Anyone who knows the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins knows that the 1969-70 season was significant for two reasons: they finally made the playoffs, and a promising rookie arrived.
The Penguins finished the 1969-70 season with a record of 26 wins, 38 losses and 12 ties. Their 64 points were good enough to earn them second place in the West Division. The first place St. Louis Blues were 22 points better. Four points behind Pittsburgh – in third place – were the Minnesota North Stars. Two points behind the Stars were the Oakland Seals and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Seals with more wins – 22 to 17 – earned fourth place. Philadelphia – desperate to earn at least a point in their last game of the season (against the Penguins) – played much of the final period without a goalie. To no avail.
During their inaugural season – 1967-68 – Pittsburgh had finished with 67 points, two points behind the fourth place Stars. The first place Flyers finished six points ahead of the Penguins. In 1968-69, Pittsburgh was tied with the Stars – and out of the playoffs – with just 51 points. With two more victories, Pittsburgh was fifth in the West Division. The fourth place Los Angeles Kings had 58 points.
The Penguins added a newly inducted member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, after the 1968-69 season. Red Kelly – who had led the Kings to the playoffs in 1967-68 and 1968-69 – was behind the bench for the 1969-70 season. Just before the start of that season, he was inducted in to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Also – after the 1968-69 season – the Detroit Red Wings made Dean Prentice available in the Intra-League Draft. Pittsburgh selected him. Apparently the Wings and the other 10 teams in the NHL had no need of a veteran left winger with six 20-goal seasons under his belt. The Penguins also selected forward Glen Sather (from Boston), defenseman Bob Blackburn (from New York) and goalie Al Smith (from Toronto), in that Intra-League Draft.
Along with those four new faces at Pittsburgh's training camp, there was also rookie Michel Briere. The day after the Intra-League Draft, Briere was chosen in the third round, 26th overall, of the NHL's Amateur Draft. The Penguins had no selection in the first round of that draft, having traded that selection to the Bruins after the 1967-1968 season, along with cash, for Jean Pronovost and John Arbour. In the second round, Pittsburgh selected Rick Kessell.
In two seasons of Junior A hockey – with the Shawinigan Bruins – Briere had torn up the Quebec Junior Hockey League (QJHL). As a rookie, in 1967-68, he had 54 goals and 105 assists in 50 regular season games. In 1968-69, he had 75 goals and 86 assists in 50 games. He aptly demonstrated his talent for the game, but the big question concerned his size: 5' 10” 165 lbs. Was he big and tough enough to survive – let alone thrive– in professional hockey? That's why an offensive dynamo was still available in the third round of the Amateur Draft.
Michel was well aware of those doubts about him, and he arrived in Brantford – in September of 1969 – determined to relieve those doubts, and earn himself a spot on the Pittsburgh Penguins' roster to begin the season. He demonstrated his hockey and skating ability, and also a fearlessness vis-a-vis physical play. What most impressed the Penguins' brass was Briere's determination. That determination is the first thing mentioned by anyone who was at the training camp.
Pittsburgh opened the 1969-70 season at home, against the Oakland Seals, and Michel Briere was in the lineup. He also wound up in the box score, picking up an assist and a two-minute penalty. The game ended 2-2. Keith McCreary – riding shotgun on a line with Briere and Jean Pronovost – scored both goals for the Penguins. Michel had an assist in both game two and game three.
Back at home for game nine of the season, Briere scored his first goal, and picked up his fourth assist. He ended up playing in all of Pittsburgh's 76 regular season games, scoring 12 goals and picking up 32 assists. He led the Penguins in assists, and was third points. Bargain-bin pickup Prentice led the team in goals (26) and points (51). Dean's linemate – Ken Schinkel – was second in points with 45 (20 goals, 25 assists).
In the playoffs – against the Seals – the trio of Prentice, Schinkel and Ron Schock was instrumental in the Penguins' four-game sweep. Schock had five assists. Prentice had four points. Schinkel had a hat trick in game three. In game four – which went to overtime – Briere scored the game and series winning goal. He also assisted on the game tying goal.
