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| Date | January 25, 1972 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arena | Metropolitan Sports Center | |||||||||||||||
| City | Bloomington | |||||||||||||||
| MVP | Bobby Orr (Boston) | |||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 15,423 | |||||||||||||||
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The 25th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Metropolitan Sports Center in Bloomington, home of the Minnesota North Stars, on January 25, 1972. It was the first and only time the All-Star Game was held at the Metropolitan Sports Center. The East Division All-Stars defeated the West Division All-Stars 3–2. Bobby Orr was named the game's most valuable player.
Clarence Campbell, president of the NHL announced that the NHL was expanding to Atlanta and Long Island. Campbell also indicated that the NHL would expand by two further teams for the 1974–75 season. The executives of the Central Hockey League and the Western Hockey League met to discuss the merger of their two leagues. The merger discussions were disrupted when Daniel Myers, owner of the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, committed suicide. [1]
It was the first time since 1956 that Gordie Howe did not play in the All-Star Game.
| # | Score | Team | Goalscorer (Assist(s)) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First period | ||||
| East | Goaltender in: Dryden | 0:00 | ||
| West | Goaltender in: T. Esposito | 0:00 | ||
| 0–0 | East | Penalty: Hadfield | 6:22 | |
| 1 | 1-0 | West | Goal: B. Hull (P. Martin, Maki) | 17:01 |
| Second period | ||||
| 2 | 2-0 | West | Goal: Nolet (D. Hull) | 1:11 |
| 3 | 2-1 | East | Goal: Ratelle (Tremblay, Gilbert) | 3:48 |
| 2–1 | West | Penalty: White | 5:26 | |
| 2–1 | East | Goaltender out: Dryden Goaltender in: Villemure | 10:24 | |
| 2–1 | West | Goaltender out: T. Esposito Goaltender in: Worsley | 10:24 | |
| 4 | 2 -2 | East | Goal: McKenzie (Park, Seiling) | 18:45 |
| Third period | ||||
| 2–2 | West | Penalty: White | 2:28 | |
| 2–2 | East | Penalty: Esposito | 5:34 | |
| 2–2 | East | Penalty: Tremblay | 8:42 | |
| 2–2 | West | Penalty: Mohns | 19:05 | |
| 5 | 2-3 | East | Goal: Esposito (Smith, Orr) (PPG) | 19:16 |
Goaltenders | ||||
| ||||
Shots on goal | ||||
| ||||
| Officials | ||||
Referee : Bruce Hood Linesmen : Claude Béchard, Matt Pavelich | ||||
Source: Podnieks [2]
The National Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered to be the top ranked professional ice hockey league in the world, with players from 18 countries as of the 2022–23 season. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) also views the Stanley Cup as one of the "most important championships available to the sport".
The National Hockey League All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey tournament that is traditionally held during the regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL), with many of the League's star players playing against each other. The game's proceeds benefit the pension fund of the players, and the winning team is awarded $1,000,000 towards a charity of their choice.
The 1979–80 NHL season was the 63rd season of the National Hockey League. This season saw the addition of four teams from the disbanded World Hockey Association as expansion franchises. The Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, New England Whalers, and Quebec Nordiques joined the NHL, bringing the total to 21 teams. The other two WHA teams were paid to disband.
The 1933–34 NHL season was the 17th season of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nine teams each played 48 games. The Chicago Black Hawks were the Stanley Cup winners as they beat the Detroit Red Wings three games to one.
The 21st National Hockey League All-Star Game was played in Maple Leaf Gardens on January 16, 1968, where the host Toronto Maple Leafs battled a team of all-stars from the remaining NHL teams. It was the last time that Maple Leaf Gardens would host the game, and it was also the final game under the Stanley Cup champions-versus-NHL All-Stars format, as the NHL would switch to a divisional format for the game in 1969.
