2015–16 NHL season

National Hockey League season

Sports season

The 2015–16 NHL season was the 99th season of operation (98th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). Thirty teams competed in 82-game regular season schedules from October 7, 2015 to April 10, 2016.

The 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs following the regular season began on April 13 and ended June 12 with the Pittsburgh Penguins winning their fourth Stanley Cup. None of the seven Canadian-based teams qualified for the playoffs; this was the second season in league history that the playoff field consisted of only United States-based teams. The only other time in league history that no Canadian teams qualified for the postseason was in the 1969–70 season.^[1][2]

League business

Salary cap

In December 2014, commissioner Gary Bettman told teams that he projected the salary cap to increase to at least $73 million for the 2015–16 season, citing the fluctuating value of the Canadian dollar.^[3] The cap was ultimately set at $71.4 million.^[4]

Rule changes

Rule changes approved by the NHL Board of Governors on June 24, 2015, include:^[5]

• 3-on-3 overtime: Overtime during the regular season will now have three skaters per side, instead of the 4-on-4 overtime system that had been used since 1999–2000.^[6] However, if there are carry-over penalties from the third period to overtime, a side is still guaranteed to have at least three skaters and the man-advantage will be adjusted accordingly (e.g. a 5-on-4 power play at the end of regulation will be converted to a 4-on-3 one at the start of overtime).^[5] The Board of Governors implemented 3-on-3 overtime to help decrease shootouts.^[6] Jason Garrison of the Tampa Bay Lightning scored the first 3-on-3 overtime goal on October 9, 2015 for a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.
• Expanded video review with coach's challenge: Video review has been expanded to include a coach's challenge, similar to the system used by the NFL since 1999:^[5]
  • Like the NFL, each challenge will require the use of a team's timeout. If the challenge is successful, the timeout is restored.
  • Teams may only challenge the following situations:
    • Whether a goal called on the ice should have been disallowed because the attacking team was offside or interfered with the goaltender;
    • Whether a disallowed goal, called on grounds of goalkeeper interference, should instead be overturned because either:
      • there was no actual contact between the attacking player and the goalie
      • the attacking player was actually pushed or fouled by a defender into the goalie
      • the attacking player's position in the crease did not actually impair or impact the goalie's play
  • Inside the final minute of regulation, and during overtime, all reviews that would otherwise be subject to the coach's challenge will instead be initiated by the NHL's Situation Room in Toronto.
  • All reviews that are subject to the coach's challenge will be conducted by the on-ice officials on an ice-level tablet monitor instead of the Situation Room.
  • All reviews involving whether the puck entered the net will still be initiated by the Situation Room.^[5]
• New faceoff rule: During faceoffs not at center-ice, the player who is on the defensive side of the red line will now be required to put his stick down first.^[5] For faceoffs at the center-ice dot, the visiting player will still be the first one to place down his stick. This rule change, giving the attacking team a slight advantage during faceoffs (as opposed to giving this advantage to the home team all the time), is intended to help increase puck-possession time and potentially more goals.^[7]

Expansion bids

For the second time since 2000, the league ended a moratorium on potential expansion teams and began accepting bids for potential expansion teams that, if approved, would begin play in the 2017–18 season. During the 2015 offseason, two ownership groups offered bids: Quebecor, which planned on reviving the Quebec Nordiques at a new arena in Quebec City, Quebec, and Bill Foley's Black Knight Sports & Entertainment, which intended to place an expansion team at a new arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The league concluded the vetting process on September 4, 2015, with a final decision to follow in June 2016.^[8]

Change in jersey supplier

On September 15, 2015, the NHL announced that Adidas would replace Reebok as the supplier of all team jerseys beginning in the 2017–18 season.^[9]

Coaching changes

(*) Indicates interim.

Arena changes

• The 2015–16 season marked the New York Islanders' move from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale to Barclays Center in Brooklyn.^[27]
• The Edmonton Oilers played their final season at Rexall Place. They moved to the newly constructed Rogers Place in the 2016–17 season.^[28]

Regular season

The regular season began on October 7, 2015, and ended on April 10, 2016. The playoffs began on Wednesday, April 13, 2016.

