1971–72 Minnesota North Stars season

National Hockey League team season March 2026 August 2023 NHL 1971–72 1971 Minnesota North Stars 37–29–12 22–11–6 15–18–6 West 2nd 212 191 Wren Blair Jack Gordon Ted Harris J. P. PariseBarry GibbsCharlie Burns Met Center Bill Goldsworthy (31) Jude Drouin (43) Bill Goldsworthy (62) Barry Gibbs (128) Cesare Maniago (20) Gump Worsley (2.12) The 1971–72 Minnesota North Stars season was the Stars' fifth season of operation in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Stars finished in second place in the West Division and qualified for the playoffs, where they lost in the first round to the St. Louis Blues. 2 Regular season Final standings MIN Record vs. opponents MIN Playoffs For the fourth time in their first five seasons, the North Stars were in the playoffs. Once again, they had a matchup with the Blues in the postseason.https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/NHL_1972.html hockey-reference.com 2009-07-14 1971 NHL Playoff Summary The two teams would not meet again in the postseason until 1984. Schedule and results Regular season background:#fff; border-top:#009639 5px solid; border-bottom:#FFD100 5px solid; 1971–72 regular season1971-72 Minnesota North Stars Schedule https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/MNS/1972_games.html Hockey-Reference.com March 26, 2025 y background:#fff; border-top:#009639 2px solid; border-bottom:#FFD100 2px solid; October Game Result Date Score Opponent Record |- |1||W||October 9, 1971||4–2 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1971–72) ||1–0–0 |- |2||T||October 14, 1971||1–1 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) ||1–0–1 |- |3||L||October 16, 1971||2–3 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) ||1–1–1 |- |4||W||October 17, 1971||3–2 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) ||2–1–1 |- |5||W||October 20, 1971||7–0 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) ||3–1–1 |- |6||W||October 23, 1971||5–1 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) ||4–1–1 |- |7||W||October 24, 1971||6–3 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) ||5–1–1 |- |8||W||October 27, 1971||2–1 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1971–72) ||6–1–1 |- |9||W||October 28, 1971||2–0 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) ||7–1–1 |- |10||T||October 30, 1971||1–1 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72) ||7–1–2 |- |11||L||October 31, 1971||2–5 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1971–72) ||7–2–2 |- y background:#fff; border-top:#009639 2px solid; border-bottom:#FFD100 2px solid; November Game Result Date Score Opponent Record |- |12||W||November 3, 1971||2–1 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72) ||8–2–2 |- |13||W||November 6, 1971||5–1 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1971–72) ||9–2–2 |- |14||W||November 7, 1971||3–0 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) ||10–2–2 |- |15||L||November 10, 1971||1–2 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1971–72) ||10–3–2 |- |16||L||November 13, 1971||1–5 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) ||10–4–2 |- |17||W||November 16, 1971||5–1 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) ||11–4–2 |- |18||W||November 18, 1971||4–3 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) ||12–4–2 |- |19||W||November 20, 1971||4–1 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1971–72) ||13–4–2 |- |20||T||November 21, 1971||1–1 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) ||13–4–3 |- |21||W||November 23, 1971||2–1 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) ||14–4–3 |- |22||W||November 26, 1971||2–1 || align="left"| @ California Golden Seals (1971–72) ||15–4–3 |- |23||W||November 27, 1971||3–1 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) ||16–4–3 |- y background:#fff; border-top:#009639 2px solid; border-bottom:#FFD100 2px solid; December Game Result Date Score Opponent Record |- |24||W||December 1, 1971||4–1 || align="left"| California Golden Seals (1971–72) ||17–4–3 |- |25||W||December 4, 1971||3–1 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) ||18–4–3 |- |26||L||December 5, 1971||1–3 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) ||18–5–3 |- |27||L||December 8, 1971||1–3 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72) ||18–6–3 |- |28||L||December 11, 1971||3–4 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) ||18–7–3 |- |29||L||December 12, 1971||3–5 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) ||18–8–3 |- |30||W||December 15, 1971||4–1 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1971–72) ||19–8–3 |- |31||L||December 18, 1971||1–4 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) ||19–9–3 |- |32||T||December 19, 1971||1–1 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1971–72) ||19–9–4 |- |33||W||December 21, 1971||3–2 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) ||20–9–4 |- |34||L||December 25, 1971||1–2 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1971–72) ||20–10–4 |- |35||L||December 26, 1971||1–5 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1971–72) ||20–11–4 |- |36||T||December 30, 1971||2–2 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1971–72) ||20–11–5 |- y background:#fff; border-top:#009639 2px solid; border-bottom:#FFD100 2px solid; January Game Result Date Score Opponent Record |- |37||W||January 1, 1972||3–2 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) ||21–11–5 |- |38||W||January 5, 1972||4–2 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1971–72) ||22–11–5 |- |39||L||January 8, 1972||1–5 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) ||22–12–5 |- |40||T||January 11, 1972||2–2 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) ||22–12–6 |- |41||L||January 12, 1972||0–2 || align="left"| @ California Golden Seals (1971–72) ||22–13–6 |- |42||L||January 15, 