1974–75 NHL season

National Hockey League season August 2023 1974–75 NHL season National Hockey League Ice hockey October 9, 1974 – May 27, 1975 18 80 CBC, CTV, SRC (Canada)NBC (United States) Draft 1974 NHL Draft List of first overall NHL draft picks Greg Joly Washington Capitals Regular season Philadelphia Flyers Bobby Clarke (Flyers) Hart Memorial Trophy Bobby Orr (Bruins) Art Ross Trophy Playoffs 1975 Stanley Cup playoffs Stanley Cup 1975 Stanley Cup Final Philadelphia Flyers Buffalo Sabres Bernie Parent (Flyers) Conn Smythe Trophy 1975–76 1973–74 NHL The 1974–75 NHL season was the 58th season of the National Hockey League. Two new teams, the Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts, were added, increasing the number of teams to 18. To accommodate the new teams, the NHL re-organized its divisional structure and playoff format. The regular season was expanded to 80 games per team (which would be the case until 1992–93). The Philadelphia Flyers won the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive year. League business Expansion and realignment The Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts were added as expansion teams. The 1974 NHL expansion draft was held on June 12 to fill the rosters of the two new teams. With the number of teams increased to 18, the NHL bumped up the number of regular season games from 78 to 80, and split the previously two-division league into two conferences with four divisions. Because the new conferences and divisions had little to do with North American geography, geographical references were removed until 1993–94. The East Division became the Prince of Wales Conference and consisted of the Adams Division and Norris Division. The West Division became the Clarence Campbell Conference and consisted of the Patrick Division and Smythe Division. The Capitals had the worst season ever recorded in the history of major professional hockey, and the third worst in the postwar era the following season, while the Scouts the following season will have the fifth worst record of the postwar era. The Clarence S. Campbell Bowl and Prince of Wales Trophy (previously awarded to the first-place finishers of the West Division and East Division respectively) now became awarded to the first-place finishers of the Campbell Conference and the Wales Conference, respectively. With the 14 teams playing concurrently in the rival World Hockey Association in that same season, there were 32 combined professional hockey teams playing in North America. Cancelled relocation In early 1975, newspapers reported that the California Golden Seals and Pittsburgh Penguins were to be relocated to Denver and Seattle respectively, in an arrangement that would have seen the two teams sold to groups in those cities that had already been awarded "conditional" franchises for the 1976–77 season. After staunchly rejecting previous franchise relocation attempts, league president Clarence Campbell saw this as a method by which the NHL might extricate itself from two problem markets, while honoring the expansion commitments it had made. The Penguins ended up staying in Pittsburgh (and ultimately, over time, made Pittsburgh one of the NHL's stronger markets), Shelly Anderson Penguins Notebook: In this case, No. 20 ranking is huge http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07311/831735-61.stm https://web.archive.org/web/20071109105512/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07311/831735-61.stm dead November 9, 2007 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2007-11-07 2008-06-07 Gene Collier This is Hockeytown? http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08146/884709-61.stm https://web.archive.org/web/20080527110915/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08146/884709-61.stm dead May 27, 2008 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2008-05-25 2008-06-07 while the Golden Seals moved to Cleveland in 1976 to become the Cleveland Barons before merging with the Minnesota North Stars in 1978. The Scouts gave up on Kansas City after two seasons and moved to Denver to become the Colorado Rockies in 1976 before moving east to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and becoming the New Jersey Devils; Denver returned to the NHL in 1995 when the Quebec Nordiques moved there and became the Colorado Avalanche, where they remain to this day. Seattle was later awarded an expansion team, the Seattle Kraken, in 2018 that began play in 2021. Amateur draft The 1974 NHL amateur draft was held on May 28–30. For the first time, the draft was held at the NHL offices in Montreal, Quebec. Greg Joly was selected first overall by the Washington Capitals. Arena changes The expansion Kansas City Scouts moved into Kemper Arena. The expansion Washington Capitals moved into the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Regular season For the first time ever in the National Hockey League, there was a three-way tie for first place overall. The respective divisional leaders of the Norris (Montreal Canadiens), Patrick (Philadelphia Flyers), and Adams (Buffalo Sabres) all had 113 points. By virtue of having the most wins, the Flyers were accorded the league's best record and held home-ice advantage in the playoffs, where they eventually met the Sabres in the Stanley Cup Final. The Vancouver Canucks, which had been playing in the original East Division since they debuted in the league, were moved over to the Campbell Conference and led