1981–82 Detroit Red Wings season explained

League:	NHL
Season:	1981–82
Year:	1981
Team:	Detroit Red Wings
Record:	21–47–12
Divisionrank:	6th
Coach:	Wayne Maxner (Oct–Mar) Billy Dea (Mar–Apr)
Altcaptain:	None
Goalsfor:	270
Goalsagainst:	351
Attendance:	12,496
Goalsleader:	John Ogrodnick (28)
Assistsleader:	Mark Osborne (41)
Pointsleader:	Mark Osborne (67)
Plusminusleader:	Jim Schoenfeld (2)
Pimleader:	Reed Larson (112)
Winsleader:	Bob Sauvé (11)
Gaaleader:	Bob Sauvé (4.19)

The 1981–82 Detroit Red Wings season was the 50th season as the Red Wings, 56th overall for the franchise.

Offseason

The National Hockey League realigned their divisions into geographically closer groupings. The Red Wings were the only team to remain in the Norris Division from the previous season, while the division itself was moved from the Prince of Wales Conference to the Campbell Conference, trading places with the Patrick Division. The Red Wings were joined in the Norris by the Chicago Black Hawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota North Stars, and Winnipeg Jets.

Regular season

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

No.	R	Date	Score	Opponent	Record
1	W	October 6, 1981	5–2	@ New York Rangers (1981–82)	1–0–0
2	T	October 9, 1981	2–2	@ Philadelphia Flyers (1981–82)	1–0–1
3	L	October 10, 1981	3–6	@ Washington Capitals (1981–82)	1–1–1
4	W	October 15, 1981	6–3	St. Louis Blues (1981–82)	2–1–1
5	L	October 17, 1981	1–8	@ Hartford Whalers (1981–82)	2–2–1
6	W	October 18, 1981	3–2	Pittsburgh Penguins (1981–82)	3–2–1
7	T	October 22, 1981	2–2	Boston Bruins (1981–82)	3–2–2
8	L	October 24, 1981	3–8	@ Quebec Nordiques (1981–82)	3–3–2
9	L	October 25, 1981	1–4	Philadelphia Flyers (1981–82)	3–4–2
10	W	October 29, 1981	12–4	Calgary Flames (1981–82)	4–4–2
11	L	October 31, 1981	4–5	@ Minnesota North Stars (1981–82)	4–5–2
12	W	November 1, 1981	3–1	Vancouver Canucks (1981–82)	5–5–2
13	W	November 5, 1981	10–2	Los Angeles Kings (1981–82)	6–5–2
14	L	November 7, 1981	2–4	@ Montreal Canadiens (1981–82)	6–6–2
15	L	November 9, 1981	3–5	@ Quebec Nordiques (1981–82)	6–7–2
16	T	November 11, 1981	5–5	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1981–82)	6–7–3
17	T	November 13, 1981	3–3	@ Washington Capitals (1981–82)	6–7–4
18	W	November 14, 1981	6–3	Chicago Black Hawks (1981–82)	7–7–4
19	L	November 18, 1981	1–8	@ Los Angeles Kings (1981–82)	7–8–4
20	L	November 19, 1981	3–8	@ Vancouver Canucks (1981–82)	7–9–4
21	T	November 21, 1981	4–4	@ Calgary Flames (1981–82)	7–9–5
22	L	November 23, 1981	4–8	@ Edmonton Oilers (1981–82)	7–10–5
23	L	November 25, 1981	1–3	Buffalo Sabres (1981–82)	7–11–5
24	L	November 28, 1981	3–5	@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1981–82)	7–12–5
25	L	November 29, 1981	3–6	Toronto Maple Leafs (1981–82)	7–13–5
26	L	December 1, 1981	5–7	@ St. Louis Blues (1981–82)	7–14–5
27	W	December 3, 1981	4–3	Montreal Canadiens (1981–82)	8–14–5
28	L	December 5, 1981	2–5	Philadelphia Flyers (1981–82)	8–15–5
29	W	December 10, 1981	4–1	Minnesota North Stars (1981–82)	9–15–5
30	L	December 12, 1981	2–4	Buffalo Sabres (1981–82)	9–16–5
31	W	December 13, 1981	2–1	@ Winnipeg Jets (1981–82)	10–16–5
32	L	December 17, 1981	2–3	Quebec Nordiques (1981–82)	10–17–5
