NHL Historical Replay

[George_Bell]

[ThatSeventiesGuy]

Maybe you should switch to talking about the WHA more...the NHL is getting a bit boring. The same damned team wins every year.


When that happens in my leagues, I always break 'em up. Unless it's my team, then that's all right, then.


.

[jh95]

Hi,
which FaceGens do you use for the players in your game?

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by ThatSeventiesGuy

Maybe you should switch to talking about the WHA more...the NHL is getting a bit boring. The same damned team wins every year.

When that happens in my leagues, I always break 'em up. Unless it's my team, then that's all right, then. .

It's the leagues longest dynasty ever! I give them credit. They have developed some great players. Guys like Unger, McNab, Ferguson, Garrett, Vadnais all could have been 3rd of 4th liners who made little impact. I'm a Leaf fan, but I'm very curious how long they can keep this going. The stars, Hull, Ratelle, Parise, are not young men anymore!

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by jh95

Hi,
which FaceGens do you use for the players in your game?

I downloaded one of the files on the forums, don't remember which one. I make my own for players missing whenever it strikes me.

[George_Bell]

1975 NHL Offseason News and Notes

Here are the results of the 3rd Avco Cup



Here are the skating leaders for the season.



Here are the goalie leaders for the season.



Here are the playoff top scorers.



Marcell Dionne somehow takes the Hart Trophy over record holder Stan Mikita. Kind of a shocking snub for the man who shattered the points record this year. Helmut Banderis wins the Calder trophy. He's a potential star!





The biggest news of the offseason is easily the retirement of Gordie Howe. It’s kind of surprising, expected and unexpected. At 47, Gordie is the oldest player to ever play in the NHL, but he was still playing very well. He was still a 5 star player, and he is coming off his best season ever!! Howe retires as the all time leader in games, goals, assists, points, hits, PP goals, and SH goals. His number is being retired by the Red Wings, the only team he ever played for. Here is a look at his career!! It's a thumbnail. It's too big to display. Click for a full look!




The Chicago Cougars and the Michigan Stags of the WHA have folded. To replace those franchises, the WHA has expanded with the Denver Spurs and the Cincinnati Stingers. The Vancouver Blazers also relocated to Calgary to become the Cowboys.



The folding of the Cougars means all their players are free agents, or, free to sign with NHL teams who hold their rights! Lanny McDonald has signed with the Minnesota North Stars. This is a huge blow to the WHA, and a big coup for the NHL. Lanny had 161 points, and was the face of the league. I am extremely curious to see how McDonald will do in the NHL.



The 1975 draft is awful. There is some low level, 4th line talent available, and some of these guys obviously can get hit with some in game development, but overall, it’s the worst draft class we have ever seen. The NHL won’t mind if these guys sign in the WHA. Here’s a look at top pick Rick Lapointe.





Jacques Plante and Andy Bathgate are the two newest members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Jacques Plante is one of the 5 greatest goalies we have seen, and Andy Bathgate got to 1000 points before it was normal(ok, it’s not normal, but Bathgate did it 3rd, and we have 9 members of the club now!)



It’s time to pick two random teams to add two Europeans to the NHL. The first random number is 16, which means Frantisek Cernik will be joining the Stanley Cup champion Toronto Maple Leafs. Cernik is a 22 year old Czech left winger who was taken 111th by Toronto in 1973. Cernik is on the 4th line according to the Leafs depth chart. I don’t expect much of an impact this year.



The 2nd random number is 4. That means the California Golden Seals will sign 5 star, 25 year old goalie Jiri Crha! The Czech is easily the best goalie owned by the Seals. He should replace Gerry Cheevers as the starter. Crha was taken 118th overall 5 years ago! This is a big break for the Seals!


Crha has the ratings to be one of the best goalie in the NHL!

The LA Kings have changed their logo.

The Minnesota North Stars have changed their jerseys.


one of my favourite jerseys in NHL history!

