Phil Esposito as a New York Ranger

Phil Esposito is best known for his time in the NHL with the Boston Bruins but he had some productive years with the New York Rangers at the end of his career. In his four full seasons with the Blue Shirt, he scored no less than 34 goals.

The Trade

On November 7, 1975, Phil and Carol Vadnais were sent to the Rangers from Boston for Brad Park, Jean Ratelle and Joe Zanussi. Esposito had started the 1975-76 NHL season playing 12 games, putting up six goals and ten assists for 16 points - pretty decent numbers. 

The was the second blockbuster trade involving Esposito over his career. After starting out with the Chicago Blackhawks, he was traded to the Bruins on May 15, 1967 with Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield for  Gilles Marotte, Hubert "Pit" Martin and Jack Norris.

Arrival In The Big Apple

Phil had always worn number seven during his NHL career with both the Blackhawks and Bruins. When he arrived in New York, Rod Gilbert was wearing and had long worn the number. Esposito started with the Rangers wearing number 12 - he is shown on the front of his 1976-77 O-Pee-Chee card with that on his jersey. He also wore 5 for a time before settling into 77.

In his first game with the Rangers, Esposito scored two goals and added an assist for three points in a game against the California Golden Seals. Despite the effort, New York lost the game 7-5. The Seals were propelled by a four goal performance put in by Gary Sabourin and 31 saves made by Gilles Meloche. 

His best season as a Ranger came in 1978-79 when he scored 42 goals. This total led the team and placed him eighth overall in the NHL. In the post season, Esposito contributed 20 points over 18 games, leading New York to the Stanley Cup final before losing to the Montreal Canadiens.

After another decent year in 1979-80, Esposito's numbers dwindled and he called it a career 41 games into the 1980-81 season. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984.

Top 5 NHL Goal Scorers In 1968-69

In 1968-69, Bobby Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks set a National Hockey League record that would last for just two seasons. Hull scored 58 goals, a record that would remain a NHL best until Phil Esposito shattered the mark with 76 goals two years later in 1970-71. Of course, there was no award for this feat back in 1968-69. The Rocket Richard Trophy honouring the NHL’s top goal scorer was not introduced until 1998-99.

Bobby Hull – Chicago Blackhawks

Bobby Hull led the league with what was his fourth of five times during his National Hockey League career that he scored 50 or more goals in a single season. Despite his offensive efforts, the Black Hawks finished sixth and last in the East Division and did not qualify for the post season. Chicago had 77 points in 76 games, a point total that would have placed them second in the West Division.

Phil Esposito – Boston Bruins

Phil Esposito finished tied for second with 49 goals. Esposito shattered the NHL record for points in a season with 126, earning the Art Ross Trophy. Phil helped his team to a 100 point finish during the regular season, behind only the Montreal Canadiens. The Bruins lost in the semi-finals but would be redeemed the following season by winning the Stanley Cup.

Frank Mahovlich – Detroit Red Wings

Frank Mahovlich of the Detroit Red Wings also finished with 49 goals. Despite Mahovlich and Gordie Howe finishing among the top five goal scorers, Detroit finished fifth in the East and did not qualify for the post season. The 49 goals was a high for Frank in a career that spanned from 1956-57 to 1973-74 and saw him score a total of 533 goals while playing for the Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Ken Hodge – Boston Bruins

Ken Hodge of the Bruins nearly doubled his goal production from the previous season, finishing fourth in the NHL with 45 goals. Hodge would achieve the 50 goal plateau for the only time in his career five years later with exactly 50 in 1973-74.

Gordie Howe – Detroit Red Wings

At 41 years old, Gordie Howe finished fifth with 44 goals. His career high of 49 goals came back in 1952-53. Despite his 801 career regular season NHL goals, Gordie never topped the 50 goal plateau in a single season. After never having a player top the 100 point plateau before 1968-69, Howe was one of three to top 100 points, along with Esposito and Hull, with 103.

In the end, the two teams that met in the Stanley Cup final did not have a representative in the top five goal scorers. The Montreal Canadiens faced off against the St. Louis Blues and came out with a sweep. It was the second consecutive year that the two came together in the final series with St. Louis not winning a single game.

