1963–64 Montreal Canadiens season



The 1963–64 Montreal Canadiens season was the club's 55th season of play. The Canadiens finished 1st in the league and lost in the Semi-finals to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4 games to 3.

Regular Season
The Canadiens were coming off what was for them a very poor season. The team finished third in the 1962-63 NHL season and lost the Semi-finals in a very poorly played 5 games to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Lou Fontinato suffered a career-ending injury in that year and veterans Tom Johnson and Dickie Moore also missed a lot of time due to injuries. Goaltender Jacques Plante played his worst season in a Canadiens' uniform.

Moore retired, Johnson went to the Boston Bruins while Phil Goyette, Don Marshall, and Plante were traded to the New York Rangers. To replace them, the Canadiens obtained Gump Worsley and Dave Balon from the Rangers and got the tough enforcer John Ferguson from the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League. Rookies Jacques Laperriere and Terry Harper reinforced the defence. With the exception of Worsley, all the new players played beyond expectations.

Worlsey was injured in the eighth game of the season. To replace him the Canadiens brought up Charlie Hodge from the Quebec Aces. Hodge had been the team's second-string goalie for years behind Jacques Plante. Given the chance, Hodge blossomed into a fine first-string goalie and won the Vezina Trophy.

The Detroit Red Wings blanked the Montreal Canadiens 3-0 on November 10th. While the Wings were a man short, Gordie Howe scored on Charlie Hodge for his 545th career goal, breaking Maurice Richard's record. Yet another record was tied by Terry Sawchuk when he recorded his 94th career NHL shutout, tying him with George Hainsworth as the all-time NHL shutout leader.

Jean Béliveau came off of a so-so 1962-63 season to finish third in the league scoring race and win the Hart Memorial Trophy. Laperriere won the Calder Memorial Trophy ahead of teammates Ferguson and Harper. Bobby Rousseau scored five goals in one game against the Detroit Red Wings as part of a fine 25 goal season.

The Leafs, strengthened by superstar Andy Bathgate upset the Canadiens in the Semi-finals, but a dynasty was born. The Canadiens would win four of the next five Stanley Cups, narrowly missing winning the 1967 Stanley Cup Finals.

Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Montreal Canadiens 3

 * March 26, 1964, Toronto Maple Leafs 2 - 0
 * March 28, 1964, Toronto Maple Leafs 1 - 2
 * March 31, 1964, at Toronto Maple Leafs 3 - 2
 * April 2, 1964, at Toronto Maple Leafs 3 - 5
 * April 4, 1964, Toronto Maple Leafs 4 - 2
 * April 7, 1964, at Toronto Maple Leafs 0 - 3
 * April 9, 1964, Toronto Maple Leafs 1 - 3

Regular Season

 * Scoring
 * Goaltending

Playoffs

 * Scoring
 * Goaltending

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalty Minutes; PPG=Power-play goals; SHG=Short-handed goals; GWG=Game-winning goals

MIN=Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; SO = Shutouts

Awards and Records

 * Prince of Wales Trophy: Montreal Canadiens
 * Hart Memorial Trophy: Jean Beliveau
 * Calder Memorial Trophy: Jacques Laperriere
 * Vezina Trophy: Charlie Hodge
 * Jean Béliveau, Centre, NHL First Team All-Star
 * Jacques Laperriere, Defenceman, NHL Second Team All-Star
 * Charlie Hodge, Goaltender, NHL Second Team All-Star

Transactions

 * Trade Jacques Plante, Phil Goyette and Don Marshall to the New York Rangers for Gump Worsley, Dave Balon, Leon Rochefort and Len Ronson on June 4, 1963.

Minor Pro
The Canadiens had working arrangements with the following teams:


 * Quebec Aces (American Hockey League) who finished first in the East Division.
 * Cleveland Barons (American Hockey League) who won the Calder Cup.
 * Seattle Totems (Western Hockey League) who finished fifth.
 * Muskegon Zephyrs (International Hockey League) who finished sixth.

The following team was a wholly-owned farm team:


 * Omaha Knights (Central Professional Hockey League) who finished first and won the Adams Cup (playoff championship).

Junior

 * Montreal Junior Canadiens (Ontario Hockey Association) who finished second and lost the final.
 * Peterborough Petes (Ontario Hockey Association) who finished fifth and lost the quarter final.
 * Regina Pats (Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League) who finished second and lost the final.
 * Fort William Canadiens (Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League) who finished second and won the final.
 * St. Boniface Canadiens (Manitoba Junior Hockey League) who finished sixth.

They also sponsored the Ottawa Hull &amp; District Junior League and the Metropolitan Montreal Junior League.

Notable Games
Montreal 9 Detroit 3:Feb. 1, 1964

Video
Game 6 of the 1964 Semi-finals between Montreal and Toronto, April 13, 1965.