1964–65 NHL season

1964–65 NHL season
League	National Hockey League
Sport	Ice hockey
Duration	October 12, 1964 – May 1, 1965
Number of games	70
Number of teams	6
Regular season
Season champion	Detroit Red Wings
Season MVP	Bobby Hull (Black Hawks)
Top scorer	Stan Mikita (Black Hawks)
Playoffs
Playoffs MVP	Jean Beliveau(Canadiens)
Stanley Cup
Finals champions	Montreal Canadiens
Runners-up	Chicago Black Hawks
NHL seasons
← 1963–64 1965–66 →

The 1964–65 NHL season was the 48th season of the National Hockey League. Six teams each played 70 games. Jean Beliveau was the winner of the newly introduced Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the playoffs. The Montreal Canadiens won their first Stanley Cup since 1960 as they were victorious over the Chicago Black Hawks in a seven-game final series.

Regular season

Important new additions by Chicago were Bobby Hull's brother Dennis Hull and defenceman Doug Jarrett, and they traded Reg Fleming, Ab McDonald and Murray Balfour to Boston in exchange for Doug Mohns.

Frank Selke had retired as general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, and a man who was showing all the signs of being more capable than Selke, Sam Pollock, took over as general manager. Pollock had been doing an outstanding job as director of the Canadiens farm system the past few seasons and the Habs were deep in talent.

Ted Lindsay decided to make a comeback with Detroit and though Toronto beat Detroit in the opener 5–3, the Olympia fans gave him an ovation.

This was the first season the Conn Smythe Trophy was awarded for the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Muzz Patrick resigned as general manager of the New York Rangers and Emile Francis, assistant general manager, took his place. On January 27, 1965, Ulf Sterner, the first European trained player, made his debut in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers in a game versus the Boston Bruins.[1]

Ron Ellis was proving to be a find and he scored two goals when the Leafs downed Chicago 5–1 on October 31.

Frank Mahovlich entered a hospital for psychiatric treatment under great stress from fans and his manager Punch Imlach who expected more of him than he was delivering. He could not stand the pressure of playing.

After stopping a shot with his foot, Marcel Pronovost missed a few games and Detroit sorely missed him, as on December 5, Toronto clobbered the Red Wings 10–2. Bob Pulford was clipped by Gordie Howe's club when it was knocked upward and it hit Pulford in the eye.

Frank Mahovlich was back on December 9 when Montreal downed Toronto 3–2. Three nights later, he had two goals and two assists when Toronto beat Boston 6–3.

Chicago defeated Boston 7–5 on December 16 and Bobby Hull got two goals. He now had 25 goals in 26 games. The Black Hawks were now alternating Glenn Hall and Denis DeJordy in goal.

On December 22, Montreal traded Bill Hicke and Jean-Guy Morissette to New York in exchange for Dick Duff and Dave McComb.

On December 26, Bill Thoms, who played 12 years with Toronto and Chicago, died of a heart attack, aged 54.

Toronto's Punch Imlach ruled with an iron hand and was really upset with the Leafs play. Wholesale demotions were threatened if the team's play didn't improve. Toronto snapped out of its decline when they beat Detroit 3–1 on January 2. Tim Horton scored two goals playing as a forward instead of his usual defence position. Roger Crozier was struck in the eye by Jim Pappin's stick late in the game and was replaced by Carl Wetzel in goal. Ted Lindsay got into a heated argument with referee Vern Buffey over whether a penalty should be called against Pappin and received a ten-minute misconduct penalty and a game misconduct. Lindsay stated to the press after the game that his advice to coach Sid Abel was not to pay the fines and that he would not sit still for NHL president Clarence Campbell's kangaroo court. All this was reported to Campbell who said Lindsay would pay the fines or not play. In due course, an appropriate signed apology and a cheque in the amount of the fines were handed over by Lindsay and he was reinstated January 6.

Bill Hicke, who had been traded to the Rangers by the Canadiens, turned on his ex-teammates with a hat trick at the Forum on January 9 as the Rangers won 6–5. However, the Rangers lost defenceman Jim Neilson with a shoulder separation. The Rangers got walloped by the Leafs 6–0 the next night as Tim Horton had two goals. Despite the win, the fans were still chanting "We want Shack!" (meaning Eddie Shack).

George Hayes, who had been an official in the NHL for 19 years, was suspended for refusing to take an eye test. Later, he had his contract terminated when he still refused. Referee-in-chief Carl Voss announced his intention to resign at the end of the season, and Hayes and ex-referee Eddie Powers greeted this with approval.

Chicago moved into first place with a 4–1 win on February 3 over the New York Rangers right at Madison Square Garden. Bobby Hull didn't score, but the highlight of the game was his fight with Bob Plager.

Chicago beat Toronto 6–3 on February 6 and Bobby Hull's chances of reaching 50 goals was in trouble when he was checked heavily by Bobby Baun, and he limped from the ice with strained knee ligaments. On the same weekend, Detroit moved into first place, beating Montreal twice.