Winter Classic

The 2016 NHL Winter Classic was held on January 1, 2016. The game, the eighth Winter Classic, saw the Montreal Canadiens defeat the Boston Bruins, 5–1, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, a significant event in one of the NHL's best-known rivalries. A Bruins and Canadiens alumni game was also played on December 31, 2015.^[29] The Boston Pride women's professional hockey team played before the alumni game against Les Canadiennes of the Canadian Women's Hockey League to a 1–1 tie in the first ever Women's Winter Classic.^[30]

Stadium Series

There were two Stadium Series games planned. The first one featured the Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild at TCF Bank Stadium on Sunday, February 21, 2016, where the Wild defeated the Blackhawks 6–1. The other game was the Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche at Coors Field on Saturday, February 27, 2016, where the Red Wings defeated the Avalanche 5–3.

All–Star Game

The 61st National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in Nashville, Tennessee at Bridgestone Arena, home of the Nashville Predators, on January 31, 2016. The All-Star Game adopted a new, three-on-three tournament format; there were three 20-minute games, with four All-Star teams based on the league's four divisions. The Atlantic Division All-Stars faced the Metropolitan Division All-Stars, while the Central Division All-Stars played against the Pacific Division All-Stars. The winners of these two games then met in an All-Star Game Final. Had a tie remained after 20 minutes, then it would have immediately gone to a shootout to determine the winner; there would be no standard overtime.^[31] The Pacific Division All-Stars, led by fan-voted captain and MVP John Scott, won the tournament, beating the Atlantic All-Stars in the finals

Postponed games

Three games were postponed due to the January 2016 United States blizzard: the Anaheim Ducks–Washington Capitals game originally scheduled for January 22, the Philadelphia Flyers–New York Islanders game originally scheduled for January 23, and the Pittsburgh Penguins–Washington Capitals game originally scheduled for January 24.^[32][33] The Penguins–Capitals game was rescheduled for March 1, while the Ducks–Capitals and Flyers–Islanders games were rescheduled for April 10.^[34]

Standings

Eastern Conference

Source: National Hockey League^[35]
p – Clinched Presidents' Trophy; x – Clinched playoff spot

Source: National Hockey League^[36]
x – Clinched playoff spot; y – Clinched division

Source: National Hockey League^[37]
x – Clinched playoff spot

Western Conference

Source: National Hockey League^[38]
x – Clinched playoff spot; z – Clinched conference

Source: National Hockey League^[39]
x – Clinched playoff spot; y – Clinched division

Source: National Hockey League^[40]
x – Clinched playoff spot

Tie Breakers:
1. Fewer number of games played.
2. Greater Regulation + OT Wins (ROW)
3. Greatest number of points earned in head-to-head play (If teams played an unequal No. of head-to-head games, the result of the first game on the home ice of the team with the extra home game is discarded.)
4. Greater Goal differential

Player statistics

Scoring leaders

The following players led the league in regular season points at the conclusion of games played on April 10, 2016.^[41]

Leading goaltenders

The following goaltenders led the league in regular season goals against average at the conclusion of games played on April 10, 2016, while playing at least 1800 minutes.^[42]

Playoffs

Bracket

In each round, teams competed in a best-of-seven series following a 2–2–1–1–1 format (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each best-of-seven series). The team with home ice advantage played at home for games one and two (and games five and seven, if necessary), and the other team was at home for games three and four (and game six, if necessary). The top three teams in each division made the playoffs, along with two wild cards in each conference, for a total of eight teams from each conference.

In the first round, the lower seeded wild card in each conference was played against the division winner with the best record while the other wild card was played against the other division winner, and both wild cards were de facto #4 seeds. The other series matched the second and third-place teams from the divisions. In the first two rounds, home ice advantage was awarded to the team with the better seed. In the conference finals and Stanley Cup Finals, home ice advantage was awarded to the team with the better regular season record.

