A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| 2002–03 NHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | October 9, 2002 – June 9, 2003 |
| Number of games | 82 |
| Number of teams | 30 |
| TV partner(s) | CBC, TSN, RDS (Canada) ESPN, ABC (United States |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Rick Nash |
| Picked by | Columbus Blue Jackets |
| Regular season | |
| Presidents' Trophy | Ottawa Senators |
| Season MVP | Peter Forsberg (Avalanche) |
| Top scorer | Peter Forsberg (Avalanche) |
| Playoffs | |
| Playoffs MVP | Jean-Sebastien Giguere (Mighty Ducks) |
| Stanley Cup | |
| Champions | New Jersey Devils |
| Runners-up | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim |
The 2002–03 NHL season was the 86th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup winners were the New Jersey Devils, who won the best of seven series 4–3 against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
Teams
Regular season
The regular season saw several surprises. The San Jose Sharks, who many felt would be one of the elite teams in the West, stumbled early and badly disassembled much of the team. The two-year-old Minnesota Wild, on the other hand, got out to an early start and held onto their first-ever playoff berth throughout the season, winning coach Jacques Lemaire the Jack Adams Award.
The elite teams of previous years such as the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche and New Jersey Devils, were joined by two younger Canadian teams, the Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks. The Dallas Stars, which had missed the playoffs the year before, returned as a major power, backed by the record-setting goaltending of Marty Turco.[citation needed]
The most surprising team was probably the Tampa Bay Lightning, which many had predicted to finish last, winning their first Southeast Division title and making the playoffs for the first time in seven years. The most disappointing teams, other than the Sharks, were the New York Rangers, who finished out of the playoffs again despite bearing the league's leading payroll, and the Carolina Hurricanes, who finished last overall after a surprise run to the Stanley Cup Finals the year before. On January 8, 2003, Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Michael Leighton gained a shutout in his NHL debut in a 0–0 tie versus the Phoenix Coyotes. Coyotes goaltender Zac Bierk earned his first career shutout, although it was not his NHL debut. It was the first—and with the abolition of ties two years later, the only—time that two goalies in the same game both earned their first career shutouts.[1]
At the midpoint of the season, the Canucks led the Western Conference and Ottawa led the East. Vancouver stumbled somewhat over the stretch and lost the Northwest Division title to Colorado and the Western Conference to Dallas. Ottawa continued to dominate, having the best season in franchise history and winning both the Eastern Conference and the Presidents' Trophy.
The season was also marred by financial difficulties. Despite their success, the Ottawa Senators were in bankruptcy protection for almost all of 2003, and at one point could not pay the players. Owner Rod Bryden tried a variety of innovative financing strategies, but these all failed and the team was purchased after the season by billionaire Eugene Melnyk. The Buffalo Sabres also entered bankruptcy protection before being bought by New York businessman Tom Golisano. The financial struggles of the Pittsburgh Penguins continued as the team continued to unload its most expensive players.
The season was marked by a great number of coaches being fired, from Bob Hartley in Colorado to Darryl Sutter in San Jose and Bryan Trottier of the New York Rangers.
Worries over the decline in scoring and the neutral zone trap continued. The season began with an attempted crack down on obstruction and interference, but by the midpoint of the season this effort had petered out.
Final standings
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Eastern Conference
| No. | CR | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | New Jersey Devils | 82 | 46 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 216 | 166 | 108 |
| 2 | 4 | Philadelphia Flyers | 82 | 45 | 20 | 13 | 4 | 211 | 166 | 107 |
| 3 | 8 | New York Islanders | 82 | 35 | 34 | 11 | 2 | 224 | 231 | 83 |
| 4 | 9 | New York Rangers | 82 | 32 | 36 | 10 | 4 | 210 | 231 | 78 |
| 5 | 14 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 82 | 27 | 44 | 6 | 5 | 189 | 255 | 65 |