Gordie Howe 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee Hockey Card [YouTube Shorts]

NHL Hockey Trivia: Tony and Phil Esposito

Phil and Tony Esposito are two brothers that played in the National Hockey League in the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s. Both are members of the Hockey Hall of Fame, both have their jersey numbers retired by an NHL club and both were members of Team Canada at the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union.

One brother started his National Hockey League career with the same team the other ended up with. Read on and find out what team that was.

Test and expand your hockey trivia knowledge of the Esposito brothers with the following four trivia questions.

Q. What NHL team did Tony Esposito first play for?

A. All but thirteen of Tony’s NHL games were played with the Chicago Black Hawks. However, in 1968-69, he played those thirteen games with the Montreal Canadiens. At the time, both regular goalies were injured and Esposito was a call-up from the Houston Apollos of the Central Hockey League. Tony did not take part in the Stanley Cup playoffs that season when the Canadiens won the Cup.

1968-69 was before Ken Dryden came on the scene in Montreal. However, Tony still had Gump Worsley and Rogie Vachon to compete with. Worsley soon after entered the HHOF and Vachon should be there but has repeatedly been denied. The following year, 1969-70, Esposito walked into the number one spot in Chicago, appearing in 63 of 76 regular season games for the Blackhawks with Gerry Desjardins and Denis DeJordy seeing sparse action in backup roles.

Q. What NHL team did Phil Esposito first play for?

A. Phil was sponsored by the Chicago Black Hawks right from junior hockey with the St. Catherines TeePees of the Ontario Hockey Association. Esposito played four seasons with Chicago, in the shadow of Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita before being traded to the Boston Bruins where his career rocketed.

That trade is notorious for its one-sidedness. On May 15, 1967, going to Boston along with Phil were Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield. Heading to Chicago were Gilles Marotte, Pit Martin and Jack Norris. Esposito was part of another blockbuster trade in November, 1975 that sent him to the Rangers. Phil and Carol Vadnais went to the Big Apple while Brad Park, Jean Ratelle and Joe Zanussi went to Bean Town. He ended his career with New York.

Q. Which Esposito’s rookie hockey card is worth the most, according to Beckett Hockey?

A. The Tony Esposito rookie card was part of the 1969-70 O-Pee-Chee series and has a book value of $150. However, the Phil Esposito rookie card from the 1965-66 Topps series tops that with a book value of $400. Both Esposito rookie cards show the brothers as members of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Q. Which Esposito brother entered the Hockey Hall of Fame first?

A. Phil Esposito was the first of the two brothers to enter, being inducted in 1984. Tony followed in 1988. Phil played his final games in the National Hockey League during the 1980-81 season with the New York Rangers. This meant that he entered the Hockey Hall of Fame after the minimum three year waiting period. At his side in 1984 were goaltender Bernie Parent and career Montreal Canadien Jacques Lemaire.

Tony appeared in 18 games with the Blackhawks in 1983-84, his last games in the NHL. Four years later, he entered the HHOF, along with Guy Lafleur and Brad Park. Buddy O’Connor was also posthumously inducted.

New York Rangers vs. Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup Playoff History

The New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings will meet in the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in NHL history. The Rangers entered the National Hockey League for the 1926-27 season and are four time Stanley Cup winners. The last time the Rangers won the championship was 1993-94. The Kings entered the NHL in 1967-68 and are one time winners of the Stanley Cup, last winning in 2011-12.

Not only have New York and Los Angeles not met in the Stanley Cup finals prior to 2013-14, the two have rarely met at all in the post season. In fact, the teams have played off against each other on just two occasions. Both times, it was in a preliminary round series. Both times, the Rangers were victorious.

Rangers vs. Kings 1978-79

New York and Los Angeles met in the preliminary round of the 1978-79 Stanley Cup playoffs with the Rangers sweeping the series in two games. New York easily won the first game 7-1 at Madison Square Garden while the second game was decide in overtime at The Forum in Los Angeles with the Rangers coming out on top 2-1.

Despite the offensive threat that the Triple Crown Line provided, the Kings only had goals from Charlie Simmer and Syl Apps on the series. Marcel Dionne was silenced after an outstanding regular season. Dionne’s 59 goals placed him second in the NHL behind Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders. His 71 assists placed him third behind Bryan Trottier of the New York Islanders and Guy Lafleur of the Montreal Canadiens. Marcel was second in the race for the Art Ross Trophy with 130 points, four behind Bryan Trottier.