the way in the Smythe Division with a meager 86 points. Bobby Orr won the scoring title for the second time, the only defenceman in the history of the NHL to accomplish this feat. The surprise team of the year were the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings, with their disciplined defensive style, and excellent goaltending tandem of Rogie Vachon and Gary Edwards, battled Montreal all year for first place. The Kings opened their season by beating the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers in Philadelphia and tying the Canadiens in Montreal. The Kings lost only twice in their first 26 games, and on Christmas, Montreal had only a two-point lead in the standings. When L.A. won in Montreal in mid-January, they were back in first place. The teams continued to battle, with the Canadiens finally clinching first place with three games to play. Final standings Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold start Prince of Wales Conference break Clarence Campbell Conference end Playoffs Playoff seeds With the new conference and division structure, a new postseason format was also introduced. The top three teams in each division made the playoffs. All 12 clubs then were seeded 1–12 based on regular season points, regardless of conference or division. Note: Only teams that qualified for the playoffs are listed here. Philadelphia Flyers, Patrick Division champions, Clarence Campbell Conference regular season champions – 113 points (51 wins) Buffalo Sabres, Adams Division champions, Prince of Wales Conference regular season champions – 113 points (49 wins) Montreal Canadiens, Norris Division champions – 113 points (47 wins) Los Angeles Kings – 105 points Boston Bruins – 94 points Pittsburgh Penguins – 89 points New York Rangers – 88 points (37 wins) New York Islanders – 88 points (33 wins) Vancouver Canucks, Smythe Division champions – 86 points St. Louis Blues – 84 points Chicago Black Hawks – 82 points Toronto Maple Leafs – 78 points Playoff bracket Under the new postseason format, the NHL began using "re-seeding" instead of a fixed bracket playoff system: in each round, the highest remaining seed was matched against the lowest remaining seed, the second-highest remaining seed played the second-lowest remaining seed, and so forth. Regardless of playoff seed, all four division winners received a bye to the quarterfinals, including this season's 9th overall seeded Smythe Division champion Vancouver Canucks. Each series in the preliminary round was played in a best-of-three format while each series in the other three rounds were played in a best-of-seven format (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each series). Preliminary round Quarterfinals Semifinals Stanley Cup Final 1 Los Angeles 1 8 Toronto 2 3 Pittsburgh 2 6 St. Louis 0 4 NY Rangers 1 5 NY Islanders 2 2 Boston 1 7 Chicago 2 1 Philadelphia 4 8 Toronto 0 4 Pittsburgh 3 5 NY Islanders 4 2 Buffalo 4 7 Chicago 1 3 Montreal 4 6 Vancouver 1 1 Philadelphia 4 4 NY Islanders 3 2 Buffalo 4 3 Montreal 2 1 Philadelphia 4 2 Buffalo 2 Preliminary round (1) Los Angeles Kings vs. (8) Toronto Maple Leafs The Los Angeles Kings entered the preliminary round as the top seed (and fourth seed overall) earning 105 points during the regular season. The Toronto Maple Leafs earned 78 points during the regular season and entered the preliminary round as the eighth seed (and twelfth seed overall). This was the first playoff series between these two teams. Los Angeles won this year's season series earning 9 of 10 points during the regular season. Toronto Maple Leafs Los Angeles Kings Maple Leaf Gardens The Forum April 8 2–3 1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/tor-vs-lak/1975/04/08/1974030111#game=1974030111,game_state=final Blaine Stoughton (1) – 15:40 14:31 – Bob Berry (1) No scoring 16:25 – Gene Carr (1) Ron Ellis (1) – 18:30 No scoring No scoring 08:53 – Mike Murphy (1) Gord McRae 29 saves / 32 shots Rogie Vachon 28 saves / 30 shots April 10 2–3 2 1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/lak-vs-tor/1975/04/10/1974030112#game=1974030112,game_state=final 10:25 – Darryl Sittler (1) No scoring No scoring Mike Murphy (2) – pp – 10:45 08:45 – Dave Dunn (1) Mike Murphy (3) – pp – 04:05 10:19 – Blaine Stoughton (2) No scoring Gord McRae 39 saves / 41 shots Rogie Vachon 43 saves / 46 shots April 11 2–1 1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/tor-vs-lak/1975/04/11/1974030113#game=1974030113,game_state=final George Ferguson (1) – 04:55 No scoring Inge Hammarstrom (1) – 14:34 No scoring No scoring 13:09 – Don Kozak (1) Gord McRae 21 saves / 22 shots Rogie Vachon 21 saves / 23 shots Toronto won series 2–1 (2) Boston Bruins vs. (7) Chicago Black Hawks The Boston Bruins entered the preliminary round as the second seed (and fifth seed overall) earning 94 points during the regular season. The Chicago Black Hawks earned 82 points during the regular season and entered the preliminary round as the seventh seed (and eleventh seed overall). This was the fifth playoff series between these two teams, with Boston winning all four previous meetings. Thus was a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup semifinals where Boston won in six games. The teams split this year's regular season series. Chicago Blackhawks Boston Bruins Chicago Stadium Boston Garden April 8 2–8 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/chi-vs-bos/1975/04/08/1974030121#game=1974030121,game_state=final No scoring 08:38 – Johnny Bucyk (1)15:03 – Carol Vadnais (1)15:12 – Andre Savard (1) No scoring 10:39 – Phil Esposito (1)16:01 – Gregg Sheppard (1)16:50 – Gregg Sheppard (2) Dick Redmond (1) – pp – 04:20John Marks (1) – 19:59 01:29 – pp – Phil Esposito (2)11:03 – Phil Esposito (3) Tony Esposito 25 saves / 32 shotsMichel Dumas 8 saves / 9 shots Gilles Gilbert 28 saves / 30 shots April 10 3–4 2 1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/bos-vs-chi/1975/04/10/1974030122#game=1974030122,game_state=final 03:15 – Ivan Boldirev (1)14:37 – pp – Stan Mikita (1) No scoring 15:39 – Dale Tallon (1) Don Marcotte (1) – 04:35Ken Hodge (1) – pp – 13:32 No scoring Bobby Orr (1) – sh – 01:31 07:33 – Ivan Boldirev (2) No scoring Tony Esposito 32 saves / 35 shots Gilles Gilbert 32 saves / 36 shots April 11 6–4 1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/chi-vs-bos/1975/04/11/1974030123#game=1974030123,game_state=final Keith Magnuson (1) – 01:26Cliff Koroll (1) – pp – 19:13 No scoring J.P. Bordeleau (1) – 02:27Cliff Koroll (2) – pp – 15:34John Marks (2) – 18:24 07:16 – Bobby Schmautz (1)09:32 – Hank Nowak (1)18:58 – Gregg Sheppard (3) J.P. Bordeleau (2) – 11:27 15:55 – Phil Esposito (4) Tony Esposito 52 saves / 56 shots Gilles Gilbert 13 saves / 19 shots Chicago won series 2–1 (3) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (6) St. Louis Blues The Pittsburgh Penguins entered the preliminary round as the third seed (and sixth seed overall) earning 89 points during the regular season. The St. Louis Blues earned 84 points during the regular season and entered the preliminary round as the sixth seed (and tenth seed overall). This was the second playoff series between these two teams, with St. Louis winning the only previous meeting in six games in the 1970 Stanley Cup semifinals. The teams split this year's regular season series. St. Louis Blues Pittsburgh Penguins St. Louis Arena Civic Arena April 8 3–4 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/stl-vs-pit/1975/04/08/1974030131#game=1974030131,game_state=final Claude Larose (1) – 12:21Wayne Merrick (1) – pp – 17:19 No scoring No scoring 19:45 – Bob Kelly (1) Garry Unger (1) – 00:54 03:45 – Chuck Arnason (1)09:57 – pp – Chuck Arnason (2)17:29 – Pierre Larouche (1) John Davidson 22 saves / 26 shots Gary Inness 19 saves / 22 shots April 10 5–3 2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/pit-vs-stl/1975/04/10/1974030132#game=1974030132,game_state=final 03:12 – pp – Red Berenson (1)09:57 – Bill Collins (1) Jean Pronovost (1) – 05:16Ron Stackhouse (1) – pp – 17:56 11:26 – Larry Sacharuk (1) Syl Apps Jr. (1) – pp – 14:47 No scoring Colin Campbell (1) – sh – 04:33Vic Hadfield (1) – 16:12 Eddie Johnston 24 saves / 29 shots Gary Inness 39 saves / 42 shots Pittsburgh won series 2–0 (4) New York Rangers vs. (5) New York Islanders Both the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders entered the preliminary round with 88 points earned during the regular season. However, the Rangers entered as the fourth seed (and seventh seed overall) by winning the tie-breaker with the New York Islanders in wins (37 to 33) while the Islanders entered the preliminary round as the fifth seed (and eighth seed overall). This was the first playoff series between these two teams. The Rangers won this year's season series earning 7 of 12 points during the regular season. J.P Parise scored the game-winning goal just 11 seconds into overtime of game 3 as the Islanders won their first playoff series ever. New York Islanders New York Rangers Nassau Coliseum Madison Square Garden April 8 3–2 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyi-vs-nyr/1975/04/08/1974030141#game=1974030141,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring 08:11 – Brad Park (1)19:25 – Pete Stemkowski (1) Billy Harris (1) – pp – 05:00Jean Potvin (1) – 11:51Clark Gillies (1) – 13:30 No scoring Chico Resch 29 saves / 31 shots Eddie Giacomin 22 saves / 25 shots April 10 8–3 2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyr-vs-nyi/1975/04/10/1974030142#game=1974030142,game_state=final 08:29 – pp – J.P. Parise (1) Jean Ratelle (1) – pp – 03:29Bill Fairbairn (1) – pp – 06:10Bill Fairbairn (2) – sh – 07:01Ron Harris (1) – 10:56 17:15 – Bert Marshall (1) Steve Vickers (1) – 02:20Jerry Butler (1) – 09:58Walt Tkaczuk (1) – 17:51 05:34 – Jean Potvin (2) Rod Gilbert (1) – 02:37 Chico Resch 8 saves / 14 shotsBilly Smith 15 saves / 17 shots Gilles Villemure 24 saves / 27 shots April 11 4–3 1 1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyi-vs-nyr/1975/04/11/1974030143#game=1974030143,game_state=final Clark Gillies (2) – 16:00 No scoring Denis Potvin (1) – pp – 08:26Denis Potvin (2) – sh – 12:51 No scoring No scoring 04:44 – Bill Fairbairn (3)13:27 – pp – Bill Fairbairn (4)13:42 – Steve Vickers (2) J.P. Parise (2) – 00:11 No scoring Billy Smith 37 saves / 40 shots Gilles Villemure 17 saves / 20 shotsEddie Giacomin 4 saves / 5 shots New York Islanders won series 2–1 Quarterfinals (1) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (8) Toronto Maple Leafs The Philadelphia Flyers entered the playoffs as the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Patrick Division champions, the Clarence Campbell Conference regular season champions, and the first seed overall earning 113 points during the regular season, winning the tie-breaker over both Buffalo and Montreal in total wins. The Toronto Maple Leafs were seeded eighth in the quarterfinals as the lowest remaining seed in