2000–01 NHL season

National Hockey League season August 2023 2000–01 NHL season National Hockey League Ice hockey October 4, 2000 – June 9, 2001 Draft 2000 NHL Entry Draft List of first overall NHL draft picks Rick DiPietro New York Islanders Regular season Presidents' Trophy Colorado Avalanche Joe Sakic (Avalanche) Hart Memorial Trophy Jaromir Jagr (Penguins) Art Ross Trophy Playoffs 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs Stanley Cup 2001 Stanley Cup Final Colorado Avalanche New Jersey Devils Patrick Roy (Avalanche) Conn Smythe Trophy 2001–02 1999–2000 NHL 82 30 CBC, Sportsnet, SRC (Canada)ESPN, ABC (United States) The 2000–01 NHL season was the 84th regular season of the National Hockey League. With the addition of the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild, 30 teams each played 82 games. The Stanley Cup winners were the Colorado Avalanche, who won the best of seven series 4–3 against the New Jersey Devils. The focus of Colorado's Stanley Cup run was on star defenceman Ray Bourque, who was on a quest to win his first Stanley Cup championship in his illustrious 22-year career. League business Expansion Two expansion teams, the Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets, joined the league at the beginning of the season, increasing the number of NHL teams to 30. The Blue Jackets would join the Central Division, while the Wild would join the Northwest Division. This divisional alignment would remain static until the 2012–13 season, while the league did not expand again until the 2017–18 season when the Vegas Golden Knights entered the league. This was the first time the NHL would have a team in Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas, Texas in 1993, and the first time for Ohio since the Cleveland Barons merged with the North Stars in 1978. The 2000 NHL expansion draft was held on June 23, 2000, to fill the rosters of the new expansion teams. Entry draft The 2000 NHL entry draft was held on June 24 and 25, 2000, at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta. Rick DiPietro was selected first overall by the New York Islanders. Rule changes The four-official system (two referees and two linesmen) become mandatory for all games. It was previously used for selected regular season games in 1998–99 and 1999–2000, but all playoff games in both of those seasons.2016-07-06 NHL Overview of Four-Man Officiating System https://scoutingtherefs.com/2016/07/13971/nhl-4-man-system/ 2024-09-04 Scouting The Refs en-US October 4, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231004111758/https://scoutingtherefs.com/2016/07/13971/nhl-4-man-system/ live 1999-03-21 2-Referee System will be Used During Stanley Cup Playoffs, Too https://www.mcall.com/1999/03/21/2-referee-system-will-be-used-during-stanley-cup-playoffs-too/ 2024-09-04 The Morning Call en-USWigge Larry 2000-09-24 Now Is Right Time for NHL to Make Changes On the Fly https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-sep-24-sp-25891-story.html 2024-09-04 Los Angeles Times en-US June 4, 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250604225624/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-sep-24-sp-25891-story.html live December 9, 1999 Two-referee system made permanent https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1999/12/09/two-referee-system-made-permanent/ 2024-09-04 Tampa Bay Times en June 4, 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250604225738/https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1999/12/09/two-referee-system-made-permanent/ live Preseason games in Europe This was the first preseason of the NHL Challenge, where selected NHL teams traveled to Europe to play exhibition games against European teams. The Vancouver Canucks traveled to Stockholm Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, to play against Swedish teams MoDo Örnsköldsvik on September 13, 2000, and Djurgården Stockholm on September 15. Uniform changes Buffalo: New Red Alternates. Calgary: Previous Black Alternates become the new road uniforms. Carolina: Black outline added to players' names. Chicago: 75th-anniversary patch. Colorado: 2001 NHL All-Star Game Patch. Columbus: White Jerseys with red and blue stripes, Blue road jerseys have Red stripe. Team also wears an inaugural season patch. Alt marks are on the shoulders. Detroit: 75th-anniversary patch Minnesota: White Jerseys with red and green stripes, the Green jerseys have just the red stripe. Alt marks are on the shoulders. New York Rangers: 75th-anniversary patch. Ottawa: The team introduces a new alternate jersey—this one black with the forward-looking centurion crest. Pittsburgh: The Penguins