1972–73 Montreal Canadiens season

The 1972–73 Montreal Canadiens season, the club's 64th season, led to the Canadiens winning their 18th Stanley Cup in club history.

Regular season Rookie goalie Wayne Thomas left his mark in Canadiens history by becoming only the second goaltender in over 50 seasons to record a shutout (3–0) in his NHL debut against Vancouver on January 14, 1973.

Final standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

|1||W||October 7, 1972||3–0 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1972–73) ||1–0–0

|2||T||October 11, 1972||2–2 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1972–73) ||1–0–1

|3||W||October 12, 1972||3–0 || align="left"| Atlanta Flames (1972–73) ||2–0–1

|4||W||October 14, 1972||6–1 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1972–73) ||3–0–1

|5||T||October 18, 1972||4–4 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1972–73) ||3–0–2

|6||W||October 21, 1972||5–3 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1972–73) ||4–0–2

|7||T||October 22, 1972||1–1 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1972–73) ||4–0–3

|8||W||October 24, 1972||4–3 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1972–73) ||5–0–3

|9||W||October 26, 1972||7–0 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1972–73) ||6–0–3

|10||T||October 28, 1972||3–3 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1972–73) ||6–0–4

|11||W||October 29, 1972||2–1 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1972–73) ||7–0–4

|12||W||November 1, 1972||7–1 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1972–73) ||8–0–4

|13||W||November 2, 1972||6–1 || align="left"| @ Atlanta Flames (1972–73) ||9–0–4

|14||L||November 4, 1972||2–4 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1972–73) ||9–1–4

|15||W||November 8, 1972||5–2 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1972–73) ||10–1–4

|16||W||November 11, 1972||5–2 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1972–73) ||11–1–4

|17||W||November 12, 1972||5–3 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1972–73) ||12–1–4

|18||W||November 14, 1972||7–2 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1972–73) ||13–1–4

|19||W||November 16, 1972||6–5 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1972–73) ||14–1–4

|20||L||November 18, 1972||3–5 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1972–73) ||14–2–4

|21||T||November 22, 1972||3–3 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1972–73) ||14–2–5

|22||W||November 24, 1972||9–1 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1972–73) ||15–2–5

|23||L||November 26, 1972||2–3 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1972–73) ||15–3–5

|24||T||November 29, 1972||3–3 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1972–73) ||15–3–6

|25||T||December 2, 1972||4–4 || align="left"| Atlanta Flames (1972–73) ||15–3–7

|26||L||December 3, 1972||2–5 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1972–73) ||15–4–7

|27||W||December 6, 1972||6–3 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1972–73) ||16–4–7

|28||W||December 9, 1972||2–1 || align="left"| California Golden Seals (1972–73) ||17–4–7

|29||L||December 10, 1972||2–4 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1972–73) ||17–5–7

|30||T||December 13, 1972||2–2 || align="left"| @ California Golden Seals (1972–73) ||17–5–8

|31||W||December 15, 1972||4–2 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1972–73) ||18–5–8

|32||W||December 16, 1972||3–1 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1972–73) ||19–5–8

|33||W||December 20, 1972||4–2 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1972–73) ||20–5–8

|34||W||December 23, 1972||6–3 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1972–73) ||21–5–8

|35||W||December 26, 1972||4–1 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1972–73) ||22–5–8

|36||L||December 27, 1972||2–3 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1972–73) ||22–6–8

|37||T||December 30, 1972||1–1 || align="left"| Atlanta Flames (1972–73) ||22–6–9

|38||W||January 3, 1973||8–4 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1972–73) ||23–6–9

|39||W||January 6, 1973||5–0 || align="left"| California Golden Seals (1972–73) ||24–6–9

|40||T||January 8, 1973||3–3 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1972–73) ||24–6–10

|41||W||January 10, 1973||6–0 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1972–73) ||25–6–10

|42||T||January 12, 1973||3–3 || align="left"| @ California Golden Seals (1972–73) ||25–6–11

|43||W||January 14, 1973||3–0 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1972–73) ||26–6–11

|44||W||January 17, 1973||6–4 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1972–73) ||27–6–11

|45||W||January 18, 1973||5–2 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1972–73) ||28–6–11

|46||W||January 20, 1973||6–3 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1972–73) ||29–6–11

|47||W||January 21, 1973||3–2 || align="left"| @ Atlanta Flames (1972–73) ||30–6–11

|48||W||January 24, 1973||6–1 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1972–73) ||31–6–11

|49||W||January 27, 1973||4–2 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1972–73) ||32–6–11

|50||L||January 28, 1973||2–4 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1972–73) ||32–7–11

|51||T||February 1, 1973||3–3 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1972–73) ||32–7–12

|52||W||February 3, 1973||7–1 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1972–73) ||33–7–12

|53||W||February 4, 1973||6–1 || align="left"| @ California Golden Seals (1972–73) ||34–7–12

|54||W||February 7, 1973||5–2 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1972–73) ||35–7–12

|55||W||February 10, 1973||2–1 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1972–73) ||36–7–12

|56||T||February 11, 1973||2–2 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1972–73) ||36–7–13

|57||W||February 14, 1973||6–3 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1972–73) ||37–7–13

|58||L||February 17, 1973||6–7 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1972–73) ||37–8–13

|59||W||February 18, 1973||2–1 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1972–73) ||38–8–13

|60||W||February 21, 1973||4–2 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1972–73) ||39–8–13

|61||T||February 22, 1973||3–3 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1972–73) ||39–8–14

