The 2017–18 NHL season was the
101st season of operation (100th season of play) of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
. With the addition of a new expansion team, the
Vegas Golden Knights, 31 teams competed in an 82-game regular season. The regular season began on October 4, 2017, and ended on April 8, 2018. The
2018 Stanley Cup playoffs began on April 11, 2018, and concluded on June 7, with 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, a ...
winning their first
Stanley Cup in the
Finals over the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.
League business
Expansion
On June 22, 2016, the NHL confirmed that it had granted an
expansion franchise in the city of
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the List of United States cities by population, 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the U.S. state, state of Neva ...
to an ownership group led by
Bill Foley
William Foley is an American photojournalist whose work has been recognized by several national and international awards, including a Pulitzer Prize and International Press Freedom Awards. He has worked on assignment in 47 countries, with a par ...
,
whose identity was revealed as the
Vegas Golden Knights on November 22. The team plays in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. In June 2017, the
2017 NHL Expansion Draft was held to fill out the Golden Knights roster.
Olympics abstention and ban
On April 3, 2017, the NHL announced that, after five Olympic tournaments in which the NHL allowed its players to participate in the event, it would not do so for the
men's hockey tournament at the
2018 Winter Olympics
The 2018 Winter Olympics ( ko, 2018년 동계 올림픽, Icheon sip-pal nyeon Donggye Ollimpik), officially the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (french: Les XXIIIes Jeux olympiques d'hiver; ko, 제23회 동계 올림픽, Jeisipsamhoe Donggye Ollimpi ...
in
Pyeongchang
Pyeongchang (; in full, ''Pyeongchang-gun'' ; ) is a county in the province of Gangwon-do, South Korea, located in the Taebaek Mountains region. It is home to several Buddhist temples, including Woljeongsa. It is about east southeast of S ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. Furthermore, the league did not include a break for the Olympics in its schedule, and scheduled its All-Star Game as usual for late-January shortly prior to the Olympics (historically, the All-Star Game was not played during Olympic years).
Each team's mandatory
bye week, stipulated in the league's
CBA, was also scattered throughout the month of January.
The restriction will apply to any player under NHL contract, including those in its affiliated
minor leagues, but not to players signed to one-way contracts directly with the teams in those minor leagues nor players signed to entry-level contracts who are playing
junior ice hockey.
Several players had vowed to participate anyway, most notably
Alexander Ovechkin and
Evgeni Malkin. They did not wind up participating. The league had initially stated that minor league prospects would not be subject to the ban. As the league had little legal room to enforce a ban itself without running afoul of the
National Hockey League Players' Association,
the league instead colluded with the
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF; french: Fédération internationale de hockey sur glace; german: Internationale Eishockey-Föderation) is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland, and ...
, who agreed to establish a
blacklist
Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist (or black list) of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list. If someone is on a blacklist, ...
forbidding the national teams from offering invitations to players under NHL contracts.
Players with Olympic aspirations who were free agents, especially those whose NHL prospects were marginal, were advised not to sign NHL contracts and, if they wished to play professionally, sign directly with minor league clubs to maintain Olympic eligibility.
[ Former ]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 (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conf ...
captain Brian Gionta and former Olympian Jarome Iginla were among those who opted not to sign NHL contracts for the season prior to the Olympics; Iginla, because of a lingering injury, would not go to the Olympics.
Salary cap
On June 18, 2017, the National Hockey League Players' Association announced that the salary cap would be set at $75 million per team for the 2017–18 season.
Rule changes
The NHL Board of Governors passed some new rules that take effect this season, including:
* coach's challenge of offside - the original rule was put in place after a series of highly blatant off-side calls had been missed. The rule soon became a huge time waster, often requested by coaches whose team had allowed a goal wanting a review of the exact millimeter that a skate and the puck pass the blue line. To reduce the number of coach's challenges, there is now a two-minute penalty for delay of game if the review does not result in an offside being overturned.
