1967–68 NHL season

National Hockey League season August 2023 1967–68 NHL season National Hockey League Ice hockey October 11, 1967 – May 11, 1968 Draft 1967 NHL Draft List of first overall NHL draft picks Rick Pagnutti Los Angeles Kings 12 74 CBC, CTV, SRC (Canada)CBS (United States) Regular season Montreal Canadiens Stan Mikita (Black Hawks) Hart Memorial Trophy Stan Mikita (Black Hawks) Art Ross Trophy Playoffs 1968 Stanley Cup playoffs Stanley Cup 1968 Stanley Cup Finals Montreal Canadiens St. Louis Blues Glenn Hall (Blues) 1966–67 1968–69 NHL 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 newly created West Division, while the "Original Six" were all placed in the newly created East Division. The regular season schedule was expanded to 74 games per team and featured the first time all twelve teams played games on the same day on October 18, 1967. The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup against the new St. Louis Blues, in four games. 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.NHL Guide & Record Book 2005 9 As a result of the expansion, the League reorganized its teams into two divisions, placing the Original Six teams into the East Division and the expansion franchises into the West Division. The NHL, furthermore, increased its regular season schedule from 70 to 74 games per team http://www.hickoksports.com/history/nhl196768.shtml HickokSports.com – History – NHL 1967–68 Season 2008-02-29 https://archive.today/20130125032155/http://www.hickoksports.com/history/nhl196768.shtml 2013-01-25 dead 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). The newly created Clarence S. Campbell Bowl was awarded to the team that finished first in the West Division during the regular season, the Prince of Wales Trophy was likewise awarded the East Division first-place team. 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 in their respective divisional final series and a berth in the Stanley Cup finals. All series would be best-of-seven contests. The 1967 NHL expansion draft was held on June 6, at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec to fill the rosters of the six expansion teams. The 1967 NHL amateur draft was then held one day later at the same hotel. Under the agreement signed with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA), all players who graduated from junior hockey became eligible for the amateur draft this year, and the minimum age of players subject to amateur draft was changed to 20.Sweeping Changes In Pro-Am Hockey Pact August 19, 1966 Winnipeg Free Press Winnipeg, Manitoba 22 https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-aug-19-1966-1087023/ The Kings had the first overall picks in both drafts, selecting Terry Sawchuk first overall in the expansion draft, and drafting Rick Pagnutti first overall in the amateur draft. 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). 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. Arena changes The expansion Blues moved into St. Louis Arena. The expansion Flyers moved into the Spectrum. The expansion Kings played their first two home games at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California, then their next 14 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles before the team's permanent arena, The Forum in Inglewood, California, opened on December 30, 1967. The expansion North Stars moved into the Metropolitan Sports Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. The Rangers moved from the third Madison Square Garden to the fourth by February 18, 1968. The expansion Penguins moved into Pittsburgh Civic Arena. The expansion Seals moved into the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena. Regular season Highlights All twelve of the League's member teams played games on the same day for the first time on October 18, 1967, competing in six scheduled games — the most the League had ever scheduled on one day.Stubbs David 2023-04-07 All 32 NHL teams on ice for 1st time recalls similar scene in 1967 https://www.nhl.com/news/all-32-nhl-teams-on-ice-for-first-time-recalls-similar-scene-in-1967-343103622 2023-04-07 NHL.com On October 11, 1967, Jean Beliveau of Montreal scored his 400th career goal on goaltender Hank Bassen of the Pittsburgh Penguins. This also happened to be the first game in Penguins franchise history. 