1968–69 NHL season

Updated on Dec 08, 2023

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League National Hockey League Season champions Montreal Canadiens Champion Montreal Canadiens Start date 1968 Number of teams 12 Finals champion Montreal Canadiens		Sport Ice hockey Champions Montreal Canadiens Number of games 76 Top scorer Phil Esposito Season MVP Phil Esposito
Duration October 11, 1968 – May 4, 1969 Playoffs Playoffs MVP Serge Savard, (Montreal Canadiens)

The 1968–69 NHL season was the 52nd season of the National Hockey League. Twelve teams each played 76 games (two more than in 1967–68). For the second time in a row, the Montreal Canadiens faced the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup finals. Montreal won their second consecutive Stanley Cup as they swept the Blues in four, an identical result to the previous season.

Regular season

Prior to this season no player in NHL history had ever achieved 100 points in a season. This season saw not just one player reach 100, but three. The Boston Bruins' Phil Esposito led the way with 49 goals and 77 assists for a new record of 126 points, as well as setting a record with linemates Wayne Cashman and Ron Murphy for most points in a season by a forward line. Bobby Hull of Chicago set a new record for goals with 58 and came in second in overall scoring with 107. Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings came in third with 103 points.

Red Berenson of St. Louis tied an NHL record, scoring six goals for the Blues (all against goaltender Doug Favell) in an 8–0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on November 7. He became the first player to score a double hat trick on a road game.

Despite finishing last in the West Division, Minnesota was led by rookie left wing Danny Grant, who along with Oakland rookie Norm Ferguson tied Montreal Maroon Nels Stewart's forty-year-old record for most goals by a rookie with 34.

On December 21, with Gump Worsley out because of a nervous breakdown and Rogie Vachon injured, rookie goaltender Tony Esposito of the Canadiens and Gerry Cheevers of the Bruins hooked up in a rare scoreless tie. Esposito made 41 saves, and Cheevers made 34 saves.

Los Angeles introduced rookie goaltender Gerry Desjardins who took over the starter's job from the ailing Wayne Rutledge, who was bothered by groin injuries most of the season. Desjardins recorded 4 shutouts during the season in helping the Kings make the playoffs and win their first round series over Oakland.

On March 2, Phil Esposito became the first NHL player to score 100 points in a season in a 4–0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In the March 20th Boston-Chicago game, two milestones were accomplished. Bobby Hull broke his own record for goals with his 55th goal, and Bobby Orr broke Flash Hollett's record for goals by a defenseman with his 21st goal.

This would be the last time until the 1997–98 season that the Chicago Black Hawks missed the playoffs.

The league held a beauty pageant for the first time this season, with a contestant from every franchise. Miss Minnesota North Stars Lynn Marie Stewart was named Miss NHL 1968, and was named the NHL "ambassador" for the 1968–69 season, making various appearances and helping to present the Stanley Cup. The league would hold just two more in 1970 and 1972.

Final

The Montreal Canadiens swept the St. Louis Blues in a rematch of the 1968 final.

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes

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

Other statistics

Plus-Minus leader: Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins

1968 Miss NHL Pageant

The 1968 Miss NHL Pageant was the first of three in NHL history and was held in Toronto on June 27, 1968. There were twelve contestants in the pageant, one from each of the twelve NHL teams. The winner would be named Miss NHL 1968 and would be the NHL ambassador for the 1968–69 season.

Miss Minnesota North Stars Lynn Marie Stewart was named Miss NHL 1968, with Miss New York Rangers Donna Hardy the first runner-up, and Miss Los Angeles Kings Julia Martin the second runner-up. A second-year education student at the University of Minnesota, she received a new 1969 convertible, a trip for two to Mexico, a mink stole, a movie camera and a diamond watch set. Also, she would be the NHL ambassador for the 1968–69 season, making appearances at the NHL All-Star Game, the NHL awards, and the Stanley Cup Finals where she helped NHL President Clarence Campbell present the Stanley Cup. Each contestant received $1,500 in prizes including season tickets to the team that they represented in the pageant. Stewart's prizes were worth $15,000, with those for the first-runner up worth $2,700 and the second runner-up worth $2,200.

Miss Pittsburgh Penguins Karen Antkiewicz was chosen Miss Personality Plus by the other contestants.

Selection of Miss NHL was done on the basis of personality and poise (30 points), carriage and figure (15 points), make-up and grooming (10 points), speech and projection (10 points), talent (10 points) and overall impression (10 points).

Debuts

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1968–69 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):

Bob Berry, Montreal Canadiens

Guy Lapointe, Montreal Canadiens

Jude Drouin, Montreal Canadiens

Tony Esposito, Montreal Canadiens

Brad Park, New York Rangers

Pat Quinn, Toronto Maple Leafs

Jean Pronovost, Pittsburgh Penguins

Last games

The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1968–69 (listed with their last team):

Kenny Wharram, Chicago Black Hawks

Kent Douglas, Detroit Red Wings

Gilles Tremblay, Montreal Canadiens

Allan Stanley, Philadelphia Flyers

Billy Harris, Pittsburgh Penguins

Doug Harvey, St. Louis Blues

Pierre Pilote, Toronto Maple Leafs

References

1968–69 NHL season Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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