# 1969–70 Chicago Black Hawks season

The 1969–70 Chicago Black Hawks season was the Hawks' 44th season in the NHL, and the club was coming off a sixth-place finish in the East Division in 1968–69, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since the 1957–58 season. Despite missing the playoffs, the Black Hawks had a record of 34–33–9, earning 77 points, as they had their ninth consecutive season of playing over .500 hockey.
During the off-season, Chicago claimed goaltender Tony Esposito from the Montreal Canadiens in the intra-league draft on June 11, 1969. The Hawks also named Pat Stapleton as their new team captain. The Black Hawks did not have a captain for the 1968–69 season, as the spot was not filled after former captain Pierre Pilote was traded during the 1968 off-season.
The Black Hawks began the season very slowly, as they lost their opening five games to quickly fall into the East Division cellar. Chicago then rebounded, and after 35 games, the Hawks had a 15–15–5 record. The Black Hawks then got hot, as they went on a seven-game winning streak, and continued to play great hockey for the rest of the season, as Chicago won a franchise record 45 games, earning a club record 99 points tied with Boston Bruins for first overall. However, since Chicago won five more games, they finished in first place for the second time in franchise history and were awarded the Prince of Wales Trophy.
Offensively, the Hawks were led by Stan Mikita, who scored a team high 39 goals, 47 assists and 86 points, as he finished third in the NHL scoring race. Bobby Hull had another solid season, scoring 38 goals and 67 points, while Pit Martin had 30 goals and 63 points. Team captain Pat Stapleton led the defense with 42 points, while Keith Magnuson had a club record 213 penalty minutes, along with a club high +38 rating.
In goal, Tony Esposito emerged as one of the top goaltenders in the league, as he won a club record 38 games, while posting a 2.17 GAA and a team record 15 shutouts. Esposito was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy and the Vezina Trophy for his efforts.
The Hawks opened the playoffs against the Detroit Red Wings in the East Division semi-finals. The Red Wings finished the season with a 40–21–15 record, earning 95 points, which was good for third in the East Division. The series opened with two games at Chicago Stadium, and the Black Hawks used home ice to their advantage, as they defeated Detroit by scores of 4–2 in both games to take the early series lead. The series shifted to the Detroit Olympia for the next two games, however, Chicago stayed hot, as they once again won both games by scores of 4–2 to sweep the series and advance to the next playoff round.
Chicago faced the Boston Bruins in the East Division finals. Both teams finished the season with 99 points, however, since Boston had a record of 40–17–19, which was five wins less than Chicago, the Black Hawks were awarded home ice advantage. The Bruins had defeated the New York Rangers in their opening round. The series opened in Chicago, however, it was the Bruins who took control of the series, winning both games at Chicago Stadium by scores of 6–3 and 4–1 to take the series lead. The series moved to the Boston Garden for the next two games, and the Bruins easily knocked off the Black Hawks, winning the third game by a 5–2 score, then clinching the series with a 5–4 victory in the fourth game, sweeping the Black Hawks.

## Season standings

East Division vte :
| | | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | DIFF | Pts |
| 1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 76 | 45 | 22 | 9 | 250 | 170 | +80 | 99 |
| 2 | Boston Bruins | 76 | 40 | 17 | 19 | 277 | 216 | +61 | 99 |
| 3 | Detroit Red Wings | 76 | 40 | 21 | 15 | 246 | 199 | +47 | 95 |
| 4 | New York Rangers | 76 | 38 | 22 | 16 | 246 | 189 | +57 | 92 |
| 5 | Montreal Canadiens | 76 | 38 | 22 | 16 | 244 | 201 | +43 | 92 |
| 6 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 76 | 29 | 34 | 13 | 222 | 242 | −20 | 71 |

