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2021–22 NHL National Hockey League From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2021–22 NHL season was the 105th season of operation (104th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league expanded to 32 teams with the addition of the Seattle Kraken. The league had an October-to-April regular season scheduling and a full 82-game regular season for the first time since the 2018–19 NHL season as the previous two NHL seasons were shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The league also restored its pre-COVID-19 Eastern and Western conferences. The season began on October 12.[1][2][3]
2021–22 NHL season | |
---|---|
League | National Hockey League |
Sport | Ice hockey |
Duration | October 12, 2021 – June 26, 2022 |
Number of games | 82 |
Number of teams | 32 |
TV partner(s) | Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports (Canada) ESPN/ESPN2/ABC, TNT/TBS (United States) |
Streaming partner(s) | Sportsnet Now (Canada) ESPN+/Hulu (United States) |
Draft | |
Top draft pick | Owen Power |
Picked by | Buffalo Sabres |
Regular season | |
Presidents' Trophy | Florida Panthers |
Season MVP | Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs) |
Top scorer | Connor McDavid (Oilers) |
Playoffs | |
Playoffs MVP | Cale Makar |
Stanley Cup | |
Champions | Colorado Avalanche |
Runners-up | Tampa Bay Lightning |
On December 22, all games were suspended league-wide through at least December 26 (officially termed as an extension of the regularly scheduled Christmas break), in order to reconcile COVID-19 outbreaks that had impacted a large number of teams and resulted in various game postponements. Most teams were scheduled to resume play on December 28, but the home games of all seven Canadian teams through early January were further postponed due to COVID-19 attendance restrictions imposed by provincial health authorities.
The playoffs concluded on June 26, with the Colorado Avalanche defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals in six games, winning their third Stanley Cup in franchise history.
On December 4, 2018, the NHL confirmed that it had granted an expansion franchise in the city of Seattle.[4] The team was named the Seattle Kraken on July 23, 2020.[5][6] On April 30, 2021, the team was permitted to begin making trades and signing players after sending its final expansion payment to the league.[7] The 2021 NHL Expansion Draft was held on July 21, 2021, to fill out the Kraken roster.
The league returned to the previous alignment with Eastern and Western conferences.[3] As planned before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Seattle Kraken were placed in the Pacific Division and the Arizona Coyotes were moved to the Central Division.[4] If the cross-border travel restrictions had continued for another year, the league would have been forced to use a temporary alignment with an all-Canadian division for a second year.[2]
The 2021 NHL Entry Draft was held July 23–24, 2021, with Owen Power being selected first overall by the Buffalo Sabres. For the second consecutive year the draft was conducted in a remote format due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hosted from the NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.[8]
This section may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience. (March 2024) |
As in the previous season, NHL teams were allowed to display sponsor logos (helmet entitlement partner) on their helmets. The Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers did not have a sponsor, opting to have the traditional team logo on their helmets. The remaining teams have the following helmet sponsors for this season:
Off–season | |||
---|---|---|---|
Team | 2020–21 coach | 2021–22 coach | Notes |
Arizona Coyotes | Rick Tocchet | Andre Tourigny | On May 9, 2021, Tocchet and the Coyotes mutually agreed to part ways at the end of Tocchet's contract, one day after the team's final game of the 2020–21 season. Tocchet coached the Coyotes for four seasons, compiling a 125–131–34 record, with one playoff appearance in 2020.[32] On July 1, Tourigny was named head coach.[33] |
Buffalo Sabres | Ralph Krueger Don Granato* |
Don Granato | Krueger was fired on March 17, 2021, after parts of two seasons with Buffalo, with the team suffering a 6–18–4 start and a 12-game losing streak. Krueger totaled a 36–49–12 record during his short tenure, and failed to lead the team to the playoffs in his lone complete season. Assistant coach Granato was named interim head coach.[34] Granato was named the permanent head coach on June 29.[35] |
Columbus Blue Jackets | John Tortorella | Brad Larsen | On May 9, 2021, one day after the Blue Jackets' last game of the 2020–21 season, Tortorella and the team agreed to mutually parts ways after Tortorella's contract expired.[36] Tortorella coached the Blue Jackets since the 2015–16 season and registered a 227–166–54 record, with four playoff appearances. On June 10, assistant coach Larsen was named head coach.[37] |
Montreal Canadiens | Claude Julien Dominique Ducharme* |
Dominique Ducharme | Julien was fired on February 24, 2021, after parts of five seasons during his second stint as head coach of the Canadiens, which had registered a 9–5–4 record to start the season. Julien compiled a 129–123–35 record during his second stint and the team reached the playoffs twice during his tenure, never advancing past the first round. Assistant coach Ducharme was named interim head coach.[38] On July 13, Ducharme was named the permanent head coach and signed a three-year extension with the team.[39] |
New York Rangers | David Quinn | Gerard Gallant | Quinn was fired on May 12, 2021, after serving as team's head coach for three seasons. The Rangers went 96–87–25 under Quinn and made the playoffs once.[40] On June 16, Gallant was named head coach.[41] |
Seattle Kraken | Expansion team | Dave Hakstol | On June 24, 2021, the Kraken named Hakstol, who previously served as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, as the franchise's first head coach.[42] |
In–season | |||
Team | Outgoing coach | Incoming coach | Notes |
