1968–69 NHL season
1968–69 NHL season
1968–69 NHL season | |
---|---|
League | National Hockey League |
Sport | Ice hockey |
Duration | October 11, 1968 – May 4, 1969 |
Number of games | 76 |
Number of teams | 12 |
Draft | |
Top draft pick | Michel Plasse |
Picked by | Montreal Canadiens |
Regular season | |
Season champions | Montreal Canadiens |
Season MVP | Phil Esposito (Bruins) |
Top scorer | Phil Esposito (Bruins) |
Playoffs | |
Playoffs MVP | Serge Savard (Canadiens) |
Stanley Cup | |
Champions | Montreal Canadiens |
Runners-up | St. Louis Blues |
The 1968–69 NHL season was the 52nd season of the National Hockey League. Twelve teams each played 76 games (two more than in 1967–68). For the second time in a row, the Montreal Canadiens faced the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup finals. Montreal won their second consecutive Stanley Cup as they swept the Blues in four, an identical result to the previous season.
1968–69 NHL season | |
---|---|
League | National Hockey League |
Sport | Ice hockey |
Duration | October 11, 1968 – May 4, 1969 |
Number of games | 76 |
Number of teams | 12 |
Draft | |
Top draft pick | Michel Plasse |
Picked by | Montreal Canadiens |
Regular season | |
Season champions | Montreal Canadiens |
Season MVP | Phil Esposito (Bruins) |
Top scorer | Phil Esposito (Bruins) |
Playoffs | |
Playoffs MVP | Serge Savard (Canadiens) |
Stanley Cup | |
Champions | Montreal Canadiens |
Runners-up | St. Louis Blues |
Regular season
Prior to this season no player in NHL history had ever achieved 100 points in a season, but 1968–69 saw three achieve the feat. The Boston Bruins' Phil Esposito led the way with 49 goals and 77 assists for a new record of 126 points, as well as setting a record with linemates Wayne Cashman and Ron Murphy for most points in a season by a forward line. Bobby Hull of Chicago set a new record for goals with 58 and came in second in overall scoring with 107. Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings came in third with 103 points.
Red Berenson tied an NHL record, scoring six goals for the St. Louis Blues (all against goaltender Doug Favell) in an 8–0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on November 7. He became the first player to score a double hat trick in a road game.[1]
Despite finishing last in the West Division, Minnesota was led by rookie left wing Danny Grant, who along with Oakland rookie Norm Ferguson tied Nels Stewart's forty-year-old record for most goals by a rookie with 34.
On December 21, with Montreal goalies Gump Worsley (nervous breakdown) and Rogie Vachon (injured) both unavailable, rookie Tony Esposito and Boston's Gerry Cheevers both achieved shutouts in a rare scoreless tie. Esposito made 41 saves, and Cheevers made 34 saves.
Los Angeles introduced rookie goaltender Gerry Desjardins, who took over the starter's job from Wayne Rutledge, who was bothered by groin injuries most of the season. Desjardins recorded 4 shutouts during the season in helping the Kings make the playoffs and win their first round series over Oakland.
On March 2, Phil Esposito became the first NHL player to score 100 points in a season in a 4–0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In Boston-Chicago game on March 20, two milestones were accomplished. Bobby Hull broke his own record for goals with his 55th goal, and Bobby Orr broke Flash Hollett's record for goals by a defenseman with his 21st goal.
This would be the last time until the 1997–98 season that the Chicago Black Hawks missed the playoffs.
The league held a beauty pageant for the first time this season, with a contestant from every franchise. Miss Minnesota North Stars Lynn Marie Stewart was named Miss NHL 1968, and was named the NHL "ambassador" for the 1968–69 season, making various appearances and helping to present the Stanley Cup. The league held just two more pageants in 1970 and 1972 before abandoning the concept.