New York was led by Anders Hedberg, Phil Esposito and Pat Hickey during the regular season and it was Esposito that led the club with 20 points through the playoffs. New York went on to beat the Philadelphia Flyers in the quarter-finals and the New York Islanders in the semi-finals to earn a showdown with the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup finals. Montreal came out on top in five games.

During the regular season, the Fred Shero coached Rangers placed third in the Patrick Division with 91 points. The Bob Berry coached Kings finished third in the Norris Division with 80 points.

Rangers vs. Kings 1980-81

Two years later, Los Angeles and New York met again in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. This time, the series was a best of five affair. This time, it was the Rangers winning again with the series decided in four games. New York won game one by a score of 3-1, game three by a whopping 10-3 score and the deciding fourth game by a 6-3 count. The Kings won game two 5-4. On the series, New York outscored the Kings 22-8.

Through the 1980-81 playoffs, the Rangers were led by Ron Duguay, Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg. It had been Hedberg, Ed Johnstone and Ron Greschner that led the club offensively through the regular season. Playing the bulk of the playoffs in net was the forgettable Steve Baker. New York went on to the beat the St. Louis Blues in the second round before being swept by the Islanders in the semi-finals. The Rangers would muster just eight goals against their cross-town rivals.

The series was certainly a disappointment for the Kings with the Triple Crown Line at their pinnacle. During the regular season, Marcel Dionne scored 58 and assisted on 77 for 135 points, Dave Taylor scored 47 and assisted on 65 for 112 points and Charlie Simmer scored 56 and assisted on 49 for 105 points. Dionne once again finished second in the NHL for goals behind Mike Bossy. He also once again finished third for assists, this time behind Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers and Kent Nilsson of the Calgary Flames. His 135 points was second in the race for the Art Ross Trophy behind Gretzky’s 164.

Bob Berry was still the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings. However, Fred Shero was replaced midseason behind the New York bench by Craig Patrick. Phil Esposito was still with the Rangers but now behind the bench as an assistant coach. During the regular season, Los Angeles finished second in the Norris Division with 99 points while the Rangers placed fourth in the Patrick Division with just 74 points.

Evolution Of The NHL Scoring Record

Wayne Gretzky’s record for most points in a single National Hockey League season has stood for nearly three decades. Some say it’s unbreakable, but as with any record in professional sports, it will seem unbreakable until the day it’s broken.  Through time, the record stood at an ‘unbreakable’ level 16 times since the creation of the NHL in 1917-18.

Joe Malone of the Montreal Canadiens held the mark first for most points in a single National Hockey League campaign. All he had to do to accomplish this was lead the league in scoring in its inaugural season. Assists were not recorded in that first year but Malone’s total of 44 goals in 20 games was in itself a pretty amazing feat and set the standard. To put that amount into perspective, applying that goal scoring pace over the present day 82 game schedule would produce 180 goals.

Malone broke his own record two years later while playing for the Quebec Bulldogs. Playing four more games than in 1917-18, Joe added four more points for 48 in 1919-20. This record would stand until the 1927-28 season when Howie Morenz of the Montreal Canadiens would total 51 points. However, Morenz’s total was accomplished over a much longer 43 game games.

Outside of Boston Bruins fans, the name Cooney Weiland is not overly well known. However, Weiland, while playing for the Boston Bruins during the 1929-30 season, shattered Morenz’s record with 73 points in 44 games. That season, six players would better the 51 point plateau. As for Weiland, he would go on to a respectable eleven season NHL career but would never get higher than the 38 point mark again in his career.

Over a decade would pass before Weiland’s mark would be surpassed. With the aid of an expanded 50 game schedule, Doug Bentley tied the record with 73 points in 1942-43. The following season, Herb Cain of the Boston Bruins would increase the record by nine points to 82 in 48 games. Just three short years later, Cain would be sent down to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League where he would finish out his professional hockey career.

The legendary Gordie Howe would be next to set the mark. It would take Mr. Hockey 22 more games than Cain to add four points to the record. In 1950-51, Howe had an even 43 goals and 43 assists for 86 points. The following season, Howe would equal the mark and the season after that, 1952-53, Howe would increase the record by nine points to 95.

