WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.879 Welcome back to another deep dive. We are jumping 00:00:03.879 --> 00:00:06.700 straight into a pretty massive stack of Wikipedia 00:00:06.700 --> 00:00:09.339 excerpts today. Oh, yeah. A very tall sack. Yeah. 00:00:09.500 --> 00:00:11.839 We're essentially taking a time machine back 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:15.060 to the 1986 -87 National Hockey League season. 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:18.320 And our mission today is to take this packed, 00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:22.079 you know, 80 -game season spread across 21 franchises. 00:00:22.120 --> 00:00:25.519 Right. And distill it all down to the most pivotal 00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:28.420 moments. We're looking at the wildest front office 00:00:28.420 --> 00:00:31.690 scandals. the most bizarre anomalies, and frankly, 00:00:31.870 --> 00:00:34.909 the staggering statistics that define this very 00:00:34.909 --> 00:00:37.429 specific era of hockey. It really is a specific 00:00:37.429 --> 00:00:39.969 era. It is. I mean, imagine your favorite team 00:00:39.969 --> 00:00:42.210 today stepping onto the ice in the mid -80s. 00:00:42.229 --> 00:00:45.009 The math, the physicality, the sheer volume of 00:00:45.009 --> 00:00:46.969 scoring. It's an entirely different universe. 00:00:47.130 --> 00:00:49.090 Exactly. A completely different landscape. And 00:00:49.090 --> 00:00:53.049 the 86 -87 season, which happened to be the NHL's 00:00:53.049 --> 00:00:56.020 70th season overall, it serves as this... perfect 00:00:56.020 --> 00:00:58.960 microcosm of that era you have a league sitting 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:02.259 right in the middle of a historic dynasty but 00:01:02.259 --> 00:01:05.319 simultaneously they're experiencing these massive 00:01:05.319 --> 00:01:08.180 structural shifts the way the game was played 00:01:08.180 --> 00:01:11.120 managed and even just survived by the players 00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:13.819 It was all shifting. Yes. Survived is a good 00:01:13.819 --> 00:01:15.780 word for it. It is. It's fascinating because 00:01:15.780 --> 00:01:19.099 you see unbelievable individual feats happening 00:01:19.099 --> 00:01:21.959 right alongside this incredible behind the scenes 00:01:21.959 --> 00:01:25.140 chaos. Well, the dominance of the Edmonton Oilers 00:01:25.140 --> 00:01:27.739 is really the only place to start here. Oh, absolutely. 00:01:27.959 --> 00:01:30.280 You look at the standings from this season and 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:32.079 Edmonton isn't just winning the Stanley Cup. 00:01:32.180 --> 00:01:35.000 They're capturing their second straight president's 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:37.200 trophy as the top team in the regular season. 00:01:37.299 --> 00:01:39.640 Dominant. And the numbers they produced, they 00:01:39.640 --> 00:01:42.340 completely break. Break the modern understanding 00:01:42.340 --> 00:01:45.700 of the sport. I mean, get this. They scored 372 00:01:45.700 --> 00:01:48.560 goals that season. 372. Think about the sheer 00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:51.780 math for a second. In an 80 -game season, that 00:01:51.780 --> 00:01:53.739 means they're averaging over four and a half 00:01:53.739 --> 00:01:55.980 goals every single night. You're an opposing 00:01:55.980 --> 00:01:58.299 team stepping onto the ice against Edmonton. 00:01:58.819 --> 00:02:01.879 And, you know, you just know you likely need 00:02:01.879 --> 00:02:04.299 five goals just to push the game to overtime. 