1972–73 NHL season
| 1972–73 NHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | October 7, 1972 – May 10, 1973 |
| Number of games | 78 |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| Regular season | |
| Season champions | Montreal Canadiens |
| Season MVP | Bobby Clarke, (Philadelphia Flyers) |
| Top scorer | Phil Esposito, (Boston Bruins) |
| Playoffs | |
| Playoffs MVP | Yvan Cournoyer, (Montreal Canadiens) |
| Stanley Cup | |
| Champions | Montreal Canadiens |
| Runners-up | Chicago Black Hawks |
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.
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. In February 1972, the Miami Screaming Eagles of the WHA signed Bernie Parent to a contract,[1] and when Bobby Hull was signed on June 27, 1972, to play with the Winnipeg Jets, the Chicago Black Hawks sued, claiming a violation of the reserve clause in NHL contracts. Others soon followed Hull to the WHA, including, 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.
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.
Final standings
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | DIFF | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montreal Canadiens | 78 | 52 | 10 | 16 | 329 | 184 | +145 | 120 |
| 2 | Boston Bruins | 78 | 51 | 22 | 5 | 330 | 235 | +95 | 107 |
| 3 | New York Rangers | 78 | 47 | 23 | 8 | 297 | 208 | +89 | 102 |
| 4 | Buffalo Sabres | 78 | 37 | 27 | 14 | 257 | 219 | +38 | 88 |
| 5 | Detroit Red Wings | 78 | 37 | 29 | 12 | 265 | 243 | +22 | 86 |
| 6 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 78 | 27 | 41 | 10 | 247 | 279 | −32 | 64 |
| 7 | Vancouver Canucks | 78 | 22 | 47 | 9 | 233 | 339 | −106 | 53 |
| 8 | New York Islanders | 78 | 12 | 60 | 6 | 170 | 347 | −177 | 30 |
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | DIFF | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 78 | 42 | 27 | 9 | 284 | 225 | +59 | 93 |
| 2 | Philadelphia Flyers | 78 | 37 | 30 | 11 | 296 | 256 | +40 | 85 |
| 3 | Minnesota North Stars | 78 | 37 | 30 | 11 | 254 | 230 | +24 | 85 |
| 4 | St. Louis Blues | 78 | 32 | 34 | 12 | 233 | 251 | −18 | 76 |
| 5 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 78 | 32 | 37 | 9 | 257 | 265 | −8 | 73 |
| 6 | Los Angeles Kings | 78 | 31 | 36 | 11 | 232 | 245 | −13 | 73 |
| 7 | Atlanta Flames | 78 | 25 | 38 | 15 | 191 | 239 | −48 | 65 |
| 8 | California Golden Seals | 78 | 16 | 46 | 16 | 213 | 323 | −110 | 48 |
Playoffs
No teams in the playoffs swept their opponents, the last time this would happen until 1991. In addition, the Chicago Blackhawks reached the Stanley Cup finals without a captain, the last time this would happen until 2014.
