1982–83 QMJHL season

The 1982–83 QMJHL season was the 14th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league underwent its first expansion since the 1973–74 QMJHL season by adding two new teams in Drummondville and Longueuil. Divisions were restored, and eleven teams played 70 games each in the regular season.

Rookie centreman Pat LaFontaine of the Verdun Juniors posted 234 points in the regular season, the second highest season total in junior ice hockey history at the time, behind only Pierre Larouche's 251 points from the 1973–74 QMJHL season. LaFontaine went on to win six individual trophies at the season's end.

The Longueuil Chevaliers, coached by Jacques Lemaire, set the Canadian Hockey League record for the best first season by an expansion team after posting 37 wins and a winning percentage of 0.557 in 70 games, ahead of the 2003–04 Everett Silvertips with 35 wins and a winning percentage of 0.556 in 72 games. The Chevaliers also became the first expansion team to reach the championship series of the playoffs, a feat later equalled by the Silvertips.

The Laval Voisins and Shawinigan Cataractes both set a QMJHL record with 33 wins on home ice during the regular season. The Laval Voisins finished first overall in the regular season, winning the Jean Rougeau Trophy. The Verdun Juniors won the President's Cup, defeating the Longueuil Chevaliers in the finals.

Team changes

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Final standings

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Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; Pts = Points; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against

Dilio DivisionGPWLTPtsGFGA
Shawinigan Cataractes7052162106406232
Chicoutimi Saguenéens703732175397388
Trois-Rivières Draveurs703138163393414
Quebec Remparts702743054317396
Drummondville Voltigeurs701157224249491
Lebel DivisionGPWLTPtsGFGA
Laval Voisins7053170106452305
Verdun Juniors7050191101486303
Longueuil Chevaliers703729478349333
Saint-Jean Castors702837561375421
Hull Olympiques703040060393406
Granby Bisons702048242343469

Scoring leaders

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Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in Minutes

PlayerTeamGPGAPtsPIM
Pat LaFontaineVerdun Juniors7010413023410
Claude VerretTrois-Rivières Draveurs687311518821
Mario LemieuxLaval Voisins668410018476
Sylvain TurgeonHull Olympiques6754109163103
Paul AdeyHull Olympiques705810416214
Jean-Maurice CoolVerdun Juniors70658414998
Roberto LavoieChicoutimi Saguenéens59577913648
Benoit DoucetHull Olympiques68617513653
Guy PigeonSaint-Jean / Québec71567713328
Gerard GallantSaint-Jean / Verdun625474128244

Playoffs

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Pat LaFontaine was the leading scorer of the playoffs with 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists).

Quarterfinals
  • Laval Voisins defeated Hull Olympiques 4 games to 3.
  • Shawinigan Cataractes defeated Saint-Jean Castors 4 games to 0.
  • Verdun Juniors defeated Trois-Rivières Draveurs 4 games to 0.
  • Longueuil Chevaliers defeated Chicoutimi Saguenéens 4 games to 1.
Semifinals
  • Longueuil Chevaliers defeated Laval Voisins 4 games to 1.
  • Verdun Juniors defeated Shawinigan Cataractes 4 games to 2.
Finals
  • Verdun Juniors defeated Longueuil Chevaliers 4 games to 1.

All-star teams

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First team
Second team

Trophies and awards

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Team
Player

See also

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References

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Preceded by QMJHL seasons Succeeded by