1969–70 St. Louis Blues season
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| 1969–70 St. Louis Blues | |
|---|---|
| Division | 1st West |
| 1969–70 record | 37–27–12 |
| Goals for | 224 |
| Goals against | 179 |
| General Manager | Scotty Bowman |
| Coach | Scotty Bowman |
| Captain | Al Arbour and Red Berenson |
| Arena | St. Louis Arena |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Red Berenson (33) |
| Assists | Phil Goyette (49) |
| Points | Phil Goyette (78) |
| Penalties in minutes | Barclay Plager (128) |
| Wins | Jacques Plante (18) |
| Goals against average | Ernie Wakely (2.11) |
The St. Louis Blues season involved finishing in first place in the West Division for the second consecutive season. The Blues were the only team in the West Division with a winning record as they finished 22 points ahead of the second place Pittsburgh Penguins. The Blues matched their previous season's total of 37 wins but finished with 86 points, two points shy of the previous season's points total. NHL legend Camille Henry would play his final game with the St. Louis Blues. In 4 games, Henry would get 3 points in 4 games.
From a goaltending standpoint, the franchise experienced many changes. Glenn Hall had retired at the end of the 1968–69 season but returned. Despite an appearance in the All-Star Game, Jacques Plante would play his final season in St. Louis. He was sold by the Blues to the Toronto Maple Leafs for cash, May 18, 1970. Ernie Wakely would be acquired from the defending Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens and would become the Blues starting goaltender for the following season.
In the playoffs, St. Louis defeated the Minnesota North Stars 4–2 and the Pittsburgh Penguins 4–2 to advance to their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final. Phil Goyette became the first Lady Byng Trophy winner in franchise history as he led the team with 78 points.
| Contents: |
Roster - Draft picks – Farm teams – See also – References |
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[edit] Offseason
[edit] NHL Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 19 | Mike Lowe |  Canada |
| 3 | 30 | Bernie Gagnon | Canada |
| 4 | 42 | Vic "Skeeter" Teal | Canada |
| 5 | 54 | Brian Glenwright | |
| 6 | 66 | Tommi Salmelainen |  Finland |
| 6 | 70 | Dale Yutsyk | |
| 7 | 73 | Bob Collyard | |
| 7 | 77 | David Pulkkinen | |
| 8 | 80 | Patrick Lange | |
| 9 | 82 | John Converse | |
| 10 | 85 | Robert Taggi |
[edit] Regular season
[edit] Season standings
| West Division | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Blues | 76 | 37 | 27 | 12 | 224 | 179 | 86 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 76 | 26 | 38 | 12 | 182 | 238 | 64 |
| Minnesota North Stars | 76 | 19 | 35 | 22 | 224 | 257 | 60 |
| Oakland Seals | 76 | 22 | 40 | 14 | 169 | 243 | 58 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 76 | 17 | 35 | 24 | 197 | 225 | 58 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 76 | 14 | 52 | 150 | 168 | 290 | 38 |
[edit] Glenn Hall
As he did with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1966, Hall retired from St. Louis at the end of the 1968–69 season. [1] He was talked into returning, usually with a promise of more money, but he didn't profess to enjoy his livelihood. [2] Although Hall would stay in St. Louis, he would still get nauseous before each game as he did earlier in his career.
[edit] Ernie Wakely
Ernie Wakely played 2 games from the Montreal Canadiens from 1962 to 1969. On June 27, 1969, Wakely got his big break when the Canadiens dealt the 28 year old to the St. Louis Blues for Norm Beaudin and Bobby Schmautz. [3] The 1969–70 season would be a career season for Wakely. He appeared in 30 games for St. Louis, registering a 2.11 GAA and four shutouts. [4]
Wakely would have to take over from the legendary Glenn Hall. Wakely made the most of his opportunity as he helped lead the Blues to the Stanley Cup finals. The Blues were defeated in four straight games by Bobby Orr's Boston Bruins. [5]
[edit] Player stats
[edit] Forwards
[edit] Defencemen
[edit] Goaltending
Note: GP= Games played; W= Wins; L= Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against
| Player | GP | W | L | T | SO | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Edwards | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.00 |
| Glenn Hall | 18 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2.91 |
| Jacques Plante | 32 | 18 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 2.19 |
| Ernie Wakely | 30 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 2.11 |
[edit] Playoffs
[edit] West Division Semi-Finals
In the West Division playoffs, the St.Louis Blues ousted the Minnesota North Stars in six games. The Blues won the first two games at the St. Louis Arena. Game three at the Metropolitan Sports Center featured Gump Worsley's sharp goaltending and Bill Goldsworthy scoring two goals in a 4–2 win for the North Stars. Cesare Maniago played in goal for Minnesota in game four and picked up a 4–0 shutout, tying the series. Game five at St. Louis Arena was tied 3–3 when St Louis scored three goals in the third period by Red Berenson, Terry Gray and Jim Roberts and the Blues won 6–3. In game six, Ab McDonald scored two goals as the Blues eliminated the North Stars by a score of 4–2.
[edit] West Division Finals
[edit] Stanley Cup Finals
Boston Bruins vs. St. Louis Blues
| Date | Visitors | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3 | Boston | 6 | St. Louis | 1 | |
| May 5 | Boston | 6 | St. Louis | 2 | |
| May 7 | St. Louis | 1 | Boston | 4 | |
| May 10 | St. Louis | 3 | Boston | 4 | OT |
Boston wins the series 4–0.
[edit] Roster
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St. Louis Blues
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| Goaltenders |
Defensemen |
Wingers |
Centers
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[edit] Awards and records
- Clarence S. Campbell Bowl
- Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: || Phil Goyette
- Jacques Plante, Goaltender, NHL All-Star Game
[edit] References
- ^ Legends of Hockey - The Legends - Honoured Player - Hall, Glenn - Biography
- ^ Legends of Hockey - The Legends - Honoured Player - Hall, Glenn - Biography
- ^ Montreal Canadiens Goaltenders: Ernie Wakely 1962-69
- ^ Montreal Canadiens Goaltenders: Ernie Wakely 1962-69
- ^ Montreal Canadiens Goaltenders: Ernie Wakely 1962-69
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