the playoffs and qualified for the quarterfinals by defeating the Los Angeles Kings in the preliminary round. This was the first playoff series between these two teams. Philadelphia won this year's season series earning 7 of 8 points during the regular season. Toronto Maple Leafs Philadelphia Flyers Maple Leaf Gardens Spectrum April 13 3–6 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/tor-vs-phi/1975/04/13/1974030211#game=1974030211,game_state=final No scoring 05:50 – pp – Rick MacLeish (1)10:21 – Rick MacLeish (2) Tiger Williams (1) – pp – 11:40Blaine Stoughton (3) – pp – 18:56Darryl Sittler (2) – pp – 19:31 No scoring No scoring 09:25 – Bill Barber (1)11:46 – Reggie Leach (1)12:02 – Jimmy Watson (1)19:53 – Rick MacLeish (3) Gord McRae 20 saves / 26 shots Bernie Parent 20 saves / 23 shots April 15 0–3 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/tor-vs-phi/1975/04/15/1974030212#game=1974030212,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring 03:35 – pp – Andre Dupont (1)04:36 – Terry Crisp (1) No scoring 05:12 – Terry Crisp (2) Gord McRae 26 saves / 29 shots Bernie Parent 13 saves / 13 shots April 17 2–0 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/phi-vs-tor/1975/04/17/1974030213#game=1974030213,game_state=final No scoring Gary Dornhoefer (1) – 03:08 No scoring Rick MacLeish (4) – 01:59 No scoring No scoring Gord McRae 25 saves / 27 shots Bernie Parent 31 saves / 31 shots April 19 4–3 1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/phi-vs-tor/1975/04/19/1974030214#game=1974030214,game_state=final 02:47 – Blaine Stoughton (4)11:17 – pp – Ron Ellis (2) Reggie Leach (2) – 03:38Reggie Leach (3) – pp – 15:48 No scoring Bill Barber (2) – 08:22 13:23 – Ron Ellis (3) No scoring No scoring Andre Dupont (2) – 01:45 Gord McRae 29 saves / 33 shots Bernie Parent 28 saves / 31 shots Philadelphia won series 4–0 (2) Buffalo Sabres vs. (7) Chicago Black Hawks The Buffalo Sabres entered the playoffs as the Adams Division champions, the Prince of Wales Conference regular season champions, and the second seed overall earning 113 points during the regular season, losing the most wins tie-breaker to Philadelphia while winning the same tie-breaker over Montreal. The Chicago Black Hawks were seeded seventh in the quarterfinals as the second lowest remaining seed in the playoffs and qualified for the quarterfinals by defeating the Boston Bruins in the preliminary round. This was the first playoff series between these two teams. Buffalo won three of the four games in this year's regular season series. Chicago Blackhawks Buffalo Sabres Chicago Stadium Buffalo Memorial Auditorium April 13 1–4 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/chi-vs-buf/1975/04/13/1974030221#game=1974030221,game_state=final No scoring 02:11 – Danny Gare (1)14:35 – Gilbert Perrault (1)17:25 – Fred Stanfield (1) Ivan Boldirev (3) – 14:22 No scoring No scoring 18:30 – pp – Rick Martin (1) Tony Esposito 26 saves / 30 shots Gerry Desjardins 18 saves / 19 shots April 15 1–3 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/chi-vs-buf/1975/04/15/1974030222#game=1974030222,game_state=final Stan Mikita (2) – 00:51 01:35 – Danny Gare (2)09:59 – Rick Dudley (1)15:09 – pp – Rick Dudley (2) No scoring No scoring No scoring No scoring Tony Esposito 18 saves / 21 shots Gerry Desjardins 26 saves / 27 shots April 17 4–5 1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/buf-vs-chi/1975/04/17/1974030223#game=1974030223,game_state=final 01:26 – Grant Mulvey (1)05:20 – pp – Ivan Boldirev (4)14:43 – Dick Redmond (2) Rick Martin (2) – pp – 05:00Gilbert Perreault (2) – pp – 11:57 15:38 – Cliff Koroll (3) Don Luce (1) – 08:37 No scoring Jim Schoenfeld (1) – pp – 08:23 02:31 – Stan Mikita (3) No scoring Tony Esposito 26 saves / 30 shots Gerry Desjardins 20 saves / 25 shots April 20 6–2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/buf-vs-chi/1975/04/20/1974030224#game=1974030224,game_state=final 14:17 – Grant Mulvey (2) No scoring No scoring Peter McNab (1) – 00:30 08:35 – Phil Russell (1) Jim Lorentz (1) – 00:17Rick Martin (3) – pp – 01:47Rene Robert (1) – 05:42Danny Gare (3) – 10:51Gilbert Perreault (3) – pp – 14:59 Tony Esposito 32 saves / 38 shots Gerry Desjardins 19 saves / 21 shots April 22 1–3 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/chi-vs-buf/1975/04/22/1974030225#game=1974030225,game_state=final Pit Martin (1) – 18:51 No scoring No scoring 18:48 – Craig Ramsay (1) No scoring 01:16 – Rene Robert (2)15:54 – Jim Lorentz (2) Tony Esposito 32 saves / 35 shots Gerry Desjardins 13 saves / 14 shots Buffalo won series 4–1 (3) Montreal Canadiens vs. (6) Vancouver Canucks The Montreal Canadiens entered the playoffs as the Norris Division champions, and the third seed overall earning 113 points during the regular season, losing the tie-breaker to both Philadelphia and Buffalo in total wins. The Vancouver Canucks entered the playoffs as the Smythe Division champions and the sixth seed in the quarterfinals as the third lowest remaining seed in the playoffs, earning 86 points during the regular season. This was the first playoff series between these two teams. Montreal swept all four games in this year's regular season series. This series also marked the first appearance of a team representing Vancouver in the Stanley Cup playoffs in 51 years. The most recent team to represent Vancouver before this was the Vancouver Maroons who lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the 1924 Stanley Cup