In the second round, gainst the Blues – known as the Lumber Company for the way they wielded their sticks – Michel had to carve out space to operate. His jousting with Tim Ecclestone at the end of game one earned him a five- and ten-minute penalty. The Penguins lost 3-1, and also lost game two 4-1. Briere scored their only goal. Back in Pittsburgh for games three and four, he scored the winning goal in both games: 3-2 and 2-1. Game five saw the Penguins shut out 5-0. Game six – in Pittsburgh – the Blues prevailed 4-3. Michel scored one of the Penguins' three goals.
Briere led Pittsburgh in postseason points, with eight in ten playoff games. He also led the team with five goals. His linemate – Pronovost had seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in ten games. Prentice (2 goals, 5 assists) and Schock (1 goal, six assists) also had seven points. Their linemate Schinkel (4 goals, 1 assist) had five points.
The Penguins had some difficulty scoring goals in 1969-70 – finishing with 182 goals, 10th best in the 12-team league. Only the Seals and the Kings scored fewer. In the East Division, the last place Leafs were last in goal scoring with 222. Pittsburgh had three players hit the 20-goal mark: Prentice (26), Schinkel (20) and Pronovost (20). As a rookie in 1968-69, Pronovost scored 16 goals.
What the Penguins were not lacking was sandpaper – something they had been collecting for some time. Something – perhaps – necessitated by the style employed by teams like the Bruins and especially the Blues in their own division. Something which may have better enabled Briere to survive – and thrive – in his rookie season. Bryan Watson (189), TracyPratt (124) and Sather (114) hit the 100-PIM mark. Bryan Hextall, Nick Harbaruk and McCreary were forwards who excelled along the boards and in front of the opposition net.
Briere returned to his home in Malartic, Quebec, after the end of the Penguins' 1969-70 season. On May 15, 1970 - outside of town - he was involved in a single-car accident resulting in major head injuries. He would be hospitalized until April 13, 1971, when he died.
The Penguins finished the 1969-70 season with a record of 26 wins, 38 losses and 12 ties. Their 64 points were good enough to earn them second place in the West Division. The first place St. Louis Blues were 22 points better. Four points behind Pittsburgh – in third place – were the Minnesota North Stars. Two points behind the Stars were the Oakland Seals and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Seals with more wins – 22 to 17 – earned fourth place. Philadelphia – desperate to earn at least a point in their last game of the season (against the Penguins) – played much of the final period without a goalie. To no avail.
During their inaugural season – 1967-68 – Pittsburgh had finished with 67 points, two points behind the fourth place Stars. The first place Flyers finished six points ahead of the Penguins. In 1968-69, Pittsburgh was tied with the Stars – and out of the playoffs – with just 51 points. With two more victories, Pittsburgh was fifth in the West Division. The fourth place Los Angeles Kings had 58 points.
The Penguins added a newly inducted member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, after the 1968-69 season. Red Kelly – who had led the Kings to the playoffs in 1967-68 and 1968-69 – was behind the bench for the 1969-70 season. Just before the start of that season, he was inducted in to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Also – after the 1968-69 season – the Detroit Red Wings made Dean Prentice available in the Intra-League Draft. Pittsburgh selected him. Apparently the Wings and the other 10 teams in the NHL had no need of a veteran left winger with six 20-goal seasons under his belt. The Penguins also selected forward Glen Sather (from Boston), defenseman Bob Blackburn (from New York) and goalie Al Smith (from Toronto), in that Intra-League Draft.
Along with those four new faces at Pittsburgh's training camp, there was also rookie Michel Briere. The day after the Intra-League Draft, Briere was chosen in the third round, 26th overall, of the NHL's Amateur Draft. The Penguins had no selection in the first round of that draft, having traded that selection to the Bruins after the 1967-1968 season, along with cash, for Jean Pronovost and John Arbour. In the second round, Pittsburgh selected Rick Kessell.