Playoff bracket
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Stanley Cup Final | ||||||||||||
| E1 | Montreal Canadiens | 4 | ||||||||||||
| E4 | Buffalo Sabres | 2 | ||||||||||||
| E1 | Montreal Canadiens | 4 | ||||||||||||
| W2 | Philadelphia Flyers | 1 | ||||||||||||
| W2 | Philadelphia Flyers | 4 | ||||||||||||
| W3 | Minnesota North Stars | 2 | ||||||||||||
| E1 | Montreal Canadiens | 4 | ||||||||||||
| W1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2 | ||||||||||||
| W1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4 | ||||||||||||
| W4 | St. Louis Blues | 1 | ||||||||||||
| W1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4 | ||||||||||||
| E3 | New York Rangers | 1 | ||||||||||||
| E2 | Boston Bruins | 1 | ||||||||||||
| E3 | New York Rangers | 4 | ||||||||||||
Quarterfinals
(E1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (E4) Buffalo Sabres
| April 4 | Buffalo Sabres | 1-2 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | ||||
| April 5 | Buffalo Sabres | 3-7 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | ||||
| April 7 | Montreal Canadiens | 5-2 | Buffalo Sabres | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium | ||||
| April 8 | Montreal Canadiens | 1-5 | Buffalo Sabres | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium | ||||
| April 10 | Buffalo Sabres | 3-2 | OT | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | |||
| April 12 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-2 | Buffalo Sabres | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium | ||||
| Montreal won series 4-2 | |
(W2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (W3) Minnesota North Stars
| April 4 | Minnesota North Stars | 3-0 | Philadelphia Flyers | Philadelphia Spectrum | ||||
| April 5 | Minnesota North Stars | 1-4 | Philadelphia Flyers | Philadelphia Spectrum | ||||
| April 7 | Philadelphia Flyers | 0-5 | Minnesota North Stars | Met Center | ||||
| April 8 | Philadelphia Flyers | 3-0 | Minnesota North Stars | Met Center | ||||
| April 10 | Minnesota North Stars | 2-3 | OT | Philadelphia Flyers | Philadelphia Spectrum | |||
| April 12 | Philadelphia Flyers | 4-1 | Minnesota North Stars | Met Center | ||||
| Philadelphia won series 4-2 | |
(W1) Chicago Black Hawks vs. (W4) St. Louis Blues
| April 4 | St. Louis Blues | 1-7 | Chicago Black Hawks | Chicago Stadium | ||||
| April 5 | St. Louis Blues | 0-1 | Chicago Black Hawks | Chicago Stadium | ||||
| April 7 | Chicago Black Hawks | 5-2 | St. Louis Blues | St. Louis Arena | ||||
| April 8 | Chicago Black Hawks | 3-5 | St. Louis Blues | St. Louis Arena | ||||
| April 10 | St. Louis Blues | 1-6 | Chicago Black Hawks | Chicago Stadium | ||||
| Chicago won series 4-1 | |
(E2) Boston Bruins vs. (E3) New York Rangers
| April 4 | New York Rangers | 6-2 | Boston Bruins | Boston Garden | ||||
| April 5 | New York Rangers | 4-2 | Boston Bruins | Boston Garden | ||||
| April 7 | Boston Bruins | 4-2 | New York Rangers | Madison Square Garden | ||||
| April 8 | Boston Bruins | 0-4 | New York Rangers | Madison Square Garden | ||||
| April 10 | New York Rangers | 6-3 | Boston Bruins | Boston Garden | ||||
| New York won series 4-1 | |
Semifinals
(E1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (W3) Philadelphia Flyers
| April 14 | Philadelphia Flyers | 5-4 | OT | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | |||
| April 17 | Philadelphia Flyers | 3-4 | OT | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | |||
| April 19 | Montreal Canadiens | 2-1 | Philadelphia Flyers | Philadelphia Spectrum | Recap | |||
| Réjean Houle Henri Richard |
First period | No Scoring | ||||||
| No Scoring | Second period | 10:09 - Terry Crisp | ||||||
| No Scoring | Third period | No Scoring | ||||||
| Ken Dryden | Goalie stats | |||||||
| April 22 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-1 | Philadelphia Flyers | Philadelphia Spectrum | ||||
