March 23rd, 1974 NHL Coaches Poll - Toronto Star

[Canadiens Fan]

In an article written by Frank Orr of the Toronto Star, dated March 23rd, 1974, all of the NHL coaches were asked anonymously to submit their choices in various categories given by the Toronto Star. Each NHL head coach at the time participated.

Below I have listed the winners in each category. In brackets I have put the runner-ups in order of finish. Sometimes the article lists the runner-up only. Other times it goes a few players deep.

Most Underrated Player - Walt Tkachuk (Pit Martin)

Best Shot - Phil Esposito, Rick Martin tie (Bobby Orr, Mickey Redmond)

Hardest Shot - Dennis Hull (Mickey Redmond, Bobby Orr, Rick Martin)

Best Penalty Killer - Bobby Clarke, Walt Tkachuk, Craig Ramsey, Pete Mahovlich tie

Best Skater - Bobby Orr (Yvan Cournoyer)

Best Checker - Bobby Clarke (Jim Roberts, Ed Westfall)

Best Referee - Art Skov (Lloyd Gilmour, Andy Van Hellemond)

Best on Faceoffs - Stan Mikita (Bobby Clarke, Phil Esposito)

Best Fighter - Dan Maloney (J. Bob Kelly, Garry Howatt, Dave Schultz, Bob Kelly)

Most Dangerous Near Goal - Phil Esposito (Rick Martin, Johnny Bucyk, Bobby Schmautz, Jim Pappin)

Best Coach - Fred Shero, Billy Reay tie

Smartest Player - Stan Mikita (Bobby Orr, Bobby Clarke, Phil Esposito)

Best Bodychecker - Barclay Plager (Bob Plager, Brian Glennie, Doug Jarrett)

Hardest Worker - Bobby Clarke (Walt Tkachuk, Chico Maki)

Best Defensive Defenceman - Bill White (Borje Salming, Jacques Laperriere, Rod Seiling, Dave Burrows)

Best Goalie - Tony Esposito, Bernie Parent tie (Dan Bouchard, Rogie Vachon)

Best Young Player - Gilbert Perreault (Tom Lysiak, Denis Potvin)

Best Playmaker - Stan Mikita (Syl Apps, Bobby Clarke, Bobby Orr, Jean Ratelle)

Most Improved Player - Dick Redmond, Dave Burrows tie (Norm Ullman)

Most Colorful Player - Eddie Shack (Gilbert Perreault, Yvan Cournoyer)

Best 1973-74 Rookie - Denis Potvin (Tom Lysiak, John Davidson, Borje Salming)

Most Valuable Player 1973-74 - Phil Esposito (Bobby Clarke, Bernie Parent, Darryl Sittler)

Click to read more...

 

[seventieslord]

Awesome stuff!

The great Craig Ramsay got a mention too.

 

[seventieslord]

Best Fighter - Don Maloney (J. Bob Kelly, Garry Howatt, Dave Schultz, Bob Kelly)

Typo. You mean Dan.

 

[Canadiens Fan]

Typo. You mean Dan.

Corrected. Thanks.

 

[BobbyAwe]

Excellent! This is the kind of stuff that can transcend stats alone in evaluating players true values. Particularly impressed that Mikita led in 3 categories even though in the twilight of his career.

 

[seventieslord]

Mikita still had six seasons to go, so he wasn't exactly in his "twilight".

 

[BobbyAwe]

Mikita still had six seasons to go, so he wasn't exactly in his "twilight".

He was 34 and had played approximately 82% of all the games he would play in his career by 1974. I'm thinking that's pretty much "twilight", twilight being the period before the end

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Excellent! This is the kind of stuff that can transcend stats alone in evaluating players true values. Particularly impressed that Mikita led in 3 categories even though in the twilight of his career.

Agreed, these posts are fantastic resources. When Canadiens Fan is done posting these articles, I will (time permitting) organize some of the information. For example it would be a great resource to know that (for example) Gainey was consider the league's best defensive forward in X years, a top three best penalty killer in X years, etc.

 

[Canadiens Fan]

Agreed, these posts are fantastic resources. When Canadiens Fan is done posting these articles, I will (time permitting) organize some of the information. For example it would be a great resource to know that (for example) Gainey was consider the league's best defensive forward in X years, a top three best penalty killer in X years, etc.

I think this may be all of them, but I'll keep checking.

Having gone through all of the pools (1971, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1984) the one thing that may be the most impressive is that only one player appears as a winner (and or runner-up) in at least one category in each poll.

Bobby Clarke

 

[BobbyAwe]

Agreed, these posts are fantastic resources. When Canadiens Fan is done posting these articles, I will (time permitting) organize some of the information. For example it would be a great resource to know that (for example) Gainey was consider the league's best defensive forward in X years, a top three best penalty killer in X years, etc.

Also, though some may disagree, i would value the coaches/players opinions on who the best players were in each category more than any other source. They are the ones who should know.

 

[Rasputin]

Best Coach - Fred Shero, Billy Reay tie

Interesting to see Reay there. I keep hearing he was a bad coach. Apparently his brethren thought otherwise.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Interesting to see Reay there. I keep hearing he was a bad coach. Apparently his brethren thought otherwise.

Maybe he always bought the drinks.