Number of games 70 | Number of teams 6 Start date 1966 | |
Duration October 19, 1966 – May 2, 1967 Playoffs Playoffs MVP Dave Keon (Toronto Maple Leafs) | ||
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, as of 2016.
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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.
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.
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.
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points
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
Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1966–67 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1966–67 (listed with their last team):