1980–81 Hartford Whalers season
| 1980–81 Hartford Whalers | |
|---|---|
| Division | 4th Norris |
| 1980–81 record | 21–41–18 |
| Goals for | 292 |
| Goals against | 372 |
| Team information | |
| General Manager | Jack Kelley |
| Coach |
Don Blackburn (15–29–16) Larry Pleau (6–12–2) |
| Captain | Mike Rogers |
| Alternate captains | None |
The 1980-81 season was the 2nd for the Whalers in the NHL.
The Whalers opened the 1980–81 season with a four-game road trip, and on October 9, they lost 8-6 to the St. Louis Blues, followed by a 9-3 loss two nights later against the Minnesota North Stars. After a 2-2 tie against the Buffalo Sabres, the Whalers earned their first victory on October 15, with a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Hartford played their first home game of the season on October 18 against the Detroit Red Wings in front of 10,287 fans. The Whalers Al Sims led the way with two goals, and John Garrett made 26 saves in the Whalers 4-2 victory. The team would post a 3-0-1 record on their opening four game home stand.
The Whalers would finish the month with a solid record of 5-4-2, earning 12 points, and second place in the Norris Division, three points behind the first place Los Angeles Kings.
The Whalers would slump to begin the month of November, as the club would go winless in their first eight games (0-6-2) of the month before earning a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on November 22. The Whalers would follow that game up with a huge 11-3 loss to the Chicago Black Hawks the next night.
Hartford would end November with two wins in their final three games, bringing their season record to 8-12-4 record with 20 points, sitting in third place in the Norris Division.
The Whalers opened December with a five-game western road trip, in which the team put up a respectable 2-2-1 record, with wins over the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets.
The team returned home for two games, as Hartford tied the Los Angeles Kings 5-5 on December 13, followed by a 5-4 win over the Boston Bruins on December 17. The Whalers then headed out for a three-game road trip before Christmas, in which the Whalers tied the Bruins 5-5, lost to the Quebec Nordiques 6-5, followed by a huge 7-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on December 23.
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