1967–68 NHL season

1967–68 NHL season
League	National Hockey League
Sport	Ice hockey
Duration	October 11, 1967 – May 11, 1968
Number of games	74
Number of teams	12
Regular season
Season champions	Montreal Canadiens
Season MVP	Stan Mikita (Black Hawks)
Top scorer	Stan Mikita (Black Hawks)
Playoffs
Playoffs MVP	Glenn Hall (Blues)
Stanley Cup
Finals champions	Montreal Canadiens
Runners-up	St. Louis Blues
NHL seasons
← 1966–67 1968–69 →

The 1967–68 NHL season was the 51st season of the National Hockey League. The league expanded to 12 teams, putting the new six in the West Division, while the original six were all placed in the East Division. The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup against the new St. Louis Blues.

League business

This season saw the NHL expand from the "Original Six" teams by adding six new franchises, including the St. Louis Blues, California Seals, Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota North Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Los Angeles Kings. On December 8, 1967, the California Seals were renamed the Oakland Seals before being renamed again to the California Golden Seals in 1970. As a result of the expansion, the League reorganized its teams into two divisions, placing the Original Six teams into the Eastern Division and the expansion franchises into the Western Division. The NHL, furthermore, increased its regular season schedule from 70 to 74 games per team with each team playing 50 games against opponents within its own division (10 against each divisional opponent) and 24 games with teams in the opposite division (4 games per opponent). A new format for the playoffs would also be introduced which would see the top four teams in each division qualify for the post-season with the first and third and the second and fourth place teams in each respective division pairing off in a divisional semi-final series. The winners of the latter would then compete for their respective division's championship, the West finalists competing for the newly created Clarence S. Campbell Bowl and the East finalists vying for the older Prince of Wales, and a berth in the Stanley Cup finals. All series would be best-of-seven contests.

This season, the NHL also added a new player award called the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, named in honour of Bill Masterton who died on January 15, 1968, after sustaining an injury during a game (the first time an NHL player had ever died directly as a result of an on-ice injury).

The minimum age of players subject to amateur draft was changed to 20.

There were a large number of holdouts this year. Three New York Ranger players, including Rod Gilbert, Arnie Brown and Orland Kurtenbach were fined $500 by their team. However, Ed Van Impe of the Flyers refused to sign his contract, followed by Earl Ingarfield and Al MacNeil also refused to sign, then Tim Horton of Toronto, Norm Ullman of Detroit and Kenny Wharram and Stan Mikita of Chicago. Led by Alan Eagleson, the new National Hockey League Players' Association was up and running.

Regular season

Highlights

On October 11, 1967, Jean Beliveau scored his 400th career goal on goaltender Hank Bassen of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Canadiens stumbled out of the gate. In their first west coast road trip, the Seals beat them 2–1 and the Kings beat them 4–2. The Habs lost quite a few more and were in last place by December. But by January, Jean Beliveau began to score and others were inspired also. The Habs got very hot, winning 12 consecutive games and then put together 10 more wins to take the East Division lead. Paced by Gump Worsley, who had 6 shutouts and a 1.98 goals against average and backstopped the team to the fewest goals allowed in the league, managed to keep first place thereafter. Worsley, for the first time, made the first all-star team.

On February 24, 1968, Rogatien Vachon of Montreal was the victim of four goals by Rod Gilbert, who set an NHL record with 16 shots on goal.

Ed Giacomin again led the league with 8 shutouts, and led the Rangers to second place, bolstered by Jean Ratelle's emergence into stardom.

Boston obtained Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield in a blockbuster trade with Chicago. This trade, as shown over time, heavily favored the Bruins. This, coinciding with the rise of Bobby Orr, led to an improvement in Boston's play, and the Bruins led the league in scoring behind Esposito's 84 points and made the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. Though he missed action with a knee injury, Orr still won the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenceman.

By contrast, the Chicago Black Hawks fell into a tailspin, and despite the scoring heroics of Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, were hard pressed to make the playoffs. Mediocre team defense and goaltending was the culprit.