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, they managed to keep first place thereafter. Worsley, for the first time, made the first all-star team. On February 24, 1968, Rogie Vachon of Montreal was the victim of four goals by Rod Gilbert, who set an NHL record with 16 shots on goal. Eddie 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 defence and goaltending was the culprit. However, they were able to beat the Rangers in the quarter-final round, but lost in the semi-final round to eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens. 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 defence 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 form. The Los Angeles Kings were a team that writers predicted to finish last in the new West Division.Brian McFarlane, 50 Years of Hockey, p. 140–143, Greywood Publishing Ltd, Winnipeg, Manitoba. 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 Memorial 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 defence. 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 13, 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 defencemen, 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—and as of 2023, the only—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 start break end Playoffs 1968 Stanley Cup playoffs Playoff bracket Under the new postseason format, the top four teams in each division qualified for the playoffs. In the first round, the first-place vs. third-place and second-place vs. fourth-place playoff format that had been in place for the previous 25 seasons was retained within the East and West Divisions. The two winning teams from each division's first round series then met in the Stanley Cup Semifinals. The two winners of the Semifinals then advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals. This guaranteed that an expansion team would at least reach the Finals, but also highlighted the competitive imbalance between the Original Six teams in the East Division and the expansion teams in the West Division. In each round, teams competed in a best-of-seven series (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each best-of-seven series). East Division West Division Quarterfinals Semifinals Stanley Cup Finals 1 Montreal 4 3 Boston 0 2 New York 2 4 Chicago 4 1 Philadelphia 3 3 St. Louis 4 2 Los Angeles 3 4 Minnesota 4 1 Montreal 4 4 Chicago 1 3 St. Louis 4 4 Minnesota 3 E1 Montreal 4 W3 St. Louis 0 Quarterfinals All series but Bruins-Canadiens had a game postponed after the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4.Stanley Cup Notebook The Canadiens drew the third-place Boston Bruins in the first round. The Bruins, making their first appearance in the playoffs since 1959, were swept in four games. In the other East series, the second-place Rangers faced off against the fourth-place Chicago Black Hawks. The Black Hawks, led by Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita defeated the Rangers in six to set up a Montreal-Chicago East Division showdown. The Black Hawks could not provide another upset, and lost to the Canadiens in five games, giving Montreal their only defeat of the playoffs. In the West, all four teams played their first playoff series. The first-place Philadelphia Flyers lost their first-ever playoff series to the Blues, led by goaltender Glenn Hall and coached by future Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman