2009–10 NHL season

2009–10 NHL season
League	National Hockey League
Sport	Ice hockey
Duration	October 1, 2009 – June 9, 2010
Number of games	82
Number of teams	30
TV partner(s)	CBC, TSN, RDS (Canada) Versus, NBC (United States)
Draft
Top draft pick	John Tavares
Picked by	New York Islanders
Regular season
Presidents' Trophy	Washington Capitals
Season MVP	Henrik Sedin (Canucks)
Top scorer	Henrik Sedin (Canucks)
Playoffs
Playoffs MVP	Jonathan Toews (Blackhawks)
Stanley Cup
Champions	Chicago Blackhawks
Runners-up	Philadelphia Flyers

The 2009–10 NHL season was the 92nd season of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association (NHA). It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs currently being played, all the way up to early June 2010. A mid-season break from February 15 to 28 occurred to allow participation of NHL players in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Because of the Winter Olympics break, there was no NHL All-Star Game for 2010.

Regular season

Final standings

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division [1]	GP	W	L	OTL	GF	GA	PTS
y-New Jersey Devils	82	48	27	7	222	191	103
x-Pittsburgh Penguins	82	47	28	7	257	237	101
x-Philadelphia Flyers	82	41	35	6	236	225	88
e-New York Rangers	82	38	33	11	222	218	87
e-New York Islanders	82	34	37	11	222	264	79

Northeast Division [1]	GP	W	L	OTL	GF	GA	PTS
y-Buffalo Sabres	82	45	27	10	235	207	100
x-Ottawa Senators	82	44	32	6	225	238	94
x-Boston Bruins	82	39	30	13	206	200	91
x-Montreal Canadiens	82	39	33	10	217	223	88
e-Toronto Maple Leafs	82	30	38	14	214	267	74

Southeast Division [1]	GP	W	L	OTL	GF	GA	PTS
p-Washington Capitals	82	54	15	13	318	233	121
e-Atlanta Thrashers	82	35	34	13	234	256	83
e-Carolina Hurricanes	82	35	37	10	230	256	80
e-Tampa Bay Lightning	82	34	36	12	217	260	80
e-Florida Panthers	82	32	37	13	208	244	77

GP – Games Played W – Wins L – Losses OTL – OT/Shootout Losses GF – Goals For GA – Goals Against PTS – Points
* – Division Leader x – Clinched Playoff spot y – Clinched Division z – Clinched Conference p – Clinched Presidents' Trophy e – Eliminated from Playoff Contention

Western Conference

Central Division [1]	GP	W	L	OTL	GF	GA	PTS
y-Chicago Blackhawks	82	52	22	8	271	209	112
x-Detroit Red Wings	82	44	24	14	229	216	102
x-Nashville Predators	82	47	29	6	225	225	100
e-St. Louis Blues	82	40	32	10	225	223	90
e-Columbus Blue Jackets	82	32	35	15	216	259	79

Northwest Division [1]	GP	W	L	OTL	GF	GA	PTS
y-Vancouver Canucks	82	49	28	5	272	222	103
x-Colorado Avalanche	82	43	30	9	244	233	95
e-Calgary Flames	82	40	32	10	204	210	90
e-Minnesota Wild	82	38	36	8	219	246	84
e-Edmonton Oilers	82	27	47	8	214	284	62

Pacific Division [1]	GP	W	L	OTL	GF	GA	PTS
z-San Jose Sharks	82	51	20	11	264	215	113
x-Phoenix Coyotes	82	50	25	7	225	202	107
x-Los Angeles Kings	82	46	27	9	241	219	101
e-Anaheim Ducks	82	39	32	11	238	251	89
e-Dallas Stars	82	37	31	14	237	254	88

GP – Games Played W – Wins L – Losses OTL – OT/Shootout Losses GF – Goals For GA – Goals Against PTS – Points
* – Division Leader x – Clinched Playoff spot y – Clinched Division z – Clinched Conference p – Clinched Presidents' Trophy e – Eliminated from Playoff Contention

Conference standings

Eastern Conference^[2]

