1980–81 Minnesota North Stars season explained

League:	NHL
Season:	1980–81
Year:	1980
Team:	Minnesota North Stars
Conferencerank:	5th
Divisionrank:	3rd
Record:	35–28–17
Goalsfor:	291
Goalsagainst:	263
Altcaptain:	None
Attendance:	14,175
Goalsleader:	Steve Payne (30)
Assistsleader:	Bobby Smith (64)
Pointsleader:	Bobby Smith (93)
Pimleader:	Greg Smith (126)
Plusminusleader:	Steve Payne (+14)
Winsleader:	Don Beaupre (18)
Gaaleader:	Don Beaupre (3.20)

The 1980–81 Minnesota North Stars season was the North Stars' 14th season. Although the North Stars finished the season with one less win and one less point than the previous season, they made a surprise appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals against the New York Islanders, which they lost 4 games to 1.

Offseason

NHL Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Nationality	College/junior/club team
1	16	Brad Palmer (F)		Victoria Cougars (WHL)
2	37	Don Beaupre (G)		Sudbury Wolves (OHA)
4	79	Mark Huglen (D)		Roseau High School (USHS-MN)
5	100	David Jensen (D)		University of Minnesota (WCHA)
6	121	Danny Zavarise (D)		Cornwall Royals (QMJHL)
7	142	Bill Stewart (RW)		University of Denver (WCHA)
8	163	Jeff Walters (RW)		Peterborough Petes (OMJHL)
9	184	Bob Lakso (LW)		Aurora-Hoyt Lakes High School (USHS-MN)
10	205	Dave Richter (D)		University of Michigan (WCHA)