|62||W||February 24, 1973||7–3 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1972–73) ||40–8–14

|63||W||February 28, 1973||5–2 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1972–73) ||41–8–14

|64||W||March 3, 1973||5–1 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1972–73) ||42–8–14

|65||W||March 4, 1973||4–2 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1972–73) ||43–8–14

|66||W||March 6, 1973||3–2 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1972–73) ||44–8–14

|67||W||March 7, 1973||4–1 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1972–73) ||45–8–14

|68||W||March 10, 1973||2–0 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1972–73) ||46–8–14

|69||L||March 11, 1973||3–5 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1972–73) ||46–9–14

|70||W||March 14, 1973||5–3 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1972–73) ||47–9–14

|71||T||March 17, 1973||3–3 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1972–73) ||47–9–15

|72||T||March 18, 1973||4–4 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1972–73) ||47–9–16

|73||W||March 21, 1973||3–2 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1972–73) ||48–9–16

|74||W||March 24, 1973||11–4 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1972–73) ||49–9–16

|75||L||March 25, 1973||5–6 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1972–73) ||49–10–16

|76||W||March 28, 1973||4–3 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1972–73) ||50–10–16

|77||W||March 31, 1973||5–1 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1972–73) ||51–10–16

|78||W||April 1, 1973||5–3 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1972–73) ||52–10–16

Legend:

Playoffs The Canadiens met the Buffalo Sabres making their playoff debut in the first round, defeating the Sabres four games to two. In the second round, the Canadiens defeated the Philadelphia Flyers who had beaten the Minnesota North Stars, winning the series four games to one to advance to the finals against the Chicago Black Hawks.

Finals

Chicago Black Hawks vs. Montreal Canadiens

Date Visitors Score Home Score NotesApril 29 Chicago 3 Montreal 8 May 1 Chicago 1 Montreal 4 May 3 Montreal 4Chicago 7 May 6 Montreal 4 Chicago 0 May 8 Chicago 8 Montreal 7 May 10 Montreal 6 Chicago 4

Montreal wins the series 4–2.

Player statistics

Regular season Scoring Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM +/- PPG SHG GWG C 77 44 51 95 1659905 LW 78 38 55 93 5142825 RW 67 40 39 79 1850604 C 61 21 38 59 4921343 RW 69 28 27 55 5116907 D 76 19 35 54 11751302 LW 76 25 25 50 4818304 W 72 13 35 48 3624301 LW 65 21 25 46 2235117 C 71 8 35 43 2134002 D 74 7 32 39 5870210 RW 73 11 23 34 3029000 D/RW 77 14 18 32 2833013 LW 52 18 9 27 1614003 D 69 2 22 24 5539002 D 57 7 16 23 3478200 LW 50 8 8 16 245102 D 41 0 7 7 6911000 D 36 2 4 6 203001 G 54 0 4 4 20000 RW 19 1 1 2 2−1100 C 5 1 1 2 00100 C/LW 2 1 1 2 02001 D 25 0 2 2 24000 G 10 0 1 1 20000 LW 1 0 0 0 00000 G 17 0 0 0 40000 Goaltending = Indicates league leader PlayerMINGPW LTGAGAA SO 3165 54 33 7 13 119 2.26 6 932 17 11 2 3 40 2.58 0 583 10 8 1 0 23 2.37 1 Team: 4680 78 52 10 16 182 2.33 7

Playoffs Scoring Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM PPG SHG GWG RW 17 15 10 25 2303 LW 17 9 14 23 6100 C 17 7 13 20 2301 D 17 6 7 13 20201 C 17 4 9 13 22210 LW 14 6 6 12 6202 D 17 3 8 11 22000 C 17 6 4 10 14002 W 17 3 6 9 0000 RW 17 3 5 8 9201 LW 17 3 5 8 6000 RW 17 3 4 7 6000 LW 16 2 4 6 6001 D 11 1 4 5 9001 D 17 1 3 4 13000 D 10 1 3 4 2000 D 13 0 3 3 10000 D/RW 17 0 2 2 22000 G 17 0 0 0 2000 LW 1 0 0 0 0000 Goaltending PlayerMINGPW LGAGAA SO 1039 17 12 5 50 2.89 1 Team: 1039 17 12 5 50 2.89 1

Awards and records Prince of Wales Trophy. Guy Lapointe, runner up, Norris Trophy.National Hockey League Official Guide and Record Book 2006, p. 222, Dan Diamond & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, . Yvan Cournoyer won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

Draft picks Montreal's draft picks at the 1972 NHL amateur draft held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)14 Steve Shutt Toronto Marlboros (OMJHL)16 Michel Larocque Ottawa 67's (OMJHL)18 Dave Gardner Toronto Marlboros (OMJHL)114 John Van Boxmeer Guelph CMC's (SOJHL)346 Ed Gilbert Hamilton Red Wings (OMJHL)462 Dave Elenbaas Cornell University (ECAC)566 Bill Nyrop University of Notre Dame (WCHA)694 D'Arcy Ryan Yale University (ECAC)7110 Yves Archambault Sorel Eperviers (QMJHL)8126 Graham Parsons Red Deer Rustlers (AJHL)9142 Eddie Bumbacco University of Notre Dame (WCHA)10151 Fred Riggall Dartmouth College (ECAC)11152 Ron LeBlanc Universite de Moncton (CIAU)

See also 1972–73 NHL season List of Stanley Cup champions

Citations

References Canadiens on Hockey Database Canadiens on NHL Reference