00:02:04.700 --> 00:02:06.900 Which is terrifying. That level of offensive 00:02:06.900 --> 00:02:11.319 production creates this psychological... deficit 00:02:11.319 --> 00:02:15.039 for opponents before the puck even drops. Edmonton 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:17.300 was the undisputed powerhouse of the Clarence 00:02:17.300 --> 00:02:20.080 Campbell Conference. They took the Smize division 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:24.139 with 106 points. And honestly, you have to feel 00:02:24.139 --> 00:02:25.960 a little bit of sympathy for the Calgary Flames 00:02:25.960 --> 00:02:28.300 that year. Oh, for sure. The Flames put together 00:02:28.300 --> 00:02:31.460 a genuinely fantastic season. They racked up 00:02:31.460 --> 00:02:35.050 95 points. Which is huge. Right. In almost any 00:02:35.050 --> 00:02:37.789 other era or honestly any other division, 95 00:02:37.789 --> 00:02:40.189 points makes you a dominant force. You're leading 00:02:40.189 --> 00:02:43.210 the pack. Exactly. But they had the misfortune 00:02:43.210 --> 00:02:45.669 of sharing a division with an Oilers team operating 00:02:45.669 --> 00:02:48.229 at absolute peak efficiency. It was a period 00:02:48.229 --> 00:02:51.610 of pure, relentless offensive power in that conference. 00:02:51.849 --> 00:02:54.430 And Edmonton was just setting the pace for everyone 00:02:54.430 --> 00:02:56.909 else. And setting that pace, obviously, was Wayne 00:02:56.909 --> 00:02:59.379 Gretzky. The great one. Operating on a level 00:02:59.379 --> 00:03:02.659 that almost defies logic. I mean, the stats from 00:03:02.659 --> 00:03:05.379 our sources show him playing 79 games and putting 00:03:05.379 --> 00:03:09.500 up 62 goals. 62? 62 goals alone is a career year 00:03:09.500 --> 00:03:12.139 for a Hall of Fame player. Oh, easily. But then 00:03:12.139 --> 00:03:14.699 you look at the assists column. This is the crazy 00:03:14.699 --> 00:03:20.310 part. Gretzky registered 121 assists 121 he essentially 00:03:20.310 --> 00:03:23.009 created a goal and a half for his teammates every 00:03:23.009 --> 00:03:26.090 time he laced up his skates finishing the year 00:03:26.090 --> 00:03:30.979 with 183 points in 79 games yeah Factor in his 00:03:30.979 --> 00:03:34.180 plus minus rating of plus 70, along with 13 power 00:03:34.180 --> 00:03:37.080 play goals, seven shorthanded goals. It becomes 00:03:37.080 --> 00:03:39.340 pretty clear he was entirely peerless. Which 00:03:39.340 --> 00:03:42.240 is precisely why he took home his eighth straight 00:03:42.240 --> 00:03:44.360 Hart Memorial trophy. Eighth straight. Yeah, 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:47.780 as MVP. And his seventh straight Art Ross trophy 00:03:47.780 --> 00:03:51.180 as the top scorer. Plus, you know, you add the 00:03:51.180 --> 00:03:53.639 Lester B. Pearson Award and the NHL Plus Minus 00:03:53.639 --> 00:03:56.180 Award to his resume that year. Yeah. When a single 00:03:56.180 --> 00:03:58.620 player is sweeping the hardware for that many 00:03:58.620 --> 00:04:01.759 consecutive years, it forces the entire league 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:05.060 to reevaluate their defensive structures. He 00:04:05.060 --> 00:04:08.039 wasn't just finding open space. He was anticipating 00:04:08.039 --> 00:04:11.340 the flow of the game, like three steps ahead 00:04:11.340 --> 00:04:13.759 of the defenseman. But the thing is, the Oilers 00:04:13.759 --> 00:04:16.259 were far from a one -man operation. No, not at 00:04:16.259 --> 00:04:18.639 all. The supporting cast in Edmonton was essentially 00:04:18.639 --> 00:04:21.120 an all -star roster that could have dominated 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:24.899 the league on their own. Jari Curry had 108 points. 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:28.199 Including 54 goals. Right. And Mark Messier was 00:04:28.199 --> 00:04:31.879 right on his heels with 107 points and 37 goals. 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:34.860 When your second and third options are breaking 00:04:34.860 --> 00:04:37.839 the 100 -point threshold, opposing coaches are 00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:39.819 just completely out of answers. What do you even 00:04:39.819 --> 00:04:42.220 do? Exactly. You can't shadow Gretzky without 00:04:42.220 --> 00:04:45.019 leaving Curry or Messier wide open. The concentration 00:04:45.019 --> 00:04:47.649 of talent. was an absolute nightmare for line 00:04:47.649 --> 00:04:50.350 matching. To put that into perspective, look 00:04:50.350 --> 00:04:52.589 over the