R		Div	GP	W	L	OTL	GF	GA	Pts
1	p – Washington Capitals	SE	82	54	15	13	318	233	121
2	y – New Jersey Devils	AT	82	48	27	7	222	191	103
3	y – Buffalo Sabres	NE	82	45	27	10	235	207	100
4	Pittsburgh Penguins	AT	82	47	28	7	257	237	101
5	Ottawa Senators	NE	82	44	32	6	225	238	94
6	Boston Bruins	NE	82	39	30	13	206	200	91
7	Philadelphia Flyers	AT	82	41	35	6	236	225	88
8	Montreal Canadiens	NE	82	39	33	10	217	223	88
8.5
9	New York Rangers	AT	82	38	33	11	222	218	87
10	Atlanta Thrashers	SE	82	35	34	13	234	256	83
11	Carolina Hurricanes	SE	82	35	37	10	230	256	80
12	Tampa Bay Lightning	SE	82	34	36	12	217	260	80
13	New York Islanders	AT	82	34	37	11	222	264	79
14	Florida Panthers	SE	82	32	37	13	208	244	77
15	Toronto Maple Leafs	NE	82	30	38	14	214	267	74

bold – Qualified for playoffs; y – Won division; p – Won Presidents' Trophy (and division)

AT - Atlantic Division, NE - Northeast Division, SE - Southeast Division

Western Conference^[2]

R		GP	W	L	OTL	GF	GA	Pts
1	z – San Jose Sharks	82	51	20	11	264	215	113
2	y – Chicago Blackhawks	82	52	22	8	271	209	112
3	y – Vancouver Canucks	82	49	28	5	272	222	103
4	Phoenix Coyotes	82	50	25	7	225	202	107
5	Detroit Red Wings	82	44	24	14	229	216	102
6	Los Angeles Kings	82	46	27	9	241	219	101
7	Nashville Predators	82	47	29	6	225	225	100
8	Colorado Avalanche	82	43	30	9	244	233	95
8.5
9	St. Louis Blues	82	40	32	10	225	223	90
10	Calgary Flames	82	40	32	10	204	210	90
11	Anaheim Ducks	82	39	32	11	238	251	89
12	Dallas Stars	82	37	31	14	237	254	88
13	Minnesota Wild	82	38	36	8	219	246	84
14	Columbus Blue Jackets	82	32	35	15	216	259	79
15	Edmonton Oilers	82	27	47	8	214	284	62

bold – Qualified for playoffs; y – Won division; z – Won conference (and division)

GP – Games Played W – Wins L – Losses OTL – OT/Shootout Losses GF – Goals For GA – Goals Against PTS – Points
* – Division Leader x – Clinched Playoff spot y – Clinched Division z – Clinched Conference p – Clinched Presidents' Trophy e – Eliminated from Playoff Contention

Tiebreaking procedures

Teams are ranked (ordered by how many games they won) at the end of the regular season. The team with the most points is ranked number one. If two or more teams are tied in points, the following method is used to rank the teams:^[3]

• The fewer number of games played. This would mean that a team scored more points per game than another team.
• The greater number of games won.
• The greater number of points earned in games between the tied clubs. This would be the team that was better than the other team when they played against each other.
  • If two teams are tied, and they have not played the same number of home games against the other, then:
    • The points earned in the first home game played by the team with more home games do not count.
  • If more than two clubs are tied, then:
    • The team with the most points earned per game in games among those clubs.
    • The "odd" games between those teams do not count.
• The team with the biggest differential between goals for and against for the entire regular season. This would be the team that won their games by the most goals.

