Select Page

1979–80 New York Rangers season

The 1979–80 New York Rangers season was the franchise's 54th season. Fresh off a Stanley Cup Final loss in the first year of Fred Shero as coach, the Rangers qualified for the playoffs once again, but bowed out in the second round to Shero's old team, the Philadelphia Flyers. The team's on- and off-ice activities during this campaign was the subject of Larry Sloman's 1982 book Thin Ice: A Season in Hell with the New York Rangers.[1]

Regular season

Season standings

Patrick Division
GP W L T GF GA Pts
Philadelphia Flyers 80 48 12 20 327 254 116
New York Islanders 80 39 28 13 281 247 91
New York Rangers 80 38 32 10 308 284 86
Atlanta Flames 80 35 32 13 282 269 83
Washington Capitals 80 27 40 13 261 293 67

[2]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.

League standings[3]
R Div GP W L T GF GA Pts
1 p – Philadelphia Flyers PTK 80 48 12 20 327 254 116
2 y – Buffalo Sabres ADM 80 47 17 16 318 201 110
3 x – Montreal Canadiens NRS 80 47 20 13 328 240 107
4 Boston Bruins ADM 80 46 21 13 310 234 105
5 New York Islanders PTK 80 39 28 13 281 247 91
6 Minnesota North Stars ADM 80 36 28 16 311 253 88
7 x – Chicago Black Hawks SMY 80 34 27 19 241 250 87
8 New York Rangers PTK 80 38 32 10 308 284 86
9 Atlanta Flames PTK 80 35 32 13 282 269 83
10 St. Louis Blues SMY 80 34 34 12 266 278 80
11 Toronto Maple Leafs ADM 80 35 40 5 304 327 75
12 Los Angeles Kings NRS 80 30 36 14 290 313 74
13 Pittsburgh Penguins NRS 80 30 37 13 251 303 73
14 Hartford Whalers NRS 80 27 34 19 303 312 73
15 Vancouver Canucks SMY 80 27 37 16 256 281 70
16 Edmonton Oilers SMY 80 28 39 13 301 322 69
17 Washington Capitals PTK 80 27 40 13 261 293 67
18 Detroit Red Wings NRS 80 26 43 11 268 306 63
19 Quebec Nordiques ADM 80 25 44 11 248 313 61
20 Winnipeg Jets SMY 80 20 49 11 214 314 51
21 Colorado Rockies SMY 80 19 48 13 234 308 51

Divisions: ADM – Adams, NRS – Norris, PTK – Patrick, SMY – Smythe

bold – The top 16 teams in the league qualified for the playoffs, regardless of division or conference.
x – Won division; y – Won Conference (and division); p – Won Presidents' Trophy (and conference and division)

