1999–2000 NHL season

The 1999–2000 NHL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Hockey League. With the addition of the expansion Atlanta Thrashers, 28 teams each played 82 games. This was the first season played in which teams were awarded a point for an overtime loss. The New Jersey Devils defeated the defending champion Dallas Stars for their second Stanley Cup championship. During the regular season, no player reached the 100-point plateau, the first time in a non-lockout season since the 1967–68 season. Also, in the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs, the New Jersey Devils overcame a three-games-to-one deficit against the Philadelphia Flyers to win the Eastern Conference Finals.

League business
Throughout the regular season and playoffs, teams wore a patch celebrating the turn of the millennium (see above).

Beginning this season, teams would earn one point for an overtime loss in the regular season instead of zero. It was hoped that this change would stop teams from playing very defensively during the overtime to guarantee the single point from a tie. The number of ties had been going up for some years and the NHL was hoping to counter this trend and did so quite successfully with this rule change.

Wayne Gretzky's jersey number, 99, was retired league-wide on February 6, 2000, at the season's All–Star Game.

The 1999–2000 season was the inaugural year for the Atlanta Thrashers. They would join the Southeast Division, marking the return of the NHL to Atlanta since the Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary in 1980. It was also the first year for the Carolina Hurricanes' home rink, the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena, the Los Angeles Kings played their first season at Staples Center after 32 seasons at the Great Western Forum, and the Colorado Avalanche played their first season at Pepsi Center.

A new award, the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award, was introduced this season for the goaltender with the best save percentage.

Overtime rule changes
The standings will record three points for games decided in overtime: 2 to the winning team, and 1 to the loser. In addition, overtimes will be played with four skaters per side, instead of five.

Uniform changes and patches
League wide: an NHL 2000 patch was worn this season for the new millennium.

Anaheim: Jade Alternates Retired. Eggplant pants with Jade Stripes are restored.

Atlanta: White jerseys have the team logo, while the road darks have the alternate mark. The team wore inaugural season patches for their first season.

Carolina: Shade of red is darkened. In addition to the NHL 2000 Patch, the Hurricanes wore two other patches this season, one celebrated the opening of the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena, and the other was in Memory of Steve Chiasson, who died in a single-vehicle, alcohol-involved crash after the Hurricanes were eliminated in the 1999 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Chicago: The tan outline on the crest is removed.

Colorado: Shade of Burgundy is darkened from 1998–1999

Dallas: The alternates from 1998–1999 become the basis of the team's new home Uniform. the actual 1998–1999 Alternates become the new road uniform.

Los Angeles: New Purple alternates introduced.

New York Rangers: Navy Blue Lady Liberty Alternates return.

Ottawa: The Alternates from the 1998–1999 become the new Road Uniforms

Phoenix: Crest on the alternates get a sand-colored outline.

Tampa Bay: the alternate jerseys are dropped.

Toronto: All-star game patch worn for 2000 NHL All-Star Game. The Alternates worn during the 1998–1999 season for the last year at Maple Leaf Gardens go on a one-year hiatus.

Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points

Leading goaltenders
Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage

Source: 2001 NHL Yearbook

Eastern Conference

 * Atlanta Thrashers: Curt Fraser
 * Boston Bruins: Pat Burns
 * Buffalo Sabres: Lindy Ruff
 * Carolina Hurricanes: Paul Maurice
 * Florida Panthers: Terry Murray
 * Montreal Canadiens: Alain Vigneault
 * New Jersey Devils: Robbie Ftorek and Larry Robinson
 * New York Islanders: Butch Goring
 * New York Rangers: John Muckler and John Tortorella
 * Ottawa Senators: Jacques Martin
 * Philadelphia Flyers: Roger Neilson and Craig Ramsay
 * Pittsburgh Penguins: Herb Brooks
 * Tampa Bay Lightning: Steve Ludzik
 * Toronto Maple Leafs: Pat Quinn
 * Washington Capitals: Ron Wilson

