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 the game's history, Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins.

League Business
President David Molson of the Canadian Arena Company announced that the Montreal Forum would undergo major alterations 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 19th, with an assist in a 6-2 win over Detroit. Orr finished the season with 41 points, second only to veteran defenseman Pierre Pilote of Chicago. Named to the Second All-Star Team, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy by a wide margin, with his defense partner Joe Watson finishing fourth in voting. Orr was sixth in voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy and third for the James Norris Memorial Trophy as best defenseman. The winner of the Norris Trophy, Harry Howell famously predicted that he was glad to win when he did, because "Orr will own this trophy from now on."

Terry Sawchuk got his 99th shutout when Toronto blanked Detroit 4-0 February 25th. He got his 100th career shutout March 4th when Toronto defeated Chicago 4-0.

Bobby Hull scored his 50th goal of the season when Chicago lost to Toronto 9-5 March 18th at Maple Leaf Gardens.

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.

Scoring Leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points

Stanley Cup 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. The Leafs went on to win the Stanley Cup over the Montreal Canadiens four games to two; it proved to be the most recent time Toronto has won the Cup. The Leafs' squad was renowned as the oldest ever to win a Cup final; the average age of the team was well over thirty, and four players were over forty.


 * see 1967 Stanley Cup Finals

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):
 * Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins
 * Ed Van Impe, Chicago Black Hawks
 * Carol Vadnais, Montreal Canadiens
 * Serge Savard, Montreal Canadiens
 * Rogie Vachon, Montreal Canadiens
 * Garry Bauman, Montreal Canadiens
 * Gary Smith, Toronto Maple Leafs

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):
 * Bill Hay, Chicago Black Hawks
 * Red Kelly, Toronto Maple Leafs

Video
A minute and a half clip showing Bobby Rousseau scoring while Bobby Orr serves his first NHL penalty on October 22, 1966.