| April 24 | Philadelphia Flyers | 3-5 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | ||||
| Montreal won series 4-1 | |
(W1) Chicago Black Hawks vs. (E3) New York Rangers
| April 12 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1-4 | New York Rangers | Chicago Stadium | ||||
| April 15 | Chicago Black Hawks | 5-4 | New York Rangers | Chicago Stadium | ||||
| April 17 | New York Rangers | 1-2 | Chicago Black Hawks | Madison Square Garden | ||||
| April 19 | New York Rangers | 1-3 | Chicago Black Hawks | Madison Square Garden | Recap | |||
| No Scoring | First period | No Scoring | ||||||
| No Scoring | Second period | Bobby Hull - pp | ||||||
| Vic Hadfield | Third period | Pit Martin Bobby Hull | ||||||
| Ed Giacomin | Goalie stats | Tony Esposito 38 saves / 39 shots | ||||||
| April 24 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4-1 | New York Rangers | Chicago Stadium | ||||
| Chicago won series 4-1 | |
Final
| April 29 | Chicago Black Hawks | 3-8 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | ||||
| May 1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1-4 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
| No Scoring | First period | 5:36 - Pierre Bouchard 2 (Claude Larose, Peter Mahovlich) | ||||||
| Cliff Koroll 4 (Dick Redmond, Lou Angotti) - 7:28 | Second period | 12:08 - Yvan Cournoyer 10 (Frank Mahovlich) | ||||||
| Third period | 5:01 - Yvan Cournoyer 11 (Guy Lapointe, Jacques Lemaire) 19:26 - Frank Mahovlich | |||||||
| Tony Esposito ( 26 saves / 30 shots ) | Goalie stats | Ken Dryden ( 16 saves / 17 shots ) | ||||||
| May 3 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-7 | Chicago Black Hawks | Chicago Stadium | ||||
| May 6 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-0 | Chicago Black Hawks | Chicago Stadium | ||||
| May 8 | Chicago Black Hawks | 8-7 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
| Dennis Hull 9 (Doug Jarrett, Phil Russell) - 9:34 Stan Mikita 6 (Pat Stapleton) - 11:24 |
First period | 2:47 - Frank Mahovlich 8 14:52 - Peter Mahovlich (Frank Mahovlich, Larry Robinson) | ||||||
| Dave Kryskow 1 (Ralph Backstrom, Chico Maki) - 3:10 Stan Mikita 7 (Pat Stapleton, Darryl Maggs) - 6:21 Jim Pappin 7 - 11:24 Len Frig 1 (Stan Mikita) - 16:21 Jim Pappin 8 (Stan Mikita, Dennis Hull) - 19:03 |
Second period | 0:37 - Claude Larose 2 4:23 - Claude Larose 3 (Murray Wilson) 7:09 - Yvan Cournoyer 14 (Jacques Lemaire, Guy Lapointe) | ||||||
| Lou Angotti 3 (Bill White) - 4:06 | Third period | 1:15 - Serge Savard (Murray Wilson, Claude Larose) 11:43 - Henri Richard (Frank Mahovlich) | ||||||
| Tony Esposito ( 24 saves / 31 shots ) | Goalie stats | Ken Dryden ( 21 saves / 29 shots ) | ||||||
| May 10 | Montreal Canadiens | 6-4 | Chicago Black Hawks | Chicago Stadium | ||||
| Montreal won series 4-2 | |
Awards
| 1973 NHL awards | |
|---|---|
| Prince of Wales Trophy: (East Division champion) |
Montreal Canadiens |
| Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: (West Division champion) |
Chicago Black Hawks |
| Art Ross Trophy: (Top scorer, regular season) |
Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins |
| Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: (Perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication) |
Lowell MacDonald, Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Calder Memorial Trophy: (Top first-year player) |
Steve Vickers, New York Rangers |
| Conn Smythe Trophy: (Most valuable player, playoffs) |
Yvan Cournoyer, Montreal Canadiens |
| Hart Memorial Trophy: (Most valuable player, regular season) |
Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia Flyers |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy: (Best defenceman) |
Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: (Excellence and sportsmanship) |
Gilbert Perreault, Buffalo Sabres |
