The 1983–84 Hartford Whalers season was the Whalers' fifth

season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...

in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

Offseason

In early May, the Whalers hired Emile Francis as president and general manager of the club. As a player, Francis was a goaltender who played with the

Chicago Black Hawks (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...

from 1946 to 1952, in which he had a record of 32-52-10 and a 3.75 GAA in 95 games. Following his playing career, Francis was the head coach and general manager of the

from 1965 to 1976, where he led the team to a 342–209–103 record. From 1970 to 1973, Francis led the Rangers to three consecutive 100+ point seasons. After he was relieved of his duties in January 1976, Francis joined the St. Louis Blues as general manager and executive vice-president. Francis also was the head coach of the team for 124 games, as St. Louis had a 46–64–14 record. Francis accepted the position with Hartford, as St. Louis was having severe financial problems during this time. At the

1983 NHL Entry Draft The 1983 NHL Entry Draft was the 21st NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, on June 8, 1983. The NHL Entry Draft is the primary means by which players arrive in the National Hockey League. The St. Louis Blues did ...

held on June 8 at the

Montreal Forum Montreal Forum (french: Le Forum de Montréal) is a historic building located facing Cabot Square in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by ''Sporting News'', it was an indoor arena which served as the h ...

, the Whalers selected left winger Sylvain Turgeon from the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL with their first round, second overall selection. Turgeon played in 67 games with Hull, scoring 54 goals and 163 points to lead the club in scoring. In eight playoff games, Turgeon scored eight goals and 15 points. Another notable selection by Hartford was defenseman

Joe Reekie Joseph James Reekie (born February 22, 1965) is a Canadian former ice hockey player. Reekie was born in Victoria, British Columbia. Career Reekie was originally drafted in 1983 by the Hartford Whalers; however, he never signed with the team an ...

in the seventh round. On June 24, the Whalers acquired left winger

Norm Dupont Normand Joseph Gilles Dupont (born February 5, 1957) is a Canadian retired ice hockey forward (ice hockey), forward. As a youth, he played in the 1970 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Montréal-Nord ...

from the

Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, pl ...

for a fourth round draft pick in the

1984 NHL Entry Draft The 1984 NHL Entry Draft was the 22nd NHL Entry Draft. It took place on June 9, 1984, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The 1984 Entry Draft is noted for the unusually high number of future Hall of Famers picked, particularly in lower ...

. Dupont scored seven goals and 23 points in 39 games with the Jets during the 1982–83 season. In one playoff game, Dupont had a goal and an assist. In 1980–81, Dupont scored 27 goals and 53 points to finish third in team scoring. On July 5, Hartford traded defenseman

Mickey Volcan Michael Stephen Volcan (born March 3, 1962) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 162 National Hockey League games for the Hartford Whalers and Calgary Flames from 1980 until 1984. He recorded eight goals and 33 assist ...

to the

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...

in exchange for defensemen

Richie Dunn Richard L. Dunn (May 12, 1957 – September 20, 2016) was an American professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League with the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, and Hartford Whalers between 1977 and 1989. In his NHL caree ...

and Joel Quenneville. Dunn played in all 80 games for Calgary in 1982–83, scoring three goals and 14 points. In nine playoff games, Dunn added a goal and two points. Quenneville spent the 1982–83 season with the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...

before being traded to Calgary earlier in the off-season. In 74 games with New Jersey, Quenneville scored five goals and 17 points in their first season after they relocated from Colorado prior to the 1982–83 season. Two days later, on July 7, Hartford hired Jack Evans as the head coach. Evans had previous NHL head coaching experience with the California Golden Seals and

Cleveland Barons The name Cleveland Barons has been used by three professional hockey teams and one junior team. *Cleveland Barons (NHL), the National Hockey League team that played between 1976 and 1978 *Cleveland Barons (1937–1973), the original American Hockey ...

franchise from 1975 to 1978, where he led the club to a 74–129–37 record in their final three seasons before the team merged with the Minnesota North Stars. From 1978 to 1983, Evans was the head coach of the Salt Lake Golden Eagles of the

Central Hockey League The Central Hockey League (CHL) was a North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 until 2014. It was founded by Ray Miron and Bill Levins and later sold to Global Entertainment Corporation, which opera ...

, where he led the club to the Adams Cup in 1980 and 1981. As a player, Evans played with the

from 1948 to 1958, and the

from 1958 to 1963. He won the

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...

in 1961. In 754 career games, Evans scored 19 goals and 99 points, while in 56 playoff games, he had two goals and four points. On August 19, the Whalers acquired center Steve Stoyanovich from the

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ( ...

for a fifth round draft pick in the

1985 NHL Entry Draft The 1985 NHL Entry Draft was the 23rd NHL Entry Draft. It was the first draft outside Montreal. The event was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, and attended by 7,000 fans. The National Hockey League (NHL) teams sele ...

