1974–75 Montreal Canadiens season

The 1974–75 Montreal Canadiens season was the 66th season in team history. The Montreal Canadiens were eliminated in the semi-finals against the Buffalo Sabres four games to two. Henri Richard would play his final season with the club.

Offseason Frank Mahovlich left the Canadiens, signing with the Toronto Toros of the World Hockey Association (WHA). Jacques Laperriere retired, he and Scotty Bowman unable to get along.Jenish(2008), p. 220. Ken Dryden returned to the club after his law articling.Jenish(2008), p. 221.

Regular season Henri Richard entered his 20th season with the Canadiens, but his health was failing. He played 16 games before fracturing his left ankle on November 13, 1974, in a game against Buffalo and did not play again until the spring.

Guy Lafleur had a break-out season, breaking the Canadiens' goal-scoring record of 50 goals held by Maurice Richard and Bernie Geoffrion. Lafleur finished with 53 goals and 119 points. Lafleur finally realized his potential despite a slow start to the season and missing 10 games in mid-season with an injury.

Final standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

|1||T||October 9, 1974||5–5 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1974–75) ||0–0–1

|2||T||October 12, 1974||4–4 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1974–75) ||0–0–2

|3||L||October 15, 1974||3–6 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1974–75) ||0–1–2

|4||L||October 17, 1974||2–3 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1974–75) ||0–2–2

|5||W||October 19, 1974||5–1 || align="left"| California Golden Seals (1974–75) ||1–2–2

|6||T||October 20, 1974||2–2 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1974–75) ||1–2–3

|7||W||October 23, 1974||3–2 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1974–75) ||2–2–3

|8||W||October 26, 1974||4–2 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1974–75) ||3–2–3

|9||L||October 27, 1974||2–3 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1974–75) ||3–3–3

|10||T||October 30, 1974||4–4 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1974–75) ||3–3–4

|11||W||October 31, 1974||3–0 || align="left"| @ Washington Capitals (1974–75) ||4–3–4

|12||L||November 2, 1974||0–3 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1974–75) ||4–4–4

|13||W||November 4, 1974||6–1 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1974–75) ||5–4–4

|14||T||November 6, 1974||4–4 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1974–75) ||5–4–5

|15||W||November 9, 1974||4–3 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1974–75) ||6–4–5

|16||W||November 10, 1974||11–1 || align="left"| @ Washington Capitals (1974–75) ||7–4–5

|17||L||November 13, 1974||6–8 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1974–75) ||7–5–5

|18||W||November 14, 1974||4–1 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1974–75) ||8–5–5

|19||T||November 16, 1974||4–4 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1974–75) ||8–5–6

|20||W||November 18, 1974||9–4 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1974–75) ||9–5–6

|21||T||November 20, 1974||3–3 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1974–75) ||9–5–7

|22||W||November 22, 1974||7–6 || align="left"| @ Kansas City Scouts (1974–75) ||10–5–7

|23||L||November 24, 1974||4–6 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1974–75) ||10–6–7

|24||W||November 27, 1974||3–2 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1974–75) ||11–6–7

|25||W||November 30, 1974||7–1 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1974–75) ||12–6–7

|26||W||December 2, 1974||2–0 || align="left"| Atlanta Flames (1974–75) ||13–6–7

|27||T||December 4, 1974||4–4 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1974–75) ||13–6–8

|28||W||December 7, 1974||5–2 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1974–75) ||14–6–8

|29||T||December 8, 1974||3–3 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1974–75) ||14–6–9

|30||W||December 10, 1974||5–3 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1974–75) ||15–6–9

|31||T||December 12, 1974||3–3 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1974–75) ||15–6–10

|32||W||December 14, 1974||5–3 || align="left"| California Golden Seals (1974–75) ||16–6–10

|33||W||December 18, 1974||4–3 || align="left"| @ California Golden Seals (1974–75) ||17–6–10

|34||W||December 20, 1974||6–1 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1974–75) ||18–6–10

