1959 - 60 NHL season The 1959 - 60 NHL season was the 43rd season of the National Hockey League . The Montreal Canadiens were the Stanley Cup winners as they defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs four games to none for their fifth straight Stanley Cup . Regular season . The year was marked by important changes in the NHL . Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacques Plante , like Clint Benedict before him , began to wear a mask in hockey games . Plante , who had asthma - related problems throughout his career , began wearing a mask in practice shortly after a sinus operation in 1957 . His first appearance with a mask in a game was on November 1 , 1959 , against the New York Rangers . Although many in the NHL disapproved of Plante ' s decision , due to traditions of the NHL at the time , many followed suit after Plante went undefeated in ten games with the mask on . Phil Watson suffered an ulcer and was quietly dismissed as Ranger coach and replaced by Alf Pike . Gump Worsley was demoted to Springfield of the AHL and Worsley screamed he was finished with hockey . But he reported to Springfield anyway . Eddie Shore , known for his criticism of his players , gave Worsley a surprise vote of confidence . Gump played well for the Indians . There was trouble brewing for Rangers right - winger sniper Andy Bathgate , who ' d ripped open Plante ' s nose on the night of the goalie mask ' s official NHL debut , when , in an article in True Magazine , ghosted by Dave Anderson , he listed the names of players whom he considered guilty of the dangerous act of spearing . This was brought to the attention of NHL President Clarence Campbell , who then fined Bathgate $ 500 and Ranger general manager Muzz Patrick $ 100 on the grounds the article was prejudicial to and against the welfare of the league . Gump Worsley , demoted to Springfield of the AHL , was brought back up as Marcel Paille was even worse in goal . Gump and the Rangers beat the Canadiens 8 - 3 in his first game back . Then a week later , Gump got bombed 11 - 2 . Nothing had changed . Later against Chicago , Worsley suffered an injury that finished him for the season . Hawks ' winger Bobby Hull skated over his catching glove and severed two tendons in his fingers . Al Rollins was called up to replace him . Later , Olympic hero Jack McCartan played a few games for the Rangers and played very well . This regular season , like the two preceding it and the two following it , belonged to the Montreal Canadiens as they were in the midst of five straight first overall finishes and at the tail end of five straight Stanley Cup victories . The Detroit Red Wings , who were dead last and missed the playoffs the previous season , squeaked into the playoffs riding a Hart Memorial Trophy performance by their ageless star right - winger Gordie Howe . This season marked the first season of the Original Six era during which every active player had played for Original Six teams only . Ken Mosdell , the last player to play for another team , retired the previous season . Scoring leaders . " Note : GP = Games played ; G = Goals ; A = Assists ; Pts = Points " Leading goaltenders . " Note : GP = Games played ; MIN = Minutes played ; GA = Goals against ; SO = Shut outs ; AVG = Goals against average " Stanley Cup playoffs . " All dates in 1960 " The momentum did not stop for the Habs as they played the minimum number of games to win the Stanley Cup . Montreal , in the process , became the last Cup winners in NHL history to go undefeated in the playoffs to date . After winning the Stanley Cup , Maurice Richard retired from the NHL as a champion . Semifinals . Bobby Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks had lead the league in scoring , but the well - oiled machine called the Montreal Canadiens managed to hold him to only one goal as the Canadiens swept the Black Hawks in four . The Toronto Maple Leafs , though , had a slightly tougher time against the Gordie Howe led Detroit Red Wings as it took the Leafs 6 games , including one in triple overtime , to win the series . Chicago Black Hawks vs . Montreal Canadiens " Montreal wins best - of - seven series 4 games to 0 " Detroit Red Wings vs . Toronto Maple Leafs " Toronto wins best - of - seven series 4 games to 2 " Finals . Toronto Maple Leafs vs . Montreal Canadiens " Montreal wins best - of - seven series 4 games to 0 " Playoff leading scorers . " Note : GP = Games played ; G = Goals ; A = Assists ; Pts = Points " Debuts . The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1959 - 60 ( listed with their first team , asterisk ( * ) marks debut in playoffs ) : Last games . The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1959 - 60 ( listed with their last team ) :