2011–12 NHL season

National Hockey League season March 2012 2011–12 NHL season National Hockey League Ice hockey October 6, 2011 – June 11, 2012 Draft 2011 NHL entry draft List of first overall NHL draft picks Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Edmonton Oilers Regular season Presidents' Trophy Vancouver Canucks Evgeni Malkin (Penguins) Hart Memorial Trophy Evgeni Malkin (Penguins) Art Ross Trophy Playoffs 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs Stanley Cup 2012 Stanley Cup Final Los Angeles Kings New Jersey Devils Jonathan Quick (Kings) Conn Smythe Trophy 2012–13 2010–11 NHL 82 30 CBC, TSN, RDS (Canada)NBCSN, NBC, CNBC (United States) 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 appearance; they had lost to Montreal Canadiens in the 1993 Final. During the off-season, the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg, to become the "new" Winnipeg Jets, reviving the franchise that had last played in the 1995–96 seasonNHL Announces Consolidation of Winnipeg Jets' History https://media.nhl.com/public/news/20034 September 24, 2026 NHL.com September 24, 2026. 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 Players' 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. League business Franchise relocation Atlanta Spirit, LLC, which previously owned the Atlanta Thrashers, sold the team to True North Sports and Entertainment, who relocated them to the True North-owned MTS Centre in Winnipeg, ManitobaTrue North buys Thrashers, set to move team to Winnipeg https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=367433 TSN June 1, 2011 May 31, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110629074237/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=367433 June 29, 2011 live and renamed the Winnipeg Jets, reviving the franchise that had originally played from 1972 to 1996. Winnipeg took Atlanta's place in the Southeast Division for 2011–12.Gary Bettman expects realignment in '12 https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=6617009 Associated Press ESPN June 1, 2011 June 18, 2011 October 17, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191017105915/https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=6617009 live Salary cap On June 23, 2011, the NHL announced that the salary cap would be increased by US$4.9 million. As a result, the new salary cap ceiling was set at US$64.3 million while the salary cap floor was US$48.3 million.Salary cap set for 2011–12 http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=566916 https://web.archive.org/web/20110628132500/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=566916 dead June 28, 2011 NHL.com Entry draft The 2011 NHL entry draft was held on June 24–25, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.Burnside Scott https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=5071070 Minnesota Wild will host 2011 entry draft ESPN April 9, 2010 April 10, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100413060021/http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=5071070 April 13, 2010 live Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was selected first overall by the Edmonton Oilers. Uniform changes Several teams announced plans to change their uniforms in the 2011–12 season.NHL Jersey Watch 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20131001055851/http://www.icethetics.info/blog/2011/7/31/nhl-jerseywatch-2011.html October 1, 2013 , Icetherics.info, October 5, 2011. The Edmonton Oilers unveiled a new away uniform parallel to their "retro" home uniform used from 1979 to 1996. They retained the navy blue, copper and red uniforms as their alternates. The Nashville Predators unveiled new home and away uniforms on June 22, complete with the updated saber-toothed cat logo. Their use of gold as the home colors marked the first time since 1988 that an NHL team wore gold in their home uniforms. The Florida Panthers made minor changes to their home uniform, using red as the primary and relegating navy blue as a trim color. The Los Angeles Kings returned to the silver and black motif they used from 1988 to 1998, by designating their alternate home black and silver uniform as a regular uniform and unveiling a new white away uniform with black and silver trim. The purple and black uniform were retained as an alternate uniform. The Ottawa Senators unveiled a new alternate home uniform based on the original Senators barber pole design. The uniform does not use the Roman centurion logo, instead using an outlined "O" on stripes. The Senators' uniform also had an All-Star Game patch. The Pittsburgh Penguins promoted their dark blue uniforms, worn during the 2011 NHL Winter Classic, as the home alternates, replacing the 2008 NHL Winter Classic