Record vs. opponents

Patrick Division record vs. opponents

Vs. Campbell Conference

Vs. Wales Conference


Schedule and results

1979–80 regular season[5]
October: 4–4–1 (home: 3–1–1; road: 1–3–0)
Game October Opponent Score Record
1 10 @ Toronto Maple Leafs 6 – 3 1–0–0
2 14 Washington Capitals 5 – 3 1–1–0
3 18 Vancouver Canucks 6 – 3 2–1–0
4 20 @ Montreal Canadiens 5 – 4 2–2–0
5 21 Pittsburgh Penguins 6 – 3 3–2–0
6 24 Edmonton Oilers 10 – 2 4–2–0
7 25 @ Philadelphia Flyers 5 – 2 4–3–0
8 27 @ Minnesota North Stars 7 – 2 4–4–0
9 28 Hartford Whalers 2 – 2 4–4–1
November: 5–9–1 (home: 4–3–1; road: 1–6–0)
Game November Opponent Score Record
10 1 @ Los Angeles Kings 4 – 2 4–5–1
11 3 @ Colorado Rockies 7 – 2 4–6–1
12 4 @ Vancouver Canucks 4 – 2 5–6–1
13 7 Los Angeles Kings 8 – 4 6–6–1
14 10 Quebec Nordiques 5 – 4 7–6–1
15 11 Pittsburgh Penguins 4 – 1 7–7–1
16 13 @ New York Islanders 10 – 5 7–8–1
17 14 Detroit Red Wings 3 – 2 8–8–1
18 16 @ Atlanta Flames 4 – 2 8–9–1
19 18 St. Louis Blues 5 – 3 9–9–1
20 21 Winnipeg Jets 6 – 4 9–10–1
21 24 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 5 – 3 9–11–1
22 25 Toronto Maple Leafs 4 – 3 9–12–1
23 28 Minnesota North Stars 4 – 4 9–12–2
24 29 @ Buffalo Sabres 2 – 1 9–13–2
December: 8–2–3 (home: 3–1–3; road: 5–1–0)
Game December Opponent Score Record
25 1 @ St. Louis Blues 2 – 0 10–13–2
26 3 Montreal Canadiens 3 – 3 10–13–3
27 5 Chicago Black Hawks 3 – 3 10–13–4
28 7 @ Hartford Whalers 7 – 4 11–13–4
29 9 New York Islanders 5 – 4 12–13–4
30 11 @ Detroit Red Wings 2 – 1 13–13–4
31 12 @ Chicago Black Hawks 5 – 2 14–13–4
32 15 @ Washington Capitals 5 – 4 14–14–4
33 16 Philadelphia Flyers 1 – 1 14–14–5
34 19 Vancouver Canucks 5 – 3 15–14–5
35 22 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 4 – 3 16–14–5
36 23 Boston Bruins 4 – 3 16–15–5
37 30 Washington Capitals 5 – 2 17–15–5
January: 6–5–4 (home: 2–2–2; road: 4–3–2)
Game January Opponent Score Record
38 2 @ Quebec Nordiques 3 – 3 17–15–6
39 4 Philadelphia Flyers 5 – 3 17–16–6
40 6 Atlanta Flames 5 – 5 17–16–7
41 7 Hartford Whalers 5 – 2 18–16–7
42 9 @ Detroit Red Wings 4 – 0 18–17–7
43 11 @ Edmonton Oilers 6 – 2 19–17–7
44 12 @ Winnipeg Jets 3 – 0 20–17–7
45 14 Colorado Rockies 6 – 6 20–17–8
46 16 Winnipeg Jets 4 – 1 21–17–8
47 19 @ Boston Bruins 6 – 3 21–18–8
48 20 Chicago Black Hawks 2 – 1 21–19–8
49 22 @ Los Angeles Kings 5 – 4 22–19–8
50 23 @ Vancouver Canucks 6 – 4 23–19–8
51 27 @ Colorado Rockies 3 – 3 23–19–9
52 31 @ Buffalo Sabres 6 – 2 23–20–9
February: 6–5–0 (home: 4–1–0; road: 2–4–0)
Game February Opponent Score Record
53 2 @ Washington Capitals 6 – 3 24–20–9
54 3 @ Quebec Nordiques 5 – 4 24–21–9
55 10 Quebec Nordiques 3 – 1 25–21–9
56 13 @ Chicago Black Hawks 3 – 1 25–22–9
57 17 Toronto Maple Leafs 6 – 4 25–23–9
58 18 @ Hartford Whalers 6 – 4 25–24–9
59 20 Edmonton Oilers 4 – 1 26–24–9
60 23 @ Minnesota North Stars 6 – 3 26–25–9
61 24 New York Islanders 8 – 2 27–25–9
62 27 Los Angeles Kings 5 – 4 28–25–9
63 28 @ Boston Bruins 5 – 2 29–25–9
March: 8–5–1 (home: 6–1–1; road: 2–4–0)
Game March Opponent Score Record
64 2 Boston Bruins 2 – 1 30–25–9
65 5 Buffalo Sabres 4 – 2 31–25–9
66 8 @ Montreal Canadiens 5 – 2 31–26–9
67 9 Minnesota North Stars 4 – 2 32–26–9
68 12 Colorado Rockies 6 – 0 33–26–9
69 15 @ Toronto Maple Leafs 8 – 4 34–26–9
70 16 St. Louis Blues 5 – 2 35–26–9
71 19 @ Edmonton Oilers 4 – 2 35–27–9
72 21 @ Winnipeg Jets 4 – 2 35–28–9
73 23 Montreal Canadiens 6 – 1 35–29–9
74 25 Buffalo Sabres 3 – 3 35–29–10
75 28 @ Atlanta Flames 4 – 2 35–30–10
76 29 @ St. Louis Blues 4 – 3 36–30–10
77 31 Detroit Red Wings 7 – 5 37–30–10
April: 1–2–0 (home: 0–1–0; road: 1–1–0)
Game April Opponent Score Record
78 2 Atlanta Flames 7 – 3 37–31–10
79 5 @ New York Islanders 2 – 1 37–32–10
80 6 @ Philadelphia Flyers 8 – 3 38–32–10