33	L	December 19, 1981	1–5	@ New York Islanders (1981–82)	10–18–5
34	L	December 20, 1981	3–5	New York Islanders (1981–82)	10–19–5
35	L	December 22, 1981	2–3	Hartford Whalers (1981–82)	10–20–5
36	L	December 26, 1981	3–8	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1981–82)	10–21–5
37	T	December 27, 1981	2–2	@ Winnipeg Jets (1981–82)	10–21–6
38	L	December 31, 1981	2–5	Toronto Maple Leafs (1981–82)	10–22–6
39	W	January 2, 1982	3–1	@ Colorado Rockies (1981–82)	11–22–6
40	L	January 3, 1982	3–4	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1981–82)	11–23–6
41	L	January 6, 1982	2–5	@ Buffalo Sabres (1981–82)	11–24–6
42	W	January 7, 1982	5–4	Pittsburgh Penguins (1981–82)	12–24–6
43	L	January 9, 1982	2–4	Winnipeg Jets (1981–82)	12–25–6
44	W	January 14, 1982	3–1	Colorado Rockies (1981–82)	13–25–6
45	T	January 16, 1982	5–5	Washington Capitals (1981–82)	13–25–7
46	T	January 17, 1982	4–4	Edmonton Oilers (1981–82)	13–25–8
47	W	January 20, 1982	5–4	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1981–82)	14–25–8
48	L	January 21, 1982	4–7	Calgary Flames (1981–82)	14–26–8
49	T	January 23, 1982	2–2	Hartford Whalers (1981–82)	14–26–9
50	T	January 26, 1982	3–3	Winnipeg Jets (1981–82)	14–26–10
51	L	January 27, 1982	6–8	@ Minnesota North Stars (1981–82)	14–27–10
52	L	January 30, 1982	3–5	@ Montreal Canadiens (1981–82)	14–28–10
53	W	February 4, 1982	6–4	Chicago Black Hawks (1981–82)	15–28–10
54	L	February 6, 1982	2–6	@ New York Islanders (1981–82)	15–29–10
55	W	February 7, 1982	8–5	St. Louis Blues (1981–82)	16–29–10
56	T	February 11, 1982	4–4	Vancouver Canucks (1981–82)	16–29–11
57	L	February 13, 1982	1–6	@ Minnesota North Stars (1981–82)	16–30–11
58	T	February 17, 1982	3–3	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1981–82)	16–30–12
59	W	February 18, 1982	4–3	Toronto Maple Leafs (1981–82)	17–30–12
60	L	February 20, 1982	5–7	Boston Bruins (1981–82)	17–31–12
61	L	February 21, 1982	3–7	Edmonton Oilers (1981–82)	17–32–12
62	W	February 23, 1982	6–3	@ Colorado Rockies (1981–82)	18–32–12
63	L	February 24, 1982	3–5	@ Los Angeles Kings (1981–82)	18–33–12
64	L	February 27, 1982	2–6	@ St. Louis Blues (1981–82)	18–34–12
65	L	February 28, 1982	4–5	Minnesota North Stars (1981–82)	18–35–12
66	L	March 3, 1982	4–6	@ Minnesota North Stars (1981–82)	18–36–12
67	L	March 5, 1982	0–2	@ Winnipeg Jets (1981–82)	18–37–12
68	L	March 6, 1982	1–5	@ St. Louis Blues (1981–82)	18–38–12
69	L	March 8, 1982	3–6	@ New York Rangers (1981–82)	18–39–12
70	L	March 11, 1982	1–4	New York Rangers (1981–82)	18–40–12
71	L	March 13, 1982	3–5	@ Boston Bruins (1981–82)	18–41–12
72	L	March 18, 1982	4–7	St. Louis Blues (1981–82)	18–42–12
73	L	March 20, 1982	3–4	Chicago Black Hawks (1981–82)	18–43–12
74	L	March 21, 1982	2–8	@ Winnipeg Jets (1981–82)	18–44–12
75	L	March 24, 1982	4–6	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1981–82)	18–45–12
76	L	March 25, 1982	3–4	Minnesota North Stars (1981–82)	18–46–12
77	W	March 27, 1982	2–1	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1981–82)	19–46–12
78	W	March 28, 1982	6–4	Toronto Maple Leafs (1981–82)	20–46–12
79	W	March 31, 1982	4–2	Winnipeg Jets (1981–82)	21–46–12
80	L	April 4, 1982	2–3	St. Louis Blues (1981–82)	21–47–12