Chicago Blackhawks | Jeremy Colliton | Derek King* | Colliton was fired on November 6, 2021 after parts of four seasons with Chicago, with the team starting the season 1–9–2. In his tenure, Colliton compiled a 87–92–26 record and led the team to the first round of the playoffs in 2020. King, previously the head coach of the Blackhawks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Rockford IceHogs, was promoted to interim head coach.[43] |
Edmonton Oilers | Dave Tippett | Jay Woodcroft | Tippett was fired on February 10, 2022, after Edmonton began the season 23–18–3; after starting the season 16–5–0, the Oilers had since registered a record of 7–13–3. In approximately two and a half seasons with Edmonton, Tippett totaled a 95–62–14 record with two playoff berths, failing to advance past the first round. Woodcroft, formerly the head coach of the Oilers' AHL affiliate Bakersfield Condors, was promoted to head coach the next day.[44] |
Florida Panthers | Joel Quenneville | Andrew Brunette* | Quenneville resigned on October 28, 2021, after the results of an internal investigation revealed that he had improperly handled an accusation of sexual assault during his tenure as head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010.[45] Quenneville totaled a 79–40–13 record in just over two seasons with the Panthers, reaching the playoffs twice but failing to advance past the first round.[46] Assistant coach Brunette was named interim head coach.[47] |
Montreal Canadiens | Dominique Ducharme | Martin St. Louis* | Ducharme was fired on February 9, 2022, after the Canadiens began the season 8–30–7, with the team last in the league at his time of departure. In his brief tenure over parts of two seasons, Ducharme registered a 23–46–14 record, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in 2021.[48] St. Louis was named interim head coach later in the day.[49] |
Philadelphia Flyers | Alain Vigneault | Mike Yeo* | Vigneault was fired on December 6, 2021, after the Flyers began the season 8–10–4. Vigneault compiled a 74–54–19 record in just over two seasons with Philadelphia, reaching the second round of the playoffs in 2020. Assistant coach Yeo was retained and named interim head coach.[50] |
Vancouver Canucks | Travis Green | Bruce Boudreau | Green was fired on December 5, 2021, after an 8–15–2 start to the season. In just over four seasons with Vancouver, Green totaled a 133–147–34 record, leading the team to the second round of the playoffs in 2020. Boudreau, most recently the head coach of the Minnesota Wild from 2016 to 2020, was named head coach the same day.[51] |
Winnipeg Jets | Paul Maurice | Dave Lowry* | Maurice resigned on December 17, 2021, after the Jets started the season 13–10–5. In just under eight and a half seasons with Winnipeg, Maurice totaled a 315–223–62 record, with five playoff appearances. Assistant coach Lowry was named interim head coach.[52] |
(*) Indicates interim.
In–season | |||
---|---|---|---|
Team | Outgoing general manager | Incoming general manager | Notes |
Anaheim Ducks | Bob Murray | Jeff Solomon* Pat Verbeek |
Murray resigned on November 10, 2021, one day after being placed on administrative leave due to an investigation of alleged unprofessional conduct. Murray had joined the Ducks organization in 2005 as Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations, winning a Stanley Cup in 2007, before being promoted to general manager in 2008. He had also briefly served as the Ducks' interim head coach during the 2018–19 season. Assistant general manager and vice president of hockey operations Solomon was named interim general manager.[53] Verbeek, who most recently was general manager of the Grand Rapids Griffins, the AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings, was named general manager on February 3, 2022.[54] |
Chicago Blackhawks | Stan Bowman | Kyle Davidson | Bowman resigned on October 26, 2021, after the results of an internal investigation revealed that he had improperly handled an accusation of sexual assault within the Blackhawks organization in 2010. Bowman had been with the organization since 2001, and was named general manager in 2009, before ultimately being promoted further to President of Hockey Operations in 2020. His tenure included three Stanley Cup victories. Assistant general manager Davidson was named interim general manager, before being promoted to permanent general manager on March 1, 2022.[55][56] |
Montreal Canadiens | Marc Bergevin | Jeff Gorton* (As executive vice president of hockey operations) Kent Hughes |
Bergevin was fired on November 28, 2021, after the Canadiens started the season 6–15–2. Bergevin had served as general manager of the Canadiens since 2012, overseeing three division championships and a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2021. Gorton, most recently general manager of the New York Rangers, and who had been hired earlier in the day, was retained and named executive vice president of hockey operations in order to "assure the continuity of day-to-day operations," effectively serving as the interim general manager.[57] Hughes, formerly a player agent, was named general manager on January 18, 2022.[58] |
San Jose Sharks | Doug Wilson | Joe Will* | Wilson resigned on April 7, 2022 for medical reasons,[59] with the Sharks holding a record of 29–31–9. Wilson had served as general manager of the Sharks since 2003, overseeing fourteen playoff appearances, five Pacific Division titles, one Presidents' Trophy, and one Stanley Cup Finals appearance. Will, the assistant general manager at the time, assumed the role of interim general manager.[59] |
Vancouver Canucks | Jim Benning | Stan Smyl* Jim Rutherford* Patrik Allvin |
Benning was fired on December 6, 2021, after the Canucks started the season 8–15–2. Benning had served as general manager of the Canucks since 2014, overseeing two playoff appearances. Smyl, who had served as Senior Advisor to the general manager since 2008, was promoted to interim general manager. On December 9, Rutherford, most recently general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, was hired as president of hockey operations, and assumed the role of interim general manager.[60] Allvin, who was most recently an assistant GM for the Pittsburgh Penguins and briefly served as interim general manager after Rutherford resigned at Pittsburgh, was named general manager on January 26, 2022.[61] |
(*) Indicates interim.
