The 1986–87 New Jersey Devils season was the 13th season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established on June 11, 1974, and fifth season since the franchise relocated from Colorado prior to the 1982–83 NHL season. This was the franchise's ninth consecutive season out of the playoffs.

Regular season

January 22, 1987 – A snowstorm brutally hit New Jersey as the Devils were scheduled to play the Calgary Flames at the Meadowlands. Only 334 fans showed up, making that game the "334 Club" game. To this day, it is the lowest-attended game in modern NHL history, not counting the 2020 NHL return to play playoffs. The Devils went on to win the game 7–5.Historic storm produced history for Devils in '87 NHL.com. Accessed December 29, 2020

Final standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

|1||W||October 9, 1986||5–3 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (season) ||1–0–0

|2||W||October 11, 1986||5–4 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (season) ||2–0–0

|3||W||October 15, 1986||3–2 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (season) ||3–0–0

|4||L||October 17, 1986||2–3 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (season) ||3–1–0

|5||L||October 18, 1986||4–8 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (season) ||3–2–0

|6||L||October 21, 1986||3–6 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (season) ||3–3–0

|7||W||October 23, 1986||5–3 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (season) ||4–3–0

|8||L||October 25, 1986||1–2 || align="left"| @ Washington Capitals (season) ||4–4–0

|9||W||October 29, 1986||8–6 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (season) ||5–4–0

|10||W||October 30, 1986||7–6 OT|| align="left"| New York Islanders (season) ||6–4–0

|11||L||November 1, 1986||1–3 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (season) ||6–5–0

|12||L||November 4, 1986||1–7 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (season) ||6–6–0

|13||T||November 6, 1986||5–5 OT|| align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (season) ||6–6–1

|14||L||November 9, 1986||1–8 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (season) ||6–7–1

|15||W||November 12, 1986||5–3 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (season) ||7–7–1

|16||W||November 14, 1986||5–4 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (season) ||8–7–1

|17||T||November 15, 1986||5–5 OT|| align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (season) ||8–7–2

|18||W||November 17, 1986||3–2 || align="left"| New York Rangers (season) ||9–7–2

|19||W||November 19, 1986||4–3 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (season) ||10–7–2

|20||L||November 22, 1986||2–6 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (season) ||10–8–2

|21||L||November 23, 1986||3–5 || align="left"| @ Chicago Blackhawks (season) ||10–9–2

|22||W||November 26, 1986||5–1 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (season) ||11–9–2

|23||L||November 29, 1986||6–9 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (season) ||11–10–2

|24||W||December 2, 1986||8–5 || align="left"| New York Rangers (season) ||12–10–2

|25||L||December 4, 1986||3–5 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (season) ||12–11–2

|26||W||December 6, 1986||4–3 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (season) ||13–11–2

|27||L||December 9, 1986||2–4 || align="left"| @ Washington Capitals (season) ||13–12–2

|28||L||December 11, 1986||4–8 || align="left"| New York Islanders (season) ||13–13–2

|29||L||December 13, 1986||2–4 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (season) ||13–14–2

|30||W||December 14, 1986||4–2 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (season) ||14–14–2

|31||W||December 17, 1986||3–2 OT|| align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (season) ||15–14–2

|32||W||December 19, 1986||6–4 || align="left"| Washington Capitals (season) ||16–14–2

|33||L||December 20, 1986||2–5 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (season) ||16–15–2

|34||L||December 23, 1986||5–8 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (season) ||16–16–2

|35||L||December 26, 1986||4–7 || align="left"| New York Rangers (season) ||16–17–2

|36||T||December 27, 1986||2–2 OT|| align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (season) ||16–17–3

|37||L||December 30, 1986||3–4 || align="left"| Calgary Flames (season) ||16–18–3

|38||L||January 2, 1987||2–7 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (season) ||16–19–3

|39||L||January 3, 1987||2–7 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (season) ||16–20–3

|40||L||January 6, 1987||0–4 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (season) ||16–21–3

|41||T||January 8, 1987||4–4 OT|| align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (season) ||16–21–4

|42||T||January 10, 1987||2–2 OT|| align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (season) ||16–21–5

|43||W||January 12, 1987||7–5 || align="left"| Hartford Whalers (season) ||17–21–5

|44||W||January 14, 1987||3–1 || align="left"| @ Chicago Blackhawks (season) ||18–21–5

|45||L||January 16, 1987||4–5 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (season) ||18–22–5

|46||L||January 18, 1987||1–6 || align="left"| Washington Capitals (season) ||18–23–5

|47||L||January 20, 1987||3–6 || align="left"| @ Washington Capitals (season) ||18–24–5

|48||W||January 22, 1987||7–5 || align="left"| Calgary Flames (season) ||19–24–5

|49||W||January 24, 1987||4–3 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (season) ||20–24–5

|50||L||January 26, 1987||3–6 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (season) ||20–25–5

|51||L||January 28, 1987||2–6 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (season) ||20–26–5

|52||W||January 30, 1987||4–3 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (season) ||21–26–5

|53||L||January 31, 1987||3–5 || align="left"| @ Calgary Flames (season) ||21–27–5