alternates. The Tampa Bay Lightning unveiled new home and road uniforms, featuring the simplified lightning logo. Originally the uniforms were simply blue and white, but by popular demand, black was added as a trim color to the uniform numbers, and added the lightning bolt to the pants. The "Bolts" alternate home uniform was retained. The Toronto Maple Leafs unveiled a new alternate home uniform based on the Leafs uniforms worn during their run to the 1967 Stanley Cup title, including the 11-point maple leaf logo. The Washington Capitals also promoted their 2011 NHL Winter Classic retro uniforms as their road alternates. The new Winnipeg Jets unveiled uniforms consisting of navy with silver and light blue trim, containing a logo based on the roundel of the Royal Canadian Air Force; these were significantly different from, but in a similar color scheme to, the original Jets uniforms. The New York Islanders unveiled a new black alternate uniform, featuring the team name above the player's number, a similar template the Dallas Stars' uniforms currently use. Speaking of the Stars, they officially retired their alternate away jersey featuring the team crest, instead using their regular away jerseys with the city name and number in front for all 41 road games. The New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers wore special commemorative uniforms for the 2012 NHL Winter Classic. The Flyers unveiled theirs on November 21, and is in a classic sweater design in orange featuring black numbers and different striping patterns on the yoke. The Rangers unveiled theirs on November 28, and features a mix of designs used from previous jerseys. The shield logo in front is a variation of the logos used during the 1930s–1940s, while the shoulder, arm and tail striping was taken from the current jersey. Both teams would wear their Winter Classic uniforms again on February 5 and 11 at Madison Square Garden and Wells Fargo Center respectively, with the away team wearing the regular uniforms. In addition several teams sported memorial patches throughout the season; many of these memorials were for related events (see "Off-Season" section below). Unless specified, the patches were seen on the team helmets: Anaheim Ducks – Ruslan Salei (24) memorial on uniforms Calgary Flames – Harley Hotchkiss (HH) memorial Carolina Hurricanes – Josef Vasicek (63) memorial; worn on uniforms Dallas Stars – Karlis Skrastins (37) memorial Detroit Red Wings – Brad McCrimmon, Ruslan Salei and Stefan Liv (BM·RS·SL) memorial; worn on uniforms Minnesota Wild – Pavol Demitra (38) and Derek Boogaard (24) memorials Nashville Predators – Wade Belak (3) memorial New York Islanders – 40th anniversary of the franchise; worn on uniforms New York Rangers – Derek Boogaard (94) memorial Vancouver Canucks – Rick Rypien (37) memorial Winnipeg Jets – Rick Rypien (RR) memorial St. Louis Blues – Pavol Demitra and Igor Korolev (38) memorial Furthermore, a new league-wide rule required that player numbers be displayed on the front of their helmets, as well as on the back. Even though the New Jersey Devils and the Arizona Coyotes unveiled anniversary logos commemorating their 30th and 15th anniversaries of their respective relocations from Colorado and Winnipeg, they opted not to use them on their uniforms or helmets. Arena changes The Carolina Hurricanes' home arena, RBC Center, was renamed PNC Arena on March 15, 2012, in recognition of PNC Financial Services purchasing the US assets of RBC Bank. The Buffalo Sabres home arena, HSBC Arena, was renamed First Niagara Center in recognition of First Niagara Bank's purchase of HSBC's upstate New York branches. The Tampa Bay Lightning's home arena, the St. Pete Times Forum, was renamed the Tampa Bay Times Forum on January 1, 2012, in recognition of the St. Petersburg Times newspaper being renamed to the Tampa Bay Times. The relocated Winnipeg Jets moved from Philips Arena in Atlanta to MTS Centre in Winnipeg, where Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS) had held the naming rights since the venue opened in 2004. Rule changes Boarding Prior to the 2011–12 season, the Board of Governors unanimously agreed to update and re-word rule 41 involving boarding penalties. The new wording requires the player delivering the check to avoid or minimize contact if the opponent is defenceless.http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=566579 https://web.archive.org/web/20110623105349/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=566579 dead June 23, 2011 Board of Governors approves changes to two rules Illegal hits to the head The Board of Governors also approved an update to rule 48 involving illegal checks to the head. The new rule will penalize all hits where the head is the principal