Roger Crozier felt the strain of goaltending and walked out on Detroit. He came back, but the Red Wings finished last anyway, despite a potent offense led by Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio and Norm Ullman. Even a late season trade of Ullman and Paul Henderson for Toronto star Frank Mahovlich and future Blues star Garry Unger was too little, too late. However, on March 24, 1968, Mahovlich became only the 11th player to score 300 goals as he scored both his 300th and 301st goals in a 5–3 win over the Boston Bruins.

Meanwhile, the defending Cup champion Toronto Maple Leafs, still steady on defense in front of elder statesman Johnny Bower and backup Bruce Gamble, had numerous problems. Mahovlich spent time in hospital with a nervous breakdown, and the season was marred by contract disputes and tension with the high-strung coach, Punch Imlach. A late season charge failed to win a playoff berth.

In the West Division, the Philadelphia Flyers became the first regular season champion of the expansion clubs. While their offense was poor (career minor-league Leon Rochefort led the team with just 21 goals), ex-Bruins' goaltenders Bernie Parent and Doug Favell showed surprising form. Behind such hardnosed players as Gary Dornhoefer, Ed Van Impe, Larry Zeidel and Forbes Kennedy, the team showed the first glimmers of the "Broad Street Bullies" of future years.

The Los Angeles Kings were a team that writers predicted to finish last in the new West Division.[3] Owner Jack Kent Cooke had purchased the American Hockey League's Springfield Indians for $1 million to bolster the Kings roster. Surprisingly, the Kings finished second, just one point out of first. Bill Flett scored 26 goals, while Eddie Joyal scored 23 goals, adding 34 assists for 57 points and was the second leading scorer in the West Division. Among the expansion teams, the Kings had the best record against the established teams, going 10–12–2 vs. the Eastern Division.

Oakland, predicted to finish first, fell far short of the mark, amidst poor attendance. Defenceman Kent Douglas, a former Calder Trophy winner, played far below expected form and was traded to Detroit for Ted Hampson and defenceman Bert Marshall. The Seals finished last in the West Division.

Glenn Hall may have been deemed too old by the Black Hawks, which left him unprotected in the expansion draft, but not for the St. Louis Blues, who rode his five shutouts to a third-place finish. A surprising benefit was their leading scorer, previously unheralded Red Berenson (with only 45 points in 185 previous NHL games) who exploded into stardom, more than doubling his career total in only 55 games.

By contrast, the Pittsburgh Penguins finished fifth, led by former Ranger star Andy Bathgate. Behind an elderly roster—nine of their top ten scorers and both of their goaltenders were over thirty—they could neither muster much offense nor defense.

The Minnesota North Stars had their bright moments despite finishing fourth in the West Division. On December 30, 1967, Bill Masterton and Wayne Connelly each scored goals in a 5–4 upset win over the Boston Bruins. On January 10, Connelly—who would finish the season with 35 goals to lead his team and the West Division—had a hat trick in a 6–4 win over the West Division power, the Philadelphia Flyers and Masterton was the architect on all three goals.

Tragedy struck the league on January 14, 1968. In a game at the Metropolitan Sports Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, the Oakland Seals were in town to play the North Stars and Bill Masterton led a rush into the Oakland zone. Two defenceman, Larry Cahan and Ron Harris braced for the old fashioned sandwich check and as Masterton fired the puck into the Seals zone, the two hit Masterton hard but cleanly. Masterton flipped backwards and hit his head on the ice. He was removed to a Minneapolis hospital where doctors were prevented from doing surgery by the seriousness of the head injury. Early on the morning of January 15, 1968, Bill Masterton died. He was the first player to die as the direct result of injuries suffered in an NHL game, the only such incident in a senior game since 1907.

