# 2013–14 NHL season
The 2013–14 NHL season was the 97th season of play (96th season of competition) of the [National Hockey League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-hockey-league), in which the [Los Angeles Kings](https://www.edgepedia.org/los-angeles-kings) won the [Stanley Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/stanley-cup) by defeating the New York Rangers four games to one in the Final.[1](https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2014_leaders.html) • [2](https://records.nhl.com/history/yearly-playoff-results?year=20132014) It was the first season played under a realigned divisional structure that changed the league's playoff format.[3](https://media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/fl_attachment/prd/rthdouve90ijczliiibd.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| League champion | Los Angeles Kings, second Stanley Cup in three seasons[4](https://records.nhl.com/lak/playoff-summary/stanley-cup-winner?season=20132014) |
| Stanley Cup Final | Kings def. New York Rangers 4–1 (best-of-7)[2](https://records.nhl.com/history/yearly-playoff-results?year=20132014) |
| Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP) | Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins (36 G, 68 A, 104 P)[1](https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2014_leaders.html) |
| Scoring leaders | Points: Crosby 104; assists: Crosby 68; goals: Alex Ovechkin 51[1](https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2014_leaders.html) |
| Other major awards | Calder: Nathan MacKinnon (24 G, 39 A, 63 P); Vezina: Tuukka Rask (36-15-6, 2.04 GAA)[1](https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2014_leaders.html) |
| Attendance | 21,758,902 over 1,230 regular-season games; 1,775,557 over 93 playoff games[5](https://records.nhl.com/history/attendance) |
| Kings' playoff run | Cup clinched in the 26th postseason game, the most ever by a champion; 7–0 when facing elimination[4](https://records.nhl.com/lak/playoff-summary/stanley-cup-winner?season=20132014) |
## Realignment and playoff format
The NHL underwent a divisional realignment prior to the 2013–14 season that affected the league's playoff format.[3](https://media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/fl_attachment/prd/rthdouve90ijczliiibd.pdf)
## Regular season
**Individual leaders.** [Sidney Crosby](https://www.edgepedia.org/sidney-crosby) of the [Pittsburgh Penguins](https://www.edgepedia.org/pittsburgh-penguins) led the league in points (104) and assists (68) while scoring 36 goals, and won the [Hart Memorial Trophy](https://www.edgepedia.org/hart-memorial-trophy) as most valuable player.[1](https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2014_leaders.html) Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals led the league with 51 goals, well clear of Corey Perry (43) and Joe Pavelski (41).[1](https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2014_leaders.html) Crosby's 104 points came in his first full 82-game season since 2009-10; he also led Team Canada to a gold medal at the Sochi Olympics during the season.[6](https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/top-10-stories-from-2013-14-nhl-season/)
**Team performances.** In the Eastern Conference, the [Boston Bruins](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-bruins) finished first with 117 points from a 54-19-9 record, scoring 261 goals and allowing 177.[7](https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2014.html) The Tampa Bay Lightning took the second playoff spot shown in the Atlantic Division with 101 points.[7](https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2014.html) In the West, the [Colorado Avalanche](https://www.edgepedia.org/colorado-avalanche), coached by first-year head coach [Patrick Roy](https://www.edgepedia.org/patrick-roy), rose from the league's worst team the previous season to the top of the Central Division, with goaltender Semyon Varlamov recording 41 wins in a Vezina-nomination-caliber season.[6](https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/top-10-stories-from-2013-14-nhl-season/) • [8](https://www.nhlpa.com/news/a-preview-of-the-2014-nhl-awards/)
**Notable storylines.** [Nathan MacKinnon](https://www.edgepedia.org/nathan-mackinnon) of the [Avalanche](https://www.edgepedia.org/avalanche) won the [Calder Memorial Trophy](https://www.edgepedia.org/calder-memorial-trophy) as rookie of the year with 24 goals and 63 points.[1](https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2014_leaders.html) Pittsburgh defenceman Kris Letang suffered a stroke shortly before the Olympics and returned to the lineup less than two months later.