Unlike the previous season (where most games were either played behind closed doors or with a reduced spectator capacity), with the loosening of restrictions across Canada and the United States due to COVID-19 vaccination progress, the NHL anticipated that every team would be able to have capacity crowds (if not near-capacity) at the start of the 2021–22 season.[71][72] Some teams, including all Canadian teams, required attendees to present proof of vaccination for all or part of the season.[73][74][75]
In December 2021, all Canadian NHL teams began to reintroduce capacity restrictions due to concerns over the local spread of the highly-infectious[76] Omicron variant.[77][78] By December 21, all Canadian NHL teams besides Montreal had been restricted to 50% capacity per provincial public health orders,[79][80] with Alberta and Ontario also restricting the consumption of food and drink in order to strengthen face mask mandates.[81][77] One initial exception was the Montreal Canadiens; after requesting that the Canadiens December 16 home game be played behind closed doors, the Quebec provincial government formally prohibited spectators at all professional sporting events effective December 20.[82][78] On December 27, the Manitoba government restricted all public gatherings to a maximum of 250 people, including sporting events;[83] the Jets therefore announced that all home games would be played behind closed doors until further notice.[84]
On December 28, the NHL announced that nine games in Canada (four in Montreal, two in Winnipeg, one each in Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto) would be postponed as a result of attendance restrictions in these cities.[85] Effective December 31, 2021, large venues in Ontario were also restricted to a maximum of 1,000 spectators; MLSE announced that all Maple Leafs home games would be played behind closed doors until further notice.[86] At this time, the NHL began to postpone some Canadian home games, specifically citing attendance restrictions as reasoning.[87][88] On January 3, 2022, the Ontario government rolled back the province to modified Stage 2 restrictions, which effectively mandated that all sporting events be held behind closed doors.[89]
Although Ontario began to lift some of these restrictions beginning January 31, large venues remained capped at a maximum of 500 spectators.[90] The Ottawa Senators began to re-admit spectators within this limitation.[91] On February 8, 2022, Manitoba allowed sporting events to return to 50% capacity.[92] The same day, Alberta deprecated the "Restrictions Exemption Program", which required non-essential venues to mandate proof of vaccination or a negative test in order to operate at the maximum allowed capacity—then 50% in large venues. Alberta also began to allow concessions to be consumed in seats. All other capacity restrictions were lifted effective March 1.[93][94]
On February 15 and 16, the Manitoba and British Columbia governments lifted restrictions on venue capacity, although their respective proof of vaccination requirements remain in force.[95][96] Manitoba lifted proof of vaccination on March 1, but B.C. would maintain it through at least the end of June.[97][98] The next day, the Ontario government eased attendance restrictions to allow 50% capacity, before allowing venues to return to full capacity March 1.[99] The Alberta-based teams followed suit the same day. On February 21, the Quebec government eased attendance restrictions to allow 50% capacity; before returning to full capacity crowds on March 12.[100]
The league returned to its normal October-to-April, 82-game regular season.[2] The entire schedule was released on July 22, with October 12 planned for opening night.[1][101]
The league held the following outdoor games:
The collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that the league and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) signed on July 10, 2020, included a provision opening the possibility for the NHL to explore participation at the Beijing 2022 and Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.[138] By the time the league released the regular schedule on July 22, discussions were still ongoing with the International Olympic Committee on sending players to the 2022 Winter Olympics, particularly in regards to health protocols and insurance issues.[139][140] Two working schedules were thus created that were not released to the public, one with an Olympics break and one without.[3] The schedule released on July 22 included a break for the Games from February 7 to 22,[140][141] with the intention that the other schedule without the Olympics break would be used instead if the league and the IOC could not reach a deal, and some teams would have to reschedule as many as 16 home dates.[142]