NHL awards

Awards were presented at the NHL Awards ceremony, to be held following the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs. Finalists for voted awards are announced during the playoffs and winners are presented at the award ceremony. Voting will conclude immediately after the end of the regular season. The Presidents' Trophy, the Prince of Wales Trophy and Clarence S. Campbell Bowl are not presented at the awards ceremony.

All-Star teams

Milestones

First games

The following is a list of notable players who played their first NHL game during the 2015–16 season, listed with their first team.

Last games

The following is a list of players of note who played their last NHL game in 2015–16, listed with their team:

Major milestones reached

• On November 21, 2015, San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau scored his 1,000th career point, becoming the 83rd player in league history to reach this milestone.^[56]
• On November 27, 2015, Arizona Coyotes coach Dave Tippett won his 500th game, becoming the 22nd coach in league history to reach this milestone.^[57]
• On December 19, 2015, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Phil Kessel played his 500th consecutive game, becoming the 23rd player in league history to reach this milestone.
• On January 4, 2016, Colorado Avalanche forward Jarome Iginla scored his 600th NHL goal, becoming the 19th player in league history to reach this milestone.^[58]
• On January 10, 2016, Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin scored his 500th NHL goal, becoming the 43rd player in league history to reach this milestone.^[59]
• On January 14, 2016, Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville won his 783rd game, surpassing Al Arbour to become the second coach with most wins in league history.^[60]
• On January 21, 2016, Vancouver Canucks forward Daniel Sedin scored his 347th NHL goal, surpassing Markus Naslund for most goals in franchise history.^[61]
• On January 26, 2016, San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton scored his 1,300th career point, becoming the 33rd player in league history to reach this milestone.^[62]
• On February 4, 2016, Florida Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr scored his 1,100th career assist, becoming the sixth player in league history to reach this milestone.^[63]
• On February 13, 2016, Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien won his 500th game, becoming the 23rd coach in league history to reach this milestone.^[64]
• On February 20, 2016, Florida Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr scored his 742nd career goal, surpassing Brett Hull to become third in career goals.^[65]
• On March 7, 2016, Florida Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr scored his 1,851st career point, surpassing Gordie Howe to become third in career points.^[66]
• On March 14, 2016, Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick recorded his 41st career shutout, surpassing both Frank Brimsek and John Vanbiesbrouck to become the all-time shutout leader for U.S.-born goaltenders.^[67]
• On April 2, 2016, Dallas Stars coach Lindy Ruff won his 700th game, becoming the fifth coach in league history to reach this milestone.^[68]
• For the first time in the history of the NHL, Canadian-born players do not comprise a majority the league's players. Of the 680 players who appeared in games over the course of the first two weeks of the season, 49.7 percent were born in Canada, while 24.2 percent were American-born. A record 9.1 percent were from Sweden, and 4.5 percent from Russia.^[69]