point of contact. The previous version of this rule only made checks from the blindside illegal. However, determination if the check is legal will depend on various factors including whether or not the player put himself in a vulnerable position or if the hit was unavoidable. A two-minute minor penalty, or a major penalty in the event the hit was deemed to be deliberate with intent to injure, may be assessed. Off-season Three young (under 40) "enforcer"-type players died within a four-month span during the off-season. The deaths of Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak led to speculation about the effect of fighting on the mental health of players. Several former NHL players died in the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash involving the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team in Russia. Those who perished in the plane crash included NHL All-Star Pavol Demitra, Alexander Karpovtsev, Igor Korolev, Brad McCrimmon, Karel Rachunek, Ruslan Salei, Karlis Skrastins and Josef Vasicek along with nearly the entire team roster, coaches, and several young prospects. Pre-season European exhibition games List of international games played by NHL teams The four teams going to Europe to open their regular seasons there as part of the NHL Premiere games also played exhibition games against European teams under the banner of NHL Premiere Challenge to close out their pre-seasons. The NHL teams had an overall record of 6–1–0 against the European teams, with the New York Rangers, playing four games in five days in four countries, having a record of 3–1–0. Date City NHL team European team Score September 29 Prague, Czech Republic New York Rangers HC Sparta Praha 2–0 September 30 Gothenburg, Sweden New York Rangers Frölunda HC 4–2 October 2 Bratislava, Slovakia New York Rangers HC Slovan Bratislava 4–1 October 3 Zug, Switzerland New York Rangers EV Zug 4–8 October 4 Helsinki, Finland Anaheim Ducks Jokerit 4–3 OT October 4 Hamburg, Germany Los Angeles Kings Hamburg Freezers 5–4 October 4 Mannheim, Germany Buffalo Sabres Adler Mannheim 8–3 Regular season Premiere games 2011 NHL Premiere Four teams participated in the 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere in Europe. The Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers made their second trip to Europe while the Buffalo Sabres made its first trip. On October 7, Anaheim played Buffalo at Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland, and Los Angeles faced New York at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. All four teams played again on October 8 with Los Angeles against Buffalo at the O2 World Arena in Berlin, Germany, and Anaheim against New York in Stockholm.Premiere 2011 teams, locations revealed http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=559145 https://web.archive.org/web/20110412215608/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=559145 dead April 12, 2011 NHL.com May 11, 2011 April 11, 2011 Thanksgiving Showdown As part of the league's updated television contract, the NHL debuted the Thanksgiving Showdown, a nationally broadcast game on the day after American Thanksgiving in 2011. The game, which was sponsored by Discover, featured the Boston Bruins (who have traditionally hosted Black Friday matinées since 1990) hosting the Detroit Red Wings, with Detroit winning the game in a shootout, 3–2. 2012 Winter Classic The 2012 NHL Winter Classic was held at the Citizens Bank Park baseball stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Monday, January 2, 2012. This season, the Philadelphia Flyers hosted the New York Rangers. It was the first Winter Classic game for the Rangers and the second for the Flyers. The result of the game was a 3–2 Ranger victory. Philadelphia last played in the 2010 NHL Winter Classic against the Boston Bruins at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins won that game in overtime by a score of 2–1 on a goal scored by Marco Sturm.Reports: Flyers host Rangers, Jan. 2 NHL Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=562719 https://web.archive.org/web/20110515074416/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=562719 dead May 15, 2011 NHL.com May 14, 2011 This was the first time that the Winter Classic was not played on New Year's Day, which fell on a Sunday in 2012. If the Winter Classic was held on New Year's Day, it would have conflicted with the final game of the National Football League season (in which the Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Washington Redskins at nearby Lincoln Financial Field), and the annual Mummers Parade in downtown Philadelphia. The Flyers–Rangers rivalry is one of the NHL's most frequently televised rivalries on U.S. television networks; it was