Playoffs

This was the fourth straight season the Red Wings failed to make the Stanley Cup playoffs, having last qualified in 1978.

Player statistics

Regular season

Scoring

Player	Pos	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	+/-	PPG	SHG	GWG
	LW	80	26	41	67	61	-7	5	0	3
	D	80	21	39	60	112	-17	4	2	2
	RW	80	23	32	55	48	-15	5	0	3
	C	74	18	37	55	35	-1	2	0	3
	LW	80	28	26	54	28	-15	3	2	3
	D	74	15	30	45	98	-16	5	0	2
	C	74	14	28	42	62	-18	0	1	0
	RW	68	12	28	40	22	-15	1	0	0
	D	69	10	22	32	79	-22	2	0	1
	C	26	13	14	27	6	-3	6	0	0
	LW	75	10	17	27	48	-5	0	1	1
	RW	26	13	13	26	28	-2	3	0	0
	LW	52	10	14	24	35	-21	3	0	0
	RW	36	13	9	22	74	-4	2	1	0
	RW	49	9	13	22	23	1	1	0	1
	C/LW	49	6	14	20	10	-4	0	0	0
	RW	31	9	10	19	2	-1	0	0	1
	C	41	4	13	17	45	-6	0	2	0
	D	39	5	9	14	69	2	0	0	0
	D	69	1	12	13	93	-31	0	0	0
	D/LW	59	1	7	8	104	-19	0	0	0
	RW/C	12	3	4	7	13	-7	0	0	0
	D	37	1	5	6	30	-5	0	1	0
	LW	11	1	2	3	4	-2	0	0	0
	RW	33	2	0	2	80	-7	0	0	1
	C	4	1	0	1	2	-2	1	0	0
	C	15	1	0	1	6	-6	0	0	0
	D	2	0	1	1	2
	G	27	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0
	G	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	G	18	0	0	0	9	0	0	0	0
	LW	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
	G	41	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	G	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Goaltending

Player	MIN	GP	W	L	T	GA	GAA	SO
	2365	41	11	25	4	165	4.19	0
	1478	27	6	10	6	105	4.26	0
	809	18	4	10	1	63	4.67	0
	28	1	0	0	1	0	0.00	0
	120	2	0	2	0	10	5.00	0
Team:	4800	80	21	47	12	343	4.29	0

^[1]

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus-minus PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals;
      MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts;

Draft picks

Detroit's draft picks at the 1981 NHL Entry Draft held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal.

Round		Player	Nationality	College/Junior/Club team (League)
2	23	Claude Loiselle		Windsor Spitfires (OMJHL)
3	44	Corrado Micalef		Sherbrooke Castors (QMJHL)
5	86	Larry Trader		London Knights (OMJHL)
6	107	Gerard Gallant		Sherbrooke Castors (QMJHL)
7	128	Greg Stefan		Oshawa Generals (OMJHL)
8	149	Rick Zombo		Austin Mavericks (USHL)
9	170	Don LeBlanc		Moncton Hawks (NBJHL)
10	191	Robert Nordmark		Frolunda (Sweden)

See also

• 1981–82 NHL season

References

• Web site: 1981–82 Detroit Red Wings Games. Hockey-reference.com . 2009-05-06 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: hockey-reference.com . 2009-06-02 . 1981-82 Detroit Red Wings Statistics - Hockey-Reference.com.