Uniforms

• The Anaheim Ducks made a minor change to their home jersey. They changed the collar laces from black to white.^[70] The team also unveiled their new third jersey; the jersey shows a modern Ducks re-colouring of the old Mighty Ducks of Anaheim logo used from the 1993–94 season to the 2005–06 season. The jersey is primarily orange with black and bronze striping. On both shoulders it features the team's current primary logo and on one side of the collar it features the team's wordmark "ANAHEIM".^[71]
• The Arizona Coyotes began using new home and away jerseys. The primary logo stays the same. The jerseys have added a large black stripe on each arm running from just below the shoulder to the elbow. From there it is red-white-red before it runs white right to the cuff. There's a single hem stripe, black on homes and red on the whites. The home red features a new shoulder patch, a beige/sand coyote paw print with a black "A" on it. The road white features a modernized "AZ/map" patch, with the font updated to match the new team wordmark. The pants are black, socks are red, black and white similar to the striping on each arm. The new home and away jerseys replace the home and away jerseys that the Coyotes unveiled last year.^[72]
• The Boston Bruins unveiled their new 2016 NHL Winter Classic uniform. The jersey is based on their jersey they wore during the 1924-25 season. The colors have been modernized as black is the primary color, gold and brown as the secondary colors. Two gold horizontal stripes are on each arm and one across the waist. The "Boston" wordmark arched over an illustrated bear and Bruins, the crest varies only slightly in the layout from the 1924-25 original. The crest colors celebrate both the beginning and modern day color palette of this historic franchise, and are executed in felt and chenille materials, similar to the original crest. The numbers are in your standard jersey semi-serif block lettering, names and numbers are in white or cream. The numbers on the sleeves are located between the two gold horizontal stripes. The 2016 Winter Classic logo appears on one shoulder as a patch.^[73]
• The Buffalo Sabres have scrapped their alternate jersey that was unveiled for the 2013-14 season.^[74] In lieu of a third jersey, with special permission from the league, the team will wear their white away jerseys for six home games in this season.^[75]
• The Chicago Blackhawks unveiled a unique jersey for their 2016 NHL Stadium Series game. This jersey is primarily white with black/red/black stripes on the sleeves and socks. The current logo is on the chest. Framed between the two black stripes and over the red stripe on the sleeve is the familiar "C" with crossed tomahawks. The collar of the jersey features two different colors. The four, six-pointed red stars from the Flag of Chicago is featured on the white portion of the collar, while the other side of the collar is black. Sleeve numbers have been shifted to the shoulders and enlarged. With the shoulders being black, the numbering is white. But, the numbering and lettering on the back is also enlarged and black in color.^[76]
• The Colorado Avalanche will replace their "Sasquatch" alternate logo by a re-coloured "CO" from the State of Colorado flag.^[77] A new third jersey features the logo of the long-departed Colorado Rockies, set in Avalanche colors and number font. In addition to that, they're marking their 20th anniversary with a patch on the front of their jerseys.
• The Avalanche will also wear a special jersey, which will be primarily white with black, red and blue also featured for the 2016 NHL Stadium Series. It incorporates the same Colorado 'C' design that was added to the Avalanche jersey designs earlier this year. It also features larger numbers on the back and on the shoulders. The collar features a "5280" call out, referencing the Avalanche's home in the Mile-High City.^[78]
• The Columbus Blue Jackets altered their home and road jerseys slightly. The blue Union Army cap shoulder patch worn from the 2003–04 season until the 2014–15 season was replaced with a new shoulder patch logo. The new shoulder patch logo features the 1857 Napoleon cannon. It is very similar to the club's current third jersey logo, with the only difference is that the logo features the club's primary colors – Navy Blue, Red, Silver and White.^[79]
• The Detroit Red Wings unveiled a unique jersey for their 2016 NHL Stadium Series game. This jersey is primarily red with a diagonal white stripe across the chest. Featured inside the diagonal white stripe is the large red redesigned "D" logo. The current Red Wings logo is featured on one shoulder and the 2016 Stadium Series logo is featured on the other shoulder. The word "EST 1926" is written on the inside rear collar and the word "RED WINGS" is written on one side of the front collar. The jersey also features large numbers on the back and on the shoulder as well as a nameplate featuring arched lettering which is all white in color.^[80]
• The Edmonton Oilers unveiled a new alternate jersey. This new throwback jersey is a remake of the jersey worn by the franchise during their inaugural season as the Alberta Oilers of the World Hockey Association. The jersey is orange with blue and white shoulders and blue/white/blue stripes on the sleeves. The numbers are in the same location as the original WHA jersey on which they are based.^[81]
• The Minnesota Wild unveiled a unique jersey for their 2016 NHL Stadium Series game. This jersey is primarily green with red and beige stripes on the sleeves. Beige is also featured on the shoulders. The current logo is on the chest. On the left shoulder is their "State of Hockey" logo and on the right shoulder is the 2016 Stadium Series logo. The numbering and lettering which are beige in color are enlarged on the sleeve and on the back of the jersey.^[82]
• The Montreal Canadiens made some slight alterations to their home and away jerseys. Four brass hexagonal eyelets and white laces will be reintroduced around the collar, which will also revert to pure white in color. On the team's red home jersey, the French "LNH" logo will be stitched at the nape of the neck, and the lone exception to the English "NHL" on the away jersey. It is very similar to the club's home and away jerseys worn from the 1970–71 season to the 1974–75 season. The new home and away jerseys replace the home and away jerseys worn from the 2007–08 season until the 2014–15 season.^[83]
• The Montreal Canadiens unveiled their 2016 NHL Winter Classic jerseys. The chest stripe is a shade of blue. The "C" is white and the "H" is red, as they were in 1923-24. An image of the globe is on the sleeves that closely resembles the 1925 version. The French "LNH" logo will be stitched near the collar. Other features included into the design are a red collar, red letters, red numbers and red stripes.^[84]
• The Nashville Predators added the 2016 NHL All-Star Game logo as their patch on the front of their jerseys. They hosted it on January 31, 2016.^[85]
• The Nashville Predators normally wear blue helmets with their gold home jerseys, but this season they'll switch to gold helmets for Saturday home games.^[86]
• The New York Islanders unveiled a new alternate jersey. This New Jersey is in black with white trim, with blue and orange relegated to the back collar. The "NY" wordmark from the Stadium Series thirds was moved to the new alternates, sans the chrome accents. The new third jersey replaces the Stadium Series third jerseys the Islanders wore in the 2014–15 season.^[87]
• The New York Islanders added a patch on the right shoulder of the jerseys commemorating their first season in Brooklyn.^[87] In addition to that, they have also added a left shoulder "Al" patch in memory of former coach Al Arbour who died on August 28, 2015, at the age of 82.^[87]
• The San Jose Sharks added a 25th anniversary patch. The patch features a new, "swimming" Shark with an exposed tail hovering above a diamond-encrusted "25".^[88]
• The San Jose Sharks unveiled their "heritage jersey." This design is identical to the road jerseys worn from 1991-92 season through 1997-98 season, adapted to the Reebok Edge uniform system.^[89]
• The Washington Capitals added a new alternate jersey to their lineup. The primary color for the uniform is red and closely resembles the team's jersey worn from 1974–75 season through 1994–95 season. The original Capitals wordmark is featured on the front of the jersey with six stars above it and five stars beneath the numbers on each sleeve. The Capitals will wear blue pants and red helmets with their third jerseys. The new third jersey replaces the white third jersey the Capitals wore from the 2011–12 season to the 2014–15 season.^[90]