1972||2–7 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1971–72) ||22–14–6 |- |43||L||January 16, 1972||2–3 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) ||22–15–6 |- |44||T||January 18, 1972||1–1 || align="left"| California Golden Seals (1971–72) ||22–15–7 |- |45||W||January 19, 1972||4–1 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1971–72) ||23–15–7 |- |46||W||January 22, 1972||4–1 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72) ||24–15–7 |- |47||W||January 23, 1972||5–3 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) ||25–15–7 |- |48||W||January 27, 1972||6–5 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) ||26–15–7 |- |49||W||January 29, 1972||4–2 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1971–72) ||27–15–7 |- |50||T||January 30, 1972||1–1 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1971–72) ||27–15–8 |- y background:#fff; border-top:#009639 2px solid; border-bottom:#FFD100 2px solid; February Game Result Date Score Opponent Record |- |51||L||February 2, 1972||2–3 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72) ||27–16–8 |- |52||L||February 3, 1972||1–6 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1971–72) ||27–17–8 |- |53||T||February 5, 1972||3–3 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) ||27–17–9 |- |54||L||February 6, 1972||0–5 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) ||27–18–9 |- |55||W||February 9, 1972||4–1 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) ||28–18–9 |- |56||W||February 10, 1972||3–1 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1971–72) ||29–18–9 |- |57||W||February 12, 1972||5–1 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) ||30–18–9 |- |58||W||February 16, 1972||4–2 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1971–72) ||31–18–9 |- |59||L||February 19, 1972||4–6 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1971–72) ||31–19–9 |- |60||W||February 20, 1972||2–0 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) ||32–19–9 |- |61||L||February 24, 1972||2–4 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) ||32–20–9 |- |62||L||February 26, 1972||2–3 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1971–72) ||32–21–9 |- y background:#fff; border-top:#009639 2px solid; border-bottom:#FFD100 2px solid; March Game Result Date Score Opponent Record |- |63||L||March 2, 1972||0–3 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) ||32–22–9 |- |64||L||March 4, 1972||2–4 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) ||32–23–9 |- |65||W||March 5, 1972||2–1 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) ||33–23–9 |- |66||L||March 8, 1972||4–5 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1971–72) ||33–24–9 |- |67||T||March 12, 1972||2–2 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72) ||33–24–10 |- |68||L||March 14, 1972||3–4 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) ||33–25–10 |- |69||W||March 16, 1972||6–2 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) ||34–25–10 |- |70||L||March 18, 1972||3–4 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) ||34–26–10 |- |71||L||March 19, 1972||3–7 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1971–72) ||34–27–10 |- |72||W||March 21, 1972||4–2 || align="left"| California Golden Seals (1971–72) ||35–27–10 |- |73||T||March 23, 1972||4–4 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) ||35–27–11 |- |74||L||March 25, 1972||2–3 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) ||35–28–11 |- |75||W||March 26, 1972||5–0 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1971–72) ||36–28–11 |- |76||T||March 28, 1972||2–2 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) ||36–28–12 |- |77||W||March 31, 1972||2–1 || align="left"| @ California Golden Seals (1971–72) ||37–28–12 |- y background:#fff; border-top:#009639 2px solid; border-bottom:#FFD100 2px solid; April Game Result Date Score Opponent Record |- |78||L||April 2, 1972||1–4 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) ||37–29–12 |- |- | Legend: #cfc Win (2 points) 1px solid black #fcc Loss (0 points) 1px solid black #ffc Tie (1 point) 1px solid black Playoffs background:#fff; border-top:#009639 5px solid; border-bottom:#FFD100 5px solid; 1972 Stanley Cup playoffs y background:#fff; border-top:#009639 2px solid; border-bottom:#FFD100 2px solid; Quarterfinals vs. (W3) St. Louis Blues – Blues win 4–3 Game Result Date Score Opponent Series |- |1||W||April 5, 1972||3–0 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues || North Stars lead 1–0 |- |2||W||April 6, 1972||6–5 (OT) || align="left"| St. Louis Blues ||North Stars lead 2–0 |- |3||L||April 8, 1972||1–2 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues || North Stars lead 2–1 |- |4||L||April 9, 1972||2–3 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues || Series tied 2–2 |- |5||W||April 13, 1972|| 4–3 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues || North Stars lead 3–2 |- |6||L||April 15, 1972|| 2–4 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues || Series tied 3–3 |- |7||L||April 18, 1972|| 1–2 (OT) || align="left"| St. Louis Blues || Blues win 4–3 |- |- | Legend: #cfc Win 1px solid black #fcc Loss 1px solid black Draft picks Minnesota's draft picks at the 1971 NHL amateur draft held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)221 Rod Norrish Canada Regina Pats (WCHL)335 Ron Wilson Canada Flin Flon Bombers (WCHL)449 Mike Legge Canada Winnipeg Jets (WCHL)563 Brian McBratney Canada St. Catharines Black Hawks (OHA)677 Alan Globensky Canada Montreal Junior Canadiens (OHA)791 Bruce Abbey Canada Peterborough Petes (OHA)8105 Russ Friesen Canada Hamilton Red Wings (OHA)12113 Mike Antonovich United States University of Minnesota (WCHA)15117 Richard Coutu Canada Rosemont National (QMJHL) See also 1971–72 NHL season References Minnesota Category:Minnesota North Stars seasons Minnesota North Stars Minnesota North Stars