Hockey's Wildest Season

The Changing of the Guard in the NHL, 1969-1970

John G. Robertson (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

288 Seiten

2021
McFarland & Co Inc (Verlag)
9781476680705 (ISBN)

Artikel merken

The 1969-70 season marked a turning point in the history of the National Hockey League. The season began with a near fatality and culminated on a Sunday afternoon in Boston with one of the NHL's most iconic moments. Told here are the numerous wonderful, strange, and captivating incidents that made the free-wheeling 53rd NHL season one for the ages.

The 1969-70 season marked a turning point in the history of the National Hockey League. The season began with a near fatality and it culminated on a steamy Sunday afternoon in Boston with one of the NHL's most iconic moments. In the interim, the 12 NHL clubs staged thrilling and memorable playoff races that were not decided until the final regular-season games were played. The three traditional powerhouse teams from the Original Six era faltered while former underdog clubs began to vie for top honors. Along the way, Boston's Bobby Orr made history by becoming the first defenseman to win the NHL scoring title, three aging veterans in Detroit combined to form the most effective forward line in hockey, and a rookie goalie, Tony Esposito, lifted the Chicago Black Hawks from the basement to a divisional championship. Told here are the numerous other wonderful, strange, and captivating incidents that made the fun, fascinating, and free-wheeling 53rd NHL season one for the ages.

John G. Robertson is a private tutor and sports historian who lives in Cambridge, Ontario. He is the author of numerous books on baseball, hockey and boxing history.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Notes on Names, Spellings and Terms

Preface: Childhood Memories

Part I: The NHL Before 1969–70

1. What a Difference a Decade Makes!

2. The Original Six Era: Big Three, Little Three

3. From Six Teams to 12: The NHL Doubles Down

4. The Mild, Mild West: Not Separate but Not Equal

Part II: The 1969–70 NHL Season

5. Mayhem in Ottawa: The Wayne Maki–Ted Green Incident

6. The Old Boys’ Club: The NHL’s Geezer Goaltenders

7. How Mick Jagger Nearly Caused an NHL Forfeit

8. Organic Matter: The East Dominates the All-Star Game

9. A Cool Wedding Quashed

10. “Boston’s Mighty Orr” Leads the Bruins

11. The New York Rangers: Revamped and Dangerous

12. Chicago Black Hawks Rising … with Shutouts

13. The Suddenly Soaring Detroit Red Wings

14. Montreal Canadiens: Unknowingly on Thin Ice

15. Toronto Maple Leafs: Treading Water

16. St. Louis Blues: The Biggest of the Small Fish

17. Pittsburgh Penguins: Improving and Anonymous

18. Minnesota North Stars: Drawn and Quartered

19. Oakland Seals: Struggling to Be Relevant

20. The Kings: Losing and Loathing in Los Angeles

21. Philadelphia Flyers: 24 Ties … But Still One Short

22. The Plummeting New Yorkers

23. It Happened One Night: The Rangers’ Long Bus Ride

24. Surging Popularity: The Numbers Speak for Themselves

25. Saturday, April 4: Clearly Clarifying Nothing

26. Sunday, April 5 (A): Theater of the Absurd

27. Sunday, April 5 (B): Five Empty-Net Goals

Part III: The All-American 1970 Stanley Cup Playoffs

28. The Stanley Cup … Canada’s Trophy?

29. The Quarterfinals: Blowouts, Brawls and a Bounty

30. Boston–Chicago Semifinal: A Surprising Sweep

31. St. Louis–Pittsburgh Semifinal: The Blues Are Tested

Part IV: The Finals—From Shadow Treatment to Classic Finish

32. Game #1: Plante Goes Down; Bruins Go Up

33. Game #2: Another Half Dozen Goals

34. Game #3: “We Are Looking Forward to Sunday”

35. “First Annual Bobby Orr Awards Luncheon”

36. Anticipation

37. Game #4: “And What Could Be Better Than That?”

38. A Photo for the Ages

Part V: Denouement

39. Celebrations

40. Michel Brière: An Athlete Dying Young

41. An Unexpected Resignation

42. The Strange Death of Terry Sawchuk

43. Social Notice: Say, Who’s That Fellow Dating Bernie Geoffrion’s Daughter?

44. The NHL’s Tiebreaker and Divisional Realignment

45. The Cup, the Bruins and the Rest of the Original Six

46. The 1967 Expansion Teams

Aftermath: Miscellany

Chapter Notes

References

Index

Erscheinungsdatum	16.04.2021
Zusatzinfo	9 photos, notes, bibliography, index2/23/2021
Verlagsort	Jefferson, NC
Sprache	englisch
Maße	152 x 229 mm
Gewicht	386 g
Themenwelt	Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Sport ► Ballsport
Themenwelt	Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Sport ► Ski- / Wintersport
ISBN-13	9781476680705 / 9781476680705
Zustand	Neuware