• The Canada Cup is rebranded as the World Cup of Hockey, and the field increases from six nations to eight, playing in two pools of four. In the championship series, the U.S. beat Canada in three games, winning the third game and the inaugural World Cup by scoring four unanswered goals in the last 3:18 of the third period.

• Goaltending begins to dominate the NHL, with goalies registering a record total of 127 shutouts. The trend continued in the playoffs, as goalies earned 18 shutouts -- also an all-time record.

• Hockey invades the desert as the Jets move to Phoenix to become the Phoenix Coyotes.

• Craig MacTavish, the last player to play without a helmet, retires. Helmets have been mandatory for all players entering the league at the start of the 1979-80 season and beyond.

• The Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup for the first time in 42 years, sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers. The Red Wings' win left the Chicago Blackhawks as the team with the longest Stanley Cup drought, last winning it all in 1961.