The 1971–72

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...

season was the Canucks' second season in the NHL. They finished 7th, last, in the East Division. Hal Laycoe, the team's first head coach, was fired after the season concluded and replaced by

Vic Stasiuk Victor John Stasiuk (May 23, 1929 – May 7, 2023) was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger and coach. He played in the National Hockey League from 1949 to 1963 and then served as a coach from 1969 to 1973. Biography Stasiuk played juni ...

Regular season

The Canucks opened the season at home against the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...

on October 8, 1971. They lost the game 3–2, though Jocelyn Guevremont, the team's first draft choice in the

1971 NHL amateur draft The 1971 NHL amateur draft was the ninth NHL entry draft. It was held on June 10, 1971, at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec. The last active player in the NHL from this draft class was Larry Robinson, who retired after the 1991� ...

, scored his first goal. In their game against the

Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...

on October 20, the Canucks were

shutout In team sports, a shutout (North American English, US) or clean sheet (Commonwealth English, UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketba ...

for the first time, losing 7–0. One week later the Canucks played the Maple Leafs and drew them 0–0, the first time the team had a shutout of their own; Dunc Wilson was in net for the Canucks, while

Bernie Parent Bernard Marcel Parent (born April 3, 1945) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs between 1965 and 1979, an ...

was in for the Maple Leafs. During his tour of Canada,

Soviet Premier The Premier of the Soviet Union () was the head of government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). From 1923 to 1946, the name of the office was Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, and from 1946 to 1991 its name was ...

Alexei Kosygin Alexei Nikolayevich Kosygin (–18 December 1980) was a Soviet people, Soviet statesman during the Cold War. He served as the Premier of the Soviet Union from 1964 to 1980 and, alongside General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev, was one of its most ...

and his entourage watched the Canucks play the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...

on October 22. They stayed for the first two periods and saw Montreal score four goals en route to winning the game 6–0.

Frank Mahovlich Francis William Mahovlich (born January 10, 1938) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and a former Liberal Senator in the Canadian Senate. He played on six Stanley Cup-winning teams and is an inductee of the Hockey Hall of Fame ...

recorded a

hat trick A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mechan ...

for the Canadiens, while

Ken Dryden Kenneth Wayne Dryden (born August 8, 1947) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender, politician, lawyer, businessman, and author. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was ...

earned the shutout. With the season concluded, Hal Laycoe was fired as head coach of the team. He was appointed vice-president of player development and scouting, and

was named the new coach.

Standings

Divisional standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

, - , 1 , , October 8 , ,

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, , 3–2 , , Vancouver , , 0–1–0 , , 0 , - , 2 , , October 10 , ,

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, , 4–2 , , Vancouver , , 0–2–0 , , 0 , - , 3 , , October 12 , ,

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, , 2–3 , , Vancouver , , 1–2–0 , , 2 , - , 4 , , October 15 , , Vancouver , , 9–6 , ,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, , 2–2–0 , , 4 , - , 5 , , October 16 , ,

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, , 2–1 , , Vancouver , , 2–3–0 , , 4 , - , 6 , , October 19 , , Vancouver , , 3–1 , ,

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

, , 3–3–0 , , 6 , - , 7 , , October 20 , , Vancouver , , 0–7 , ,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, , 3–4–0 , , 6 , - , 8 , , October 22 , ,

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, , 6–0 , , Vancouver , , 3–5–0 , , 6 , - , 9 , , October 24 , ,

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, , 4–3 , , Vancouver , , 3–6–0 , , 6 , - , 10 , , October 27 , , Vancouver , , 0–0 , ,

, , 3–6–1 , , 7 , - , 11 , , October 28 , , Vancouver , , 2–3 , , Philadelphia , , 3–7–1 , , 7 , - , 12 , , October 30 , , Buffalo , , 4–4 , , Vancouver , , 3–7–2 , , 8 , - , 13 , , October 31 , ,