On September 3, 2021, a deal was officially reached to send players to the Olympics, with an opt-out clause should COVID-19 health conditions worsen.[143] On December 22, the NHL and NHLPA announced that it would opt out of sending its players to the Olympics, nor schedule a break in the season, citing the ongoing COVID-19 issues within the league and the "profound disruption" to the schedule that came as a result. The NHL then used the Winter Olympics' window to reschedule postponed games.[144]
The 2022 All-Star Game took place at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, home of the Vegas Golden Knights, on February 5, with the skills competition held on February 4.[141] During seasons when the league sends players to the Olympics (most recently in 2014), the All-Star Game is not normally held. On June 28, 2021, with still no deal signed with the IOC, the league announced that it had decided to schedule an All-Star Game anyway.[102][145][146] It was originally scheduled as the last event before the Olympic break, and the NHL had reportedly chosen to host it on the west coast to ease travel to Beijing afterward.[101][147]
Pos | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | RW | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | y – Carolina Hurricanes | 82 | 54 | 20 | 8 | 47 | 278 | 202 | +76 | 116 |
2 | x – New York Rangers | 82 | 52 | 24 | 6 | 44 | 254 | 207 | +47 | 110 |
3 | x – Pittsburgh Penguins | 82 | 46 | 25 | 11 | 37 | 272 | 229 | +43 | 103 |
Pos | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | RW | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | p – Florida Panthers | 82 | 58 | 18 | 6 | 42 | 340 | 246 | +94 | 122 |
2 | x – Toronto Maple Leafs | 82 | 54 | 21 | 7 | 45 | 315 | 253 | +62 | 115 |
3 | x – Tampa Bay Lightning | 82 | 51 | 23 | 8 | 39 | 287 | 233 | +54 | 110 |
Pos | Div | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | RW | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | AT | x – Boston Bruins | 82 | 51 | 26 | 5 | 40 | 255 | 220 | +35 | 107 |
2 | ME | x – Washington Capitals | 82 | 44 | 26 | 12 | 35 | 275 | 245 | +30 | 100 |
3 | ME | e – New York Islanders | 82 | 37 | 35 | 10 | 34 | 231 | 237 | −6 | 84 |
4 | ME | e – Columbus Blue Jackets | 82 | 37 | 38 | 7 | 26 | 262 | 300 | −38 | 81 |
5 | AT | e – Buffalo Sabres | 82 | 32 | 39 | 11 | 25 | 232 | 290 | −58 | 75 |
6 | AT | e – Detroit Red Wings | 82 | 32 | 40 | 10 | 21 | 230 | 312 | −82 | 74 |
7 | AT | e – Ottawa Senators | 82 | 33 | 42 | 7 | 26 | 227 | 266 | −39 | 73 |
8 | ME | e – New Jersey Devils | 82 | 27 | 46 | 9 | 19 | 248 | 307 | −59 | 63 |
9 | ME | e – Philadelphia Flyers | 82 | 25 | 46 | 11 | 20 | 211 | 298 | −87 | 61 |
10 | AT | e – Montreal Canadiens | 82 | 22 | 49 | 11 | 16 | 221 | 319 | −98 | 55 |
Pos | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | RW | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | z – Colorado Avalanche | 82 | 56 | 19 | 7 | 46 | 312 | 234 | +78 | 119 |
2 | x – Minnesota Wild | 82 | 53 | 22 | 7 | 37 | 310 | 253 | +57 | 113 |
3 | x – St. Louis Blues | 82 | 49 | 22 | 11 | 43 | 311 | 242 | +69 | 109 |
Pos | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | RW | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | y – Calgary Flames | 82 | 50 | 21 | 11 | 44 | 293 | 208 | +85 | 111 |
2 | x – Edmonton Oilers | 82 | 49 | 27 | 6 | 38 | 290 | 252 | +38 | 104 |
3 | x – Los Angeles Kings | 82 | 44 | 27 | 11 | 35 | 239 | 236 | +3 | 99 |
Pos | Div | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | RW | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | CE | x – Dallas Stars | 82 | 46 | 30 | 6 | 31 | 238 | 246 | −8 | 98 |
2 | CE | x – Nashville Predators | 82 | 45 | 30 | 7 | 35 | 266 | 252 | +14 | 97 |
3 | PA | e – Vegas Golden Knights | 82 | 43 | 31 | 8 | 34 | 266 | 248 | +18 | 94 |
4 | PA | e – Vancouver Canucks | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | 32 | 249 | 236 | +13 | 92 |
5 | CE | e – Winnipeg Jets | 82 | 39 | 32 | 11 | 32 | 252 | 257 | −5 | 89 |
6 | PA | e – San Jose Sharks | 82 | 32 | 37 | 13 | 22 | 214 | 264 | −50 | 77 |
7 | PA | e – Anaheim Ducks | 82 | 31 | 37 | 14 | 22 | 232 | 271 | −39 | 76 |
8 | CE | e – Chicago Blackhawks | 82 | 28 | 42 | 12 | 16 | 219 | 291 | −72 | 68 |
9 | PA | e – Seattle Kraken | 82 | 27 | 49 | 6 | 23 | 216 | 285 | −69 | 60 |
10 | CE | e – Arizona Coyotes | 82 | 25 | 50 | 7 | 18 | 207 | 313 | −106 | 57 |
In each round, teams compete in a best-of-seven series following a 2–2–1–1–1 format (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each best-of-seven series). The team with home ice advantage plays at home for games one and two (and games five and seven, if necessary), and the other team is at home for games three and four (and game six, if necessary). The top three teams in each division make the playoffs, along with two wild cards in each conference, for a total of eight teams from each conference.