. Stoyanovich spent the 1982–83 season with the Indianapolis Checkers of the CHL, scoring 41 goals and 84 points in 79 games. In 13 playoff games, Stoyanovich scored six goals and nine points. On September 7, Hartford acquired right winger Tom Gorence from the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells ...

for future considerations. Gorence had seven goals and 14 points in 53 games with the Flyers during 1982–83. The Whalers reacquired defenseman Marty Howe on September 29, after receiving him from the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...

for future considerations. Howe had played with the Whalers from 1977 to 1982 before being traded after the 1981–82 season. In 78 games with Boston in 1982–83, Howe had a goal and 12 points, while in 12 playoff games, he earned an assist. On the next day, September 30, Hartford acquired center Greg Malone from the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

for a third round draft pick in the

. Malone finished third in Penguins team scoring during the 1982–83 season, scoring 17 goals and 61 points while playing in all 80 games. The Whalers were busy on October 3, as they traded left winger Greg Adams to the

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL) ...

for left winger

Torrie Robertson Torrie Andrew Robertson (born August 2, 1961) is a Canadian former ice hockey player who played for the Washington Capitals, Hartford Whalers and Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. Career Drafted in 1980 by the Capitals, Robertso ...

. Robertson appeared in only five games with Washington in 1982–83, scoring two goals. With the

Hershey Bears The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team based in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a town located 14 miles east of the state capital of Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the c ...

of the AHL, Robertson scored 21 goals and 54 points in 69 games, while accumulating 187 penalty minutes. In five playoff games with Hershey, Robertson had a goal and three points. Also on October 3, the Whalers participated in the NHL Waiver Draft, as they acquired center

Mike Zuke Michael P. Zuke (born 16 April 1954) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centreman who played eight seasons in the NHL between 1978 and 1986. Zuke was drafted 79th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 1974 NHL amateur draft. He played ...

and right wingers Bob Crawford and

Mike Crombeen Michael Joseph Crombeen (born April 16, 1957) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, who played in eight seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). His son B. J. also played in the NHL. Playing career Crombeen was born in Sarnia, ...

all from the St. Louis Blues. In 43 games, Zuke had eight goals and 24 points with the Blues in 1982–83. In 1980–81, Zuke finished tenth in the league in voting for the

Selke Trophy The Frank J. Selke Trophy, or simply the Selke Trophy, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey W ...

. Crawford appeared in 27 games with St. Louis in 1982–83, scoring five goals and 14 points. Crombeen scored six goals and 17 points in 80 games with the Blues in 1982–83. Hartford lost defenseman

Mark Renaud Mark Joseph Renaud (born February 21, 1959) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He was drafted in the fifth round, 102nd overall, by the Hartford Whalers in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. He played in the National Hockey League w ...

to the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...

in the draft.

Regular season

October

The Whalers opened the 1983–84 on the road on October 5 against the

, losing the game 5–3. Three nights later, the Whalers hosted the

for their home opener, as Hartford was led by two goals from Bob Crawford in a 4–3 win over the Bruins. On October 19,

Greg Millen Gregory H. Millen (born June 25, 1957) is a Canadian hockey commentator-analyst and a former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 14 seasons for six teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). He is currently a colour commentator on ''Ho ...

stopped all 22 shots he faced in a 3–0 victory over the

, as Hartford improved to 3-2-1 early in the season. Later in the month, on October 25, the Whalers defeated the Los Angeles Kings 8–5, improving the Whalers to 4–3–1. Hartford lost their last two games of the month, finishing October with a 4–5–1 record. The Whalers were in fourth place in the Adams Division and in the final playoff position, narrowly ahead of the last place

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

by 1 point.

November

Hartford moved into last place in the Adams Division on November 1, as they lost to the

6–2 at the

. The Whalers responded to this by winning four of their next five games, including a 6–1 blowout victory over the

on November 12 to improve to 8-7-1 to move back into fourth place in the division and hold on to the final playoff position. During this time, on November 10, the Whalers made a trade with the

. Hartford traded away goaltender Mark Veisor to the Jets for goaltender

Ed Staniowski Edward Emile Staniowski (born July 7, 1955) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets and Hartford Whalers in the National Hockey League. He won the Charlie Conacher Humanitarian Awa ...

. Staniowski appeared in only one game with Winnipeg at the time of the trade during the 1983–84 season, going 0-0-0 with a 12.00 GAA and a .600 save percentage. The Whalers then slumped by going winless in their next four games (0–3–1), dropping them back into last place. Hartford ended their winless skid with a 4–3 overtime win over the

on November 26 as

Blaine Stoughton Blaine A. Stoughton (born March 13, 1953) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played twelve professional seasons. Stoughton played nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple L ...

scored the winning goal. In their final game of November, the Whalers lost to the

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce B ...

6–2. Hartford has a record of 5-6-1 during November, bringing their overall record to 9-11-2 through the month. The Whalers were in last place, three points behind the

for the fourth and final playoff position in the Adams Division.

