Tessier spent parts of three seasons playing in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins from 1954 to 1961.
The Black Hawks got off to a quick start, as through their first 25 games, Chicago had a league best record of 17–3–5, earning 39 points.
Chicago would attempt to strengthen their club, acquiring Curt Fraser from the Vancouver Canucks for former first round draft pick Tony Tanti.
Steve Larmer had a breakout season, scoring 43 goals and 90 points, while finishing with a team high +44 rating.
The Black Hawks rebounded in the second game, led by Denis Savard and his two goals in a 7–2 blowout victory to tie the series up at 1-1.
The next two games were played at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the North Stars, led by three points by Brad Maxwell and 23 saves by Gilles Meloche, cut the Black Hawks lead in half with a 5–1 victory.
The Black Hawks advanced to the Campbell Conference finals for the second consecutive year, this time facing the Edmonton Oilers.
In the post-season, the Oilers swept the Winnipeg Jets in the first round, and defeated the Calgary Flames in five games in the Smythe Division finals.
In the second game, the Oilers continued their dominance, as Glenn Anderson had four goals, while Mark Messier had three, leading Edmonton to an 8–2 win.
Edmonton stormed out of the gate in the fourth game, taking an early 4–0 lead, as they coasted to a 6–3 victory, sweeping the Black Hawks out of the playoffs.