1999-2000 NHL season
| 1999–2000 NHL season | |
|---|---|
Millennium patch celebrating the year 2000
|
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| League | National Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | October 1, 1999 – June 10, 2000 |
| Number of games | 82 |
| Number of teams | 28 |
| Regular season | |
| Presidents' Trophy | St. Louis Blues |
| Season MVP | Chris Pronger (Blues) |
| Top scorer | Jaromir Jagr (Penguins) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | New Jersey Devils |
| Eastern runners-up | Philadelphia Flyers |
| Western champions | Dallas Stars |
| Western runners-up | Colorado Avalanche |
| Playoffs MVP | Scott Stevens (Devils) |
| Stanley Cup | |
| Champions | New Jersey Devils |
| Runners-up | Dallas Stars |
The 1999–2000 NHL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams each played 82 games. This was the first season played in which teams were awarded a point for an overtime loss. The New Jersey Devils defeated the defending champion Dallas Stars for their second Stanley Cup championship. During the regular season, no player reached the 100-point plateau, the first time this had happened in a non-lockout season since the 1967–68 season. Also, in the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs, the New Jersey Devils overcame a three games to one deficit against the Philadelphia Flyers to win the Eastern Conference Finals. This was the first time that this had happened this late in the playoffs also since the 1967–68 season.
Throughout the regular season and playoffs, teams wore a patch celebrating the turn of the millennium (see above). Starting in the 1999–2000 season, teams would earn one point for an overtime loss in the regular season instead of zero. It was hoped that this change would stop teams from playing very defensively during the overtime in an effort to guarantee the single point from a tie. The number of ties had been going up for some years and the NHL was hoping to counter this trend, and in fact did so quite successfully with this rule change.
This season was also the start of the NHL's partnership with ABC, who would televise a few regional games every season, as well as games three through seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. ESPN, who with the ABC deal renewed their contract with the NHL, continued to show regular season and playoff games as well as the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Wayne Gretzky's jersey number, 99, was retired League-wide on February 6, 2000.
The 1999–2000 season was the inaugural year for the Atlanta Thrashers. They would join the Southeast Division, marking the return of the NHL to Atlanta since the Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary in 1980. It was also the first year for the Carolina Hurricanes' home rink, the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena, the Los Angeles Kings played their first season at the Staples Center after 32 seasons at the Great Western Forum, and the Colorado Avalanche played their first season at the Pepsi Center.
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