The record jumped just a single point in 1958-59 as Dickie Moore of the Montreal Canadiens would total 96 points in the same 70 games as Howe. The record would increase by the same increment in the mid 1960’s as teammates Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita of the Chicago Blackhawks would each get 97 points in 1965-66 and 1966-67 respectively.

The late 1960’s brought expansion to the NHL and doubling the size of the league overnight, increasing the length of the schedule and watering down the talent was catalyst to a new level of offense. Phil Esposito came into his own during the 1968-69 season and provided the Boston Bruins with 126 points. Two seasons later, Esposito would increase the record to 152 points, a number that most thought could never be broken.

Along came a kid from Brantford, Ontario, Canada and the league’s record books were never the same. Wayne Gretzky, in just his second season in the NHL, provided the Edmonton Oilers with 164 points. The following season, the impossible was accomplished with The Great One’s 92 goals, 120 assists and 212 points. The 212 points would be eclipsed by none other than Wayne Gretzky himself during the 1985-86 season when he had 215 in 80 games, but the 92 goals stands as an NHL record today.

Is the record breakable? Of course it is. The game has changed and the offensive numbers have dropped since the mid 1990’s but things can change on a dime. A simply amazing player could emerge. Rule changes could provide a more offensive game. Retraction or expansion could significantly affect the level of talent. Just as Joe Malone’s record was thought unbreakable ninety years ago, Gretzky’s might falsely be thought of as unbreakable today.

NHL Hockey Trivia: Johnny Bucyk

Johnny Bucyk was a long-time Boston Bruins star that was an integral part of the ‘Big Bad Bruins’ era of the early 1970’s. Although, we’ll find out, Bucyk was not a regular in the penalty box like many of his teammates. Test and expand your hockey trivia knowledge of Johnny Bucyk with the following four trivia questions.

Q. What was Johnny Bucyk’s first National Hockey League team?

A. Bucyk played his first two seasons in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings. Before the 1957-58 season began, Johnny was traded to the Bruins for the legendary goaltender, Terry Sawchuk. Bucyk played the rest of his NHL career with Boston, retiring after the 1977-78 season. In 1955-56, Johnny played 38 games for the Red Wings, scoring one goal and totalling nine points. In 1956-57, he became a regular, appearing in 66 games, scoring ten goals and totalling 21 points.

As for Sawchuk, he was returned to Detroit, a team that traded him to Boston just before Bucyk started his National Hockey League career.

Q. With a career total of just 497 minutes in penalties over 1540 regular season games, how many times did the gentleman Johnny Bucyk win the Lady Byng Trophy?

A. Bucyk won the Lady Byng as the most gentlemanly player in 1970-71 and again in 1973-74. In each season, Johnny totalled just eight minutes in penalties with the Bruins. In two other seasons in which Bucyk played nearly a full schedule did he sit less than ten minutes in the box. In 1967-68, Johnny received four minor penalties over 72 games, yet Stan Mikita of the Chicago Blackhawks was awarded the Lady Byng with 14 PIM. In 1971-72, Bucyk sat just four minutes in the penalty box while playing the full 78 game schedule but the Lady Byng went to Jean Ratelle of the New York Rangers who spent an equal time in the sin bin.

Q. What jersey number was retired by the Boston Bruins in honour of Johnny Bucyk?

A. After his final season, 1977-78, the Bruins hung number 9 from the rafters of the Boston Garden in honour of the player that wore it for 21 seasons. Of course, in his first two years in the NHL, Bucyk did not wear number 9. As a member of the Detroit Red Wings, that number was already taken by Gordie Howe. Johnny wore number 20 while with Detroit. He took on number 9 right from his first game with Boston.

Q. During the 1970-71 season, at the age of 35, Johnny Bucyk became the oldest NHL player to do what?

A. With 51 goals, Bucyk became the oldest NHL player to surpass the 50 goal plateau. With an additional 65 assists for 116 points, Johnny finished third in the race for the Art Ross Trophy behind teammates Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito. Another teammate, Ken Hodge, rounded out the top four that season with all four Bruins surpassing 100 points. Johnny’s 51 goals placed him second in the NHL, 25 goals behind teammate and league leader Phil Esposito.

