1968-69 NHL season facts for kids
The 1968–69 NHL season was the 52nd year for the National Hockey League (NHL). Twelve teams competed, and each team played 76 games. This was two more games than the season before.
For the second year in a row, the Montreal Canadiens played against the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup finals. The Canadiens won the Stanley Cup for the second time in a row. They beat the Blues in four games, just like they did the season before.
Contents
Regular Season Highlights
The regular season is when all the teams play many games to see who is the best. The top teams then get to go to the playoffs.
Team Standings
Here's how the teams finished in their divisions during the regular season. The teams in bold made it to the playoffs.
- GP means Games Played (how many games the team played).
- W means Wins (how many games they won).
- L means Losses (how many games they lost).
- T means Ties (how many games ended in a tie).
- Pts means Points (teams get points for wins and ties).
- GF means Goals For (how many goals they scored).
- GA means Goals Against (how many goals were scored against them).
- PIM means Penalties in Minutes (how much time players spent in the penalty box).
| East Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 76 | 46 | 19 | 11 | 103 | 271 | 202 | 780 |
| Boston Bruins | 76 | 42 | 18 | 16 | 100 | 303 | 221 | 1297 |
| New York Rangers | 76 | 41 | 26 | 9 | 91 | 231 | 196 | 806 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 76 | 35 | 26 | 15 | 85 | 234 | 217 | 961 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 76 | 33 | 31 | 12 | 78 | 239 | 221 | 885 |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 76 | 34 | 33 | 9 | 77 | 280 | 246 | 842 |
| West Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Blues | 76 | 37 | 25 | 14 | 88 | 204 | 157 | 838 |
| Oakland Seals | 76 | 29 | 36 | 11 | 69 | 219 | 251 | 811 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 76 | 20 | 35 | 21 | 61 | 174 | 225 | 964 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 76 | 24 | 42 | 10 | 58 | 185 | 260 | 698 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 76 | 20 | 45 | 11 | 51 | 189 | 252 | 677 |
| Minnesota North Stars | 76 | 18 | 43 | 15 | 51 | 189 | 270 | 862 |
Top Scorers
These players scored the most points during the season. Points are given for goals and assists.
- GP means Games Played.
- G means Goals (how many times they scored).
- A means Assists (how many times they helped a teammate score).
- PTS means Points (Goals + Assists).
- PIM means Penalties in Minutes.
Phil Esposito from the Boston Bruins was the top scorer this season. He had an amazing 126 points! Bobby Hull was also a top scorer with 107 points.
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Esposito | Boston Bruins | 74 | 49 | 77 | 126 | 79 |
| Bobby Hull | Chicago Black Hawks | 74 | 58 | 49 | 107 | 48 |
| Gordie Howe | Detroit Red Wings | 76 | 44 | 59 | 103 | 58 |
| Stan Mikita | Chicago Black Hawks | 74 | 30 | 67 | 97 | 52 |
| Ken Hodge | Boston Bruins | 75 | 45 | 45 | 90 | 75 |
| Yvan Cournoyer | Montreal Canadiens | 76 | 43 | 44 | 87 | 31 |
| Alex Delvecchio | Detroit Red Wings | 72 | 25 | 58 | 83 | 8 |
| Red Berenson | St. Louis Blues | 76 | 35 | 47 | 82 | 43 |
| Frank Mahovlich | Detroit Red Wings | 76 | 49 | 29 | 78 | 38 |
| Jean Ratelle | New York Rangers | 76 | 32 | 46 | 78 | 26 |
Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs are a special tournament after the regular season. Teams play against each other in a series of games. The team that wins four games in a series moves on. The last two teams play in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Playoff Journey
Here's how the teams battled it out in the playoffs to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. The Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues both won their first two series without losing a game!
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | |||||||||||
| 1 | Montreal Canadiens | 4 | |||||||||||
| 3 | New York Rangers | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1 | Montreal Canadiens | 4 | |||||||||||
| East Division | |||||||||||||
| 2 | Boston Bruins | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2 | Boston Bruins | 4 | |||||||||||
| 4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 0 | |||||||||||
| E1 | Montreal Canadiens | 4 | |||||||||||
| W1 | St. Louis Blues | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1 | St. Louis Blues | 4 | |||||||||||
| 3 | Philadelphia Flyers | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1 | St. Louis Blues | 4 | |||||||||||
| West Division | |||||||||||||
| 4 | Los Angeles Kings | 0 | |||||||||||
| 2 | Oakland Seals | 3 | |||||||||||
| 4 | Los Angeles Kings | 4 | |||||||||||
NHL Awards
At the end of the season, the NHL gives out special awards to players and teams for their great achievements.
| Prince of Wales Trophy: | Awarded to the champion of the East Division. Won by Montreal Canadiens. |
| Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: | Awarded to the champion of the West Division. Won by St. Louis Blues. |
| Art Ross Memorial Trophy: | Given to the player who leads the league in points. Won by Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins. |
| Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: | For the player who shows great sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Won by Ted Hampson, Oakland Seals. |
| Calder Memorial Trophy: | Given to the best rookie (first-year player) in the NHL. Won by Danny Grant, Minnesota North Stars. |
| Conn Smythe Trophy: | Awarded to the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Won by Serge Savard, Montreal Canadiens. |
| Hart Memorial Trophy: | Given to the player judged most valuable to his team. Won by Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins. |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy: | For the best defenseman in the league. Won by Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins. |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: | For the player who shows the best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct. Won by Alex Delvecchio, Detroit Red Wings. |
| NHL Plus/Minus Award: | For the player with the best plus/minus rating (how many goals their team scores vs. allows when they are on the ice). Won by Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins. |
| Vezina Trophy: | Given to the best goaltender (goalie) in the league. Won by Glenn Hall & Jacques Plante, St. Louis Blues. |
| Lester Patrick Trophy: | Given for outstanding service to hockey in the United States. Won by Robert M. Hull. |
All-Star Teams
The NHL All-Star teams are made up of the best players at each position for the season. There's a First Team and a Second Team.
| First Team | Position | Second Team |
|---|---|---|
| Glenn Hall, St. Louis Blues | G | Ed Giacomin, New York Rangers |
| Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins | D | Ted Green, Boston Bruins |
| Tim Horton, Toronto Maple Leafs | D | Ted Harris, Montreal Canadiens |
| Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins | C | Jean Beliveau, Montreal Canadiens |
| Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings | RW | Yvan Cournoyer, Montreal Canadiens |
| Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks | LW | Frank Mahovlich, Detroit Red Wings |