In the First Round, the lower seeded wild card in each conference played against the division winner with the best record while the other wild card played against the other division winner, and both wild cards were de facto #4 seeds. The other series matched the second and third place teams from the divisions. In the first two rounds, home ice advantage was awarded to the team with the better seed. In the conference finals and Stanley Cup Finals, home ice advantage was awarded to the team with the better regular season record.
First round | Second round | Conference finals | Stanley Cup Finals | ||||||||||||||||
A1 | Florida | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
WC | Washington | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
A1 | Florida | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
A3 | Tampa Bay | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
A2 | Toronto | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
A3 | Tampa Bay | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
A3 | Tampa Bay | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
M2 | NY Rangers | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
M1 | Carolina | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
WC | Boston | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
M1 | Carolina | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
M2 | NY Rangers | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
M2 | NY Rangers | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
M3 | Pittsburgh | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
A3 | Tampa Bay | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
C1 | Colorado | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
C1 | Colorado | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
WC | Nashville | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
C1 | Colorado | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
C3 | St. Louis | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
C2 | Minnesota | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
C3 | St. Louis | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
C1 | Colorado | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
P2 | Edmonton | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
P1 | Calgary | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
WC | Dallas | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
P1 | Calgary | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
P2 | Edmonton | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
P2 | Edmonton | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
P3 | Los Angeles | 3 |
The following players led the league in regular season points at the completion of games played on April 29, 2022.[150]
Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | +/– | PIM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | 80 | 44 | 79 | 123 | +28 | 45 |
Johnny Gaudreau | Calgary Flames | 82 | 40 | 75 | 115 | +64 | 26 |
Jonathan Huberdeau | Florida Panthers | 80 | 30 | 85 | 115 | +35 | 54 |
Leon Draisaitl | Edmonton Oilers | 80 | 55 | 55 | 110 | +17 | 40 |
Kirill Kaprizov | Minnesota Wild | 81 | 47 | 61 | 108 | +27 | 34 |
Auston Matthews | Toronto Maple Leafs | 73 | 60 | 46 | 106 | +20 | 18 |
Steven Stamkos | Tampa Bay Lightning | 81 | 42 | 64 | 106 | +24 | 36 |
Matthew Tkachuk | Calgary Flames | 82 | 42 | 62 | 104 | +57 | 68 |
J. T. Miller | Vancouver Canucks | 80 | 32 | 67 | 99 | +15 | 47 |
Mitch Marner | Toronto Maple Leafs | 72 | 35 | 62 | 97 | +23 | 16 |
Nashville Predators player Roman Josi, ranked eleventh in scoring with 96 points, became the NHL's highest-scoring defenseman in 29 years,[151] since Phil Housley scored 97 points with the Winnipeg Jets in 1992–93.[152] Auston Matthews became only the third player in 25 years to score 60 or more goals, joining Alexander Ovechkin (65 goals with Washington Capitals in 2007–08) and Steven Stamkos (60 goals with Tampa Bay Lightning in 2011–12).[153]
The following goaltenders led the league in regular season goals against average at the completion of games played on April 29, 2022, while playing at least 1,920 minutes.[154]
Player | Team | GP | TOI | W | L | OTL | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Igor Shesterkin | New York Rangers | 53 | 3,070:32 | 36 | 13 | 4 | 106 | 6 | .935 | 2.07 |
Frederik Andersen | Carolina Hurricanes | 52 | 3,070:53 | 35 | 14 | 3 | 111 | 4 | .922 | 2.17 |
Jacob Markstrom | Calgary Flames | 63 | 3,695:50 | 37 | 15 | 9 | 137 | 9 | .922 | 2.22 |
Ilya Sorokin | New York Islanders | 52 | 3,072:17 | 26 | 18 | 8 | 123 | 7 | .925 | 2.40 |
Jeremy Swayman | Boston Bruins | 41 | 2,390:14 | 23 | 14 | 3 | 96 | 3 | .914 | 2.41 |
Tristan Jarry | Pittsburgh Penguins | 58 | 3,415:11 | 34 | 18 | 6 | 138 | 4 | .919 | 2.42 |
Linus Ullmark | Boston Bruins | 41 | 2,330:26 | 26 | 10 | 2 | 95 | 1 | .917 | 2.45 |
Andrei Vasilevskiy | Tampa Bay Lightning | 63 | 3,760:45 | 39 | 18 | 5 | 156 | 2 | .916 | 2.49 |
Jake Oettinger | Dallas Stars | 48 | 2,707:36 | 30 | 15 | 1 | 114 | 1 | .914 | 2.53 |
Darcy Kuemper | Colorado Avalanche | 57 | 3,258:45 | 37 | 12 | 4 | 138 | 5 | .921 | 2.54 |
Voting concluded immediately after the end of the regular season. Statistics-based awards such as the Art Ross Trophy, Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, William M. Jennings Trophy and the Presidents' Trophy are announced at the end of the regular season. The Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy are presented at the end of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The NHL announced the return of the NHL Awards ceremony which took place on June 21. However, only the Calder, Hart, Norris, Vezina, and Lindsay awards were presented. The other major awards were presented during the conference finals.[155] The Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award was awarded during the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.[156]