Final standings

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold

East Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA	PIM
Montreal Canadiens	74	42	22	10	94	236	167	700
New York Rangers	74	39	23	12	90	226	183	673
Boston Bruins	74	37	27	10	84	259	216	1043
Chicago Black Hawks	74	32	26	16	80	212	222	606
Toronto Maple Leafs	74	33	31	10	76	209	176	634
Detroit Red Wings	74	27	35	12	66	245	257	759

West Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA	PIM
Philadelphia Flyers	74	31	32	11	73	173	179	987
Los Angeles Kings	74	31	33	10	72	200	224	810
St. Louis Blues	74	27	31	16	70	177	191	792
Minnesota North Stars	74	27	32	15	69	191	226	738
Pittsburgh Penguins	74	27	34	13	67	195	216	554
Oakland Seals	74	15	42	17	47	153	219	787

Playoffs

Playoff bracket

	Quarter-finals					Semi-finals					Stanley Cup Final
	1	Montreal Canadiens	4
	3	Boston Bruins	0
						1	Montreal Canadiens	4
	East Division
						4	Chicago Black Hawks	1
	2	New York Rangers	2
	4	Chicago Black Hawks	4
											E1	Montreal Canadiens	4
											W3	St. Louis Blues	0
	1	Philadelphia Flyers	3
	3	St. Louis Blues	4
						3	St. Louis Blues	4
	West Division
						4	Minnesota North Stars	3
	2	Los Angeles Kings	3
	4	Minnesota North Stars	4

Quarterfinals

Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins Date Away Team Home Team Notes 4. April Boston 1 2 Montreal 6. April Boston 3 5 Montreal 9. April Montreal 5 2 Boston 11. April Montreal 3 2 Boston Montreal won series 4:0.

New York Rangers vs. Chicago Blackhawks Date Away Team Home Team Notes 4. April Chicago 1 3 NY Rangers 9. April Chicago 1 2 NY Rangers 11. April NY Rangers 4 7 Chicago 13. April NY Rangers 1 3 Chicago 14. April Chicago 2 1 NY Rangers 16. April NY Rangers 1 4 Chicago Chicago won series 4:2.

Philadelphia Flyers vs. St. Louis Blues Date Away Team Home Team Notes 4. April St. Louis 1 0 Philadelphia 6. April St. Louis 3 4 Philadelphia 10. April Philadelphia 2 3 St. Louis 2OT 11. April Philadelphia 2 5 St. Louis 13. April St. Louis 1 6 Philadelphia 16. April Philadelphia 2 1 St. Louis 2OT 18. April St. Louis 3 1 Philadelphia St. Louis won series 4:3.

Los Angeles Kings vs. Minnesota North Stars Date Away Team Home Team Notes 4. April Minnesota 1 2 Los Angeles 6. April Minnesota 0 2 Los Angeles 9. April Los Angeles 5 7 Minnesota 11. April Los Angeles 2 3 Minnesota 13. April Minnesota 2 3 Los Angeles 16. April Los Angeles 3 4 Minnesota OT 18. April Minnesota 9 4 Los Angeles Minnesota won series 4:3.

Semifinals

Montreal Canadiens vs. Chicago Blackhawks Date Away Team Home Team Notes 18. April Chicago 2 9 Montreal 20. April Chicago 1 4 Montreal 23. April Montreal 4 2 Chicago 25. April Montreal 1 2 Chicago 28. April Chicago 3 4 Montreal Montreal won series 4:1.

St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota North Stars Date Away Team Home Team Notes 21. April Minnesota 3 5 St. Louis 22. April Minnesota 3 2 St. Louis OT 25. April St. Louis 1 5 Minnesota 27. April St. Louis 4 3 Minnesota OT 29. April Minnesota 2 3 St. Louis OT 1. May St. Louis 1 5 Minnesota 3. May Minnesota 1 2 St. Louis 2OT St. Louis won series 4:3.