televised three times nationally on NBC in 2011–12, including the inaugural Hockey Day in America. No Heritage Classic was played this season.Lebrun Pierre June 11, 2011 https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=6651931 Sources: Only 1 outdoor game next year ESPN June 11, 2011 September 20, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190920144732/https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=6651931 live All-Star Game The 2012 All-Star Game took place on January 29, 2012, at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ontario, the home arena of the Ottawa Senators. Standings Each of the 30 teams play an 82-game season of an unbalanced schedule. Teams play six games against division opponents; four games against other conference opponents; and one or two games against teams of the other conference. The first-place teams in each division place first, second and third in the conference standings. The top five finishers from the rest of the teams in each conference also qualified for the playoffs, making a total of eight playoff teams in each conference. Playoffs thumb|right|300px|The Kings' 2012 Stanley Cup victory parade in downtown Los Angeles. 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs 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 NHL awards List of 2011–12 NHL Three Star Awards Awards were presented at the NHL Awards ceremony, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 20, 2012. Finalists for voted awards are announced during the playoffs and winners are presented at the award ceremony. Voting concluded immediately after the end of the regular season. The Presidents' Trophy, the Prince of Wales Trophy and Clarence S. Campbell Bowl are not presented at the awards ceremony. + 2011–12 NHL awards Award Recipient(s) Runner(s)up/Finalists Presidents' Trophy(Best regular-season record) Vancouver Canucks New York Rangers Prince of Wales Trophy(Eastern Conference playoff champion) New Jersey Devils New York Rangers Clarence S. Campbell Bowl(Western Conference playoff champion) Los Angeles Kings Phoenix Coyotes Art Ross Trophy(Top scorer) Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins) Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning) Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy(Perseverance, Sportsmanship, and Dedication) Max Pacioretty (Montreal Canadiens) Daniel Alfredsson (Ottawa Senators)Joffrey Lupul (Toronto Maple Leafs) Calder Memorial Trophy(Best first-year player) Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado Avalanche) Adam Henrique (New Jersey Devils)Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Edmonton Oilers) Conn Smythe Trophy(Most valuable player, playoffs) Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings) Dustin Brown (Los Angeles Kings) Frank J. Selke Trophy(Defensive forward) Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins) David Backes (St. Louis Blues)Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings) Hart Memorial Trophy(Most valuable player, regular season) Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins) Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers)Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning) Jack Adams Award(Best coach) Ken Hitchcock (St. Louis Blues) Paul MacLean (Ottawa Senators)John Tortorella (New York Rangers) James Norris Memorial Trophy(Best defenceman) Erik Karlsson (Ottawa Senators) Zdeno Chara (Boston Bruins)Shea Weber (Nashville Predators) King Clancy Memorial Trophy(Leadership and humanitarian contribution) Daniel Alfredsson (Ottawa Senators) Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins)Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit Red Wings) Lady Byng Memorial Trophy(Sportsmanship and excellence) Brian Campbell (Florida Panthers) Jordan Eberle (Edmonton Oilers)Matt Moulson (New York Islanders) Ted Lindsay Award(Outstanding player) Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins) Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers)Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning) Mark Messier Leadership Award(Leadership and community activities) Shane Doan (Phoenix Coyotes) Ryan Callahan (New York Rangers)Shea Weber (Nashville Predators Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy(Top goal-scorer) Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning) Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins) NHL Foundation Player Award(Award for community enrichment) Mike Fisher (Nashville Predators) John-Michael Liles (Toronto Maple Leafs)Matt Moulson (New York Islanders) NHL General Manager of the Year Award(Top general manager) Doug Armstrong (St. Louis Blues) David Poile (Nashville Predators) Dale Tallon (Florida Panthers) Vezina Trophy(Best