[enf91]

Wait, what happened to Mel Bridgman? Wasn't he in the '75 draft?

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by enf91

Wait, what happened to Mel Bridgman? Wasn't he in the '75 draft?

Bridgman was taken by Chicago in the 1974 draft. 25th overall. He was then released that summer(BUG!!!) and signed by the Seals. He played 14 games for California last year, getting 10 points. Looks to be a regular for them this season.

[George_Bell]

1975-76 NHL Season Preview





Player Spotlight

Here is a look at Jiri Crha. He joins the Seals 5 years after being drafted. He's become a wonderful goalie, on paper. Can he become an NHL star?



Chicago seems to be the team that has done the least with the most talent. They currently have Tony Esposito, Ken Dryden, Phil Esposito, Bobby Nystrom, and spotlight player, Larry Robinson! They have all the making of a great team, but naw, they just don’t win. Larry Robinson was become a legit number one defenseman. He’s 24, and about to start his 5th season. His game rating has hit the 70’s, improving each season. He had career highs in goals, assits and points last year. There are a lot of teams that would love to have a player like Robinson.

[George_Bell]

1975-76 NHL Regular Season

The St. Louis Blues are the hardest hit team in terms of players they own the rights too that aren’t playing. 5 star goalie Dan Bouchard is the best goalie in the WHA playing for the Nordiques. He’s 1000 times better then any Blues goalie. 21 year old Bob Gainey is getting more then a ppg with the Toronto Toros. He’d be a top line player in St. Louis. Defenseman John Van Boxmeer is atop the Blues depth chart, but playing for the Nordiques. Czech centers Milan Novy and Ivan Hlinka would probably be the teams best two players if they would defect.


St. Louis needs Dan Bouchard to come to the NHL!

Toronto’s Bobby Hull scores his 500th career goal early in November. It’s an amazing accomplishment considering he didn’t score more then 18 goals in a season until his 8th year in the league. In Hulls first 7 seasons, he scored 94 goals. He played 452 games during that span. Since then, Hull has played 10 full years, with this being his 11th. He’s scored 406 goals in 756 games. First 7 years, Hull averaged 2 goals every 10 games. Since then he’s averaged almost 5.5 goals every 10 games!! Hull is the 4th player in league history to hit 500!


500 goals!

The Flyers make a huge acquisition!



29 year old Nick Libett heads to Philadelphia in a surprising move. Libett was having a great season, one year after putting up a career high in points. Libett had 98 points for the Rangers a year ago, and has 23 points in 15 games this year. He’s a high scoring winger, who has overachieved his whole career. Well, I guess it isn’t really overachieving since he’s always scoring! Libett should hit 30 goals for the 5th time this year. New York gets the rights to Ian Turnbull. Turnbull was traded in the offseason to Philly by Buffalo. Turnball is playing with the Cleveland Crusaders of the WHA, and has 167 points in 163 games there. He's a gifted offensive dman. At 21, he will get to the NHL eventually. This is clearly a case of today traded for tomorrow!


Flyers get a first liner!

I have no idea why, but in recent weeks, the Montreal Canadiens have decided to start collecting WHA players. Defenseman Phil Russell and Harold Snepsts along with forwards Danny Gare and Pat Hickey. 4 separate deals to acquire these high scoring WHA players. Do the Habs know something the rest of us don’t?


Montreal acquires Danny Gare's rights, but will he ever play in Montreal?

As January comes to an end, the Atlanta Flames are turning heads. They are 2-40-10. 2….TWO… TWO WINS!!! 52 games and 2 wins!! Wow, that is awful! Here is a look at the worst team in modern history, and arguably the worst team in NHL history!


It is a very weak roster. They made the playoffs last year!