introduce a new alternate jersey, welcoming back the skating penguin and introducing Vegas gold. San Jose: 10th Anniversary patch. Toronto: Alternates from 1998 to 1999 return, as well as a new TML Patch. Washington: Black alternates from 1999 to 2000 become new road uniforms. Arenas The Calgary Flames' home arena, Canadian Airlines Saddledome, was renamed Pengrowth Saddledome as part of a new naming rights agreement with Pengrowth Energy. The expansion Columbus Blue Jackets moved into Nationwide Arena, named after the arena's original majority owner, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. The Dallas Stars played their final season at the Reunion Arena before moving to the American Airlines Center. The expansion Minnesota Wild moved into Xcel Energy Center, with Xcel Energy acquiring the naming rights. The St. Louis Blues's home arena, the Kiel Center, was renamed the Savvis Center as part of a new naming rights agreement with Savvis. Cheerleaders Cheerleaders and Ice Girls were introduced to the league during this season, with the New York Islanders Ice Girls making their debut.https://www.nhl.com/stars/fans/ice-girls/history Dallas Stars Ice Girls History | Dallas Stars Nhl.com June 17, 2026 April 21, 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20260421174546/https://www.nhl.com/stars/fans/ice-girls/history live Regular season International games The NHL opened the season in Japan with two games between the Nashville Predators and the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 9 and 10, at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama.January 15, 2000 Pittsburgh, Nashville to play in Japan - UPI Archives https://www.upi.com/Archives/2000/01/15/Pittsburgh-Nashville-to-play-in-Japan/4432947912400/ 2024-09-04 UPI en June 4, 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250604225733/https://www.upi.com/Archives/2000/01/15/Pittsburgh-Nashville-to-play-in-Japan/4432947912400/ live All-Star Game The All-Star Game was played on February 4, at the Pepsi Center in Denver, the home of the Colorado Avalanche. Highlights On December 27, 2000, Mario Lemieux returned from his three-and-a-half-year retirement and, in a game nationally televised on Hockey Night in Canada and ESPN National Hockey Night, registered his first assist 33 seconds into the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He went on to add a goal and finish with three points, solidifying his return and bringing a struggling Jaromir Jagr back to his elite status, who went on to win his fourth straight Art Ross Trophy, narrowly surpassing Joe Sakic. Despite playing in only 43 games in 2000–01, Lemieux scored 76 points to finish 26th in scoring, finishing the season with the highest points-per-game average that season among NHL players. Lemieux was one of the three finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award. The record for most shutouts in a season (set at 160 in 1997–98 and equalled in 1998–99)https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_1998_goalies.html 1997-98 NHL Goalie Statistics Hockey-Reference.com January 26, 2018 July 10, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170710235250/http://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_1998_goalies.html livehttps://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_1999_goalies.html 1998-99 NHL Goalie Statistics Hockey-Reference.com January 26, 2018 July 11, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170711030743/http://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_1999_goalies.html live was eclipsed, as 186 shutouts were recorded.https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2001_goalies.html 2000-01 NHL Goalie Statistics Hockey-Reference.com January 26, 2018 July 10, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170710164340/http://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2001_goalies.html live Standings Eastern Conference Western Conference Playoffs 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs right|175px|thumb|The Stanley Cup Bracket In each round, teams competed in a best-of-seven series following a 2–2–1–1–1 format (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each best-of-seven series). The team with home ice advantage played at home for games one and two (and games five and seven, if necessary), and the other team played at home for games three and four (and game six, if necessary). The top eight teams in each conference made the playoffs, with the three division winners seeded 1–3 based on regular season record, and the five remaining teams seeded 4–8. The NHL used "re-seeding" instead of a fixed bracket playoff