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

Ralph Backstrom’s Rookie Heroics Seal Montreal’s Fourth Straight Stanley Cup

In the spring of 1959, a young Ralph Backstrom put a dazzling exclamation point on his rookie season and on another Montreal Canadiens dynasty run. The 1958-59 Calder Trophy winner stepped up in the Stanley Cup Final, delivering a four-point performance to clinch Montreal’s fourth consecutive championship.

Game Five of the final was played at the legendary Montreal Forum, with the Canadiens holding a 3-1 series lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Backstrom wasted no time making an impact. Just 4:13 into the first period, he scored his third goal of the playoffs on Johnny Bower, with assists from Bernie Geoffrion and Dickie Moore. Before the opening period ended, Montreal had stormed ahead 3-0 and Backstrom had assisted on the other two goals.

He wasn’t done yet. In the second period, Backstrom picked up another assist on Geoffrion’s late goal, stretching the lead to 5-1. Toronto tried to rally in the third with goals from Frank Mahovlich and Bert Olmstead, but Montreal held firm for a 5-3 victory. Marcel Bonin netted the Cup-winning goal, and Jacques Plante stopped 30 of 33 shots.

About Ralph Backstrom 

Ralph Backstrom played 1,032 regular season and 116 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1956-57 and 1972-73 with the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks. The six-time Stanley Cup champion was a 20+ goal scorer seven times. Between 1973-74 and 1976-77, Backstrom played 304 regular season and 38 playoff games in the WHA with the Chicago Cougars, Denver Spurs/Ottawa Civics and New England Whalers.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Ralph Backstrom

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

1. Ralph Backstrom won the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year in which season?

1957-58
1958-59
1959-60
1960-61

2. How many Stanley Cups did Ralph Backstrom win with the Montreal Canadiens?

Three
Six
Five
Four

3. After leaving the Canadiens, Backstrom later played in which rival league during the 1970s?

AHL
WHA
EHL
IHL

4. Which NHL team did Backstrom briefly play for after his long tenure in Montreal?

Buffalo Sabres
St. Louis Blues
Los Angeles Kings
Vancouver Canucks

5. Ralph Backstrom later became a successful hockey executive and coach. Which university team did he help build as head coach?

University of Minnesota
University of Denver
Boston University
Michigan State University

Yvan Cournoyer Clinches 1973 Stanley Cup For Montreal Canadiens

The 1972-73 Montreal Canadiens were a powerhouse, losing just ten games during the regular season and storming through the playoffs. After dispatching the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers, the Habs faced the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final.

Chicago battled hard, scoring 15 goals in their two wins, but Montreal’s speed and depth ultimately proved too much. The series ended in six games with Yvan Cournoyer at the center of the celebration.

On May 10, 1973, Cournoyer capped off a brilliant postseason by scoring the Cup-clinching goal in Game Six. With the teams tied 4-4 heading into the third, he beat Tony Esposito at 8:13, his 15th goal of the playoffs, on a setup from Jacques Lemaire to give Montreal the lead for good. The Canadiens went on to win 6-4, securing another championship.

Cournoyer added assists on goals by Frank Mahovlich and Marc Tardif, finishing the playoffs with 25 points in 17 games. His 15 goals set a new playoff record at the time, surpassing Mahovlich’s 14 from 1971. Though the record has since been topped by Reggie Leach and Jari Kurri (19 each), Cournoyer’s performance remains one of the great playoff runs in Canadiens history.

The Conn Smythe Trophy was the only major individual award of his career, but it was a fitting tribute to the “Roadrunner’s” speed, leadership, and clutch scoring. In total, Yvan Cournoyer captured eight Stanley Cups, all with Montreal, before earning induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Yvan Cournoyer

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

1. What nickname was Yvan Cournoyer best known by during his NHL career?

The Rocket
The Roadrunner
The Pocket Rocket
The Flying Frenchman

2. How many Stanley Cups did Yvan Cournoyer win with the Montreal Canadiens?

6
7
8
9

3. In which year did Cournoyer win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP?

1971
1973
1975
1977

4. What was Cournoyer’s career-high goal total in a single NHL season?

36
40
47
50

5. Yvan Cournoyer was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in which year?

1979
1980
1982
1984