1999–2000 NHL season

Throughout the regular season and playoffs, teams wore a patch celebrating the turn of the millennium (see above).

Beginning this season, teams would earn one point for an overtime loss in the regular season instead of zero. It was hoped that this change would stop teams from playing very defensively during the overtime to guarantee the single point from a tie. The number of ties had been going up for some years and the NHL was hoping to counter this trend and did so quite successfully with this rule change.[1]

This season was also the start of the NHL's partnership with ABC, who would televise a few regional games every season, as well as games three through seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. ESPN, who with the ABC deal renewed their contract with the NHL, continued to show regular season and playoff games as well as the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Wayne Gretzky's jersey number, 99, was retired league-wide on February 6, 2000.

The 1999–2000 season was the inaugural year for the Atlanta Thrashers. They would join the Southeast Division, marking the return of the NHL to Atlanta since the Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary in 1980. It was also the first year for the Carolina Hurricanes' home rink, the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena, the Los Angeles Kings played their first season at the Staples Center after 32 seasons at the Great Western Forum, and the Colorado Avalanche played their first season at the Pepsi Center.

A new award, the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award, was introduced this season for the goaltender with the best save percentage.

League wide: an NHL 2000 patch was worn this season for the New Millennium.

Anaheim: Jade Alternates Retired. Eggplant pants with Jade Stripes are restored.

Atlanta: White jerseys have the team logo, while the road darks have the alternate mark. The team wore inaugural season patches for their first season.

Carolina: Shade of red is darkened. In addition to the NHL 2000 Patch, the Hurricanes wore two other patches this season, one celebrated the opening of the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena, and the other was in Memory of Steve Chiasson, who died in a single-vehicle, alcohol-involved crash after the Hurricanes were eliminated in the 1999 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Chicago: The tan outline on the crest is removed.

Colorado: Shade of Burgundy is darkened from 1998-1999

Dallas: The alternates from 1998-1999 become the basis of the team's new home Uniform. the actual 1998-1999 Alternates become the new road uniform.

Los Angeles: New Purple alternates introduced.

New York Rangers: Navy Blue Lady Liberty Alternates return.

Ottawa: The Alternates from the 1998-1999 become the new Road Uniforms

Phoenix: Crest on the alternates get a sand-colored outline.

Tampa Bay: the alternate jerseys are dropped.

Toronto: All-star game patch worn for 2000 NHL All-Star Game. the Alternates worn during the 1998-1999 season for the last year at Maple Leaf Gardens go on a one year hiatus.

Two upsets occurred in the first round as seventh-place Pittsburgh defeated the second-place Washington Capitals in five games and eighth-place San Jose defeated the first-place St. Louis Blues in seven games. Both Pittsburgh and San Jose lost in the second round to end their seasons. In the East, fourth-place New Jersey Devils defeated fifth-place Florida Panthers, third-place Toronto Maple Leafs and first-place Philadelphia Flyers to advance to the final. In the West, the second-place Dallas Stars defeated the seventh-place Edmonton Oilers, eighth-place San Jose Sharks, and the third-place Colorado Avalanche to advance to the final.

Trading deadline: March 14, 2000.[5]

• March 14, 2000: Anaheim traded D Dan Trebil to Pittsburgh for a fifth-round pick in the 2000 Entry Draft.
• March 14, 2000: Atlanta traded RW Ed Ward to Anaheim for a conditional pick in the 2001 Entry Draft.
• March 14, 2000: Atlanta traded RW Kirby Law to Philadelphia for Vancouver's sixth-round pick in the 2000 Entry Draft (previously acquired) and a conditional pick in 2001.
• March 14, 2000: Calgary traded D Cale Hulse and a third-round pick in the 2001 Entry Draft to Nashville for RW Sergei Krivokrasov.
• March 14, 2000: Calgary traded G Tyler Moss and LW Rene Corbet to Pittsburgh for D Brad Werenka.
• March 14, 2000: Carolina Hurricanes traded C Kent Manderville to Philadelphia Flyers for RW Sandy McCarthy.
• March 14, 2000: Edmonton traded LW Josef Beranek to Pittsburgh for LW German Titov.
• March 14, 2000: Florida traded C Ryan Johnson and LW Dwayne Hay to Tampa Bay for C Mike Sillinger.
• March 14, 2000: Nashville traded G Corey Hirsch to Anaheim for future considerations.
• March 14, 2000: New Jersey Devils traded C Brendan Morrison and C Denis Pederson to Vancouver Canucks for RW Alexander Mogilny.
• March 14, 2000: Ottawa Senators traded G Ron Tugnutt and D Janne Laukkanen to Pittsburgh Penguins for G Tom Barrasso.
• March 14, 2000: NY Islanders traded C Petr Sachl to Nashville for a ninth-round pick in the 2000 Entry Draft.
• March 10, 2000 – Buffalo Sabres obtain Doug Gilmour, Jean-Pierre Dumont and a conditional draft pick in 2001 or 2002 from the Chicago Blackhawks for Michal Grosek.
• March 6, 2000 – Colorado Avalanche obtain Ray Bourque and Dave Andreychuk from the Boston Bruins for Brian Rolston, Samuel Pahlsson, Martin Grenier and a 2000 first round draft pick (RW Martin Samuelsson).

• List of Stanley Cup champions
• 1999 NHL Entry Draft
• 1999 NHL Expansion Draft
• 50th National Hockey League All-Star Game
• NHL All-Star Game
• NHL All-Rookie Team
• 1999 in sports
• 2000 in sports

• Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Toronto, ON: Dan Diamond & Associates. ISBN 978-1-894801-22-5.
• Fischler, Stan; Fischler, Shirley; Hughes, Morgan; Romain, Joseph; Duplacey, James (2003). The Hockey Chronicle: Year-by-Year History of the National Hockey League. Lincolnwood, Illinois: Publications International Inc. ISBN 0-7853-9624-1.

Notes

• Hockey Database
• http://nhl.com/