The 2006-07 NHL season is the 89th regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL). Originally, the NHL would have celebrated its 90th anniversary this season; however, the cancellation of the 2004-05 NHL season pushed the 90th season back until the 2007-08 NHL season.
Highlights edit
- The NHL All-Star Game returned after a two-year absence when the Dallas Stars hosted the event at American Airlines Center on Wednesday, January 24, 2007. The Stars hosted the NHL All-Star Game for the first time since 1972, when the franchise was known as the Minnesota North Stars, and for the first time since 1989, it was played on a weeknight.
- The season started on Wednesday, October 4, 2006 and will run through April 8, 2007, with the Stanley Cup Playoffs to begin on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 and end no later than June 11, 2007 with Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Scheduling for the 1,230-game regular-season was announced on July 12, 2006. [1]
- On January 26, 2006, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim announced that it would shorten its name to Anaheim Ducks prior to this season. The team also unveiled a new logo and uniform in June 2006.[2]
- The Buffalo Sabres also have a new logo and new uniforms this season.
- The New Jersey Devils are celebrating their 25th Anniversary in New Jersey. This is their final season playing in the Meadowlands before moving to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey in 2007-2008 Season.
- On June 19, 2006, NBC announced that it will air four more regular-season games and three more playoff games in addition to its originally scheduled airings for this season. This was due to stronger than expected ratings for the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, ending with a 3.5 rating on Game 7. [3]
- On June 27, 2006, the NHL announced that the salary cap would be increased from $39 million up to $44 million dollars per team. [4]
- All officials will be required to wear a helmet, per the new collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and the NHL Officials' Association.
- A U.S. version of the NHL Network, a joint venture between the league and Comcast, may launch during the season.
- On opening night of this season, Dmitri Kalinin of the Buffalo Sabres scored the first goal of the regular season against Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes
- On October 5, 2006, Brendan Shanahan became the 15th player with 600 regular season NHL goals.
- On October 5, 2006, the Pittsburgh Penguins honored Mario Lemieux by retiring his #66 jersey for a second time.
- On October 14, 2006 Mats Sundin became the first Swedish player to score 500 regular season NHL goals.
- On October 25, 2006, Joe Sakic had an assist to become the 11th player to reach the 1,500-point milestone (regular season totals).
- Evgeni Malkin became first player in 89 years to score a goal in each of his first six games in the NHL.
- On November 9, 2006, the Anaheim Ducks set an NHL open era record by remaining undefeated in regulation for the first 16 games of the season. The previous mark was set by the 1984 Edmonton Oilers.
- On November 13, 2006, Teppo Numminen played his 1252nd regular season game, surpassing Jari Kurri's record of most games played by European-trained player.
- On November 19, 2006, Jaromir Jagr scored his 600th regular season career goal in a 4-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, becoming the 16th NHL player to do so. On November 21, Jagr scored two goals in a 4-0 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes to tie, and pass Jari Kurri's record for most NHL regular season career points by a European-born player.
- On December 5, 2006, the St. Louis Blues honored Brett Hull by retiring his #16 sweater.
- On January 2, 2007, the Detroit Red Wings honored Steve Yzerman by retiring his #19 sweater.
- On January 7, 2007, the Edmonton Oilers recorded their 1000th regular season win in franchise history by defeating the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 (OT) at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
- On January 20, 2007, the Los Angeles Kings honored Luc Robitaille by retiring his #20 sweater.
- On January 24, 2007, Daniel Briere became MVP of the NHL All-Star Game.
- On January 26, 2007, Mark Recchi became the 37th player to score his 500th regular season NHL goal.
- On January 29, 2007, the Montreal Canadiens honored Ken Dryden by retiring his #29 jersey.
- On February 1, 2007, Martin Brodeur past Patrick Roy for 1st place on the all-time Overtime Wins list, with 45 career Overtime Wins.
- On February 3, 2007, Bill Guerin became the 213th NHL player to play in 1,000 regular season games.
- On February 6, 2007, the Calgary Flames honored Mike Vernon by retiring his #30 jersey.
- On February 6, 2007, five games were decided by shootout, setting a record for most on one day.
- On February 10, 2007, Jaromir Jagr became the 12th player in NHL history to record 1500 regular season NHL points.
- On February 10, 2007, Jordan Staal became the youngest player (18 years, 153 days) in NHL history to record a hat trick.
