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64-65BosBru
1964–65 Boston Bruins
Division 6th NHL
1964–65 record 21–43–6
Goals for 166 (6th)
Goals against 253 (6th)
Team information
General manager Lynn Patrick
Coach Milt Schmidt
Captain Leo Boivin
Alternate captains John Bucyk
Tom Johnson
Orland Kurtenbach
Arena Boston Garden
Average attendance 11,139
Team leaders
Goals John Bucyk (26)
Assists John Bucyk (29)
Points John Bucyk (55)
Penalty minutes Ted Green (156)
Wins Eddie Johnston (11)
Goals against average Eddie Johnston (3.47)

The 1964–65 Boston Bruins season was the 41st season for the franchise. The Bruins finished 6th in the league and missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.

Off-season[]

27Mar1958-Toppazzini finger

Jerry Toppazzini salutes the Ranger fans after scoring the overtime winner in Game 2 of the 1958 Semi-finals.

GM Lynn Patrick made a number of moves in the off-season in the continuing attempt to improve team scoring. Doug Mohns was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks for Ab McDonald and Reg Fleming. Jerry Toppazzini was also sent to Chicago in a package deal in which the Bruins acquired Murray Balfour. Both Mohns and Toppazzini had been Bruins for over a decade and had particularly shone during the 1958 playoffs.

Future Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Ken Dryden was picked in the third round of the 1964 NHL Amateur Draft by Boston but his rights were traded weeks later to the Montreal Canadiens for Guy Allen and Paul Reid, two players who never played in the NHL.

The 18th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held at Toronto on October 10, 1964. A team of All-stars that included three Bruins, Leo Boivin, Murray Oliver and John Bucyk played against the Stanley Cup champion Toronto Maple Leafs. The All-Stars won 3-2 with Oliver scoring the winning goal, assisted by Bucyk.

Regular Season[]

1964[]

1964-Ab McDonald

Ab McDonald had a disappointing 1964-65 season, scoring 18 points.

The Bruins were hopeful that the acquisition of Balfour and McDonald, who'd both been 20 goal scorers in Chicago, would solve the depth scoring issue that had plagued the team since the 1960-61 season. Tom Williams was back from the injury that ended his 1963-64 season. Orland Kurtenbach had success on the second line the year before and was made an assistant captain. Gary Dornhoefer was looking to build on his brief but impressive rookie season where he'd played on the top line with Murray Oliver and John Bucyk. Junior sensation Ron Schock made the team out of training camp after leading the Niagara Falls Flyers in scoring. Andy Hebenton was sold to the Portland Buckaroos.

Except for the departure of Doug Mohns, the defense remained largely unchanged from the previous season. Ted Green was the new leader of the Bruins blueline and seen as the replacement for Leo Boivin, who was in his penultimate season in Boston. Veteran Tom Johnson was a stabilizing presence while it was hoped that Bob McCord would build off his rookie season. Ed Westfall and Reg Fleming both switched between forward and defense. Eddie Johnston remained the Bruins starting netminder.

Oliver goal-17Oct1964

Murray Oliver scores on the power play, October 17, 1964.

Despite the changes, the season started disastrously with no wins in October. In the majority of the games, the Bruins were outshot and they managed only 10 goals in 9 games. Ron Schock had 2 goals, while the "BOW Line" of Bucyk, Oliver and Williams had 3 goals. The first win came on November 1, 1964 and the Bruins had their best month of the season, going 5-4-2. After no goals in 15 games and complaining of fatigue, Murray Balfour was sent to the minors and died of a lung tumor in May 1965. Gary Dornhoefer was relegated after zero goals in 20 games and on November 29, 1965, Bob Leiter suffered a fractured left arm and was lost for the season. He wouldn't play another full season in the NHL for seven years. Wayne Maxner, Bill Knibbs and Wayne Rivers were recalled and all three would play their only full NHL seasons in 1964-65. Don Awrey was also recalled, played the remainder of the season and seven more for the Bruins.

Bucyk penalty shot goal-12Dec1964

John Bucyk scores on a penalty shot, December 12, 1964.

The inconsistent play continued in December despite contributions from the call-ups, particularly Wayne Rivers. The BOW Line was outplayed on many nights with Bucyk and Oliver finishing the season -25 and -30 respectively. January saw brief call-ups for the first NHL games for Wayne Cashman, Joe Watson and Bill Goldsworthy as Dean Prentice and Ron Schock were lost to injury.

