The 1982–83 QMJHL season was the 14th season in the history of the

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL; , LHJMQ), formerly the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The league includes teams in Quebec ...

. The league underwent its first expansion since the 1973–74 QMJHL season by adding two new teams in

Drummondville Drummondville () is a city in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec, located east of Montreal on the Saint-François River. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 79,258. The mayor of Drummondville is Stéphanie Lacoste. Drummondville ...

and

Longueuil Longueuil () is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie, Montérégie administrative region and the central city of the urban agglomeration of Longueuil. It sits on the South Shore (Montreal), south shore o ...

. Divisions were restored, and eleven teams played 70 games each in the regular season. Rookie centreman Pat LaFontaine of the Verdun Juniors posted 234 points in the regular season, the second highest season total in

junior ice hockey Junior ice hockey is amateur-level ice hockey for 16 to 20 year-old players. National Junior teams compete annually for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The United States men's national junior ice hockey team are the defending champions from ...

history at the time, behind only Pierre Larouche's 251 points from the 1973–74 QMJHL season. LaFontaine went on to win six individual trophies at the season's end. The Longueuil Chevaliers, coached by Jacques Lemaire, set the

Canadian Hockey League The Canadian Hockey League (CHL; , LCH) is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canada-based major junior ice hockey leagues. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three me ...

record for the best first season by an expansion team after posting 37 wins and a winning percentage of 0.557 in 70 games, ahead of the 2003–04 Everett Silvertips with 35 wins and a winning percentage of 0.556 in 72 games. The Chevaliers also became the first expansion team to reach the championship series of the playoffs, a feat later equalled by the Silvertips. The Laval Voisins and Shawinigan Cataractes both set a QMJHL record with 33 wins on home ice during the regular season. The Laval Voisins finished first overall in the regular season, winning the Jean Rougeau Trophy. The Verdun Juniors won the President's Cup, defeating the Longueuil Chevaliers in the finals.

Team changes

* The Sherbrooke Castors relocate to

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu () is a city in eastern Montérégie in the Canadian province of Quebec, about southeast of Montreal, located roughly halfway between Montreal and the Canada–United States border with the state of Vermont. It is sit ...

, becoming the Saint-Jean Castors. * The

Montreal Juniors The Montreal Juniors were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1975 to 1982. They played at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. History The Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge were renamed in 1975, becoming t ...

relocate to

Verdun Verdun ( , ; ; ; official name before 1970: Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city in the Meuse (department), Meuse departments of France, department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. In 843, the Treaty of V ...

becoming the Verdun Juniors. * The Drummondville Voltigeurs join the league as an expansion franchise. * The Longueuil Chevaliers join the league as an expansion franchise.

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

Pat LaFontaine was the leading scorer of the playoffs with 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists). ;Quarterfinals * Laval Voisins defeated Hull Olympiques 4 games to 3. * Shawinigan Cataractes defeated Saint-Jean Castors 4 games to 0. * Verdun Juniors defeated Trois-Rivières Draveurs 4 games to 0. * Longueuil Chevaliers defeated Chicoutimi Saguenéens 4 games to 1. ;Semifinals * Longueuil Chevaliers defeated Laval Voisins 4 games to 1. * Verdun Juniors defeated Shawinigan Cataractes 4 games to 2. ;Finals * Verdun Juniors defeated Longueuil Chevaliers 4 games to 1.

All-star teams

;First team * Goaltender - Mario Gosselin, Shawinigan Cataractes * Left defence - J. J. Daigneault, Longueuil Chevaliers * Right defence - Michel Petit, Saint-Jean Castors * Left winger -

Sylvain Turgeon Joseph Sylvain Dorilla Turgeon (born January 17, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Hartford Whalers, New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Se ...

, Hull Olympiques * Centreman - Pat LaFontaine, Verdun Juniors * Right winger - Bobby Mormina, Longueuil Chevaliers * Coach - Jacques Lemaire, Longueuil Chevaliers ;Second team * Goaltender - Luc Guenette, Quebec Remparts * Left defence - Jocelyn Gauvreau, Granby Bisons * Right defence - Bobby Dollas, Laval Voisins * Left winger - Claude Vilgrain, Laval Voisins & Ronald Choules, Trois-Rivières Draveurs * Centreman -

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 1984–85 NHL season, 1984 and 2005–06 NHL se ...

, Laval Voisins * Right winger - Denis Dore, Chicoutimi Saguenéens * Coach - Ron Lapointe, Shawinigan Cataractes
List of First/Second/Rookie team all-stars

Trophies and awards

;Team * President's Cup - Playoff Champions, Verdun Juniors * Jean Rougeau Trophy - Regular Season Champions, Laval Voisins * Robert Lebel Trophy - Team with best GAA, Shawinigan Cataractes ;Player * Michel Brière Memorial Trophy - Most Valuable Player, Pat LaFontaine, Verdun Juniors * Jean Béliveau Trophy - Top Scorer, Pat LaFontaine, Verdun Juniors * Guy Lafleur Trophy - Playoff MVP, Pat LaFontaine, Verdun Juniors * Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy - Best GAA, Tony Haladuick, Laval Voisins * Emile Bouchard Trophy - Defenceman of the Year, J. J. Daigneault, Longueuil Chevaliers * Mike Bossy Trophy - Best Pro Prospect, Pat LaFontaine, Verdun Juniors &

, Hull Olympiques * Michel Bergeron Trophy - Offensive Rookie of the Year, Pat LaFontaine, Verdun Juniors * Raymond Lagacé Trophy - Defensive Rookie of the Year, Bobby Dollas, Laval Voisins * Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy - Most sportsmanlike player, Pat LaFontaine, Verdun Juniors * Marcel Robert Trophy - Best Scholastic Player, Claude Gosselin, Quebec Remparts

References

Official QMJHL Website

www.hockeydb.com/
{{DEFAULTSORT:1982-83 QMJHL season Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League seasons QMJHL