goaltender) Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers) Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings) Pekka Rinne (Nashville Predators) William M. Jennings Trophy(Goaltender(s) of team with fewest goals against) Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak (St. Louis Blues) Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings) All-Star teams Position First Team Second Team Position All-Rookie GHenrik Lundqvist, New York RangersJonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings GJhonas Enroth, Buffalo Sabres DErik Karlsson, Ottawa SenatorsZdeno Chara, Boston Bruins DJustin Faulk, Carolina Hurricanes DShea Weber, Nashville PredatorsAlex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues DJake Gardiner, Toronto Maple Leafs CEvgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh PenguinsSteven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning FAdam Henrique, New Jersey Devils RWJames Neal, Pittsburgh PenguinsMarian Gaborik, New York Rangers FGabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche LWIlya Kovalchuk, New Jersey DevilsRay Whitney, Phoenix Coyotes FRyan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers Source: NHL.NHL announces 2011-12 All-Star teams http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=635356 https://web.archive.org/web/20120623215906/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=635356 dead June 23, 2012 NHL June 23, 2012 June 20, 2012NHL announces 2011-12 All-Rookie squad http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=635358 https://web.archive.org/web/20120623215911/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=635358 dead June 23, 2012 NHL June 23, 2012 June 20, 2012 Player statistics Scoring leaders The following players lead the league in points at the conclusion of the regular season.http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20100107123318/http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm dead January 7, 2010 Player Stats: 2011–2012 Regular season: All Skaters – Total Points National Hockey League GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = P Plus–minus; PIM = Penalty minutes Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIMEvgeni Malkin Pittsburgh Penguins 75 50 59 109 +18 70Steven Stamkos Tampa Bay Lightning 82 60 37 97 +7 66Claude Giroux Philadelphia Flyers 77 28 65 93 +6 29Jason Spezza Ottawa Senators 80 34 50 84 +11 36Ilya Kovalchuk New Jersey Devils 77 37 46 83 −9 33Phil Kessel Toronto Maple Leafs 82 37 45 82 −10 20James Neal James Neal (ice hockey) Pittsburgh Penguins 80 40 41 81 +6 87John Tavares New York Islanders 82 31 50 81 −6 26Henrik Sedin Vancouver Canucks 82 14 67 81 +23 52Patrik Elias Patrik Eliáš New Jersey Devils 81 26 52 78 −8 16 Leading goaltenders The following goaltenders led the league in goals against average at the end of the regular season while playing at least 1,800 minutes.http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?season=20112012&gameType=2&team=&position=G&country=&status=&viewName=goalsAgainstAverage https://web.archive.org/web/20120126044240/http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?season=20112012&gameType=2&team=&position=G&country=&status=&viewName=goalsAgainstAverage dead January 26, 2012 Player Stats: 2011–2012 Regular season: Goalie – Goals Against Average leaders National Hockey League GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average Player Team GP Min W L OT GA SO SV% GAABrian Elliott St. Louis Blues 38 2234:35 23 10 4 58 9 .940 1.56Jonathan Quick Los Angeles Kings 69 4099:26 35 21 13 133 10 .929 1.95Cory Schneider Vancouver Canucks 33 1832:50 20 8 1 60 3 .937 1.96Henrik Lundqvist New York Rangers 62 3753:30 39 18 5 123 8 .930 1.97Jaroslav Halak Jaroslav Halák St. Louis Blues 46 2746:37 26 12 7 90 6 .926 1.97Jimmy Howard Detroit Red Wings 57 3360:17 35 17 4 119 6 .920 2.13Mike Smith Mike Smith (ice hockey, born 1982) Phoenix Coyotes 67 3903:12 38 18 10 144 8 .930 2.21Jean-Sebastien Giguere Jean-Sébastien Giguère Colorado Avalanche 32 1819:34 15 11 3 69 2 .919 2.27Kari Lehtonen Dallas Stars 59 3496:49 32 22 4 136 4 .922 2.33Miikka Kiprusoff Calgary Flames 70 4128:00 35 22 11 162 4 .921 2.35 Coaching changes Offseason Dallas Stars: Glen Gulutzan replaced the fired Marc Crawford. Florida Panthers: Kevin Dineen replaced the fired Peter DeBoer. Minnesota Wild: Mike Yeo replaced the fired Todd Richards. New Jersey Devils: Peter DeBoer was named as head coach for the 2011–12 season. John MacLean had been fired as head coach midway through the 2010–11 season, and Jacques Lemaire, who had retired, served as interim head coach. New York Islanders: This was Jack Capuano's first full season after replacing Scott Gordon on November 15, 2010. Ottawa