* no timeouts after icing - as a team that causes an icing is not allowed to change the players on the ice, coaches took to calling their 30-second timeout to allow their players to rest, getting around the intent of the "no-changes" rule. This rule change eliminates that practice.
* touching high-sticked puck by power play team - previously, if a team on the man advantage played a puck after it was high-sticked, no matter where on the ice this happened, the play was stopped and the faceoff come all the way back to their own zone. This has been adjusted slightly so that, if the infraction happens in the short handed team's zone, the faceoff would only be moved back to the neutral zone just outside the short handed team's zone.
The Board of Governors has also stated that existing rules be fully enforced in certain situations that had become "unofficially" ignored:[
* enforcement of slashing rules - not a rule change as such, referees are now expected to enforce the existing two-minute penalty for slashing when players chop at the wrists and hands of a puck carrier. This follows a series of injuries - including a partially chopped-off finger - for this common practice that was rarely being penalized.
* faceoff infractions - not a rule change as such, referees are now expected to enforce the existing two-minute penalty for improper stance by a player taking a faceoff. This follows an extensive period where players have not been standing with their feet properly placed within the limits of the markings by the dot, with their bodies square to the end boards.
]
Media rights
This was the seventh season under the NHL's ten-year U.S. rights deal with NBC Sports
NBC Sports is an American programming division of the broadcast network NBC, owned and operated by NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal and subsidiary of Comcast. The division is responsible for sports broadcasts on the network, and it ...
, and the fourth season of its twelve-year Canadian rights deals with Sportsnet and TVA Sports. On December 19, 2017, Rogers Media renewed its sub-licensing agreement with CBC Television
CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French- ...
for ''Hockey Night in Canada
CBC Television has aired National Hockey League (NHL) broadcasts under the ''Hockey Night in Canada'' (often abbreviated ''Hockey Night'' or ''HNiC'') brand that is primarily associated with its Saturday night NHL broadcasts throughout its his ...
'' (which was to expire after this season) through the remainder of its tenure as national rightsholder.
Since CBC and NBC also hold the rights to air the Olympics in their respective countries, Rogers did not schedule any ''HNIC'' games on CBC during those Saturdays nights, only airing games on City
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be de ...
and Sportsnet. NBC originally decided not to air any NHL games at all during the Olympics, but later reversed course, and added three Sunday afternoon telecasts during the Olympics.
AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (which, along with AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh is an American regional sports network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery through its sports unit as part of the AT&T SportsNet brand of networks and is an affiliate of Bally Sports. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, the chann ...
, the regional broadcaster of 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 play ...
, re-branded from Root Sports over the off-season) was the inaugural regional television rightsholder for the Vegas Golden Knights. TSN
TSN may refer to:
Science and technology
* Translin, DNA binding protein involved in microRNA function
* Taxonomic serial number, a stable and unique taxonomic serial number issued by the Integrated Taxonomic Information System
* The Science Netwo ...
re-gained regional English-language rights to the 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 ...
, and extended its radio contract for co-owned CKGM. Rogers Media acquired the radio rights 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 (NHL), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
for newly acquired 650 CISL.
Centennial celebration
The NHL's centennial commemorations continued into the 2017–18 season, as its 100th season of play. On March 17, 2017, the NHL announced that it would hold an outdoor game at TD Place Stadium between the Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member ...
and 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 ...
on December 16, 2017, to formally mark the 100th anniversary of their first NHL game.
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 Divi ...
marked the centennial of the NHL's first game (which involved their predecessor, the Toronto Arenas
The Toronto Arenas or Torontos were a professional men's ice hockey team that played in the first two seasons of the National Hockey League (NHL). It was operated by the owner of the Arena Gardens, the Toronto Arena Company. As the ownership of ...
) with a "Next Century Game" on December 19, 2017 against the Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...
; the team wore special Toronto Arenas jerseys, and season ticket holders were encouraged to donate their tickets to the MLSE Foundation to allow students to attend this matinee game. Mayor of Toronto John Tory also declared December 19 "Toronto Maple Leafs Day".
