1980–81 Quebec Nordiques season
| 1980–81 Quebec Nordiques | |
|---|---|
| Division | 4th Adams |
| Conference | 6th Wales |
| 1980–81 record | 30–32–18 |
| Home record | 18–11–11 |
| Road record | 12–21–7 |
| Goals for | 314 |
| Goals against | 318 |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Maurice Filion |
| Coach | Maurice Filion (1-3-2) Michel Bergeron (29-29-16) |
| Captain | Marc Tardif Robbie Ftorek |
| Arena | Colisée de Québec |
| Average attendance | 12,243 [1] |
| Minor league affiliate(s) | Rochester Americans (AHL) |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Jacques Richard (52) |
| Assists | Peter Stastny (70) |
| Points | Peter Stastny (109) |
| Penalty minutes | Dale Hunter (226) |
| Plus/minus | Mario Marois (+11) |
| Wins | Dan Bouchard (19) |
| Goals against average | Dan Bouchard (3.17) |
The 1980–81 Quebec Nordiques season was the Nordiques second season in the National Hockey League. Quebec improved on their inaugural NHL season, making the playoffs, only to lose in the first round.
Off-season
During the off-season, the Nordiques fired head coach Jacques Demers, and general manager Maurice Filion would begin the season as the head coach. This would mark Filion's third time behind the Nordiques bench, as he was the head coach of the club in the 1972–73 WHA season, and he served as an interim head coach at the end of the 1977-78 season. Quebec was able to sign brothers Peter Stastny and Anton Stastny, who both defected from Czechoslovakia. The brothers would have a huge impact in the league, as Peter would win the Calder Memorial Trophy awarded to the NHL's Rookie of the Year, and both Peter and Anton would set rookie records, each earning eight points in a game on February 22, 1981, leading Quebec to an 11-7 win over the Washington Capitals.
Regular season
The Nordiques season began with a nine-game road trip, and head coach Maurice Filion would replace himself with Michel Bergeron after the club had a 1-3-2 record in their opening six games. Quebec continued to struggle, and fifteen games into the season, they had a 1-9-5 record. The Nordiques would continue to struggle, and found themselves a season high fourteen games under .500 with an 11-26-12 record after 49 games. Quebec would then get red hot, posting a record of 19-6-6 in their remaining 31 games to finish the season at 30-32-18, earning 78 points, and their first ever berth into the NHL playoffs.
Offensively, the Nordiques were led by rookie Peter Stastny, who set a team record with 109 points, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy. Jacques Richard became the first Nordique to score over 50 goals in a season, as he scored 52, and registered 103 points. Anton Stastny also had a great rookie season, earning 85 points, while Robbie Ftorek and Michel Goulet had 75 and 73 points respectively. Pierre Lacroix led the Nordiques blueline, earning 39 points, while Dale Hunter had a team high 226 penalty minutes.
In goal, Dan Bouchard emerged as the number one goalie late in the season, winning a team record 19 games, while posting a team best 3.17 GAA, along with two shutouts. Michel Plasse had the most playing time, and he won 10 games with a 3.66 GAA in 33 games.
Season standings
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Sabres | 80 | 39 | 20 | 21 | 327 | 250 | 99 |
| Boston Bruins | 80 | 37 | 30 | 13 | 316 | 272 | 87 |
| Minnesota North Stars | 80 | 35 | 28 | 17 | 291 | 263 | 87 |
| Quebec Nordiques | 80 | 30 | 32 | 18 | 314 | 318 | 78 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 80 | 28 | 37 | 15 | 322 | 367 | 71 |
[2]Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.