Lanny McDonald has proven he can play in the NHL, and play at a high level. Through 44 games, he’s got 31 goals and 31 assists. I’d say that’s coming in as advertised! With McDonald, Rogie Vachon who won the Gardiner award last year, Brad Park, whose won the Pilote Trophy, and Daryl Sittler, you would think the North Stars are for real. They are currently just 3 games over .500 and are in a battle with Chicago and St. Louis for a playoff spot! With top players at every position, they need to be better.


#7 Lanny McDonald is having a great first NHL season!

Toronto’s rookie, Frank Cernik has played himself into second line duty with the champs. He’s got 53 points in 68 games at the trade deadline. He’s improved to a 3.5 star player! California goalie Jiri Crha has indeed become the starting goalie. He has the Seals just behind Toronto in the standings, and has a 29-15-10 record with a 2.34 GAA.


25 year old Crha has impressed!

With 6 games remaining in the season, Pittsburgh’s star, Marcel Dionne has 55 goals. The 24 year old is one shy of tying Bobby Hull’s record of 56 set four seasons ago. This is Dionne’s 3rd 50 goal season, no one else has ever done it more then once!


Dionne is scoring more then anyone ever has!

Final Standings



The Leafs win the Adams division, but they weren’t as dominant as they have been in the past. The Rangers actually win the President’s trophy, and the Flyers tied Toronto in points.

Atlanta ends up winning 5 more games after that story about them. That means they won 5 of their final 28 games. That’s better then 2 of 52!!



Marcel Dionne does set the single season goal scoring record, getting 59 goals! Guy Lafleur also breaks the old mark, finishing with 57 goals!! These young men are becoming the new faces of the league!

Stan Mikita says hold up on that faces of the league thing, as the 35 year old wins another scoring title. It’s the third time he’s broken the 120 point barrier. Mikita now finds himself 3rd all time in assists and points.

Nick Libett really enjoyed his new home in Philly. He scores 23 goals, and gets 63 assists in just 64 games as a Flyer. Those totals give him a season total of 106 points, a new career high. I still think this is a fantastic trade for Philly. They didn’t give anything up…..yet!!

Minnesota’s Lanny McDonald didn’t quite hit the 161 points he recorded in the WHA, but he scored 43 goals, and 87 points in just 61 games. He’s obviously one of the best players in the NHL, and he proved it in his rookie season. His teammate, Brad Park, had a career high 64 assists this year!

The WHA’s leading scorer was Danny Gare. His rights were acquired by Montreal earlier this year. He scored 63 goals and had 124 points for the Cleveland Crusaders.

[enf91]

It's a shame the game forces historical outcomes on teams. I'm sure if the Seals had been this good, they might not have left Oakland, or they would at least have stayed there a bit longer. Failing that, they could have gotten a better city than Cleveland, where non-Indians/Cavs go to die.
DAMMIT, RANGERS, STOP ****BLOCKING THE FLYERS!
I think the Flames need to trade a goalie and Maggs for the other half of a team or a star forward. They have 3 good defenseman (and underachieving Maggs) and 5 solid forwards but no stars. Also, their other 5 or 6 starting forwards are garbage.
Can you imagine how many points Dionne would have if he could find somebody to pass to? He could break 150. Repeatedly.
Who wants to bet on Leafs/Rangers? I'm starting to wonder if hockey fans in this universe have the world's worst case of deja vu.

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by enf91

It's a shame the game forces historical outcomes on teams. I'm sure if the Seals had been this good, they might not have left Oakland, or they would at least have stayed there a bit longer. Failing that, they could have gotten a better city than Cleveland, where non-Indians/Cavs go to die.
DAMMIT, RANGERS, STOP ****BLOCKING THE FLYERS!
I think the Flames need to trade a goalie and Maggs for the other half of a team or a star forward. They have 3 good defenseman (and underachieving Maggs) and 5 solid forwards but no stars. Also, their other 5 or 6 starting forwards are garbage.
Can you imagine how many points Dionne would have if he could find somebody to pass to? He could break 150. Repeatedly.
Who wants to bet on Leafs/Rangers? I'm starting to wonder if hockey fans in this universe have the world's worst case of deja vu.