8 NHL Players To Win The Art Ross Trophy In Consecutive Seasons

The Art Ross Trophy has been handed out to the regular season points leader in the National Hockey League each season since 1947-48.  Over the 61 years since the trophy was first awarded, eight players have captured the trophy in consecutive years.

Gordie Howe – Detroit Red Wings

Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings became the first NHL player to accomplish this rarity. Howe won the trophy four times consecutively from 1950-51 to 1953-54. Over his great playing career, Gordie would take home the award twice more, both while playing in Detroit.

Dickie Moore – Montreal Canadiens

Shortly after, Dickie Moore of the Montreal Canadiens was awarded the Art Ross Trophy twice in a row. Moore led the league with 84 points in 1957-58. The next year, he increased the NHL record to 96 points while winning his second Art Ross. Moore’s record would stay in the books until 1965-66 when Bobby Hull of the Chicago Blackhawks bettered it by a single point. Hull won three scoring championships over his career, however, never consecutively.

Stan Mikita – Chicago Blackhawks

Bobby Hull’s teammate with the Blackhawks, Stan Mikita, was the next player to lead the National Hockey League in points over consecutive seasons. Mikita did it twice. The first pair occurred during the 1963-64 and 1964-65 seasons. The second time was immediately following Hull’s record performance, 1966-67 and 1967-68. In 1966-67, Mikita would equal Hull’s 97 points.

Phil Esposito – Boston Bruins

The late 1960’s and early 1970’s brought several new expansion teams to the NHL. The original six teams weren’t willing to share the Art Ross and didn’t give it up until 1978-79. With expansion came a lot more scoring. Phil Esposito of the Boston Bruins was awarded the Art Ross in four straight seasons from 1970-71 to 1973-74. His point totals of 152, 133, 130 and 145 over those four years shattered the previous scoring marks of Mikita and Hull.

Guy Lafleur – Montreal Canadiens

Guy Lafleur of the Montreal Canadiens replaced Esposito as the NHL’s premier point-getter in 1975-76 and won the Art Ross three years consecutively, playing for what is arguably the best hockey team to ever play.

Wayne Gretzky – Edmonton Oilers

The game of hockey changed drastically in 1979-80 as Wayne Gretzky first skated in the league. In just his second season with the Edmonton Oilers, Gretzky won the Art Ross and bettered Phil Esposito’s record with 164. Gretzky went on to win seven in a row with the Edmonton Oilers, setting the NHL record for points in a single season during the 1985-86 season with 215. Gretzky would also win consecutive Art Ross trophies as a member of the Los Angeles Kings in 1989-90 and 1990-91. He would win one more time in his career for a total of 10.

Mario Lemieux – Pittsburgh Penguins

Mario Lemieux challenged but could not eclipse Gretzky’s mark of 215 points. However, he did win the Art Ross consecutively on three different occasions. He neared Gretzky’s record with 199 points in 1988-89, the second of his first two in a row. He would capture the Art Ross in 1991-92 and 1992-93 and then again in 1995-96 and 1996-97.

Jaromir Jagr – Pittsburgh Penguins

Lemieux’s teammate on the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jaromir Jagr took home the Art Ross four times consecutively from 1997-98 to 2000-01. Jagr won the trophy five times during his NHL playing career. Jagr, to date, is the last to win the award in straight seasons.

5 Greats From Hockey Hall Of Fame That Started Out In The OHL

Even those who aren’t hockey fans have heard the names Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky or Steve Yzerman. Like any other professional sport, hockey has its iconic heroes. What might not be known is that a great number of hockey’s superstars started out playing junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League. What follows is a list of five greats that played in the OHL and went on to NHL careers worthy of a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Steve Yzerman – Peterborough Petes

Steve Yzerman played two seasons with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes in 1981-82 and 1982-83. Yzerman was a first round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the 1983 NHL draft, fourth overall. Steve went on to a twenty-two year NHL career, all with the Red Wings. He captained Detroit for his last nineteen seasons, an NHL record for the longest serving captain. He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and a two-time Olympian. He is sixth overall in the NHL for most career points and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.

