• New York Raiders renamed New York Golden Blades, which were then renamed New Jersey Knights midseason.
• Ottawa Nationals relocated to Toronto as the Toros.
• Philadelphia Blazers relocated to Vancouver, switching divisions with Chicago Cougars.
• Alberta Oilers renamed Edmonton Oilers, having dropped playing some home games in Calgary.

• Two expansion teams, Indianapolis Racers (in the Eastern Division) and Phoenix Roadrunners (in the Western Division), are added.
• The Canadian Division is created, as Edmonton, Vancouver, and Winnipeg moved in from the Western Division while Quebec and Toronto moved in from the Eastern Division.
• Los Angeles Sharks relocated to Detroit as the Michigan Stags, which relocated to Baltimore as the Blades midseason.
• New Jersey Knights moved to San Diego as the Mariners.
• New England relocated to Hartford

• Baltimore Blades and Chicago Cougars folded.
• Two expansion teams, Cincinnati Stingers (in the Eastern Division) and Denver Spurs (in the Western Division), are added.
• Also halfway through the season, Denver moved to Ottawa as the Civics (moving to the Canadian Division), which folded later on.
• Vancouver Blazers relocated to Calgary as the Cowboys.

• The Canadian Division ceased to exist as Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg rejoined the Western Division while Toronto (relocated to Birmingham as the Bulls) and Quebec rejoined the Eastern Division.
• The first Minnesota Fighting Saints are folded, but the Cleveland Crusaders relocate to Minnesota as the second Fighting Saints, still remaining in the Eastern Division,;they also folded midseason.

• Both divisions ceased to exist as Calgary, Phoenix, and San Diego fold; the league realigned into a single table.

Two international all-star teams, the Soviet All-Stars and Czechoslovakia All-Stars, play a limited schedule.

• Houston Aeros folded.
• Indianapolis Racers folded midseason.
• The Finnish National Team played one regular season game in the league, losing to the Edmonton Oilers.