• Canada makes it three in a row and four out of five, beating the United States to win the Canada Cup prior to the start of the NHL season. For the Soviet Union, it's one of their last international competitions ever, as the country would cease to exist at the end of the year.

• All teams wear a patch commemorating the NHL's 75th anniversary. In addition, the Original Six -- Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, the New York Rangers and Toronto -- wear throwback uniforms for select games.

• The NHL returns to the San Francisco Bay Area with the arrival of the San Jose Sharks. Ironically, the Gunds, who brought NHL hockey to San Jose, were also responsible for taking hockey out of the region when they moved the California Golden Seals to Cleveland.

• The NHL endures its first-ever work stoppage -- a players strike that begins April 1 and lasts ten days. The strike would not lead to any game cancellations, as all are eventually made up.

• The Pittsburgh Penguins win their second straight Stanley Cup, sweeping the Chicago Blackhawks in four straight.