Broadcast rights

This was the fifth season under the NHL's ten-year U.S. rights deal with NBC Sports, and the second season of its twelve-year Canadian rights deals with Rogers Media to show games on Sportsnet, Hockey Night in Canada on CBC Television, and TVA Sports.

In August 2015, the league announced a six-year deal with MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM) to take over the technical operations of the NHL's in-house digital properties. Under the agreement, MLBAM took over the operations of the NHL's websites, apps, streaming services, and other digital properties starting in January 2016. MLBAM also took over international distribution of the league's digital out-of-market streaming services outside of Canada and Scandinavia.^[91] The NHL also took an equity stake of up to 10 percent in BAM Tech, a spin-off of MLBAM's streaming media business.^[91][92][93] As an aspect of the deal, the U.S. version of NHL Network was also relocated to the facilities of MLB Network.^[91] The Canadian version of NHL Network was shut down August 31, 2015.^[94]

The re-launch of the league's digital properties under MLBAM occurred in February 2016, with the launch of the new NHL.com website and mobile app following the 2016 NHL All-Star Game.^[95] The re-launched NHL GameCenter Live service outside of Canada was re-branded as NHL.tv, while the Canadian service remains branded as Rogers NHL GameCentre Live. Both services were upgraded to utilize a new client on MLBAM architecture with support for 60 FPS streaming.^[96] The re-launch of the services, however, was marred by technical issues caused by a malfunctioning content delivery network.^[97]

