The 1980–81 QMJHL season was the

12th 12 (twelve) is the natural number following 11 and preceding 13. Twelve is a superior highly composite number, divisible by 2, 3, 4, and 6. It is the number of years required for an orbital period of Jupiter. It is central to many systems ...

season in the history of the

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ''LHJMQ'' in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The ...

. The league inaugurated three new trophies for players. The

Marcel Robert Trophy The Marcel Robert Trophy is awarded annually to the Scholastic Player of the Year in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ...

is first awarded to the "Best Scholastic Player" and the

Mike Bossy Trophy The Michael Bossy Trophy (''French:Trophée Michael Bossy'') is awarded annually to the player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League judged to be the best professional prospect. The award is named after former New York Islanders forward Mike Boss ...

is first awarded to the "Best Professional Prospect" for the upcoming

NHL Entry Draft The NHL Entry Draft (french: Repêchage d'entrée dans la LNH) is an annual meeting in which every franchise of the National Hockey League (NHL) systematically select the rights to available ice hockey players who meet draft eligibility requirem ...

. The league created a second

Rookie of the Year award A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

. The existing

Michel Bergeron Trophy The Michel Bergeron Trophy is awarded annually to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's "Offensive Rookie of the Year." From 1969 to 1980, the trophy was awarded to the QMHL's "Overall Rookie of the Year." The Bergeron trophy's counterpart since ...

becomes the "Offensive" Rookie of the Year award, and the

Raymond Lagacé Trophy The Raymond Lagacé Trophy is awarded annually to the Defensive Rookie of the Year in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Prior to 1980, there was only one Rookie of the Year trophy, the Michel Bergeron Trophy The Michel Bergeron Trophy is awar ...

is first awarded to the "Defensive" Rookie of the Year. Ten teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The defending champion

Cornwall Royals The Cornwall Royals were a junior ice hockey team based in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1969 to 1981, and the Ontario Hockey League from 1981 to 1992. This team shared its name with o ...

finished first overall in the regular season, winning the

Jean Rougeau Trophy The Jean Rougeau Trophy is awarded annually to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team that records the most points in the regular season. The trophy was named for former league president Jean Rougeau. Winners See also *Hamilton Spectator Tro ...

, and won their third, and second consecutive

President's Cup The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world minus Europe. Europe competes against the United States in a similar but considerably ...

, defeating the

Trois-Rivières Draveurs The Trois-Rivières Draveurs ("Raftmen") were a Canadian junior ice hockey team playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). They played home games at the Colisée de Trois-Rivières, in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. The team was origina ...

in the finals. The Royals went on to win their third, and second consecutive

Memorial Cup The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played between t ...

championship at the 1981 Memorial Cup tournament.

Team changes

* The

Sorel Éperviers The Sorel Éperviers (Black Hawks) were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1969 to 1981. The team was one of the founding members of the QMJHL. They mostly played at the Colisée Cardin in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, ...

remain in Sorel, Quebec after a mid-season move the previous season.

Final standings

''Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; PTS = Points; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against''
complete list of standings

Scoring leaders

''Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes''

Playoffs

Alain Lemieux was the leading scorer of the playoffs with 49 points (18 goals, 31 assists). ;Quarterfinals * Cornwall Royals defeated Quebec Remparts 4 games to 3. * Trois-Rivières Draveurs defeated Montreal Juniors 4 games to 3. * Chicoutimi Saguenéens defeated Shawinigan Cataractes 4 games to 1. * Sherbrooke Castors defeated Sorel Éperviers 4 games to 3. ;Semifinals * Cornwall Royals defeated Sherbrooke Castors 4 games to 3. * Trois-Rivières Draveurs defeated Chicoutimi Saguenéens 4 games to 3. ;Finals * Cornwall Royals defeated Trois-Rivières Draveurs 4 games to 1.

All-star teams

;First team * Goaltender -

Corrado Micalef Corrado Micalef (born April 20, 1961) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender who played five seasons with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League from 1981 to 1986. He later spent several years playing in Europe, ret ...

