury bug and sank to fourth while uncertainty about the franchise continued as no one was stepping up to buy the team to keep it Houston. The Minnesota North Stars were awful, finishing with a league low 38 points. With the draft picks they aquired in the trade that sent Al MacInnes to Toronto not developing into stars, the team could be moving, as owners George and Gordon Gund are hoping to the NHL back to the Bay Area.

After a disappointing ending to the 1987-88 season, the Quebec Nordiques got off to a huge start in the fall of '88. Captain Peter Stastney scored a hat-trick on opening night in a 6-0 win over Buffalo and the team never looked back, winning their first 14 games of the year. The Nordiques would not lose a game in regulation until their 26th game on December 2, Ultimately, the Nordiques finishing with 111 points to take first place overall in the league for the first time. Stastney finished with 104 points, while Theo Fleury broke out with 89 points of his own. “We just played with so much confidence right out of the gate” said Stastney. “Everyone is playing their role and we’re just having a lot of fun out there.” The Hartford Whalers, as usual, gave them fits finishing second with 106 points despite age starting to take over. Toronto and Detroit once again took home third and fourth.

Meanwhile, it was a disastrous season for the Washington Capitals. After watching their goalie, Vladislav Tretiak retire, the Capitals started the season with six straight losses. By the trade deadline, with any chance for a cup run gone, team management made a very bold move, trading team captain Mark Messier to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for rookie defenseman Mike Hurlbut. The Caps finished fourth in the Patrick Division just a year after making the Stanley Cup Finals. “It’s very hard to see someone like Mark go when he’s meant so much to this franchise” said team owner Abe Pollin. “I think the fans will appreciate in time what Mike brings to the team.” Messier went to Chicago and added valuable veteran leadership to an already rising Blackhawk team.

Washington's loss was Atlanta's gain. The Flames worked themselves back into the playoffs with young stars like Joe Sakic and Rob Blake having breakout years, as did goalie John Vanbiesbrock. Atlanta recorded 83 points and worked their way into third in the Patrick, behind Cincinnati and Philadelphia.

Going into the playoffs, the Nordiques and Blues were heavy favorites to meet in a rematch of 1985. Hartford, Colorado, Seattle, Cincinnati and Vancouver also were some trendy picks to make the final with everyone else kind of being written off. But after the regular season ended NHL fans received some stunning news. The Houston Aeros, who had gone the whole season without an owner, were rumored to be bought by Larry H. Miller, owner of the NBA Utah Jazz and also attempted to place a bid for Salt Lake City in the 1988 expansion. Though the league office denied this, there was suspicion they could be off to Utah as soon as 1990.

 

[WB18]

1989 Stanley Cup Playoffs

After clinching their first playoff appearance since moving to San Diego, the Penguins faced the Vancouver Cancuks in the first round. In somewhat of a surprise, the Penguins managed to bring the Canucks to a 2-2 tie after dropping the first two games on the road. In a pivotal game five, Mike Modano’s late-third period goal eventually proved to be the winner in a 4-2 victory and San Diego had a chance to upset Vancouver in six games. In game six, Ron Francis scored twice as the Canucks forced game seven with a 5-2 win. In game seven, back at Pacific Coliseum, the game went into overtime, where Wendell Young and Bill Ranford both played spectacularly in net. Nearing the end of the first overtime, Brian Leetch scored to give the Canucks the win and send them to the second round.