Schedule and results
| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record | Pts | Attendance |
| 1 | October 9 | Quebec Nordiques | 5–5 | Calgary Flames | 0–0–1 | 1 | 7,243 |
| 2 | October 10 | Quebec Nordiques | 7–4 | Edmonton Oilers | 1–0–1 | 3 | 17,334 |
| 3 | October 12 | Quebec Nordiques | 2–8 | Vancouver Canucks | 1–1–1 | 3 | 13,130 |
| 4 | October 14 | Quebec Nordiques | 1–4 | Colorado Rockies | 1–2–1 | 3 | 4,627 |
| 5 | October 16 | Quebec Nordiques | 4–6 | Los Angeles Kings | 1–3–1 | 3 | 6,490 |
| 6 | October 19 | Quebec Nordiques | 4–4 | Winnipeg Jets | 1–3–2 | 4 | 12,728 |
| 7 | October 22 | Quebec Nordiques | 2–4 | Minnesota North Stars | 1–4–2 | 4 | 11,537 |
| 8 | October 25 | Quebec Nordiques | 2–4 | Hartford Whalers | 1–5–2 | 4 | 11,005 |
| 9 | October 26 | Quebec Nordiques | 4–7 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1–6–2 | 4 | 8,741 |
| 10 | October 29 | Vancouver Canucks | 3–3 | Quebec Nordiques | 1–6–3 | 5 | N/A |
| 11 | November 1 | Philadelphia Flyers | 3–3 | Quebec Nordiques | 1–6–4 | 6 | N/A |
| 12 | November 2 | Colorado Rockies | 5–4 | Quebec Nordiques | 1–7–4 | 6 | 10,400 |
| 13 | November 4 | Quebec Nordiques | 4–5 | Montreal Canadiens | 1–8–4 | 6 | 16,803 |
| 14 | November 9 | Quebec Nordiques | 1–3 | Philadelphia Flyers | 1–9–4 | 6 | 17,077 |
| 15 | November 11 | Chicago Black Hawks | 6–6 | Quebec Nordiques | 1–9–5 | 7 | N/A |
| 16 | November 12 | Winnipeg Jets | 1–5 | Quebec Nordiques | 2–9–5 | 9 | N/A |
| 17 | November 16 | Quebec Nordiques | 1–8 | Buffalo Sabres | 2–10–5 | 9 | 16,433 |
| 18 | November 18 | Washington Capitals | 2–6 | Quebec Nordiques | 3–10–5 | 11 | 9,023 |
| 19 | November 19 | Detroit Red Wings | 1–2 | Quebec Nordiques | 4–10–5 | 13 | 9,817 |
| 20 | November 22 | Calgary Flames | 3–3 | Quebec Nordiques | 4–10–6 | 14 | 10,185 |
| 21 | November 24 | Los Angeles Kings | 4–3 | Quebec Nordiques | 4–11–6 | 14 | 10,690 |
| 22 | November 26 | Minnesota North Stars | 2–5 | Quebec Nordiques | 5–11–6 | 16 | 10,290 |
| 23 | November 30 | New York Islanders | 7–3 | Quebec Nordiques | 5–12–6 | 16 | 10,159 |
| 24 | December 2 | Quebec Nordiques | 2–5 | St. Louis Blues | 5–13–6 | 16 | 9,115 |
| 25 | December 4 | Quebec Nordiques | 4–1 | Detroit Red Wings | 6–13-6 | 18 | 9,212 |
| 26 | December 6 | Quebec Nordiques | 2–5 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 6–14–6 | 18 | 16,485 |
| 27 | December 7 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4–4 | Quebec Nordiques | 6–14–7 | 19 | 9,330 |
| 28 | December 10 | Boston Bruins | 6–4 | Quebec Nordiques | 6–15–7 | 19 | 10,693 |
| 29 | December 11 | Quebec Nordiques | 5–3 | Boston Bruins | 7–15–7 | 21 | 8,241 |
| 30 | December 14 | Edmonton Oilers | 5–6 | Quebec Nordiques | 8–15–7 | 23 | 9,346 |
| 31 | December 17 | St. Louis Blues | 1–4 | Quebec Nordiques | 9–15–7 | 25 | 9,805 |
| 32 | December 20 | Quebec Nordiques | 2–5 | New York Islanders | 9–16–7 | 25 | 14,942 |
| 33 | December 21 | Hartford Whalers | 5–6 | Quebec Nordiques | 10–16–7 | 27 | 10,241 |
| 34 | December 23 | Montreal Canadiens | 2–2 | Quebec Nordiques | 10–16–8 | 28 | 10,672 |
| 35 | December 27 | Quebec Nordiques | 4–6 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 10–17–8 | 28 | 9,763 |
| 36 | December 30 | New York Rangers | 6–3 | Quebec Nordiques | 10–18–8 | 28 | 10,868 |
| 37 | January 3 | Buffalo Sabres | 3–3 | Quebec Nordiques | 10–18–9 | 29 | 10,868 |
| 38 | January 4 | Quebec Nordiques | 2–2 | New York Rangers | 10–18–10 | 30 | 17,425 |
| 39 | January 6 | Quebec Nordiques | 3–6 | St. Louis Blues | 10–19–10 | 30 | 12,080 |
| 40 | January 7 | Quebec Nordiques | 1–5 | Buffalo Sabres | 10–20–10 | 30 | 16,433 |