|54||W||February 7, 1987||3–2 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (season) ||22–27–5

|55||L||February 8, 1987||1–2 OT|| align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (season) ||22–28–5

|56||L||February 14, 1987||1–5 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (season) ||22–29–5

|57||L||February 18, 1987||3–6 || align="left"| Hartford Whalers (season) ||22–30–5

|58||W||February 21, 1987||6–5 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (season) ||23–30–5

|59||L||February 22, 1987||0–7 || align="left"| New York Islanders (season) ||23–31–5

|60||W||February 25, 1987||4–2 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (season) ||24–31–5

|61||L||February 28, 1987||2–3 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (season) ||24–32–5

|62||T||March 1, 1987||5–5 OT|| align="left"| @ Hartford Whalers (season) ||24–32–6

|63||L||March 3, 1987||2–3 || align="left"| @ Washington Capitals (season) ||24–33–6

|64||L||March 5, 1987||4–6 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (season) ||24–34–6

|65||L||March 7, 1987||3–4 || align="left"| Chicago Blackhawks (season) ||24–35–6

|66||L||March 8, 1987||3–7 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (season) ||24–36–6

|67||L||March 11, 1987||4–6 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (season) ||24–37–6

|68||W||March 13, 1987||4–1 || align="left"| New York Islanders (season) ||25–37–6

|69||L||March 14, 1987||6–7 OT|| align="left"| @ New York Islanders (season) ||25–38–6

|70||L||March 17, 1987||4–7 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (season) ||25–39–6

|71||L||March 18, 1987||3–4 OT|| align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (season) ||25–40–6

|72||W||March 21, 1987||7–6 OT|| align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (season) ||26–40–6

|73||L||March 23, 1987||6–7 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (season) ||26–41–6

|74||W||March 25, 1987||8–2 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (season) ||27–41–6

|75||W||March 27, 1987||5–2 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (season) ||28–41–6

|76||L||March 29, 1987||1–4 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (season) ||28–42–6

|77||W||March 31, 1987||5–3 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (season) ||29–42–6

|78||L||April 2, 1987||2–6 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (season) ||29–43–6

|79||L||April 4, 1987||4–8 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (season) ||29–44–6

|80||L||April 5, 1987||5–6 OT|| align="left"| Washington Capitals (season) ||29–45–6

Legend:

Player statistics

Regular season Scoring Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM +/- PPG SHG GWG LW/C 80 26 53 79 365603 LW 79 26 50 76 75-71014 RW 80 31 36 67 120-23904 RW 74 35 24 59 120-231705 RW 78 27 26 53 14-17414 C 68 25 26 51 22-211120 LW 72 20 27 47 19-16601 C 75 16 24 40 137-7213 C 51 8 31 39 80-8111 D 74 6 28 34 36-26000 D 65 9 22 31 111-20600 LW/C 51 11 12 23 8-15130 C 46 8 12 20 8-14202 D 40 6 14 20 45-6201 C 48 2 18 20 14-11000 LW 57 10 9 19 107-13201 D 64 2 16 18 52-12000 RW 47 7 9 16 98-5100 D 79 2 12 14 183-13000 RW 25 6 4 10 8-11200 D 68 4 6 10 109-31000 D 36 3 5 8 82-4000 D 44 1 7 8 143-12000 C 7 1 1 2 0-2000 D 20 0 2 2 29-3000 LW 7 1 0 1 26-4000 RW 4 0 1 1 0-4000 G 4 0 1 1 00000 G 22 0 0 0 120000 D 1 0 0 0 21000 G 58 0 0 0 170000 G 4 0 0 0 00000 G 7 0 0 0 00000 Goaltending Player MIN GPW LTGAGAA SO SA SV SV% 3153 58 24 26 2 227 4.32 017931566.873 1114 22 4 13 2 89 4.79 0569480.844 160 4 1 1 0 10 3.75 07363.863 130 4 0 2 1 16 7.38 08064.800 286 7 0 3 1 21 4.41 0173152.879 Team: 4843 80 29 45 6 363 4.50 026882325.865

Note: 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 draft picks at the 1986 NHL entry draft. Rd # Pick # Player Nat Pos Team (League) Notes1 3Neil BradyCMedicine Hat Tigers (WHL)2 24Todd CopelandDBelmont Hill H.S. (Massachusetts)3 45Janne OjanenCTappara (SM-liiga)3 62Marc LanielDOshawa Generals (OHL)4 66 Anders CarlssonCSödertälje SK (Elitserien)587No fifth-round pick6 108Troy CrowderRWHamilton Steelhawks (OHL)7 129Kevin ToddCPrince Albert Raiders (WHL)8 150 Ryan PardoskiLWCalgary Canucks (AJHL)9 171Scott McCormack–St. Paul's H.S. (New Hampshire)10 192Frederic ChabotGSt. Foy Foosters (Quebec AAA)11 213John AndersenLWOshawa Generals (OHL)12 236Doug KirtonRWOrillia Travelways (OPJHL)S12Glen EngevikRWUniversity of Denver (WCHA)S26Tim BarakettFHarvard University (ECAC)

Notes

References