2021–22 NHL season
The 2021–22 NHL season was the 105th season of operation (104th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league expanded to 32 teams with the addition of the Seattle Kraken. The league had an October-to-April regular season scheduling and a full 82-game regular season for the first time since the 2018–19 NHL season as the previous two NHL seasons were shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The season began on October 12.
| 2021–22 NHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | October 12, 2021 – June 26, 2022 |
| Number of games | 82 |
| Number of teams | 32 |
| TV partner(s) | Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports (Canada) ESPN/ESPN2/ABC, TNT/TBS (United States) |
| Streaming partner(s) | Sportsnet Now (Canada) ESPN+/Hulu (United States) |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Owen Power |
| Picked by | Buffalo Sabres |
| Regular season | |
| Presidents' Trophy | Florida Panthers |
| Season MVP | Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs) |
| Top scorer | Connor McDavid (Oilers) |
| Playoffs | |
| Playoffs MVP | Cale Makar |
| Stanley Cup | |
| Champions | Colorado Avalanche |
| Runners-up | Tampa Bay Lightning |
On December 22, all games were suspended league-wide through at least December 26 (officially termed as an extension of the regularly scheduled Christmas break), in order to reconcile COVID-19 outbreaks that had impacted a large number of teams and resulted in various game postponements. Most teams were scheduled to resume play on December 28, but the home games of all seven Canadian teams through early January were further postponed due to COVID-19 attendance restrictions imposed by provincial health authorities.
The playoffs concluded on June 26, with the Colorado Avalanche defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals in six games, winning their third Stanley Cup in franchise history.