Prince of Wales Conference. Okay. You 00:04:52.589 --> 00:04:54.329 had Mario Lemieux playing for the Pittsburgh 00:04:54.329 --> 00:04:57.930 Penguins, and Lemieux managed an incredible 107 00:04:57.930 --> 00:05:01.730 points in just 63 games. Wow. He tallied 54 goals 00:05:01.730 --> 00:05:05.449 and 53 assists. So on a point per game basis, 00:05:05.649 --> 00:05:07.949 Lemieux is matching the highest echelons of the 00:05:07.949 --> 00:05:11.250 sport. He's right there. He is. But because Edmonton 00:05:11.250 --> 00:05:14.389 had Gretzky, Curry, and Messier all operating 00:05:14.389 --> 00:05:17.310 at that elite level simultaneously, the Oilers' 00:05:17.370 --> 00:05:20.389 depth simply overwhelmed the singular brilliance 00:05:20.389 --> 00:05:23.009 you saw on other rosters. It's just wave after 00:05:23.009 --> 00:05:26.399 wave. Exactly. Well, moving beyond the staggering 00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:29.680 offensive numbers, the 86 -87 season was also 00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:32.100 filled with front office scandals. Oh, the drama. 00:05:32.339 --> 00:05:34.199 Stuff that feels like it belongs in a Hollywood 00:05:34.199 --> 00:05:37.699 script, honestly. The Pat Quinn situation is 00:05:37.699 --> 00:05:40.420 one of the most glaring examples of the chaotic 00:05:40.420 --> 00:05:43.000 nature of league operations at the time. It really 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:45.819 is. So Quinn was actively employed as the head 00:05:45.819 --> 00:05:48.480 coach of the Los Angeles Kings. But while standing 00:05:48.480 --> 00:05:51.139 behind the bench for L .A., he signed a contract 00:05:51.139 --> 00:05:53.579 to become the president and general manager of 00:05:53.579 --> 00:05:56.000 the Vancouver Canucks. A team in the exact same 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:58.540 division. The exact same division. The audacity 00:05:58.540 --> 00:06:01.420 of that move is just staggering when you consider 00:06:01.420 --> 00:06:03.759 the obvious conflicts of interest. You have a 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:07.550 coach. whose primary directive is to win games 00:06:07.550 --> 00:06:10.470 for Los Angeles while holding a signed contract 00:06:10.470 --> 00:06:13.509 to build the future of their direct divisional 00:06:13.509 --> 00:06:16.269 rival. It makes no sense. It completely undermines 00:06:16.269 --> 00:06:18.129 the integrity of the competition. Absolutely. 00:06:18.290 --> 00:06:21.670 So NHL president John Ziegler had to intervene 00:06:21.670 --> 00:06:24.670 to protect the league's reputation. And he didn't 00:06:24.670 --> 00:06:27.670 just hand down a fine. Ziegler expelled Quinn 00:06:27.670 --> 00:06:29.990 from the league pending an investigation. And 00:06:29.990 --> 00:06:32.750 ultimately barred him from coaching in the NHL 00:06:32.750 --> 00:06:36.089 until the 1990 -91 season. That's a heavy penalty. 00:06:36.350 --> 00:06:38.790 It was a massive disciplinary action. But it 00:06:38.790 --> 00:06:41.269 really exposed the somewhat Wild West environment 00:06:41.269 --> 00:06:44.350 of team management back then. Front offices were 00:06:44.350 --> 00:06:47.189 operating with a level of brazenness that modern 00:06:47.189 --> 00:06:49.189 league oversight would catch in a heartbeat. 00:06:49.449 --> 00:06:51.810 Oh, for sure. It forced the league to tighten 00:06:51.810 --> 00:06:54.269 its regulatory framework. You couldn't have general 00:06:54.269 --> 00:06:56.670 managers and coaches treating contracts like 00:06:56.670 --> 00:06:59.209 casual suggestions. Just a side hustle. Right. 00:06:59.470 --> 00:07:01.470 And that sense of logistical madness, it wasn't 00:07:01.470 --> 00:07:03.209 just confined to the front office. It extended 00:07:03.209 --> 00:07:05.589 right down to the operations of the games themselves. 00:07:05.930 --> 00:07:09.649 Oh, the 334 Club. Yes. The perfect illustration 00:07:09.649 --> 00:07:12.810 of that operational madness. I love this story. 