1998–99 NHL season | |
---|---|
League | National Hockey League |
Sport | Ice hockey |
Duration | October 9, 1998 – June 19, 1999 |
Number of games | 82 |
Number of teams | 27 |
Regular season | |
Presidents' Trophy | Dallas Stars |
Season MVP | Jaromir Jagr (Penguins) |
Top scorer | Jaromir Jagr (Penguins) |
Playoffs | |
Eastern champions | Buffalo Sabres |
Eastern runners-up | Toronto Maple Leafs |
Western champions | Dallas Stars |
Western runners-up | Colorado Avalanche |
Playoffs MVP | Joe Nieuwendyk (Stars) |
Stanley Cup | |
Champions | Dallas Stars |
Runners-up | Buffalo Sabres |
The 1998–99 NHL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Hockey League. The Dallas Stars finished first in regular season play, and won the Stanley Cup championship over the Buffalo Sabres on a controversial triple overtime goal by Brett Hull.
With the addition of the expansion Nashville Predators, the NHL realigned this year to a strictly geographic six-division structure (three per conference), erasing the last vestiges of the traditional four-division structure (Adams/Patrick/Norris/Smythe) abandoned in 1993–94 (The four-division structure would return, without the traditional division names, in 2013–14). Other than the necessary reassignment of Colorado to the Western Conference in 1995 due to its two-thousand mile (over 3,200 km) move west from Quebec, the divisions' membership had remained static for five years although several franchises had relocated. As part of this realignment, the Toronto Maple Leafs moved from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference. This put three of the Original Six teams in the Northeast Division (Boston, Montreal and Toronto), and the three original cities of the NHL in the Northeast (Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto).
The Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for the most goals by a player in a season made its debut this year. The first winner was Teemu Selanne of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.