| 41 | January 10 | Quebec Nordiques | 5–5 | Montreal Canadiens | 10–20–11 | 31 | 17,199 |
| 42 | January 11 | Edmonton Oilers | 6–3 | Quebec Nordiques | 10–21–11 | 31 | 10,532 |
| 43 | January 13 | Winnipeg Jets | 3–3 | Quebec Nordiques | 10–21–12 | 32 | 9,425 |
| 44 | January 15 | Quebec Nordiques | 4–1 | Philadelphia Flyers | 11–21–12 | 34 | 17,077 |
| 45 | January 17 | Quebec Nordiques | 1–7 | Minnesota North Stars | 11–22–12 | 34 | 14,354 |
| 46 | January 18 | Quebec Nordiques | 2–7 | Chicago Black Hawks | 11-23–12 | 34 | 11,963 |
| 47 | January 21 | Buffalo Sabres | 6–5 | Quebec Nordiques | 11–24–12 | 34 | 14,060 |
| 48 | January 24 | Quebec Nordiques | 4–7 | New York Islanders | 11–25–12 | 34 | 15,008 |
| 49 | January 26 | Los Angeles Kings | 7–5 | Quebec Nordiques | 11–26–12 | 34 | 13,653 |
| 50 | January 28 | Detroit Red Wings | 2–2 | Quebec Nordiques | 11–26–13 | 35 | 14,734 |
| 51 | January 31 | New York Islanders | 1–5 | Quebec Nordiques | 12–26–13 | 37 | 14,900 |
| 52 | February 2 | Hartford Whalers | 2–4 | Quebec Nordiques | 13–26–13 | 39 | 12,435 |
| 53 | February 4 | Minnesota North Stars | 2–6 | Quebec Nordiques | 14–26–13 | 41 | 14,852 |
| 54 | February 7 | Philadelphia Flyers | 3–5 | Quebec Nordiques | 15–26–13 | 43 | 14,837 |
| 55 | February 8 | Quebec Nordiques | 4–3 | Boston Bruins | 16–26–13 | 45 | 10,865 |
| 56 | February 12 | Quebec Nordiques | 3–5 | Calgary Flames | 16–27–13 | 45 | 7,225 |
| 57 | February 13 | Quebec Nordiques | 4–2 | Edmonton Oilers | 17–27–13 | 47 | 17,490 |
| 58 | February 15 | Quebec Nordiques | 3–4 | Winnipeg Jets | 17–28–13 | 47 | 13,352 |
| 59 | February 17 | Quebec Nordiques | 6–3 | Colorado Rockies | 18–28–13 | 49 | 5,817 |
| 60 | February 18 | Quebec Nordiques | 4–2 | Los Angeles Kings | 19–28–13 | 51 | 9,841 |
| 61 | February 20 | Quebec Nordiques | 9–3 | Vancouver Canucks | 20–28–13 | 53 | 14,879 |
| 62 | February 22 | Quebec Nordiques | 11–7 | Washington Capitals | 21–28–13 | 55 | 10,346 |
| 63 | February 25 | Boston Bruins | 3–5 | Quebec Nordiques | 22–28–13 | 57 | 14,846 |
| 64 | March 2 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 5-4 | Quebec Nordiques | 22–29–13 | 57 | 14,743 |
| 65 | March 4 | Washington Capitals | 4–7 | Quebec Nordiques | 23–29–13 | 59 | 14,801 |
| 66 | March 8 | Chicago Black Hawks | 3–2 | Quebec Nordiques | 23–30-13 | 59 | 14,467 |
| 67 | March 10 | New York Rangers | 4–6 | Quebec Nordiques | 24–30–13 | 61 | 14,826 |
| 68 | March 11 | St. Louis Blues | 5–5 | Quebec Nordiques | 24–30–14 | 62 | 14,820 |
| 69 | March 14 | Quebec Nordiques | 3–3 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 24–30–15 | 63 | 14,836 |
| 70 | March 15 | Colorado Rockies | 0–3 | Quebec Nordiques | 25–30–15 | 65 | 14,499 |
| 71 | March 17 | Quebec Nordiques | 4-3 | Detroit Red Wings | 26–30-15 | 67 | 14,150 |
| 72 | March 18 | Quebec Nordiques | 6–4 | Washington Capitals | 27–30–15 | 69 | 8,520 |
| 73 | March 22 | Quebec Nordiques | 7–7 | New York Rangers | 27–30–16 | 70 | 17,414 |
| 74 | March 23 | Vancouver Canucks | 3–3 | Quebec Nordiques | 27–30–17 | 71 | 15,002 |
| 75 | March 25 | Calgary Flames | 2–4 | Quebec Nordiques | 28–30–17 | 73 | 14,970 |
| 76 | March 29 | Montreal Canadiens | 0–4 | Quebec Nordiques | 29–30–17 | 75 | 15,149 |
| 77 | March 31 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1–5 | Quebec Nordiques | 30–30–17 | 77 | 15,118 |
| 78 | April 1 | Quebec Nordiques | 4–5 | Hartford Whalers | 30–31–17 | 77 | 10,734 |
| 79 | April 4 | Quebec Nordiques | 5–5 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 30–31–18 | 78 | 16,485 |
| 80 | April 5 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4–2 | Quebec Nordiques | 30–32–18 | 78 | 15,100 |
Playoffs