Statistical leaders

Scoring leaders

The following players led the league in points at the conclusion of the regular season.^[4]

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	+/–	PIM
Henrik Sedin	Vancouver Canucks	82	29	83	112	+35	48
Sidney Crosby	Pittsburgh Penguins	81	51	58	109	+15	69
Alexander Ovechkin	Washington Capitals	72	50	59	109	+45	89
Nicklas Backstrom	Washington Capitals	82	33	68	101	+37	50
Steven Stamkos	Tampa Bay Lightning	82	51	44	95	-2	38
Martin St. Louis	Tampa Bay Lightning	82	29	65	94	-8	12
Brad Richards	Dallas Stars	80	24	67	91	-12	14
Joe Thornton	San Jose Sharks	79	20	69	89	+17	54
Patrick Kane	Chicago Blackhawks	82	30	58	88	+16	20
Marian Gaborik	New York Rangers	76	42	44	86	+15	37

Leading goaltenders

The following goaltenders led the league in goals against average at the end of the regular season.^[5]

GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average

Player	Team	GP	TOI	W	L	OT	GA	SO	SV%	GAA
Tuukka Rask	Boston Bruins	45	2,562:11	22	12	5	84	5	.931	1.97
Ryan Miller	Buffalo Sabres	69	4,047:10	41	18	8	150	5	.929	2.22
Martin Brodeur	New Jersey Devils	77	4,499:01	45	25	6	168	9	.916	2.24
Antti Niemi	Chicago Blackhawks	39	2,190:28	26	7	4	82	7	.912	2.25
Jimmy Howard	Detroit Red Wings	63	3,740:15	37	15	10	141	3	.924	2.26
Ilya Bryzgalov	Phoenix Coyotes	69	4,084:27	42	20	6	156	8	.920	2.29
Miikka Kiprusoff	Calgary Flames	73	4,235:19	35	28	10	163	4	.920	2.31
Henrik Lundqvist	New York Rangers	73	4,203:49	35	27	10	167	4	.921	2.38
Jaroslav Halak	Montreal Canadiens	45	2,629:56	26	13	5	105	5	.924	2.40
Evgeni Nabokov	San Jose Sharks	71	4,194:07	44	16	10	170	3	.922	2.43

Playoffs

See the main article: 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs

Playoff seeds

After the regular season, the standard of 16 teams qualified for the playoffs. The Washington Capitals won the Presidents' Trophy for having the best record in the league, at 121 points. Division champions maintain their relative ranking during the entire playoffs while the remaining teams get reseeded below them after each round.

Eastern Conference

The Stanley Cup

1. Washington Capitals – Southeast Division and Eastern Conference regular season champions; President's Trophy winners 121 points
2. New Jersey Devils – Atlantic Division champions, 103 points
3. Buffalo Sabres – Northeast Division champions, 100 points
4. Pittsburgh Penguins – 101 points (47 wins)
5. Ottawa Senators – 94 points (44 wins)
6. Boston Bruins – 91 points (39 wins)
7. Philadelphia Flyers – 88 points (41 wins)
8. Montreal Canadiens – 88 points (39 wins)

Western Conference

1. San Jose Sharks – Pacific Division champions and Western Conference regular season champions, 113 points
2. Chicago Blackhawks – Central Division champions, 112 points
3. Vancouver Canucks – Northwest Division champions, 103 points
4. Phoenix Coyotes – 107 points (50 wins)
5. Detroit Red Wings – 102 points (44 wins)
6. Los Angeles Kings – 101 points (46 wins)
7. Nashville Predators – 100 points (47 wins)
8. Colorado Avalanche – 95 points (43 wins)

Playoff bracket

^{[6] [7] [8] [9]}

	First Round					Second Round					Conference Finals					Stanley Cup Finals
	1	Washington Capitals	3
	8	Montreal Canadiens	4
						4	Pittsburgh Penguins	3
						8	Montreal Canadiens	4
	2	New Jersey Devils	1
	7	Philadelphia Flyers	4
											8	Montreal Canadiens	1
	Eastern Conference
										7	Philadelphia Flyers	4
	3	Buffalo Sabres	2
	6	Boston Bruins	4
						6	Boston Bruins	3
						7	Philadelphia Flyers	4
	4	Pittsburgh Penguins	4
	5	Ottawa Senators	2
																E7	Philadelphia Flyers	2
															W2	Chicago Blackhawks	4
	1	San Jose Sharks	4
	8	Colorado Avalanche	2
						1	San Jose Sharks	4
						5	Detroit Red Wings	1
	2	Chicago Blackhawks	4
	7	Nashville Predators	2
											1	San Jose Sharks	0
	Western Conference
										2	Chicago Blackhawks	4
	3	Vancouver Canucks	4
	6	Los Angeles Kings	2
						2	Chicago Blackhawks	4
						3	Vancouver Canucks	2
	4	Phoenix Coyotes	3
	5	Detroit Red Wings	4

