1982–83 Detroit Red Wings season

The 1982–83 Detroit Red Wings season was the Red Wings' 51st season, 57th overall for the franchise. They finished fifth in the Norris Division and missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season 1972–73 season and the 1976–77 season and for the first time since the 1980–81 season they finished last in the conference.

Offseason After fifty years of Norris family ownership, Bruce A. Norris, who had himself owned the Red Wings since his father's passing in 1952, sold the Red Wings to Little Caesars Pizza founder Mike Ilitch. Ilitch then proceeded to hire general manager Jim Devellano away from the three-time defending Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders. Nick Polano was then hired as head coach, coming from the Buffalo Sabres where he had served as an assistant under Scotty Bowman.

Under this new management, the Red Wings opted to modernize their uniforms. The crew collars were replaced with V-necks, and the logo was realigned to be centered on the jersey, instead of having the wheel centered underneath the collar. The most striking change, though, was to the players' names and numbers. The Red Wings adopted vertically arched lettering for the names on the back, as well as a fanciful number font with flourishes reminiscent of their wordmark. The unique number font would only last one year, though it would return for the Red Wings' 2014 Winter Classic uniforms, while the vertically arched names remain a part of the Red Wings uniforms to this day.

Regular season

Final standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

|1||L||October 6, 1982||1–2 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1982–83) ||0–1–0

|2||T||October 8, 1982||3–3 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1982–83) ||0–1–1

|3||L||October 9, 1982||0–8 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1982–83) ||0–2–1

|4||L||October 14, 1982||4–6 || align="left"| @ Calgary Flames (1982–83) ||0–3–1

|5||L||October 16, 1982||0–6 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1982–83) ||0–4–1

|6||L||October 17, 1982||4–6 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1982–83) ||0–5–1

|7||L||October 20, 1982||3–5 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1982–83) ||0–6–1

|8||W||October 23, 1982||6–2 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1982–83) ||1–6–1

|9||L||October 24, 1982||4–7 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1982–83) ||1–7–1

|10||W||October 27, 1982||5–4 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1982–83) ||2–7–1

|11||L||October 28, 1982||3–7 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1982–83) ||2–8–1

|12||W||October 30, 1982||4–2 || align="left"| @ Hartford Whalers (1982–83) ||3–8–1

|13||L||November 2, 1982||2–4 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1982–83) ||3–9–1

|14||T||November 3, 1982||3–3 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1982–83) ||3–9–2

|15||T||November 6, 1982||1–1 || align="left"| New Jersey Devils (1982–83) ||3–9–3

|16||L||November 7, 1982||0–7 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1982–83) ||3–10–3

|17||L||November 10, 1982||2–8 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1982–83) ||3–11–3

|18||L||November 13, 1982||2–3 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1982–83) ||3–12–3

|19||T||November 16, 1982||4–4 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1982–83) ||3–12–4

|20||L||November 18, 1982||1–4 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1982–83) ||3–13–4

|21||T||November 20, 1982||2–2 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1982–83) ||3–13–5

|22||L||November 21, 1982||0–3 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1982–83) ||3–14–5

|23||L||November 24, 1982||2–4 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1982–83) ||3–15–5

|24||T||November 27, 1982||5–5 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1982–83) ||3–15–6

|25||L||November 28, 1982||5–7 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1982–83) ||3–16–6

|26||L||December 1, 1982||1–4 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1982–83) ||3–17–6

|27||W||December 4, 1982||6–2 || align="left"| New Jersey Devils (1982–83) ||4–17–6

|28||W||December 8, 1982||2–0 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1982–83) ||5–17–6

|29||W||December 11, 1982||6–2 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1982–83) ||6–17–6

|30||W||December 12, 1982||7–3 || align="left"| Calgary Flames (1982–83) ||7–17–6

|31||T||December 15, 1982||4–4 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1982–83) ||7–17–7

|32||L||December 16, 1982||2–7 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1982–83) ||7–18–7

|33||T||December 18, 1982||3–3 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1982–83) ||7–18–8

|34||T||December 21, 1982||5–5 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1982–83) ||7–18–9

|35||W||December 23, 1982||6–4 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1982–83) ||8–18–9

|36||T||December 26, 1982||2–2 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1982–83) ||8–18–10

|37||L||December 27, 1982||4–8 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1982–83) ||8–19–10

|38||T||December 29, 1982||5–5 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1982–83) ||8–19–11

|39||W||December 31, 1982||4–1 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1982–83) ||9–19–11

|40||L||January 2, 1983||3–6 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1982–83) ||9–20–11

|41||L||January 3, 1983||2–6 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1982–83) ||9–21–11

|42||L||January 5, 1983||2–5 || align="left"| Washington Capitals (1982–83) ||9–22–11

|43||L||January 8, 1983||2–5 || align="left"| @ Calgary Flames (1982–83) ||9–23–11

|44||W||January 9, 1983||4–3 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1982–83) ||10–23–11

|45||T||January 13, 1983||4–4 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1982–83) ||10–23–12

|46||W||January 15, 1983||4–3 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1982–83) ||11–23–12

|47||L||January 16, 1983||2–4 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1982–83) ||11–24–12

|48||L||January 19, 1983||2–3 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1982–83) ||11–25–12