Final standings
GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | DIFF | Pts | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Montreal Canadiens | 76 | 46 | 19 | 11 | 271 | 202 | +69 | 103 |
2 | Boston Bruins | 76 | 42 | 18 | 16 | 303 | 221 | +82 | 100 |
3 | New York Rangers | 76 | 41 | 26 | 9 | 231 | 196 | +35 | 91 |
4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 76 | 35 | 26 | 15 | 234 | 217 | +17 | 85 |
5 | Detroit Red Wings | 76 | 33 | 31 | 12 | 239 | 221 | +18 | 78 |
6 | Chicago Black Hawks | 76 | 34 | 33 | 9 | 280 | 246 | +34 | 77 |
GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | DIFF | Pts | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | St. Louis Blues | 76 | 37 | 25 | 14 | 204 | 157 | +47 | 88 |
2 | Oakland Seals | 76 | 29 | 36 | 11 | 219 | 251 | −32 | 69 |
3 | Philadelphia Flyers | 76 | 20 | 35 | 21 | 174 | 225 | −51 | 61 |
4 | Los Angeles Kings | 76 | 24 | 42 | 10 | 185 | 260 | −75 | 58 |
5 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 76 | 20 | 45 | 11 | 189 | 252 | −63 | 51 |
6 | Minnesota North Stars | 76 | 18 | 43 | 15 | 189 | 270 | −81 | 51 |
Playoffs
Playoff bracket
Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Stanley Cup Finals | ||||||||||||
1 | Montreal | 4 | ||||||||||||
3 | New York | 0 | ||||||||||||
1 | Montreal | 4 | ||||||||||||
East Division | ||||||||||||||
2 | Boston | 2 | ||||||||||||
2 | Boston | 4 | ||||||||||||
4 | Toronto | 0 | ||||||||||||
E1 | Montreal | 4 | ||||||||||||
W1 | St. Louis | 0 | ||||||||||||
1 | St. Louis | 4 | ||||||||||||
3 | Philadelphia | 0 | ||||||||||||
1 | St. Louis | 4 | ||||||||||||
West Division | ||||||||||||||
4 | Los Angeles | 0 | ||||||||||||
2 | Oakland | 3 | ||||||||||||
4 | Los Angeles | 4 |
Quarterfinals
(E1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (E3) New York Rangers
Montreal won series 4–0 |
(E2) Boston Bruins v. (E4) Toronto Maple Leafs
Boston won series 4–0 |
(W1) St. Louis Blues vs. (W3) Philadelphia Flyers
St. Louis won series 4–0 |
(W2) Oakland Seals vs. (W4) Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles won series 4–3 |
Semifinals
(E1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (E2) Boston Bruins
Montreal won series 4–2 |
(W1) St. Louis Blues vs. (W4) Los Angeles Kings
St. Louis won series 4–0 |
Stanley Cup Finals
The Montreal Canadiens swept the St. Louis Blues in a rematch of the 1968 final.
Montreal won series 4–0 |
Awards
1968–69 NHL awards | |
---|---|
Prince of Wales Trophy: (East Division champion) | Montreal Canadiens |
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: (West Division champion) | St. Louis Blues |
Art Ross Trophy: (Top scorer, regular season) | Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins |
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: (Perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication) | Ted Hampson, Oakland Seals |
Calder Memorial Trophy: (Top first-year player) | Danny Grant, Minnesota North Stars |
Conn Smythe Trophy: (Most valuable player, playoffs) | Serge Savard, Montreal Canadiens |
Hart Memorial Trophy: (Most valuable player, regular season) | Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins |
James Norris Memorial Trophy: (Best defenceman) | Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins |
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: (Excellence and sportsmanship) | Alex Delvecchio, Detroit Red Wings |
Vezina Trophy: (Goaltender(s) of team with best goaltending record) | Glenn Hall & Jacques Plante, St. Louis Blues |
Lester Patrick Trophy: (Service to hockey in the U.S.) | Robert M. Hull, Edward J. Jeremiah |
All-Star teams
First Team | Position | Second Team |
---|---|---|
Glenn Hall, St. Louis Blues | G | Ed Giacomin, New York Rangers |
Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins | D | Ted Green, Boston Bruins |
Tim Horton, Toronto Maple Leafs | D | Ted Harris, Montreal Canadiens |
Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins | C | Jean Beliveau, Montreal Canadiens |
Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings | RW | Yvan Cournoyer, Montreal Canadiens |
Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks | LW | Frank Mahovlich, Detroit Red Wings |
Player statistics
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes
Player | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Phil Esposito | Boston Bruins | 74 | 49 | 77 | 126 | 79 |
Bobby Hull | Chicago Black Hawks | 74 | 58 | 49 | 107 | 48 |
Gordie Howe | Detroit Red Wings | 76 | 44 | 59 | 103 | 58 |
Stan Mikita | Chicago Black Hawks | 74 | 30 | 67 | 97 | 52 |
Ken Hodge | Boston Bruins | 75 | 45 | 45 | 90 | 75 |
Yvan Cournoyer | Montreal Canadiens | 76 | 43 | 44 | 87 | 31 |
