1973-74 NHL season facts for kids
The 1973–74 NHL season was a very exciting time in ice hockey! It was the 57th season for the National Hockey League (NHL). This year, a team that was newer to the league, the Philadelphia Flyers, made history. They became the first "expansion team" to win the Stanley Cup. This was a big deal because, before them, only the original six long-standing teams had won the championship.
Contents
Regular Season Highlights
The regular season is when all the teams play many games to see who is the best. Teams earn points for winning games. The teams with the most points get to move on to the playoffs.
Team Standings
In the 1973–74 season, teams were divided into two main groups: the East Division and the West Division. Here's how the top teams in each division finished:
- East Division:
* The Boston Bruins were the top team, winning 52 games and earning 113 points. * The Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs also played very well and made it to the playoffs.
- West Division:
* The Philadelphia Flyers led the West, winning 50 games and getting 112 points. * The Chicago Black Hawks, Los Angeles Kings, and Atlanta Flames also qualified for the playoffs.
Note:
- GP means Games Played (how many games a team played).
- W means Wins (how many games a team won).
- L means Losses (how many games a team lost).
- T means Ties (how many games ended in a tie).
- Pts means Points (points earned from wins and ties).
- GF means Goals For (how many goals a team scored).
- GA means Goals Against (how many goals were scored against a team).
- PIM means Penalties In Minutes (how much time players spent in the penalty box).
| East Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Bruins | 78 | 52 | 17 | 9 | 113 | 349 | 221 | 968 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 78 | 45 | 24 | 9 | 99 | 293 | 240 | 761 |
| New York Rangers | 78 | 40 | 24 | 14 | 94 | 300 | 251 | 782 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 78 | 35 | 27 | 16 | 86 | 274 | 230 | 903 |
| West Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Flyers | 78 | 50 | 16 | 12 | 112 | 273 | 164 | 1750 |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 78 | 41 | 14 | 23 | 105 | 272 | 164 | 877 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 78 | 33 | 33 | 12 | 78 | 233 | 231 | 1055 |
| Atlanta Flames | 78 | 30 | 34 | 14 | 74 | 214 | 238 | 841 |
Top Scorers
Some players were amazing at scoring goals and helping their teammates score. These are called "scoring leaders." Here are the top players from this season:
- Phil Esposito from the Boston Bruins was the top scorer with 145 points! He scored 68 goals and had 77 assists.
- His teammate, Bobby Orr, was also fantastic, with 122 points. He was known for his incredible defense and offense.
- Ken Hodge and Wayne Cashman, also from the Bruins, were high on the list.
- Bobby Clarke from the Philadelphia Flyers was a key player for his team, scoring 87 points.
Note:
- G means Goals (how many goals a player scored).
- A means Assists (how many times a player helped a teammate score).
- PTS means Points (Goals + Assists).
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Esposito | Boston Bruins | 78 | 68 | 77 | 145 | 58 |
| Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins | 74 | 32 | 90 | 122 | 82 |
| Ken Hodge | Boston Bruins | 76 | 50 | 55 | 105 | 43 |
| Wayne Cashman | Boston Bruins | 78 | 30 | 59 | 89 | 111 |
| Bobby Clarke | Philadelphia Flyers | 77 | 35 | 52 | 87 | 113 |
Stanley Cup Playoffs
After the regular season, the best teams compete in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is a knockout tournament where teams play a series of games. The team that wins four games in a series moves on. The last team standing wins the famous Stanley Cup!
Playoff Journey
The playoff bracket shows how teams played against each other. The Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers were the top teams in their divisions, and they both made it all the way to the finals!
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | |||||||||||
| E1 | Boston Bruins | 4 | |||||||||||
| E4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 0 | |||||||||||
| E1 | Boston Bruins | 4 | |||||||||||
| W2 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2 | |||||||||||
| W2 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4 | |||||||||||
| W3 | Los Angeles Kings | 1 | |||||||||||
| E1 | Boston Bruins | 2 | |||||||||||
| W1 | Philadelphia Flyers | 4 | |||||||||||
| W1 | Philadelphia Flyers | 4 | |||||||||||
| W4 | Atlanta Flames | 0 | |||||||||||
| W1
RD2-team3=Philadelphia Flyers |
4 | ||||||||||||
| E3 | New York Rangers | 3 | |||||||||||
| E2 | Montreal Canadiens | 2 | |||||||||||
| E3 | New York Rangers | 4 | |||||||||||
The Finals
The final series was between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Boston Bruins. It was a tough battle! The Flyers won the series 4 games to 2. They won the last game, Game 6, with a score of 1–0. This victory was very special because the Flyers became the first team that wasn't one of the "Original Six" (the oldest NHL teams) to win the Stanley Cup. It was a huge moment for the team and their fans!