system. During the first three rounds, the highest remaining seed in each conference was matched against the lowest remaining seed, the second-highest remaining seed played the second-lowest remaining seed, and so forth. The higher-seeded team was awarded home ice advantage. The two conference winners then advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, where home ice advantage was awarded to the team that had the better regular season record. Bracket Awards The presentation ceremonies were held in Toronto. + 2000-01 NHL awards Award Recipient(s) Runner(s)-up/Finalists Presidents' Trophy(Best regular season record) Colorado Avalanche Detroit Red Wings Prince of Wales Trophy(Eastern Conference playoff champion) New Jersey Devils Pittsburgh Penguins Clarence S. Campbell Bowl(Western Conference playoff champion) Colorado Avalanche St. Louis Blues Art Ross Trophy(Player with most points) Jaromir Jagr (Pittsburgh Penguins) Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche) Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy(Perseverance, Sportsmanship, and Dedication) Adam Graves (New York Rangers) N/A Calder Memorial Trophy(Best first-year player) Evgeni Nabokov (San Jose Sharks) Martin Havlat (Ottawa Senators)Brad Richards (Tampa Bay Lightning) Conn Smythe Trophy(Most valuable player, playoffs) Patrick Roy (Colorado Avalanche) N/A Frank J. Selke Trophy(Defensive forward) John Madden (New Jersey Devils) Mike Modano (Dallas Stars)Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche) Hart Memorial Trophy(Most valuable player, regular season) Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche) Jaromir Jagr (Pittsburgh Penguins)Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) Jack Adams Award(Best coach) Bill Barber (Philadelphia Flyers) Scotty Bowman (Detroit Red Wings)Jacques Martin (Ottawa Senators) James Norris Memorial Trophy(Best defenceman) Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings) Ray Bourque (Colorado Avalanche)Scott Stevens (New Jersey Devils) King Clancy Memorial Trophy(Leadership and humanitarian contribution) Shjon Podein (Colorado Avalanche) N/A Lady Byng Memorial Trophy(Sportsmanship and excellence) Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche) Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings)Adam Oates (Washington Capitals) Lester B. Pearson Award(Outstanding player) Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche) N/A Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy(Top goal-scorer) Pavel Bure (Florida Panthers) Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche) NHL Foundation Player Award(Community enrichment and involvement) Olaf Kolzig (Washington Capitals) NHL Plus-Minus Award(Player with the best plus-minus) Patrik Elias (New Jersey Devils)Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche) Scott Stevens (New Jersey Devils) Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award(Goaltender with the best save percentage) Marty Turco (Dallas Stars) Mike Dunham (Nashville Predators) Vezina Trophy(Best goaltender) Dominik Hasek (Buffalo Sabres) Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils)Roman Cechmanek (Philadelphia Flyers) William M. Jennings Trophy(Goaltender(s) of team with fewest goals against) Dominik Hasek (Buffalo Sabres) N/A All-Star teams First Team   Position   Second TeamDominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres GRoman Cechmanek, Philadelphia FlyersNicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings DRob Blake, L.A./ColoradoRay Bourque, Colorado Avalanche DScott Stevens, New Jersey DevilsJoe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche CMario Lemieux, Pittsburgh PenguinsJaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins RWPavel Bure, Florida PanthersPatrik Elias, New Jersey Devils LWLuc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings Coaches Eastern Conference Atlanta Thrashers: Curt Fraser Boston Bruins: Pat Burns and Mike Keenan Buffalo Sabres: Lindy Ruff Carolina Hurricanes: Paul Maurice Florida Panthers: Terry Murray and Duane Sutter Montreal Canadiens: Alain Vigneault and Michel Therrien New Jersey Devils: Larry Robinson New York Islanders: Butch Goring and Lorne Henning New York Rangers: Ron Low Ottawa Senators: Jacques Martin Philadelphia Flyers: Craig Ramsay and Bill Barber Pittsburgh Penguins: Ivan Hlinka Tampa Bay Lightning: Steve Ludzik and John Tortorella Toronto Maple Leafs: Pat Quinn Washington Capitals: Ron Wilson Western Conference Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Craig Hartsburg and Guy Charron Calgary Flames: Don Hay and Greg Gilbert Chicago Blackhawks: Alpo Suhonen Colorado Avalanche: Bob Hartley Columbus Blue Jackets: Dave King Dallas Stars: Ken Hitchcock Detroit Red Wings: Scotty Bowman Edmonton Oilers: Craig MacTavish Los Angeles Kings: Andy Murray Minnesota Wild: Jacques Lemaire Nashville Predators: Barry Trotz Phoenix Coyotes: Bobby Francis San Jose Sharks: Darryl Sutter St. Louis Blues: Joel Quenneville Vancouver Canucks: Marc Crawford NHL Coaches http://www.nhl.com/lineups/coaches/index.html NHL.com September 6, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20001201224900/http://www.nhl.com/lineups/coaches/index.html December 1, 2000 Player statistics Regular season Scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points Player Team GP G A PtsJaromir Jagr Pittsburgh 81 52 69 121Joe Sakic Colorado 82 54 64 118Patrik Elias New Jersey 82 40 56 96Alexei Kovalev Pittsburgh 79 44 51 95Jason Allison Boston 82 36 59 95Martin Straka Pittsburgh 82 27 68 95Pavel Bure Florida 82 59 33 92Doug Weight Edmonton 82 25 65 90Zigmund Palffy Los Angeles 73 38 51 89Peter Forsberg Colorado 73 27 62 89 Dinger, Ralph The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book/2010 2009 Dan Diamond & Associates 161 Leading goaltenders Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes Played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage Player Team GP MIN GA GAA W L T SO SV%Roman Cechmanek Philadelphia 59 3431 115 2.01 35 15 6 10 .921Manny Legace Detroit 39 2136 73 2.05 24 5 5 2 .920Dominik Hasek Buffalo 67 3904 137 2.11 37 24 4 11 .915Evgeni Nabokov San Jose 66 3699 135 2.19 32 21 7 6 .931Patrick Roy Colorado 62 3584 132 2.21 40 13 7 4 .913Manny Fernandez Minnesota 42 2460 92 2.24 19 17 4 4 .920Sean Burke Phoenix 62 3643 138 2.27 25 22 13 4 .922Roman Turek St. Louis 54 3232 123 2.28 24 18 10 6 .901Mike Dunham Nashville 48 2810 107 2.28 21 21 4 4 .923Martin Brodeur New Jersey 72 4296 166 2.32 42 17 11 9 .915 Playoffs Scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points Player Team GP G A PtsJoe Sakic Colorado Avalanche 21 13 13 26Patrik Elias New Jersey Devils 25 9 14 23Milan Hejduk Colorado Avalanche 23 7 16 23Petr Sykora New Jersey Devils 25 10 12 22Alex Tanguay Colorado Avalanche 23 6 15 21Rob Blake Colorado Avalanche 23 6 13 19Brian Rafalski New Jersey Devils 25 7 11 18Mario Lemieux Pittsburgh Penguins 18 6 11 17Chris Drury Colorado Avalanche 23 11 5 16Bobby Holik New Jersey Devils 25 6 10 16Alexander Mogilny New Jersey Devils 25 5 11 16 Milestones Debuts The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 2000–01: Andrew Raycroft, Boston Bruins Marty Turco, Dallas Stars Eric Belanger, Los Angeles Kings Andreas Lilja, Los Angeles Kings Lubomir Visnovsky, Los Angeles Kings Marian Gaborik, Minnesota Wild Lubomir Sekeras, Minnesota Wild Rick DiPietro, New York Islanders Martin Havlat, Ottawa Senators Miikka Kiprusoff, San Jose Sharks Brad Richards, Tampa Bay Lightning Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks Last games The following is a list of players of note who played their last NHL game in 2000–01, listed with their team: Player Team NotabilityRay Bourquehttps://www.nhl.com/news/ray-bourque-celebrates-stanley-cup-anniversary-280915150 Bourque relishes memory of winning Stanley Cup NHL.com July 27, 2026 July 27, 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20260727044939/https://www.nhl.com/news/ray-bourque-celebrates-stanley-cup-anniversary-280915150 live Colorado Avalanche 16-time NHL All-Star, 4-time James Norris Memorial Trophy winner, Calder Memorial Trophy winner, King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner, Lester Patrick Trophy winner, over 1600 games played.Paul Coffeyhttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/coffey-gets-his-day-as-jersey-officially-retired/article18250538/ Coffey gets his day as jersey officially retired The Globe and Mail August 23, 2017 April 24, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170424090108/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/coffey-gets-his-day-as-jersey-officially-retired/article18250538/ live Boston Bruins 14-time NHL All-Star, 3-time James Norris Memorial Trophy winner, over 1400 games played.Garry Galleyhttps://ottawacitizen.com/life/food/brewing-upstart-makes-beer-to-help-do-it-for-daron-mental-health-initiatives Brewing upstart makes beer to help "Do It For Daron" mental health initiatives Ottawa Citizen Vito Pilieci 20 August 2015 January 3, 2019 January 2, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190103004928/https://ottawacitizen.com/life/food/brewing-upstart-makes-beer-to-help-do-it-for-daron-mental-health-initiatives live New York Islanders 2-time NHL All-Star, over 1100 games played.Tony