1966–67 NHL season

The 1966–67 NHL season was the 50th season of the National Hockey League. Six teams each played 70 games. Since the 1942–43 season, there had only been six teams in the NHL, but this was to be the last season of the Original Six as six more teams were added for the 1967–68 season. This season saw the debut of one of the greatest players in hockey history, defenceman Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup over the Montreal Canadiens; this would be the Leafs' most recent Stanley Cup, .
==League business==
President David Molson of the Canadian Arena Company announced that the Montreal Forum would undergo major alterations done in a $5 million work program commencing in April 1968.
NHL sponsorship of junior teams ceased, making all players of qualifying age not already on NHL-sponsored lists eligible for the amateur draft.
==Regular season==
Bobby Orr made his NHL debut on October 19, with an assist in a 6–2 win over Detroit.
Terry Sawchuk got his 99th shutout when Toronto blanked Detroit 4–0 on February 25. He got his 100th career shutout on March 4, when Toronto defeated Chicago 4–0.
Bobby Hull scored his 50th goal of the season when Chicago lost to Toronto 9–5 on March 18 at Maple Leaf Gardens. Another superlative for the Black Hawks was Stan Mikita, who tied the league scoring record with 97 points in claiming the Art Ross Trophy for the third time. Mikita was also awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as most valuable player.
The Chicago Black Hawks, who had won three Stanley Cups, finished first overall in the standings for the first time in their history, a full seventeen points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens and nineteen ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Boston Bruins missed the playoffs, their last time before their record 29-season playoff streak.
===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
Chicago Black Hawks 	70	41	17	12	94 	264	170	757
Montreal Canadiens 	70	32	25	13	77 	202	188	879
Toronto Maple Leafs 	70	32	27	11	75 	204	211	736
New York Rangers 	70	30	28	12	72 	188	189	664
Detroit Red Wings 	70	27	39	4 	58 	212	241	719
Boston Bruins 	70	17	43	10	44 	182	253	764
==Playoffs==
Despite Chicago's impressive regular season marks, it was the third seed Toronto Maple Leafs who beat the Black Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. Toronto won games 2, 3, 5, and 6. Montreal swept the Rangers to advance to the final.
===Playoff bracket===
===Semifinals===
====(1) Chicago Black Hawks vs. (3) Toronto Maple Leafs ====
Despite Chicago's impressive regular season marks, it was the third seed Toronto Maple Leafs who beat the Black Hawks in the first round of the playoffs.
==== (2) Montreal Canadiens vs. (4) New York Rangers ====
Montreal swept the Rangers in the minimum four games.
===Finals===
The Maple Leafs faced off against second-place Montreal for the Cup. The teams split the first four games, the third game in Toronto won in overtime by Toronto (on a goal by Bob Pulford against Rogie Vachon, whom Pulford would later coach in Los Angeles). The Leafs then won the next two to win the Cup on home ice.
 