As the result of a lawsuit settlement, the NHL agreed to offer single-team packages for its out-of-market services in the United States.^[98] The updated NHL app also offers a downsized out-of-market subscription service known as NHL Premium, which streams the conclusion of each game (final five minutes, plus overtime/shootouts if needed).^[95]

In Canada, the Sunday-night Hometown Hockey game of the week on City was moved to Sportsnet.^[99][100] Both Sportsnet and TSN announced plans to produce telecasts of selected national and regional games in 4K ultra high-definition television.^[101][102]

On March 10, 2016, the NHL announced a deal with Yahoo! Sports, in which it will offer free online streaming in the U.S. of up to four out-of-market games per-week. The site will also feature additional NHL content, such as condensed games and highlight showcases. The deal expands upon an ongoing relationship with U.S. rightsholder NBC, as well as a relationship with Major League Baseball to host the MLB.tv Game of the Day stream.^[103][104]

On May 5, 2016, NBC Sports announced that it would provide national radio broadcasts of the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals via NBC Sports Radio.^[105] NHL Radio broadcasts had not been heard continent-wide since 2008.

See also

• 2015–16 NHL transactions
• 2015–16 NHL suspensions and fines
• 2015–16 NHL Three Star Awards
• 2016 NHL playoffs
• 2015 in sports
• 2016 in sports

