Norris Division Title

Montreal Canadiens won six consecutive Norris Division titles from 1975 to 1980.

The Norris Division was a division in the National Hockey League that existed for 19 seasons from 1974 to 1993. It was named after James E. Norris, longtime owner of the Detroit Red Wings, and is the forerunner of the NHL's Central Division.

Quick Facts

League

National Hockey League (NHL)

Division era

1974–1993

First canadiens win

1975

Key rivals

Detroit Red Wings
Los Angeles Kings
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals

Stanley cup wins produced

4 (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979)

Lore & Background

The division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. In 1981, it moved to the Clarence Campbell Conference and comprised the league's Great Lakes and Midwest teams, with the Detroit Red Wings being the only member to remain from the previous season. Through the 1980s, the division was noted for enforcer-heavy squads that had poor performances – qualifying for the playoffs with .500 points percentages, and achieving no Stanley Cup titles or appearances in the finals – but great local popularity. Despite the division's reputation, the 1985–86 St. Louis Blues made an impressive Cinderella run by reaching the Conference Finals, and the 1990–91 Minnesota North Stars reached the Stanley Cup Finals.

Reader's Guide

The Norris Division was formed in 1974 with the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals. The Hartford Whalers joined in 1979. In 1981, the division moved to the Clarence Campbell Conference and its lineup changed to the Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota North Stars, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets. The Winnipeg Jets left after one season. The Tampa Bay Lightning joined for the 1992–93 season. After the 1992–93 season, the league was reformatted into two conferences with two divisions each, and the Norris Division was replaced by the Central Division.