# 1971–72 Detroit Red Wings season

The 1971–72 Detroit Red Wings season was Marcel Dionne's rookie season. The Red Wings placed fifth to miss the playoffs.

## Regular season

Head coach Doug Barkley won just 3 of the first 11 games before being replaced by Johnny Wilson.
During his first season for Detroit in 1971–72, Marcel Dionne set an NHL record for scoring by a rookie with 77 points. This record has since been surpassed.

### Season standings

East Division vte :
| | | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | DIFF | Pts |
| 1 | Boston Bruins | 78 | 54 | 13 | 11 | 330 | 204 | +126 | 119 |
| 2 | New York Rangers | 78 | 48 | 17 | 13 | 317 | 192 | +125 | 109 |
| 3 | Montreal Canadiens | 78 | 46 | 16 | 16 | 307 | 205 | +102 | 108 |
| 4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 78 | 33 | 31 | 14 | 209 | 208 | +1 | 80 |
| 5 | Detroit Red Wings | 78 | 33 | 35 | 10 | 261 | 262 | −1 | 76 |
| 6 | Buffalo Sabres | 78 | 16 | 43 | 19 | 203 | 289 | −86 | 51 |
| 7 | Vancouver Canucks | 78 | 20 | 50 | 8 | 203 | 297 | −94 | 48 |