In the Norris Division, the Blues-Aeros rivalry continued as the Aeros faced an uncertain future in Houston. Right away, the Aeros began they were still a contender, stunning the Blues 2-0 with Pelle Lindberg stopping 36 shots for the shutout. St Louis looked more like themselves in game 2, winning 4-2 on the strength of Wayne Gretzky's goal and two assists. Gretzky would score again in game 3, as would would Mike Gartner, but Houston would not go away. Veteran Chris Chelios scored to bring the game to within one before Mike Eagles would tie it in the third period. In overtime, Pelle Lindberg stopped 12 shots right off the bat before Chelios scored again for Houston to give them the win and a 2-1 series lead. When Houston went up 1-0 just 19 seconds into game 4, St Louis knew they were in trouble. Michal Goulet scored a big goal just 3 minutes later to tie the game, before Larry Robinson put the Blues ahead. When Gretzky scored two in the second period, St Louis appeared to finally be taking back control. Eagles scored for Houston early in the third, but it would be too late, as St Louis tied the series at two games apiece. The Blues took the series lead in game 5, but with an opportunity to finally close the Aeros out in game 6, Houston went goal for goal with the Blues all game long, sending the game to overtime, where Gates Orlando scored to force game 7. In game 7, Houston finally ran out of gas. Wayne Gretzky scored twice while Ron Hextall pitched a shutout as St Louis finally advanced to the next round. In other Western Conference action, Seattle beat Calgary for the third time in four years and Colorado beat Chicago in five.

In the Wales, The Philadelphia Flyers faced a scrappy Atlanta Flames team on the rise. Atlanta won the first game, with Joe Sakic scoring the winner in OT. Philly tied it before Atlanta moved ahead with a win at home. Suddenly feeling desperate, the Flyers eked out a win in game four. The series was now tied 2-2. In Philadelphia for game five, the Flames played a strong road game, with rookie Rob Blake proving to be the hero, scoring the winner early in the third period. Facing elimination in game six, the Flyers were in desperation mode. Paul Cavallini scored twice in a 4-3 win to force game seven back home at the Spectrum. Game seven would be a classic. Both Tom Borrasso for Philly and John Vanbiesbrouck for Atlanta stood on their heads in a 0-0 tie that went into overtime with no score. After nearly five periods with no scoring, Joe Sakic ended the game and the upset for Atlanta. In other Wales Conference action the Quebec Nordiques took out Detroit with little difficulty in five games, Hartford won the first two games against Toronto, only to lose four straight and the series, while Washington came all the way back from a 3-0 deficit to force game seven against Cincinnati, only to lose game seven 4-3 in double overtime to the Stingers.

In the Second Round, Vancouver jumped to a 3-1 series lead against Seattle, but ultimately lost the following three games as the Thunderbirds took down their Cascadia rivals in the second round for the second year in a row. Atlanta pulled off another upset against Cincinnati in six games. It would be the first ever conference final appearance for the Flames. Colorado upset St Louis four games to two, while Quebec took down the Leafs in a four game sweep.

In the Wales Final, Atlanta entered the conference final round full of confidence after two huge upsets in the first two rounds. However the Nordiques were a whole new level of competition. Peter Stasney once again led the charge for Quebec as they jumped to a 2-0 series lead at home. Back in Atlanta, the Flames managed a hard-fought overtime win to come within a game, but the Nordiques proved to be too much for them in game four. Atlanta scored early and nursed the lead through two periods, but Paul Stasney, Phil Housley, and Theo Fluery each scored in the third period as Quebec won the game 3-1 and moved ahead in the series by the same tally. Stasney found his way back on the scoresheet in game five with two goals after being kept goalless in games three and four as the Nordiques won 4-1 to return to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1985. “It feels great to be back in the final, but we now have to focus.” said Stasney. “Now we have something you don’t always get in hockey, and that's a chance to hoist the cup.” The night after the Nordiques advanced, the Colorado Rockies faced a pivotal game five against the Seattle Thunderbirds. With the series tied 2-2, game five would be critical. The teams were deadlocked 1-1 until the third period, when Scott Stevens scored two goals in what would be a 4-1 Colorado win, giving them a chance to meet Quebec in the finals. Seattle would come out strong in game six as it went into overtime. Both Patrick Roy and Sean Burke played valiantly in net, as one overtime became two, then three. Finally, nearing the end of the third overtime, Rockies captain Dale Hawechuk finally ended the marathon with 3:42 left, sending the Rockies to their first ever Stanley Cup Final.