References

1. Sagan, Aleksandra (February 24, 2016). "Canadian NHL playoff drought could be 'massive hit' to Rogers". Canadian Press. Toronto Star. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
2. Stubbs, Dave (March 31, 2016). "Woe Canada. No playoffs this year north of border". NHL. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
3. "Bettman: Salary-cap projection for '15–16 around $73M, but, it only went up to $71.2m". NHL.com. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
4. "Toews, Blackhawks face tough reality of salary cap". NHL.com. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
5. "Board of Governors approves 2015–16 rules changes". NHL.com. June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
6. Cotsonika, Nicholas (March 17, 2015). "NHL GMs approve 3-on-3 overtime, but what format?". Yahoo! Sports. Boca Raton, Florida. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
7. "GMs propose new faceoff rule to increase offense". NHL.com. March 18, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
8. Cooper, Josh (August 21, 2015). "Las Vegas and Quebec City NHL expansion bids move to 'Phase III'". sports.yahoo.com. Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
9. "Adidas to become official NHL outfitter in 2017-18". NHL.com. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
10. "Nolan relieved of duties as Sabres' head coach". April 12, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
11. "Sabres' Bylsma primed to win Jack Adams Award". October 2, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
12. Roose, Bill (May 8, 2015). "Babcock is free to explore opportunities". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
13. ""Twitter reaction: Mike Babcock joins Maple Leafs", Sportnet.ca, (2015)".
14. "Todd McLellan named coach of Edmonton Oilers". NHL.com.
15. "Devils name John Hynes as head coach". NHL.com.
16. "Craig Berube relieved of duties as Flyers head coach". April 17, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
17. Peaslee, Evan. "Flyers name Dave Hakstol new head coach". Sportsnet.ca. Rogers Media. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
18. "Sharks and McLellan mutually agree to part ways". NHL. April 20, 2015.
19. "Peter DeBoer hired as coach of San Jose Sharks". NHL.com.
20. ""Maple Leafs fire GM Nonis, interim coach Horachek", Sportsnet.ca, (2015)".
21. "Blue Jackets fire Todd Richards, John Tortorella takes over in Columbus". October 21, 2015. Archived from the original on October 22, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
22. "John Tortorella replaces Todd Richards as Blue Jackets head coach". October 21, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
23. "Mike Sullivan Named Head Coach of Pittsburgh Penguins". December 12, 2015. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
24. "Sullivan promoted to Pittsburgh". December 12, 2015. Archived from the original on December 15, 2015. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
25. "Minnesota Wild Head Coach Mike Yeo Relieved Of Coaching Duties". February 13, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
26. "iowa-s-torchetti-promoted-to-minnesota-p201327". February 13, 2016. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
27. Gretz, Adam (October 24, 2012). "New York Islanders will move to Brooklyn in 2015". CBS Sports. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
28. Tychkowski, Robert (April 6, 2016). "Edmonton Oilers dominate Vancouver Canucks in final game at Rexall Place". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
29. "Bruins, Canadiens alumni rosters revealed for 2016 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game". The Boston Globe. November 24, 2015. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
30. "NHL to host first-ever Outdoor WomhnClassic presented by Scotiabank". NHL. December 28, 2015. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
31. "New format for Honda NHL All-Star Game announced". NHL.com. November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
32. "Storm knocks out Sunday's Penguins-Capitals game". USA Today. New York City: Gannett Company. Associated Press. January 23, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
33. "Storm knocks out Saturday's Flyers-Islanders game". USA Today. New York City: Gannett Company. Associated Press. January 23, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
34. "NHL announces three rescheduled games". nhl.com. New York City: NHL Enterprises, L.P. February 2, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
35. "2015-2016 NHL Hockey Standings". NHL.com.
36. "2015-2016 NHL Hockey Standings". NHL.com.
37. "2015-2016 NHL Hockey Standings". NHL.com.
38. "2015-2016 NHL Hockey Standings". NHL.com.
39. "2015-2016 NHL Hockey Standings". NHL.com.
40. "NHL Hockey Standings". NHL.com.
41. "Player Stats: 2015–2016 Regular season: All Skaters – Total Points". National Hockey League.
42. "Player Stats: 2015–2016 Regular season: Leading Goalies". National Hockey League.
43. "Niklas Backstrom, Juha Aaltonen sign with HIFK" (in Finnish). HIFK. June 10, 2016. Archived from the original on June 13, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
44. Halford, Mike (October 3, 2016). "Dan Boyle expected to announce retirement".
45. "Datsyuk leaving Red Wings to play in Russia". NHL. June 18, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
46. Caldwell, Dave (March 31, 2017). "Patrik Elias, Cornerstone of the Devils' Championship Era, Is Retiring". The New York Times. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
47. "Andrew Ference announces retirement". NHL.com.
48. "Scott Gomez retires after 16 NHL seasons: report". NHL.com. September 1, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
49. Matheson, Jim (September 17, 2016). "Ex-Edmonton Oilers captain Shawn Horcoff retires, joins Detroit Red Wings as head of player development - Edmonton Journal".
50. hildymac (October 3, 2016). "Barret Jackman To Announce Retirement At Scottrade Tuesday". St. Louis Game Time.
51. Vincent Lecavalier retires after 17 NHL seasons
52. "David Legwand retires after 16 NHL seasons". www.nhlpa.com.
53. "BRAD RICHARDS RETIRES FROM NHL AFTER 15 SEASONS". www.nhlpa.com.
54. "Alex Tanguay joins NHL Network as studio analyst". NHL.com.
55. "Paskelbtas ledo ritulio rinktinės kandidatų sąrašas: yra ir Dainius Zubrus". lrytas.lt (in Lithuanian). February 28, 2017. Archived from the original on April 13, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