[6](https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/top-10-stories-from-2013-14-nhl-season/) The season featured an expanded slate of outdoor games, including Stadium Series games that pushed outdoor hockey into new markets such as Los Angeles.[6](https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/top-10-stories-from-2013-14-nhl-season/) Boston defenceman Zdeno Chara, a past winner of the Norris Trophy, had one of his best seasons with 17 goals, 40 points, and a +25 rating.[8](https://www.nhlpa.com/news/a-preview-of-the-2014-nhl-awards/)
## Stanley Cup playoffs
The Kings' championship run set several league marks. Los Angeles clinched the Stanley Cup in its 26th postseason game, the most ever by a champion, and became the first team in NHL history to play the maximum 21 games en route to the Final.[4](https://records.nhl.com/lak/playoff-summary/stanley-cup-winner?season=20132014) Los Angeles set a record for Stanley Cup winners by going 7–0 in games where a loss meant elimination, took each of its first three Game 7s away from home, and joined just one other franchise in winning three Game 7s within a single postseason.[4](https://records.nhl.com/lak/playoff-summary/stanley-cup-winner?season=20132014)
**Early rounds.** During the opening round, Los Angeles rallied from a 3–0 series hole against their [Northern California](https://www.edgepedia.org/northern-california) rivals, the [San Jose Sharks](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-jose-sharks), making them just the fourth club in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to come back from such a deficit.[4](https://records.nhl.com/lak/playoff-summary/stanley-cup-winner?season=20132014) In the second round they beat the [Anaheim Ducks](https://www.edgepedia.org/anaheim-ducks) 4–3, while the Chicago Blackhawks eliminated the Minnesota Wild 4–2 and the Rangers eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4–3.[2](https://records.nhl.com/history/yearly-playoff-results?year=20132014) The conference finals went seven games in the West, with the Kings defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 4–3, and six in the East, where the Rangers beat the Montréal Canadiens 4–2.[2](https://records.nhl.com/history/yearly-playoff-results?year=20132014)
**The Final.** Los Angeles defeated the New York Rangers in five games.[2](https://records.nhl.com/history/yearly-playoff-results?year=20132014) The Cup-clinching tally was notched by defenceman Alec Martinez at 14:43 of the second overtime period in Game 5, and it capped a final in which Los Angeles won three overtime contests.[4](https://records.nhl.com/lak/playoff-summary/stanley-cup-winner?season=20132014)
## Attendance
The league drew 21,758,902 spectators to 1,230 regular-season games and 1,775,557 to 93 playoff games, for total attendance of 23,534,459.[5](https://records.nhl.com/history/attendance) The regular-season total set a league record for total regular-season attendance, although average crowds were down 2 percent from the previous season.[9](https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2014/04/15/Research-and-Ratings/NHL-gate.aspx)
## References
1. [2013-14 NHL Leaders, Hockey-Reference.com](https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2014_leaders.html)
2. [2013-14 Playoff Results, NHL Records](https://records.nhl.com/history/yearly-playoff-results?year=20132014)
3. [A Season in Review: 2013-14 NHL Standings, NHL Media](https://media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/fl_attachment/prd/rthdouve90ijczliiibd.pdf)
4. [2013-14 Stanley Cup Winner, NHL Records (LAK)](https://records.nhl.com/lak/playoff-summary/stanley-cup-winner?season=20132014)
5. [Attendance, NHL Records](https://records.nhl.com/history/attendance)
6. [Top 10 stories from 2013-14 NHL season, Sportsnet](https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/top-10-stories-from-2013-14-nhl-season/)
7. [2013-14 NHL Summary, Hockey-Reference.com](https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2014.html)
8. [A Preview of the 2014 NHL Awards, NHLPA.com](https://www.nhlpa.com/news/a-preview-of-the-2014-nhl-awards/)
9. [NHL Sets Record For Total Regular-Season Attendance, But Average Crowds Down 2%, SportsBusiness Journal](https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2014/04/15/Research-and-Ratings/NHL-gate.aspx)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Hockey and remaining team sports › National Hockey League › NHL seasons, playoffs, and Finals*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license