Senators: Paul MacLean replaced the fired Cory Clouston. Winnipeg Jets: Claude Noel replaced Craig Ramsay following the former-Atlanta Thrashers' relocation to Winnipeg. In-season Anaheim Ducks: Randy Carlyle was fired on November 30, 2011, and replaced by Bruce Boudreau the same day Los Angeles Kings: On December 12, 2011, Terry Murray was fired and John Stevens served as interim, until Darryl Sutter was named team's head coach on December 20, 2011. Montreal Canadiens: Jacques Martin was fired on December 17, 2011, and assistant coach Randy Cunneyworth served as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. St. Louis Blues: Ken Hitchcock replaced Davis Payne on November 6, 2011. Toronto Maple Leafs: Randy Carlyle replaced Ron Wilson on March 2, 2012. Washington Capitals: Bruce Boudreau was fired on November 28, 2011, and replaced by interim Dale Hunter. Milestones First games The following is a list of notable players who played their first NHL game in 2011–12, listed with their first team: Player Team Notability Sean Couturier Philadelphia Flyers Frank J. Selke Trophy winner Marcus Foligno Buffalo Sabres King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner Roman Josi Nashville Predators James Norris Memorial Trophy winner, two-time NHL All-Star team selection Chris Kreider New York Rangers Most points in the playoffs by a player who had never played an NHL regular season game, two-time NHL All-Star Gabriel Landeskog Colorado Avalanche 2011–12 Calder Memorial Trophy winner, Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy winner, Mark Messier Leadership Award winner, one-time NHL All-Star, NHL All-Rookie Team selection Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Edmonton Oilers First overall pick in the 2011 draft Last games The following is a list of players of note who played their last NHL game in 2011–12, listed with their team: Player Team NotabilityJason Arnotthttp://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=690060 Jason Arnott announces retirement after playing 18 seasons in NHL | NHL.com - News November 8, 2013 December 1, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151201163300/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=690060 dead St. Louis Blues Over 1,200 games played, 1994 NHL All-Rookie Team, two-time NHL All-StarJason Blakehttp://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/jason-blake-niklas-hagman-anaheim-ducks-free-agency/ Ducks parting ways with Blake, Hagman August 31, 2016 August 11, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170811180844/http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/jason-blake-niklas-hagman-anaheim-ducks-free-agency/ live Anaheim Ducks Bill Masterton Trophy winnerAndrew Brunettehttp://wild.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=655551 https://web.archive.org/web/20130217050414/http://wild.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=655551 dead February 17, 2013 Brunette named Hockey Operations Advisor Minnesota Wild 2013-02-13 Chicago Blackhawks Former Minnesota Wild captain, over 1,000 games played Tomas Holmstromhttp://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=651895 https://web.archive.org/web/20130124172824/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=651895 dead January 24, 2013 Wings' four-time Cup champion Holmstrom retires January 22, 2013 Detroit Red Wings Over 1000 games played,Daymond Langkowhttp://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=123294&page=2 Langkow to retire September 9, 2026 November 24, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201124024346/https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=123294&page=2 live Phoenix Coyotes Over 1,000 games playedNicklas Lidstromhttp://redwings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=633441 https://web.archive.org/web/20120604051632/http://redwings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=633441 dead June 4, 2012 Lidstrom: It catches up to everyone May 31, 2012 Detroit Red Wings Seven-time Norris Trophy winner, most games played with only one teamEthan Moreau http://www.rds.ca/bulldogs/chroniques/342328.html Canadiens add Dufrense, Riendeau and Moreau to staff rds.ca 2012-06-20 2012-06-20 November 24, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121124143614/http://www.rds.ca/bulldogs/chroniques/342328.html dead Los Angeles Kings Former Edmonton Oilers captain, 2009 King Clancy Memorial Trophy winnerJohn Maddenhttps://sports.yahoo.com/news/panthers-center-john-madden-join-canadiens-scout-fan-141500483--nhl.html Panthers Center John Madden Will Join the Canadiens as a Scout: A Fan's Take - Yahoo! Sports January 14, 2017 June 28, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130628030824/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/panthers-center-john-madden-join-canadiens-scout-fan-141500483--nhl.html dead Florida Panthers Selke Trophy winnerSean O'Donnellhttp://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=679356 https://web.archive.org/web/20130806002111/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=679356 dead August 6, 2013 Retired defenceman Sean O'Donnell joins Los Angeles Kings front office Chicago Blackhawks Over 1,200 games playedChris Prongerhttp://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=686848 https://web.archive.org/web/20131017061553/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=686848 dead October 17, 2013 Report: Flyers' Pronger 'never going to play again' Philadelphia Flyers First defenceman to win Hart Trophy since 1972, Triple Gold Club member, over 1,100 games playedAndrew RaycroftRaycroft tackar för sig http://www.umeatidning.se/bloggar-sm/hockeyblogg/item/raycroft-tackar-for-sig umeatidning.se 2014-04-09 2014-04-09 sv Raycroft bows out dead https://web.archive.org/web/20140412022418/http://www.umeatidning.se/bloggar-sm/hockeyblogg/item/raycroft-tackar-for-sig April 12, 2014 Dallas Stars Calder Memorial Trophy winnerDwayne Rolosonhttps://archive.today/20130801153805/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nhl/news/20130610/dwayne-roloson-anaheim-ducks-goaltending-consultant.ap/ sportsillustrated.cnn.com Tampa Bay Lightning Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award winner, oldest active NHL player at time of retirement, last active NHL player to have been born in the 1960sBrian Rolstonhttp://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=668526 https://web.archive.org/web/20130513103920/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=668526 dead May 13, 2013 Brian Rolston retires after 17 NHL seasons Boston Bruins Over 1,200 games playedSteve Staioshttp://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=638570 https://web.archive.org/web/20120726135221/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=638570 dead July 26, 2012 Steve Staios retires after 18 seasons to join Maple Leafs' front office New York Islanders Over 1,000 games playedPetr Sykorahttps://www.si.com/nhl/home-ice/2014/03/17/petr-sykora-retires-devils-penguins Former Devils, Penguins forward Petr Sykora retires after 15-year NHL career December 7, 2017 August 11, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170811223344/https://www.si.com/nhl/home-ice/2014/03/17/petr-sykora-retires-devils-penguins live New Jersey Devils Over 1,000 games playedMarty Turco291050577809510400 brandonworley In case you missed it Stars officially announcing hiring of Marty Turco, Mike Modano and Mark Recchi tomorrow during a press conference. January 15, 2013 Boston Bruins Two-time Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award winner, NHL Foundation Player Award winner, two-time NHL All-Star Major milestones reached On October 6, 2011, Philadelphia Flyers forward Jaromir Jagr recorded his 1,600th NHL point. He became the ninth player in league history to reach this milestone. On October 20, 2011, Montreal Canadiens defenceman Hal Gill participated in his 1,000th NHL game. On October 21, 2011, San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton participated in his 1,000th NHL game. On October 22, 2011, Detroit Red Wings defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom participated in his 1,500th NHL game. He became the first European born (and 14th overall) player to play 1,500 NHL games. On November 12, 2011, Nashville Predators coach Barry Trotz and Los Angeles Kings coach Terry Murray both coached their 1,000th NHL games in separate contests. They became the 20th and 21st coaches in league history to reach this milestone. On November 16, 2011, New Jersey Devils forward Dainius Zubrus participated in his 1,000th NHL game. On November 25, 2011, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Vaclav Prospal participated in his 1,000th NHL game. On December 18, 2011, Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville won his 600th game as an NHL coach. He became the tenth coach in league history to reach this milestone. He became the second fastest coach in league history to reach the milestone in 1,113 games (Scotty Bowman, currently a Blackhawks senior advisor, did it in 1,002 games). On December 20, 2011, Washington Capitals forward Mike Knuble participated in his 1,000th NHL game. On December 26, 2011, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward was credited with scoring a goal. He is the tenth goaltender to achieve this in league history. On January 1, 2012, Calgary Flames forward Olli Jokinen participated in his 1,000th NHL game. On January 6, 2012, New Jersey Devils