1985–86 Vancouver Canucks season

The 1985–86 Vancouver Canucks season was the team's 16th in the National Hockey League (NHL).

1985–86 Vancouver Canucks
Division4th Smythe
Conference8th Campbell
1985–86 record23–44–13
Goals for282
Goals against333
Team information
General managerJack Gordon
CoachTom Watt
CaptainStan Smyl
Alternate captainsDoug Halward
Rick Lanz
Doug Lidster
ArenaPacific Coliseum
Average attendance10,446
Team leaders
GoalsTony Tanti (39)
AssistsPatrik Sundstrom (48)
PointsPetri Skriko (78)
Penalty minutesGarth Butcher (188)
WinsRichard Brodeur (19)
Goals against averageWendell Young (3.58)

Off-season

Changes were the order of the day after a disastrous 1984-85 campaign. Gone were Vice-President, General Manager, and Head Coach Harry Neale and Associate Coach Ron Smith. Assistant GM Jack Gordon was promoted to GM and Director of Hockey Operations and 1982 Jack Adams Trophy winner Tom Watt was brought in to coach. The team would undergo a cosmetic change as well, altering their jerseys so that the big "V" on the front was replaced by the team logo, while smaller "V"s appeared on the shoulders.

In the Entry Draft, the Canucks took 6'3" right-winger Jim Sandlak with the fourth overall pick. He would play 23 games for the team in the season, collecting four points.

Regular season

Stan Smyl became the first Canuck to reach the 200-goal plateau on November 22 in a 6-5 loss to New Jersey. Richard Brodeur would earn team MVP honours, appearing in a career-high 64 games and keeping the Canucks in many games they had no business being in. On February 28, he registered his 100th win as a Canuck in a 3-1 decision over Philadelphia. Sophomore Petri Skriko earned career high marks in goals (38) and points (78). His point total led the team but he trailed Tony Tanti by one in the goal department.

Otherwise, the only thing to keep fan interest was the three-way turtle derby between the Canucks, Jets, and Kings for the final two playoff spots in the Smythe Division, since the Oilers and Flames were well ahead of them and had already locked up the top two spots in the division. After a dreadful 20-game stretch in which they went 1-13-6 to drop to 20th overall in the NHL (ahead of only a woeful Detroit squad), the Canucks went 5-4-1 in their last ten to finish tied with Winnipeg for third place in the Smythe with 59 points, while Los Angeles was out with 54. On the basis of winning more games (26-23), the Jets claimed third place, while the Canucks drew fourth and a first-round date with the Oilers.

Final standings
Smythe Division[1]
GP W L T GF GA PTS
Edmonton Oilers8056177426310119
Calgary Flames804031935431589
Winnipeg Jets802647729537259
Vancouver Canucks8023441328233359
Los Angeles Kings802349828438954

