1957–58 NHL season

National Hockey League season August 2023 1957–58 NHL season National Hockey League Ice hockey October 8, 1957 – April 20, 1958 Regular season 70 6 CBC, SRC (Canada)CBS (United States) Season champion Montreal Canadiens Gordie Howe (Red Wings) Hart Memorial Trophy Dickie Moore (Canadiens) Art Ross Trophy Stanley Cup 1958 Stanley Cup Finals Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins 1958–59 NHL season 1956–57 NHL season 1958–59 1956–57 NHL The 1957–58 NHL season was the 41st season of the National Hockey League. Six teams played 70 games each. The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup for the third consecutive season, defeating the Boston Bruins four games to two in the best-of-seven final series. League business It was announced in September that Senator Hartland Molson had purchased 60% stock from the Canadian Arena Company and the Montreal Canadiens from Senator Donat Raymond. Organization of Players' Association Doug Harvey and Ted Lindsay led the drive to form (on February 11, 1957) the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), a workers' labour association, and sued the NHL over the issue of player pensions, salaries during training camp, meal allowances, remuneration for exhibition games and a no-trade clause after six years service.Ross, J. Andrew, Trust and Antitrust: The Failure of the First National Hockey League Players’ Association, 1957–1958 (The Journal of) Business and Economic History On-line, Vol.8, 2010, pp.4-5 Lindsay lost his captaincy of the Detroit Red Wings and was traded to Chicago, on July 23, 1957, in an effort to intimidate the players. After the NHL declined to negotiate with the players over benefits and would not open the books on the pension plan, the player's association filed an antitrust lawsuit on October 10, 1957. The lawsuit alleged the monopolization of the professional hockey industry since 1926, in violation of the Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Acts.Ross, J. Andrew, Trust and Antitrust: The Failure of the First National Hockey League Players’ Association, 1957–1958 (The Journal of) Business and Economic History On-line, Vol.8, 2010, p.7 Furthermore, On November 6, 1957, the Toronto Maple Leafs players voted unanimously to certify the union. The NHL started to fight back. First, they traded Lindsay to Chicago to separate him from the Red Wings, the American team the NHLPA had targeted for a certification vote. Next, Jack Adams spread false stories in the press alleging various slanders had been made by Lindsay against the Red Wings players, and produced a fake contract to the press showing an over-inflated salary for Lindsay, greater than Hart Trophy MVP, teammate and friend Gordie Howe. The ruse worked and the Red Wings players decided to dis-associate themselves from the NHLPA on November 13, 1957.Cruise, pp. 78–112. Part of the problem of organizing the players was confusion about the type of association they were forming. The NHLPA had applied, in Canada, to the Ontario Labour Relations Board for certification, but the ORLB had no experience with workers like hockey players.Ross, J. Andrew, Trust and Antitrust: The Failure of the First National Hockey League Players’ Association, 1957–1958 (The Journal of) Business and Economic History On-line, Vol.8, 2010, p.8 NHLPA members negotiated individual contracts and wanted to continue to bargain this way. The matter of the NHLPA being an actual union, where the members were bound together and fought for collective agreements, was unclear. The NHLPA legal counsel, Milton Mound, addressed this, saying that the players would negotiate on matters common to all players (pensions, allowances) but retained the right to individual contracts.Ross, J. Andrew, Trust and Antitrust: The Failure of the First National Hockey League Players’ Association, 1957–1958 (The Journal of) Business and Economic History On-line, Vol.8, 2010, p.9 The League, and especially Conn Smythe, argued that players were forming a "trade union" and were no better than "commies" and would lose things like individual bonuses.Ross, J. Andrew, Trust and Antitrust: The Failure of the First National Hockey League Players’ Association, 1957–1958 (The Journal of) Business and Economic History On-line, Vol.8, 2010, p.5 & 8 He believed that hockey players were in the business of being "independent contractors" and had no right or reason for a collective