|35||T||December 21, 1974||2–2 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1974–75) ||18–6–11

|36||W||December 27, 1974||7–1 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1974–75) ||19–6–11

|37||W||December 28, 1974||7–2 || align="left"| Kansas City Scouts (1974–75) ||20–6–11

|38||T||January 2, 1975||1–1 || align="left"| @ Atlanta Flames (1974–75) ||20–6–12

|39||W||January 4, 1975||10–0 || align="left"| Washington Capitals (1974–75) ||21–6–12

|40||W||January 5, 1975||6–4 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1974–75) ||22–6–12

|41||T||January 8, 1975||4–4 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1974–75) ||22–6–13

|42||W||January 11, 1975||6–0 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1974–75) ||23–6–13

|43||W||January 12, 1975||7–2 || align="left"| @ Washington Capitals (1974–75) ||24–6–13

|44||W||January 15, 1975||5–3 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1974–75) ||25–6–13

|45||L||January 18, 1975||3–5 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1974–75) ||25–7–13

|46||L||January 19, 1975||3–6 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1974–75) ||25–8–13

|47||W||January 23, 1975||7–0 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1974–75) ||26–8–13

|48||L||January 25, 1975||6–7 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1974–75) ||26–9–13

|49||W||January 26, 1975||7–2 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1974–75) ||27–9–13

|50||W||January 28, 1975||3–1 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1974–75) ||28–9–13

|51||W||February 1, 1975||5–3 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1974–75) ||29–9–13

|52||W||February 2, 1975||5–1 || align="left"| @ California Golden Seals (1974–75) ||30–9–13

|53||W||February 5, 1975||8–5 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1974–75) ||31–9–13

|54||W||February 8, 1975||7–1 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1974–75) ||32–9–13

|55||T||February 9, 1975||4–4 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1974–75) ||32–9–14

|56||T||February 12, 1975||2–2 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1974–75) ||32–9–15

|57||W||February 15, 1975||12–3 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1974–75) ||33–9–15

|58||W||February 16, 1975||6–3 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1974–75) ||34–9–15

|59||T||February 18, 1975||4–4 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1974–75) ||34–9–16

|60||W||February 20, 1975||6–3 || align="left"| @ Kansas City Scouts (1974–75) ||35–9–16

|61||L||February 22, 1975||6–7 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1974–75) ||35–10–16

|62||W||February 26, 1975||4–3 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1974–75) ||36–10–16

|63||L||March 1, 1975||3–4 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1974–75) ||36–11–16

|64||W||March 3, 1975||4–2 || align="left"| California Golden Seals (1974–75) ||37–11–16

|65||W||March 5, 1975||4–3 || align="left"| @ Atlanta Flames (1974–75) ||38–11–16

|66||W||March 7, 1975||8–4 || align="left"| Washington Capitals (1974–75) ||39–11–16

|67||W||March 9, 1975||5–3 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1974–75) ||40–11–16

|68||T||March 12, 1975||3–3 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1974–75) ||40–11–17

|69||W||March 15, 1975||3–0 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1974–75) ||41–11–17

|70||W||March 17, 1975||5–1 || align="left"| Atlanta Flames (1974–75) ||42–11–17

|71||W||March 19, 1975||2–1 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1974–75) ||43–11–17

|72||L||March 22, 1975||4–6 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1974–75) ||43–12–17

|73||L||March 23, 1975||1–2 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1974–75) ||43–13–17

|74||T||March 25, 1975||3–3 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1974–75) ||43–13–18

|75||L||March 26, 1975||4–6 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1974–75) ||43–14–18

|76||W||March 29, 1975||4–1 || align="left"| Kansas City Scouts (1974–75) ||44–14–18

|77||T||March 30, 1975||2–2 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1974–75) ||44–14–19

|78||W||April 2, 1975||6–0 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1974–75) ||45–14–19

|79||W||April 5, 1975||10–2 || align="left"| Washington Capitals (1974–75) ||46–14–19

|80||W||April 6, 1975||4–2 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1974–75) ||47–14–19