in seven games, while the second-place Los Angeles Kings lost to the fourth-place Minnesota North Stars in seven games. The Blues would defeat the North Stars in seven games to advance to their first final. (E1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (E3) Boston Bruins Boston Bruins Montreal Canadiens Boston Garden Montreal Forum April 4 1–2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/bos-vs-mtl/1968/04/04/1967030111#game=1967030111,game_state=final Ken Hodge (1) – 04:00 14:08 – pp – Henri Richard (1) No scoring No scoring No scoring 14:40 – Claude Provost (1) Gerry Cheevers 33 saves / 35 shots Gump Worsley 21 saves / 22 shots April 6 3–5 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/bos-vs-mtl/1968/04/06/1967030112#game=1967030112,game_state=final Ken Hodge (2) – 13:58 09:33 – Jacques Lemaire (1) Ted Green (1) – pp – 13:06 04:15 – Jacques Laperriere (1)09:24 – Jacques Lemaire (2) John McKenzie (1) – 10:47 10:24 – Dick Duff (1)17:34 – Jean Beliveau (1) Gerry Cheevers 36 saves / 41 shots Gump Worsley 17 saves / 20 shots April 9 5–2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-bos/1968/04/09/1967030113#game=1967030113,game_state=final 05:15 – Ed Westfall (1) Jean Beliveau (2) – pp – 15:35 19:55 – Tommy Williams (1) Claude Provost (2) – pp – 07:39Ralph Backstrom (1) – 08:41John Ferguson (1) – 18:23 No scoring Dick Duff (2) – 08:23 Gerry Cheevers 28 saves / 33 shots Gump Worsley 25 saves / 27 shots April 11 3–2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-bos/1968/04/11/1967030114#game=1967030114,game_state=final No scoring No scoring 00:49 – Ed Westfall (2) Claude Larose (1) – 12:58 18:34 – Ken Hodge (3) Claude Larose (2) – 07:20Ralph Backstrom (2) – 16:33 Gerry Cheevers 31 saves / 34 shots Gump Worsley 35 saves / 37 shots Montreal won series 4–0 (E2) New York Rangers vs. (E4) Chicago Black Hawks Chicago Black Hawks New York Rangers Chicago Stadium Madison Square Garden April 4 1–3 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/chi-vs-nyr/1968/04/04/1967030121#game=1967030121,game_state=final No scoring 11:22 – Orland Kurtenbach (1) No scoring 07:34 – pp – Harry Howell (1) Pierre Pilote (1) – pp – 12:27 01:36 – Rod Gilbert (1) Denis DeJordy 41 saves / 44 shots Ed Giacomin 31 saves / 32 shots April 9 1–2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/chi-vs-nyr/1968/04/09/1967030122#game=1967030122,game_state=final No scoring 15:57 – Rod Gilbert (2) Bobby Hull (1) – 10:12 No scoring No scoring 12:40 – Donnie Marshall (1) Denis DeJordy 28 saves / 30 shots Ed Giacomin 36 saves / 37 shots April 11 4–7 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyr-vs-chi/1968/04/11/1967030123#game=1967030123,game_state=final 11:35 – Pit Martin (1) Vic Hadfield (1) – pp – 16:47 08:48 – Stan Mikita (1) Rod Gilbert (3) – 09:32Rod Gilbert (4) – 09:38 02:36 – Pit Martin (2)05:25 – pp – Stan Mikita (2)08:59 – Dennis Hull (1)18:19 – Doug Mohns (1)19:42 – Gilles Marotte (1) Rod Seiling (1) – 13:22 Denis DeJordy 29 saves / 33 shots Ed Giacomin 24 saves / 31 shots April 13 1–3 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyr-vs-chi/1968/04/13/1967030124#game=1967030124,game_state=final 15:33 – Kenny Wharram (1) Ron Stewart (1) – 17:20 03:33 – Gilles Marotte (2) No scoring 08:24 – Chico Maki (1) No scoring Denis DeJordy 37 saves / 38 shots Ed Giacomin 41 saves / 44 shots April 14 2–1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/chi-vs-nyr/1968/04/14/1967030125#game=1967030125,game_state=final Donnie Marshall (2) – 05:20 16:14 – pp – Bobby Hull (2) No scoring No scoring Bobby Schmautz (1) – 16:46 No scoring Denis DeJordy 32 saves / 33 shots Ed Giacomin 27 saves / 29 shots April 16 1–4 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyr-vs-chi/1968/04/16/1967030126#game=1967030126,game_state=final 05:50 – Doug Jarrett (1) No scoring 19:25 – Chico