DeJordy Perfect, Mohns Has 3 Points As Hawks Hammer Rangers In 1966-67 Finale

The Chicago Blackhawks closed out a dominant 1966-67 NHL regular season in emphatic fashion. On April 2, 1967, the Blackhawks visited Madison Square Garden for the final game of the schedule for both Chicago and the New York Rangers and walked away with a crushing 8-0 victory.

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Highlights

• Chicago defeated the Rangers 8-0 on April 2, 1967.

• It was the final regular-season game for both teams.

• Denis DeJordy stopped all 33 shots for the shutout.

• Doug Mohns had a goal and two assists for three points.

• Ed Van Impe recorded three assists despite having only 11 all season.

• Bill Hay scored twice — the final two goals of his NHL career.

• Cesare Maniago made his final appearance for the Rangers.

• Minnesota selected Maniago with its first pick in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft.

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There wasn't much at stake in the standings. Chicago had already secured first place with 41 wins and 94 points, finishing 17 points ahead of the second-place Montreal Canadiens. New York was locked into the fourth and final playoff position. Bobby Hull was also missing from the Chicago lineup after scoring his 52nd goal of the season a few games earlier. None of that stopped the Blackhawks from putting on a show.

Denis DeJordy was perfect in the Chicago net, turning aside all 33 shots he faced for the shutout. At the other end of the ice, Doug "Diesel" Mohns contributed a goal and two assists for a three-point night. Defenseman Ed Van Impe also had an unusually productive offensive game, recording three assists. He finished the entire season with just 11.

Bill Hay scored twice in the victory, with the two goals proving to be the final goals of his NHL career. Rangers starter Ed Giacomin endured a difficult night, allowing six goals on 22 shots over the first two periods before being replaced by Cesare Maniago.

Maniago stopped nine of 11 shots in the third period, and the appearance turned out to be his last as a member of the Rangers. Just a few months later, Minnesota made Maniago its first selection in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft. He was the fourth player taken overall and would go on to become the North Stars' primary goaltender during their early years.

The 8-0 victory was a fitting conclusion to Chicago's outstanding regular season, but the success wouldn't carry into the playoffs. Despite finishing comfortably atop the NHL standings, the Blackhawks were eliminated by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening round.

The Big 50: Chicago Blackhawks (The Men and Moments that Made the Chicago Blackhawks)

Relive the greatest players, personalities, and turning points in Blackhawks history in this countdown of the 50 most influential figures and moments that shaped the franchise.

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When Denis DeJordy Ruled December: Chicago’s Forgotten Goalie Hero

Between the eras of Glenn Hall and Tony Esposito, Chicago fans were treated to another standout goaltender: Denis DeJordy. Though often overlooked, DeJordy was no mere stopgap; he shared the Vezina Trophy with Hall in 1966-67 before Hall was claimed by the St. Louis Blues in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft.

With Hall gone, DeJordy took over as the Blackhawks’ number one goalie for the 1967-68 season and quickly proved he was up to the task. He posted a 2.71 goals-against average with four shutouts over 50 games, guiding Chicago past the Rangers in the playoffs before bowing out to the powerhouse Montreal Canadiens.

But it was December 1967 that defined his season, a stretch where DeJordy was simply unbeatable.

On December 10, he blanked the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 at the Spectrum, stopping 30 shots as Doug Mohns and Bobby Hull provided the offense. A week later, on December 17, he turned away 29 shots to shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-0 at Chicago Stadium, with Pit Martin finally breaking through Johnny Bower late in the third.

To cap off the month, DeJordy cruised to a 3-0 New Year’s Eve win over the expansion Oakland Seals, needing just 23 saves as Dennis Hull, Mohns, and Martin took care of the scoring.

His fourth and final shutout of the campaign came on February 29, when he stopped 38 shots in a 1-0 victory over Toronto at Maple Leaf Gardens with Bobby Schmautz netting the lone goal.

Though his time as Chicago’s starter was short-lived, Tony Esposito’s arrival soon pushed him out, DeJordy’s December heroics remain a bright chapter in Blackhawks history. After a stint with the Los Angeles Kings, his NHL career began to fade, but for one icy month in 1967, Denis DeJordy was as good as any goaltender in the league.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Denis DeJordy 🏒

Much more NHL hockey trivia can be found at our website: World's Best Hockey Trivia

1. Denis DeJordy shared the 1966–67 Vezina Trophy with which legendary goaltender?

Tony Esposito
Glenn Hall
Gerry Cheevers
Eddie Giacomin

2. During December 1967, how many shutouts did DeJordy record for the Chicago Blackhawks?

Two
Three
Four
Five

3. Which future Hall of Famer replaced Denis DeJordy as Chicago’s starting goalie in 1969–70?

Ken Dryden
Bernie Parent
Tony Esposito
Ed Belfour

4. After leaving Chicago, which NHL team did Denis DeJordy play for as their number one goaltender?

Los Angeles Kings
Detroit Red Wings
St. Louis Blues
Pittsburgh Penguins

5. DeJordy was part of the Blackhawks organization between two of the greatest goalies in NHL history. Who were they?

Terry Sawchuk and Ken Dryden
Glenn Hall and Tony Esposito
Jacques Plante and Bernie Parent
Johnny Bower and Rogie Vachon

1966-67 Chicago Blackhawks: The One That Got Away

1966-67 is typically remembered by NHL fans as the last season of the ‘Original Six’ era, the first year of Bobby Orr and the last time the Toronto Maple Leafs would win the Stanley Cup. Chicago Blackhawks fans remember that year as a seemingly guaranteed Stanley Cup victory gone horribly wrong.

Chicago dominated the 1966-67 NHL regular season, winning 41 of 70 games and finishing seventeen points above the next competitor. The Black Hawks score 264 goals, 42 more than the Detroit Red Wings and allowed just 170, 18 less than the Montreal Canadiens.

Five of the top point-getters in the NHL that season wore a Chicago Black Hawks uniform. Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull went one-two with Mikita tying Hull’s single season record with 97 points. Ken Wharram finished fourth, Phil Esposito finished seventh and Doug Mohns came in ninth.

The well-rounded team also took the Vezina Trophy on the backs of the goaltending duo of Glenn Hall and Denis DeJordy. Three time Norris Trophy winner, Pierre Pilote, was runner-up to Harry Howell of the New York Rangers for the award for the top defenseman.

The Black Hawks took home the hardware in 1966-67. Of course, they won the Prince of Wales Trophy as the best team in the regular season. It was the first time in team history that the Hawks finished first in the NHL. Stan Mikita won the triple crown, taking home the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy and Lady Byng Trophy.

Four of the six players on the First All-Star Team were from Chicago. Pierre Pilote was on defense, Stan Mikita was at centre, Ken Wharram was on right wing and Bobby Hull was on the left side. Glenn Hall was the Second Team All-Star goaltender.

Yet, in spite of all this success, the Black Hawks bowed out in the opening round of the playoffs to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games. What should have been Chicago’s fourth Stanley Cup victory, and first since 1961, instead became a Cup celebration for the third seed Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs beat the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup finals in six games after Montreal took out the New York Rangers in four games in the opening round.

Chicago would make it to the Stanley Cup finals three more times, only to lose. It wasn’t until 2010 before the Blackhawks won their next Cup, their first since 1961. The Maple Leafs, after stealing the Cup from Chicago in 1967, have yet to make another appearance in the finals.