1980–81 Detroit Red Wings season

The 1980–81 Detroit Red Wings season was the Red Wings' 49th season, the first full season at Joe Louis Arena, and 55th overall for the franchise. The team missed the playoffs for the third year in a row since the 1974–75 season and the 1976–77 season it is also the first time since the 1978–79 season that they finished last in the conference.

Regular season

Final standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

|1||L||October 10, 1980||3–5 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1980–81) ||0–1–0

|2||L||October 11, 1980||1–8 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1980–81) ||0–2–0

|3||L||October 15, 1980||4–6 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1980–81) ||0–3–0

|4||L||October 16, 1980||4–6 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1980–81) ||0–4–0

|5||L||October 18, 1980||2–4 || align="left"| @ Hartford Whalers (1980–81) ||0–5–0

|6||W||October 23, 1980||5–1 || align="left"| Colorado Rockies (1980–81) ||1–5–0

|7||W||October 25, 1980||4–2 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1980–81) ||2–5–0

|8||L||October 26, 1980||6–7 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1980–81) ||2–6–0

|9||T||October 28, 1980||2–2 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1980–81) ||2–6–1

|10||L||October 29, 1980||3–5 || align="left"| @ Hartford Whalers (1980–81) ||2–7–1

|11||L||November 1, 1980||2–4 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1980–81) ||2–8–1

|12||L||November 4, 1980||4–6 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1980–81) ||2–9–1

|13||W||November 6, 1980||3–2 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1980–81) ||3–9–1

|14||L||November 8, 1980||3–5 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1980–81) ||3–10–1

|15||T||November 11, 1980||4–4 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1980–81) ||3–10–2

|16||T||November 12, 1980||4–4 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1980–81) ||3–10–3

|17||L||November 15, 1980||2–5 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1980–81) ||3–11–3

|18||L||November 19, 1980||1–2 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1980–81) ||3–12–3

|19||L||November 20, 1980||3–7 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1980–81) ||3–13–3

|20||L||November 22, 1980||2–6 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1980–81) ||3–14–3

|21||T||November 26, 1980||7–7 || align="left"| Washington Capitals (1980–81) ||3–14–4

|22||L||November 29, 1980||1–5 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1980–81) ||3–15–4

|23||L||December 2, 1980||3–5 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1980–81) ||3–16–4

|24||L||December 4, 1980||1–4 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1980–81) ||3–17–4

|25||W||December 6, 1980||4–2 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1980–81) ||4–17–4

|26||T||December 7, 1980||1–1 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1980–81) ||4–17–5

|27||L||December 11, 1980||1–2 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1980–81) ||4–18–5

|28||W||December 13, 1980||7–3 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1980–81) ||5–18–5

|29||W||December 14, 1980||5–4 || align="left"| @ Washington Capitals (1980–81) ||6–18–5

|30||W||December 16, 1980||4–3 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1980–81) ||7–18–5

|31||W||December 18, 1980||5–3 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1980–81) ||8–18–5

|32||T||December 20, 1980||3–3 || align="left"| @ Colorado Rockies (1980–81) ||8–18–6

|33||L||December 23, 1980||2–6 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1980–81) ||8–19–6

|34||T||December 27, 1980||4–4 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1980–81) ||8–19–7

|35||W||December 28, 1980||4–3 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1980–81) ||9–19–7

|36||W||December 31, 1980||3–1 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1980–81) ||10–19–7

|37||T||January 2, 1981||2–2 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1980–81) ||10–19–8

|38||L||January 3, 1981||4–6 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1980–81) ||10–20–8

|39||L||January 6, 1981||2–6 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1980–81) ||10–21–8

|40||L||January 8, 1981||4–7 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1980–81) ||10–22–8

|41||W||January 10, 1981||4–1 || align="left"| Calgary Flames (1980–81) ||11–22–8

|42||T||January 13, 1981||3–3 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1980–81) ||11–22–9

|43||L||January 15, 1981||0–10 || align="left"| @ Calgary Flames (1980–81) ||11–23–9

|44||L||January 16, 1981||1–3 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1980–81) ||11–24–9

|45||L||January 20, 1981||4–11 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1980–81) ||11–25–9

|46||L||January 22, 1981||0–3 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1980–81) ||11–26–9

|47||W||January 24, 1981||6–2 || align="left"| Colorado Rockies (1980–81) ||12–26–9

|48||W||January 26, 1981||4–2 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1980–81) ||13–26–9

|49||T||January 28, 1981||2–2 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1980–81) ||13–26–10

|50||T||January 29, 1981||3–3 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1980–81) ||13–26–11

|51||L||February 1, 1981||1–4 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1980–81) ||13–27–11

|52||W||February 3, 1981||5–3 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1980–81) ||14–27–11

|53||W||February 5, 1981||6–4 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1980–81) ||15–27–11

|54||L||February 6, 1981||3–7 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1980–81) ||15–28–11

|55||W||February 8, 1981||3–2 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1980–81) ||16–28–11

|56||T||February 12, 1981||2–2 || align="left"| Hartford Whalers (1980–81) ||16–28–12

|57||L||February 14, 1981||1–3 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1980–81) ||16–29–12

|58||W||February 17, 1981||6–4 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1980–81) ||17–29–12

|59||W||February 19, 1981||7–3 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1980–81) ||18–29–12