Phil Esposito – St. Catherines TeePees

Phil Esposito played just one season in the OHL in 1961-62 with the St. Catherines TeePees. Phil started his NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1964-65 but it was after being traded to the Boston Bruins for the 1967-68 season when Esposito became an NHL superstar. Phil spent eight full seasons with the Bruins and scored over 100 points in six of those. Phil was the holder of the NHL record for most goals (76) and points (152) in a season until Wayne Gretzky came along. Phil finished up his seventeen year NHL career with the New York Rangers and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984.

Denis Potvin – Ottawa 67’s

Denis Potvin played five seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 1968-69 to 1972-73, all with the Ottawa 67’s. Potvin was the number one overall pick in the 1973 NHL draft. Denis went on to a fifteen year NHL career, all with the New York Islanders. Eight of his seasons on Long Island were as captain of the team. He was part of four Stanley Cup winning teams and was a three time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s best defenseman. Denis was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991.

Bobby Orr – Oshawa Generals

Bobby Orr played three seasons with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals from 1963-64 to 1965-66. Orr’s NHL career was cut short at twelve seasons by devastating knee injuries. Over his final three seasons, Bobby played just 36 games and missed the entire 1977-78 season. His ten years with the Boston Bruins were nothing less than spectacular. He has six consecutive 100+ point seasons, unheard of for a defenseman. He still stands as the only defenseman to win the Art Ross Trophy as NHL leading scorer with 139 points in 1970-71. He won two Stanley Cups and eight Norris Trophies. Orr was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979 at the age of 31. Bobby stands today as the youngest player to enter the hall.

Wayne Gretzky – Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

Wayne Gretzky played just one full season in the Ontario Hockey League. Gretzky was a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in 1977-78. The previous year, he played just three games with the Peterborough Petes as a 15 year old. His 182 points that season were surprisingly not the best in the league, but do stand as the OHL record for most points in a single season by a first year player. Wayne played twenty years in the NHL, fourteen as team captain. Gretzky hold countless single season and career records. Wayne was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999.

Hockey Trivia: 1971-72 Boston Bruins

Before 2011, the 1972 Boston Bruins were the last to bring the Stanley Cup to Beantown. The 1971-72 Boston Bruins can be considered among the top National Hockey League teams of all time, losing just 13 of 78 games during the regular season and finishing ten points beyond the second place team before storming their way to the Stanley Cup victory.

Test and expand your hockey trivia knowledge of the 1972 Boston Bruins with the following four hockey trivia questions:

Q. What Bruins player was the team leader in both goals and points in 1971-72?

A. Phil Esposito, coming off a record 76 goals and 152 points in 1970-71, led the team with lower, but still impressive, numbers than the year before. Esposito finished out the year with 66 goals and 130 points.

There’s a bit of an asterix here as Esposito tied Bobby Orr for the team lead with 24 points during the playoffs. In the goals department, Esposito, John Bucyk and Ken Hodge all tied for the team lead in the post season with nine each. Assists? It was all Bobby Orr. Orr led the team during the regular season with 80 assists and led in the playoffs with 19.

Q. Each of the Boston Bruins goaltending tandem finished off the 1971-72 season with an equal 27 wins. Although Gerry Cheevers is thought of when the topic of Boston goaltenders from the 1970’s comes up, who was the goalie that platooned with Cheevers that season?

A. Eddie Johnston quietly had the same number of wins, although his goals against average was slightly higher than that of Gerry Cheevers. Johnston played in the National Hockey League from 1962-63 to 1977-78 with the Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks. His days in Chicago were limited to the final four games of his Eddie’s NHL career.

Q. What team did the Boston Bruins beat in the finals to win the 1972 Stanley Cup?

A. The Bruins met the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup finals and won the series in four games. The Rangers finished second overall in the NHL during the regular season, ten points behind the Bruins. The Rangers took out the Montreal Canadiens in the quarter-finals then swept the Chicago Black Hawks in the semi-finals to earn the match-up against Boston.

Even though the teams had both been in the NHL since the mid 1920’s, it was just the second time Boston and New York met in the Stanley Cup finals. The previous time came in 1928-29 with the Bruins sweeping the best of three series in two games.

Q. The Boston Bruins lost just thirteen games in 1971-72. One team was responsible for nearly a quarter of those losses. Which team did Boston lose three games to in the regular season?