Finals

Less than twelve minutes after the Canadiens won the Cup, Canadiens coach Toe Blake announced his retirement. He gave the reason that it had been a hard season, but the real reason was that his wife was dying of cancer and he wanted to spend his time with her. The celebration became a mournful event with players paying tribute to Blake, many in tears. He won eight Cups as the Canadiens' coach and three others as a player with the Canadiens and Montreal Maroons, the former being a record that stood for thirty-four years. None other than Bowman, the runner-up team's head coach in this Finals, would be the one to break Blake's record: he won the Cup with the Canadiens in 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979, with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992, and with the Detroit Red Wings in 1997, 1998, and 2002.

Date	Visitors	Score	Home	Score	Notes
May 5	Montreal	3	St. Louis	2	OT
May 7	Montreal	1	St. Louis	0
May 9	St. Louis	3	Montreal	4	OT
May 11	St. Louis	2	Montreal	3

Awards

• Prince of Wales Trophy: Montreal Canadiens
• Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: Philadelphia Flyers
• Art Ross Memorial Trophy: Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
• Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: Claude Provost, Montreal Canadiens
• Calder Memorial Trophy: Derek Sanderson, Boston Bruins
• Conn Smythe Trophy: Glenn Hall, St. Louis Blues
• Hart Memorial Trophy: Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
• James Norris Memorial Trophy: Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins
• Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
• Plus-Minus Leader: Dallas Smith, Boston Bruins
• Vezina Trophy: Rogatien Vachon & Gump Worsley, Montreal Canadiens
• Lester Patrick Trophy: Thomas F. Lockhart, Walter A. Brown, General John R. Kilpatrick

All-Star teams

First Team	Position	Second Team
Gump Worsley, Montreal Canadiens	G	Ed Giacomin, New York Rangers
Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins	D	J. C. Tremblay, Montreal Canadiens
Tim Horton, Toronto Maple Leafs	D	Jim Neilson, New York Rangers
Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks	C	Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins
Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings	RW	Rod Gilbert, New York Rangers
Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks	LW	Johnny Bucyk, Boston Bruins

Player statistics

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty Minutes

Player	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
Stan Mikita	Chicago Black Hawks	72	40	47	87	14
Phil Esposito	Boston Bruins	74	35	49	84	21
Gordie Howe	Detroit Red Wings	74	39	43	82	53
Jean Ratelle	New York Rangers	74	32	46	78	18
Rod Gilbert	New York Rangers	74	29	48	77	12
Bobby Hull	Chicago Black Hawks	71	44	31	75	39
Norm Ullman	Toronto Maple Leafs	71	35	37	72	28
Alex Delvecchio	Detroit Red Wings	74	22	48	70	14
Johnny Bucyk	Boston Bruins	72	30	39	69	8
Kenny Wharram	Chicago Black Hawks	74	27	42	69	18

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
Gump Worsley	Montreal Canadiens	40	2213	73	1.98	19	9	8	6
Johnny Bower	Toronto Maple Leafs	43	2239	84	2.25	14	18	7	4
Doug Favell	Philadelphia Flyers	37	2192	83	2.27	15	15	6	4
Bruce Gamble	Toronto Maple Leafs	41	2204	85	2.32	19	13	3	5
Eddie Giacomin	New York Rangers	66	3940	160	2.44	36	20	10	8
Glenn Hall	St. Louis Blues	49	2858	118	2.48	19	21	9	5
Rogie Vachon	Montreal Canadiens	39	2227	92	2.48	23	13	2	4
Bernie Parent	Philadelphia Flyers	38	2248	93	2.48	16	17	5	4
Seth Martin	St. Louis Blues	30	1552	67	2.59	8	10	7	1
Denis DeJordy	Chicago Black Hawks	50	2838	128	2.71	23	15	11	4

Team Photos

• 

  Boston Bruins

• 

  Chicago Black Hawks

• 

  Detroit Red Wings

• 

  Los Angeles Kings

• 

  Minnesota North Stars

• 

  Montreal Canadiens

• 

  New York Rangers

• 

  Oakland Seals

• 

  Philadelphia Flyers

• 

  Pittsburgh Penguins

• 

  St. Louis Blues

• 

  Toronto Maple Leafs

References

• (2000) in Diamond, Dan: Total Hockey. Kingston, NY: 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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