1961-62
OFF-SEASON
Biggest retirement of the off-season was Marty Pavelich. The 33 year old played 904 career games with Detroit and Boston. He scored 275 goals and recorded 615 career points. Pavelich was named NHL rookie of the year with the Red Wings in 1945-46. He spent 14 years with the Wings before being dealt to Boston for Don Cherry two years ago. He won 2 Stanley Cups with Detroit.
Some big name youngsters joining the league highlighted by 19 year old Phil Esposito in Chicago. Fred Stanfield, Ken Hodge, Dennis Hull and Doug Jarry are four other teens being welcomed to the Black Hawks organization. Montreal adds Yvan Cournoyer and Red Berenson while Boston gets Gary Dornhoefer, JP Parise and Ron Schock.
REGULAR SEASON
So much for the thinking the influx of young talent around the league would help teams close the gap on Montreal. The Canadiens high flying offense completely dominated the league finishing with 115 points and scoring 301 goals - 68 more than the next closest team. Montreal's goal differential was 178. Only second place Toronto with 76 finished in the positive in that category. The Canadiens run was even more impressive considering that Tom Johnson, who had won the last 3 Norris Trophies, missed more than half the season with an injury.
It wasn't just Montreal that lost a key defenseman. The Black Hawks failed to make the playoffs and a big reason why was the October injury to Bill Gadsby that ended his season.
Milestones include Toronto defenseman Gus Mortson reaching the 1000 game mark. The 37 year old becomes just the 5th player in league history to play 1000 regular season games. The 1954 Norris Trophy winner has 550 points and finished the season with 1014 games under his belt.
Ted Lindsay, who is now the all-time games played leader with 1141, moved into second place in points by passing the 1100 mark. He finished the season with 58 points giving him 1112 for his career, second only to Maurice Richard's 1173.
Code:
GP W L T PTS
Montreal Canadiens 70 53 8 9 115
Toronto Maple Leafs 70 42 19 9 93
Detroit Red Wings 70 27 30 13 67
Boston Bruins 70 24 36 10 58
Chicago Black Hawks 70 21 40 9 51
New York Rangers 70 13 47 10 36
SCORING LEADERS TEAM GP G A PTS
Jean Beliveau MON 70 49 66 115
Henri Richard MON 70 38 57 95
Alex Delvecchio DET 70 35 50 85
Gilles Tremblay MON 66 34 44 78
Frank Mahovlich TOR 70 41 35 76
Dick Duff TOR 70 22 53 75
Doug Harvey MON 70 19 52 71
Claude Provost MON 70 34 35 69
Norm Ullman NYR 70 24 45 69
Don McKenney BOS 70 21 45 66
Bobby Hull CHI 64 35 30 65
PLAYOFFS
Toronto shocked Montreal by winning 4 straight 1-goal games in the semi-finals to eliminate the Canadiens. It marks the first time since 1953-54 Montreal did not make the finals and it is the Leafs first trip to the championship series since the same year. Frank Mahovlich paced the Leaf offense with 4 goals including 3 game-winners while Terry Sawchuk was outstanding in the Leaf net.
As is often the case the Detroit-Boston semi-final series went the full seven games. The Wings won the deciding contest on home ice by a 3-1 score as Gordie Howe got the game winner with Johnny Bucyk adding an empty-netter to seal the win.
Game One of the finals was a 4-1 victory for Toronto as Ron Stewart scored twice and Dick Duff added 3 assists for the Leafs.
Five second period goals led Toronto to a 6-3 victory in Game Two. Defenseman Tim Horton led the Leafs with a goal and 3 assists while Frank Mahovlich scored twice. Alex Delvecchio had two for Detroit in a losing cause.
Frank Mahovlich, Bill White and Bill McCreary scored for Toronto in a 3-1 Leafs victory. Terry Sawchuk was again solid in the Toronto cage, turning aside 24 of the 25 shots he faced.
Three first period goals send Toronto on it's way to a celebration and the Leafs complete the sweep with a 4-3 victory over Detroit despite a pair of Red Wing goals in the third period from Ted Lindsay. Mahovlich, Dick Duff, Bob Pulford and Bob Nevin are the Leaf goal scorers.
Detroit's Gordie Howe leads all playoff performers with 12 points including 4 goals in 11 games. Alex Delvecchio is second with 11 points. Toronto's Frank Mahovlich is the goal scoring leader with 8 in 8 games but the Conn Smythe Trophy goes to Leafs netminder Terry Sawchuk, who almost singlehandedly won the semi-final series over Montreal. Sawchuk, who had a .936 save percentage and 1.51 GAA in 8 playoff games, becomes the first goaltender to win the playoff MVP award.
Other Award winners:
HART TROPHY: Jean Beliveau Montreal (70GP 49-66-115)
VEZINA TROPHY: Jacques Plante Montreal (53-8-8, 1.76)
NORRIS TROPHY: Doug Harvey Montreal (70GP 19-52-71)
ART ROSS TROPHY: Jean Beliveau Montreal (70GP 49-66-115)
CALDER TROPHY: Bill White Toronto (44GP 6-18-24)
The game does not select the all-star team but I will start naming first and second team all-stars
Code:
POS FIRST TEAM SECOND TEAM
G Jacques Plante Montreal Terry Sawchuk Toronto
D Doug Harvey Montreal Marcel Pronovost Detroit
D Red Kelly Toronto Pierre Pilote Chicago
C Jean Beliveau Montreal Norm Ullman New York
LW Gilles Tremblay Montreal Bobby Hull Chicago
RW Henri Richard Montreal Alex Delvecchio Detroit