### Record vs. opponents
## Schedule and results

| No. | R | Date | Score | Opponent | Record |
| 1 | L | October 9, 1971 | 2–4 | Minnesota North Stars (1971–72) | 0–1–0 |
| 2 | L | October 10, 1971 | 1–2 | @ Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) | 0–2–0 |
| 3 | L | October 16, 1971 | 2–9 | @ St. Louis Blues (1971–72) | 0–3–0 |
| 4 | W | October 17, 1971 | 5–3 | St. Louis Blues (1971–72) | 1–3–0 |
| 5 | L | October 20, 1971 | 3–4 | @ Boston Bruins (1971–72) | 1–4–0 |
| 6 | W | October 22, 1971 | 5–2 | Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72) | 2–4–0 |
| 7 | L | October 24, 1971 | 3–6 | California Golden Seals (1971–72) | 2–5–0 |
| 8 | L | October 26, 1971 | 2–5 | Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) | 2–6–0 |
| 9 | L | October 27, 1971 | 4–7 | @ New York Rangers (1971–72) | 2–7–0 |
| 10 | L | October 30, 1971 | 0–3 | @ Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) | 2–8–0 |
| 11 | W | October 31, 1971 | 3–1 | Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) | 3–8–0 |
| 12 | L | November 1, 1971 | 1–6 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72) | 3–9–0 |
| 13 | T | November 4, 1971 | 4–4 | Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) | 3–9–1 |
| 14 | L | November 6, 1971 | 1–2 | Boston Bruins (1971–72) | 3–10–1 |
| 15 | T | November 7, 1971 | 3–3 | @ Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) | 3–10–2 |
| 16 | W | November 10, 1971 | 2–1 | @ Minnesota North Stars (1971–72) | 4–10–2 |
| 17 | W | November 13, 1971 | 6–3 | @ Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) | 5–10–2 |
| 18 | T | November 16, 1971 | 2–2 | @ St. Louis Blues (1971–72) | 5–10–3 |
| 19 | L | November 20, 1971 | 1–3 | @ Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) | 5–11–3 |
| 20 | T | November 21, 1971 | 2–2 | @ Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) | 5–11–4 |
| 21 | L | November 24, 1971 | 1–6 | @ California Golden Seals (1971–72) | 5–12–4 |
| 22 | W | November 27, 1971 | 3–1 | New York Rangers (1971–72) | 6–12–4 |
| 23 | W | November 28, 1971 | 4–2 | Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) | 7–12–4 |
| 24 | L | December 1, 1971 | 2–4 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) | 7–13–4 |
| 25 | T | December 2, 1971 | 1–1 | @ Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) | 7–13–5 |
| 26 | W | December 4, 1971 | 5–1 | Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) | 8–13–5 |
| 27 | L | December 5, 1971 | 1–2 | St. Louis Blues (1971–72) | 8–14–5 |
| 28 | L | December 8, 1971 | 2–4 | @ Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) | 8–15–5 |
| 29 | W | December 11, 1971 | 6–3 | Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) | 9–15–5 |
| 30 | W | December 14, 1971 | 4–3 | @ Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) | 10–15–5 |
| 31 | T | December 17, 1971 | 3–3 | @ California Golden Seals (1971–72) | 10–15–6 |
| 32 | L | December 18, 1971 | 2–4 | @ Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) | 10–16–6 |
| 33 | W | December 22, 1971 | 3–0 | Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) | 11–16–6 |
| 34 | L | December 25, 1971 | 3–5 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72) | 11–17–6 |
| 35 | W | December 26, 1971 | 5–1 | Minnesota North Stars (1971–72) | 12–17–6 |
| 36 | W | December 29, 1971 | 7–3 | @ Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) | 13–17–6 |
| 37 | W | December 31, 1971 | 6–3 | California Golden Seals (1971–72) | 14–17–6 |
| 38 | W | January 2, 1972 | 6–4 | Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) | 15–17–6 |
| 39 | L | January 5, 1972 | 2–4 | @ Minnesota North Stars (1971–72) | 15–18–6 |
| 40 | T | January 7, 1972 | 4–4 | @ California Golden Seals (1971–72) | 15–18–7 |
| 41 | W | January 9, 1972 | 4–2 | Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) | 16–18–7 |
| 42 | W | January 11, 1972 | 5–0 | Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) | 17–18–7 |
| 43 | W | January 15, 1972 | 7–4 | Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) | 18–18–7 |
| 44 | L | January 16, 1972 | 2–9 | @ Boston Bruins (1971–72) | 18–19–7 |
| 45 | L | January 19, 1972 | 1–4 | Minnesota North Stars (1971–72) | 18–20–7 |
| 46 | W | January 22, 1972 | 3–2 | Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) | 19–20–7 |
| 47 | W | January 23, 1972 | 3–1 | St. Louis Blues (1971–72) | 20–20–7 |
| 48 | W | January 27, 1972 | 3–1 | @ Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) | 21–20–7 |
| 49 | T | January 29, 1972 | 4–4 | Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) | 21–20–8 |
| 50 | L | January 30, 1972 | 2–4 | @ Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) | 21–21–8 |
| 51 | W | February 1, 1972 | 4–0 | Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72) | 22–21–8 |
| 52 | L | February 3, 1972 | 4–5 | @ Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) | 22–22–8 |
| 53 | L | February 5, 1972 | 2–3 | @ Boston Bruins (1971–72) | 22–23–8 |
| 54 | W | February 6, 1972 | 8–2 | California Golden Seals (1971–72) | 23–23–8 |
| 55 | W | February 10, 1972 | 4–2 | Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) | 24–23–8 |
| 56 | T | February 12, 1972 | 3–3 | Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) | 24–23–9 |
| 57 | L | February 16, 1972 | 2–4 | @ Minnesota North Stars (1971–72) | 24–24–9 |
| 58 | W | February 19, 1972 | 6–2 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) | 25–24–9 |
| 59 | L | February 20, 1972 | 3–4 | @ New York Rangers (1971–72) | 25–25–9 |
| 60 | W | February 22, 1972 | 5–4 | Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72) | 26–25–9 |
| 61 | W | February 24, 1972 | 2–0 | Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) | 27–25–9 |
| 62 | L | February 26, 1972 | 1–8 | @ Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) | 27–26–9 |
| 63 | L | February 27, 1972 | 1–3 | Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) | 27–27–9 |
| 64 | W | February 29, 1972 | 8–2 | Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) | 28–27–9 |
| 65 | L | March 2, 1972 | 4–7 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) | 28–28–9 |
| 66 | L | March 4, 1972 | 4–5 | Boston Bruins (1971–72) | 28–29–9 |
| 67 | W | March 5, 1972 | 6–3 | Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) | 29–29–9 |
| 68 | L | March 8, 1972 | 1–5 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72) | 29–30–9 |
| 69 | L | March 11, 1972 | 2–4 | New York Rangers (1971–72) | 29–31–9 |
| 70 | L | March 12, 1972 | 2–3 | Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) | 29–32–9 |
| 71 | L | March 16, 1972 | 1–2 | New York Rangers (1971–72) | 29–33–9 |
| 72 | W | March 19, 1972 | 7–6 | Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) | 30–33–9 |
| 73 | W | March 21, 1972 | 7–5 | @ Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) | 31–33–9 |
| 74 | W | March 22, 1972 | 6–3 | @ Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) | 32–33–9 |
| 75 | L | March 25, 1972 | 3–5 | @ St. Louis Blues (1971–72) | 32–34–9 |
| 76 | W | March 28, 1972 | 6–3 | Boston Bruins (1971–72) | 33–34–9 |
| 77 | T | March 29, 1972 | 2–2 | @ New York Rangers (1971–72) | 33–34–10 |
| 78 | L | April 2, 1972 | 1–6 | @ Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) | 33–35–10 |