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Schedule and results
No. R Date Score Opponent Record
1WOctober 10, 19856–5@ Los Angeles Kings (1985–86)1–0–0
2LOctober 12, 19853–4St. Louis Blues (1985–86)1–1–0
3WOctober 14, 19854–2New York Islanders (1985–86)2–1–0
4TOctober 16, 19853–3 OTBoston Bruins (1985–86)2–1–1
5WOctober 18, 19855–4Los Angeles Kings (1985–86)3–1–1
6LOctober 20, 19853–4@ New York Rangers (1985–86)3–2–1
7TOctober 22, 19852–2 OT@ New York Islanders (1985–86)3–2–2
8WOctober 23, 19855–0@ Detroit Red Wings (1985–86)4–2–2
9LOctober 25, 19854–5@ Buffalo Sabres (1985–86)4–3–2
10LOctober 27, 19854–7@ Philadelphia Flyers (1985–86)4–4–2
11WOctober 30, 19855–3Toronto Maple Leafs (1985–86)5–4–2
12WNovember 2, 19856–2Buffalo Sabres (1985–86)6–4–2
13LNovember 5, 19854–6Edmonton Oilers (1985–86)6–5–2
14LNovember 8, 19850–13@ Edmonton Oilers (1985–86)6–6–2
15WNovember 9, 19857–2@ Winnipeg Jets (1985–86)7–6–2
16WNovember 11, 19855–0Detroit Red Wings (1985–86)8–6–2
17LNovember 13, 19853–6Pittsburgh Penguins (1985–86)8–7–2
18LNovember 15, 19853–5@ Washington Capitals (1985–86)8–8–2
19LNovember 16, 19855–6 OT@ St. Louis Blues (1985–86)8–9–2
20WNovember 19, 19857–5@ Detroit Red Wings (1985–86)9–9–2
21LNovember 20, 19850–2@ Chicago Black Hawks (1985–86)9–10–2
22LNovember 22, 19855–6New Jersey Devils (1985–86)9–11–2
23LNovember 26, 19853–5Chicago Black Hawks (1985–86)9–12–2
24TNovember 27, 19855–5 OT@ Edmonton Oilers (1985–86)9–12–3
25LNovember 29, 19854–5Hartford Whalers (1985–86)9–13–3
26LDecember 2, 19850–7@ Montreal Canadiens (1985–86)9–14–3
27LDecember 4, 19854–5@ Quebec Nordiques (1985–86)9–15–3
28LDecember 6, 19851–4@ New Jersey Devils (1985–86)9–16–3
29LDecember 7, 19851–2@ Washington Capitals (1985–86)9–17–3
30LDecember 11, 19853–6Winnipeg Jets (1985–86)9–18–3
31WDecember 14, 19854–3Calgary Flames (1985–86)10–18–3
32LDecember 15, 19853–5@ Edmonton Oilers (1985–86)10–19–3
33TDecember 17, 19854–4 OTWashington Capitals (1985–86)10–19–4
34WDecember 20, 19855–3Toronto Maple Leafs (1985–86)11–19–4
35WDecember 21, 19856–2@ Los Angeles Kings (1985–86)12–19–4
36WDecember 23, 19855–3Winnipeg Jets (1985–86)13–19–4
37LDecember 27, 19851–6Philadelphia Flyers (1985–86)13–20–4
38LDecember 29, 19853–5Edmonton Oilers (1985–86)13–21–4
39LJanuary 2, 19862–3@ Minnesota North Stars (1985–86)13–22–4
40LJanuary 5, 19860–4@ Winnipeg Jets (1985–86)13–23–4
41TJanuary 7, 19862–2 OT@ Winnipeg Jets (1985–86)13–23–5
42LJanuary 9, 19864–5 OT@ Calgary Flames (1985–86)13–24–5
43LJanuary 10, 19863–4Hartford Whalers (1985–86)13–25–5
44LJanuary 14, 19861–2New York Rangers (1985–86)13–26–5
45LJanuary 17, 19867–9Los Angeles Kings (1985–86)13–27–5
46TJanuary 18, 19864–4 OT@ Los Angeles Kings (1985–86)13–27–6
47WJanuary 21, 19865–3New Jersey Devils (1985–86)14–27–6
48WJanuary 24, 19864–3Pittsburgh Penguins (1985–86)15–27–6
49TJanuary 29, 19864–4 OTCalgary Flames (1985–86)15–27–7
50WJanuary 31, 198610–5Minnesota North Stars (1985–86)16–27–7
51WFebruary 7, 19865–2Winnipeg Jets (1985–86)17–27–7
52TFebruary 9, 19863–3 OTWinnipeg Jets (1985–86)17–27–8
53LFebruary 11, 19860–1@ New York Islanders (1985–86)17–28–8
54LFebruary 12, 19862–5@ New York Rangers (1985–86)17–29–8
55LFebruary 15, 19864–9@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1985–86)17–30–8
56TFebruary 16, 19864–4 OT@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1985–86)17–30–9
57LFebruary 18, 19864–5@ Hartford Whalers (1985–86)17–31–9
58LFebruary 21, 19860–4Calgary Flames (1985–86)17–32–9
59LFebruary 23, 19861–6Boston Bruins (1985–86)17–33–9
60LFebruary 26, 19862–4Montreal Canadiens (1985–86)17–34–9
61WFebruary 28, 19863–1Philadelphia Flyers (1985–86)18–34–9
62LMarch 1, 19862–3@ Calgary Flames (1985–86)18–35–9
63LMarch 4, 19862–6Edmonton Oilers (1985–86)18–36–9
64TMarch 6, 19865–5 OTLos Angeles Kings (1985–86)18–36–10
65LMarch 8, 19863–7@ St. Louis Blues (1985–86)18–37–10
66TMarch 11, 19861–1 OT@ Quebec Nordiques (1985–86)18–37–11
67LMarch 12, 19862–3@ Montreal Canadiens (1985–86)18–38–11
68TMarch 15, 19861–1 OT@ Boston Bruins (1985–86)18–38–12
69LMarch 16, 19864–5@ Chicago Black Hawks (1985–86)18–39–12
70LMarch 19, 19863–4Buffalo Sabres (1985–86)18–40–12
71TMarch 21, 19865–5 OT@ Calgary Flames (1985–86)18–40–13
72WMarch 22, 19866–2Minnesota North Stars (1985–86)19–40–13
73LMarch 24, 19864–8@ Winnipeg Jets (1985–86)19–41–13
74WMarch 26, 19867–6Quebec Nordiques (1985–86)20–41–13
75WMarch 28, 19862–1 OTLos Angeles Kings (1985–86)21–41–13
76WMarch 30, 19864–2Calgary Flames (1985–86)22–41–13
77LApril 1, 19865–6@ Calgary Flames (1985–86)22–42–13
78LApril 2, 19864–8@ Edmonton Oilers (1985–86)22–43–13
79WApril 5, 19865–3@ Los Angeles Kings (1985–86)23–43–13
80LApril 6, 19862–3Edmonton Oilers (1985–86)23–44–13

Playoffs

The first-round series between the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks was quick and painless. Though Thomas Gradin scored a fluky goal to give the Canucks a 2-1 lead early in the second period of Game One, the Oilers then scored six in a row and won by a 7-3 score. They completed the much-expected sweep with a pair of easy 5-1 victories. In his autobiography, Wayne Gretzky would attribute the Oilers' second-round loss to Calgary to the fact that the victory over Vancouver was so easy that it did not seem like they were in the playoffs yet. The Vancouver fans did not help enhance the playoff atmosphere any, as 7,854 (many of whom were clad in blue and orange) showed up for Game Three. It was a worthy reflection of the condition to which the franchise had sunken.

Draft picks

Vancouver's draft picks at the 1985 NHL Entry Draft held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario.

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club Team (League)
14Jim Sandlak CanadaLondon Knights (OHL)
225Troy Gamble CanadaMedicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
346Shane Doyle CanadaBelleville Bulls (OHL)
467Randy Siska CanadaMedicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
588Robert Kron CzechoslovakiaZetor Brno (Czechoslovakia)
6109Martin Hrstka CzechoslovakiaDukla Trencin (Czechoslovakia)
7130Brian McFarlane CanadaSeattle Breakers (WHL)
8151Hakan Ahlund SwedenOrebro IK (Sweden)
9172Curtis Hunt CanadaPrince Albert Raiders (WHL)
10193Carl Valimont United StatesUniversity of Massachusetts Lowell (Hockey East)
11214Igor Larionov Soviet UnionCSKA Moscow (USSR)
12235Darren Taylor CanadaCalgary Wranglers (WHL)

See also

References
  1. Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 153. ISBN 9781894801225.
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