organization.Ross, J. Andrew, Trust and Antitrust: The Failure of the First National Hockey League Players’ Association, 1957–1958 (The Journal of) Business and Economic History On-line, Vol.8, 2010, p.10 The confusion worried both employer and employee. The situation was exacerbated by the certification process. The OLRB was taking time, and no one knew how this transnational association would work, or how it would be recognized by the US National Labor Relations Board.Ross, J. Andrew, Trust and Antitrust: The Failure of the First National Hockey League Players’ Association, 1957–1958 (The Journal of) Business and Economic History On-line, Vol.8, 2010, p.6 In fact, the NLRB asked the NHLPA to withdraw its unfair labor practices charge on November 20, 1957, arguing it did not have jurisdiction. This was followed by the Montreal Canadiens players rejection of the association in early January 1958.Ross, J. Andrew, Trust and Antitrust: The Failure of the First National Hockey League Players’ Association, 1957–1958 (The Journal of) Business and Economic History On-line, Vol.8, 2010, pp,10-11 The OLRB resumed meeting on January 7, but both the League and the players were concerned. The NHL was convinced that the ORLB was not going to dismiss the application, regardless of how they ruled on the union versus association issue, and the players were worried (given the setbacks in Detroit and Montreal) that they didn't have grounds to actually form an association (especially since they didn't want to be a traditional "union.")Ross, J. Andrew, Trust and Antitrust: The Failure of the First National Hockey League Players’ Association, 1957–1958 (The Journal of) Business and Economic History On-line, Vol.8, 2010, p.11 The players and owners both felt pressure to conclude something, so they gathered, without lawyers, for a 13-hour meeting in the boardroom of the Biltmore Hotel in Palm Beach, just after the regular NHL winter meetings.Ross, J. Andrew, Trust and Antitrust: The Failure of the First National Hockey League Players’ Association, 1957–1958 (The Journal of) Business and Economic History On-line, Vol.8, 2010, p.12 In an out-of-court settlement on February 5, 1958, the NHL promised:Coleman, pp. 334–335. a $7,000 minimum wage (which was, in actuality, the unofficial League norm,) an increase in pension benefits, increased hospitalization benefits, a limit on the number of exhibition games, the player shall be the sole judge of his physical fitness to play after injury. Ross concludes: In the end, the players had little to show for their rebellion. A few cosmetic changes were made, but even the communication problem did not seem to have been solved. Over the ensuing seasons the Owner-Player Council did not even meet regularly, and paternalism prevailed. It was not until 1967 that the idea of a union once again gained currency, again in an era of general revived interest across all the major league sports. The fundamental question at the root of the NHLPA failure was whether players really were laborers who could form a trade union. Seemingly caught in a space both commercial and non-commercial, players felt uneasy locating themselves wholly within either. This in itself reflected the success of the owners in using cultural formations to restrain their labor force. Led by Conn Smythe, the league appealed to cultural bonds of loyalty and tradition as justifications for retaining the existing economic structure of labor-management relations, long after other industries had been forced by the state to move toward formal, union-led collective bargaining arrangements.Ross, J. Andrew, Trust and Antitrust: The Failure of the First National Hockey League Players’ Association, 1957–1958 (The Journal of) Business and Economic History On-line, Vol.8, 2010, pp,13-14 Regular season This season saw the Montreal Canadiens regain first place overall, while the previous season's leader, the Detroit Red Wings, slipped to third. Montreal's Maurice "Rocket" Richard became the first NHL player to score 500 career goals, Jacques Plante won his third straight Vezina Trophy, and Doug Harvey his fourth straight Norris Trophy. Glenn Hall, after two playoff years in which the Wings were eliminated, was traded, along with Ted Lindsay to the Chicago Black Hawks and Terry Sawchuk was brought back to Detroit in a deal that saw Larry Hillman and Johnny Bucyk go to Boston. Chicago almost made the playoffs, and Hall's goaltending, including seven