1965[]

Goldsworthy played in the January 7, 1965 game at Boston versus the Detroit Red Wings which the Bruins were dominating 5-0 in the third period. Gordie Howe then scored two Power play goals and with five minutes remaining, caught Billy Knibbs, who'd scored the game's first goal, with his head down. Knibbs' head struck the ice and he appeared to be badly injured. Howe was given a major penalty and on his way to the dressing room, was doused with beer by the enraged fans. Police insisted on escorting Howe to his hotel to ensure his safety. Knibbs recovered and played the next game.

1965-Jack Norris

Jack Norris played 23 games in 1965 after Eddie Johnston was injured.

Ulf Sterner, the first European trained player to play in the NHL, made his debut for the New York Rangers versus the Bruins on January 27, 1965. [1] In Toronto on January 30, 1965, Ed Johnston was too ill to play so Jack Norris was called up. However, Norris' goalie equipment was stolen from the hotel, forcing Johnston to play. The Bruins not only lost 6-1 but Johnston's hand was broken in the game, causing him to miss the remainder of the season. Norris played the next game wearing Johnston's equipment and went a respectable 10-11-2 with one shutout. Unusually, he wore jersey #17.

During the third period of the February 4, 1965 game versus Detroit Red Wings, Bill Gadsby swung his stick at Reg Fleming after Fleming hit him with the puck. The two engaged in a stick-swinging duel, but neither was seriously injured. Both were given match penalties and Boston fans threw punches at several Red Wings players over the glass. Late in the game, Gordie Howe cut Don Awrey with a high stick. When the game finished, fans poured beer on Detroit trainer Ross Wilson which led to a scuffle in the walkway by the Red Wings bench. Bob McCord was sent to the minors, never to play for the Bruins again, and Bob Woytowich was called up for the next game and played the remainder of the season. He finished with 12 points in 21 games and would become a Bruins regular the next season. Jeannot Gilbert was called up next, resulting in 7 rookies playing in the Bruins line-up.

1964-Johnson Keon

Tom Johnson's playing career ended in 1965.

The February 21, 1965 game versus Chicago saw a bench clearing brawl in which former Bruin Doug Mohns fought Orland Kurtenbach. Bad blood carried over to the next time the teams met on February 28, 1965. Tom Johnson's leg was cut by a skate, ending his career. Wayne Maxner was given two misconducts and though Chicago had eight power plays, the Bruins rallied for a 5-4 victory. Johnson would remain in the Bruins organization for 30 years, coach the team to the 1972 Stanley Cup and retire as a vice president.

The Bruins were out of the playoffs entering March but made a run at finishing out of last place. On March 25, 1965, the Bruins lost 10-3 to Detroit with Ted Lindsay scoring the last goal of his career against Jack Norris. Despite winning 5 games in the month and having more wins that the Rangers, the Bruins still finished in the cellar with 48 points (the same as the previous season) as New York had more ties and four more points.

Final Standings[]

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes

National Hockey League
GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM
Detroit Red Wings 70 40 23 7 87 224 175 1121
Montreal Canadiens 70 36 23 11 83 211 185 1033
Chicago Black Hawks 70 34 28 8 76 224 176 1051
Toronto Maple Leafs 70 30 26 14 74 204 173 1068
New York Rangers 70 20 38 12 52 179 246 760
Boston Bruins 70 21 43 6 48 166 253 946

Game Log[]