Award | Recipient(s) | Runner(s)-up/Finalists |
---|---|---|
Stanley Cup | Colorado Avalanche | Tampa Bay Lightning |
Presidents' Trophy (Best regular-season record) | Florida Panthers | Colorado Avalanche |
Prince of Wales Trophy (Eastern Conference playoff champion) | Tampa Bay Lightning | New York Rangers |
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl (Western Conference playoff champion) | Colorado Avalanche | Edmonton Oilers |
Art Ross Trophy (Player with most points) | Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) | Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary Flames)[Notes 9] |
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (Perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication) | Carey Price (Montreal Canadiens) | Zdeno Chara (New York Islanders) Kevin Hayes (Philadelphia Flyers) |
Calder Memorial Trophy (Best first-year player) | Moritz Seider (Detroit Red Wings) | Michael Bunting (Toronto Maple Leafs) Trevor Zegras (Anaheim Ducks) |
Conn Smythe Trophy (Most valuable player, playoffs) | Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche) | Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) |
Frank J. Selke Trophy (Defensive forward) | Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins) | Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers) Elias Lindholm (Calgary Flames) |
Hart Memorial Trophy (Most valuable player, regular season) | Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) | Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) Igor Shesterkin (New York Rangers) |
Jack Adams Award (Best coach) | Darryl Sutter (Calgary Flames) | Andrew Brunette (Florida Panthers) Gerard Gallant (New York Rangers) |
James Norris Memorial Trophy (Best defenseman) | Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche) | Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning) Roman Josi (Nashville Predators) |
King Clancy Memorial Trophy (Leadership and humanitarian contribution) | P. K. Subban (New Jersey Devils) | Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim Ducks) Darnell Nurse (Edmonton Oilers) |
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (Sportsmanship and excellence) | Kyle Connor (Winnipeg Jets) | Jaccob Slavin (Carolina Hurricanes) Jared Spurgeon (Minnesota Wild) |
Ted Lindsay Award (Outstanding player) | Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) | Roman Josi (Nashville Predators) Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) |
Mark Messier Leadership Award (Leadership and community activities) | Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles Kings) | N/A |
Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy (Top goal-scorer) | Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) | Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers) |
Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award (Top general manager) | Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche) | Julien BriseBois (Tampa Bay Lightning) Chris Drury (New York Rangers) |
Vezina Trophy (Best goaltender) | Igor Shesterkin (New York Rangers) | Jacob Markstrom (Calgary Flames) Juuse Saros (Nashville Predators) |
William M. Jennings Trophy (Goaltender(s) of team with fewest goals against) | Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta (Carolina Hurricanes) | Alexandar Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin (New York Rangers) |
The following is a list of notable players who played their first NHL game during the 2021–22 season, listed with their first team.
Player | Team | Notability |
---|---|---|
Matty Beniers | Seattle Kraken | 2022–23 Calder Memorial Trophy winner, one-time NHL All-Star, NHL All-Rookie Team selection |
Connor Ingram | Nashville Predators | Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy winner |
Owen Power[165] | Buffalo Sabres | First overall pick in the 2021 Draft, NHL All-Rookie Team selection |
Moritz Seider | Detroit Red Wings | 2021–22 Calder Memorial Trophy winner, NHL All-Rookie Team selection |
The following is a list of players of note who played their last NHL game in 2021–22, listed with their team:
This was the eighth season of the league's 12-year Canadian national broadcast rights deal with Sportsnet. This includes Sportnet's sub-licensing agreements to air Saturday Hockey Night in Canada games on CBC Television and French-language broadcasts on TVA Sports, and games streamed on Sportsnet Now, CBCSports.ca (for games televised by CBC), or the subscription service NHL Live.[224] This season NHL Live was made available at no extra cost to subscribers of Sportsnet Now+.[225] After a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Hometown Hockey games have returned to Sportsnet's schedule, moving to Monday nights.[226]
On September 21, 2021, Hockey Night in Canada/Sportsnet lead play-by-play announcer Jim Hughson announced his retirement from broadcasting.[227]
On April 28, 2022, Winnipeg Jets play-by-play announcer Dennis Beyak announced his retirement. Beyak served as the voice of the Jets since relocating from Atlanta in 2011. He also worked play-by-play duties for the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs.[228]
On September 15, 2022, Montreal Canadiens English-language play-by-play announcer Dan Robertson announced his departure from the team. Robertson had been the team's English radio voice since 2014, and have split television duties with Bryan Mudryk starting in 2018.[229]
The 2021–22 season was the first of the NHL's new national media rights agreements in the United States,[230][231] following the expiration of the league's contract with NBC Sports after the previous season. In negotiating its media rights, the NHL aimed to surpass the US$2 billion total that NBC paid over the life of their 2011–21 contract.[232] The league explored splitting its media rights between multiple broadcasters,[233] and over-the-top services (such as DAZN, ESPN+, and Peacock).[234]