semifinals. Vancouver Canucks Montreal Canadiens Pacific Coliseum Montreal Forum April 13 2–6 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/van-vs-mtl/1975/04/13/1974030231#game=1974030231,game_state=final Paulin Bordeleau (1) – 15:40Gerry O'Flaherty (1) – 17:24 09:02 – Guy Lapointe (1)12:17 – pp – Guy Lapointe (2) No scoring 09:29 – Guy Lafleur (1)13:34 – pp – Yvan Cournoyer (1) No scoring 11:04 – Guy Lafleur (2)17:21 – Steve Shutt (1) Ken Lockett 33 saves / 39 shots Ken Dryden 19 saves / 21 shots April 15 2–1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/van-vs-mtl/1975/04/15/1974030232#game=1974030232,game_state=final No scoring No scoring Gerry O'Flaherty (2) – 15:08 12:39 – Doug Risebrough (1) Garry Monahan (1) – 13:46 No scoring Gary Smith 38 saves / 39 shots Ken Dryden 25 saves / 27 shots April 17 4–1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-van/1975/04/17/1974030233#game=1974030233,game_state=final 03:15 – John Gould (1) No scoring No scoring Jimmy Roberts (1) – 03:56Bob Gainey (1) – 15:06Jacques Lemaire (1) – 19:28 No scoring Guy Lafleur (3) – pp – 06:34 Gary Smith 33 saves / 37 shots Ken Dryden 25 saves / 26 shots April 19 4–0 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-van/1975/04/19/1974030234#game=1974030234,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring Guy Lafleur (4) – 04:06Yvan Cournoyer (2) – 16:38 No scoring Peter Mahovlich (1) – 07:35Serge Savard (1) – 14:17 Gary Smith 20 saves / 24 shots Ken Dryden 37 saves / 37 shots April 22 4–5 1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/van-vs-mtl/1975/04/22/1974030235#game=1974030235,game_state=final John Gould (2) – pp – 05:32 No scoring Paulin Bordeleau (2) – pp – 05:45Andre Boudrias (1) – 10:38 01:40 – Peter Mahovlich (2)04:21 – Yvan Cournoyer (3) Bob Dailey (1) – 05:36 08:09 – Peter Mahovlich (3)10:54 – Guy Lapointe (3) No scoring 17:06 – Guy Lafleur (5) Gary Smith 42 saves / 47 shots Ken Dryden 29 saves / 33 shots Montreal won series 4–1 (4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) New York Islanders The Pittsburgh Penguins entered the quarterfinals as the fourth seed and they qualified for this round by defeating the St. Louis Blues in the preliminary round. The New York Islanders were seeded fifth in the quarterfinals and qualified for this round by defeating the New York Rangers in the preliminary round. This was the first playoff series between these two teams. The teams split this year's regular season series. After trailing the series 3–0, the Islanders rallied to win four straight games and take the series. They became the second North American professional sports team (after the 1941–42 Toronto Maple Leafs) to accomplish such a feat. Ed Westfall scored the game-winning goal with 5:18 left in the third period of game seven to complete the comeback. New York Islanders Pittsburgh Penguins Nassau Coliseum Civic Arena April 13 4–5 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyi-vs-pit/1975/04/13/1974030241#game=1974030241,game_state=final Andre St. Laurent (1) – 16:05 02:05 – sh – Vic Hadfield (2)10:59 – Ron Stackhouse (2)14:52 – Pete Laframboise (1) Bob Bourne (1) – pp – 12:10 No scoring J. P. Parise (3) – pp – 06:52J. P. Parise (4) – 17:47 00:36 – Bob Kelly (2)04:44 – Dave Burrows (1) Billy Smith 29 saves / 34 shots Gary Inness 36 saves / 40 shots April 15 1–3 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyi-vs-pit/1975/04/15/1974030242#game=1974030242,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring 00:24 – Jean Pronovost (2)09:30 – Lowell MacDonald (1) Clark Gillies (3) – 15:34 14:51 – Lowell MacDonald (2) Billy Smith 44 saves / 47 shots Gary Inness 32 saves / 33 shots April 17 6–4 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/pit-vs-nyi/1975/04/17/1974030243#game=1974030243,game_state=final No scoring Jean Pronovost (3) – 04:12Bob Kelly (3) – 07:26 07:26 – sh – Ed Westfall (1) Bob Kelly (4) – 03:25 01:17 – Jude Drouin (1)17:41 – Bert Marshall (2)19:08 – Jude Drouin (2) Vic Hadfield (3) – 10:31Syl Apps Jr. (2) – 18:15Lowell MacDonald (3) – en – 19:48 Billy Smith 26 saves / 31 shots Gary Inness 43 saves / 47 shots April 20 1–3 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/pit-vs-nyi/1975/04/20/1974030244#game=1974030244,game_state=final 03:48 – pp – Andre St. Laurent (2) No scoring No scoring Bob Kelly (5) – pp – 08:18 06:16 – Clark Gillies (4)06:55 – J.P. Parise (5) No scoring Chico Resch 27 saves / 28 shots Gary Inness 35 saves / 38 shots April 22 4–2 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyi-vs-pit/1975/04/22/1974030245#game=1974030245,game_state=final Billy Harris (2) – pp – 02:11Ralph Stewart (1) – 05:24 No scoring Ed Westfall (2) – pp – 11:47 08:14 – Vic Hadfield (4) Jude Drouin (3) – en – 19:30 17:06 – Lowell MacDonald (4) Chico Resch 36 saves / 38 shots Gary Inness 15 saves / 18 shots April 24 1–4 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/pit-vs-nyi/1975/04/24/1974030246#game=1974030246,game_state=final No scoring No scoring 04:07 – Ralph Stewart (2)15:16 – Garry Howatt (1) Pierre Larouche (2) – 04:56 19:34 – en – Ed Westfall (3)19:59 – en – Garry Howatt (2) No scoring Chico Resch 31 saves / 32 shots Gary Inness 36 saves / 38 shots April 26 1–0 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyi-vs-pit/1975/04/26/1974030247#game=1974030247,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring No scoring Ed Westfall (4) – 14:42 No scoring Chico Resch 30 saves / 30 shots Gary Inness 16 saves / 17 shots New York won series 4–3 Semifinals (1) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (4) New York Islanders This was the first playoff series between these two teams. The Flyers won this year's season series earning eight of twelve points during the regular season. After becoming the second North American professional sports team to win a best-of-seven series after trailing 3–0 in the previous round against the Penguins, the Islanders almost accomplished the same feat in this round. However, the Flyers firmly defeated them in game seven to preserve the series win. In doing so, the Islanders set a record for most consecutive playoff wins (8) when facing elimination. This would mark the last time an NHL team forced a seventh game of a best-of-seven series after trailing 3–0 until the Flyers themselves did so against Boston in the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals. New York Islanders Philadelphia Flyers Nassau Coliseum Spectrum April 29 0–4 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyi-vs-phi/1975/04/29/1974030311#game=1974030311,game_state=final No scoring 06:04 – Don Saleski (1) No scoring 02:39 – Bill Barber (3)18:19 – sh – Bobby Clarke (1) No scoring 01:34 – pp – Rick MacLeish (5) Chico Resch 21 saves / 25 shots Wayne Stephenson 21 saves / 21 shots May 1 4–5 1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyi-vs-phi/1975/05/01/1974030312#game=1974030312,game_state=final Denis Potvin (3) – pp – 05:34 03:13 – Gary Dornhoefer (2)07:38 – Reggie Leach (4)09:50 – pp – Tom Bladon (1) J. P. Parise (6) – pp – 12:22 00:58 – Bill Barber (4) J.P. Parise (7) – 13:46Denis Potvin (4) – 14:00 No scoring No scoring 02:56 – Bobby Clarke (2) Billy Smith 22 saves / 27 shots Wayne Stephenson 26 saves / 30 shots May 4 1–0 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/phi-vs-nyi/1975/05/04/1974030313#game=1974030313,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring No scoring No scoring Reggie Leach (5) – 00:30 Chico Resch 31 saves / 32 shots Bernie Parent 14 saves / 14 shots May 7 3–4 1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/phi-vs-nyi/1975/05/07/1974030314#game=1974030314,game_state=final 04:58 – pp – Ed Westfall (5) No scoring 05:29 – Gerry Hart (1)12:49 – pp – Ralph Stewart (3) Ross Lonsberry (1) – 17:24Rick MacLeish (6) – 19:21 No scoring Rick MacLeish (7) – 04:48 01:53 – Jude Drouin (4) No scoring Chico Resch 36 saves / 39 shots Bernie Parent 24 saves / 28 shots May 8 5–1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyi-vs-phi/1975/05/08/1974030315#game=1974030315,game_state=final J. P. Parise (8) – pp – 14:19 No scoring Billy Harris (3) – 14:23Jude Drouin (5) – 17:35 No scoring Bobby Nystrom (1) – 10:51Garry Howatt (3) – 18:23 15:10 – Bob Kelly (1) Chico Resch 28 saves / 29 shots Bernie Parent 19 saves / 24 shots May 11 1–2 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/phi-vs-nyi/1975/05/11/1974030316#game=1974030316,game_state=final No scoring Ross Lonsberry (2) – 01:42 16:15 – pp – Denis Potvin (5) No scoring 03:42 – Gerry Hart (2) No scoring Chico Resch 28 saves / 29 shots Bernie Parent 25 saves / 27 shots May 13 1–4 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyi-vs-phi/1975/05/13/1974030317#game=1974030317,game_state=final Jude Drouin (6) – pp – 05:02 00:19 – Gary Dornhoefer (3)02:27 – pp – Rick MacLeish (8)07:11 – pp – Rick MacLeish (9) No scoring No scoring No scoring 18:52 – en – Rick MacLeish (10) Chico Resch 31 saves / 34 shots Bernie Parent 14 saves / 15 shots Philadelphia won series 4–3 (2) Buffalo Sabres vs. (3) Montreal Canadiens This was the second playoff series between these two teams, with Montreal winning the only previous meeting in six games in the 1973 Stanley Cup quarterfinals. Buffalo won this year's season series earning nine of ten points during the regular season. Montreal Canadiens Buffalo Sabres Montreal Forum Buffalo Memorial Auditorium April 27 5–6 1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-buf/1975/04/27/1974030321#game=1974030321,game_state=final Guy Lapointe (4) – pp – 00:32Guy Lafleur (6) – 18:29 05:12 – pp – Rick Martin (4)11:22 – Rene Robert (3)18:07 – Rick Dudley (3) Guy Lapointe (5) – sh – 06:44Yvan Cournoyer (4) – pp – 10:57 18:15 – Gilbert Perreault (4) Jacques Lemaire (2) – 19:36 04:20 – Jim Lorentz (3) No scoring 04:42 – Danny Gare (4) Ken Dryden 37 saves / 43 shots Gerry Desjardins 2 saves / 3 shotsRoger Crozier 24 saves / 28 shots April 29 2–4 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-buf/1975/04/29/1974030322#game=1974030322,game_state=final No scoring 17:20 – Don Luce (2) Yvon Lambert (1) – pp – 11:22 09:53 – Jim Lorentz (4) Henri Richard (1) – 09:00 01:27 – Craig Ramsay (2)19:50 – en – Danny Gare (5) Ken Dryden 31 saves / 34 shots Roger Crozier 25 saves / 27 shots May 1 0–7 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/buf-vs-mtl/1975/05/01/1974030323#game=1974030323,game_state=final 01:38 – pp – Peter Mahovlich (4)18:56 – Guy Lafleur (7) No scoring 17:33 – Jacques Lemaire (3) No scoring 01:24 – Yvon Lambert (2)08:51 – Doug Risebrough (2)14:55 – pp – Guy Lafleur (8)15:22 – Guy Lafleur (9) No scoring Ken Dryden Roger Crozier 26 saves / 31 shotsGerry Desjardins 7 saves / 9 shots May 3 2–8 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/buf-vs-mtl/1975/05/03/1974030324#game=1974030324,game_state=final 07:59 – Bob Gainey (2)19:21 – pp – Jacques Lemaire (4) Don Luce (3) – sh – 06:42 12:51 – pp – Guy Lafleur (10)15:30 – Yvon Lambert (3) No