| Lester B. Pearson Award: (Outstanding player, regular season) |
Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins |
| Vezina Trophy: (Goaltender(s) of team with best goaltending record) |
Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiens |
| Lester Patrick Trophy: (Service to hockey in the U.S.) |
Walter L. Bush, Jr. |
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 |
Player statistics
Scoring leaders
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Esposito | Boston Bruins | 78 | 55 | 75 | 130 | 87 |
| Bobby Clarke | Philadelphia Flyers | 78 | 37 | 67 | 104 | 80 |
| Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins | 63 | 29 | 72 | 101 | 99 |
| Rick MacLeish | Philadelphia Flyers | 78 | 50 | 50 | 100 | 69 |
| Jacques Lemaire | Montreal Canadiens | 77 | 44 | 51 | 95 | 16 |
| Jean Ratelle | New York Rangers | 78 | 41 | 53 | 94 | 12 |
| Mickey Redmond | Detroit Red Wings | 76 | 52 | 41 | 93 | 24 |
| Johnny Bucyk | Boston Bruins | 78 | 40 | 53 | 93 | 12 |
| Frank Mahovlich | Montreal Canadiens | 78 | 38 | 55 | 93 | 51 |
| Jim Pappin | Chicago Black Hawks | 76 | 41 | 51 | 92 | 82 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Dryden | Montreal Canadiens | 54 | 3165 | 119 | 2.26 | 33 | 7 | 13 | 6 |
| Gilles Villemure | New York Rangers | 34 | 2040 | 78 | 2.29 | 20 | 12 | 2 | 3 |
| Tony Esposito | Chicago Black Hawks | 56 | 3340 | 140 | 2.51 | 32 | 17 | 7 | 4 |
| Roy Edwards | Detroit Red Wings | 52 | 3012 | 132 | 2.63 | 27 | 17 | 7 | 6 |
| Dave Dryden | Buffalo Sabres | 37 | 2018 | 89 | 2.65 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 3 |
| Roger Crozier | Buffalo Sabres | 49 | 2633 | 121 | 2.76 | 23 | 13 | 7 | 3 |
| Doug Favell | Philadelphia Flyers | 44 | 2419 | 114 | 2.83 | 20 | 15 | 4 | 3 |
| Rogie Vachon | L.A. Kings | 53 | 3120 | 148 | 2.85 | 22 | 20 | 10 | 4 |
| Cesare Maniago | Minnesota North Stars | 47 | 2736 | 132 | 2.89 | 21 | 18 | 6 | 5 |
| Jim Rutherford | Pittsburgh Penguins | 49 | 2660 | 129 | 2.91 | 20 | 22 | 5 | 3 |
Other statistics
- Plus-minus leader: Jacques Laperriere, Montreal Canadiens
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
- Connie Madigan, St. Louis Blues
- Don Lever, Vancouver Canucks
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):
- Jacques Plante, Boston Bruins
- Pat Stapleton, Chicago Black Hawks
- Ralph Backstrom, Chicago Black Hawks
- Harry Howell, Los Angeles Kings
- Ron Stewart, New York Islanders
- Ken Schinkel, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Connie Madigan, St. Louis BLues
- Bob Baun, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Dave Balon, Vancouver Canucks
NOTE: Plante, Stapleton, Backstrom, Howell and Balon would finish their major professional careers in the World Hockey Association.
See also
- List of Stanley Cup champions
- 1972 NHL Amateur Draft
- 1972 NHL Expansion Draft
- 26th National Hockey League All-Star Game
- National Hockey League All-Star Game
- 1972 Summit Series
- World Hockey Association
- List of WHA seasons
- 1972 in sports
- 1973 in sports
References
- Diamond, Dan, ed. (2000). Total Hockey. Kingston, NY: Total Sports. ISBN 1-892129-85-X.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Toronto, ON: Dan Diamond & Associates. ISBN 978-1-894801-22-5.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - Dryden, Steve, ed. (2000). Century of hockey. Toronto, ON: McClelland & Stewart Ltd. ISBN 0-7710-4179-9.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - 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 0-7853-9624-1.
- Notes
- ^ Dunell, Milt (February 22, 1972). "Hockey's first 'Super Series' will be played in the courtrooms". Montreal Gazette. page 31. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|deadurl=(help)CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ a b "1972–1973 Division Standings Standings - NHL.com - Standings". National Hockey League.
- ^ Dinger 2011, p. 150.