| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 8–May 21, 1981 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Defending champions | New York Islanders |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | New York Islanders |
| Runner-up | Minnesota North Stars |
The 1981 Stanley Cup playoffs, the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) began on April 8, after the conclusion of the 1980–81 NHL season. The playoffs concluded on May 21 with the champion New York Islanders defeating the Minnesota North Stars 5–1 to win the final series four games to one and win the Stanley Cup.
In game one of the Edmonton-Montreal series, Wayne Gretzky recorded five assists, at the time this was a single game playoff record.[1]
These were the last Stanley Cup playoffs conducted under a format that paired teams in each round without regard to division or conference standing.
- ^ Jenish, D'Arcy (2009). The Montreal Canadiens:100 Years of Glory. Doubleday. p. 243. ISBN 978-0-385-66325-0.