Preseason games in China
On March 30, 2017, it was announced that the Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...
and 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 (NHL), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
would play two preseason games in China; on September 21 at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
and September 23 at the Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center in Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
. These were the first NHL games played in China.
Coaching changes
This was the first NHL season since the 1966–67 season in which no coaching changes took place during the regular season.
Arena changes
* 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 ...
moved to Little Caesars Arena, replacing their longtime home, the Joe Louis Arena.
* The Vegas Golden Knights played their inaugural season at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada.
* 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, a ...
' home arena was renamed from Verizon Center to Capital One Arena.
* The Winnipeg Jets' home arena was renamed from MTS Centre to Bell MTS Place in observance of the BCE Inc.
BCE Inc., formerly Bell Canada Enterprises Inc., is a publicly traded Canadian holding company for Bell Canada, which includes telecommunications providers and various mass media assets under its subsidiary Bell Media Inc. Founded through a c ...
acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS) earlier in the year.
Regular season
The regular season began on October 4, 2017, and ended on April 8, 2018. Each team received a five-day "bye week", all of which took place in mid-January.
International games
Two regular season games between the Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (N ...
and the Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member ...
were played at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden on November 10 and 11, 2017, branded as the SAP NHL Global Series.
Outdoor games
* The NHL 100 Classic was held on December 16, 2017, at TD Place Stadium in Lansdowne Park, Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, featuring the 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 ...
against the Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member ...
.
* The Winter Classic was held on January 1, 2018, at Citi Field in Flushing, New York
Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial and retail area, and the i ...
, with the New York Rangers playing 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 (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conf ...
.
* A Stadium Series game was held on March 3, 2018, at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...
, featuring two of last season's playoff teams, 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 Divi ...
and 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, a ...
.
All–Star Game
The 63rd National Hockey League All-Star Game
The National Hockey League All-Star Game (french: Match des Étoiles de la Ligue Nationale de Hockey, links=no) is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held during the regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL), with many ...
was held in Tampa, Florida
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough C ...
at Amalie Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
, on January 28, 2018. The format did not change, and followed the format used in two previous All-Star games.
Postponed game
The Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference, and initially played their home game ...
– 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 (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The ...
game scheduled for January 4, 2018, at TD Garden
TD Garden is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. It is named after its sponsor, TD Bank, a subsidiary of the Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Ontario. It opened in 1995 as a replacement for the original Boston Garden and has bee ...
in Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...
, , was postponed due to the effects of the January 2018 nor'easter. The game was rescheduled for April 8, the day after the regular season was originally scheduled to end.
Standings
Tie Breakers:
1. Fewer number of games played.
2. Greater Regulation + OT Wins (ROW)
3. Greatest number of points earned in head-to-head play (If teams played an unequal # of head-to-head games, the result of the first game on the home ice of the team with the extra home game is discarded.)
4. Greater Goal differential
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 was at home for games three and four (and game six, if necessary). The top three teams in each division made the playoffs, along with two wild cards
''Wild Cards'' is a series of science fiction superhero shared universe anthologies, mosaic novels, and solo novels. They are written by a collection of more than forty authors (referred to as the "Wild Cards Trust") and are edited by George ...
in each conference, for a total of eight teams from each conference.
In the First Round, the lower seeded wild card in the conference played against the division winner with the best record while the other wild card played against the other division winner, and both wild cards were de facto #4 seeds. The other series matched the second and third place teams from the divisions. In the first two rounds, home ice advantage was awarded to the team with the better seed. Thereafter, it was awarded to the team that had the better regular season record.
;Legend
* A1, A2, A3 – The first, second, and third place teams from the Atlantic Division, respectively
* M1, M2, M3 – The first, second, and third place teams from the Metropolitan Division, respectively
* C1, C2, C3 – The first, second, and third place teams from the Central Division, respectively
* P1, P2, P3 – The first, second, and third place teams from the Pacific Division, respectively
* WC – Wild Card teams
Statistics
Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in regular season points at the conclusion of games played on April 7, 2018.