NHL awards

2009–10 NHL awards

Award	Recipient(s)
Stanley Cup	Chicago Blackhawks
Presidents' Trophy	Washington Capitals[10]
Prince of Wales Trophy	Philadelphia Flyers[11]
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl	Chicago Blackhawks[12]
Art Ross Trophy	Henrik Sedin (Vancouver Canucks)[13]
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy	Jose Theodore (Washington Capitals)
Calder Memorial Trophy	Tyler Myers (Buffalo Sabres)
Conn Smythe Trophy	Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks)[14]
Frank J. Selke Trophy	Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings)
Hart Memorial Trophy	Henrik Sedin (Vancouver Canucks)
Jack Adams Award	Dave Tippett (Phoenix Coyotes)
James Norris Memorial Trophy	Duncan Keith (Chicago Blackhawks)
King Clancy Memorial Trophy	Shane Doan (Phoenix Coyotes)
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy	Martin St. Louis (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Ted Lindsay Award	Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)
Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy	Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning)[15]
NHL General Manager of the Year Award	Don Maloney (Phoenix Coyotes)
NHL Plus/Minus Award	Jeff Schultz (Washington Capitals)[16]
Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award	Tuukka Rask (Boston Bruins)[17]
Vezina Trophy	Ryan Miller (Buffalo Sabres)
William M. Jennings Trophy	Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils)[18]
Lester Patrick Trophy	Dave Andrews, Cam Neely, Jack Parker, Jerry York

Milestones

First games

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 2009–10, listed with their first team:

• John Tavares, New York Islanders
• Matt Duchene, Colorado Avalanche
• Tyler Myers, Buffalo Sabres
• Tyler Bozak, Toronto Maple Leafs

Last games

• Keith Tkachuk, St. Louis Blues

References

1. "2009-2010 Standings by Division - NHL.com". NHL.com. The National Hockey League. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
2. "2009–2010 Standings by Conference". National Hockey League.
3. "NHL tiebreaking procedures". sports.espn.go.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. December 21, 2009. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
4. "Player Stats: 2009–2010 Regular season: All Skaters – Total Points". National Hockey League.
5. "Player Stats: 2009–2010 Regular season: Goalie – Goals Against Average". National Hockey League.
6. "2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Conference Quarterfinals". NHL.com. The National Hockey League. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
7. "2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Conference Semifinals". NHL.com. The National Hockey League. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
8. "2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Conference Finals". NHL.com. The National Hockey League. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
9. "2010 Stanley Cup Final - Blackhawks vs. Flyers". NHL.com. The National Hockey League. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
10. "Capitals to Celebrate Presidents' Trophy". capitals.nhl.com. NHL Enterprises. April 8, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
11. Seravalli, Frank (May 25, 2010). "Flyers oust Canadiens to advance to Stanley Cup finals". philly.com. Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
12. Hamilton, Brian (May 23, 2010). "Hawks look but don't touch Campbell Bowl". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
13. "Sedin named Sporting News' player of the year". foxnews.com. FOX News Network. May 20, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
14. Gelston, Dan (June 9, 2010). "Blackhawks win first Stanley Cup since 1961". google.com. The Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 13, 2010. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
15. "Crosby, Stamkos share Richard Trophy". sports.espn.go.com. ESPN Internet Venture. April 12, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
16. "Player Stats - 2009-2010 - Regular Season - Summary - Plus/Minus". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
17. "NHL Tuukka Rask Profile". sportsnet.ca. Rogers Sportsnet. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
18. "Martin Brodeur". cbssports.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 26, 2010.

Other websites

Media related to 2009-2010 National Hockey League season at Wikimedia Commons

• NHL.com
• 2009–10 NHL season at Hockey Reference Archived 2017-07-11 at the Wayback Machine
• 2009–10 NHL season at ESPN
• Hockey Database