## Player statistics
### Forwards

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Marcel Dionne | 78 | 28 | 49 | 77 | 14 |
| Mickey Redmond | 78 | 42 | 29 | 71 | 34 |
| Red Berenson | 78 | 28 | 41 | 69 | 16 |
| Alex Delvecchio | 75 | 20 | 45 | 65 | 22 |
| Nick Libett | 77 | 31 | 22 | 53 | 50 |
| Tim Ecclestone | 72 | 18 | 35 | 53 | 33 |
| Bill Collins | 71 | 15 | 25 | 40 | 38 |
| Al Karlander | 71 | 15 | 20 | 35 | 29 |
| Leon Rochefort | 64 | 17 | 12 | 29 | 10 |
| Guy Charron | 64 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 14 |
| Doug Volmar | 39 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 8 |
| Dan Johnson | 43 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 |
| Ab McDonald | 19 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| Brian Conacher | 22 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 |

### Defencemen

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Gary Bergman | 75 | 6 | 31 | 37 | 138 |
| Ron Stackhouse | 73 | 5 | 25 | 30 | 83 |
| Arnie Brown | 77 | 2 | 23 | 25 | 84 |
| Larry Johnston | 65 | 4 | 20 | 24 | 111 |
| Ron Harris | 61 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 80 |
| Bob Wall | 45 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 |

### Goaltending

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average
| Player | GP | MIN | W | L | T | SO | GA | GAA |
| Andy Brown | 10 | 560 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 3.96 |
| Joe Daley | 29 | 1620 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 85 | 3.15 |
| Al Smith | 43 | 2500 | 18 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 135 | 3.24 |

## Awards and records

* Marcel Dionne, NHL record (since broken), Most points by a rookie with 77 points.

## Transactions

The Red Wings were involved in the following transactions during the 1971–72 season:

### Trades

| October 22, 1971 | To Detroit Red Wings Ron Stackhouse | To California Golden Seals Tom Webster |
| January 13, 1971 | To Detroit Red Wings Mickey Redmond Guy Charron Bill Collins | To Montreal Canadiens Frank Mahovlich |

## Draft picks

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School/Club Team |
| 1 | 2 | Marcel Dionne | Center | St. Catharines Black Hawks (OHA) |
| 2 | 16 | Henry Boucha | Center | US National Development Team |
| 4 | 44 | George Hulme | Goaltender | St. Catharines Black Hawks (OHA) |
| 5 | 58 | Earl Anderson | Right Wing | University of North Dakota (WCHA) |
| 6 | 72 | Charlie Shaw | Defense | Toronto Marlboros (OHA) |
| 7 | 86 | Jim Nahrgang | Defense | Michigan Tech University (NCAA) |
| 8 | 100 | Bob Boyd | Defense | Michigan State University (NCAA) |