21st National Hockey League All-Star Game

The 21st National Hockey League National Hockey League All-Star Game was played in Maple Leaf Gardens on January 16, 1968, where the host Toronto Maple Leafs battled a team of all-stars from the other NHL teams.
==Death of Bill Masterton==
The game, compared to other years, was in a somber mood. Two days before, Bill Masterton, a player for the Minnesota North Stars, was hit by two Oakland Seals players on the ice, causing him to lose his balance and hit his head on the ice. Masterton was pronounced dead the next day.
The death of Masterton raised an issue about the use of helmets in hockey - whether they should be mandatory, and whether they affect a player's abilities. Response was mixed in the helmet debate even in the days following Masterton's death: Gordie Howe claimed that he would not, but nevertheless encouraged the next generation of players to do so, while Bobby Hull claimed that he was in serious consideration. At one extreme, Stafford Smythe claimed that helmets should be made mandatory.
As for the game itself, only two players would wear helmets: J. C. Tremblay, who had worn a helmet all season, and Brian Conacher, as a result of Masterton's death.
On the day of the all-star game, the National Hockey League Writers' Association proposed that a trophy should be presented in Masterton's honor, and by the end of the season, the league made it a reality. The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded to each year to the player who best exemplifies dedication, perseverance, and sportsmanship.
==The Game==
The 1968 classic was also home to a notable first: because Toronto goaltender Johnny Bower was injured and could not play, he was replaced with Al Smith, their starting minor league goaltender, becoming the first player to play in the all-star game despite having not played with the Leafs the previous year.
As it turned out, this year would be the last in which the defending champions faced off against a team consisting of the "best of the rest." NHL president Clarence Campbell hinted that the following year would be the first in which there would be an East-versus-West battle, citing that the game could be easily moved to different cities. The 21st classic would also be the last in which the teams were determined based on the previous season's First and Second All-Star Teams, a move supported by the absence of then-rookie Bobby Orr in the previous year's game and that the game had moved to mid-season. Orr wore jersey #5 (Jean Béliveau wore #4) and was again injured in the shoulder by a Frank Mahovlich check. This caused Orr to miss the next four games.
==Boxscore==
 	Toronto Maple Leafs	All-Stars
Final Score 	4 	3
Head Coach 	Punch Imlach 	Toe Blake (Montreal Canadiens)
Lineup 	
* 1 - G Al Smith
* 2 - D Larry Hillman
* 3 - D Marcel Pronovost
* 4 - D Duane Rupp
* 7 - D Tim Horton
* 8 - RW Ron Ellis
* 10 - RW George Armstrong (Captain)
* 11 - C Murray Oliver
* 12 - C Pete Stemkowski
* 14 - C Dave Keon
* 16 - C Mike Walton
* 18 - RW Jim Pappin
* 20 - LW Bob Pulford
* 22 - LW Brian Conacher
* 25 - LW Wayne Carleton
* 26 - D Allan Stanley
* 27 - LW Frank Mahovlich
* 30 - G Bruce Gamble	First All-Star Team:
* 1 - G Ed Giacomin (New York Rangers)
* 2 - D Pierre Pilote (Chicago Black Hawks)
* 3 - D Harry Howell (New York Rangers)
* 10 - LW Bobby Hull (Chicago Black Hawks)
* 17 - RW Ken Wharram (Chicago Black Hawks)
* 21 - C Stan Mikita (Chicago Black Hawks)
Second All-Star Team:
* 5 - D Bobby Orr (Boston Bruins)
* 7 - C Norm Ullman (Detroit Red Wings)
* 9 - RW Gordie Howe (Detroit Red Wings)
* 22 - LW Don Marshall (New York Rangers)
* 25 - G Glenn Hall (St. Louis Blues)
Other Players:
* 4 - C Jean Béliveau (Montreal Canadiens)
* 6 - D Jacques Laperrière (Montreal Canadiens)
* 8 - D Bobby Baun (Oakland Seals)
* 11 - LW Johnny Bucyk (Boston Bruins)
* 12 - RW Ken Schinkel (Pittsburgh Penguins)
* 14 - D J. C. Tremblay (Montreal Canadiens)
* 15 - RW Leon Rochefort (Philadelphia Flyers)
* 18 - LW Dave Balon (Minnesota North Stars)
* 24 - G Terry Sawchuk (Los Angeles Kings)
Scoring Summary	
* Oliver (Mahovlich, Hillman) 5:56 first
* Stanley (Stemkowski, Carleton) 7:56 second
* Stemkowski (Carleton, Rupp) 16:36 second
* Ellis (Mahovlich, Hillman) 5:56 third	
* Mikita (Hull, Tremblay) 19:53 first (shorthanded)
* Wharram (Mikita) 0:35 second
* Ullman (Howe, Orr) 8:23 third
Penalties 	
* Stemkowski 14:10 first
* Walton 14:42 third	
* Howell 17:54 first
* Howe 3:53 second
* Howe 14:42 third
Win/Loss 	W - Al Smith 	L - Glenn Hall
Shots on Goal
Toronto 	9 	18	14	41
All-Stars	19	11	10	40
*Referee: Bill Friday
*Linesmen: Brent Casselman, Pat Shetler
*MVP: Bruce Gamble, Toronto Maple Leafs
*Attendance: 15,753
==See Also==
*1967–68 NHL season
==References==
* 
Category:1968 in hockey
Category:NHL All-Star Games