==Awards==
===Mid-season===
;Awards
*Art Ross Memorial Trophy: 	Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
*Calder Memorial Trophy: 	Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins
*Hart Memorial Trophy: 	Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
*James Norris Memorial Trophy: 	Harry Howell, New York Rangers
*Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: 	Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
*Vezina Trophy: 	Ed Giacomin, New York Rangers
;All-Star teams
First Team 	  Position  	Second Team
Ed Giacomin, New York Rangers 	G 	Charlie Hodge, Montreal Canadiens
Harry Howell, New York Rangers 	D 	Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins
Pierre Pilote, Chicago Blackhawks	D 	Tim Horton, Toronto Maple Leafs
Stan Mikita, Chicago Blackhawks 	C 	Norm Ullman, Detroit Red Wings
Rod Gilbert, New York Rangers 	RW 	Ken Wharram, Chicago Blackhawks
Bobby Hull, Chicago Blackhawks 	LW 	Don Marshall, New York Rangers
===Second Half===
;Awards
*Art Ross Memorial Trophy: 	Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
*Calder Memorial Trophy: 	Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins
*Hart Memorial Trophy: 	Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
*James Norris Memorial Trophy: 	Pierre Pilote, Chicago Black Hawks
*Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: 	Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
*Vezina Trophy: 	Denis DeJordy, Chicago Black Hawks
;All-Star teams
First Team 	  Position  	Second Team
Ed Giacomin, New York Rangers 	G 	Denis DeJordy, Chicago Black Hawks
Pierre Pilote, Chicago Black Hawks	D 	Harry Howell, New York Rangers
Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins 	D 	Tim Horton, Toronto Maple Leafs
Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks 	C 	Norm Ullman, Detroit Red Wings
Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings 	RW 	Ken Wharram, Chicago Black Hawks
Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks 	LW 	Doug Mohns, Chicago Black Hawks
===End of season===
;Awards
*Prince of Wales Trophy: 	Chicago Black Hawks
*Art Ross Memorial Trophy: 	Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
*Calder Memorial Trophy: 	Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins
*Conn Smythe Trophy: 	Dave Keon, Toronto Maple Leafs
*Hart Memorial Trophy: 	Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
*James Norris Memorial Trophy: 	Harry Howell, New York Rangers
*Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: 	Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
*Vezina Trophy: 	Glenn Hall & Denis DeJordy, Chicago Black Hawks
*Lester Patrick Trophy: 	Gordie Howe, Charles F. Adams, James E. Norris
;All-Star teams
Ed Giacomin, New York Rangers 	G 	Glenn Hall, Chicago Black Hawks
Pierre Pilote, Chicago Black Hawks	D 	Tim Horton, Toronto Maple Leafs
Harry Howell, New York Rangers 	D 	Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins
Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks 	C 	Norm Ullman, Detroit Red Wings
Kenny Wharram, Chicago Black Hawks	RW	Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks 	LW	Don Marshall, New York Rangers
==Player statistics==
===Scoring leaders===
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points
Player 	Team 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
Stan Mikita 	Chicago Black Hawks	70	35	62	97 	12
Bobby Hull 	Chicago Black Hawks	66	52	28	80 	52
Norm Ullman 	Detroit Red Wings 	68	26	44	70 	26
Ken Wharram 	Chicago Black Hawks	70	31	34	65 	21
Gordie Howe 	Detroit Red Wings 	69	25	40	65 	53
Bobby Rousseau	Montreal Canadiens 	68	19	44	63 	58
Phil Esposito 	Chicago Black Hawks	69	21	40	61 	40
Phil Goyette 	New York Rangers 	70	12	49	61 	6
Doug Mohns 	Chicago Black Hawks	61	25	35	60 	58
Henri Richard 	Montreal Canadiens 	65	21	34	55 	28
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
Glenn Hall 	Chicago Black Hawks	32	1664	66 	2.38	19	5 	5 	2
Denis DeJordy 	Chicago Black Hawks	44	2536	104	2.46	22	12	7 	4
Charlie Hodge 	Montreal Canadiens 	37	2055	88 	2.60	11	15	7 	3
Ed Giacomin 	New York Rangers 	68	3981	173	2.61	30	27	11	9
Johnny Bower 	Toronto Maple Leafs	27	1431	63 	2.64	12	9 	3 	2
Terry Sawchuk 	Toronto Maple Leafs	28	1409	66 	2.81	15	5 	4 	2
Roger Crozier 	Detroit Red Wings 	58	3256	182	3.35	22	29	4 	4
Eddie Johnston	Boston Bruins 	34	1880	116	3.70	8 	21	2 	0
==Team Photos==
66-67BosBru.jpg|Boston Bruins
66-67ChiBH.jpg|Chicago Black Hawks
66-67DetRW.jpg|Detroit Red Wings
66-67MtlCdn.jpg|Montreal Canadiens
66-67NYR.jpg|New York Rangers
66-67TorML.jpg|Toronto Maple Leafs
==References==
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;Notes
==External links==
*Hockey Database
*NHL.com
 
Category:1966 in ice hockey
Category:1967 in ice hockey