The 1990–91 NHL season was the 74th season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup winners were the Pittsburgh Penguins, who won the best of seven series 4–2 against the Minnesota North Stars. This was the last NHL season to end in May.
League business
At meetings in Florida on December 6, 1990, the NHL Board of Governors awarded provisional franchises to groups from Ottawa and Tampa. The Ottawa franchise marked a return to one of the original cities of the NHL, while Tampa meant the first franchise in the sunbelt state of Florida. In a later book published by NHL president Gil Stein, Stein revealed that the two groups were the only ones of the applicants who agreed to the $50 million expansion fee without question. The Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning began play in the 1992–93 season.
Regular season
Final standings
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Wales Conference
Campbell Conference
Playoffs
Playoff bracket
The North Stars defeated the Edmonton Oilers to become the first Norris Division team to appear in the Stanley Cup Finals since the 1981 realignment. At the time a record of 92 playoff games were played, and for the first time since the 1973 playoffs, no team was swept in a playoff series.
Stanley Cup Finals
Awards
All-Star teams
Player statistics
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes, PPG = Powerplay goals, SHG = Shorthanded goals, GWG = Game winning goals
Leading goaltenders
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average = SV% = Save percentage
Coaches
Patrick Division
New Jersey Devils: John Cunniff and Tom McVie
New York Islanders: Al Arbour
New York Rangers: Roger Neilson
Philadelphia Flyers: Paul Holmgren
Pittsburgh Penguins: Bob Johnson
Washington Capitals: Terry Murray
Adams Division
Boston Bruins: Mike Milbury
Buffalo Sabres: Rick Dudley
Hartford Whalers: Rick Ley
Montreal Canadiens: Pat Burns
Quebec Nordiques: Dave Chambers
Norris Division
Chicago Blackhawks: Mike Keenan
Detroit Red Wings: Bryan Murray
Minnesota North Stars: Bob Gainey
St. Louis Blues: Brian Sutter
Toronto Maple Leafs: Tom Watt
Smythe Division
Calgary Flames: Doug Risebrough
Edmonton Oilers: John Muckler
Los Angeles Kings: Tom Webster
Vancouver Canucks: Bob McCammon and Pat Quinn
Winnipeg Jets: Bob Murdoch
Milestones
Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1990–91 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
Robert Reichel, Calgary Flames
Dominik Hasek, Chicago Blackhawks
Keith Primeau, Detroit Red Wings
Mike Sillinger, Detroit Red Wings
Sergei Fedorov, Detroit Red Wings
Bobby Holik, Hartford Whalers
Geoff Sanderson, Hartford Whalers
John LeClair, Montreal Canadiens
Patrice Brisebois, Montreal Canadiens
Sean Hill*, Montreal Canadiens
Doug Weight*, New York Rangers
Tony Amonte*, New York Rangers
Mike Ricci, Philadelphia Flyers
Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins
Mats Sundin, Quebec Nordiques
Owen Nolan, Quebec Nordiques
Petr Nedved, Vancouver Canucks
Dmitri Khristich, Washington Capitals
Peter Bondra, Washington Capitals
Kris Draper, Winnipeg Jets
Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1990–91 (listed with their last team): Gord Kluzak, Boston Bruins Tony McKegney, Chicago Blackhawks Glen Hanlon, Detroit Red Wings Don Maloney, New York Islanders Lindy Ruff, New York Rangers Pete Peeters, Philadelphia Flyers Guy Lafleur, Quebec Nordiques Harold Snepsts, St. Louis Blues Paul MacLean, St. Louis Blues Rick Meagher, St. Louis Blues Stan Smyl, Vancouver Canucks Joel Quenneville, Washington Capitals
Broadcasting
This was the third season of the league's Canadian national broadcast rights deals with TSN and Hockey Night in Canada on CBC. Saturday night regular season games continued to air on CBC, while TSN televised selected weeknight games. Coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs was primarily on CBC, with TSN airing first round all-U.S. series.