The 1982–83 QMJHL season was the 14th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league undergoes its first expansion since the 1973–74 QMJHL season by adding two new teams in Drummondville and Longueuil. Divisions are restored, and eleven teams played 70 games each in the regular season.
Rookie centreman Pat LaFontaine of the Verdun Juniors posts 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 would go 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 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.
Contents |
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; Pts = Points; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against
| Dilio Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawinigan Cataractes | 70 | 52 | 16 | 2 | 106 | 406 | 232 |
| Chicoutimi Saguenéens | 70 | 37 | 32 | 1 | 75 | 397 | 388 |
| Trois-Rivières Draveurs | 70 | 31 | 38 | 1 | 63 | 393 | 414 |
| Quebec Remparts | 70 | 27 | 43 | 0 | 54 | 317 | 396 |
| Drummondville Voltigeurs | 70 | 11 | 57 | 2 | 24 | 249 | 491 |
| Lebel Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laval Voisins | 70 | 53 | 17 | 0 | 106 | 452 | 305 |
| Verdun Juniors | 70 | 50 | 19 | 1 | 101 | 486 | 303 |
| Longueuil Chevaliers | 70 | 37 | 29 | 4 | 78 | 349 | 333 |
| Saint-Jean Castors | 70 | 28 | 37 | 5 | 61 | 375 | 421 |
| Hull Olympiques | 70 | 30 | 40 | 0 | 60 | 393 | 406 |
| Granby Bisons | 70 | 20 | 48 | 2 | 42 | 343 | 469 |
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in Minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pat LaFontaine | Verdun Juniors | 70 | 104 | 130 | 234 | 10 |
| Claude Verret | Trois-Rivières Draveurs | 68 | 73 | 115 | 188 | 21 |
| Mario Lemieux | Laval Voisins | 66 | 84 | 100 | 184 | 76 |
| Sylvain Turgeon | Hull Olympiques | 67 | 54 | 109 | 163 | 103 |
| Paul Adey | Hull Olympiques | 70 | 58 | 104 | 162 | 14 |
| Jean-Maurice Cool | Verdun Juniors | 70 | 65 | 84 | 149 | 98 |
| Roberto Lavoie | Chicoutimi Saguenéens | 59 | 57 | 79 | 136 | 48 |
| Benoit Doucet | Hull Olympiques | 68 | 61 | 75 | 136 | 53 |
| Guy Pigeon | Saint-Jean / Québec | 71 | 56 | 77 | 133 | 28 |
| Gerard Gallant | Saint-Jean / Verdun | 62 | 54 | 74 | 128 | 244 |
Pat LaFontaine was the leading scorer of the playoffs with 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists).
| Preceded by 1981–82 QMJHL season |
QMJHL seasons | Succeeded by 1983–84 QMJHL season |
| Maritimes Division | Acadie-Bathurst Titan • Cape Breton Screaming Eagles • Halifax Mooseheads • Moncton Wildcats • P.E.I. Rocket • Saint John Sea Dogs | ||
| Telus East | Baie-Comeau Drakkar • Chicoutimi Saguenéens • Quebec Remparts • Rimouski Océanic • Victoriaville Tigres | ||
| Telus West | Blainville-Boisbriand Armada • Drummondville Voltigeurs • Gatineau Olympiques • Rouyn-Noranda Huskies • Shawinigan Cataractes • Val-d'Or Foreurs | ||
| Future team | Sherbrooke Phoenix (begins play in 2012-13) | ||
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