### Record vs. opponents
## Game log
### Regular season

| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record | Pts |
| 1 | October 11 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2–7 | St. Louis Blues | 0–1–0 | 0 |
| 2 | October 12 | Oakland Seals | 2–1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 0–2–0 | 0 |
| 3 | October 15 | Detroit Red Wings | 4–1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 0–3–0 | 0 |
| 4 | October 18 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1–4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 0–4–0 | 0 |
| 5 | October 19 | Minnesota North Stars | 4–1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 0–5–0 | 0 |
| 6 | October 22 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1–1 | New York Rangers | 0–5–1 | 1 |
| 7 | October 25 | Chicago Black Hawks | 5–0 | Montreal Canadiens | 1–5–1 | 3 |
| 8 | October 29 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1–3 | Oakland Seals | 1–6–1 | 3 |
| 9 | November 1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4–1 | Los Angeles Kings | 2–6–1 | 5 |
| 10 | November 5 | New York Rangers | 1–3 | Chicago Black Hawks | 3–6–1 | 7 |
| 11 | November 8 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4–1 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4–6–1 | 9 |
| 12 | November 9 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 0–9 | Chicago Black Hawks | 5–6–1 | 11 |
| 13 | November 15 | Oakland Seals | 2–3 | Chicago Black Hawks | 6–6–1 | 13 |
| 14 | November 16 | Montreal Canadiens | 0–1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 7–6–1 | 15 |
| 15 | November 19 | New York Rangers | 1–1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 7–6–2 | 16 |
| 16 | November 21 | Boston Bruins | 2–2 | Chicago Black Hawks | 7–6–3 | 17 |
| 17 | November 23 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 2–3 | Chicago Black Hawks | 8–6–3 | 19 |
| 18 | November 26 | Los Angeles Kings | 0–6 | Chicago Black Hawks | 9–6–3 | 21 |
| 19 | November 29 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4–5 | Detroit Red Wings | 9–7–3 | 21 |
| 20 | November 30 | St. Louis Blues | 1–3 | Chicago Black Hawks | 10–7–3 | 23 |
| 21 | December 3 | Chicago Black Hawks | 3–3 | New York Rangers | 10–7–4 | 24 |
| 22 | December 4 | Montreal Canadiens | 1–0 | Chicago Black Hawks | 10–8–4 | 24 |
| 23 | December 6 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1–6 | Boston Bruins | 10–9–4 | 24 |
| 24 | December 7 | Detroit Red Wings | 1–5 | Chicago Black Hawks | 11–9–4 | 26 |
| 25 | December 10 | Chicago Black Hawks | 5–8 | Minnesota North Stars | 11–10–4 | 26 |
| 26 | December 13 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1–4 | Montreal Canadiens | 11–11–4 | 26 |
| 27 | December 14 | Philadelphia Flyers | 1–4 | Chicago Black Hawks | 12–11–4 | 28 |
| 28 | December 17 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1–3 | Los Angeles Kings | 12–12–4 | 28 |
| 29 | December 19 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4–0 | Oakland Seals | 13–12–4 | 30 |
| 30 | December 21 | St. Louis Blues | 0–4 | Chicago Black | 14–12–4 | 32 |
| 31 | December 25 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4–4 | Minnesota North Stars | 14–12–5 | 33 |
| 32 | December 27 | Chicago Black Hawks | 3–0 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 15–12–5 | 35 |
| 33 | December 31 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1–2 | New York Rangers | 15–13–5 | 35 |
| 34 | January 3 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2–6 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 15–14–5 | 35 |
| 35 | January 4 | Chicago Black Hawks | 0–4 | Detroit Red Wings | 15–15–5 | 35 |
| 36 | January 7 | Detroit Red Wings | 0–7 | Chicago Black Hawks | 16–15–5 | 37 |
| 37 | January 10 | Chicago Black Hawks | 6–2 | St. Louis Blues | 17–15–5 | 39 |
| 38 | January 11 | Los Angeles Kings | 1–3 | Chicago Black Hawks | 18–15–5 | 41 |
| 39 | January 14 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 0–5 | Chicago Black Hawks | 19–15–5 | 43 |
| 40 | January 17 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1–0 | Boston Bruins | 20–15–5 | 45 |
| 41 | January 18 | Oakland Seals | 1–3 | Chicago Black Hawks | 21–15–5 | 47 |
| 42 | January 22 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4–3 | Detroit Red Wings | 22–15–5 | 49 |
| 43 | January 24 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1–4 | Montreal Canadiens | 22–16–5 | 49 |
| 44 | January 25 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 3–2 | Chicago Black Hawks | 22–17–5 | 49 |
| 45 | January 28 | Philadelphia Flyers | 2–2 | Chicago Black Hawks | 22–17–6 | 50 |
| 46 | January 31 | Chicago Black Hawks | 5–0 | Philadelphia Flyers | 23–17–6 | 52 |
| 47 | February 1 | Minnesota North Stars | 4–7 | Chicago Black Hawks | 24–17–6 | 54 |
| 48 | February 4 | Boston Bruins | 4–8 | Chicago Black Hawks | 25–17–6 | 56 |
| 49 | February 7 | Philadelphia Flyers | 4–4 | Chicago Black Hawks | 25–17–7 | 57 |
| 50 | February 8 | Montreal Canadiens | 3–2 | Chicago Black Hawks | 25–18–7 | 57 |
| 51 | February 11 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1–7 | Chicago Black Hawks | 26–18–7 | 59 |
| 52 | February 14 | Chicago Black Hawks | 5–2 | Minnesota North Stars | 27–18–7 | 61 |
| 53 | February 15 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4–6 | Chicago Black Hawks | 28–18–7 | 63 |
| 54 | February 18 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2–5 | St. Louis Blues | 28–19–7 | 63 |
| 55 | February 19 | Minnesota North Stars | 2–3 | Chicago Black Hawks | 29–19–7 | 65 |
| 56 | February 21 | New York Rangers | 2–4 | Chicago Black Hawks | 30–19–7 | 67 |
| 57 | February 22 | Boston Bruins | 3–6 | Chicago Black Hawks | 31–19–7 | 69 |
| 58 | February 26 | Chicago Black Hawks | 3–2 | Philadelphia Flyers | 32–19–7 | 71 |
| 59 | February 28 | Chicago Black Hawks | 0–3 | Boston Bruins | 32–20–7 | 71 |
| 60 | March 1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 3–1 | New York Rangers | 33–20–7 | 73 |
| 61 | March 3 | Chicago Black Hawks | 3–1 | Los Angeles Kings | 34–20–7 | 75 |
| 62 | March 6 | Chicago Black Hawks | 3–2 | Oakland Seals | 35–20–7 | 77 |
| 63 | March 8 | Chicago Black Hawks | 3–2 | Philadelphia Flyers | 36–20–7 | 79 |
| 64 | March 10 | Boston Bruins | 0–0 | Chicago Black Hawks | 36–20–8 | 80 |
| 65 | March 14 | New York Rangers | 4–7 | Chicago Black Hawks | 37–20–8 | 82 |
| 66 | March 15 | Los Angeles Kings | 2–5 | Chicago Black Hawks | 38–20–8 | 84 |
| 67 | March 18 | Chicago Black Hawks | 7–4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 39–20–8 | 86 |
| 68 | March 19 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1–3 | Boston Bruins | 39–21–8 | 86 |
| 69 | March 21 | Chicago Black Hawks | 5–3 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 40–21–8 | 88 |
| 70 | March 22 | St. Louis Blues | 0–1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 41–21–8 | 90 |
| 71 | March 26 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1–0 | Detroit Red Wings | 42–21–8 | 92 |
| 72 | March 28 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1–1 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 42–21–9 | 93 |
| 73 | March 29 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 0–4 | Chicago Black Hawks | 43–21–9 | 95 |
| 74 | April 1 | Detroit Red Wings | 5–2 | Chicago Black Hawks | 43–22–9 | 95 |
| 75 | April 4 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4–1 | Montreal Canadiens | 44–22–9 | 97 |
| 76 | April 5 | Montreal Canadiens | 2–10 | Chicago Black Hawks | 45–22–9 | 99 |

