So wrong.
We protected TWO goalies, Vachon and Worsley.
Historical Hockey Stats & Trivia: 1969 NHL Intra-League Draft
Vachon was not "up and coming" at that point, he had just finished his third season with the team and had just won the Vezina Trophy.
We had two farm teams at the time, and the goalie depth in 68-69 was:
- Rogatien Vachon (36 games with Habs, injured a few weeks)
- Gump Worsley (30 games with Habs, injured a few weeks)
- Ernie Wakely (65 games in AHL Cleveland, 1 game with Habs)
- Tony Esposito (19 games in CHL Houston, 15 games with Habs)
- Phil Myre (53 games in CHL Houston)
- Michel Plasse (7 games with AHL Cleveland)
When Vachon and Worsley both went down at almost the same time, first Wakely was brought up, as he had been the next in line for years, but hardly ever playing in an NHL game. Then the second regular went down, and the Habs did not want to risk the development of Philippe Myre who was a 20 year old first-year pro handling #1 duties in the pros for the first time, so they took a chance and brought up Tony Esposito, a 25 year old who had played college and was in his second pro year. He had an unorthodox style which the team was not sold on, but when he got into his first game he was a sensation, and he went on to play 13 games, cooling off a bit toward the end. Then the minute the regulars were back, he was gone, not to return for the rest of the year.
Pollock said that he protected Worsley out of respect, and Myre and Plasse were safe from poaching because they were first year pros and Myre rated ahead of Esposito, so he felt there was not that much risk anyone would take this older goalie with the weird "butterfly" style.
The "respect" for Worsley lasted 6 more games then he was shipped out early in 1969-70 and Phil Myre brought up for good.