scoring 03:08 – pp – Guy Lafleur (11)06:34 – pp – Yvon Lambert (4)08:48 – pp – Guy Lapointe (6)17:52 – Glen Sather (1) Jerry Korab (1) – 10:28 Ken Dryden 23 saves / 25 shots Gerry Desjardins 35 saves / 43 shots May 6 4–5 1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-buf/1975/05/06/1974030325#game=1974030325,game_state=final Jacques Lemaire (5) – 02:51Yvan Cournoyer (5) – 19:53 02:18 – Craig Ramsay (3)08:37 – Fred Stanfield (2)17:03 – pp – Gilbert Perreault (5) Doug Risebrough (3) – 08:40 No scoring Jimmy Roberts (2) – 03:10 14:35 – pp – Craig Ramsay (4) No scoring 05:56 – Rene Robert (4) Ken Dryden 40 saves / 45 shots Gerry Desjardins 15 saves / 19 shots May 8 4–3 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/buf-vs-mtl/1975/05/08/1974030326#game=1974030326,game_state=final 09:48 – Peter Mahovlich (5) Craig Ramsay (5) – sh – 02:05Rick Martin (5) – 08:51Peter McNab (2) – 12:48 No scoring Jim Lorentz (5) – 09:33 08:05 – Guy Lafleur (12)18:55 – Peter Mahovlich (6) No scoring Ken Dryden 23 saves / 27 shots Gerry Desjardins 29 saves / 32 shots Buffalo won series 4–2 Stanley Cup Final 1975 Stanley Cup Final The defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers' appeared in their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final and second overall. In the previous year's Stanley Cup Final, the Flyers defeated the Boston Bruins in six games. This was the Buffalo Sabres' first Stanley Cup Final appearance in their fifth season. This was the first playoff series (and only Cup Final) meeting between these two teams. The Philadelphia Flyers won this year's regular season series earning seven of eight points. In the first Stanley Cup Final matchup between two expansion teams, the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Buffalo Sabres four games to two for their second consecutive Stanley Cup. Buffalo Sabres Philadelphia Flyers Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Spectrum May 15 1–4 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/buf-vs-phi/1975/05/15/1974030411#game=1974030411,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring No scoring Rick Martin (6) – pp – 11:07 03:42 – Bill Barber (5)07:29 – pp – Ross Lonsberry (3)11:41 – pp – Bobby Clarke (3)19:02 – en – Bill Barber (6) Gerry Desjardins 18 saves / 21 shots Bernie Parent 27 saves / 28 shots May 18 1–2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/buf-vs-phi/1975/05/18/1974030412#game=1974030412,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring 08:24 – Reggie Leach (6) Jerry Korab (2) – 02:18 06:43 – pp – Bobby Clarke (4) Gerry Desjardins 22 saves / 24 shots Bernie Parent 18 saves / 19 shots May 20 4–5 1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/phi-vs-buf/1975/05/20/1974030413#game=1974030413,game_state=final 11:46 – Danny Gare (6)12:03 – Rick Martin (7) Gary Dornhoefer (4) – 00:39Don Saleski (2) – 03:09Rick MacLeish (11) – 14:13 00:29 – Don Luce (4) Reggie Leach (7) – 14:30 09:56 – Bill Hajt (1) No scoring 18:29 – Rene Robert (5) No scoring Gerry Desjardins 3 saves / 6 shotsRoger Crozier 26 saves / 27 shots Bernie Parent 41 saves / 46 shots May 22 2–4 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/phi-vs-buf/1975/05/22/1974030414#game=1974030414,game_state=final No scoring Andre Dupont (3) – 11:28 03:46 – pp – Jerry Korab (3)10:07 – pp – Gilbert Perreault (6)15:07 – Jim Lorentz (6) Ross Lonsberry (4) – 04:20 19:28 – en – Danny Gare (7) No scoring Gerry Desjardins 23 saves / 25 shots Bernie Parent 23 saves / 26 shots May 25 1–5 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/buf-vs-phi/1975/05/25/1974030415#game=1974030415,game_state=final No scoring 03:12 – Dave Schultz (1)12:31 – Gary Dornhoefer (5)12:50 – Bob Kelly (2) No scoring 01:55 – pp – Reggie Leach (8)09:56 – Dave Schultz (2) Don Luce (5) – 14:02 No scoring Gerry Desjardins 21 saves / 26 shots Bernie Parent 23 saves / 24 shots May 27 2–0 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/phi-vs-buf/1975/05/27/1974030416#game=1974030416,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring No scoring No scoring Bob Kelly (3) – 00:11Bill Clement (1) – 17:13 Roger Crozier 29 saves / 31 shots Bernie Parent 32 saves / 32 shots Philadelphia won series 4–2 Awards 1975 NHL awardsPrince of Wales Trophy:(Wales Conference regular season champion) Buffalo SabresClarence S. Campbell Bowl:(Campbell Conference regular season champion) Philadelphia FlyersArt Ross Trophy:(Top scorer, regular season) Bobby Orr, Boston BruinsBill Masterton Memorial Trophy:(Perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication) Don Luce, Buffalo SabresCalder Memorial Trophy:(Top first-year player) Eric Vail, Atlanta FlamesConn Smythe Trophy:(Most valuable player, playoffs) Bernie Parent, Philadelphia FlyersHart Memorial Trophy:(Most valuable player, regular season) Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia FlyersJack Adams Award:(Best coach) Bob Pulford, Los Angeles KingsJames Norris Memorial Trophy:(Best defenceman) Bobby Orr, Boston BruinsLady Byng Memorial Trophy:(Excellence and sportsmanship) Marcel Dionne, Detroit Red WingsLester B. Pearson Award:(Outstanding player, regular season) Bobby Orr, Boston BruinsVezina Trophy:(Goaltender(s) of team(s) with best goaltending record) Bernie Parent, Philadelphia Flyers All-Star teams First Team   Position   Second TeamBernie Parent, Philadelphia Flyers GRogie Vachon, Los Angeles KingsBobby Orr, Boston Bruins DGuy Lapointe, Montreal CanadiensDenis