1980s Bruins logo Regular Season Results 1980s Bruins logo
No. R Date Score Opponent Record
1 L October 12, 1964 2–6 New York Rangers (1964–65) 0–1–0
2 L October 14, 1964 0–3 @ Chicago Black Hawks (1964–65) 0–2–0
3 L October 17, 1964 2–7 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1964–65) 0–3–0
4 L October 18, 1964 1–3 Montreal Canadiens (1964–65) 0–4–0
5 T October 22, 1964 2–2 Toronto Maple Leafs (1964–65) 0–4–1
6 L October 25, 1964 0–4 Detroit Red Wings (1964–65) 0–5–1
7 L October 28, 1964 1–3 @ New York Rangers (1964–65) 0–6–1
8 L October 29, 1964 0–2 @ Detroit Red Wings (1964–65) 0–7–1
9 L October 31, 1964 2–6 @ Montreal Canadiens (1964–65) 0–8–1
10 W November 1, 1964 5–2 Chicago Black Hawks (1964–65) 1–8–1
11 W November 8, 1964 3–2 Chicago Black Hawks (1964–65) 2–8–1
12 T November 10, 1964 3–3 Detroit Red Wings (1964–65) 2–8–2
13 L November 11, 1964 2–4 @ New York Rangers (1964–65) 2–9–2
14 W November 14, 1964 3–1 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1964–65) 3–9–2
15 T November 15, 1964 2–2 Montreal Canadiens (1964–65) 3–9–3
16 L November 21, 1964 1–3 Detroit Red Wings (1964–65) 3–10–3
17 L November 22, 1964 1–3 Toronto Maple Leafs (1964–65) 3–11–3
18 W November 26, 1964 6–1 New York Rangers (1964–65) 4–11–3
19 L November 28, 1964 1–2 @ Montreal Canadiens (1964–65) 4–12–3
20 W November 29, 1964 4–3 @ Chicago Black Hawks (1964–65) 5–12–3
21 L December 3, 1964 2–4 @ Detroit Red Wings (1964–65) 5–13–3
22 T December 5, 1964 3–3 New York Rangers (1964–65) 5–13–4
23 L December 10, 1964 1–5 Chicago Black Hawks (1964–65) 5–14–4
24 L December 12, 1964 3–6 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1964–65) 5–15–4
25 L December 13, 1964 4–5 Montreal Canadiens (1964–65) 5–16–4
26 L December 16, 1964 5–7 @ Chicago Black Hawks (1964–65) 5–17–4
27 W December 17, 1964 5–3 @ Detroit Red Wings (1964–65) 6–17–4
28 L December 20, 1964 2–3 Chicago Black Hawks (1964–65) 6–18–4
29 L December 25, 1964 0–3 New York Rangers (1964–65) 6–19–4
30 W December 26, 1964 2–0 @ New York Rangers (1964–65) 7–19–4
31 L December 27, 1964 2–6 @ Chicago Black Hawks (1964–65) 7–20–4
32 W January 1, 1965 3–0 Toronto Maple Leafs (1964–65) 8–20–4
33 L January 2, 1965 1–3 @ Montreal Canadiens (1964–65) 8–21–4
34 L January 3, 1965 1–8 @ Detroit Red Wings (1964–65) 8–22–4
35 L January 6, 1965 2–5 @ New York Rangers (1964–65) 8–23–4
36 W January 7, 1965 5–2 Detroit Red Wings (1964–65) 9–23–4
37 L January 9, 1965 1–2 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1964–65) 9–24–4
38 W January 14, 1965 5–2 New York Rangers (1964–65) 10–24–4
39 L January 16, 1965 2–3 @ Montreal Canadiens (1964–65) 10–25–4
40 L January 17, 1965 1–3 Toronto Maple Leafs (1964–65) 10–26–4
41 L January 20, 1965 1–7 @ Chicago Black Hawks (1964–65) 10–27–4
42 L January 21, 1965 0–3 @ Detroit Red Wings (1964–65) 10–28–4
43 L January 23, 1965 1–5 @ Montreal Canadiens (1964–65) 10–29–4
44 W January 24, 1965 3–0 Montreal Canadiens (1964–65) 11–29–4
45 L January 27, 1965 2–5 @ New York Rangers (1964–65) 11–30–4
46 L January 28, 1965 2–6 Chicago Black Hawks (1964–65) 11–31–4
47 L January 30, 1965 1–6 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1964–65) 11–32–4
48 L January 31, 1965 2–4 Toronto Maple Leafs (1964–65) 11–33–4
49 W February 4, 1965 3–1 Detroit Red Wings (1964–65) 12–33–4
50 W February 6, 1965 3–2 New York Rangers (1964–65) 13–33–4
51 L February 7, 1965 3–8 @ New York Rangers (1964–65) 13–34–4
52 L February 11, 1965 1–7 Montreal Canadiens (1964–65) 13–35–4
53 W February 13, 1965 5–4 Montreal Canadiens (1964–65) 14–35–4
54 T February 14, 1965 2–2 Toronto Maple Leafs (1964–65) 14–35–5
55 L February 20, 1965 2–6 @ Montreal Canadiens (1964–65) 14–36–5
56 L February 21, 1965 0–7 @ Chicago Black Hawks (1964–65) 14–37–5
57 W February 24, 1965 3–1 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1964–65) 15–37–5
58 L February 27, 1965 1–4 @ Detroit Red Wings (1964–65) 15–38–5
59 W February 28, 1965 5–4 @ Chicago Black Hawks (1964–65) 16–38–5
60 W March 3, 1965 6–1 @ New York Rangers (1964–65) 17–38–5
61 L March 4, 1965 3–4 New York Rangers (1964–65) 17–39–5
62 L March 6, 1965 3–4 Detroit Red Wings (1964–65) 17–40–5
63 T March 7, 1965 3–3 Toronto Maple Leafs (1964–65) 17–40–6
64 W March 13, 1965 2–0 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1964–65) 18–40–6
65 L March 14, 1965 2–5 Detroit Red Wings (1964–65) 18–41–6
66 W March 17, 1965 2–1 Chicago Black Hawks (1964–65) 19–41–6
67 L March 18, 1965 3–10 @ Detroit Red Wings (1964–65) 19–42–6
68 L March 21, 1965 2–5 Montreal Canadiens (1964–65) 19–43–6
69 W March 27, 1965 6–2 @ Montreal Canadiens (1964–65) 20–43–6
70 W March 28, 1965 3–1 Chicago Black Hawks (1964–65) 21–43–6