shutouts, one of which was in his debut with the Hawks, made him a contender for the Hart Trophy. On October 19, 1957, Rocket Richard, in a 3–1 win over Chicago, scored his 500th career goal, against Glenn Hall. He immediately dedicated it to his old coach Dick Irvin, who had died on May 15, 1957, after a long bout with bone cancer. When Marcel Paille was brought up to the Rangers from Providence of the AHL for the ailing Gump Worsley, he sparkled, and Worsley was sent down to Providence, though he was eventually recalled. Worsley had his finest campaign up to this point, with a 2.32 goals-against average and four shutouts, and the Rangers finished second – their highest finish since 1941–42. Two contenders for the Calder Memorial Trophy, Chicago's Bobby Hull and the Toronto Maple Leafs' Frank Mahovlich, battled all season for rookie honours. Mahovlich prevailed, although the Maple Leafs finished last in the NHL. This season also saw the first player of African descent play in the league. Willie O'Ree suited up with the Boston Bruins on January 18, 1958, in a game against the Canadiens in Montreal. Final standings Playoffs Playoff bracket The top four teams in the league qualified for the playoffs. In the semifinals, the first-place team played the third-place team, while the second-place team faced the fourth-place team, with the winners advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals. In both rounds, teams competed in a best-of-seven series (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each best-of-seven series). Stanley Cup Finals Semifinals 1 Montreal 4 3 Detroit 0 2 New York 2 4 Boston 4 1 Montreal 4 4 Boston 2 Semifinals (1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (3) Detroit Red Wings Detroit Red Wings Montreal Canadiens Olympia Stadium Montreal Forum March 25 1–8 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/det-vs-mtl/1958/03/25/1957030111#game=1957030111,game_state=final No scoring 02:22 – Maurice Richard (1)04:07 – pp – Maurice Richard (2)06:20 – Jean Beliveau (1)08:55 – pp – Bernie Geoffrion (1)14:23 – Phil Goyette (1) Johnny Wilson (1) – pp – 12:19 03:59 – Phil Goyette (2) No scoring 12:17 – pp – Dickie Moore (1)17:56 – Phil Goyette (3) Terry Sawchuck 27 saves / 35 shots Jacques Plante 39 saves / 40 shots March 27 1–5 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/det-vs-mtl/1958/03/27/1957030112#game=1957030112,game_state=final No scoring 18:04 – Phil Goyette (4) Johnny Wilson (2) – 13:39 17:13 – Jean Beliveau (2) No scoring 05:05 – pp – Maurice Richard (3)05:18 – Andre Pronovost (1)12:23 – Maurice Richard (4) Terry Sawchuck 35 saves / 40 shots Jacques Plante 25 saves / 26 shots March 30 2–1 1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-det/1958/03/30/1957030113#game=1957030113,game_state=final No scoring No scoring 14:07 – Forbes Kennedy (1) Dickie Moore (2) – pp – 16:00 No scoring No scoring No scoring Andre Pronovost (2) – 11:52 Terry Sawchuck 24 saves / 26 shots Jacques Plante 29 saves / 30 shots April 1 4–3 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-det/1958/04/01/1957030114#game=1957030114,game_state=final No scoring No scoring 05:49 – Jack McIntyre (1)10:27 – Gordie Howe (1)11:13 – Billy McNeill (1) Maurice Richard (5) – 08:45 No scoring Maurice Richard (6) – pp – 04:00Dickie Moore (3) – pp – 09:07Maurice Richard (7) – 09:56 Terry Sawchuck 26 saves / 30 shots Jacques Plante 31 saves / 34 shots Montreal won series 4–0 (2) New York Rangers vs. (4) Boston Bruins Boston Bruins New York Rangers Boston Garden Madison Square Garden III March 25 3–5 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/bos-vs-nyr/1958/03/25/1957030121#game=1957030121,game_state=final Fleming MacKell (1) – 00:58Jerry Toppazzini (1) – 07:21 04:40 – Larry Popein (1)10:45 – sh – Andy Hebenton (1)18:38 – pp – Camille Henry (1) Bronco Horvath (1) – 17:45 10:29 – pp – Dave Creighton (1) No scoring 17:01 – Dave Creighton (2) Harry Lumley 25 saves / 30 shots Gump Worsley 26 saves / 29 shots March 27 4–3 1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/bos-vs-nyr/1958/03/27/1957030122#game=1957030122,game_state=final Doug Mohns (1) – pp – 05:05Don McKenney (1) – 19:38 05:28 – Andy Bathgate (1)08:58 – pp – Andy Bathgate (2) No scoring 07:24 – Jean-Guy Gendron (1) Don McKenney (2) – 11:13 No scoring Jerry Toppazzini (2) – 04:46 No scoring Don Simmons 27 saves / 30 shots Gump Worsley 21 saves / 25 shots March 29 0–5 