Legend:

Player statistics

Regular season Scoring Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM +/- PPG SHG GWG RW 70 53 66 119 375215211 C 80 35 82 117 64411313 C 80 36 56 92 20251208 D 80 28 47 75 88461110 RW 76 29 45 74 32151102 LW 80 32 35 67 74261003 LW 77 30 35 65 4040305 D 80 14 47 61 7661102 D 80 20 40 60 6471712 C 64 15 32 47 19827202 LW 73 24 18 42 4413406 RW 63 21 18 39 10823001 LW 80 17 20 37 4923102 D/RW 79 5 13 18 5218020 LW 63 6 10 16 4414010 C 16 3 10 13 49000 D 79 3 9 12 6524000 D 56 1 11 12 5821000 RW 8 1 2 3 6−2000 LW 18 1 2 3 40000 G 56 0 3 3 20000 D 9 0 2 2 0−1000 RW 9 0 1 1 2−1000 G 25 0 1 1 20000 C 5 0 0 0 2−1000 D/RW 12 0 0 0 6−4000

Goaltending PlayerMINGPW LTGAGAA SO 3320 56 30 9 16 149 2.69 4 1480 25 17 5 3 74 3.00 3 Team: 4800 80 47 14 19 223 2.79 7

Playoffs Scoring Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM PPG SHG GWG RW 11 12 7 19 15404 C 11 6 10 16 10101 C 11 5 7 12 4100 RW 11 5 6 11 4200 D 11 6 4 10 4310 C 11 3 5 8 37000 D 11 1 7 8 2000 LW 9 1 6 7 4000 LW 11 4 2 6 0200 LW 11 2 4 6 4001 D 11 0 6 6 12000 D/RW 11 2 2 4 2000 D 11 0 4 4 27000 C 6 1 2 3 4000 LW 5 0 3 3 4000 LW 11 1 1 2 4000 D 10 0 2 2 10000 RW 11 0 1 1 7000 G 11 0 0 0 0000

Goaltending PlayerMINGPW LGAGAA SO 688 11 6 5 29 2.53 2 Team: 688 11 6 5 29 2.53 2

Playoffs The Canadiens' first round opponent was the Vancouver Canucks and the Canadiens won the series in five games to advance to the semi-finals against the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres defeated the Canadiens in six games to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Sabres' checkers were able to shut down the Canadiens' top scorers, while the Canadiens' checkers were not able to contain the Sabres' French Connection line.

Transactions Following the 1975 playoffs, Henri Richard retired after 20 NHL seasons. Having been the Canadiens captain since 1971, he was succeeded in that post by Yvan Cournoyer.

Draft picks

NHL draft

= NHL All-Star= Hall of Famer Round Pick Player Nationality College/junior/club team15Cam Connor Flin Flon Bombers (WCHL)17Doug Risebrough Kitchener Rangers (OMJHL)110Rick Chartraw Kitchener Rangers (OMJHL)112Mario Tremblay Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge (OMJHL)115Gord McTavish Sudbury Wolves (OMJHL)230Gary MacGregor Cornwall Royals (QMJHL)233Gilles Lupien Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge (QMJHL)351Marty Howe Houston Aeros (WHA)461Barry Legge Winnipeg Clubs (WCHL)469Mike McKegney Kitchener Rangers (OMJHL)6105John Stewart Bowling Green University (CCHA)7123Joe Micheletti University of Minnesota (WCHA)8140Jamie Hislop University of New Hampshire (ECAC)9157Gordon Stewart Kamloops Chiefs (WCHL)10172Chuck Luksa Kitchener Rangers (OMJHL)11187Cliff Cox University of New Hampshire (ECAC)12199Dave Lumley University of New Hampshire (ECAC)13209Mike Hobin Hamilton Fincups (OMJHL)

Citations

References

Canadiens on Hockey Database Canadiens on NHL Reference