Alex Delvecchio | Detroit Red Wings | 72 | 25 | 58 | 83 | 8 |
Red Berenson | St. Louis Blues | 76 | 35 | 47 | 82 | 43 |
Jean Beliveau | Montreal Canadiens | 69 | 33 | 49 | 82 | 55 |
Frank Mahovlich | Detroit Red Wings | 76 | 49 | 29 | 78 | 38 |
Jean Ratelle | New York Rangers | 75 | 32 | 46 | 78 | 26 |
Source: NHL.[3]
Leading goaltenders
Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts
Player | Team | GP | MIN | GA | GAA | W | L | T | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jacques Plante | St. Louis Blues | 37 | 2139 | 70 | 1.96 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 5 |
Glenn Hall | St. Louis Blues | 41 | 2354 | 85 | 2.17 | 19 | 12 | 8 | 8 |
Gump Worsley | Montreal Canadiens | 30 | 1703 | 64 | 2.26 | 19 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
Roy Edwards | Detroit Red Wings | 40 | 2099 | 89 | 2.54 | 18 | 11 | 6 | 4 |
Eddie Giacomin | New York Rangers | 70 | 4114 | 175 | 2.55 | 37 | 23 | 7 | 7 |
Bernie Parent | Philadelphia Flyers | 58 | 3365 | 151 | 2.69 | 17 | 23 | 16 | 1 |
Bruce Gamble | Toronto Maple Leafs | 61 | 3446 | 161 | 2.80 | 28 | 20 | 11 | 3 |
Gerry Cheevers | Boston Bruins | 52 | 3112 | 145 | 2.80 | 28 | 12 | 12 | 3 |
Johnny Bower | Toronto Maple Leafs | 20 | 779 | 37 | 2.85 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
Rogie Vachon | Montreal Canadiens | 36 | 2051 | 98 | 2.87 | 22 | 9 | 3 | 2 |
Other statistics
Plus-Minus leader: Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins
1968 Miss NHL Pageant
The 1968 Miss NHL Pageant was the first of three in NHL history and was held in Toronto on June 27, 1968. There were twelve contestants in the pageant, one from each of the twelve NHL teams. The winner would be named Miss NHL 1968 and would be the NHL ambassador for the 1968–69 season.
Miss Boston Bruins | Valerie Miller |
Miss Chicago Black Hawks | Patricia Anne Cooper |
Miss Detroit Red Wings | Barbara Thomas |
Miss Los Angeles Kings | Julia Martin |
Miss Minnesota North Stars | Lynn Marie Stewart |
Miss Montreal Canadiens | Mary Ann Lambert |
Miss New York Rangers | Donna Hardy |
Miss Oakland Seals | Debra Lynne Smith |
Miss Philadelphia Flyers | Rhonda Moore |
Miss Pittsburgh Penguins | Karen Antkiewicz |
Miss St. Louis Blues | Terri Sherwood |
Miss Toronto Maple Leafs | Angela Miller |
Miss Minnesota North Stars Lynn Marie Stewart was named Miss NHL 1968, with Miss New York Rangers Donna Hardy the first runner-up, and Miss Los Angeles Kings Julia Martin the second runner-up. A second-year education student at the University of Minnesota, she received a new 1969 convertible, a trip for two to Mexico, a mink stole, a movie camera and a diamond watch set. Also, she would be the NHL ambassador for the 1968–69 season, making appearances at the NHL All-Star Game, the NHL awards, and the Stanley Cup Finals where she helped NHL President Clarence Campbell present the Stanley Cup. Each contestant received $1,500 in prizes including season tickets to the team that they represented in the pageant. Stewart's prizes were worth $15,000, with those for the first-runner up worth $2,700 and the second runner-up worth $2,200.
Miss Pittsburgh Penguins Karen Antkiewicz was chosen Miss Personality Plus by the other contestants.
Selection of Miss NHL was done on the basis of personality and poise (30 points), carriage and figure (15 points), make-up and grooming (10 points), speech and projection (10 points), talent (10 points) and overall impression (10 points).
Coaches
East
Boston Bruins: Harry Sinden
Chicago Black Hawks: Billy Reay
Detroit Red Wings: Bill Gadsby
Montreal Canadiens: Claude Ruel
New York Rangers: Bernie Geoffrion
Toronto Maple Leafs: Punch Imlach
West
Los Angeles Kings: Red Kelly
Minnesota North Stars: John Muckler
Oakland Seals: Fred Glover
Philadelphia Flyers: Keith Allen
Pittsburgh Penguins: George "Red" Sullivan
St. Louis Blues: Scotty Bowman
Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1968–69 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
Bob Berry, Montreal Canadiens
Guy Lapointe, Montreal Canadiens
Jude Drouin, Montreal Canadiens
Tony Esposito, Montreal Canadiens
Brad Park, New York Rangers
Pat Quinn, Toronto Maple Leafs
Jean Pronovost, Pittsburgh Penguins
Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1968–69 (listed with their last team):
Kenny Wharram, Chicago Black Hawks
Kent Douglas, Detroit Red Wings
Gilles Tremblay, Montreal Canadiens
Allan Stanley, Philadelphia Flyers
Billy Harris, Pittsburgh Penguins
Doug Harvey, St. Louis Blues
Pierre Pilote, Toronto Maple Leafs
See also
List of Stanley Cup champions
1968 NHL Amateur Draft
22nd National Hockey League All-Star Game
National Hockey League All-Star Game
1968 in sports
1969 in sports