- On February 15, 2007, Joe Sakic became the 17th player to record 600 regular season NHL goals.
- On February 22, 2007, eight games went to overtime, setting a record for most on one day. Four of these games went to a shootout. There was also a huge fight between the Buffalo Sabres and the Ottawa Senators resulting in 100 penalty minutes; 63 against Buffalo.[5]
- On March 7, 2007, Paul Stastny tied the record for rookie point streaks with two assists, extending his point streak to 17 games and tying Teemu Selanne's record.
- On March 10, 2007, Sidney Crosby became the first player in the 2006-07 season to score 100 points, netting a goal against the New York Rangers. Crosby is the youngest player in NHL history to have two 100-point seasons.
- On March 11, 2007, Chris Simon of the New York Islanders was suspended an NHL-record 25 games (minimum) for striking New York Rangers center Ryan Hollweg in the face with his stick during a March 8th game between the two teams. Simon will miss the Islanders final 15 regular-season contests and the entire postseason, if the Islanders reach the playoffs. If the Islanders play fewer than 10 playoff games this year, the suspension will carry over to next season. There are reports that the Nassau County District Attorney may bring legal charges against Simon, but no decision has been reached. [6]
- On March 13, 2007, Brendan Morrison of the Vancouver Canucks played his league leading 500th consecutive game.
- On March 13, 2007, Mike Modano of the Dallas Stars becomes the second U.S.-born player to score 500 goals, and the 39th in NHL history, scoring the goal against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Regular season edit
Current standings edit
After games on March 14th, 2007[1]
Italicized teams are eliminated from playoff contention.
Numbers in parentheses indicate current ranking in conference. Division leaders are automatically ranked 1-3. Top eight at the end of the season earn playoff berths.
Eastern Conference edit
| Atlantic Division | GP | W | L | OTL | GF | GA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Devils (2) | 70 | 42 | 20 | 8 | 186 | 170 | 92 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins (4) | 70 | 39 | 21 | 10 | 240 | 217 | 88 |
| New York Islanders (7) | 69 | 34 | 25 | 10 | 207 | 195 | 78 |
| New York Rangers (10) | 70 | 34 | 28 | 8 | 200 | 193 | 76 |
| Philadelphia Flyers (15) | 70 | 19 | 40 | 11 | 185 | 262 | 49 |
| Northeast Division | GP | W | L | OTL | GF | GA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Sabres (1) | 69 | 44 | 19 | 6 | 260 | 205 | 94 |
| Ottawa Senators (5) | 70 | 40 | 23 | 7 | 241 | 193 | 87 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs (9) | 70 | 34 | 27 | 9 | 219 | 227 | 77 |
| Montreal Canadiens (11) | 71 | 35 | 30 | 6 | 208 | 223 | 76 |
| Boston Bruins (12) | 69 | 33 | 31 | 5 | 198 | 241 | 71 |
| Southeast Division | GP | W | L | OTL | GF | GA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Thrashers (3) | 71 | 37 | 24 | 10 | 219 | 218 | 84 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning (6) | 71 | 39 | 28 | 4 | 223 | 219 | 82 |
| Carolina Hurricanes (8) | 71 | 35 | 28 | 8 | 206 | 212 | 78 |
| Florida Panthers (13) | 70 | 29 | 28 | 13 | 202 | 220 | 71 |
| Washington Capitals (14) | 70 | 24 | 34 | 12 | 203 | 251 | 60 |
Western Conference edit
| Central Division | GP | W | L | OTL | GF | GA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Red Wings (1) | 71 | 45 | 17 | 9 | 223 | 175 | 99 |
| Nashville Predators (4) | 72 | 46 | 20 | 6 | 244 | 186 | 98 |
| St. Louis Blues (10) | 69 | 29 | 29 | 11 | 183 | 212 | 69 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets (12) | 70 | 28 | 35 | 7 | 174 | 216 | 63 |
| Chicago Blackhawks (13) | 69 | 26 | 34 | 9 | 173 | 217 | 61 |
| Northwest Division | GP | W | L | OTL | GF | GA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver Canucks (3) | 70 | 41 | 23 | 6 | 188 | 176 | 88 |
| Minnesota Wild (7) | 71 | 40 | 24 | 7 | 203 | 176 | 87 |
| Calgary Flames (8) | 70 | 37 | 23 | 10 | 227 | 192 | 84 |
| Colorado Avalanche (9) | 70 | 35 | 29 | 6 | 228 | 218 | 76 |
| Edmonton Oilers (11) | 69 | 30 | 33 | 6 | 176 | 207 | 66 |
| Pacific Division | GP | W | L | OTL | GF | GA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim Ducks (2) | 71 | 42 | 17 | 12 | 228 | 183 | 96 |
| Dallas Stars (5) | 69 | 41 | 23 | 5 | 183 | 166 | 87 |
| San Jose Sharks (6) | 70 | 42 | 25 | 3 | 211 | 172 | 87 |
| Phoenix Coyotes (14) | 69 | 28 | 38 | 3 | 186 | 235 | 59 |
| Los Angeles Kings (15) | 70 | 23 | 34 | 13 | 197 | 242 | 59 |
Tiebreaking procedures[2] edit
If two or more clubs are tied in points during the regular season, the standing of the clubs is determined in the following order:
- 1. The fewer number of games played (i.e., superior points percentage).
