1972–73 NHL season explained

1972–73 NHL season
Duration:October 7, 1972 – May 10, 1973
Draft:Draft
Draft Link:1972 NHL Draft
Top Pick Link:List of first overall NHL draft picks
Season:Regular season
No Of Teams:16
No Of Games:78
Tv:CBC, CTV, SRC (Canada)
NBC (United States)
Mvp:Bobby Clarke (Flyers)
Mvp Link:Hart Memorial Trophy
Top Scorer:Phil Esposito (Bruins)
Top Scorer Link:Art Ross Trophy
Playoffs:Playoffs
Playoffs Link:1973 Stanley Cup playoffs
Finals:Stanley Cup
Finals Link:1973 Stanley Cup Finals
Playoffs Mvp:Yvan Cournoyer (Canadiens)
Playoffs Mvp Link:Conn Smythe Trophy
Seasonslistnames:NHL

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 Finals.

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.

Arena changes

Teams

1972-73 National Hockey League
Division Team City Arena Capacity
EastBoston BruinsBoston, MassachusettsBoston Garden15,003
Buffalo SabresBuffalo, New YorkBuffalo Memorial Auditorium15,668
Detroit Red WingsDetroit, MichiganDetroit Olympia15,000
Montreal CanadiensMontreal, QuebecMontreal Forum19,000
New York Islanders *Uniondale, New YorkNassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum14,465
New York RangersNew York, New YorkMadison Square Garden17,500
Toronto Maple LeafsToronto, OntarioMaple Leaf Gardens16,316
Vancouver CanucksVancouver, British ColumbiaPacific Coliseum15,570
WestAtlanta Flames *Atlanta, GeorgiaOmni Coliseum15,078
California Golden SealsOakland, CaliforniaOakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena15,000
Chicago Black HawksChicago, IllinoisChicago Stadium16,666
Los Angeles KingsInglewood, CaliforniaThe Forum16,005
Minnesota North StarsBloomington, MinnesotaMetropolitan Sports Center15,000
Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaSpectrum16,600
Pittsburgh PenguinsPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaCivic Arena12,866
St. Louis BluesSt. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis Arena18,005
First season in the NHL *

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

Playoffs

No teams in the playoffs swept their opponents, the last time this would happen until 1991, and no series went to a seventh game, the last time this has happened to date. In addition, the Chicago Black Hawks reached the Stanley Cup Finals without a captain, the last time this would happen until 2014.

Quarterfinals

(E1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (E4) Buffalo Sabres

The Montreal Canadiens finished first in the league with 120 points. The Buffalo Sabres finished fourth with 88 points. This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. This was the Buffalo Sabres' first playoff appearance in their third season since entering the league in the 1970–71 NHL season. Montreal won the five-game regular season series earning six of ten points.

(E2) Boston Bruins vs. (E3) New York Rangers

The Boston Bruins finished second in the East Division with 107 points. The New York Rangers finished third in the East Division with 102 points. This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams with Boston winning six of the eight previous series. They last met in the previous year's Stanley Cup Finals which Boston won in six games. The teams split this year's six-game regular season series.

(W1) Chicago Black Hawks vs. (W4) St. Louis Blues

The Chicago Black Hawks finished first in the West Division with 93 points. The St. Louis Blues finished fourth in the West Division with 76 points. This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. The teams split this year's six-game regular season series.

(W2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (W3) Minnesota North Stars

The Philadelphia Flyers and Minnesota North Stars finished tied for second in the West Division each with 85 points (Philadelphia won the tiebreaker in season series 3–2). This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Philadelphia won three of the five games in this year's regular season series.

Semifinals

(E1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (W3) Philadelphia Flyers

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. The teams split this year's five-game regular season series.

(W1) Chicago Black Hawks vs. (E3) New York Rangers

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams with Chicago winning three of the four previous series. They last met in the previous year's Stanley Cup Semifinals which New York won in a four-game sweep. The teams split this year's five-game regular season series.

Stanley Cup Finals

See main article: 1973 Stanley Cup Finals.

It was the 16th playoff meeting between these two teams. Montreal lead 10–5 in their previous meetings. This was a rematch of the 1971 Stanley Cup Finals, which Montreal won in seven games. Chicago won three of the five games in this year's regular season series.

Awards

1973 NHL awards
Prince of Wales Trophy


(East Division champion, regular season)

Montreal Canadiens
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl


(West Division champion, regular season)

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)

Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia Flyers
Vezina Trophy


(Goaltender(s) of team with best goaltending record)

Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiens

All-Star teams

First team   Position   Second team
Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiensalign=center GTony Esposito, Chicago Black Hawks
Bobby Orr, Boston Bruinsalign=center DBrad Park, New York Rangers
Guy Lapointe, Montreal Canadiensalign=center DBill White, Chicago Black Hawks
Phil Esposito, Boston Bruinsalign=center CBobby Clarke, Philadelphia Flyers
Mickey Redmond, Detroit Red Wingsalign=center RWYvan Cournoyer, Montreal Canadiens
Frank Mahovlich, Montreal Canadiensalign=center LWDennis Hull, Chicago Black Hawks

Player statistics

Scoring leaders

PlayerTeamGPGAPtsPIM
Boston Bruins 78 55 75 130 87
Philadelphia Flyers 78 37 67 104 80
Boston Bruins 63 29 72 101 99
Philadelphia Flyers 78 50 50 100 69
Montreal Canadiens 77 44 51 95 16
New York Rangers 78 41 53 94 12
Detroit Red Wings 76 52 41 93 24
Boston Bruins 78 40 53 93 12
Montreal Canadiens 78 38 55 93 51
Chicago Black Hawks 76 41 51 92 82
Source: NHL.

Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts

PlayerTeamGPMINGAGAAWLTSO
Montreal Canadiens 54 3165 119 2.26 33 7 13 6
New York Rangers 34 2040 782.29 20 12 2 3
Chicago Black Hawks 56 3340 140 2.51 32 17 7 4
Detroit Red Wings 52 3012 132 2.63 27 17 7 6
Buffalo Sabres 37 2018 89 2.65 14 13 7 3
Buffalo Sabres 49 2633 121 2.76 23 13 7 3
Philadelphia Flyers 44 2419 114 2.83 20 15 4 3
Los Angeles Kings 53 3120 148 2.85 22 20 10 4
Minnesota North Stars 47 2736 132 2.89 21 18 6 5
Pittsburgh Penguins 49 2660 129 2.91 20 22 5 3

Other statistics

Coaches

East

West

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):

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.

Broadcasting

Hockey Night in Canada on CBC Television televised Saturday night regular season games and Stanley Cup playoff games. HNIC also produced Wednesday night regular season game telecasts for CTV.

This was the first season under the U.S. rights agreement with NBC, airing weekend afternoon regular season games and playoff games.

See also

References

Notes

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Dunell . Milt . February 22, 1972 . Hockey's first 'Super Series' will be played in the courtrooms . Montreal Gazette . 31 . October 29, 2013 .