The Flames could really use could really use Steve Shutt, Rick Middleton and Al McAdams. Shutt and Middleton should both be stars in the NHL, but all three would be the best 3 forwards in Atlanta! Damn the WHA!

Dionne is amazing. His linemates are Bobby Clarke, whose always above 90 points and who is decent, but shouldn't be playing with those two!

[George_Bell]

1976 NHL Playoffs

I’ve given up trying to figure out how these first round matchups work. It isn’t divisions 2nd vs 3rd, and it isn’t seeds in order of where teams have finished. It's almost random. Poorly done FHM developers.



1st Round



L.A. shuts out Chicago twice after losing the opener of their series, and the North Stars, perhaps emerging as a real contender, beat the Habs to goto round 2!

2nd Round



The lower seed wins 3 of the 4 second round series! NY will not make a 4th straight Stanley Cup appearance, losing in 5 to Minnesota. Toronto and Philadelphia have an easy time advancing, while California finds a way to beat the Penguins in 7 games!

3rd Round

#9 Minnesota vs #6 California

Despite having more points and a higher seed then Minnesota, California starts the series on the road. I don’t get it….

Rick MacLeish gives the Seals the first lead of the series, but it is short lived, as Don Awrey scores shorthanded less then a minute later for Minnesota. The score stayed that way until the final five minutes of the third. Darryl Sittler broke the tie, giving the North Stars a 2-1 win. Rod Gilbert and Dave Taylor give Minnesota the first period lead of game two, but the Seals respond in the 2nd. They score 3 times to grab the lead, getting the go-ahead goal from star defenseman Denis Potvin. In the third, the North Stars tie it, and take the lead off the stick of Dave Taylor. California then ties it and Rick MacLeish gives them the lead back. A back and forth game ends with the Seals tying the series. 5-4 California.


MacLeish leading the Seals in playoff scoring!

Darryl Sittler scores twice for Minnesota, which gives them a 1 goal lead. The Seals come through in the third period again, with Denis Potvin tying it. We go to overtime, which makes Rick MacLeish the hero. His 10th of the postseason wins it for the Seals, 3-2. California puts in a great effort in game 4. They get a short handed goal from Denis Potvin, whose having a great series and build a 3-0 lead before the North Stars can score. California shuts the game down, and skate away with a 4-1 win.


Potvin has 3 goals in the series so far!

Lanny McDonald, after doing nothing the previous four games, wakes up and scores twice in game five. The North Stars needed both goals, as McDonald’s 2nd, 5 mins into the third, is the eventual winning goal. The North Stars stay alive with the 4-3 win. Back on home ice to possibly clinch the series, the Seals start out hot. Rick MacLeish gets his 12th, leading the Seals to a 3-1 lead. Rene Robert extends the lead in the 2nd, and it’s 6-1 before Minnesota finds the net again. California wins 6-2, and takes the series in six!!



#2 Toronto vs #5 Philadelphia

Philly has home ice advantage. Both teams have 109 points. Toronto won their division and got a bye. Again, again, again, I don’t get it….

Nick Libett, Jude Drouin and Barry Dean give the Flyers a surprising 3-0 lead. Toronto responds. Garry Unger cuts the lead to just one after two periods. The Philly lead then stands for 18 minutes in the third, but Bill Clement ties it, forcing overtime. Toronto completes the comeback when a Carol Vadnais point shot eludes Gerry Desjardins. 4-3 Toronto. JP Parise opens the scoring in game two, and his goal would hold up. John Garrett stops 21 Flyer shots to earn a 2-0 shutout win!


Vadnais wins the opening game in overtime!

