Sporting News Hockey Cover of the Week

February 26th 1972

Jean Ratelle of the New York Rangers

Sports Illustrated Hockey Cover of the Week

February 14th 1972

Sports Illustrated Hockey Cover of the Week

May 8th 1972

"Boston's Big Guns"

Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr Lead the Big Bad Bruins to the Stanley Cup championship

1972 NHL AWARDS

1972 NHL AWARDS

(Left to Right)

Tony Esposito (Vezina Trophy) Chicago Blackhawks

 Jean Ratelle (Lady Byng Trophy) New York Rangers

 Bobby Orr (Hart and Norris Trophy) Boston Bruins

Ken Dryden (Calder Trophy) Montreal Canadiens

1972 Quebec Nordiques: WHA Documentary - Just Another Job

The Quebec Nordiques (in Canadian English, meaning "Northmen" or "Northerners") were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association (1972--79) and the National Hockey League (1979--95). The franchise was relocated to Denver, Colorado, in 1995, and renamed the Colorado Avalanche.

The Nordiques hold the distinction of being the only major professional sports team to have been based in Quebec City in the modern era, and one of only two ever; the other, the Quebec Bulldogs, played one season in the NHL in 1919--20.

Today in Hockey History (October 7th)

October 7th 1972

Eddie Westfall scores the New York Islanders first goal in their first game, a 3-2 loss to the expansion cousins the Atlanta Flames.

Westfall was also the first Islanders captain, and was the captain for the first 4 seasons of the Islanders existence.   He also led the team in assist (31) in the 1972-73 expansion season.

October 7th 1992

Chris Kontos scored four goals in the Tampa Bay Lightning's first game, a 7-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.  It was also the first power play goal for the Tampa Bay and Kontos became the first Lightning play to record a hat-trick and four goal game.

WE LOVE HOCKEY!

June 27th 1972 Bobby Hull signs with the World Hockey Association's Winnipeg Jets

below is a young Brett Hull holding the New England Whalers logo

WE LOVE HOCKEY

MAY 8 1972

1972 NHL Awards

Phil Esposito and Bobby Clarke admire Bobby Hull's Hart Trophy as regular season MVP for 1972.

Hull also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP, the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman and of course the Stanley Cup as a member of the Boston Bruins.

Eposito would win the Art Ross Trophy as the leagues leading scorer in the regular season with 66 goals, 67 assist and 133 points.

Happy Birthday Bobby Orr

I missed it yesterday but March 20th 2013 was the 65th birthday of the hockey legend Bobby Orr.

Here are just some of the feats accomplished by the Boston defenseman

First defenseman to score 30 goals in a season (1969-70)
First defenseman to score 40 goals in a season  (1974-75)
First player to record 100 assist in a season  (1970-71)
Only Defenseman to lead the league in scoring and the only defenseman to win the Art Ross trophy (2 times)
1969-70 and 1974-75

The only player to win the Norris Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy in the same season (1969-70)
Winner of the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year 1967
Won the Hart Trophy as regular season league MVP 3 straight seasons (1970,71,72)
The First 2 time winner of the Conn Smythe trophy as Stanley Cup playoffs MVP (1970 and 1972)

Here are The Top Ten Bobby Orr Moments in the NHL

Bobby Hull

This week in hockey history - 1972 - Bobby Hull signed a 10-year hockey contract for $2,500,000, as he became a player and coach of the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association.

Bobby Hull was fittingly named the World Hockey Association's first Most Valuable Player following the upstart league's first season in 1972-73. The signing of the NHL's most visible superstar by the Winnipeg Jets in June of 1972 ensured the survival of the fledging WHA. Although he had to sit out Winnipeg's first 14 games because of court action, Hull cranked things up once he was cleared and hit the ice, scoring 51 goals and 52 assists. At the conclusion of the WHA's first season, Bobby was awarded the Gary L. Davidson Trophy.
The engraved metal plaque reads "Gary L. Davidson Trophy awarded to Robert M. Hull for being selected Most Valuable Player in the World Hockey Association 1972-73". 

Stat of the Day

NHL Teams with the most consecutive Stanley Cup playoff appearances

1 - Boston Bruins - 28 (1968-1996)

2 - Chicago Blackhawks - 27 (1970-1997)

3 - St. Louis Blues - 24 (1980-2004)

4 - Montreal Canadiens - 23  (1971-1994)

Today in Hockey History

1972 - Bobby Hull became the 2nd player to score 600 goals in a career. This was his last season with the NHL Chicago Blackhawks and he score exactly 50 goals for the 1971-72 season.
He would join the Winnipeg Jets of the new WHA the next season.

1982 - Wayne Gretzky becomes 1st NHL to score 200 points in a season