# 1968–69 Chicago Black Hawks season

The 1968–69 Chicago Black Hawks season was the Hawks' 43rd season in the NHL, and the club was coming off a 4th-place finish in the East Division in 1967–68, as they earned 80 points, and qualified for the post-season for the tenth consecutive season. The Black Hawks then upset the second place New York Rangers in the NHL quarter-finals, before falling to the Montreal Canadiens in five games in the NHL semi-finals. But this season, the Blackhawks missed the postseason for the last time until 1998.

## Offseason

The NHL announced during the summer that the league would once again increase its schedule, as it went from 74 games to 76.
During the off-season, the Black Hawks traded team captain Pierre Pilote to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Jim Pappin. Pilote had been the captain since the 1961–62 season, and head coach Billy Reay decided to not name a captain for the club for the season.

## Regular season

The Black Hawks would start the season off on the right foot, beginning the year with a four-game winning streak, however, the team would eventually fall into a slump, and sit with a 6–6–0 record twelve games in. Chicago would then get hot again, and eventually found themselves a season high eight games over .500 during their streak, and found themselves in a heated playoff race with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings for the fourth and final playoff position in the East. The Hawks would then fall into a slump, as they had winless streaks of five games and eight games, to fall out of the race, and into the cellar of the East Division. Chicago would end the year with an over .500 record, as they were 34–33–9, earning 77 points, however, the team finished in last, and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1957–58.
Offensively, the Hawks were led by Bobby Hull, who once again set an NHL record for goals in a season, as he scored 58 times, and he became the second player in league history to record 100 points, as he finished the season with 107 points, which was second in league scoring. Stan Mikita had another excellent season also, scoring 30 goals and earning 97 points as he finished fourth in NHL scoring. Newly acquired Jim Pappin fit right in, scoring 30 goals and 70 points. Kenny Wharram and Dennis Hull also scored 30 goals to give the Hawks five players with 30+ goals in the season. Pat Stapleton led the defense with 56 points, while Gilles Marotte led the team with 120 penalty minutes, and tied Stapleton with the team lead in plus/minus, with a +23.
In goal, Denis DeJordy saw most of the action, playing in 53 games, earning a team high 22 victories, and a team best 3.14 GAA, along with 2 shutouts. Backup Dave Dryden played well, earning 11 victories, while earning a team best 3 shutouts.

### Season standings

East Division vte :
| | | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | DIFF | Pts |
| 1 | Montreal Canadiens | 76 | 46 | 19 | 11 | 271 | 202 | +69 | 103 |
| 2 | Boston Bruins | 76 | 42 | 18 | 16 | 303 | 221 | +82 | 100 |
| 3 | New York Rangers | 76 | 41 | 26 | 9 | 231 | 196 | +35 | 91 |
| 4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 76 | 35 | 26 | 15 | 234 | 217 | +17 | 85 |
| 5 | Detroit Red Wings | 76 | 33 | 31 | 12 | 239 | 221 | +18 | 78 |
| 6 | Chicago Black Hawks | 76 | 34 | 33 | 9 | 280 | 246 | +34 | 77 |

### Game log

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

## Season stats
### Scoring leaders

| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Bobby Hull | 74 | 58 | 49 | 107 | 48 |
| Stan Mikita | 74 | 30 | 67 | 97 | 52 |
| Jim Pappin | 75 | 30 | 40 | 70 | 49 |
| Kenny Wharram | 76 | 30 | 39 | 69 | 19 |
| Dennis Hull | 72 | 30 | 34 | 64 | 25 |

### Goaltending

| Player | GP | TOI | W | L | T | GA | SO | GAA |
| Denis DeJordy | 53 | 2981 | 22 | 22 | 7 | 156 | 2 | 3.14 |
| Dave Dryden | 30 | 1479 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 79 | 3 | 3.20 |
| Jack Norris | 3 | 100 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6.00 |

## Draft picks

Chicago's draft picks at the 1968 NHL Amateur Draft held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec.
| Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team (League) |
| 1 | 9 | John Marks | Canada | University of North Dakota (NCAA) |