Game three is a battle that sees these teams tied at one entering the third period. Guy Charron gives the Leafs the lead, but Bob Gassof ties it for Philly. With overtime looming, Bobby Hull scores, his 3rd, which is the winning goal. 4-2 Leafs is the final. With a chance to end this series quickly, Toronto jumps on the Flyers, scoring 9 seconds into game four. Three minutes after that Garry Unger goal, Jean Ratelle scores. It’s 4-0 after period. John Garrett does not allow a goal. The Leafs sweep the Flyers with a 7-0 win.

[George_Bell]

Toronto is looking for a unprecedented 6th straight championship. There is something to be said about the same thing happening over and over again. It gets old, tedious, boring, but there is also something to be said about greatness. This run has been amazing. Full credit to a core that should end up in the Hall of Fame. The run is slowing down though. There are signs of it. California finished only 7 points behind the Leafs. They outscored the Leafs. They also have defense that outclasses the Leafs. The Seals have Denis Potvin and Borje Salming, both 5 star players who put up game ratings of 74! Toronto only had one player get to 70! The Seals have a balanced lineup that gets scoring from 3 lines. They don’t have the star power of the Leafs, but this is a serious challenge to the throne!

[ThatSeventiesGuy]

Go Seals!


Say, how are my late and lamented Racers doing over in the WHA?

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by ThatSeventiesGuy

Go Seals!

Say, how are my late and lamented Racers doing over in the WHA?

The Indianapolis Racers are not doing well. They went 10-64-4 in their first season, but atleast improved to 23--53-4 this year. HEre are their leaders scorers this season. Not all too impressive a group I'm afraid...

[George_Bell]

Toronto won the Adams division with 109 points. California finished 2nd in the Adams division with 102 points. California has home ice advantage…..

Toronto gets a 1-0 lead very early in the first with Peter McNab’s first playoff goal. Gregg Sheppard ties it late in the 2nd, then Denis Potvin gives the Seals a third period lead. Bobby Hull ties the game again, but Rick Blight is the California hero, scoring late, giving the Seals a 3-2 win! After a scoreless first period of game two, the teams exchange goals in the 2nd for a 2-2 tie. In the third, Toronto gets the bounce they need to tie the series. JP Parise converts on a power play. Toronto wins it 3-2!

Parise's game two winner ties the series!

Rick MacLeish gets a goal and two assists. Borje Salming finds the net for the first time this series. The Seals take the series lead with a 3-2 game three win. Facing adversity, the Leafs get off to a bad start when Salming makes it 1-0 California a minute into game four. Ken Hodge leads the battle back tying it late in the first. Norm Ferguson scores on the power play a minute into the third, and JP Parise gets an empty net goal to clinch this hard fought game. Toronto wins 3-1 to tie the series again.


Seals star MacLeish is the first star of game three!

Rene Robert gets three assists, and the Seals score 4 times in the 2nd period of game five to take the 4-0 lead. Toronto does respond, as any champion would, but that lead was just two big. The Seals win 4-2 and are one game away from the title. Back in Toronto for game six, the crowd is very nervous watching their boys play for their lives. There is no scoring in the first period, and it isn’t tell the end of the second until we see some offense. Rick Kehoe opens the scoring, then assists on a Ed Kea goal a minute later! 2-0 California after two. With the ultimate goal in sight, Dale Hoganson gets the Seals a third goal. Jiri Crha stops 25 Toronto shots. For the first time ever, with a 3-0 win, the Seals are Stanley Cup Champions!! Toronto’s 5 year streak is over!

[George_Bell]

[ThatSeventiesGuy]

That gets my....


Seal of approval.


Man, sounds like the Racers are pretty bad. I've been thinking about doing a "what if they kept Gretzky and Messier and got into the NHL" scenario at some point in my game.

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by ThatSeventiesGuy

That gets my....

Seal of approval.

Man, sounds like the Racers are pretty bad. I've been thinking about doing a "what if they kept Gretzky and Messier and got into the NHL" scenario at some point in my game.

I know how that scenario would play out. They would be pretty friggin good!!! Couple of cups good!