|60||L||February 21, 1981||1–4 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1980–81) ||18–30–12

|61||L||February 25, 1981||2–3 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1980–81) ||18–31–12

|62||L||February 27, 1981||2–5 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1980–81) ||18–32–12

|63||T||March 1, 1981||4–4 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1980–81) ||18–32–13

|64||T||March 4, 1981||3–3 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1980–81) ||18–32–14

|65||T||March 8, 1981||4–4 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1980–81) ||18–32–15

|66||T||March 10, 1981||4–4 || align="left"| Hartford Whalers (1980–81) ||18–32–16

|67||L||March 12, 1981||4–9 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1980–81) ||18–33–16

|68||L||March 14, 1981||3–5 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1980–81) ||18–34–16

|69||L||March 17, 1981||3–4 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1980–81) ||18–35–16

|70||L||March 19, 1981||3–6 || align="left"| Calgary Flames (1980–81) ||18–36–16

|71||W||March 21, 1981||5–4 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1980–81) ||19–36–16

|72||L||March 22, 1981||3–9 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1980–81) ||19–37–16

|73||L||March 24, 1981||4–7 || align="left"| @ Colorado Rockies (1980–81) ||19–38–16

|74||L||March 26, 1981||0–2 || align="left"| Washington Capitals (1980–81) ||19–39–16

|75||L||March 28, 1981||2–4 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1980–81) ||19–40–16

|76||L||March 29, 1981||3–4 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1980–81) ||19–41–16

|77||T||March 31, 1981||5–5 || align="left"| @ Calgary Flames (1980–81) ||19–41–17

|78||T||April 2, 1981||1–1 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1980–81) ||19–41–18

|79||L||April 4, 1981||4–5 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1980–81) ||19–42–18

|80||L||April 5, 1981||2–7 || align="left"| @ Washington Capitals (1980–81) ||19–43–18

Legend:

Player statistics

Regular season Scoring Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM +/- PPG SHG GWG C 80 30 56 86 50-171122 LW 80 35 35 70 14-17922 RW 80 28 35 63 210-13305 D 78 27 31 58 153-35800 D 80 15 34 49 130-28300 RW 74 12 20 32 30-35600 C 50 18 13 31 24-30613 LW 39 14 12 26 52-4502 LW 31 10 14 24 280300 LW 67 8 16 24 45-10111 C 53 6 18 24 242101 D/LW 63 5 15 20 246-5111 LW 40 5 14 19 27-14100 LW 58 5 10 15 840100 D 56 3 10 13 60-21001 D 68 5 7 12 57-1000 LW 44 3 8 11 12-19000 D 20 3 7 10 20-3100 RW 32 3 6 9 10-7000 D 64 1 8 9 70-18000 RW 20 5 2 7 93-12000 LW 38 2 5 7 534000 C 24 1 4 5 26-8001 RW 16 2 2 4 22-10000 C/RW 32 2 2 4 77-14000 C 22 2 1 3 162000 LW 5 2 0 2 05000 D 17 0 2 2 10-8000 D 11 0 2 2 6-5000 G 48 0 1 1 120000 G 30 0 1 1 00000 G 10 0 1 1 00000 D 2 0 0 0 20000 G 1 0 0 0 00000 G 3 0 0 0 00000 Goaltending Player MIN GPW LTGAGAA SO 2618 48 11 24 9 175 4.01 0 1459 30 6 11 7 105 4.32 0 600 10 2 6 2 43 4.30 0 60 1 0 1 0 7 7.00 0 63 3 0 1 0 4 3.81 0 Team: 4800 80 19 43 18 334 4.17 0

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;

Transactions The Red Wings were involved in the following transactions during the 1980–81 season.

Trades June 6, 1980To Detroit Red WingsCashTo Minnesota North StarsAlex Pirus July 15, 1980To Detroit Red WingsGilles GilbertTo Boston BruinsRogie Vachon October 31, 1980To Detroit Red WingsCashTo Winnipeg JetsBarry Long December 4, 1980To Detroit Red WingsMark KirtonTo Toronto Maple LeafsJim Rutherford January 8, 1981To Detroit Red WingsGary McAdamTo Pittsburgh PenguinsErrol Thompson February 3, 1981To Detroit Red WingsEarl Ingarfield Jr.To Calgary FlamesDan Labraaten February 24, 1981To Detroit Red WingsBrad SmithTo Calgary FlamesFuture considerations

Waivers June 8, 1980From Minnesota North StarsDavid Hanson October 10, 1980From Boston BruinsRick Smith November 7, 1980To Washington CapitalsRick Smith

Free agent signings January 14, 1981From Pittsburgh PenguinsTom Bladon

Draft picks Detroit's draft picks at the 1980 NHL entry draft held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal.

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)111Mike BlaisdellRegina Pats (WHL)346Mark OsborneNiagara Falls Flyers (OHA)588Mike CorriganCornwall Royals (QMJHL)6109Wayne CrawfordToronto Marlboros (OMJHL)7130Mike BraunNiagara Falls Flyers (OMJHL)8151John BeukeboomPeterborough Petes (OMJHL)9172Dave MilesBrantford Alexanders (OMJHL)10193Brian RorabeckNiagara Falls Flyers (OMJHL)

See also 1980–81 NHL season

References