Legend:   Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Tie (1 point)

Playoffs

Main article: 1980 Stanley Cup playoffs
1980 Stanley Cup playoffs[5]
Preliminary round vs. (9) Atlanta Flames – Rangers win 3–1
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Series
1 April 8 Atlanta Flames 1 – 2 New York Rangers OT New York Rangers lead series 1-0
2 April 9 Atlanta Flames 1 – 5 New York Rangers New York Rangers lead series 2-0
3 April 11 New York Rangers 2 – 4 Atlanta Flames New York Rangers lead series 2-1
4 April 12 New York Rangers 5 – 2 Atlanta Flames New York Rangers win series 3-1
Quarterfinals vs. (1) Philadelphia Flyers – Flyers win 4–1
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Series
1 April 16 New York Rangers 1 – 2 Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia leads series 1-0
2 April 17 New York Rangers 1 – 4 Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia leads series 2-0
3 April 19 Philadelphia Flyers 3 – 0 New York Rangers Philadelphia leads series 3-0
4 April 20 Philadelphia Flyers 2 – 4 New York Rangers Philadelphia leads series 3-1
5 April 22 New York Rangers 1 – 3 Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia wins series 4-1

Legend:   Win   Loss

Player statistics

Skaters

Goaltenders

Goaltenders
Regular Season
Player GP TOI W L T GA GAA SO
John Davidson 41 2306 20 15 4 122 3.17 2
Steve Baker 27 1391 9 8 6 79 3.41 1
Wayne Thomas 12 668 4 7 0 44 3.95 0
Doug Soetaert 8 435 5 2 0 33 4.55 0
Playoffs
Player GP TOI W L GA GAA SO
John Davidson 9 541 4 5 21 2.33 0

†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Rangers. Stats reflect time with Rangers only.
‡Traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with Rangers only.

[6]

Note:
Pos = Position; GPI = Games played in; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes; +/- = Plus/minus; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals
Min, TOI = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T,T/OT = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage;

Draft picks

New York's picks at the 1979 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal, Canada.

Round # Player Position Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)
1 13 Doug Sulliman LW  Canada Kitchener Rangers (OHA)
2 34 Ed Hospodar D  United States Ottawa 67's (OHA)
4 76 Pat Conacher C  Canada Saskatoon Blades (WCHL)
5 97 Dan Makuch RW  Canada Clarkson University (NCAA)
6 118 Stan Adams C  Canada Niagara Falls Flyers (OHA)

Awards and records

Transactions

References

  1. ^ "Thin Ice: A Season in Hell with the New York Rangers" (review), Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 1982. Retrieved April 9, 2021
  2. ^ Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 152. ISBN 9781894801225.
  3. ^ "1979–80 NHL Standings". NHL.com. National Hockey League.
  4. ^ "All-Time NHL Results". NHL.com. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "1979-80 New York Rangers Schedule". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  6. ^ "1979-80 New York Rangers". hockeydb.com. Retrieved August 8, 2010.