This was the first season for the Carolina Hurricanes, who were previously known as the Hartford Whalers. The Hurricanes played their home games at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, a temporary home while awaiting the construction of their permanent home arena in Raleigh. They would remain in the Northeast Division. It was the last time for 14 years an NHL team would move.
This was the first season for Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff, who until the 2012–13 season was the longest-tenured NHL coach.
The controversial "FoxTrax" puck system was last used this season as well. In August 1998, the NHL signed a five-year, $600 million rights agreement with ABC Sports/ESPN. FOX elected not to use the system in the subsequent "lame duck" season.
This was the last season the Toronto Maple Leafs were in the Western Conference.
This was the last season of the four-division quasi-geographic alignment inherited from the traditional Adams/Patrick/Norris/Smythe set. The league would change the following season to a six-division, more purely geographic alignment.
For the first time since 1968–69 season, the Chicago Blackhawks missed the playoffs.
The all-time record for most shutouts in a season, set at 127 just a year earlier, was broken again as 160 shutouts were recorded, 13 of which were earned by Dominik Hasek, who set a League record with 11 teams shut-out. He zeroed the New York Rangers three times, and Los Angeles, Anaheim, Tampa Bay, Boston, Calgary, Washington, Montreal, Ottawa, Pittsburgh and Edmonton once each. Only two teams, the St. Louis Blues and the Detroit Red Wings, averaged more than three goals scored per game. In addition, only one player, Jaromir Jagr, reached the 100-point plateau during the regular season.
Jari Kurri reached 600 goals in his career, finishing with 601.
The Vancouver Canucks and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim opened the season with a two-game series in Tokyo, Japan, the first time the NHL played games outside of North America.
Final standings
Eastern ConferenceDivisions: ATL – Atlantic, NE – Northeast
bold – Qualified for playoffs
Western ConferenceDivisions: CEN – Central, PAC – Pacific
bold – Qualified for playoffs; x – Won Division; p – Won Presidents' Trophy
The 1998 Stanley Cup Final was played in the 105th year of the Stanley Cup. The series was played between the Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings and the Eastern Conference champion Washington Capitals. The Red Wings were led by captain Steve Yzerman, Head Coach Scotty Bowman and goaltender Chris Osgood. The Capitals were led by captain Dale Hunter, Head Coach Ron Wilson and goaltender Olaf Kolzig. Detroit swept the series in four games and Steve Yzerman won the Conn Smythe Trophy.
During the first three rounds home ice is determined by seeding number, not position on the bracket. In the Finals the team with the better regular season record has home ice.The NHL Awards took place in Toronto, Ontario
Note: GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points
Regular season
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1997–98 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
Joe Thornton, Boston BruinsSergei Samsonov, Boston BruinsDerek Morris, Calgary FlamesOlli Jokinen, Los Angeles KingsBrendan Morrison, New Jersey DevilsSheldon Souray, New Jersey DevilsZdeno Chara, New York IslandersMarc Savard, New York RangersChris Phillips, Ottawa SenatorsMarian Hossa, Ottawa SenatorsDaniel Briere, Phoenix CoyotesAlexei Morozov, Pittsburgh PenguinsMarco Sturm, San Jose SharksPatrick Marleau, San Jose SharksPavel Kubina, Tampa Bay LightningDanny Markov, Toronto Maple LeafsMattias Ohlund, Vancouver CanucksThe following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1997–98 (listed with their last team):
Brent Sutter, Chicago BlackhawksJari Kurri, Colorado AvalancheSlava Fetisov, Detroit Red WingsKevin Lowe, Edmonton OilersAndy Moog, Montreal CanadiensBruce Driver, New York RangersPat LaFontaine, New York RangersJoel Otto, Philadelphia FlyersMichel Petit, Phoenix CoyotesMike Gartner, Phoenix CoyotesAl Iafrate, San Jose SharksKelly Hrudey, San Jose SharksJeff Brown, Washington CapitalsBob Errey, New York RangersBrian Bradley, Tampa Bay LightningRandy Burridge, Buffalo SabresJim Johnson, Phoenix CoyotesTodd Krygier, Washington CapitalsNorm Maciver, Phoenix CoyotesTroy Mallette, Tampa Bay LightningCraig Muni, Dallas StarsYves Racine, Tampa Bay LightningDavid Shaw, Tampa Bay LightningDarrin Shannon, Phoenix CoyotesMick Vukota, Montreal CanadiensCraig Wolanin, Toronto Maple LeafsJocelyn Lemieux, Phoenix CoyotesJohn Druce, Philadelphia FlyersPeter Douris, Dallas StarsMike Peluso, New York RangersDennis Vial, Ottawa SenatorsTrading Deadline: MARCH 24, 1998 March 24, 1998: D Dave Babych traded from Vancouver to Philadelphia for Philadelphia’s third round pick in 1998 Entry Draft. Vancouver also returns the conditional pick previously acquired from Philadelphia in the Mike Sillinger trade dated Feb. 5, 1998.March 24, 1998: D Dmitri Mironov traded from Anaheim to Detroit for D Jamie Pushor and Detroit’s fourth round pick in 1998 Entry Draft.March 24, 1998: G Kirk McLean traded from Carolina to Florida for RW Ray Sheppard.March 24, 1998: D Jeff Brown traded from Toronto to Washington for D Sylvain Cote.March 24, 1998: RW Jason Dawe traded from Buffalo to NY Islanders for D Jason Holland and LW Paul Kruse.March 24, 1998: D Dan McGillis and Edmonton’s second round pick in 1998 Entry Draft traded from Edmonton to Philadelphia for D Janne Niinimaa.March 24, 1998: C Mark Janssens traded from NY Islanders to Phoenix for Phoenix’s ninth round pick in 1998 Entry Draft.March 24, 1998: LW Warren Rychel and a conditional pick in 1999 Entry Draft traded from Anaheim to Colorado for C Josef Marha.March 24, 1998: C Sean Pronger traded from Anaheim to Pittsburgh for the rights to G Patrick Lalime.March 24, 1998: D Todd Gill traded from San Jose to St. Louis for RW Joe Murphy.March 24, 1998: RW Andrei Nazarov and future considerations traded from San Jose to Tampa Bay for D Bryan Marchment, D David Shaw and a conditional exchange of first round picks in 1998 Entry Draft.March 24, 1998: C Mike Eastwood traded from NY Rangers to St. Louis for C Harry York.March 24, 1998: RW Mike Kennedy traded from Toronto to Dallas for Dallas’ eighth round pick in 1998 Entry Draft.March 24, 1998: RW Sandy McCarthy, Calgary’s third round pick in 1998 Entry Draft and a fifth round pick in 1998 Entry Draft traded from Calgary to Tampa Bay for LW Jason Wiemer.March 24, 1998: RW Todd Harvey, LW Bob Errey and a fourth round pick in 1998 Entry Draft traded from Dallas to NY Rangers for C Brian Skrudland, RW Mike Keane and a conditional pick in either the 1998 or 1999 Entry Draft.March 24, 1998: RW Tom Fitzgerald traded from Florida to Colorado for the rights to LW Mark Parrish and Anaheim’s third round pick in 1998 Entry Draft (previously acquired).March 24, 1998: D Rich Brennan traded from San Jose to NY Rangers for G Jason Muzzatti.March 24, 1998: D Ryan Risidore traded from Chicago to NY Rangers for RW Ryan Vandenbussche.March 24, 1998: D Jamie Macoun traded from Toronto to Detroit for Tampa Bay’s fourth round pick in 1998 Entry Draft (previously acquired)