00:07:12.930 --> 00:07:17.370 So it's January 22, 1987. The New Jersey Devils 00:07:17.370 --> 00:07:20.069 are set to host the Calgary Flames at the Brendan 00:07:20.069 --> 00:07:22.430 Byrne Arena. Okay. But the region gets hit by 00:07:22.430 --> 00:07:25.250 a massive, paralyzing blizzard. Just a whiteout. 00:07:25.350 --> 00:07:28.120 The roads are treacherous. The weather is apocalyptic. 00:07:28.459 --> 00:07:31.860 Travel is essentially impossible. Out of a massive 00:07:31.860 --> 00:07:36.399 arena that holds thousands of fans, exactly 334 00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:38.639 spectators make it through the doors. Picture 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:40.879 the atmosphere inside that building. It must 00:07:40.879 --> 00:07:44.100 have been so weird. Brennanburn Arena was a cavernous 00:07:44.100 --> 00:07:47.740 space. To have 334 people scattered across the 00:07:47.740 --> 00:07:50.240 stands while two professional hockey teams play 00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:53.420 a regular season game is surreal. Yeah. In today's 00:07:53.420 --> 00:07:56.019 highly polished television optimized NHL, that 00:07:56.019 --> 00:07:58.540 game is postponed immediately. Oh, 100 percent 00:07:58.540 --> 00:08:01.319 due to safety concerns and obviously lost gate 00:08:01.319 --> 00:08:04.300 revenue. Exactly. But the 1980s NHL was built 00:08:04.300 --> 00:08:06.819 on this localized show must go on mentality. 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:08.980 You would be able to hear every single blade 00:08:08.980 --> 00:08:11.759 cutting the ice. Every shout. Every shout from 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:14.060 the bench, the physical impact of every hit on 00:08:14.060 --> 00:08:16.800 the boards, the Devils actually recognized the 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:19.560 absurdity and the sheer dedication of those fans 00:08:19.560 --> 00:08:22.939 by dubbing them the 334 Club. It's a great badge 00:08:22.939 --> 00:08:26.040 of honor. It really immortalized the people who 00:08:26.040 --> 00:08:28.779 are stubborn enough to brave an apocalyptic storm 00:08:28.779 --> 00:08:31.220 just to watch their team play on a random Thursday 00:08:31.220 --> 00:08:33.740 night. It really highlights a completely different 00:08:33.740 --> 00:08:38.730 era of fandom and league logistics. You know, 00:08:38.730 --> 00:08:40.690 the physical endurance wasn't just limited to 00:08:40.690 --> 00:08:43.090 the fans in the blizzard. No. The players were 00:08:43.090 --> 00:08:46.710 enduring. unimaginable physical tolls on the 00:08:46.710 --> 00:08:49.070 ice. Borges -Salming is the prime example of 00:08:49.070 --> 00:08:51.690 that physical endurance. Yeah. The Toronto Maple 00:08:51.690 --> 00:08:54.289 Leafs defenseman took a skate blade to the face 00:08:54.289 --> 00:08:56.950 in late November. Just brutal. It was a horrific 00:08:56.950 --> 00:08:59.809 injury. It required more than 200 stitches to 00:08:59.809 --> 00:09:02.289 close. 200. 200. This wasn't a minor cut. It 00:09:02.289 --> 00:09:05.090 was major facial trauma. And get this, it was 00:09:05.090 --> 00:09:07.929 the third significant facial injury of his career. 00:09:08.250 --> 00:09:11.370 Which is just, wow. Despite having his face essentially 00:09:11.370 --> 00:09:14.649 stitched back together, Salming simply strapped 00:09:14.649 --> 00:09:17.129 on a visor and returned to the ice. It speaks 00:09:17.129 --> 00:09:19.529 to a deeply ingrained culture of playing through 00:09:19.529 --> 00:09:23.009 severe trauma. Just toughness. Right. The medical 00:09:23.009 --> 00:09:26.009 protocols and player safety standards were drastically 00:09:26.009 --> 00:09:28.370 different back then. Players were expected to 00:09:28.370 --> 00:09:30.590 absorb massive physical damage and just continue 00:09:30.590 --> 00:09:33.250 performing. Yeah. And while Solming was enduring 00:09:33.250 --> 00:09:36.549 that physical extreme, Other players were achieving 00:09:36.549 --> 00:09:39.509 milestones in the most unconventional ways imaginable. 