Leading goaltenders
The following goaltenders led the league in regular season goals against average
Goals against average (GAA) also known as "average goals against" or "AGA" is a statistic used in field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender or goalkeeper (depending on ...
at the conclusion of games played on April 8, 2018, while playing at least 1,800 minutes.
NHL awards
The league's awards were presented at the NHL Awards ceremony, that was held following the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs on June 20 at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Finalists for voted awards were announced during the playoffs and winners were presented at the award ceremony. Voting concluded immediately after the end of the regular season. The Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy (french: Trophée des présidents) is an award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL) to the team that finishes with the most points (i.e. best record) during the NHL regular season. If two teams are tied for the mo ...
, the Prince of Wales Trophy
The Prince of Wales Trophy, also known as the Wales Trophy, is a team award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL). Named for Prince Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII and then Duke of Windsor), it has been awarded for diff ...
and Clarence S. Campbell Bowl are not presented at the awards ceremony. The Lester Patrick Trophy
The Lester Patrick Trophy has been presented by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey since 1966 to honor a recipient's contribution to ice hockey in the United States. It is considered a non-NHL trophy because it may be awarded to players, c ...
is announced during the summer and presented in the fall. For the first time, the Professional Hockey Writers' Association
The Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) is a North American professional association for ice hockey journalists writing for newspapers, magazines and websites. The PHWA was founded in 1967 and has approximately 180 voting members. The ...
voted to release each voters' ballot to the public after the awards ceremony.
All-Star teams
Milestones
First games
The following is a list of notable players who played their first NHL game during the 2017–18 season, listed with their first team.
Last games
The following is a list of players of note who played their last NHL game in 2017–18, listed with their team:
Major milestones reached
* On October 18, 2017, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Patrick Marleau played his 1,500th NHL game, becoming the 18th player to do so.
*On October 26, 2017, New York Rangers forward Rick Nash played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 314th player to reach the mark.
* On November 2, 2017, San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton scored his 1,400th career point, becoming the 20th player in league history to reach this milestone.
* On November 4, 2017, Anaheim Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano played his 800th consecutive game, becoming the 4th player in league history to reach this milestone.
* On November 15, 2017, Anaheim Ducks forward Antoine Vermette played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 315th player to reach the mark.
* On November 30, 2017, Vancouver Canucks forward Daniel Sedin became the 87th player in league history to score 1,000 points.
* On December 12, 2017, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward
Cameron Kenneth Ward (born February 29, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played the majority of his fifteen-year professional career for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for ...
recorded his 300th win, becoming the 32nd goaltender to reach the mark.
* On December 13, 2017, Dallas Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen recorded his 300th win, becoming the 33rd goaltender to reach the mark.
* On December 15, 2017, Los Angeles Kings forward Marian Gaborik played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 316th player to reach the mark.
* On December 18, 2017, Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Strome scored the 10,000th goal in Oilers history.
* On December 19, 2017, Toronto Maple Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk scored the 20,000th goal in Maple Leafs history.
* On December 21, 2017, Dallas Stars head coach Ken Hitchcock
Kenneth S. Hitchcock (born December 17, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey coach. Hitchcock coached the Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League ( ...
became the 3rd coach in league history to reach 800th wins.
* On December 21, 2017, Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Brown played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 317th player to reach the mark and the 30th to play 1,000 games with one franchise.
* On December 30, 2017, Detroit Red Wings forward Frans Nielsen recorded his 47th shootout goal, making him the all-time leader in shootout goals.
* On January 16, 2018 New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist became the first goaltender to win 20 games in 13 consecutive NHL seasons.
* On January 17, 2018, Dallas Stars head coach Ken Hitchcock became the fourth coach in league history to coach 1,500 games.
* On January 30, 2018, Dallas Stars defenceman Dan Hamhuis played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 318th player to reach the mark.
