The 1972–73 NHL season was the 56th season of the National Hockey League. Sixteen teams each played 78 games. Two new teams, the New York Islanders and the Atlanta Flames, made their debuts. The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup by beating the Chicago Black Hawks four games to two in the Stanley Cup Final.
[edit] Pre-season
Prior to the start of the season, the 1972 Summit Series took place. It was the first ever meeting between Soviet Union and NHL calibre Canadian ice hockey players. Canada expected to easily beat the Soviets, but were shocked to find themselves with a losing record of one win, two losses, and a tie after four games in Canada. In game four, which Canada lost 5–3, Vancouver fans echoed the rest of Canada's thoughts of Team Canada's poor performance by booing them off the ice. The final four games were played in the Soviet Union. Canada lost game five, but won the last three for a final record of four wins, three losses, and a tie.
For the first time since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926, the National Hockey League had serious competition. A new professional hockey league, the World Hockey Association, made its season debut with 12 new teams, half of which were based in cities with existing NHL teams. Unlike the Western Hockey League, though, the new World Hockey Association would not challenge for the Stanley Cup. In response to the new league, the NHL hastily added two new teams in an unplanned expansion, the New York Islanders and Atlanta Flames, in an attempt to exclude the WHA from newly constructed arenas in those markets. The first thing the WHA did was sign Bobby Hull, and the Chicago Black Hawks sued, claiming a violation of the reserve clause in NHL contracts. Others soon followed Hull to the WHA, including Bernie Parent, J. C. Tremblay, Ted Green, Gerry Cheevers and Johnny McKenzie. In the expansion draft, the New York Islanders and Atlanta Flames made their picks and eleven Islander players skipped off to the WHA. The California Golden Seals, chafing under the unorthodox ownership of the unpopular Charlie Finley, were also a victim of the WHA, losing eight key players.
[edit] Regular season
The Montreal Canadiens took over first place in the East Division and the league from the Boston Bruins while for the third consecutive season the Chicago Black Hawks dominated the West Division.
[edit] Final standings
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold
[edit] Playoffs
No teams in the playoffs swept their opponents, the last time this would happen until 1991.
[edit] Playoff bracket
[edit] NHL awards
| Prince of Wales Trophy: |
Montreal Canadiens |
| Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: |
Chicago Black Hawks |
| Art Ross Trophy: |
Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins |
| Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: |
Lowell MacDonald, Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Calder Memorial Trophy: |
Steve Vickers, New York Rangers |
| Conn Smythe Trophy: |
Yvan Cournoyer, Montreal Canadiens |
| Hart Memorial Trophy: |
Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia Flyers |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy: |
Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: |
Gilbert Perreault, Buffalo Sabres |
| Lester B. Pearson Award: |
Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins |
| NHL Plus/Minus Award: |
Jacques Laperriere, Montreal Canadiens |
| Vezina Trophy: |
Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiens |
| Lester Patrick Trophy: |
Walter L. Bush, Jr. |
[edit] All-Star teams
| First team |
Position |
Second team |
| Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiens |
G |
Tony Esposito, Chicago Black Hawks |
| Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins |
D |
Brad Park, New York Rangers |
| Guy Lapointe, Montreal Canadiens |
D |
Bill White, Chicago Black Hawks |
| Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins |
C |
Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia Flyers |
| Mickey Redmond, Detroit Red Wings |
RW |
Yvan Cournoyer, Montreal Canadiens |
| Frank Mahovlich, Montreal Canadiens |
LW |
Dennis Hull, Chicago Black Hawks |
[edit] Player statistics
[edit] Scoring leaders
[edit] Leading goaltenders
Note: GP = Games played; Min - Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts
[edit] Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1972–73 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
- Dan Bouchard, Atlanta Flames
- Jacques Richard, Atlanta Flames
- Jim Schoenfeld, Buffalo Sabres
- Phil Russell, Chicago Black Hawks
- Robbie Ftorek, Detroit Red Wings
- Steve Shutt, Montreal Canadiens
- Larry Robinson, Montreal Canadiens
- Bob Nystrom, New York Islanders
- Billy Harris, New York Islanders
- Steve Vickers, New York Rangers
- Bill Barber, Philadelphia Flyers
- Jimmy Watson, Philadelphia Flyers
- Tom Bladon, Philadelphia Flyers
- Denis Herron, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Don Lever, Vancouver Canucks
[edit] Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1972–73 (listed with their last team):
NOTE: Plante, Stapleton, Backstrom, Howell and Balon would finish their major professional careers in the World Hockey Association.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Diamond, Dan, ed (2000). Total Hockey. Kingston, NY: Total Sports. ISBN 1-892129-85-X.
- Dinger, Ralph, ed (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Toronto, ON: Dan Diamond & Associates. ISBN 9781894801225.
- Dryden, Steve, ed (2000). Century of hockey. Toronto, ON: McClelland & Stewart Ltd.. ISBN 0771041799.
- Fischler, Stan; Fischler, Shirley; Hughes, Morgan; Romain, Joseph; Duplacey, James (2003). The Hockey Chronicle: Year-by-Year History of the National Hockey League. Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International Inc.. ISBN 0785396241.
- Notes
[edit] External links
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1972–73 NHL season by team
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