The 1967–68 Minnesota North Stars season was the team's inaugural season in the National Hockey League (NHL). They finished fourth in the West Division with a record of 27 wins, 32 losses, and 15 ties for 69 points. In the playoffs, they defeated the Los Angeles Kings in seven games in the Quarter-finals before losing to the St. Louis Blues in the Semi-finals, also in seven games.
The 37th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Olympic Saddledome in Calgary, home of the Calgary Flames, on February 12, 1985. The Wales Conference defeated the Campbell Conference 6–4. The game's most valuable player was Mario Lemieux, who became the first rookie to win All-Star MVP honours, a feat that would not be repeated until 33 years later by Vancouver Canuck Brock Boeser in 2018.
The 32nd National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, home to the Detroit Red Wings, on February 5, 1980. The Wales Conference all-star team won for the fifth consecutive time. Reggie Leach was voted MVP after scoring one goal and one assist. This was Wayne Gretzky's first appearance and Gordie Howe's 23rd and final All-Star game appearance.
The 28th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Montreal Forum in Montreal, home to the Montreal Canadiens, on January 21, 1975. The NHL expansion changed the format of the NHL All-Star game into a battle of conferences. The Wales Conference All-Star team easily won the initial contest, trouncing the Campbell Conference 7–1. Syl Apps Jr. was voted the game's most valuable player after scoring two goals. The game was also notable for the first female reporters allowed in a men's professional sports locker room, Robin Herman and Marcelle St. Cyr.
The 24th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Boston Garden in Boston, home of the Boston Bruins. This was the first time that the all-star game was held in Boston. The West Division All-Stars defeated the East Division All-Stars 2–1. The West's Bobby Hull was named the game's most valuable player.
The 26th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Madison Square Garden in New York City, home of the New York Rangers, on January 30, 1973. It was the first time that the All-Star Game was held in New York. The East Division All-Stars defeated the West Division All-Stars 5–4. Greg Polis was named the game's most valuable player.
The 27th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Chicago Stadium in Chicago, home of the Chicago Black Hawks, on January 29, 1974. It was the second time that the All-Star Game was held in Chicago. The East Division All-Stars defeated the West Division All-Stars 5–4. Garry Unger was named the game's most valuable player.
The 23rd National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the St. Louis Arena in St. Louis, home of the St. Louis Blues, on January 20, 1970. It was the first time the All-Star Game was held at the St. Louis Arena. The East Division All-Stars defeated the West Division All-Stars 4–1. Bobby Hull was named the game's most valuable player.
The 22nd National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Montreal Forum in Montreal, home of the Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens, on January 21, 1969. The East Division All-Stars tied the West Division All-Stars 3–3. This was the first All-Star Game played under a divisional format, and the final All-Star Game to end in a tie. Frank Mahovlich was named the game's most valuable player.
The 20th National Hockey League All-Star Game was played in Montreal Forum on January 18, 1967, where the host Montreal Canadiens defeated a team of all-stars from the remaining NHL teams 3–0. It was the first, and to date, only time a shutout occurred in an All-Star Game. It was the first All-Star Game held in mid-season. The previous Game was held in October 1965.
The 2017 National Hockey League All-Star Game was held at Staples Center in Los Angeles, home of the Los Angeles Kings on January 29, 2017 at 12:30pm PT. This was the third time that Los Angeles hosted the NHL All-Star Game and the first time since 2002.
The 2020 National Hockey League All-Star Game was held on January 25, 2020, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, the home of the St. Louis Blues. The city previously hosted the NHL All-Star Game in 1970 and 1988 at the former St. Louis Arena. For the fifth year, the All-Star Game used a 3-on-3 format, with teams representing each of the league's four divisions competing in a single-elimination tournament.
The 2022 National Hockey League All-Star Game was held on February 5, 2022, at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, the home of the Vegas Golden Knights. For the sixth consecutive All-Star Game, a three-on-three format was used, with teams representing each of the league's four divisions competing in a single-elimination tournament.