Maki (2) Rod Gilbert (5) – 03:15 02:39 – Pit Martin (3)16:35 – Stan Mikita (3) No scoring Denis DeJordy 26 saves / 27 shots Ed Giacomin 25 saves / 29 shots Chicago won series 4–2 (W1) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (W3) St. Louis Blues St. Louis Blues Philadelphia Flyers St. Louis Arena Spectrum April 4 1–0 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/stl-vs-phi/1968/04/04/1967030131#game=1967030131,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring No scoring Jimmy Roberts (1) – 14:13 No scoring Glenn Hall 14 saves / 14 shots Bernie Parent 32 saves / 33 shots April 6 3–4 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/stl-vs-phi/1968/04/06/1967030132#game=1967030132,game_state=final Dickie Moore (1) – 07:11 01:32 – Pat Hannigan (1)18:37 – pp – Don Blackburn (1)19:10 – Claude Laforge (1) Don McKenney (1) – 04:22Larry Keenan (1) – 05:46 No scoring No scoring 06:51 – Leon Rochefort (1) Glenn Hall 37 saves / 41 shots Doug Favell 26 saves / 29 shots April 10 2–3 2 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/phi-vs-stl/1968/04/10/1967030133#game=1967030133,game_state=final No scoring No scoring 02:54 – Terry Crisp (1) Jean Gauthier (1) – pp – 17:35 07:38 – Frank St. Marseille (1) Joe Watson (1) – 13:54 04:10 – Larry Keenan (2) No scoring Glenn Hall 33 saves / 35 shots Bernie Parent 54 saves / 57 shots April 11 2–5 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/phi-vs-stl/1968/04/11/1967030134#game=1967030134,game_state=final 06:52 – sh – Bill McCreary Sr. (1)13:29 – pp – Red Berenson (1) Andre Lacroix (1) – pp – 02:26 16:55 – Dickie Moore (2) No scoring 00:49 – Red Berenson (2)16:05 – sh – Barclay Plager (1) Don Blackburn (2) – 14:04 Glenn Hall 22 saves / 24 shots Doug Favell 28 saves / 33 shots April 13 1–6 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/stl-vs-phi/1968/04/13/1967030135#game=1967030135,game_state=final No scoring 09:01 – Leon Rochefort (2)13:18 – Rosaire Paiement (1)15:52 – sh – Forbes Kennedy (1) No scoring 17:00 – Brit Selby (1) Gerry Melnyk (1) – sh – 11:05 10:27 – pp – Rosaire Paiement (2)13:26 – pp – Rosaire Paiement (3) Glenn Hall 9 saves / 12 shotsSeth Martin 17 saves / 20 shots Bernie Parent 30 saves / 31 shots April 16 2–1 2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/phi-vs-stl/1968/04/16/1967030136#game=1967030136,game_state=final 18:06 – pp – Gerry Melnyk (2) No scoring No scoring No scoring No scoring Andre Lacroix (2) – 19:45 No scoring Don Blackburn (3) – 11:18 Glenn Hall 41 saves / 43 shots Bernie Parent 63 saves / 64 shots April 18 3–1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/stl-vs-phi/1968/04/18/1967030137#game=1967030137,game_state=final Frank St. Marseille (2) – pp – 07:38 18:25 – pp – Bill Sutherland (1) Larry Keenan (3) – pp – 10:45 No scoring Red Berenson (3) – 19:10 No scoring Glenn Hall 26 saves / 27 shots Bernie Parent 28 saves / 30 shots St. Louis won series 4–3 (W2) Los Angeles Kings vs. (W4) Minnesota North Stars Minnesota North Stars Los Angeles Kings Met Center The Forum April 4 1–2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mns-vs-lak/1968/04/04/1967030141#game=1967030141,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring 19:55 – pp – Eddie Joyal (1) Dave Balon (1) – 03:54 03:13 – Bill White (1) Cesare Maniago 38 saves / 40 shots Terry Sawchuck 30 saves / 31 shots April 6 0–2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mns-vs-lak/1968/04/06/1967030142#game=1967030142,game_state=final No scoring 08:45 – pp – Lowell MacDonald (1) No scoring 18:12 – Eddie Joyal (2) No scoring No scoring Cesare Maniago 37 saves / 39 shots Terry Sawchuck 18 saves / 18 shots April 9 5–7 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/lak-vs-mns/1968/04/08/1967030143#game=1967030143,game_state=final 05:51 – Bill Collins (1)15:48 – Ray Cullen (1)17:34 – pp – Mike McMahon