00:09:39.570 --> 00:09:42.409 Oh, the Dennis Potvin milestone. This perfectly 00:09:42.409 --> 00:09:44.750 captures that unconventional flavor. It's so 00:09:44.750 --> 00:09:49.190 good. So April 4th, 1987, Potvin, the captain 00:09:49.190 --> 00:09:51.570 of the New York Islanders, becomes the first 00:09:51.570 --> 00:09:54.870 defenseman in NHL history to reach 1 ,000 career 00:09:54.870 --> 00:09:57.879 points. A huge deal. Reaching 1 ,000 points as 00:09:57.879 --> 00:10:01.039 a defenseman is an incredible testament to longevity 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:04.299 and skill. But the way he secured that specific 00:10:04.299 --> 00:10:07.200 milestone point is almost comical. It really 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:10.440 is. During a wild 6 -6 shootout of a game against 00:10:10.440 --> 00:10:13.799 the Buffalo Sabres, Potvin's teammate, Miko McAlay, 00:10:13.960 --> 00:10:17.019 took a shot that deflected directly off Potvin's 00:10:17.019 --> 00:10:19.440 arm and went into the net. Think about that. 00:10:19.679 --> 00:10:22.399 You spend your entire career dreaming of how 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:25.399 you'll hit that monumental 1 ,000th point. Maybe 00:10:25.399 --> 00:10:28.360 it's a blistering slap shot from the point or 00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:31.639 this brilliant cross ice pass. And it ends up 00:10:31.639 --> 00:10:34.559 being a pinball deflection off your arm in a 00:10:34.559 --> 00:10:38.539 game that ends in a 12 goal tie. It's a strangely 00:10:38.539 --> 00:10:41.179 fitting tribute to the unpredictable bounces 00:10:41.179 --> 00:10:44.460 that define the sport, really. It is. And, you 00:10:44.460 --> 00:10:46.899 know, that unpredictability extended to the relationship 00:10:46.899 --> 00:10:49.600 between the players and the league's officiating, 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:52.600 too. Yes. The Brian Trottier incident. Exactly. 00:10:53.019 --> 00:10:55.940 The Islanders' Brian Trottier was so frustrated 00:10:55.940 --> 00:10:58.100 with the state of the game that he authored an 00:10:58.100 --> 00:11:00.340 article in the Hockey News. He actually wrote 00:11:00.340 --> 00:11:03.220 it himself. He did. He publicly and directly 00:11:03.220 --> 00:11:05.759 criticized the officials for failing to call 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:08.600 penalties. He put his name on a piece demanding 00:11:08.600 --> 00:11:10.980 better enforcement of the rules. Which is a huge 00:11:10.980 --> 00:11:13.159 deal. It's a direct challenge to the authority 00:11:13.159 --> 00:11:15.799 of the league. Right. And NHL president John 00:11:15.799 --> 00:11:18.080 Ziegler, who remember, was already dealing with 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:20.059 the Pat Quain contract scandal. He's having a 00:11:20.059 --> 00:11:22.860 busy year. Very busy. He brought the hammer down 00:11:22.860 --> 00:11:27.250 again. fining Trottier $1 ,000. It really illustrates 00:11:27.250 --> 00:11:30.049 the simmering tension between the skilled players 00:11:30.049 --> 00:11:32.610 who wanted protection from the ramp that hooking 00:11:32.610 --> 00:11:35.789 and holding and a league that was struggling 00:11:35.789 --> 00:11:38.289 to manage this highly aggressive style of play. 00:11:38.450 --> 00:11:41.110 Even foundational elements like team names were 00:11:41.110 --> 00:11:43.610 being scrutinized and corrected during this season. 00:11:43.690 --> 00:11:46.129 Oh yeah, the Chicago situation. Right. The Chicago 00:11:46.129 --> 00:11:49.529 franchise had operated as the two -word Blackhawks 00:11:49.529 --> 00:11:53.039 for decades. But during the season, they officially 00:11:53.039 --> 00:11:56.100 dropped the space to become the one -word Blackhawks. 00:11:56.139 --> 00:11:58.379 Someone in the organization finally reviewed 00:11:58.379 --> 00:12:00.519 their original Franchise Incorporation document. 