- *After conclusion of the season, tiebreaking procedures begin with #2.
- 2. The greater number of games won.
- 3. The greater number of points earned in games between the tied clubs. If two clubs are tied, and have not played an equal number of home games against each other, points earned in the first game played in the city that had the extra game shall not be included. If more than two clubs are tied, the higher percentage of available points earned in games among those clubs, and not including any "odd" games, shall be used to determine the standing.
- 4. The greater differential between goals for and against for the entire regular season.
Scoring leaders edit
After games on March 13th, 2007[3]
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalty Minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Crosby | Pittsburgh Penguins | 66 | 29 | 74 | 103 | +7 | 54 |
| Vincent Lecavalier | Tampa Bay Lightning | 71 | 46 | 48 | 94 | 0 | 42 |
| Martin St. Louis | Tampa Bay Lightning | 71 | 39 | 53 | 92 | +3 | 22 |
| Marian Hossa | Atlanta Thrashers | 71 | 40 | 50 | 90 | +20 | 47 |
| Dany Heatley | Ottawa Senators | 70 | 42 | 48 | 90 | +26 | 62 |
| Joe Thornton | San Jose Sharks | 70 | 17 | 72 | 89 | +9 | 34 |
| Marc Savard | Boston Bruins | 69 | 21 | 67 | 88 | -10 | 80 |
| Daniel Briere | Buffalo Sabres | 68 | 29 | 54 | 83 | +18 | 60 |
| Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | 70 | 41 | 42 | 83 | -19 | 50 |
| Jaromir Jagr | New York Rangers | 70 | 24 | 57 | 81 | +18 | 64 |
| Teemu Selanne | Anaheim Ducks | 70 | 41 | 40 | 81 | +22 | 70 |
Leading goaltenders edit
After games on March 13th, 2007.[4]
Note: GP = Games Played; TOI = Time On Ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/Shootout Losses; GA = Goals Against; SO = Shutouts; Sv% = Save Percentage; GAA = Goals Against Average
| Player | Team | GP | TOI | W | L | OT | GA | SO | Sv% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominik Hasek | Detroit Red Wings | 48 | 2,852 | 34 | 9 | 4 | 101 | 6 | .907 | 2.12 |
| Martin Brodeur | New Jersey Devils | 66 | 4,001 | 41 | 18 | 7 | 143 | 12 | .924 | 2.14 |
| Jean-Sebastien Giguere | Anaheim Ducks | 50 | 2,881 | 33 | 8 | 7 | 106 | 4 | .920 | 2.21 |
| Niklas Backstrom | Minnesota Wild | 32 | 1,676 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 64 | 2 | .923 | 2.21 |
| Marty Turco | Dallas Stars | 57 | 3,176 | 31 | 18 | 4 | 120 | 5 | .909 | 2.27 |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Champion Hurricanes raise banner to open 2006-07 NHL season
- ^ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to Change Name to Anaheim Ducks in 2006-2007
- ^ Source: Bill Clement during Intermission of Game 7.
- ^ NHL cap increases to $44 million
- ^ "Sabres outlast Sens in hard-fought battle". TSN. 2007-02-22. Retrieved 2007-02-23.
- ^ Simon suspended minimum of 25 games
External links edit
{{NHL seasons|2006}}
{{2006-07 NHL season by team}}
[[Category:2006 in ice hockey|NHL Season]]
[[Category:The NHL on NBC]]