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, , 2–6 , , Vancouver , , 4–7–2 , , 10 , - , - , 14 , , November 5 , , Pittsburgh , , 2–4 , , Vancouver , , 5–7–2 , , 12 , - , 15 , , November 6 , ,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, , 3–1 , , Vancouver , , 5–8–2 , , 12 , - , 16 , , November 10 , , Vancouver , , 1–3 , , Pittsburgh , , 5–9–2 , , 12 , - , 17 , , November 11 , , Vancouver , , 3–4 , , Philadelphia , , 5–10–2 , , 12 , - , 18 , , November 13 , , Vancouver , , 2–2 , , Toronto , , 5–10–3 , , 13 , - , 19 , , November 14 , , Vancouver , , 1–6 , , New York , , 5–11–3 , , 13 , - , 20 , , November 17 , , Vancouver , , 0–3 , , Chicago , , 5–12–3 , , 13 , - , 21 , , November 18 , , Vancouver , , 0–5 , , Boston , , 5–13–3 , , 13 , - , 22 , , November 21 , , Detroit , , 2–2 , , Vancouver , , 5–13–4 , , 14 , - , 23 , , November 23 , , Minnesota , , 2–1 , , Vancouver , , 5–14–4 , , 14 , - , 24 , , November 27 , , Buffalo , , 2–5 , , Vancouver , , 6–14–4 , , 16 , - , 25 , , November 30 , , Chicago , , 2–4 , , Vancouver , , 7–14–4 , , 18 , - , - , 26 , , December 4 , , Vancouver , , 0–7 , , Montreal , , 7–15–4 , , 18 , - , 27 , , December 5 , , Vancouver , , 3–6 , , New York , , 7–16–4 , , 18 , - , 28 , , December 7 , , St. Louis , , 1–2 , , Vancouver , , 8–16–4 , , 20 , - , 29 , , December 11 , , Boston , , 6–2 , , Vancouver , , 8–17–4 , , 20 , - , 30 , , December 14 , , Detroit , , 4–3 , , Vancouver , , 8–18–4 , , 20 , - , 31 , , December 17 , , Monreal , , 6–2 , , Vancouver , , 8–19–4 , , 20 , - , 32 , , December 19 , , Vancouver , , 1–5 , , Buffalo , , 8–20–4 , , 20 , - , 33 , , December 22 , , Vancouver , , 0–3 , , Detroit , , 8–21–4 , , 20 , - , 34 , , December 26 , , California , , 2–6 , , Vancouver , , 9–21–4 , , 22 , - , 35 , , December 29 , , Vancouver , , 1–3 , , Los Angeles , , 9–22–4 , , 22 , - , - , 36 , , January 2 , , Los Angeles , , 6–3 , , Vancouver , , 9–23–4 , , 22 , - , 37 , , January 5 , , Vancouver , , 4–6 , , Montreal , , 9–24–4 , , 22 , - , 38 , , January 8 , , Vancouver , , 5–1 , , Minnesota , , 10–24–4 , , 24 , - , 39 , , January 11 , , Minnesota , , 2–2 , , Vancouver , , 10–24–5 , , 25 , - , 40 , , January 14 , , Vancouver , , 3–5 , , California , , 10–25–5 , , 25 , - , 41 , , January 15 , , California , , 3–4 , , Vancouver , , 11–25–5 , , 27 , - , 42 , , January 19 , , Vancouver , , 6–1 , , Pittsburgh , , 12–25–5 , , 29 , - , 43 , , January 20 , , Vancouver , , 0–1 , , Buffalo , , 12–26–5 , , 29 , - , 44 , , January 22 , , New York , , 2–5 , , Vancouver , , 13–26–5, , 31 , - , 45 , , January 27 , , Vancouver , , 0–4 , , Chicago , , 13–27–5 , , 31 , - , 46 , , January 29 , , Toronto , , 2–5 , , Vancouver , , 14–27–5 , , 33 , - , 47 , , January 30 , , California , , 2–0 , , Vancouver , , 14–28–5 , , 33 , - , - , 48 , , February 2 , , Vancouver , , 5–1 , , California , , 15–28–5 , , 35 , - , 49 , , February 4 , , Chicago , , 6–2 , , Vancouver , , 15–29–5 , , 35 , - , 50 , , February 6 , , Montreal , , 4–2 , , Vancouver , , 15–30–5 , , 35 , - , 51 , , February 8 , , Philadelphia , , 3–1 , , Vancouver , , 15–31–5 , , 35 , - , 52 , , February 10 , , Vancouver , , 1–9 , , Boston , , 15–32–5 , , 35 , - , 53 , , February 12 , , Vancouver , , 4–5 , , St. Louis , , 15–33–5 , , 35 , - , 54 , , February 13 , , Vancouver , , 4–6 , , Pittsburgh , , 15–34–5 , , 35 , - , 55 , , February 15 , , New York , , 5–1 , , Vancouver , , 15–35–5 , , 35 , - , 56 , , February 18 , , St. Louis , , 2–5 , , Vancouver , , 16–35–5 , , 37 , - , 57 , , February 19 , , Vancouver , , 3–5 , , Los Angeles , , 16–36–5 , , 37 , - , 58 , , February 22 , , Boston , , 4–3 , , Vancouver , , 16–37–5 , , 37 , - , 59 , , February 24 , , Vancouver , , 0–2 , , Detroit , , 16–38–5 , , 37 , - , 60 , , February 26 , , Vancouver , , 1–7 , , Toronto , , 16–39–5 , , 37 , - , 61 , , February 27 , , Vancouver , , 3–3 , , Chicago , , 16–39–6 , , 38 , - , 62 , , February 29 , , Vancouver , , 2–8 , , Detroit , , 16–40–6 , , 38 , - , - , 63 , , March 2 , , Vancouver , , 3–7 , , Boston , , 16–41–6 , , 38 , - , 64 , , March 4 , , Vancouver , , 0–5 , , Montreal , , 16–42–6 , , 38 , - , 65 , , March 5 , , Vancouver , , 1–6 , , New York , , 16–43–6 , , 38 , - , 66 , , March 8 , , Philadelphia , , 6–5 , , Vancouver , , 16–44–6 , , 38 , - , 67 , , March 10 , , Buffalo , , 2–3 , , Vancouver , , 17–44–6 , , 40 , - , 68 , , March 14 , , Pittsburgh , , 7–4 , , Vancouver , , 17–45–6 , , 40 , - , 69 , , March 16 , , Vancouver , , 2–6 , , Minnesota , , 17–46–6 , , 40 , - , 70 , , March 17 , , Vancouver , , 6–2 , , Buffalo , , 18–46–6 , , 42 , - , 71 , , March 19 , , St. Louis , , 3–3 , , Vancouver , , 18–46–7 , , 43 , - , 72 , , March 21 , , Detroit , , 7–5 , , Vancouver , , 18–47–7 , , 43 , - , 73 , , March 24 , , Toronto , , 3–5 , , Vancouver , , 19–47–7 , , 45 , - , 74 , , March 26 , , Vancouver , , 1–4 , , Philadelphia , , 19–48–7 , , 45 , - , 75 , , March 28 , , Vancouver , , 1–2 , , St. Louis , , 19–49–7 , , 45 , - , 76 , , March 29 , , Vancouver , , 2–4 , , Los Angeles , , 19–50–7 , , 45 , - , 77 , , March 31 , , Los Angeles , , 4–4 , , Vancouver , , 19–50–8 , , 46 , - , - , 78 , , April 2 , , Minnesota , , 1–4 , , Vancouver , , 20–50–8 , , 48 , - , - , ''Legend'':

