1974–75 Minnesota North Stars season

1974–75 Minnesota North Stars
Division	4th Smythe
1974–75 record	23–50–7
Goals for	221
Goals against	341
Team information
General manager	Jack Gordon
Coach	Jack Gordon Charlie Burns
Captain	Bill Goldsworthy
Alternate captains	J. P. Parisé Dennis Hextall Barry Gibbs
Arena	Met Center
Team leaders
Goals	Bill Goldsworthy (37)
Assists	Dennis Hextall (57)
Points	Dennis Hextall (74)
Penalty minutes	Dennis Hextall (147)
Wins	Cesare Maniago (11)
Goals against average	Pete LoPresti (4.19)

The 1974–75 Minnesota North Stars season was the team's 8th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The North Stars finished 4th in the Smythe Division and did not qualify for the playoffs.

Pre-season

On October 6, 1974, the North Stars won an exhibition game 5-3 against the Toronto Toros.

Regular Season

Melee after the first Dave Forbes-Henry Boucha fight, January 4, 1975.

At 8:22 of the first period of the Boston-Minnesota game on January 4, 1975, Dave Forbes checked Henry Boucha into the boards in the North Stars corner. Boucha took exception and sucker-punched Forbes. A melee ensued which quickly died down. Terry O'Reilly was deemed to be the third man in and was given a game misconduct. Boucha and Forbes were each given seven penalty minutes and both went to the box without any overt animosity. However, as soon as their penalties expired and they took to the ice, Forbes butt-ended Boucha in the face, fracturing his eye socket. Another melee ensued but quickly ended as the extent of Boucha's injury was realized. Bleeding profusely, Boucha was stretchered off. When the dust settled, Boston was short handed for ten minutes, which they killed off. The Bruins went on to win 8-0, scoring a short-handed goal and seven power plays goals, an NHL record. Forbes was given a ten-game suspension and charged with aggravated assault. His trial ended in a hung jury. Forbes and the Bruins settled a civil case by paying Boucha in excess of one million dollars. Boucha made a comeback, playing the next season for the Kansas City Scouts and the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA but with his vision permanently affected, he retired from pro hockey.

Final Standings

Smythe Division

	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	Pts
Vancouver Canucks	80	38	32	10	271	254	86
St. Louis Blues	80	35	31	14	269	267	84
Chicago Black Hawks	80	37	35	8	268	241	82
Minnesota North Stars	80	23	50	7	221	341	53
Kansas City Scouts	80	15	54	11	184	328	41