A. Not too shockingly, the Bruins lost three to the Montreal Canadiens. Interestingly, two of the thirteen losses came at the hands of the lowly California Golden Seals. Seven of the thirteen losses came against teams that finished the year below .500.
 

Hockey Trivia: NHL 70 Goal Scorers

In the history of the National Hockey League, the 50 goal plateau has been met 189 times (the latest in 2010-11 with Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks scoring exactly 50) and the 60 goal plateau has been met 38 times. However, the 70 goal plateau truly separates the men from the boys.

Test and expand your hockey trivia knowledge of the NHL’s 70+ goal scorers with the following four trivia questions.

Q. Which NHL player was the first to surpass the 70 goal plateau?

A. In 1970-71, Phil Esposito of the Boston Bruins added 18 goals to the NHL record previously held by Bobby Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks. Esposito scored 76 goals in 78 games for the Bruins. With an additional 76 assists that season, his 152 points were also an NHL record at the time.

Q. Which NHL player is the only player to surpass the 70 goal plateau on four occasions?

A. Who else but Wayne Gretzky could accomplish this feat?! Gretzky scored 92 in 1981-82 (current NHL record), 71 in 1982-83, 87 in 1983-84 and 73 in 1984-85. Brett Hull came close. In a three year stretch with the St. Louis Blues between 1989-90 and 1991-92, Hull scored 72, 86 and 70 goals. He followed that up with two more 50+ goal performances but never would get above 60 again. Age and injuries played a factor in his reduced production but the NHL also had entered an era of boring low scoring hockey that persists today.

Q. Who is the only first year NHL player to surpass the 70 goal plateau?

A. The Finnish Flash, Teemu Selanne, scored 76 goals in 1992-93 as a rookie with the Winnipeg Jets, tying him for the NHL lead in goal scoring with Alexander Mogilny of the Buffalo Sabres. Due to injuries and NHL labour problems, it would take until 1996-97 before Selanne would exceed the 76 POINT mark again. Of course, Teemu was not your typical rookie in 1992-93. After playing pro in Finland before coming to North America, Selanne was already 22 when he scored his 76 goals, the age of third year player.

Q. Playing on a line with Wayne Gretzky could boost the offensive performance of any player. Which Los Angeles Kings player scored 70 while playing with the Great One?

A. Bernie Nicholls scored exactly 70 in 1988-89 while playing with Gretzky. Over the rest of his career, Bernie’s best goal production would be just 27. Wayne scored 54 and assisted on 114 for 168 points while Bernie added 80 assists for 150 points. Despite the high totals, neither led the NHL that year. Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins finished first with 85, Nicholls finished second, Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings finished third with 65 and Gretzky placed fourth. In points, it was Gretzky placing second and Nicholls placing fourth.

Jari Kurri is another who rode Gretzky’s coattails enroute to a 70 goal season. Kurri scored 71 in 1984-85 with the Edmonton Oilers while his linemate Gretzky scored 73. The two finished one-two in NHL goal scoring. They also finished first and second in the race for the Art Ross Trophy with Wayne totalling 208 points and Jari settling with 135.

1969-70 NHL Goal Scoring Leaders

1969-70 was a bit of a setback in the National Hockey League’s new found offensive explosiveness. After setting a new mark for most goals in a season with 58 in 1968-69, Bobby Hull pulled back drastically in 1969-70 with just 38 goals. Phil Esposito led the NHL with just 43 goals. It would be the last time there wouldn’t be a 50 goal scorer in the league until the lockout shortened 1994-95 season.

Phil Esposito – Boston Bruins

For Phil Esposito, it was the first of six consecutive seasons leading the league in goals. In fact, with seven times, only Bobby Hull has led in that department more times. Even the great Wayne Gretzky and Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard only led the league five times each.

Garry Unger – Detroit Red Wings

Garry Unger of the Detroit Red Wings finished second with 42, just one behind Esposito. It was just the third year for Unger in a NHL career that saw him play over 1,100 regular season games. Yet, it was Garry’s career high for goals in a season. A bit of an unsung hero, Unger scored 413 regular season goals between 1967-68 and 1982-83 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Atlanta Flames, Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers.