00:12:00.700 --> 00:12:03.240 Swept them long enough. Right. And they realized 00:12:03.240 --> 00:12:06.669 they had been misspelling their own name. For 00:12:06.669 --> 00:12:09.629 over half a century. Over 50 years. It's a minor 00:12:09.629 --> 00:12:12.149 administrative detail, I know, but it perfectly 00:12:12.149 --> 00:12:15.029 symbolizes a season where the league was constantly 00:12:15.029 --> 00:12:17.169 adjusting, correcting, and finding its modern 00:12:17.169 --> 00:12:19.830 footing. And you see that modernization taking 00:12:19.830 --> 00:12:23.070 place in the structure of the game itself, particularly 00:12:23.070 --> 00:12:25.289 when we look at the postseason. Okay, let's shift 00:12:25.289 --> 00:12:28.190 our focus to the playoffs then. Because the road 00:12:28.190 --> 00:12:30.690 to the Stanley Cup underwent a massive structural 00:12:30.690 --> 00:12:33.570 change this year. A huge change. The league mandated 00:12:33.570 --> 00:12:35.990 that all rounds of the playoffs, including the 00:12:35.990 --> 00:12:38.470 division semi -finals, would now be contested 00:12:38.470 --> 00:12:41.350 as best of seven series. Right. Previously, those 00:12:41.350 --> 00:12:43.429 early rounds were just a best of five sprint. 00:12:43.730 --> 00:12:46.009 And that expansion to a best of seven format 00:12:46.009 --> 00:12:48.730 fundamentally altered the physical and mental 00:12:48.730 --> 00:12:51.090 demands placed on the players. It's so many more 00:12:51.090 --> 00:12:54.389 games. It is. A best of five series leaves room 00:12:54.389 --> 00:12:57.769 for a hot goaltender or a lucky... to create 00:12:57.769 --> 00:13:00.690 an early upset. But by stretching every single 00:13:00.690 --> 00:13:04.029 round to a potential seven games, the NHL ensured 00:13:04.029 --> 00:13:06.549 that the deepest, most resilient teams would 00:13:06.549 --> 00:13:09.450 advance. It turned the playoffs into an absolute 00:13:09.450 --> 00:13:13.470 war of attrition. You now needed 16 grueling 00:13:13.470 --> 00:13:15.950 victories to lift the cup. And the team that 00:13:15.950 --> 00:13:18.210 embraced that grueling war of attrition better 00:13:18.210 --> 00:13:20.029 than anyone else in the East was the Philadelphia 00:13:20.029 --> 00:13:22.470 Flyers. Oh, the Broad Street Bullies' successors. 00:13:22.549 --> 00:13:25.590 Exactly. They were the undisputed kings of the 00:13:25.590 --> 00:13:27.970 Prince of Wales Conference, capturing the Patrick 00:13:27.970 --> 00:13:31.389 Division with 100 points. It's a solid 100. Under 00:13:31.389 --> 00:13:34.710 head coach Mike Keenan, the Flyers were the absolute 00:13:34.710 --> 00:13:38.210 antithesis of the Edmonton Oilers. While Edmonton 00:13:38.210 --> 00:13:43.870 relied on a high -flying, overly structured and 00:13:43.870 --> 00:13:46.210 incredibly punishing to play against. They were 00:13:46.210 --> 00:13:49.070 the ultimate defensive foil. If you look across 00:13:49.070 --> 00:13:51.269 the rest of the conference, Hartford took the 00:13:51.269 --> 00:13:53.970 Adams division with 93 points, and St. Louis 00:13:53.970 --> 00:13:57.110 won the Norris with 79 points. Okay. But Philadelphia 00:13:57.110 --> 00:14:00.340 was the standard bearer. Their run through that 00:14:00.340 --> 00:14:03.500 newly expanded playoff format was just a gauntlet. 00:14:03.580 --> 00:14:05.519 Total gauntlet. They dispatched the Rangers in 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:08.299 six games, survived a brutal seven -game series 00:14:08.299 --> 00:14:10.919 against the Islanders, and then took down the 00:14:10.919 --> 00:14:13.399 reigning champion Montreal Canadiens in six games. 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:15.600 Which set up the inevitable collision in the 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:18.340 Stanley Cup final. Here we go. The unstoppable 00:14:18.340 --> 00:14:21.399 offensive machine of the Edmonton Oilers against 00:14:21.399 --> 00:14:24.019 the immovable defensive wall of the Philadelphia 00:14:24.019 --> 00:14:26.840 Flyers. A true clash of styles. It really was. 00:14:26.980 --> 00:14:29.279 And the series lived up to... every expectation 00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:31.799 they pushed each other to the absolute limit 00:14:31.799 --> 00:14:34.679 going the full distance before the Oilers finally 00:14:34.679 --> 00:14:37.500 broke through to win game seven and claim the 00:14:37.500 --> 00:14:40.460 cup with a four to three series victory but you 00:14:40.460 --> 00:14:42.080 know the narrative of that Stanley Cup final 00:14:42.080 --> 00:14:45.340 isn't just about Edmonton cementing their dynasty 00:14:45.340 --> 00:14:49.019 no the defining story of that series and perhaps 00:14:49.019 --> 00:14:51.899 the entire Flyers season was the performance 00:14:51.899 --> 00:14:55.860 of their goaltender. Ron Hextall. Yes. Ron Hextall's 00:14:55.860 --> 00:14:58.860 86 -87 campaign is one of the greatest individual 00:14:58.860 --> 00:15:01.620 seasons by a rookie in the history of the sport. 