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyr-vs-bos/1958/03/29/1957030123#game=1957030123,game_state=final 09:24 – pp – Doug Mohns (2)13:18 – pp – Don McKenney (3)17:40 – pp – Don McKenney (4) No scoring 04:01 – Buddy Boone (1) No scoring 07:36 – sh – Norm Johnson (1) No scoring Don Simmons 28 saves / 28 shots Gump Worsley 31 saves / 36 shots April 1 5–2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyr-vs-bos/1958/04/01/1957030124#game=1957030124,game_state=final No scoring Dean Prentice (1) – sh – 05:19Dave Creighton (3) – pp – 09:47 02:04 – pp – Jerry Toppazzini (3) Andy Hebenton (2) – 10:17Andy Bathgate (3) – sh – 15:12 11:32 – sh – Jerry Toppazzini (4) Andy Bathgate (4) – en – 19:41 Don Simmons 30 saves / 34 shots Gump Worsley 39 saves / 41 shots April 3 1–6 2 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyr-vs-bos/1958/04/03/1957030125#game=1957030125,game_state=final 06:43 – Fleming MacKell (2)09:11 – pp – Bronco Horvath (2)11:24 – Don McKenney (5) No scoring 05:10 – sh – Fern Flaman (1)10:20 – Fern Flaman (2) Parker MacDonald (1) – 12:44 16:32 – pp – Jerry Toppazzini (5) No scoring Don Simmons 26 saves / 27 shots Gump Worsley 36 saves / 42 shots April 5 2–8 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyr-vs-bos/1958/04/05/1957030126#game=1957030126,game_state=final 00:58 – pp – Larry Regan (1)07:27 – sh – Jerry Toppazzini (6)11:04 – pp – Norm Johnson (2)17:20 – Fleming MacKell (3) Harry Howell (1) – 14:33 13:29 – Doug Mohns (3) Andy Bathgate (5) – pp – 04:55 08:29 – Fleming MacKell (4)08:58 – Jerry Toppazzini (7)17:49 – Jerry Toppazzini (8) No scoring Don Simmons 36 saves / 44 shots Gump Worsley 26 saves / 28 shots Boston won series 4–2 Stanley Cup Finals 1958 Stanley Cup Finals The Canadiens made their eighth consecutive appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals and defeated the Bruins in six games. It was the Canadiens' third consecutive Stanley Cup triumph. Boston Bruins Montreal Canadiens Boston Garden Montreal Forum April 8 1–2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/bos-vs-mtl/1958/04/08/1957030211#game=1957030211,game_state=final No scoring 12:24 – pp – Bernie Geoffrion (2) Allan Stanley (1) – pp – 05:54 13:52 – pp – Dickie Moore (4) No scoring No scoring Don Simmons 42 saves / 44 shots Jacques Plante 28 saves / 29 shots April 10 5–2 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/bos-vs-mtl/1958/04/10/1957030212#game=1957030212,game_state=final Norm Johnson (3) – 00:20Don McKenney (6) – pp – 06:58Bronco Horvath (3) – pp – 17:23 03:12 – pp – Bernie Geoffrion (3) Larry Regan (2) – 05:00 07:00 – Doug Harvey (1) Bronco Horvath (4) – 16:52 No scoring Don Simmons 31 saves / 33 shots Jacques Plante 27 saves / 32 shots April 13 3–0 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-bos/1958/04/13/1957030213#game=1957030213,game_state=final No scoring Maurice Richard (8) – 18:20 No scoring No scoring No scoring Henri Richard (1) – 03:00Maurice Richard (9) – 15:06 Don Simmons 27 saves / 30 shots Jacques Plante 18 saves / 18 shots April 15 1–3 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-bos/1958/04/15/1957030214#game=1957030214,game_state=final 05:35 – pp – Don McKenney (7) No scoring 03:30 – Don McKenney (8) No scoring 02:30 – Jerry Toppazzini (9) Claude Provost (1) Don Simmons 23 saves / 24 shots Jacques Plante 27 saves / 30 shots April 17 2–3 1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/bos-vs-mtl/1958/04/17/1957030215#game=1957030215,game_state=final Fleming MacKell (5) – pp – 18:43 No scoring No scoring 02:20 – Bernie Geoffrion (4)03:02 – Jean Beliveau (3) Bronco Horvath (5) – 10:35 No scoring No scoring 05:45 – Maurice Richard (10) Don Simmons 44 saves / 47 shots Jacques Plante 38 saves / 40 shots April 20 5–3 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-bos/1958/04/20/1957030216#game=1957030216,game_state=final 18:35 – Don McKenney (9) Bernie Geoffrion (5) – 00:46Maurice Richard (11) – 01:54 No scoring Jean Beliveau (4) – 06:42Bernie Geoffrion (6) – 19:26 05:20 – Norm Johnson13:41 – Larry Regan (3) Doug Harvey (2) – en – 19:00 Don Simmons 41 saves / 45 shots Jacques Plante 31 saves / 34 shots Montreal won series 4–2 Awards + Award winnersPrince of Wales Trophy:(Regular season champion) Montreal CanadiensArt Ross Trophy:(Top scorer) Dickie Moore, Montreal CanadiensCalder Memorial Trophy:(Best first-year player) Frank Mahovlich, Toronto Maple LeafsHart Trophy:(Most valuable player) Gordie