Granatohttp://www.hhof.com/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=10553 Legends of Hockey -- NHL Player Search -- Player -- Tony Granato Hhof.com 2017-04-23 2017-04-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20170424090346/http://www.hhof.com/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=10553 San Jose Sharks Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy winner, 1-time NHL All-Star.Kevin Hatcherhttp://washingtoncapitalslegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/kevin-hatcher.html Washington Capitals Legends: Kevin Hatcher Joe Pelletier Washingtoncapitalslegends.blogspot.com 24 June 2009 January 2, 2019 January 3, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190103005329/http://washingtoncapitalslegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/kevin-hatcher.html live Carolina Hurricanes 5-time NHL All-Star, over 1100 games played.Kris Kinghttps://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/kris-king-added-to-nhl-head-office-1.284163 Kris King added to NHL head office December 8, 2001 CBC January 2, 2019 September 18, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190918170155/https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/kris-king-added-to-nhl-head-office-1.284163 live Chicago Blackhawks King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner.Kirk McLeanhttp://canuckslegends.blogspot.com/2007/02/kirk-mclean.html Kirk McLean Canuckslegends.blogspot.com June 17, 2026 May 11, 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20260511235733/https://canuckslegends.blogspot.com/2007/02/kirk-mclean.html live New York Rangers 2-time NHL All-Star.Larry Murphyhttps://www.nhl.com/news/no-4-murphy-proved-a-steal-for-wings-in-97/c-554037 https://web.archive.org/web/20170424085718/https://www.nhl.com/news/no-4-murphy-proved-a-steal-for-wings-in-97/c-554037 dead April 24, 2017 No. 4: Murphy proved a steal for Wings in '97 NHL.com Detroit Red Wings 3-time NHL All-Star, over 1600 games played.Ron Sutterhttps://chl.ca/whl/ Western Hockey League Ch1.cz June 15, 2026 June 17, 2026 April 2, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240402072246/https://chl.ca/whl/ live Calgary Flames Over 1000 games played, the last active Sutter brother to play in NHL.Petr Svobodahttp://ourhistory.canadiens.com/article/Where-Are-They-Now-Petr-Svoboda Where are they now? Petr Svoboda - Historical Website of the Montreal Canadiens ourhistory.canadiens.com April 23, 2017 April 24, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170424174019/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/article/Where-Are-They-Now-Petr-Svoboda live Tampa Bay Lightning Over 1000 games played. Broadcasting Canada This was the third season of the league's Canadian national broadcast rights deals with CBC and the renamed Sportsnet (the latter was sold by CTV after acquiring rival TSN). CBC aired Saturday night Hockey Night in Canada regular season games, while Sportsnet's telecasts included Tuesday Night Hockey and other weeknight games. Coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs continued to primarily be on CBC, while Sportsnet aired first round all-U.S. series. United States This was the second year of the league's five-year U.S. national broadcast rights deal with ESPN and ABC. ESPN and ESPN2 aired weeknight games throughout the regular season. ABC's coverage included the All-Star Game and then five weeks worth of regional games on Saturday afternoons between March and April. During the first two rounds of the playoffs, ESPN and ESPN2 aired selected games, while ABC had Saturday regional telecasts. Each U.S. team's regional broadcaster produced local coverage of first and second-round games (except for those games on ABC). ABC's weekend telecasts continued into the Conference Finals, while ESPN had the rest of the third-round games. ESPN then aired the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final before the rest of the series shifted to ABC. See also 2000 in sports 2000 NHL entry draft 2000 NHL expansion draft 2000-01 NHL transactions 2001 in sports 51st National Hockey League All-Star Game NHL All-Rookie Team NHL All-Star Game Lester Patrick Trophy References Dinger Ralph 2011 The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012 Dan Diamond & Associates 978-1-894801-22-5 Toronto, ON registration https://archive.org/details/nationalhockeyle0000unse_u6g5 Fischler Stan Fischler Shirley Hughes Morgan Romain Joseph Duplacey James 2003 The Hockey Chronicle: Year-by-Year History of the National Hockey League Publications International Inc. 0-7853-9624-1 Lincolnwood, IL Fischler 2003 Notes External links Hockey Database nhl.com 2000 1 1