, Sherbrooke Castors * Left defence - Pierre Sevigny, Trois-Rivières Draveurs * Right defence - Fred Boimistruck, Cornwall Royals * Left winger - Normand Lefrancois, Trois-Rivières Draveurs * Centreman -

Dale Hawerchuk Dale Martin Hawerchuk (April 4, 1963 – August 18, 2020) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Drafted first overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, Hawerchuk played in the National Hockey League (NHL) fo ...

, Cornwall Royals * Right winger - Sean McKenna, Sherbrooke Castors * Coach - Andre Boisvert, Sherbrooke Castors ;Second team * Goaltender - Michel Dufor, Sorel Éperviers * Left defence - Robert Savard, Cornwall Royals * Right defence -

Gilbert Delorme Gilbert Delorme (born November 25, 1962, in Boucherville, Quebec) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who was a defenceman for five NHL teams. He played for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Quebec Nordiques, Detroit Red Wi ...

, Chicoutimi Saguenéens * Left winger - Normand Leveille, Chicoutimi Saguenéens * Centreman - Alain Lemieux, Trois-Rivières Draveurs * Right winger -

Jean-Marc Gaulin Jean-Marc Gaulin (born March 3, 1962) is a German-born Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 26 games in the National Hockey League with the Quebec Nordiques between 1983 and 1986. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1982 ...

, Sorel Éperviers * Coach -

Bob Kilger Robert Peter Paul Kilger (June 29, 1944 – November 29, 2021) was a Canadian politician. Born in Cornwall, Ontario, Kilger was the former Liberal member of Parliament for the Cornwall region, representing the riding Stormont—Dundas—South ...

, Cornwall Royals
List of First/Second/Rookie team all-stars

Trophies and awards

;Team *

- Playoff Champions,

- Regular Season Champions,

Robert Lebel Trophy The Robert Lebel Trophy is awarded annually to the team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the lowest goals against average Goals against average (GAA) also known as "average goals against" or "AGA" is a statistic used in field hockey ...

- Team with best GAA,

;Player *

Michel Brière Memorial Trophy The Michel Brière Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. It is named for former QMJHL and NHL player Michel Brière, who was killed in a car crash. There is another trophy with the ...

- Most Valuable Player,

, Cornwall Royals *

Jean Béliveau Trophy The Jean Béliveau Trophy is awarded to the top regular season scorer of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The award is named after Quebec native Jean Béliveau, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Béliveau died on December 2, 2014 at the age ...

- Top Scorer,

, Cornwall Royals *

Guy Lafleur Trophy The Guy Lafleur Trophy is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs. It is named for Hockey Hall of Famer and QMJHL alumnus Guy Lafleur Guy Damien Lafleur (September 20, 1951 – April 22, ...

- Playoff MVP, Alain Lemieux, Trois-Rivières Draveurs * Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy - Best GAA, Michel Dufour, Sorel Éperviers *

Emile Bouchard Trophy The Émile Bouchard Trophy is awarded annually by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, to the "Defenceman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing te ...

- Defenceman of the Year, Fred Boimistruck, Cornwall Royals *

- Best Pro Prospect,

, Cornwall Royals *

- Offensive Rookie of the Year,

Claude Verret Claude Verret (born April 20, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He was drafted in the eighth round, 163rd overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft. Biography Verret was born in Lachine, Quebec, but grew ...

, Trois-Rivières Draveurs *

- Defensive Rookie of the Year, Billy Campbell, Montreal Juniors * Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy - Most sportsmanlike player,

, Trois-Rivières Draveurs *

- Best Scholastic Player, Francois Lecomte, Montreal Juniors

References

Official QMJHL Website

www.hockeydb.com/
{{DEFAULTSORT:1980-81 QMJHL season Quebec Major Junior Hockey League seasons

QMJHL The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ''LHJMQ'' in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The l ...