Jr. (1) Lowell MacDonald (2) – 12:44Lowell MacDonald (3) – 13:56Howie Hughes (1) – pp – 15:19 01:25 – Parker MacDonald (1)16:56 – ps – Wayne Connelly (1) No scoring 00:09 – Bill Collins (2)17:50 – Andre Boudrias (1) Ted Irvine (1) – 03:23Doug Robinson (1) – 04:15 Cesare Maniago 24 saves / 29 shots Terry Sawchuck 18 saves / 23 shotsWayne Rutledge 9 saves / 11 shots April 11 2–3 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/lak-vs-mns/1968/04/11/1967030144#game=1967030144,game_state=final 11:30 – pp – Ray Cullen (2) Bill Flett (1) – 03:37Bill White (2) – 04:45 06:31 – Mike McMahon Jr. (2)09:27 – Dave Balon (2) No scoring No scoring No scoring Cesare Maniago 30 saves / 32 shots Terry Sawchuck 31 saves / 34 shots April 13 2–3 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mns-vs-lak/1968/04/13/1967030145#game=1967030145,game_state=final No scoring 02:14 – Gord Labossiere (1)02:29 – Gord Labossiere (2) No scoring 12:23 – pp – Eddie Joyal (3) Wayne Connelly (2) – 07:15Wayne Connelly (3) – 14:55 No scoring Cesare Maniago 21 saves / 24 shots Wayne Rutledge 27 saves / 29 shots April 16 3–4 1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/lak-vs-mns/1968/04/16/1967030146#game=1967030146,game_state=final 08:05 – sh – Mike McMahon Jr. (3) Doug Robinson (2) – 11:12 No scoring Real Lemieux (1) – 01:37Howie Hughes (2) – 04:20 07:23 – Bill Goldsworthy (1)16:39 – Bob McCord (1) No scoring 09:11 – Milan Marcetta (1) No scoring Cesare Maniago 33 saves / 36 shots Wayne Rutledge 29 saves / 33 shots April 18 9–4 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mns-vs-lak/1968/04/18/1967030147#game=1967030147,game_state=final Parker MacDonald (2) – 02:24Wayne Connelly (4) – pp – 08:05Bill Goldsworthy (2) – 16:25 02:51 – Doug Robinson (3) Milan Marcetta (2) – 08:45Parker MacDonald (3) – 11:58Milan Marcetta (3) – 12:49Dave Balon (3) – 15:58Andre Boudrias (2) – 16:12 05:12 – pp – Eddie Joyal (4)16:45 – Poul Popiel (1) Bill Goldsworthy (3) – pp – 09:07 19:36 – Doug Robinson (4) Cesare Maniago 22 saves / 26 shots Terry Sawchuck 24 saves / 33 shots Minnesota won series 4–3 Semifinals (E1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (E4) Chicago Black Hawks Chicago Black Hawks Montreal Canadiens Chicago Stadium Montreal Forum April 18 2–9 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/chi-vs-mtl/1968/04/18/1967030211#game=1967030211,game_state=final No scoring 06:37 – Ralph Backstrom (3)07:31 – Yvan Cournoyer (1)09:24 – John Ferguson (2) No scoring 15:26 – pp – Yvan Cournoyer (2) Doug Jarrett (2) – 10:20Gilles Marotte (3) – 11:26 00:10 – John Ferguson (3)01:28 – Gilles Tremblay (1)07:08 – Jacques Lemaire (3)16:03 – Jean Beliveau (3)17:50 – Claude Larose (3) Denis DeJordy 24 saves / 33 shots Gump Worsley 32 saves / 34 shots April 20 1–4 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/chi-vs-mtl/1968/04/20/1967030212#game=1967030212,game_state=final Stan Mikita (4) – pp – 05:03 10:58 – Jean Beliveau (4) No scoring 10:04 – pp – Jean Beliveau (5)15:41 – pp – Jacques Lemaire (4)17:57 – pp – Jean Beliveau (6) No scoring No scoring Denis DeJordy 35 saves / 39 shots Gump Worsley 23 saves / 24 shots April 23 4–2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-chi/1968/04/23/1967030213#game=1967030213,game_state=final 15:25 – Doug Jarrett (3) Jean Beliveau (7) – 00:39 10:35 – Doug Jarrett (4) Yvan Cournoyer (3) – pp – 02:39Yvan Cournoyer (4) – 06:11J. C. Tremblay (1) – 12:05 No scoring No scoring Denis DeJordy 29 saves / 33 shots Gump Worsley 39 saves / 41 shots April 25 1–2 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-chi/1968/04/25/1967030214#game=1967030214,game_state=final 08:57 – Bobby Hull (3) No scoring 06:50 – sh – Bobby Hull (4) Henri Richard (2) – 03:37 No scoring No scoring Denis DeJordy 28 saves / 29 shots Gump Worsley 3 saves / 4 shotsRogie Vachon 29 saves / 30 shots April 28 3–4 