The Leafs pulled into a tie with Montreal for second place when they pasted Montreal 6–2 in Toronto on February 10. This was the fifth straight loss for the Habs. Referee Bill Friday had a busy time with a bench-clearing brawl that delayed the game for 20 minutes. The trouble began when John Ferguson hooked Frank Mahovlich. Terry Harper, Ted Harris, Pete Stemkowski and Kent Douglas moved in and then the benches emptied. Referee Friday assessed 66 minutes in penalties, including ten minute misconducts to Mahovlich and Ted Harris. President Campbell later assessed $925 in fines. Ten Leafs were fined $50 each and six Canadiens players were fined $50.

Red Kelly had the hat trick on March 21 when Toronto pummeled the Rangers 10–1.

The Rangers beat the Black Hawks on March 23 3–2. A great many fans were upset at plans for a closed circuit telecast of Chicago games and during the game there were shouts of "Norris is a fink!" (referring to James D. Norris, part owner of the Black Hawks).

Detroit finished first for the first time since 1956–57 when they beat the Rangers 7–4 on March 25. Alex Delvecchio had the hat trick and Norm Ullman scored two goals.

Final standings

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes

National Hockey League	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA	PIM
Detroit Red Wings	70	40	23	7	87	224	175	1121
Montreal Canadiens	70	36	23	11	83	211	185	1033
Chicago Black Hawks	70	34	28	8	76	224	176	1051
Toronto Maple Leafs	70	30	26	14	74	204	173	1068
New York Rangers	70	20	38	12	52	179	246	760
Boston Bruins	70	21	43	6	48	166	253	946

Playoffs

For the 1965 playoffs, the NHL required all teams to carry two goaltenders.

For the third straight playoffs, it was Montreal vs. Toronto and Detroit vs. Chicago in the first round. The Canadiens came out on top over the defending champion Leafs in six games, while the Hawks beat the Wings in seven.

Playoff bracket

	Semifinals					Finals
	1	Detroit Red Wings	3
	3	Chicago Black Hawks	4
						3	Chicago Black Hawks	3
						2	Montreal Canadiens	4
	2	Montreal Canadiens	4
	4	Toronto Maple Leafs	2

Semifinals

Detroit Red Wings vs. Chicago Black Hawks Date Away Team Home Team 1. April Chicago 3 4 Detroit 4. April Chicago 3 6 Detroit 6. April Detroit 2 5 Chicago 8. April Detroit 1 2 Chicago 11. April Chicago 2 4 Detroit 13. April Detroit 0 4 Chicago 15. April Chicago 4 2 Detroit Chicago won series 4:3.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Date Away Team Home Team Notes 1. April Toronto 2 3 Montreal 3. April Toronto 1 3 Montreal 6. April Montreal 2 3 Toronto OT 8. April Montreal 2 4 Toronto 10. April Toronto 1 3 Montreal 13. April Montreal 4 3 Toronto OT Toronto won series 4:2.

Final

As in 1955, every game was won by the home team. This was the last final until 2003 that this happened. Gump Worsley made his first Finals appearance after 12 years in the league and recorded two shutouts, including the one in game seven. Jean Beliveau was the inaugural winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, scoring eight goals and eight assists in thirteen games.

Chicago Black Hawks vs. Montreal Canadiens

Date	Visitors	Score	Home	Score	Notes
April 17	Chicago	2	Montreal	3
April 20	Chicago	0	Montreal	2
April 22	Montreal	1	Chicago	3
April 25	Montreal	1	Chicago	5
April 27	Chicago	0	Montreal	6
April 29	Montreal	1	Chicago	2
May 1	Chicago	0	Montreal	4

Montreal wins Stanley Cup four games to three.

Awards

Mid=season

Awards

• Prince of Wales Trophy: Montreal Canadiens
• Art Ross Memorial Trophy: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
• Calder Memorial Trophy: Roger Crozier, Detroit Red Wings
• Hart Memorial Trophy: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
• James Norris Memorial Trophy: Jacques Laperriere, Montreal Canadiens
• Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
• Vezina Trophy: Charlie Hodge, Montreal Canadiens

All-Star teams

First Team	Position	Second Team
Roger Crozier, Detroit Red Wings	G	Charlie Hodge, Montreal Canadiens
Harry Howell, New York Rangers	D	Bill Gadsby, Detroit Red Wings
Jacques Laperriere, Montreal Canadiens	D	Pierre Pilote, Chicago Blackhawks
Norm Ullman, Detroit Red Wings	C	Stan Mikita, Chicago Blackhawks
Claude Provost, Montreal Canadiens	RW	Rod Gilbert, New York Rangers
Bobby Hull, Chicago Blackhawks	LW	Camille Henry, New York Rangers