forward Patrik Elias participated in his 1,000th NHL game. On January 7, 2012, Calgary Flames forward Jarome Iginla recorded his 500th career goal. He became the 42nd player in league history to reach this milestone. On January 10, 2012, Minnesota Wild forward Matt Cullen participated in his 1,000th NHL game. On January 14, 2012, New York Islanders goaltender Evgeni Nabokov recorded his 300th career win. He became the 26th goaltender in league history to reach this milestone. On February 2, 2012, Edmonton Oilers forward Sam Gagner registered eight points (four goals and four assists) in one game. He became the 13th player in league history to achieve this. On February 8, 2012, Calgary Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff recorded his 300th career win. He became the 27th goaltender in league history to reach this milestone. On February 9, 2012, Ottawa Senators defenceman Chris Phillips participated in his 1,000th NHL game. On February 10, 2012, Detroit Red Wings forward Tomas Holmstrom participated in his 1,000th NHL game. On February 14, 2012, the Detroit Red Wings set a new NHL record for consecutive home wins at 21 straight with a 3–1 win over the Dallas Stars. The previous record of 20 consecutive wins was originally set by the Boston Bruins in 1929–30 and tied by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1975–76. The new record is 23 consecutive home wins. On February 27, 2012, New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist recorded his 30th win of the season, making him the only goaltender in NHL history to record seven consecutive 30-win seasons to begin his career. On March 4, 2012, New Jersey Devils forward Petr Sykora participated in his 1,000th NHL game. On March 11, 2012, Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin scored his 500th career point. On March 12, 2012, Anaheim Ducks forward Saku Koivu participated in his 1,000th NHL game. On March 24, 2012, Boston Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara participated in his 1,000th NHL game. On March 25, 2012, Phoenix Coyotes defenceman Derek Morris participated in his 1,000th NHL game. On March 30, 2012, Nashville Predators coach Barry Trotz won his 500th game as an NHL coach. He became the 17th coach in league history to reach this milestone. On March 31, 2012, Phoenix Coyotes forward Ray Whitney recorded his 1,000th NHL point. He became the 79th player in league history to reach this milestone. On April 5, 2012, New York Islanders defenceman Steve Staios participated in his 1,000th NHL game. On June 11, 2012, the Los Angeles Kings won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, becoming the first eighth seed to win the Cup. Broadcasting rights This was the fourth season of the league's Canadian national broadcast rights deals with CBC and TSN. During the regular season, CBC continued to air Saturday night Hockey Night in Canada games while TSN aired games on Wednesdays and other selected weeknights. CBC and TSN then split the first three rounds of the playoffs, selecting the rights to individual series using a draft-like setup. The Stanley Cup Final aired exclusively on CBC. This was the first season under the NHL's ten-year U.S. rights deal with NBC Sports, and the first full season after the January 2011 acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast (owner of the NHL's cable partner Versus). Notable changes under this new deal included an increase in nationally televised games on Versus (which was renamed NBCSN in January 2012), a new Thanksgiving Friday game on the NBC broadcast network, holding exclusive rights to all playoff games beginning with the second round (as opposed to the conference finals), and plans to broadcast all playoff games (subject to blackouts during the first round) nationally on NBC Universal channels.NHL, NBC/Versus Ink 10-Year, $2 Billion National TV Rights Contract https://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2011/4/19/2120467/nhl-nbc-versus-tv-contract SB Nation 3 April 2017 April 19, 2011 December 4, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231204101824/https://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2011/4/19/2120467/nhl-nbc-versus-tv-contract livePucin Diane NHL signs on with NBC/Versus for 10 more years http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/04/nhl-versus-nbc-hockey-television-contract.html Los Angeles Times April 29, 2011 April 19, 2011 November 4, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121104113532/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/04/nhl-versus-nbc-hockey-television-contract.html live See also 2011 in sports 2012 in sports References 2 External links 2011–12 NHL season at Hockey Reference 2011–12 NHL season at ESPN 2011 1 1