Potvin, New York Islanders DBorje Salming, Toronto Maple LeafsBobby Clarke, Philadelphia Flyers CPhil Esposito, Boston BruinsGuy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens RWRene Robert, Buffalo SabresRick Martin, Buffalo Sabres LWSteve Vickers, New York RangersSource: NHL.Dinger Ralph The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012 2011 229 Dan Diamond & Associates 978-1-894801-22-5 https://archive.org/details/nationalhockeyle0000unse_u6g5/page/229 Player statistics Scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points Player Team GP G A Pts PIM Bobby Orr Boston Bruins 80 46 89 135 101 Phil Esposito Boston Bruins 79 61 66 127 62 Marcel Dionne Detroit Red Wings 80 47 74 121 14 Guy Lafleur Montreal Canadiens 70 53 66 119 37 Peter Mahovlich Montreal Canadiens 80 35 82 117 64 Bobby Clarke Philadelphia Flyers 80 27 89 116 125 Rene Robert Buffalo Sabres 74 40 60 100 75 Rod Gilbert New York Rangers 76 36 61 97 22 Gilbert Perreault Buffalo Sabres 68 39 57 96 36 Rick Martin Buffalo Sabres 68 52 43 95 72 Source: NHL.Dinger Ralph The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012 2011 151 Dan Diamond & Associates 978-1-894801-22-5 https://archive.org/details/nationalhockeyle0000unse_u6g5/page/151 Leading goaltenders Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts Player Team GP MIN GA GAA W L T SOBernie Parent Philadelphia Flyers 68 4041 137 2.03 44 14 10 12Rogie Vachon L.A. Kings 54 3239 121 2.24 27 14 13 6Gary Edwards L.A. Kings 27 1561 61 2.34 15 3 8 3Chico Resch N.Y. Islanders 25 1432 59 2.47 12 7 5 3Roger Crozier Buffalo Sabres 23 1260 55 2.62 17 2 1 3Ken Dryden Montreal Canadiens 56 3320 149 2.69 30 9 16 4Tony Esposito Chicago Black Hawks 71 4219 193 2.74 34 30 7 6Billy Smith N.Y. Islanders 58 3368 156 2.78 21 18 17 3Dan Bouchard Atlanta Flames 40 2400 111 2.78 20 15 5 3Phil Myre Atlanta Flames 40 2400 114 2.85 14 16 10 5 Other statistics Plus-minus: Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins: +80 All Time NHL record for most Penalty Minutes in a season: 472, Dave Schultz, Philadelphia Flyers Coaches Patrick Division Atlanta Flames: Bernie Geoffrion New York Islanders: Al Arbour New York Rangers: Emile Francis Philadelphia Flyers: Fred Shero Adams Division Boston Bruins: Don Cherry Buffalo Sabres: Floyd Smith California Golden Seals: Marshall Johnston and Bill McCreary Sr. Toronto Maple Leafs: Red Kelly Norris Division Detroit Red Wings: Alex Delvecchio Los Angeles Kings: Bob Pulford Montreal Canadiens: Scotty Bowman Pittsburgh Penguins: Marc Boileau Washington Capitals: Jim Anderson and Milt Schmidt Smythe Division Chicago Black Hawks: Billy Reay Kansas City Scouts: Bep Guidolin Minnesota North Stars: Jack Gordon and Charlie Burns St. Louis Blues: Lou Angotti, Lynn Patrick and Garry Young Vancouver Canucks: Phil Maloney Debuts The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1974–75 (listed with their first team): Guy Chouinard, Atlanta Flames Danny Gare, Buffalo Sabres Charlie Simmer, California Golden Seals Wilf Paiement, Kansas City Scouts Dave Hutchison, Los Angeles Kings Clark Gillies, New York Islanders Bob Bourne, New York Islanders Rick Middleton, New York Rangers Ron Greschner, New York Rangers Bob MacMillan, New York Rangers Pierre Larouche, Pittsburgh Penguins Mario Tremblay, Montreal Canadiens Tiger Williams, Toronto Maple Leafs Harold Snepsts, Vancouver Canucks Last games The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1974–75 (listed with their last team): Murray Oliver, Minnesota North Stars Henri Richard, Montreal Canadiens Bobby Rousseau, New York Rangers Ted Harris, Philadelphia Flyers Eddie Shack, Toronto Maple Leafs Norm Ullman, Toronto Maple Leafs Doug Mohns, Washington Capitals NOTE: Ullman would finish his major professional career in the World Hockey Association. Broadcasting Hockey Night in Canada on CBC Television televised Saturday night regular season games and Stanley Cup playoff games. HNIC also produced Wednesday night regular season game telecasts for CTV. This was the third and final season under the U.S. rights agreement with NBC, airing weekend afternoon regular season games and playoff games. This would be the last season until the 1990s that NHL games would air on American network television. Unable to sign a U.S. national television contract for the 1975–76 season, the league put together a broadcast syndication package called the NHL Network to have games aired on various independent stations. See also List of Stanley Cup champions 1974 NHL amateur draft 1974 NHL expansion draft 1974–75 NHL transactions 28th National Hockey League All-Star Game National Hockey League All-Star Game List of WHA seasons Lester Patrick Trophy 1974 in sports 1975 in sports References Total Hockey Diamond, Dan Total Sports 2000 Kingston, New York 1-892129-85-X Dinger Ralph 2011 The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012 Dan Diamond & Associates 978-1-894801-22-5 Toronto, ON registration https://archive.org/details/nationalhockeyle0000unse_u6g5 Dryden Steve Century of hockey McClelland & Stewart Ltd. Toronto, ON 2000 0-7710-4179-9 Fischler Stan Fischler Shirley Hughes Morgan Romain Joseph Duplacey James 2003 The Hockey Chronicle: Year-by-Year History of the National Hockey League Publications International Inc. 0-7853-9624-1 Lincolnwood, Illinois Fischler 2003 Notes External links Hockey Database NHL.com 1974 Category:1974–75 in Canadian ice hockey by league Category:1974–75 in American ice hockey by league