1986–87 New Jersey Devils season

New Jersey Devils

Company type	Professional ice hockey team
Industry	Ice hockey
Founded	1974
Headquarters	East Rutherford , United States
Website	www.nhl.com/devils

The 1986–87 season for the New Jersey Devils represented the 13th campaign for the NHL team founded in 1974 and the fifth since the franchise moved from Colorado ahead of the 1982–83 season. This year extended the team's streak to nine consecutive seasons without qualifying for the playoffs.

Regular season

• On January 22, 1987, a significant snowstorm in New Jersey led to an exceptionally low crowd of only 334 spectators attending the Devils' matchup against the Calgary Flames at the Meadowlands. This attendance figure set a modern NHL record low (excluding the altered 2020 playoffs). Despite the sparse audience, New Jersey secured a 7–5 victory.

Schedule and results

|- |1||W||October 9, 1986||5–3 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers ||1–0–0 |- |2||W||October 11, 1986||5–4 || align="left"| Boston Bruins ||2–0–0 |- |3||W||October 15, 1986||3–2 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks ||3–0–0 |- |4||L||October 17, 1986||2–3 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs ||3–1–0 |- |5||L||October 18, 1986||4–8 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins ||3–2–0 |- |6||L||October 21, 1986||3–6 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders ||3–3–0 |- |7||W||October 23, 1986||5–3 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings ||4–3–0 |- |8||L||October 25, 1986||1–2 || align="left"| @ Washington Capitals ||4–4–0 |- |9||W||October 29, 1986||8–6 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins ||5–4–0 |- |10||W||October 30, 1986||7–6 OT || align="left"| New York Islanders ||6–4–0

|- |11||L||November 1, 1986||1–3 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres ||6–5–0 |- |12||L||November 4, 1986||1–7 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers ||6–6–0 |- |13||T||November 6, 1986||5–5 OT || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers ||6–6–1 |- |14||L||November 9, 1986||1–8 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets ||6–7–1 |- |15||W||November 12, 1986||5–3 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings ||7–7–1 |- |16||W||November 14, 1986||5–4 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins ||8–7–1 |- |17||T||November 15, 1986||5–5 OT || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins ||8–7–2 |- |18||W||November 17, 1986||3–2 || align="left"| New York Rangers ||9–7–2 |- |19||W||November 19, 1986||4–3 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings ||10–7–2 |- |20||L||November 22, 1986||2–6 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars ||10–8–2 |- |21||L||November 23, 1986||3–5 || align="left"| @ Chicago Blackhawks ||10–9–2 |- |22||W||November 26, 1986||5–1 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues ||11–9–2 |- |23||L||November 29, 1986||6–9 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings ||11–10–2

|- |24||W||December 2, 1986||8–5 || align="left"| New York Rangers ||12–10–2 |- |25||L||December 4, 1986||3–5 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars ||12–11–2 |- |26||W||December 6, 1986||4–3 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres ||13–11–2 |- |27||L||December 9, 1986||2–4 || align="left"| @ Washington Capitals ||13-12-2 |- |28|L|December11,1986|4-8|New York Islanders|13-13-2 |- |29|L|December13,1986|2-4|@New York Islanders|13-14-2 |- |30|W|December14,1986|4-2|Montreal Canadiens|14-14-2 |- |31|W|December17,1986|3-2 OT|Toronto Maple Leafs|15-14-2 |- |32|W|December19,1986|6-4|Washington Capitals|16-14-2 |- |33|L|December20,1986|2-5|@Montreal Canadiens|16-15-2 |- |34|L|December23,1986|5-8|@New York Rangers|16-16-2 |- |35|L|December26,1986|4-7|New York Rangers|16-17-2 |- |36|T|December27,1986|2-2 OT|@Quebec Nordiques|16-17-3 |- |37|L|December30,1986|3-4|Calgary Flames|16-18-3

Legend:

Regular season

Scoring

Player	Pos	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	+/-	PPG	SHG	GWG
Template:Sortname	LW/C	80	26	53	79	36	5	6	0	3
Template:Sortname	LW	79	26	50	76	75	-7	10	1	4
Template:Sortname	RW	80	31	36	67	120	-23	9	0	4
Template:Sortname	RW	74	35	24	59	120	-23	17	0	5
Template:Sortname	RW	78	27	26	53	14	-17	4	1	4
Template:Sortname	C	68	25	26	51	22	-21	11	2	0
Template:Sortname	LW	72	20	27	47	19	-16	6	0	1
Template:Sortname	C	75	16	24	40	137	-7	2	1	3
Template:Sortname	C	51	8	31	39	80	-8	1	1	1
Template:Sortname	D	74	6	28	34	36	-26	0	0	0
Template:Sortname	D	65	9	22	31	111	-20	6	0	0
Template:Sortname	LW/C	51	11	12	23	8	-15	1	3	0
Template:Sortname	C	46	8	12	20	8	-14	2	0	2
Template:Sortname	D	40	6	14	20	45	-6	2	0	1
Template:Sortname	C	48	(2)	(18)	(20)	(14)	(–11)	(0)	(0)	(0)
Template:Sortname	(LW)	(57)	(10)	(9)	(19)	(107)	(–13)	(2)	(0)	(1)
align=right	D	64	2	16	18	52	–12	0	0	0
align=right	RW	47	7	9	16	98	–5	1	0	0
align=right	D	79	2	12	14	183	–13	0	0	0
align=right	RW	25	6	4	10	8	–11	2	0	0
align=right	D	68	4	6	10	109	–31	0	0	0
align=right	D	36	3	5	8	82	–4	0	0	0
align=right	D	44	1	7	8	143	–12	0	0	0

Goaltending

Player	MIN	GP	W	L	T	GA	GAA	SO	SA	SV	SV%
(Alain Chevrier)	3153	(58)	(24)	(26)	(2)	(227)	(4.32)	(0)	(1793)	(1566)	(.873)	(Craig Billington)	1114	(22)	(4)	(13)	(2)	(89)	(4.79)	(0)	(569)	(480)	(.844)	(Kirk McLean)	160	(4)	(1)	(1)	(0)	(10)	(3.75)	(0)	(73)	(63)	(.863)	(Karl Friesen)	130	(4)	(0)	(2)	(1)	(16)	(7.38)	(0)	(80)	(64)	(.800)	(Chris Terreri)	286	(7)	(0)	(3)	(1)	(21)	(4.41)	(0)	(173)	(152)	(.879)	(Team)	4843	(80)	(29)	(45)	(6)	(363)	(4.50)	(0)	(2688)	(2325)	(.865)

Abbreviations: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals
MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage

Draft picks

New Jersey's choices during the 1986 NHL entry draft.

9 10 192 Frederic ChabotCanada Goaltender St. Foy Foosters (Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League) 11 213 John Andersen Canada Left Wing Oshawa Generals (OHL) 12 236 Doug Kirton Canada Right Wing Couchiching Terriers (Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League)

Round	Overall Pick	Player	Nationality	Position	Previous Team (League)	Remarks
1	3	Neil Brady	Canada	Center	Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
2	24	Todd Copeland	United States	Defenseman	Belmont Hill H.S. (Massachusetts)
3	45	Janne Ojanen	Template:FIN	Center	Tappara (SM-liiga)
3	62	Marc Laniel	Canada	Defenseman	Oshawa Generals (OHL)
4	66	Anders Carlsson	Sweden	Center	Södertälje SK (Swedish Hockey League)
5	87	No fifth-round selection made
6	108	Troy Crowder	Canada	Right Wing	Hamilton Steelhawks (OHL)
7	129	Kevin Todd	Canada	Center	Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
8	150	Ryan Pardoski	Canada	Left Wing	Calgary Canucks (Alberta Junior Hockey League)
171	Scott McCormack	"–"	(United States)	"St. Paul's H.S. (New Hampshire)"