56. "Patrick Marleau gets 1,00th career point and Sharks beat Penguins 3-1". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
57. Vest, Dave. "'Yotes Notes: Players Give Tippet MVP Belt After 500th Win". Coyotes.NHL.com. Arizona Coyotes. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
58. Sadowski, Rick. "Jarome Iginla scores 600th NHL goal, 19th to do so". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
59. "Capitals' Ovechkin scores 500th NHL goal". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
60. "Blackhawks' Quenneville passes Arbour on wins list". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
61. "Daniel Sedin passes Markus Naslund for most goals in Canucks history". Sportsnet.ca. Rogers Media. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
62. "Sharks' Thornton gets 1,300th NHL point". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
63. "Jagr becomes sixth player to reach 1,100 assists". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
64. "Bruins coach Julien wins 500th NHL game". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
65. Gretz, Adam. "Jaromir Jagr passes Brett Hull for 3rd on NHL all-time goal list". CBSSports.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
66. Poupart, Alain. "Jagr passes Howe on points list". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
67. Dillman, Lisa (March 14, 2016). "Jonathan Quick makes history as Kings blank Blackhawks, 5-0". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
68. "Dallas Stars at Los Angeles Kings". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
69. Seravalli, Frank (October 22, 2015). "Canadians do not make up the majority of NHL players this season". TSN.ca. Bell Media. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
70. "2015-16 Uni Watch NHL preview". October 2, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
71. "NHL Shop Leaks Ducks, Avalanche Third Jerseys". September 7, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
72. "Coyotes Reveal New Uniforms at NHL Draft Party". June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
73. "Bruins Unveil 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic Uniform". October 24, 2015. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
74. "Sabres shelving reviled alternate jersey". June 23, 2015. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
75. Vogl, John (January 16, 2016). "Quick hits: Sabres 4, Capitals 1". The Buffalo News. Berkshire Hathaway. Archived from the original on January 18, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
76. "Blackhawks, Wild Unveil Stadium Series Jerseys". sportslogos. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
77. "Avalanche Tweak Uniform". June 26, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
78. "Avs reveal Coors Light NHL Stadium Series sweater". September 21, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
79. "Blue Jackets unveil new secondary mark to be worn as shoulder patch". June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
80. "Red Wings unveil Stadium Series jersey". November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
81. "Edmonton Oilers Unveil Orange Jersey". June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
82. "Blackhawks, Wild Unveil Stadium Series Jerseys". November 24, 2015. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
83. "Montreal Canadiens unveil new 2015–16 jersey". June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
84. "Montreal Canadiens unveil jersey for 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic". November 6, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
85. Lukas, Paul (October 2, 2015). "2015-16 Uni Watch NHL preview". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
86. "Nashville Predators Launch "Golden Saturdays" During 2015-16 Season". June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
87. "Islanders Unveil New Third Jersey". September 16, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
88. "Sharks unveil new logos, commemorative patches for 25th anniversary season". San Jose Mercury News. Digital First Media. June 29, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
89. "Sharks Unveil Heritage Jersey". September 12, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
90. "Capitals unveil new third jersey for 2015–16". June 23, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
91. Ramachandran, Shalini (August 4, 2015). "MLB's Tech Unit Wins NHL Streaming Business". The Wall Street Journal. News Corp. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
92. Ben Popper. "How baseball's tech team built the future of television". The Verge. Vox Media.
93. "A closer look at NHL's partnership with MLBAM". Sportsnet.ca. Rogers Media. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
94. "Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2015-430". Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. September 17, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
95. "NHL, MLBAM unveil details for redesigned platforms". NHL.com. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
96. "Rogers NHL GameCentre LIVE Delivers New Ways to Watch the game". Sports Video Group. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
97. "NHL.tv explains what happened in disastrous launch". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
98. "NHL TV package settlement might feel like win for fans, but it's not even close". Broad Street Hockey (SBNation). Vox Media. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
99. "Pucks and profit: CEO opens up about Rogers' rookie NHL season". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
100. "Rogers moving 'Hometown Hockey' from City to Sportsnet this fall". Toronto Sun. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
101. "Rogers leveraging sports ownership to push 4K TV". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
102. "TSN delivers live 4K broadcast of Raptors-Celtics". TSN.ca. Bell Media. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
103. "Yahoo, NHL Partner to Live-Stream Hockey Games for Free". The Wrap. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
104. "Yahoo Betting Big on Live Sports With Deal to Stream NHL Games". Adweek. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
105. "NBC Sports Radio Named Terrestrial Partner For '16 Stanley Cup Final". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved May 5, 2016.

External links

• 2015–16 NHL season Schedule