Player statistics

Skaters

''Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes'' ^†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Vancouver. Stats reflect time with the Canucks only. Denotes player traded by Vancouver midway through the season. Stats reflect time with Canucks only.

Goaltenders

''Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average''

Awards and records

Trophies and awards

* Cyclone Taylor Award (Canucks MVP): Orland Kurtenbach * Cyrus H. McLean Trophy (Canucks Leading Scorer): Andre Boudrias, Orland Kurtenbach * Fred J. Hume Award (Canucks Unsung Hero): Ron Ward * Most Exciting Player: Andre Boudrias

Records achieved in the season

Canucks team records

*Fewest points overall: (48) – repeated in 1994–95 *Fewest road points: (15) – repeated in 1972–73 *Fewest wins overall: (20) – (18 in shortened 1994–95 season) *Most losses overall: (50) *Most road losses: (30) *Fewest ties overall: (8) – repeated in 1970–71, 1986–87, 1988–89 *Most shutouts against: (12)

Transactions

The Canucks were involved in the following transactions during the 1971–72 season.

Trades

Draft picks

Vancouver's picks at the

, held at the

Queen Elizabeth Hotel Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth () is a historic grand hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. With 950 rooms and 21 floors it is the largest hotel in Quebec, and the second largest Fairmont hotel in Canada after the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. Lo ...

Notes

References

*Player stats: 2006–07 Vancouver Canucks Media Guide – 1970–71 stats, pg. 150. *Game log: 2006–07 Vancouver Canucks Media Guide – 1970–71 stats, pg. 150. *Team standings: 2007–08 NHL Official Guide & Record Book, pg. 150. *Team records: 2006–07 Vancouver Canucks Media Guide – Canucks all time team & individual records, pp. 225–237 * {{DEFAULTSORT:1971-72 Vancouver Canucks season Vancouver Canucks seasons Vanc Vanc