The Nordiques opened the 1981 Stanley Cup playoffs with a best of five preliminary round against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers finished the season with a 41-24-15 record, earning 97 points, and second place in the Patrick Division. The series opened up with two games at the Philadelphia Spectrum, and in the series opener, the Flyers took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Brian Propp early in the game. The Nordiques Anton Stastny tied the game, however, the Flyers Bill Barber made it 2-1, and then Brian Propp added a second goal before the first period was over to give the Flyers a 3-1 lead. In the second period, Quebec fought back on goals by Michel Goulet and Dale Hunter to tie the game at 3-3. Philadelphia took control of the game in the third period, as Paul Holmgren and Al Hill made it 5-3 for the Flyers before Anton Stastny scored his second of the game for Quebec, making it 5-4 Flyers. Bill Barber scored an empty net goal in the last minute, as the Flyers took the series opener 6-4.
In the second game, the Flyers took an early 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Bill Barber and Mel Bridgman before Peter Stastny responded for the Nordiques, cutting the Flyers lead to 2-1. Bill Barber added a second goal late in the first period, giving the Flyers a 3-1 lead. Anton Stastny cut the Flyers lead to 3-2 with a goal early in the second, however, Bill Barber completed the hat trick 5:55 into the period, giving Philadelphia a 4-2 lead. The Flyers Tom Gorence made it 5-2 Philadelphia before Jacques Richard responded for the Nordiques, making it 5-3 after two periods. In the third period, Ken Linseman made it 6-3 for Philadelphia before the Nordiques fought back with two quick goals, one by Dale Hunter and another by Marc Tardif, putting the Nordiques within a goal at 6-5. Philadelphia's Mel Bridgman scored, followed by an empty net goal by Bobby Clarke, as the Flyers took a 2-0 series lead with an 8-5 victory.
The series shifted to Le Colisée for the next two games, and after two scoreless periods, the Nordiques Michel Goulet scored midway through the third to give the Nordiques a 1-0 lead. Peter Stastny scored late in the game, as Quebec shutout the Flyers 2-0, with Dan Bouchard made 32 saves, earning the victory and shutout.
In the fourth game, the Flyers Terry Murray scored seven seconds into the game, as Philadelphia took an early 1-0 lead. Robbie Ftorek responded for the Nordiques, however, the Flyers Behn Wilson and Tom Gorence added goals in the opening period, as the Flyers took a 3-1 lead. After a scoreless second period, and with the Nordiques facing elimination, Dale Hunter cut into the Flyers lead with a goal with less than five minutes remaining in the third period, making the score 3-2 for Philadelphia. Less than two minutes later, Jacques Richard completed the comeback, as the Nordiques scored to make it 3-3, heading into overtime. In overtime, Dale Hunter scored a quick goal 37 seconds into the extra period, as Quebec stunned the Flyers with a 4-3 win, and tied the series.
The fifth game was played in Philadelphia, and the Flyers opened the scoring on a goal by Rick MacLeish late in the first period. The Nordiques Michel Goulet quickly responded before the period was over, tying the game. In the second period, the Flyers re-took the lead, when Al Hill scored ten minutes into the period, making it 2-1 Philadelphia. In the third period, the Flyers took control of the game, scoring three quick goals to make it 5-1. Quebec's Anton Stastny scored to make it 5-2, however, that would be as close of the Nordiques got, as the Flyers won the game and took the series.