Howe, Detroit Red WingsJames Norris Memorial Trophy:(Best defenceman) Doug Harvey, Montreal CanadiensLady Byng Memorial Trophy:(Excellence and sportsmanship) Camille Henry, New York RangersVezina Trophy:(Goaltender of team with the best goals-against average) Jacques Plante, Montreal Canadiens All-Star teams First team   Position   Second teamGlenn Hall, Chicago Black Hawks GJacques Plante, Montreal CanadiensDoug Harvey, Montreal Canadiens DFern Flaman, Boston BruinsBill Gadsby, New York Rangers DMarcel Pronovost, Detroit Red WingsHenri Richard, Montreal Canadiens CJean Beliveau, Montreal CanadiensGordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings RWAndy Bathgate, New York RangersDickie Moore, Montreal Canadiens LWCamille Henry, New York Rangers Player statistics Scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes Player Team GP G A Pts PIM Dickie Moore Montreal Canadiens 70 36 48 84 65 Henri Richard Montreal Canadiens 67 28 52 80 56 Andy Bathgate New York Rangers 65 30 48 78 42 Gordie Howe Detroit Red Wings 64 33 44 77 40 Bronco Horvath Boston Bruins 67 30 36 66 71 Ed Litzenberger Chicago Black Hawks 70 32 30 62 63 Fleming Mackell Boston Bruins 70 20 40 60 72 Jean Beliveau Montreal Canadiens 55 27 32 59 93 Alex Delvecchio Detroit Red Wings 70 21 38 59 22 Don McKenney Boston Bruins 70 28 30 58 22 Dinger 2011 149 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 SOJacques Plante Montreal Canadiens 57 3386 119 2.11 34 14 8 9Lorne Worsley New York Rangers 37 2220 86 2.32 21 10 6 4Don Simmons Boston Bruins 39 2288 92 2.41 15 14 9 5Harry Lumley Boston Bruins 24 1500 71 2.84 11 10 3 3Glenn Hall Chicago Black Hawks 70 4200 200 2.86 24 39 7 7Terry Sawchuk Detroit Red Wings 70 4200 205 2.94 29 29 12 3Marcel Paille New York Rangers 33 1980 102 3.09 11 15 7 1Ed Chadwick Toronto Maple Leafs 70 4200 223 3.19 21 38 11 4 Coaches Boston Bruins: Milt Schmidt Chicago Black Hawks: Rudy Pilous Detroit Red Wings: Jimmy Skinner Montreal Canadiens: Toe Blake New York Rangers: Phil Watson Toronto Maple Leafs: Billy Reay Debuts The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1957–58 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs): Willie O'Ree, Boston Bruins (first-ever black player to play in the NHL) Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks Murray Oliver, Detroit Red Wings Ab McDonald*, Montreal Canadiens Carl Brewer, Toronto Maple Leafs Bob Nevin, Toronto Maple Leafs Last games The following is a list of players of note who played their last game in the NHL in 1957–58 (listed with their last team): Johnny Peirson, Boston Bruins Jimmy Thomson, Chicago Black Hawks Tony Leswick, Detroit Red Wings Metro Prystai, Detroit Red Wings Floyd Curry, Montreal Canadiens Sid Smith, Toronto Maple Leafs Broadcasting Hockey Night in Canada on CBC Television televised Saturday night regular season games and selected Stanley Cup playoff games. Games were not broadcast in their entirety until the 1968–69 season, and were typically joined in progress, while the radio version of HNIC aired games in their entirety. In the U.S., this was the second season of a four-year deal with CBS to televise Saturday afternoon regular season games. This season, CBS aired games from November to March. See also 1957–58 NHL transactions 1957 NHL Intra-League Draft List of Stanley Cup champions National Hockey League All-Star Game 1957 in sports 1958 in sports References Coleman Charles L. 1976 Sherbrooke, Quebec Trail of the Stanley Cup, Vol III Progressive Publications Net Worth: Exploding the Myths of Pro Hockey https://archive.org/details/networthexplodin0000crui registration Cruise David 1991 Years of glory, 1942–1967: the National Hockey League's official book of the six-team era Diamond, Dan 1994 McClelland and Stewart Toronto, ON 0-7710-2817-2 Total Hockey Diamond, Dan Total Sports 2000 1-892129-85-X Kingston, New York 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 Duplacey James 2008 North Dighton, Massachusetts Hockey's Book of Firsts JG Press 978-1-57215-037-9 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 1969 50 Years Of Hockey Winnipeg, MAN Greywood Publishing B000GW45S0 McFarlane Brian The Story of the National Hockey League Pagurian Press New York 1973 0-684-13424-1 registration https://archive.org/details/storyofnationalh0000mcfa Notes External links Hockey Database NHL.com 1957 Category:1957–58 in American ice hockey by league Category:1957–58 in Canadian ice hockey by league