1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/chi-vs-mtl/1968/04/28/1967030215#game=1967030215,game_state=final No scoring 08:10 – Bobby Rousseau (1) Bobby Schmautz (2) – 09:59 11:15 – sh – J. C. Tremblay (2) Stan Mikita (5) – pp – 01:23Wayne Maki (1) – 08:14 06:38 – pp – Jacques Lemaire (5) No scoring 02:14 – Jacques Lemaire (6) Denis DeJordy 40 saves / 44 shots Rogie Vachon 24 saves / 27 shots Montreal won series 4–1 (W3) St. Louis Blues vs. (W4) Minnesota North Stars Minnesota North Stars St. Louis Blues Met Center St. Louis Arena April 21 3–5 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mns-vs-stl/1968/04/21/1967030221#game=1967030221,game_state=final Milan Marcetta (4) – pp – 07:49 14:27 – Tim Ecclestone (1) Wayne Connelly (5) – 00:49Wayne Connelly (6) – pp – 15:41 09:31 – pp – Frank St. Marseille (3)10:05 – pp – Dickie Moore (3)12:36 – sh – Bill McCreary Sr. (2) No scoring 14:08 – Larry Keenan (4) Cesare Maniago 28 saves / 33 shots Glenn Hall 25 saves / 28 shots April 22 2–3 2 1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/stl-vs-mns/1968/04/22/1967030222#game=1967030222,game_state=final No scoring Jimmy Roberts (2) – 12:28 No scoring No scoring 02:12 – Milan Marcetta (5)07:00 – Bill Goldsworthy (4) Frank St. Marseille (4) – pp – 04:58 03:41 – Parker MacDonald (4) No scoring Cesare Maniago 23 saves / 25 shots Glenn Hall 24 saves / 27 shots April 25 5–1 1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mns-vs-stl/1968/04/25/1967030223#game=1967030223,game_state=final Milan Marcetta (6) – 09:38Bill Goldsworthy (5) – 13:00J. P. Parise (1) – 19:01 No scoring Bill Goldsworthy (6) – 16:33 04:53 – Dickie Moore (4) Dave Balon (4) – pp – 00:09 No scoring Cesare Maniago 30 saves / 31 shots Glenn Hall 16 saves / 21 shots April 27 3–4 1 1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mns-vs-stl/1968/04/27/1967030224#game=1967030224,game_state=final Walt McKechnie (1) – 04:42J. P. Parise (2) – pp – 14:40 No scoring Wayne Connelly (7) – 19:37 No scoring No scoring 11:57 – Jimmy Roberts (3)12:57 – Dickie Moore (5)19:49 – Jimmy Roberts (4) No scoring 01:32 – Gary Sabourin (1) Cesare Maniago 39 saves / 43 shots Glenn Hall 21 saves / 24 shots April 29 2–3 1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mns-vs-stl/1968/04/29/1967030225#game=1967030225,game_state=final Walt McKechnie (2) – 05:39 01:53 – Bob Plager (1)10:44 – Gary Sabourin (2) Bob McCord (2) – 06:31 No scoring No scoring No scoring No scoring 17:27 – Bill McCreary Sr. (3) Cesare Maniago 52 saves / 55 shots Glenn Hall 26 saves / 28 shots May 1 1–5 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/stl-vs-mns/1968/05/01/1967030226#game=1967030226,game_state=final 05:28 – pp – Wayne Connelly (8)10:54 – Andre Boudrias (3) No scoring 06:34 – Bill Goldsworthy (7)17:16 – Bill Goldsworthy (8) Gary Sabourin (3) – 13:53 09:52 – Milan Marcetta (7) No scoring Cesare Maniago 22 saves / 23 shots Glenn Hall 12 saves / 15 shotsSeth Martin 21 saves / 23 shots May 3 1–2 2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mns-vs-stl/1968/05/03/1967030227#game=1967030227,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring No scoring Walt McKechnie (3) – 16:49 17:20 – Dickie Moore (6) No scoring 02:50 – Ron Schock (1) Cesare Maniago 36 saves / 38 shots Glenn Hall 44 saves / 45 shots St. Louis won series 4–3 Stanley Cup Finals 1968 Stanley Cup Finals The Blues faced the Canadiens for the Stanley Cup. Blues coach Bowman, a long-time member of the Canadiens organization was unable to spur the Blues to an upset, but they made it a hard-fought series, with each game being decided by one goal and two going to overtime. However, the Canadiens, led by Jean Beliveau and Henri Richard, were not to be denied and swept the series in four games. Despite this, the exceptional performance of the heavy underdog Blues impressed and surprised most hockey fans