Western Conference

 * Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Craig Hartsburg
 * Calgary Flames: Brian Sutter
 * Chicago Blackhawks: Lorne Molleken and Bob Pulford
 * Colorado Avalanche: Bob Hartley
 * Dallas Stars: Ken Hitchcock
 * Detroit Red Wings: Scotty Bowman
 * Edmonton Oilers: Kevin Lowe
 * Los Angeles Kings: Larry Robinson
 * Nashville Predators: Barry Trotz
 * Phoenix Coyotes: Bobby Francis
 * San Jose Sharks: Darryl Sutter
 * St. Louis Blues: Joel Quenneville
 * Vancouver Canucks: Marc Crawford

Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1999–2000 (listed with their first team, an asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
 * Patrik Stefan, Atlanta Thrashers
 * Robyn Regehr, Calgary Flames
 * Alex Tanguay, Colorado Avalanche
 * Martin Skoula, Colorado Avalanche
 * Brenden Morrow, Dallas Stars
 * Brian Rafalski, New Jersey Devils
 * Scott Gomez, New Jersey Devils
 * Roberto Luongo, New York Islanders
 * Brian Boucher, Philadelphia Flyers
 * Simon Gagne, Philadelphia Flyers
 * Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose Sharks

Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1999–2000 (listed with their last team):
 * Marty McSorley, Boston Bruins
 * Grant Fuhr, Calgary Flames
 * Steve Smith, Calgary Flames
 * Ed Olczyk, Chicago Blackhawks
 * Brian Skrudland, Dallas Stars
 * Guy Carbonneau, Dallas Stars
 * Ken Wregget, Detroit Red Wings
 * Bill Ranford, Edmonton Oilers
 * Ray Sheppard, Florida Panthers
 * Darren Turcotte, Nashville Predators
 * Ulf Samuelsson, Philadelphia Flyers
 * Zarley Zalapski, Philadelphia Flyers
 * Rob Brown, Pittsburgh Penguins
 * Pat Falloon, Pittsburgh Penguins
 * Bob Rouse, San Jose Sharks
 * Murray Craven, San Jose Sharks
 * Dave Ellett, St. Louis Blues
 * Geoff Courtnall, St. Louis Blues
 * Derek King, St. Louis Blues
 * Daren Puppa, Tampa Bay Lightning
 * Shawn Burr, Tampa Bay Lightning
 * Wendel Clark, Toronto Maple Leafs
 * Doug Bodger, Vancouver Canucks

Canada
This was the second season of the league's Canadian national broadcast rights deals with CBC and CTV Sportsnet. CBC aired Saturday night Hockey Night in Canada regular season games, while CTV Sportsnet's telecasts included Tuesday Night Hockey and other weeknight games. Coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs continued to primarily be on CBC, while CTV Sportsnet aired first round all-U.S. series.

United States
This was the first year of the league's five-year U.S. national broadcast rights deal with ESPN and ABC. Much like ABC's initial contract with the NHL in the 1992–93 and 1993–94 seasons, ESPN essentially purchased time on ABC to air selected NHL games on ist sister broadcast network. This was noted in copyright tags at the conclusion of the telecasts (i.e., "The preceding program has been paid for by ESPN, Inc."). ESPN later signed a similar television rights contract with the National Basketball Association in 2002, allowing it to produce and broadcast NBA games on ABC under a similar time buy arrangement on the broadcast network. ABC's terms of this deal included four to five weeks worth of regional games on selected Saturday afternoons, typically between beginning in January or March for the first two seasons. ABC also had the All-Star Game. ESPN and ESPN2 continued to air weeknight games throughout the regular season. During the first two rounds of the playoffs, ESPN and ESPN2 aired selected games, while ABC had weekend regional telecasts. Each U.S. team's regional broadcaster produced local coverage of first and second round games (except for those games on ABC). ABC's weekend telecasts continued into the Conference Finals, while ESPN had the rest of the third round games. ESPN then aired the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals before the rest of the series shifted to ABC.