This time, however, it was at the hands of the Boston Bruins, as the defending champions Montreal Canadiens narrowly missed the playoffs, something that did not happen again for the next quarter century.
The 1969 NHL Amateur Draft was held on June 12 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec.
Detroit owner Bruce Norris installed a phone at the Red Wing bench connected to his at his seat in the Olympia.
Gadsby was fired after three games Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins became the first (and to date, the only) defenceman in NHL history to win the league scoring championship.
The East Division, however, saw a temporary changing of the guard, as Montreal dropped from first the previous season to fifth, missing the playoffs on the total goals scored tie-breaker with the New York Rangers.
The Rangers were in first place for a time, but injuries on the blueline doomed any hope of a first-place finish, and they even obtained Tim Horton in desperation.
The Bruins and the Black Hawks both tied for the lead in the East (and entire league) with 99 points, but Chicago was awarded first place because they had 5 more wins.
[2] After the final buzzer, the Rangers peppered Red Wings goaltender Crozier with a franchise-record 65 shots on goal en route to a 9–5 triumph and a four-goal lead over Montreal.
[2] Later that evening, the Canadiens either had to win, or score at least five goals in defeat, but were up against a Black Hawks team needing a victory to clinch top seed in the divisional playoffs.
With Montreal trailing 5–2 and desperate for three more goals with 9:16 remaining in the third period, coach Claude Ruel pulled netminder Rogie Vachon for an extra attacker.
[3] Montreal's Yvan Cournoyer commented on the Red Wings' effort in the afternoon, bitterly stating, "Those guys have no pride.
Game three at Madison Square Garden featured a hostile crowd, with the New York fans booing, shouting obscenities and throwing objects at the Boston players.
Giacomin – back in goal for the Rangers – reportedly told Bruin Derek Sanderson "We're being paid to get you tonight."
A subsequent brawl erupted into both benches clearing, as well as fans littering the ice with debris; it took 19 minutes to play the first 91 seconds of the game.
Bobby Orr set up the winner when he stole a pass at center ice when the Rangers were caught on a line change.
Fans threw eggs and ball bearings on the ice, and when the outcome was no longer in doubt, set fires in the mezzanine of Madison Square Garden.
St. Louis won this year's eight-game regular season series, earning ten of sixteen points.
Game three at the Metropolitan Sports Center featured Gump Worsley's sharp goaltending and Bill Goldsworthy scoring two goals in a 4–2 win for the North Stars.
Oakland won this year's eight-game regular season series, earning nine of sixteen points.
St. Louis won this year's eight-game regular season series, earning twelve of sixteen points.