- Philadelphia Flyers 3, Quebec Nordiques 2
| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | April 8 | Quebec Nordiques | 4–6 | Philadelphia Flyers | 0-1 | 17,077 |
| 2 | April 9 | Quebec Nordiques | 5–8 | Philadelphia Flyers | 0-2 | 17,077 |
| 3 | April 11 | Philadelphia Flyers | 0–2 | Quebec Nordiques | 1-2 | 15,081 |
| 4 | April 12 | Philadelphia Flyers | 3–4 | Quebec Nordiques | 2-2 | 15,130 |
| 5 | April 14 | Quebec Nordiques | 2–5 | Philadelphia Flyers | 2-3 | 17,077 |
Player statistics
Scoring leaders
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Stastny | 77 | 39 | 70 | 109 | 37 |
| Jacques Richard | 78 | 52 | 51 | 103 | 39 |
| Anton Stastny | 80 | 39 | 46 | 85 | 12 |
| Robbie Ftorek | 78 | 24 | 49 | 73 | 104 |
| Michel Goulet | 76 | 32 | 39 | 71 | 45 |
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Stastny | 5 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 7 |
| Anton Stastny | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
| Michel Goulet | 4 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 7 |
| Dale Hunter | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 34 |
| Jacques Richard | 5 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 14 |
Goaltending
| Player | GP | Min | W | L | T | GA | SO | GAA |
| Dan Bouchard | 29 | 1740 | 19 | 5 | 5 | 92 | 2 | 3.17 |
| Michel Plasse | 33 | 1933 | 10 | 14 | 9 | 118 | 0 | 3.66 |
| Michel Dion | 12 | 688 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 61 | 0 | 5.32 |
| Ron Grahame | 8 | 439 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 40 | 0 | 5.47 |
| Player | GP | Min | W | L | GA | SO | GAA |
| Dan Bouchard | 5 | 286 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 1 | 3.99 |
| Michel Plasse | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4.00 |
Roster
| 1980-81 Quebec Nordiques | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Goaltenders
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Defensemen
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Wingers
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Centres
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Awards
Draft picks
Quebec's draft picks from the 1980 NHL Entry Draft which was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec.
| Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/junior/club team (league) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 24 | Normand Rochefort |  Canada |
Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) |
| 4 | 66 | Jay Miller |  United States |
University of New Hampshire (NCAA) |
| 5 | 87 | Basil McRae | Canada |
London Knights (OMJHL) |
| 6 | 108 | Mark Kumpel | United States |
University of Lowell (NCAA) |
| 7 | 129 | Gaston Therrien | Canada |
Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) |
| 8 | 150 | Michel Bolduc | Canada |
Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL) |
| 9 | 171 | Christian Tanguay | Canada |
Trois-Rivières Draveurs (QMJHL) |
| 10 | 192 | Bill Robinson | United States |
Acton-Boxborough Regional High School (USHS) |
Transactions
The Nordiques were involved in the following transactions during the 1980–81 season.
Trades
| August 11, 1980 | To Philadelphia Flyers Cash |
To Quebec Nordiques John Paddock |
| September 15, 1980 | To Philadelphia Flyers 7th round pick in 1981 – Vladimir Svitek Cash |
To Quebec Nordiques Andre Dupont |
| October 8, 1980 | To Winnipeg Jets Danny Geoffrion |
To Quebec Nordiques Cash |
| December 12, 1980 | To Los Angeles Kings Cash |
To Quebec Nordiques Ron Grahame |
| January 30, 1981 | To Calgary Flames Jamie Hislop |
To Quebec Nordiques Dan Bouchard |
| February 10, 1981 | To Winnipeg Jets Michel Dion |
To Quebec Nordiques Cash |
| March 10, 1981 | To Vancouver Canucks Garry Lariviere |
To Quebec Nordiques Mario Marois |
| June 9, 1981 | To Minnesota North Stars Nelson Burton |
To Quebec Nordiques Dan Chicoine |
Waivers
| October 10, 1980 | To Edmonton Oilers Curt Brackenbury |
| October 10, 1980 | From Boston Bruins John Wensink |
Free agents
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References
- ^ https://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=NHL1927&sid=1980
- ^ Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 152. ISBN 9781894801225.