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Game Log

Regular Season Results
No.	R	Date	Score	Opponent	Record
1	L	October 9, 1974	2–4	Pittsburgh Penguins (1974–75)	0–1–0
2	W	October 12, 1974	6–0	Washington Capitals (1974–75)	1–1–0
3	T	October 16, 1974	1–1	Vancouver Canucks (1974–75)	1–1–1
4	L	October 19, 1974	1–2	Buffalo Sabres (1974–75)	1–2–1
5	L	October 20, 1974	0–6	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1974–75)	1–3–1
6	W	October 22, 1974	3–2	@ Vancouver Canucks (1974–75)	2–3–1
7	T	October 25, 1974	2–2	@ Atlanta Flames (1974–75)	2–3–2
8	L	October 26, 1974	0–4	@ New York Islanders (1974–75)	2–4–2
9	T	October 30, 1974	3–3	Boston Bruins (1974–75)	2–4–3
10	L	November 3, 1974	1–10	@ Boston Bruins (1974–75)	2–5–3
11	L	November 4, 1974	1–6	@ Montreal Canadiens (1974–75)	2–6–3
12	L	November 6, 1974	4–7	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1974–75)	2–7–3
13	L	November 7, 1974	0–2	@ Philadelphia Flyers (1974–75)	2–8–3
14	W	November 9, 1974	7–5	Toronto Maple Leafs (1974–75)	3–8–3
15	W	November 13, 1974	7–4	Detroit Red Wings (1974–75)	4–8–3
16	L	November 14, 1974	3–5	@ Buffalo Sabres (1974–75)	4–9–3
17	W	November 16, 1974	3–1	Kansas City Scouts (1974–75)	5–9–3
18	L	November 18, 1974	4–9	@ Montreal Canadiens (1974–75)	5–10–3
19	W	November 21, 1974	3–2	St. Louis Blues (1974–75)	6–10–3
20	W	November 23, 1974	3–1	California Golden Seals (1974–75)	7–10–3
21	T	November 24, 1974	4–4	@ Washington Capitals (1974–75)	7–10–4
22	W	November 27, 1974	6–4	Washington Capitals (1974–75)	8–10–4
23	W	November 30, 1974	5–3	Chicago Black Hawks (1974–75)	9–10–4
24	L	December 1, 1974	0–3	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1974–75)	9–11–4
25	L	December 3, 1974	5–6	@ Vancouver Canucks (1974–75)	9–12–4
26	L	December 4, 1974	1–4	@ Los Angeles Kings (1974–75)	9–13–4
27	L	December 6, 1974	3–5	@ California Golden Seals (1974–75)	9–14–4
28	L	December 8, 1974	0–5	@ Buffalo Sabres (1974–75)	9–15–4
29	L	December 10, 1974	3–5	Montreal Canadiens (1974–75)	9–16–4
30	L	December 12, 1974	0–6	@ Philadelphia Flyers (1974–75)	9–17–4
31	W	December 14, 1974	4–2	Buffalo Sabres (1974–75)	10–17–4
32	L	December 18, 1974	0–7	@ New York Rangers (1974–75)	10–18–4
33	W	December 21, 1974	8–7	Pittsburgh Penguins (1974–75)	11–18–4
34	T	December 26, 1974	4–4	@ Detroit Red Wings (1974–75)	11–18–5
35	L	December 28, 1974	2–4	@ St. Louis Blues (1974–75)	11–19–5
36	L	December 30, 1974	1–8	New York Rangers (1974–75)	11–20–5
37	L	January 2, 1975	3–6	@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1974–75)	11–21–5
38	L	January 4, 1975	0–8	Boston Bruins (1974–75)	11–22–5
39	L	January 6, 1975	2–5	@ Kansas City Scouts (1974–75)	11–23–5
40	L	January 8, 1975	2–4	Los Angeles Kings (1974–75)	11–24–5
41	L	January 15, 1975	3–5	New York Rangers (1974–75)	11–25–5
42	L	January 18, 1975	4–5	@ St. Louis Blues (1974–75)	11–26–5
43	T	January 19, 1975	4–4	@ Detroit Red Wings (1974–75)	11–26–6
44	L	January 23, 1975	0–7	Montreal Canadiens (1974–75)	11–27–6
45	W	January 25, 1975	4–1	Kansas City Scouts (1974–75)	12–27–6
46	L	January 28, 1975	2–6	@ New York Islanders (1974–75)	12–28–6
47	L	January 29, 1975	3–4	New York Islanders (1974–75)	12–29–6
48	W	February 1, 1975	3–2	@ Kansas City Scouts (1974–75)	13–29–6
49	L	February 2, 1975	3–5	Atlanta Flames (1974–75)	13–30–6
50	L	February 5, 1975	1–2	Chicago Black Hawks (1974–75)	13–31–6
51	L	February 6, 1975	2–3	@ Boston Bruins (1974–75)	13–32–6
52	W	February 8, 1975	5–0	Philadelphia Flyers (1974–75)	14–32–6
53	W	February 9, 1975	3–2	@ Atlanta Flames (1974–75)	15–32–6
54	L	February 12, 1975	2–4	New York Islanders (1974–75)	15–33–6
55	L	February 15, 1975	2–9	New York Rangers (1974–75)	15–34–6
56	W	February 16, 1975	8–4	California Golden Seals (1974–75)	16–34–6
57	L	February 19, 1975	2–4	Atlanta Flames (1974–75)	16–35–6
58	W	February 22, 1975	4–1	Vancouver Canucks (1974–75)	17–35–6
59	L	February 23, 1975	2–4	@ Kansas City Scouts (1974–75)	17–36–6
60	L	February 25, 1975	2–9	Toronto Maple Leafs (1974–75)	17–37–6
61	W	February 26, 1975	3–1	@ California Golden Seals (1974–75)	18–37–6
62	L	March 1, 1975	4–7	@ Los Angeles Kings (1974–75)	18–38–6
63	W	March 4, 1975	6–4	Vancouver Canucks (1974–75)	19–38–6
64	L	March 5, 1975	2–9	Philadelphia Flyers (1974–75)	19–39–6
65	L	March 8, 1975	3–5	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1974–75)	19–40–6
66	L	March 9, 1975	4–5	St. Louis Blues (1974–75)	19–41–6
67	L	March 12, 1975	4–9	@ Atlanta Flames (1974–75)	19–42–6
68	L	March 15, 1975	2–5	Chicago Black Hawks (1974–75)	19–43–6
69	W	March 16, 1975	4–3	Detroit Red Wings (1974–75)	20–43–6
70	L	March 18, 1975	3–5	Los Angeles Kings (1974–75)	20–44–6
71	W	March 20, 1975	5–1	@ Washington Capitals (1974–75)	21–44–6
72	L	March 22, 1975	0–4	@ Philadelphia Flyers (1974–75)	21–45–6
73	T	March 23, 1975	3–3	New York Islanders (1974–75)	21–45–7
74	W	March 25, 1975	2–1	Kansas City Scouts (1974–75)	22–45–7
75	W	March 26, 1975	4–2	@ New York Rangers (1974–75)	23–45–7
76	L	March 29, 1975	1–2	@ St. Louis Blues (1974–75)	23–46–7
77	L	March 30, 1975	1–4	@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1974–75)	23–47–7
78	L	April 1, 1975	3–7	St. Louis Blues (1974–75)	23–48–7
79	L	April 4, 1975	1–4	@ Vancouver Canucks (1974–75)	23–49–7
80	L	April 6, 1975	0–3	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1974–75)	23–50–7

Playoffs

• The North Stars did not qualify for the playoffs.

Awards and Records

• The North Stars did not win any awards this season.

Video

Two videos of the two fights between Dave Forbes and Henry Boucha which led to Boucha's eye injury on January 4, 1975.

1975 01 04 H Boucha D Forbes,T O’Reilly

1975 01 04 H Boucha,M Oliver,C Maniago g D Forbes,K Broderick g

See Also

• 1974–75 NHL season

References

• 1974–75 Minnesota North Stars Games. Hockey-reference.com. Retrieved on 2009-05-06.