1986–87 Detroit Red Wings season
| 1986–87 Detroit Red Wings | |
|---|---|
| Division | 2nd Norris |
| Conference | 5th Campbell |
| 1986–87 record | 34–36–10 |
| Home record | 20–14–6 |
| Road record | 14–22–4 |
| Goals for | 260 |
| Goals against | 274 |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Jim Devellano |
| Coach | Jacques Demers |
| Assistant coach | Dan Belisle Colin Campbell Dave Dryden Don MacAdam |
| Captain | Steve Yzerman |
| Alternate captains | Gerard Gallant Tim Higgins Lee Norwood Mike O'Connell John Ogrodnick |
| Arena | Joe Louis Arena |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Gerard Gallant (38) |
| Assists | Steve Yzerman (59) |
| Points | Steve Yzerman (90) |
| Penalty minutes | Joe Kocur (276) |
| Plus/minus | Darren Veitch (13) |
| Wins | Greg Stefan (20) |
| Goals against average | Glen Hanlon (3.20) |
The 1986–87 Detroit Red Wings season saw the Red Wings finish in second place in the Norris Division (NHL) with a record of 34 wins, 36 losses, and 10 draws for 78 points, a 38-point improvement from the previous season. Despite losing nine of their last 14 regular season games, the Red Wings swept the Chicago Blackhawks in four games in the opening round, rallied from a 3–1 deficit against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the division final, before falling to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Edmonton Oilers in five games in the Campbell Conference final. This season marked a turning point for the franchise, after making the playoffs just four times between 1967 and 1986, the Red Wings missed the playoffs only once between 1987 and 2016 (1989–90).