|49||L||January 22, 1983||1–3 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1982–83) ||11–26–12

|50||W||January 25, 1983||6–2 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1982–83) ||12–26–12

|51||L||January 29, 1983||3–7 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1982–83) ||12–27–12

|52||L||February 1, 1983||2–5 || align="left"| @ Washington Capitals (1982–83) ||12–28–12

|53||L||February 2, 1983||3–4 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1982–83) ||12–29–12

|54||L||February 5, 1983||3–4 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1982–83) ||12–30–12

|55||W||February 6, 1983||3–0 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1982–83) ||13–30–12

|56||W||February 9, 1983||6–5 || align="left"| @ Hartford Whalers (1982–83) ||14–30–12

|57||L||February 12, 1983||2–4 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1982–83) ||14–31–12

|58||W||February 15, 1983||7–3 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1982–83) ||15–31–12

|59||T||February 17, 1983||5–5 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1982–83) ||15–31–13

|60||W||February 20, 1983||7–2 || align="left"| Hartford Whalers (1982–83) ||16–31–13

|61||L||February 22, 1983||2–3 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1982–83) ||16–32–13

|62||L||February 24, 1983||1–4 || align="left"| @ New Jersey Devils (1982–83) ||16–33–13

|63||W||February 26, 1983||5–3 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1982–83) ||17–33–13

|64||T||February 27, 1983||4–4 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1982–83) ||17–33–14

|65||T||March 1, 1983||5–5 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1982–83) ||17–33–15

|66||W||March 3, 1983||5–3 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1982–83) ||18–33–15

|67||L||March 5, 1983||1–4 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1982–83) ||18–34–15

|68||L||March 6, 1983||4–6 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1982–83) ||18–35–15

|69||W||March 10, 1983||4–2 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1982–83) ||19–35–15

|70||L||March 12, 1983||1–2 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1982–83) ||19–36–15

|71||L||March 13, 1983||2–5 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1982–83) ||19–37–15

|72||W||March 16, 1983||4–3 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1982–83) ||20–37–15

|73||L||March 19, 1983||7–9 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1982–83) ||20–38–15

|74||L||March 20, 1983||3–6 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1982–83) ||20–39–15

|75||L||March 23, 1983||1–7 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1982–83) ||20–40–15

|76||L||March 26, 1983||5–7 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1982–83) ||20–41–15

|77||L||March 27, 1983||0–6 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1982–83) ||20–42–15

|78||L||March 30, 1983||2–4 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1982–83) ||20–43–15

|79||W||April 1, 1983||8–7 || align="left"| Washington Capitals (1982–83) ||21–43–15

|80||L||April 3, 1983||3–8 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1982–83) ||21–44–15

Legend:

Player statistics

Regular season Scoring Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM +/- PPG SHG GWG LW 80 41 44 85 3011502 D 80 22 52 74 104-7711 RW 79 26 35 61 107-16603 LW 80 19 24 43 83-41303 D 74 14 29 43 106-34301 C 64 14 29 43 421330 RW 80 18 23 41 22-6002 RW 58 17 22 39 58-8311 LW 63 13 20 33 30-2013 RW 78 15 17 32 13-1200 C 33 13 17 30 14-6310 D 73 4 26 30 797000 C 57 5 24 29 20101 RW 51 6 10 16 44-17001 D 79 4 10 14 74-18000 RW/C 28 8 4 12 188000 C/LW 42 7 4 11 12-7100 LW 31 4 7 11 64001 D 57 1 10 11 18-14001 D 53 1 7 8 742000 C 15 4 3 7 0-2000 D 27 0 4 4 16-10000 LW 33 2 1 3 14-8001 G 20 0 3 3 40000 C 14 2 0 2 0-1000 C 18 2 0 2 15-14000 C 10 1 1 2 6-1000 D 15 0 2 2 6-9000 G 34 0 1 1 180000 C/RW 11 0 1 1 0-4000 RW 1 0 0 0 00000 D 2 0 0 0 00000 G 1 0 0 0 00000 RW 1 0 0 0 0-1000 LW 10 0 0 0 2-2000 G 35 0 0 0 350000 Goaltending Player MIN GPW LTGAGAA SO 1756 34 11 13 5 106 3.62 2 1847 35 6 16 9 139 4.52 0 1137 20 4 14 1 85 4.49 0 60 1 0 1 0 7 7.00 0 Team: 4800 80 21 44 15 337 4.21 2

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; Draft picks Detroit's draft picks at the 1982 NHL entry draft held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal.

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)117Murray CravenMedicine Hat Tigers (WHL)223Yves CourteauLaval Voisins (QMJHL)344Carmine VaniKingston Canadians (OHL)466Craig CoxeSt. Albert Saints (AJHL)586Brad ShawOttawa 67's (OHL)6107Claude VilgrainLaval Voisons (QMJHL)7128Greg HudasRedford Royals (NAJHL)8149Pat LaheyWindsor Spitfires (OHL)9170Gary CullenCornell University (ECAC)10191Brent MecklingCalgary Canucks (AJHL)11212Mike SternOshawa Generals (OHL)12233Shaun ReaganBrantford Alexanders (OHL)

See also 1982–83 NHL season

References