Second Half

Awards

• Art Ross Memorial Trophy: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
• Calder Memorial Trophy: Roger Crozier, Detroit Red Wings
• Hart Memorial Trophy: Norm Ullman, Detroit Red Wings
• James Norris Memorial Trophy: Pierre Pilote, Chicago Blackhawks
• Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: Alex Delvecchio, Detroit Red Wings
• Vezina Trophy: Johnny Bower, Toronto Maple Leafs

All-Star teams

First Team	Position	Second Team
Roger Crozier, Detroit Red Wings	G	Johnny Bower, Toronto Maple Leafs
Pierre Pilote, Chicago Blackhawks	D	Bill Gadsby, Detroit Red Wings
Marcel Pronovost, Detroit Red Wings	D	Bob Baun, Toronto Maple Leafs
Norm Ullman, Detroit Red Wings	C	Stan Mikita, Chicago Blackhawks
Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings	RW	Claude Provost, Montreal Canadiens
Frank Mahovlich, Toronto Maple Leafs	LW	Johnny Bucyk, Boston Bruins

End of season

Awards

• Prince of Wales Trophy: Detroit Red Wings
• Art Ross Memorial Trophy: Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
• Calder Memorial Trophy: Roger Crozier, Detroit Red Wings
• Conn Smythe Trophy: Jean Beliveau, Montreal Canadiens
• Hart Memorial Trophy: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
• James Norris Memorial Trophy: Pierre Pilote, Chicago Black Hawks
• Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
• Vezina Trophy: Johnny Bower & Terry Sawchuk, Toronto Maple Leafs

All-Star teams

First team	Position	Second team
Roger Crozier, Detroit Red Wings	G	Charlie Hodge, Montreal Canadiens
Pierre Pilote, Chicago Black Hawks	D	Bill Gadsby, Detroit Red Wings
Jacques Laperriere, Montreal Canadiens	D	Carl Brewer, Toronto Maple Leafs
Norm Ullman, Detroit Red Wings	C	Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
Claude Provost, Montreal Canadiens	RW	Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks	LW	Frank Mahovlich, Toronto Maple Leafs

Player statistics

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Player	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
Stan Mikita	Chicago Black Hawks	70	28	59	87	154
Norm Ullman	Detroit Red Wings	70	42	41	83	70
Gordie Howe	Detroit Red Wings	70	29	47	76	104
Bobby Hull	Chicago Black Hawks	61	39	32	71	32
Alex Delvecchio	Detroit Red Wings	68	25	42	67	16
Claude Provost	Montreal Canadiens	70	27	37	64	28
Rod Gilbert	New York Rangers	70	25	36	61	52
Pierre Pilote	Chicago Black Hawks	68	14	45	59	162
John Bucyk	Boston Bruins	68	26	29	55	24
Ralph Backstrom	Montreal Canadiens	70	25	30	55	28
Phil Esposito	Chicago Black Hawks	70	23	32	55	44

Source: NHL.

Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts

Player	Team	GP	MIN	GA	GAA	W	L	T	SO
Johnny Bower	Toronto Maple Leafs	34	2040	81	2.38	13	13	8	3
Roger Crozier	Detroit Red Wings	70	4168	168	2.42	40	22	7	6
Glenn Hall	Chicago Black Hawks	41	2440	99	2.43	18	17	5	4
Denis DeJordy	Chicago Black Hawks	30	1760	74	2.52	16	11	3	3
Terry Sawchuk	Toronto Maple Leafs	36	2160	92	2.56	17	13	6	1
Charlie Hodge	Montreal Canadiens	53	3120	135	2.60	26	16	10	3
Jacques Plante	N.Y. Rangers	33	1938	109	3.37	10	17	5	2
Eddie Johnston	Boston Bruins	47	2820	163	3.47	11	32	4	3
Marcel Paille	N.Y. Rangers	39	2262	135	3.58	10	21	7	0
Jack Norris	Boston Bruins	23	1380	85	3.70	10	11	2	1

Team Photos

• 

  Boston Bruins

• 

  Chicago Black Hawks

• 

  Detroit Red Wings

• 

  Montreal Canadiens

• 

  New York Rangers

• 

  Toronto Maple Leafs

References

• (1994) in Diamond, Dan: Years of glory, 1942–1967: the National Hockey League's official book of the six-team era. Toronto, ON: McClelland and Stewart. ISBN 0-7710-2817-2. 
• (2000) in Diamond, Dan: Total Hockey. Total Sports. ISBN 1-892129-85-X. 
• (2011) The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Toronto, ON: Dan Diamond & Associates. ISBN 978-1-894801-22-5. 
• (2000) Century of hockey. Toronto, ON: McClelland & Stewart Ltd.. ISBN 0-7710-4179-9. 
• (2003) The Hockey Chronicle: Year-by-Year History of the National Hockey League. Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International Inc.. ISBN 0-7853-9624-1. 
• McFarlane, Brian (1973). The Story of the National Hockey League. New York, NY: Pagurian Press. ISBN 0-684-13424-1. 

Notes

External links

• Hockey Database
• NHL.com

National Hockey League seasons

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