Bottom Line Mattered More Than Blue Line

NHL year in review

The NHL almost shut down because of a lockout by owners, the New Jersey Devils almost left town after winning the Stanley Cup, two Canadian cities lost their teams, and another U.S. city was in danger of losing a team as well.

Money was also the name of the game for players, many of whom did not seem satisfied with the highest salaries in NHL history. Along with contract squabbling, there also was the unloading of high-salaried players by teams seeking to cut costs.

As it turned out, in 1995 the bottom line was more important than the blue or red line.

On the ice, the Devils went about their work in a business-like manner in winning their first Cup, using a stingy, defensive style that was reminiscent of the successful Montreal Canadiens teams of old.

It was a season, though, that almost wasn’t.

The battle over a new collective bargaining agreement between owners and players was the story of the year in the NHL, resulting in the second shutdown in league history. The first was the players’ strike in April 1992.

No games were lost in the players’ strike. But plenty were lost this time before the belligerent sides finally settled the issue in January after 103 days. By then, the All-Star game had gone by the boards and the season was reduced to 48 games, just enough in commissioner Gary Bettman’s estimation to make it valid.

The playoffs were saved in their entirety, however, and the Devils emerged as champions for the first time in their history.

A team without many high-profile names, the Devils had a blue-collar approach under Jacques Lemaire and played superb defense with a system called the “neutral-zone trap.”

They were surprise champions, to be sure. A mediocre team for most of the season, the Devils weren’t given much of a chance to get out of their division, no less win the Cup.

The Devils came together in the playoffs, however, and knocked out Boston, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia before sweeping Detroit in a stunning four-game final. The Red Wings, with the best record during the regular season, had been the favorites to win the Cup.

The Devils’ success was soon overshadowed by headlines that owner John McMullen wasn’t happy with the team’s lease arrangements at the Brendan Byrne Arena and threatened to move to Nashville. McMullen eventually settled his economic problems, but that was more than could be said for teams in Quebec and Winnipeg.

The Nordiques moved to Colorado because of an economic squeeze there and the city of Winnipeg failed to save its team as well. The Jets announced they would play the 1995-96 season in Winnipeg, then move to another city. The Jets were first ticketed for Minneapolis, but that deal fell through because of a lack of finances. Ultimately, a group in Phoenix announced that it would bring the Jets there for the 1996-97 season.

There was still some question, though, where the Florida Panthers would move. The surprise team in the first few months of the 1995-96 season, the Panthers were up in the standings and also up for sale. Some rumors had the Panthers on their way to Nashville, the town that the Devils stood up.

On the ice, the Panthers were more of a sure bet. An expansion team that has never made the playoffs, they got off to quick start and held the No. 1 overall position in the league for most of the season’s early going.

The Panthers battled the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, the toughest in hockey. Pittsburgh, Detroit and Colorado were other teams off to great starts.

The Penguins sat on top of the Northeast Division despite the loss of several top players in a salary-cutting move. The main reason was Mario Lemieux, who was playing the best hockey of his career after sitting out last season because of health reasons.

Lemieux’s stirring comeback story was inspirational in a year that was otherwise filled with disgruntled players, for one reason or another.

Claude Lemieux, last season’s playoff MVP with the Devils, was the most notable player involved in a contract dispute. He eventually wound up in Colorado.

The most shocking trade of the season involved the Canadiens, who sent all-star goaltender Patrick Roy to Colorado in a blockbuster deal. It made the Avalanche a strong favorite for the Cup. Roy, who had won two Stanley Cups and three Vezina Trophies as the NHL’s top goaltender, had forced his trade in a moment of pique after an off-night.