In two seasons of Junior A hockey – with the Shawinigan Bruins – Briere had torn up the Quebec Junior Hockey League (QJHL). As a rookie, in 1967-68, he had 54 goals and 105 assists in 50 regular season games. In 1968-69, he had 75 goals and 86 assists in 50 games. He aptly demonstrated his talent for the game, but the big question concerned his size: 5' 10” 165 lbs. Was he big and tough enough to survive – let alone thrive– in professional hockey? That's why an offensive dynamo was still available in the third round of the Amateur Draft.
Michel was well aware of those doubts about him, and he arrived in Brantford – in September of 1969 – determined to relieve those doubts, and earn himself a spot on the Pittsburgh Penguins' roster to begin the season. He demonstrated his hockey and skating ability, and also a fearlessness vis-a-vis physical play. What most impressed the Penguins' brass was Briere's determination. That determination is the first thing mentioned by anyone who was at the training camp.
Pittsburgh opened the 1969-70 season at home, against the Oakland Seals, and Michel Briere was in the lineup. He also wound up in the box score, picking up an assist and a two-minute penalty. The game ended 2-2. Keith McCreary – riding shotgun on a line with Briere and Jean Pronovost – scored both goals for the Penguins. Michel had an assist in both game two and game three.
Back at home for game nine of the season, Briere scored his first goal, and picked up his fourth assist. He ended up playing in all of Pittsburgh's 76 regular season games, scoring 12 goals and picking up 32 assists. He led the Penguins in assists, and was third points. Bargain-bin pickup Prentice led the team in goals (26) and points (51). Dean's linemate – Ken Schinkel – was second in points with 45 (20 goals, 25 assists).
In the playoffs – against the Seals – the trio of Prentice, Schinkel and Ron Schock was instrumental in the Penguins' four-game sweep. Schock had five assists. Prentice had four points. Schinkel had a hat trick in game three. In game four – which went to overtime – Briere scored the game and series winning goal. He also assisted on the game tying goal.
In the second round, gainst the Blues – known as the Lumber Company for the way they wielded their sticks – Michel had to carve out space to operate. His jousting with Tim Ecclestone at the end of game one earned him a five- and ten-minute penalty. The Penguins lost 3-1, and also lost game two 4-1. Briere scored their only goal. Back in Pittsburgh for games three and four, he scored the winning goal in both games: 3-2 and 2-1. Game five saw the Penguins shut out 5-0. Game six – in Pittsburgh – the Blues prevailed 4-3. Michel scored one of the Penguins' three goals.
Briere led Pittsburgh in postseason points, with eight in ten playoff games. He also led the team with five goals. His linemate – Pronovost had seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in ten games. Prentice (2 goals, 5 assists) and Schock (1 goal, six assists) also had seven points. Their linemate Schinkel (4 goals, 1 assist) had five points.
The Penguins had some difficulty scoring goals in 1969-70 – finishing with 182 goals, 10th best in the 12-team league. Only the Seals and the Kings scored fewer. In the East Division, the last place Leafs were last in goal scoring with 222. Pittsburgh had three players hit the 20-goal mark: Prentice (26), Schinkel (20) and Pronovost (20). As a rookie in 1968-69, Pronovost scored 16 goals.
What the Penguins were not lacking was sandpaper – something they had been collecting for some time. Something – perhaps – necessitated by the style employed by teams like the Bruins and especially the Blues in their own division. Something which may have better enabled Briere to survive – and thrive – in his rookie season. Bryan Watson (189), TracyPratt (124) and Sather (114) hit the 100-PIM mark. Bryan Hextall, Nick Harbaruk and McCreary were forwards who excelled along the boards and in front of the opposition net.
Briere returned to his home in Malartic, Quebec, after the end of the Penguins' 1969-70 season. On May 15, 1970 - outside of town - he was involved in a single-car accident resulting in major head injuries. He would be hospitalized until April 13, 1971, when he died.