On March 10, 2021, the NHL announced that ESPN/ABC would serve as one of the new rightsholders under a seven-year contract, marking the network's return to NHL broadcasting for the first time since the 2003–04 season. On April 27, 2021, the NHL announced that Turner Sports would serve as the second rightsholder. The structure of the two new contracts resemble ESPN and TNT's broadcast rights to the NBA, in which they also split national coverage.[230][231][235][236]
ESPN's contract allows at least 25 exclusive games per season on ABC or ESPN, 75 exclusive games streamed on ESPN+ (also simulcast on Hulu), exclusive rights to the opening night games, the All-Star Game, and other "special events". ESPN2 and other ESPN networks would also be used as overflow channels. NHL.tv, the NHL's digital out-of-market package, will be discontinued in the United States, with all out-of-market games moving to ESPN+,[237] at no extra cost to subscribers. Most of ESPN+'s 75-game slate in 2021–22 took place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a select amount of games on Fridays. ESPN's 2021–22 schedule included four Tuesday night games in October, six Thursday night games in January, February and March, and eight Tuesday or Thursday night games in April. ABC's 2021–22 schedule included the Thanksgiving Showdown on November 26, the All-Star Game, and nine ABC Hockey Saturday games during the later months of the regular season (one of which airing in primetime).[238]
Turner's contract includes exclusive rights to up to 72 exclusive games per-season, the Winter Classic, and extended highlights on Turner's Bleacher Report website. Games primarily air on TNT, with sister networks TBS and TruTV used as overflow channels.[236] The agreement also included the option to stream its games on HBO Max, but TNT eventually chose not to do so until the 2023–24 NHL season.[236][239] For the 2021–22 season, TNT aired 50 games, primarily on Wednesday nights (with 15 doubleheaders), seven weeks of games on Sundays in March and April 2022, and all three outdoor games.[240] Due to TNT's prior commitments to air AEW Dynamite, the network only aired a single, west coast game on Wednesday nights from October 27 through December 29, after which Dynamite moved to TBS beginning January 5.[240][241]
NHL Network continued to nationally televise selected regular season games not broadcast by either ESPN or TNT.[242] NHL Network and TNT games will not be available to stream live on ESPN+, but will be available on-demand 24 hours after they end.[243]
ESPN and TNT's coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs differs from their rights to the NBA playoffs. With ESPN and TNT having designated days of the week in which they televise the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs, the NHL has to work around those dates while ensuring that both broadcasters televise roughly an equal number of first and second round Stanley Cup playoff games. ESPN/ABC then has the first choice of which NHL Conference finals series to air, instead of having the broadcasters alternate annually between Eastern and Western Conference like they do with their NBA Conference finals coverage. And while the NBA Finals is exclusive to ABC, coverage of the Stanley Cup Finals instead alternates annually, with ABC airing it during even-numbered years (marking the first time that it will be broadcast entirely on American network television; under past contracts, two games aired on cable) and TNT televising it during odd-numbered years (marking the first time since 1994 that national coverage will be exclusively on cable television).[235][236]
The NHL renewed its national radio agreement with Sports USA, which had taken over NHL Radio the previous season on a one-year deal, for an additional four seasons, taking the company's rights through the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals.[244]
On May 26, 2021, TNT announced that current Rangers radio voice Kenny Albert and current Blackhawks analyst Eddie Olczyk — a pairing carried over from NBC, will be their lead broadcast team, and that Turner Sports had signed Oilers and hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to be their lead studio analyst.[249][250][251][252][253][254]
TNT announced the rest of their personnel on September 14, naming current Islanders and former NBC play-by-play man Brendan Burke,[255] current Blues analyst Darren Pang, and 3x gold medalist and Hockey Night's Jennifer Botterill as their second broadcast team. Current Flyers lead analyst Keith Jones, also from NBC, will serve as the lead ice-level reporter, joining Albert and Olczyk on the lead team.[256] Liam McHugh, was named as TNT's lead studio host, continuing that role from NBC, with his colleague Anson Carter, most recent Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet, and veteran Paul Bissonnette joining Gretzky as studio analysts. NHL Network's Jackie Redmond, and Tarik El-Bashir will also appear as contributors.[257] On September 29, 2021, TNT announced that they added former NHL referee Don Koharski as a rules analyst.[258] TNT later added former Blackhawk Jamal Mayers to their broadcast team as a contributor, Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist, who also joined MSG, as a studio analyst, former referee Stephane Auger to their team, as another rules analyst, joining Koharski, Nabil Karim, formerly of ESPN, as a fill-in studio host and reporter, Kraken play-by-play announcer John Forslund as a third play-by-play announcer, and Sharks color commentator Bret Hedican as a third color commentator. TNT added a bunch of current players and announcers from Sportsnet, FuboTV, the Flyers, Sharks, Islanders, Vegas Golden Knights, New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Canadian women's national ice hockey team to their Stanley Cup playoff coverage.
