1986-87

• Wayne Gretzky wins the last of his eight consecutive Hart Trophies as the NHL's MVP.

• The All-Star Game is replaced with Rendez-Vous '87, a two-game series pitting the NHL All-Stars against the Soviet Union national team in Quebec City. The Soviet team was paid $80,000 for their appearance, while the NHLers raised $350,000 for the players' pension fund. The teams split the series -- the NHLers winning the first game, 4-3, and the Soviets winning the second, 5-3.

• The first round of the playoffs is expanded from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven series.

• The Edmonton Oilers return to the top, beating the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games to win their third Stanley Cup in four years.