December

The Whalers opened December with two straight victories, including a 7–2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on December 3 in which Mark Johnson recorded the Whalers first hat trick of the season. With the two victories, the Whalers improved to 11-11-5 on the season, earning 27 points, climbing to within one point of the

for the final playoff spot. Hartford fell into a slump, going winless in their next seven games (0–6–1), dropping their record to 11–17–6, before snapping their slump with a 6–3 win over the

on December 22. The next night, the Whalers won their second in a row, defeating the Minnesota North Stars 5–3. Following the Christmas break, Hartford lost their remaining three games in December, including a 9–3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on December 30. Hartford struggled to a 4–9–1 record in December. The Whalers had an overall record of 13–20–3, earning 29 points, as the club fell nine points behind the fourth place

for the final playoff spot.

January

Hartford began January the same way they ended December, with a blowout loss, as the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

destroyed the Whalers 7–1 on January 3. In their next game, the Whalers ended their four-game losing skid with a 4–2 over the defending

champions, the

. The Whalers embarked on a five-game Western road trip, in which they opened it with a 5–3 loss against the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...

, followed by a 4–3 loss to the

. The Whalers managed to defeat the Minnesota North Stars in the third game of the trip, followed by a 3–3 tie against the

, however, the trip concluded with a 5–0 loss to the

. The Whalers returned home for a three-game home stand, as the Whalers tied the

3-3, followed by two losses. Back on the road on January 24, the Whalers and

played to a 7–7 tie, in which the Whalers blew a two-goal lead in the final eight minutes of the game. The winless streak continued to the end of the month, as Hartford lost to the

, followed by a loss and a tie in a home-and-home series against the Quebec Nordiques. Hartford had a record of 2-8-4 in the month of January, bringing their overall record to 15–28–7, earning 37 points. The team remained in the cellar of the Adams Division, 16 points behind the fourth place

February

The Whalers opened February with a 6–6 tie against the

, extending their winless streak to 10 games. The Whalers then snapped out of their slump, with three consecutive victories, which was the first time that the club had a winning streak of three games during the season. The winning streak was snapped on February 11 with a 6–3 loss to the

. On the next day, February 12, the Whalers earned their biggest victory of the season, as they shutout the best team in the NHL, the

, 11–0. During the game,

Ron Francis Ronald Michael Francis Jr. (born March 1, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He is the general manager of the Seattle Kraken that inaugurated its first season in 2021. Drafted fourth overall in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, F ...

and Greg Malone each earned a hat trick.

stopped all 28 shots he faced to earn his second shutout of the season. Following the big win against the Oilers, Hartford lost three of their next four games, with their only win an 8–2 victory over the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

. The Whalers won two of their final three games of February, including a 9–7 win over the

in which the teams combined for nine goals in the first period. On February 27, the Whalers acquired defenseman

Scot Kleinendorst Scot Brian Kleinendorst (January 16, 1960 – December 17, 2019) was an American ice hockey defenseman. Drafted in 1980 by the New York Rangers, Kleinendorst also played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Hartford Whalers and Washingt ...

from the

in exchange for right winger

. Kleinendorst had two assists in 23 games with New York during the season. Also, on the same date, Hartford signed free agent

Dave Tippett David G. Tippett (born August 25, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey coach and player. Tippett played in the NHL from 1983 to 1994 as a winger for the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Cap ...

. Tippett represented Canada at the

1984 Winter Olympics The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games (Serbo-Croatian and Slovene: ''XIV. Zimske olimpijske igre''; Cyrillic: XIV Зимске олимпијске игре; mk, XIV Зимски олимписки игр ...

, in which he scored a goal and two points in seven games. Hartford had a winning record in February with a 7–5–1 record, making it the first time all season they finished above .500 in a month. The Whalers overall record at the end of February was 22–33–8, earning 52 points. The Whalers remained in last place, 11 points behind the

for the final playoff berth.

March/April

Hartford opened March with a tie and a victory over the

in a home-and-home series to try to stay alive in the playoff race. The club then lost their next four games, including a must-win game against the

, to fall 14 points out of the final playoff spot by the middle of the month. With their playoff hopes gone, the Whalers finished the season on a positive note, going 5-5-1 in their final 11 games. The Whalers finished March/April with a 6–9–2 record, bringing their final overall record to 28–42–10, earning 66 points, and finishing in last place in the Adams Division. Hartford finished nine points behind the

for the final playoff position.

Final standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

Playoffs

Hartford failed to qualify for the post-season for the fourth consecutive season. The Whalers finished the season with a 28–42–10 record, earning 66 points, which was their highest point total since the 1979–80 season. The club finished nine points behind the fourth place

for the final playoff position in the Adams Division.

Player statistics

Awards and records

Transactions

The Whalers were involved in the following transactions during the 1983–84 season.

Trades

Waivers

Free agents

Draft picks

Hartford's draft picks at the

held at the

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Farm teams

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:1983-84 Hartford Whalers season Hartford Whalers seasons Hartford Hartford Hartford 1980s in Hartford, Connecticut