Stan Mikita – Chicago Blackhawks

Stan Mikita finished third with 39 goals, one off his career high set two years earlier. Mikita was dead centre in a National Hockey League career that spanned from 1959-60 to 1979-80. Stan played nearly 1,400 regular season games during his career and scored 541 goals.

Frank Mahovlich – Detroit Red Wings

Coming off a 49 goal season, Frank Mahovlich of the Detroit Red Wings finished tied for fourth with 38 goals. Frank scored a total of 533 goals in 1,181 regular season NHL games between 1957-58 and 1973-74 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens.

Bobby Hull – Chicago Blackhawks

Although Bobby Hull’s goal production was down twenty from the previous season, from 58 to 38, he was still able to place in the top five. The goal total was quite respectable, given that Hull played just 61 of Chicago’s 76 regular season games. In 1,063 regular season career NHL games, Bobby scored 610 goals. Hull was a five time 50 goal scorer in a time when the feat was a rarity.

As for the 1969-70 NHL season, the league was led by Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr. Orr became the first defenseman to lead the NHL in points with 120, earning the Art Ross Trophy. He also won the Norris, Hart and Conn Smythe to become the only NHL player to this day to win four major awards. The Bruins met the St. Louis Blues in the finals and captured the Stanley Cup with a four game sweep over the third year NHL expansion team.

 

1967-68 NHL East Division Team Leaders

The 1967-68 National Hockey League season marked the addition of six new teams. Normally, expansion increases offense due to the watered down product on the ice. In 1967-68, that wasn’t really so. Stan Mikita won the Art Ross Trophy for the second year in a row but with ten less points than in 1966-67. Bobby Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks led the league with 44 goals. It was one of only five times from 1965-66 to the present when the goal scoring leader had less than 50 goals.

Stan Mikita – Chicago Black Hawks

Stan Mikita, obviously, led the Chicago Black Hawks with 87 points. Mikita played his entire NHL career with the Black Hawks from 1959-60 to 1979-80, contributing a total of 1,467 regular season points and winning the Art Ross Trophy four times. As for the Black Hawks, the team finished fourth in the newly formed East Division and lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup semi-finals.

Phil Esposito – Boston Bruins

Phil Esposito was in his first year with the Boston Bruins after coming over from the Black Hawks and his offensive juices were just starting to run. He led the Bruins with 84 points and finished second in the NHL behind Mikita. In the coming seasons, Esposito would win the Art Ross Trophy on five occasions between 1968-69 and 1973-74. Boston qualified for the post season for the first time since 1959 but lost in the first round.

Gordie Howe – Detroit Red Wings

Gordie Howe led the Detroit Red Wings with 82 points and placed third in the league. Howe had been a Red Wing since the 1946-47 season and would play with the club until the end of 1970-71. Detroit had a dismal season in 1967-68, finishing last in the East Division and out of the post season. In fact, just the Oakland Seals finished with a worst record in the NHL that season with 47 points to Detroit’s 66.

Jean Ratelle – New York Rangers

Jean Ratelle led the New York Rangers, a team that had a great regular season, finishing just four points behind the Montreal Canadiens for first overall. Yet, the Rangers were upset in the opening round by Chicago, a team that finished fourth in the East. Ratelle’s 78 points placed him fourth in the National Hockey League. Jean had just one more point than long time Rangers teammate Rod Gilbert.

Jean Beliveau – Montreal Canadiens

Jean Beliveau led the Montreal Canadiens with 68 points while playing in just 59 of Montreal’s 74 regular season games. Beliveau played his entire NHL career with Montreal, from 1953-54 to 1970-71. He won the Art Ross Trophy in 1955-56. Jean led the Habs to a Stanley Cup victory by sweeping the Bruins in the first round and taking the Black Hawks in five in the second round before sweeping the St. Louis Blues to capture the championship.

Mike Walton – Toronto Maple Leafs

Mike Walton led the Toronto Maple Leafs with just 59 points. Toronto went from winning the Stanley Cup in 1966-67 to not qualifying for the post season in 1967-68. Walton played in the NHL from 1965-66 to 1978-79 with the Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues and Chicago Black Hawks. Mike also played three years in the World Hockey Association with the Minnesota Fighting Saints and was awarded the Bill Hunter Trophy as the WHA’s top scorer in 1973-74.