Captained by Wayne Gretzky, the 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup Final to win their second straight championship. The team’s playoff run started with sweeps of the Los Angeles Kings (3-0) in the Division Semifinals and the Winnipeg Jets (4-0) in the Division Finals, and continued with defeating the Chicago Blackhawks in six games in the Conference Finals. Gretzky set records for assists (30) and points (47) in one playoff year. He also tied the modern record shared by Jean Beliveau (1956) and Mike Bossy (1982) for most goals in the Stanley Cup Final, with seven in five games.

Jari Kurri scored 19 goals in 18 games to tie the NHL record for goals in one playoff year. Paul Coffey, who registered 12 goals and 25 assists, shattered the one-year playoff records for goals, assists and points by a defenseman. Coffey broke the record for goals originally set by Bobby Orr in 1970 and then matched by Brad Park in 1978, both with nine. Coffey also broke Orr’s record for assists (19 in 1972), and Denis Potvin’s record for points (25 in 1981).

“We had a love for the game,” said Gretzky. “All of us loved being at the rink. We loved playing and we loved practicing. I think from [Mark] Messier, to [Glenn] Anderson, to [Coffey], to Kevin Lowe, to Kurri, we showed up for practice. We practiced hard.”

A unique, interactive digital and mobile program that is part of the NHL’s Centennial celebration, the Greatest NHL Teams launched at start of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The NHL’s 96 Stanley Cup® winners since the League’s inaugural season in 1917-18 competed head-to-head over a six-week period, with fans selecting the 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers as the NHL’s Greatest Stanley Cup® Championship Team of all time.

“The fan response was outstanding, both from the incredible amount of votes cast as well as the length of time fans were spending on the site,” said Steve Mayer, NHL Chief Content Officer and Executive Vice President. “Our goal with the Greatest NHL Teams was to continue the yearlong celebration of the NHL’s Centennial with an interactive experience that would enable fans to explore a century of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and we are thrilled with the results.”

The Top 10 Greatest NHL Teams as voted by the fans and announced over the past week are as follows:

• 1. 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers
  2. 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins
  3. 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens
  4. 1987-88 Edmonton Oilers
  5. 1986-87 Edmonton Oilers
  6. 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings
  7. 1982-83 New York Islanders
  8. 1977-78 Montreal Canadiens
  9. 1983-84 Edmonton Oilers
  10. 2001-02 Detroit Red Wings

Sponsored by SAP in the U.S. and Honda in Canada, the Greatest NHL Teams site included an interactive gallery page of each of the NHL’s 96 Stanley Cup® Championship teams, featuring team and player information as well as stunning, never-before-published images, in conjunction with the Hockey Hall of Fame.