ESPN formally confirmed its commentator teams on June 29, 2021. ESPN's #2 college football play-by-play man Sean McDonough would be the network's lead play-by-play announcer; Monday Night Football's Steve Levy would lead studio coverage and contribute to occasional play-by-play commentary. Sportsnet's Leah Hextall and ESPN's #3 college football play-by-play man Bob Wischusen were officially named as play-by-play commentators, as well as SportsCenter's John Buccigross, who will also contribute as an alternate studio host, and serve as the host for The Point. ESPN legend Barry Melrose, 6x Cup champion Mark Messier, and 3x Cup champion Chris Chelios were named strictly as studio analysts while TSN's Ray Ferraro, NBC's Brian Boucher, Ryan Callahan, and A. J. Mleczko,[89] NHL Network's Kevin Weekes, Hockey Night/Sportsnet's Cassie Campbell-Pascall, WEPN-FM's Rick DiPietro, and 2018 gold medalist Hilary Knight would contribute as booth, ice-level, and studio analysts. 2016 Isobel Cup champion Blake Bolden was added to join insiders Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski as insiders and rinkside reporters.[233] Linda Cohn continued her duties hosting In the Crease, while also gaining roles as an ice-level reporter and backup studio and game break host. On August 4, 2021, ESPN announced that they added most recent Blue Jackets coach and Stanley Cup winning coach John Tortorella as an extra studio analyst.[259][260]
On September 16, after ESPN released their slate of games for the 2021-22 season, SportsCenter anchor and ESPN Social host Arda Ocal would announce himself that he too would host select game broadcasts.[261] On October 2, former referee Dave Jackson joined the network as a rules analyst, an NHL first.[262] Early into the 2021-22 season, ESPN added former NBC analyst Dominic Moore, who had hosted the Expansion Draft with Weekes and ESPN College Football personality Chris Fowler. Laura Rutledge, host of NFL Live and SEC Nation, joined ESPN team for their coverage of the 2022 NHL All-Star Game, in a celebrity interviewer role. After preparing for and playing in the 2022 Winter Olympics, Knight made her ESPN debut on March 10, 2022. Bolden, who has been working as a pro scout for the Los Angeles Kings since 2020, made her official ESPN on-air debut a week later. After the regular season kicked into high gear, Knight and Bolden were the only two who still had to make their on-air debuts with ESPN. Occasionally, other well known ESPN personalities like Jeremy Schaap, Kevin Connors, Michael Eaves, and Max McGee will be added in fill-in roles on The Point and In the Crease. Mike Monaco, Roxy Bernstein, and Caley Chelios, daughter of Chris, have also filled in on game coverage. TSN's Gord Miller, Ferraro's broadcast partner for Maple Leafs games on TSN, joined ESPN for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. P. K. Subban joined ESPN for the Playoffs in an expanded role, which includes being a game analyst for select games.
Buffalo play-by-play announcer Rick Jeanneret, after initially stating he expected to retire after his 50th season in 2021,[263][264] announced he would return for one final season in 2021–22.[265] Jeanneret was assigned to call 20 home games (all on the TV/radio simulcast) during his final season, with Dan Dunleavy working the remaining 62 games (52 on the TV/radio simulcast).[266]
Chicago TV play-by-play announcer Pat Foley announced he would retire at the end of this season. Foley, who has served as the Blackhawks' voice for 39 seasons, will call an undisclosed amount of games this season.[267] In games where Foley was off TV, either John Wiedeman, Stephen Nelson, Chris Vosters, or Mike Monaco would fill-in. In addition, Colby Cohen replaced Steve Konroyd as the substitute TV analyst for Eddie Olczyk. In games where Wiedeman calls TV games, Alan Fuehring, Jason Ross Jr. and Joey Zakrewski would take over on the radio side.[268] Foley called his final Blackhawks game on April 14, a 3–2 shootout win over the Sharks, after which Vosters assumed the play-by-play duties full-time.[269] On July 18, Olczyk announced his resignation as the Blackhawks' TV analyst after 15 seasons.[270]
On May 17, New Jersey play-by-play announcer Steve Cangialosi stepped down after 11 seasons.[271]
Seattle's inaugural local commentators will include play-by-play announcers John Forslund (TV) and Everett Fitzhugh (radio), and analysts J. T. Brown (TV) and Dave Tomlinson (radio).[247][272][273] On February 10, it was announced that Fitzhugh will join Brown on the television booth for the Kraken's road game at the Winnipeg Jets on February 17, becoming the first all-black NHL TV broadcast team.[274]
With the new U.S. television deals, Sports Business Journal projected that viewership of national games had increased by 18% year-over-year during the regular season. TNT (whose package largely supplanted NBCSN's main package of games) announced a 24% increase in viewership in comparison to cable-televised games during the 2019–20 season, 29% year-over-year in comparison to the shortened 2020–21 season, and a 56% increase in female viewership.[275][276]
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