Regular season

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

No.	R	Date	Score	Opponent	Record
1	W	October 11, 1980	9–3	Hartford Whalers (1980–81)	1–0–0
2	W	October 15, 1980	3–2	Boston Bruins (1980–81)	2–0–0
3	T	October 17, 1980	5–5	@ Colorado Rockies (1980–81)	2–0–1
4	L	October 18, 1980	2–6	@ Calgary Flames (1980–81)	2–1–1
5	W	October 22, 1980	4–2	Quebec Nordiques (1980–81)	3–1–1
6	W	October 24, 1980	4–2	@ Edmonton Oilers (1980–81)	4–1–1
7	W	October 25, 1980	4–1	Winnipeg Jets (1980–81)	5–1–1
8	T	October 29, 1980	2–2	St. Louis Blues (1980–81)	5–1–2
9	W	November 1, 1980	6–3	Pittsburgh Penguins (1980–81)	6–1–2
10	W	November 2, 1980	8–3	Calgary Flames (1980–81)	7–1–2
11	L	November 7, 1980	2–3	@ Vancouver Canucks (1980–81)	7–2–2
12	W	November 9, 1980	7–1	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1980–81)	8–2–2
13	T	November 11, 1980	6–6	@ New York Islanders (1980–81)	8–2–3
14	W	November 12, 1980	5–1	@ Hartford Whalers (1980–81)	9–2–3
15	W	November 15, 1980	5–2	Chicago Black Hawks (1980–81)	10–2–3
16	L	November 17, 1980	1–2	New York Islanders (1980–81)	10–3–3
17	W	November 19, 1980	3–2	@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1980–81)	11–3–3
18	T	November 20, 1980	1–1	@ Philadelphia Flyers (1980–81)	11–3–4
19	L	November 22, 1980	2–6	Chicago Black Hawks (1980–81)	11–4–4
20	L	November 26, 1980	2–5	@ Quebec Nordiques (1980–81)	11–5–4
21	W	November 29, 1980	4–2	@ Montreal Canadiens (1980–81)	12–5–4
22	W	December 1, 1980	5–3	@ New York Rangers (1980–81)	13–5–4
23	T	December 3, 1980	3–3	@ Washington Capitals (1980–81)	13–5–5
24	T	December 6, 1980	3–3	Buffalo Sabres (1980–81)	13–5–6
25	T	December 7, 1980	1–1	Detroit Red Wings (1980–81)	13–5–7
26	L	December 9, 1980	1–4	@ St. Louis Blues (1980–81)	13–6–7
27	L	December 10, 1980	2–7	Los Angeles Kings (1980–81)	13–7–7
28	W	December 13, 1980	4–3	Winnipeg Jets (1980–81)	14–7–7
29	L	December 15, 1980	3–6	Toronto Maple Leafs (1980–81)	14–8–7
30	L	December 17, 1980	2–4	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1980–81)	14–9–7
31	T	December 20, 1980	3–3	New York Rangers (1980–81)	14–9–8
32	W	December 23, 1980	6–2	@ Detroit Red Wings (1980–81)	15–9–8
33	W	December 26, 1980	5–3	@ Winnipeg Jets (1980–81)	16–9–8
34	W	December 27, 1980	6–4	Colorado Rockies (1980–81)	17–9–8
35	W	December 30, 1980	6–5	Philadelphia Flyers (1980–81)	18–9–8
36	W	January 3, 1981	3–0	Washington Capitals (1980–81)	19–9–8
37	T	January 4, 1981	2–2	@ Buffalo Sabres (1980–81)	19–9–9
38	T	January 7, 1981	1–1	Vancouver Canucks (1980–81)	19–9–10
39	L	January 9, 1981	2–4	@ Colorado Rockies (1980–81)	19–10–10
40	W	January 10, 1981	3–2	Washington Capitals (1980–81)	20–10–10
41	L	January 12, 1981	3–4	@ Boston Bruins (1980–81)	20–11–10
42	T	January 14, 1981	1–1	@ Buffalo Sabres (1980–81)	20–11–11
43	W	January 17, 1981	7–1	Quebec Nordiques (1980–81)	21–11–11
44	W	January 19, 1981	6–3	Montreal Canadiens (1980–81)	22–11–11
45	W	January 21, 1981	2–1	@ Washington Capitals (1980–81)	23–11–11
46	L	January 22, 1981	4–5	@ Philadelphia Flyers (1980–81)	23–12–11
47	W	January 24, 1981	6–1	Edmonton Oilers (1980–81)	24–12–11
48	W	January 26, 1981	3–2	Calgary Flames (1980–81)	25–12–11
49	L	January 28, 1981	1–3	@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1980–81)	25–13–11
50	T	January 29, 1981	3–3	@ Detroit Red Wings (1980–81)	25–13–12
51	L	January 31, 1981	3–7	New York Rangers (1980–81)	25–14–12
52	L	February 4, 1981	2–6	@ Quebec Nordiques (1980–81)	25–15–12
53	L	February 5, 1981	0–7	@ Montreal Canadiens (1980–81)	25–16–12
54	T	February 7, 1981	5–5	@ New York Islanders (1980–81)	25–16–13
55	T	February 8, 1981	3–3	@ New York Rangers (1980–81)	25–16–14
56	L	February 12, 1981	3–4	Toronto Maple Leafs (1980–81)	25–17–14
57	W	February 14, 1981	7–4	Hartford Whalers (1980–81)	26–17–14
58	W	February 15, 1981	7–2	Vancouver Canucks (1980–81)	27–17–14
59	W	February 18, 1981	6–2	Colorado Rockies (1980–81)	28–17–14
60	W	February 20, 1981	5–3	@ Winnipeg Jets (1980–81)	29–17–14
61	L	February 21, 1981	3–5	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1980–81)	29–18–14
62	L	February 23, 1981	1–4	New York Islanders (1980–81)	29–19–14
63	L	February 25, 1981	2–3	@ Hartford Whalers (1980–81)	29–20–14
64	L	February 26, 1981	1–5	@ Boston Bruins (1980–81)	29–21–14
65	L	February 28, 1981	2–4	Philadelphia Flyers (1980–81)	29–22–14
66	T	March 4, 1981	3–3	Boston Bruins (1980–81)	29–22–15
67	W	March 7, 1981	8–5	Pittsburgh Penguins (1980–81)	30–22–15
68	T	March 9, 1981	1–1	Montreal Canadiens (1980–81)	30–22–16
69	W	March 11, 1981	3–1	Buffalo Sabres (1980–81)	31–22–16
70	L	March 12, 1981	3–6	@ Calgary Flames (1980–81)	31–23–16
71	L	March 14, 1981	4–10	@ Los Angeles Kings (1980–81)	31–24–16
72	L	March 18, 1981	3–5	Edmonton Oilers (1980–81)	31–25–16
73	T	March 20, 1981	1–1	@ Edmonton Oilers (1980–81)	31–25–17
74	W	March 22, 1981	9–3	Detroit Red Wings (1980–81)	32–25–17
75	L	March 24, 1981	3–4	Los Angeles Kings (1980–81)	32–26–17
76	L	March 28, 1981	2–3	@ Los Angeles Kings (1980–81)	32–27–17
77	W	March 29, 1981	4–2	@ Vancouver Canucks (1980–81)	33–27–17
78	W	March 31, 1981	6–3	St. Louis Blues (1980–81)	34–27–17
79	W	April 4, 1981	5–0	@ St. Louis Blues (1980–81)	35–27–17
80	L	April 5, 1981	4–8	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1980–81)	35–28–17

Player statistics

Skaters

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM
	78	29	64	93	+1	73
	74	25	41	66	+6	40
	78	21	39	60	-6	94
	76	30	28	58	+14	88
	62	23	25	48	+3	62
	74	13	30	43	-9	124
	77	17	24	41	+8	22
	56	26	13	39	-9	58
	50	6	31	37	+2	94
	48	10	24	34	+1	18
	32	18	12	30	+2	29
	67	5	22	27	+8	56
	74	5	21	26	+7	126
	28	12	12	24	-4	18
	20	5	12	17	+5	6
	41	6	11	17	+3	89
	27	3	13	16	-1	98
	74	8	5	13	-3	19
	62	4	8	12	E	72
	23	4	7	11	-1	36
	74	4	6	10	-10	79
	61	1	9	10	+4	79
	43	7	2	9	-5	108
	23	4	4	8	-5	22
	6	0	3	3	-1	7
	10	0	3	3	+3	19

^[1]

Goaltending

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average

Playoffs

Stanley Cup Finals

New York Islanders vs. Minnesota North Stars

Date	Visitors	Score	Home	Score	Notes
May 12	Minnesota	3	New York	6
May 14	Minnesota	3	New York	6
May 17	New York	7	Minnesota	5
May 19	New York	2	Minnesota	4
May 21	Minnesota	1	New York	5

New York wins the series 4–1.

External links

• North Stars on Hockey Database

Notes and References

1. Web site: 1980-81 Minnesota North Stars Roster and Statistics.