* On February 2, 2018, Minnesota Wild defenceman Ryan Suter recorded his 400th assist.
* On February 9, 2018, NHL Linesman Ryan Galloway officiated his 1,000th NHL game.
* On February 17, 2018, Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz became the fifth coach in league history to coach 1,500 games.
* On February 22, 2018, Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne reached his 300th win, becoming the 34th goaltender to reach the mark.
* On March 1, 2018, Nashville Predators general manager David Poile
David Poile (born February 14, 1950) is the President of Hockey Operations and General Manager of the NHL's Nashville Predators. He is the son of the former NHL hockey player, coach and executive Bud Poile.
Career
Poile was a successful hockey pl ...
won his 1,320th game as a general manager, surpassing Glen Sather
Glen Cameron “Slats” Sather (born September 2, 1943) is a Canadian ice hockey player, coach and executive. He is the current senior advisor and alternate governor of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was the Rangers ...
for most career wins as a general manager.
* On March 12, 2018, Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin scored his 600th goal, became the 20th player in league history to reach the mark.
* On March 12, 2018, Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury recorded his 400th win, becoming the 13th goaltender to reach the mark.
* On March 21, 2018, Calgary Flames forward Matt Stajan played in his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 319th player to reach the mark.
* On March 29, 2018, Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Brent Seabrook
Brent Seabrook (born April 20, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman under contract for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played fifteen seasons for the Chicago Blackhawks, who selected him ...
played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 320th player to reach the mark.
* On April 1, 2018, Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin played in his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 321st player to reach the mark.
* On April 5, 2018, Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo played his 1,000 NHL game, becoming the 322nd player and 3rd goaltender to reach the mark.
* On April 18, 2018, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby recorded his 173rd career playoff point, passing Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux (; ; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played parts of 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins between 1984 and 2006, and he assumed ownership of the ...
as the Penguins' all-time leading playoff scorer.
Uniforms
* Adidas became the official apparel provider of the NHL beginning with the 2017–18 season. New or otherwise refreshed jerseys for all teams were unveiled on June 20, 2017.
* The Ottawa Senators wore helmet stickers honouring former general manager Bryan Murray, who died in August 2017.
* All jerseys continued to have patches of the NHL's centennial emblem, located above or below the numbers on their right sleeves, for at least up to mid-December and the playing of the NHL 100 Classic.
* The Toronto Maple Leafs wore Toronto Arenas
The Toronto Arenas or Torontos were a professional men's ice hockey team that played in the first two seasons of the National Hockey League (NHL). It was operated by the owner of the Arena Gardens, the Toronto Arena Company. As the ownership of ...
throwback jerseys during their game on December 19, 2017.
* The Buffalo Sabres introduced a new third jersey at the 2018 NHL Winter Classic
The 2018 NHL Winter Classic (officially the 2018 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic) was an outdoor ice hockey game played in the National Hockey League (NHL) on January 1, 2018, at Citi Field in the New York City borough of Queens. The tenth edit ...
, wearing the uniform for three additional games later in the season.
See also
*2017–18 NHL transactions
The following is a list of all team-to-team transactions that have occurred in the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 2017–18 NHL season. It lists which team each player has been traded to, signed by, or claimed by, and for which player(s) o ...
*2017–18 NHL suspensions and fines
The following is a list of all suspensions and fines enforced in the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 2017–18 NHL season. It lists which players or coaches of what team have been punished for which offense and the amount of punishment the ...
*List of 2017–18 NHL Three Star Awards
The 2017–18 NHL Three Star Awards are the way 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 Unit ...
*2017 in sports
2017 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
Calendar by month
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Air sports
Aerobatics
* July 9 – ...
*2018 in sports
2018 in sports describes the year's events in world sport. The main events for this year were the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang.
Calendar by month
...
References
External links
2017–18 NHL season schedule
{{DEFAULTSORT:2017-18 NHL season
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