who were expecting an utter blowout by the Canadiens, to the point that their goaltender Glenn Hall, who helped lead the team to the Cup Finals, was named the MVP of the playoffs. St. Louis Blues Montreal Canadiens St. Louis Arena Montreal Forum May 5 3–2 2 1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-stl/1968/05/05/1967030311#game=1967030311,game_state=final 09:19 – Barclay Plager (2) Henri Richard (3) – 09:42 08:16 – pp – Dickie Moore (7) Yvan Cournoyer (5) – 18:14 No scoring No scoring No scoring Jacques Lemaire (7) – 01:41 Glenn Hall 35 saves / 38 shots Gump Worsley 34 saves / 36 shots May 7 1–0 2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-stl/1968/05/07/1967030312#game=1967030312,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring No scoring No scoring Serge Savard (1) – sh – 02:17 Glenn Hall 35 saves / 36 shots Gump Worsley 19 saves / 19 shots May 9 3–4 1 1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/stl-vs-mtl/1968/05/09/1967030313#game=1967030313,game_state=final Frank St. Marseille (5) – pp – 10:22 14:24 – pp – Yvan Cournoyer (6) Red Berenson (4) – 03:37 01:23 – sh – Serge Savard (2) Red Berenson (5) – sh – 17:25 11:43 – Ralph Backstrom (4) No scoring 01:13 – Bobby Rousseau (2) Glenn Hall 42 saves / 46 shots Gump Worsley 12 saves / 15 shots May 11 2–3 1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/stl-vs-mtl/1968/05/11/1967030314#game=1967030314,game_state=final No scoring 16:47 – Dick Duff (3) Craig Cameron (1) – 06:53Gary Sabourin (4) – pp – 07:50 No scoring No scoring 07:24 – Henri Richard (4)11:40 – J. C. Tremblay (3) Glenn Hall 28 saves / 31 shots Gump Worsley 19 saves / 21 shots Montreal won series 4–0 Awards 1967–68 NHL awardsPrince of Wales Trophy:(East Division champion, regular season) Montreal CanadiensClarence S. Campbell Bowl:(West Division champion, regular season) Philadelphia FlyersArt Ross Trophy:(Top scorer, regular season) Stan Mikita, Chicago Black HawksBill Masterton Memorial Trophy:(Perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication) Claude Provost, Montreal CanadiensCalder Memorial Trophy:(Top first-year player) Derek Sanderson, Boston BruinsConn Smythe Trophy:(Most valuable player, playoffs) Glenn Hall, St. Louis BluesHart Memorial Trophy:(Most valuable player, regular season) Stan Mikita, Chicago Black HawksJames Norris Memorial Trophy:(Best defenceman) Bobby Orr, Boston BruinsLady Byng Memorial Trophy:(Excellence and sportsmanship) Stan Mikita, Chicago Black HawksVezina Trophy:(Best goaltending record, regular season) Rogatien Vachon and Gump Worsley, Montreal Canadiens All-Star teams First Team   Position   Second TeamGump Worsley, Montreal Canadiens GEd Giacomin, New York RangersBobby Orr, Boston Bruins DJ. C. Tremblay, Montreal CanadiensTim Horton, Toronto Maple Leafs DJim Neilson, New York RangersStan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks CPhil Esposito, Boston BruinsGordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings RWRod Gilbert, New York RangersBobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks LWJohnny 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 PIMStan Mikita Chicago Black Hawks 72 40 47 87 14Phil Esposito Boston Bruins 74 35 49 84 21Gordie Howe Detroit Red Wings 74 39 43 82 53Jean Ratelle New York Rangers 74 32 46 78 18Rod Gilbert New York Rangers 73 29 48 77 12Bobby Hull Chicago Black Hawks 71 44 31 75 39Norm Ullman Toronto Maple Leafs 71 35 37 72 28Alex Delvecchio Detroit Red Wings 74 22 48 70 14Johnny Bucyk Boston Bruins 72 30 39 69 8Kenny Wharram Chicago Black Hawks 74 27 42 69 18 Source: NHL.Dinger 2011 150 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 SOGump Worsley Montreal Canadiens 40 2213 73 1.98 19 9 8 6Johnny Bower Toronto Maple Leafs 43 2239 84 2.25 14 18 7 4Doug Favell Philadelphia Flyers 37 2192 83 2.27 15 15 6 4Bruce Gamble Toronto Maple Leafs 