2011-12 NHL season
| 2011–12 NHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | October 6, 2011 – June 11, 2012 |
| Number of games | 82 |
| Number of teams | 30 |
| Regular season | |
| Presidents' Trophy | Vancouver Canucks |
| Season MVP | Evgeni Malkin (Penguins) |
| Top scorer | Evgeni Malkin (Penguins) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | New Jersey Devils |
| Eastern runners-up | New York Rangers |
| Western champions | Los Angeles Kings |
| Western runners-up | Phoenix Coyotes |
| Stanley Cup | |
| Champions | Los Angeles Kings |
| Runners-up | New Jersey Devils |
| Conn Smythe Trophy | Jonathan Quick (Kings) |
The 2011–12 NHL season was the 95th season of operation (94th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Los Angeles Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Final four games to two to win the team's first Stanley Cup (in their second Stanley Cup final; they had lost to Montreal Canadiens in the 1993 Finals).
During the off-season, the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg, Manitoba, to become the "new" Winnipeg Jets. It was the first NHL team relocation since the 1997–98 season, when the Hartford Whalers relocated to become the Carolina Hurricanes. The league did not change its divisional structure to accommodate the move, and the Jets took the place of the Thrashers in the Southeast Division. In December 2011, the board of governors eventually approved a proposed realignment for the following season, which would result in four conferences with the first two rounds of the playoffs being divisional, but this was rejected by the NHL Player's Association (NHLPA).
It was the fifth consecutive season with games in Europe at the start of the season. The Winter Classic was held on January 2, 2012, in Philadelphia between the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers. The 59th All-Star Game was held at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ontario, the home arena of the Ottawa Senators, on January 29, 2012.
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