### Chicago Black Hawks 4, Detroit Red Wings 0

| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record |
| 1 | April 8 | Detroit Red Wings | 2–4 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1–0 |
| 2 | April 9 | Detroit Red Wings | 2–4 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2–0 |
| 3 | April 11 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4–2 | Detroit Red Wings | 3–0 |
| 4 | April 12 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4–2 | Detroit Red Wings | 4–0 |

### Boston Bruins 4, Chicago Black Hawks 0

| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record |
| 1 | April 19 | Boston Bruins | 6–3 | Chicago Black Hawks | 0–1 |
| 2 | April 21 | Boston Bruins | 4–1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 0–2 |
| 3 | April 23 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2–5 | Boston Bruins | 0–3 |
| 4 | April 26 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4–5 | Boston Bruins | 0–4 |

## Season stats
### Scoring leaders

| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Stan Mikita | 76 | 39 | 47 | 86 | 50 |
| Bobby Hull | 61 | 38 | 29 | 67 | 8 |
| Pit Martin | 73 | 30 | 33 | 63 | 61 |
| Jim Pappin | 66 | 28 | 25 | 53 | 68 |
| Dennis Hull | 76 | 17 | 35 | 52 | 31 |

### Goaltending

| Player | GP | TOI | W | L | T | GA | SO | GAA |
| Gerry Desjardins | 4 | 240 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2.00 |
| Tony Esposito | 63 | 3763 | 38 | 17 | 8 | 136 | 15 | 2.17 |
| Denis DeJordy | 10 | 557 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 25 | 0 | 2.69 |

## Playoff stats
### Scoring leaders

| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Bobby Hull | 8 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 2 |
| Stan Mikita | 8 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 2 |
| Dennis Hull | 8 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| Pit Martin | 8 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Jim Pappin | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 |

### Goaltending

| Player | GP | TOI | W | L | GA | SO | GAA |
| Tony Esposito | 8 | 480 | 4 | 4 | 27 | 0 | 3.38 |

## Draft picks

Chicago's draft picks at the 1969 NHL amateur draft held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.
| Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team (League) |
| 1 | 13 | J. P. Bordeleau | Canada | Montreal Jr. Canadiens (OHA) |
| 2 | 24 | Larry Romanchych | Canada | Flin Flon Bombers (WCHL) |
| 3 | 36 | Milt Black | Canada | Winnipeg Jets (WCHL) |
| 4 | 48 | Darryl Maggs | Canada | Calgary Centennials (WCHL) |
| 5 | 60 | Mike Baumgartner | United States | University of North Dakota (NCAA) |
| 6 | 71 | Dave Hudson | Canada | University of North Dakota (OHA) |