41 2204 85 2.32 19 13 3 5Eddie Giacomin New York Rangers 66 3940 160 2.44 36 20 10 8Glenn Hall St. Louis Blues 49 2858 118 2.48 19 21 9 5Rogie Vachon Montreal Canadiens 39 2227 92 2.48 23 13 2 4Bernie Parent Philadelphia Flyers 38 2248 93 2.48 16 17 5 4Seth Martin St. Louis Blues 30 1552 67 2.59 8 10 7 1Denis DeJordy Chicago Black Hawks 50 2838 128 2.71 23 15 11 4 Other statistics The NHL began tracking the plus-minus statistic this season. It measures the difference between the number of goals scored by a player's team while a player is on the ice against the number of goals scored by the opposing team. Power play goals do not count toward the statistic; it does include short-handed goals scored by the opposing team during power plays. Plus-Minus leader: Dallas Smith, Boston Bruins Coaches East Boston Bruins: Harry Sinden Chicago Black Hawks: Billy Reay Detroit Red Wings: Sid Abel Montreal Canadiens: Toe Blake New York Rangers: Emile Francis Toronto Maple Leafs: Punch Imlach West Los Angeles Kings: Red Kelly Minnesota North Stars: Wren Blair Oakland Seals: Bert Olmstead and Gord Fashoway Philadelphia Flyers: Keith Allen Pittsburgh Penguins: George "Red" Sullivan St. Louis Blues: Lynn Patrick and Scotty Bowman Debuts The following is a list of notable players who played their first NHL game in 1967–68 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs): Bobby Schmautz, Chicago Black Hawks Bill White, Los Angeles Kings Walt McKechnie, Minnesota North Stars Mickey Redmond, Montreal Canadiens Jacques Lemaire, Montreal Canadiens Garry Monahan, Montreal Canadiens Walt Tkaczuk, New York Rangers Dennis Hextall*, New York Rangers Simon Nolet, Philadelphia Flyers Barclay Plager, St. Louis Blues Garry Unger, Toronto Maple Leafs Last games The following is a list of notable players who played their last game in the NHL in 1967–68 (listed with their last team): Bill Masterton, Minnesota North Stars Bronco Horvath, Minnesota North Stars Bernie Geoffrion, New York Rangers Dickie Moore, St. Louis Blues Don McKenney, St. Louis Blues Al MacNeil. Pittsburgh Penguins Broadcasting Hockey Night in Canada on CBC Television televised Saturday night regular season games and Stanley Cup playoff games. HNIC also produced Wednesday night regular season game telecasts for CTV. Games were typically not broadcast in their entirety until the 1968–69 season, and were typically joined in progress. This was the second season under the U.S. rights agreement with CBS. This season, CBS aired Saturday afternoon games between December 30 and January 20, then Sunday afternoon games from January 28 through March. The network then aired Sunday afternoon playoff games. See also 1967–68 NHL transactions 1967 NHL Expansion List of Stanley Cup champions 1967 NHL amateur draft 1967 NHL expansion draft 21st National Hockey League All-Star Game National Hockey League All-Star Game Ice hockey at the 1968 Winter Olympics 1967 in sports 1968 in sports Notes References Total Hockey Diamond, Dan Total Sports 2000 Kingston, New York 1-892129-85-X Dinger Ralph 2011 The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012 Dan Diamond & Associates 978-1-894801-22-5 Toronto, ON registration https://archive.org/details/nationalhockeyle0000unse_u6g5 Dryden Steve Century of hockey McClelland & Stewart Ltd. Toronto, ON 2000 0-7710-4179-9 Fischler Stan Fischler Shirley Hughes Morgan Romain Joseph Duplacey James 2003 The Hockey Chronicle: Year-by-Year History of the National Hockey League Publications International Inc. 0-7853-9624-1 Lincolnwood, Illinois Fischler 2003 McFarlane Brian The Story of the National Hockey League Pagurian Press New York 1973 0-684-13424-1 registration https://archive.org/details/storyofnationalh0000mcfa External links Hockey Database NHL.com 1967 Category:1967–68 in American ice hockey by league Category:1967–68 in Canadian ice hockey by league