00:15:01.740 --> 00:15:04.100 Unbelievable season. Despite his team losing 00:15:04.100 --> 00:15:06.840 the Stanley Cup final, Hextall was awarded the 00:15:06.840 --> 00:15:09.500 Consummate Trophy as the most valuable player 00:15:09.500 --> 00:15:11.960 of the playoffs. Which is so rare. Winning the 00:15:11.960 --> 00:15:14.279 Consummate in a losing effort is an incredibly 00:15:14.279 --> 00:15:17.120 rare distinction. The voters looked at a seven 00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:19.440 -game series where Edmonton ultimately prevailed, 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:21.259 and they... They still concluded that the rookie 00:15:21.259 --> 00:15:23.840 goaltender in the opposing net was the most impactful 00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:27.059 player on the ice. Because without Hextall, that 00:15:27.059 --> 00:15:29.720 series likely doesn't reach a Game 7. Not a chance. 00:15:29.879 --> 00:15:32.519 The Oilers' offense was too potent. You have 00:15:32.519 --> 00:15:34.840 to contextualize what Hextall accomplished over 00:15:34.840 --> 00:15:37.299 the entire year. He didn't just win the playoff 00:15:37.299 --> 00:15:40.779 MVP. He secured the Vizina Trophy as the league's 00:15:40.779 --> 00:15:42.980 top goaltender during the regular season. The 00:15:42.980 --> 00:15:45.659 workload he shouldered as a rookie is staggering. 00:15:46.019 --> 00:15:49.379 Just immense. He played 66 regular season games, 00:15:49.559 --> 00:15:53.600 earning 37 wins. He logged almost 3 ,800 minutes 00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:57.000 of ice time. Wow. Finishing with a 3 .0 goals 00:15:57.000 --> 00:16:00.879 against average and a .902 save percentage. Which, 00:16:00.899 --> 00:16:03.629 I know a 3. 3 .00 sounds a bit high today. Right. 00:16:03.710 --> 00:16:06.009 In an era where teams like Edmonton are scoring 00:16:06.009 --> 00:16:08.309 close to five goals a night, maintaining a 3 00:16:08.309 --> 00:16:11.049 .0 goals against average requires an incredible 00:16:11.049 --> 00:16:14.250 level of focus and athleticism. Completely. He 00:16:14.250 --> 00:16:16.950 beat out established veterans like Montreal's 00:16:16.950 --> 00:16:19.629 Patrick Roy and Brian Hayward to establish himself 00:16:19.629 --> 00:16:22.029 as the premier goaltender in the league. And 00:16:22.029 --> 00:16:24.830 Hextall's aggressive puck handling style changed 00:16:24.830 --> 00:16:27.029 the geometry of the game. He acted as a third 00:16:27.029 --> 00:16:28.549 defenseman. Right. Coming out of the crease. 00:16:28.809 --> 00:16:31.700 Yeah. Cutting off dump -ins and initiating the 00:16:31.700 --> 00:16:34.679 breakout, it is exceedingly rare for a first 00:16:34.679 --> 00:16:36.899 -year player to dictate the tactical approach 00:16:36.899 --> 00:16:40.000 of an entire league. But Hextall managed to do 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:42.320 it while carrying his team to the brink of a 00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:45.899 championship. Hextall was part of a massive influx 00:16:45.899 --> 00:16:48.539 of new talent that completely rejuvenated the 00:16:48.539 --> 00:16:50.879 league that year. The rookie class was insane. 00:16:51.399 --> 00:16:54.139 The 86 -87 season really felt like a changing 00:16:54.139 --> 00:16:56.980 of the guard. You have Luke Rabitosai debuting 00:16:56.980 --> 00:16:59.919 for the Los Angeles Kings and capturing the Calder 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:02.240 Memorial Trophy as the top rookie. Lucky Luke. 00:17:02.320 --> 00:17:04.660 Jimmy Carson and Steve Duchesne also debuted 00:17:04.660 --> 00:17:07.420 for the Kings, creating this massive youth movement 00:17:07.420 --> 00:17:10.339 in L .A. Yeah. Joe Murphy was taken first overall 00:17:10.339 --> 00:17:12.799 by the Detroit Red Wings. And you had future 00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:15.000 cornerstones like Gary Roberts and Joe Neuendijk 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:16.960 starting their careers with the Calgary Flames. 00:17:17.059 --> 00:17:19.900 It was such a transitional pivot point for the 00:17:19.900 --> 00:17:22.890 sport. Because as all of these dynamic young 00:17:22.890 --> 00:17:25.029 stars were stepping onto the ice to define the 00:17:25.029 --> 00:17:27.789 next decade, we were watching the final moments 00:17:27.789 --> 00:17:29.609 of some of the game's greatest legends. That's 00:17:29.609 --> 00:17:32.910 true. Mike Bossy, arguably one of the most lethal, 00:17:33.089 --> 00:17:37.230 pure goal scorers to ever play the game. He skated 00:17:37.230 --> 00:17:39.750 in his final season for the Islanders. An absolute 00:17:39.750 --> 00:17:42.509 legend. Gilbert Perreault, the foundational building 00:17:42.509 --> 00:17:45.289 block of the Buffalo Sabres franchise, announced 00:17:45.289 --> 00:17:48.509 his retirement. Yeah. Chico Rush. who was the 00:17:48.509 --> 00:17:51.990 last active NHL player born in the 1940s, finally 00:17:51.990 --> 00:17:56.069 hung up his skates. Wow. The 1940s. End of an 00:17:56.069 --> 00:17:58.299 era. Well, when you lay all of these stories 00:17:58.299 --> 00:18:01.440 out on the table, the 1986 -87 season is this 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:04.960 incredibly vibrant, chaotic snapshot of a sport 00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:07.420 in motion. Absolutely. You have Gretzky bending 00:18:07.420 --> 00:18:09.759 the statistical limits of the game to his will 00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:11.779 while coaches are getting banned for signing 00:18:11.779 --> 00:18:14.099 double contracts. Double dipping. You have an 00:18:14.099 --> 00:18:16.279 arena practically empty during a blizzard while 00:18:16.279 --> 00:18:19.099 a game plays on and a captain scoring his thousandth 00:18:19.099 --> 00:18:21.660 point off his arm. Too good. You have... Rules 00:18:21.660 --> 00:18:24.559 being challenged, formats expanding, and rookies 00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:27.279 going toe to toe with established dynasties in 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:30.539 a grueling seven game final. Thank you for joining 00:18:30.539 --> 00:18:32.980 us on this deep dive into one of the most fascinating 00:18:32.980 --> 00:18:35.680 years in hockey history. Keep digging into the 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:38.119 stats, keep exploring the stories, and we'll 00:18:38.119 --> 00:18:40.079 catch you on the next one. And as you think about 00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:42.440 everything we've discussed today, consider the 00:18:42.440 --> 00:18:45.099 long term ripple effects of this specific season. 00:18:45.900 --> 00:18:49.140 Did the overwhelming sheer offensive output of 00:18:49.140 --> 00:18:52.960 teams like the 86 -87 Oilers fundamentally force 00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:56.119 the rest of the league to invent modern defensive 00:18:56.119 --> 00:18:58.339 structures? Oh, that's a great point. Think about 00:18:58.339 --> 00:19:01.099 it. When you're facing a team that scores 372 00:19:01.099 --> 00:19:04.019 goals, traditional defense is no longer enough. 00:19:04.569 --> 00:19:06.829 Did the hyper -offense of this era essentially 00:19:06.829 --> 00:19:09.529 lay the necessary groundwork for the suffocating 00:19:09.529 --> 00:19:12.109 trap defenses and systematic checking that would 00:19:12.109 --> 00:19:15.029 eventually define the 1990s and shape the game 00:19:15.029 --> 00:19:17.450 we watch today? It's something for you to ponder.