Playoffs[]

  • The Bruins did not qualify for the post season.

Player Stats[]

Regular Season[]

Scoring
# Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM PPG SHG GWG
9 Bucyk, JohnJohn Bucyk LW 68 26 29 55 24 7 0 2
16 Oliver, MurrayMurray Oliver C 65 20 23 43 30 6 0 4
19 Fleming, ReggieReggie Fleming D/LW 67 18 23 41 136 1 2 4
6 Green, TedTed Green D 70 8 27 35 156 2 0 0
11 Williams, TommyTommy Williams RW 65 13 21 34 28 2 0 3
18 Westfall, EdEd Westfall D/RW 68 12 15 27 65 0 2 2
7 Kurtenbach, OrlandOrland Kurtenbach C 64 6 20 26 86 0 1 0
17 Prentice, DeanDean Prentice LW 31 14 9 23 12 3 1 2
25 Rivers, WayneWayne Rivers RW 58 6 17 23 72 0 0 0
21 McDonald, AbAb McDonald LW 60 9 9 18 6 2 0 3
22 Knibbs, BillBill Knibbs C 53 7 10 17 4 0 0 0
12 Maxner, WayneWayne Maxner LW 54 7 6 13 42 1 0 0
20 Boivin, LeoLeo Boivin D 67 3 10 13 68 0 0 1
8 Woytowich, BobBob Woytowich D 21 2 10 12 16 0 0 0
23 Schock, RonRon Schock C 33 4 7 11 14 1 0 0
14 Kennedy, ForbesForbes Kennedy C 52 6 4 10 41 0 4 0
10 Johnson, TomTom Johnson D 51 0 9 9 30 0 0 0
4 McCord, BobBob McCord D 43 0 6 6 26 0 0 0
26 Awrey, DonDon Awrey D 47 2 3 5 41 0 0 0
24 Leiter, BobbyBobby Leiter C 18 3 1 4 6 0 0 0
12 Balfour, MurrayMurray Balfour RW 15 0 2 2 26 0 0 0
21 Gilbert, JeannotJeannot Gilbert C 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
8 Watson, JoeJoe Watson D 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
8 Dornhoefer, GaryGary Dornhoefer RW 20 0 1 1 13 0 0 0
8 Cashman, WayneWayne Cashman LW 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Goldsworthy, BillBill Goldsworthy RW 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
17 Norris, JackJack Norris G 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 Johnston, EddieEddie Johnston G 47 0 0 0 4 0 0 0
Goaltending
Player MIN GP W L T GA GAA SO
Johnston, EddieEddie Johnston 2820 47 11 32 4 163 3.47 3
Norris, JackJack Norris 1380 23 10 11 2 85 3.70 1
Team: 4200 70 21 43 6 248 3.54 4

[2]

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; 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[]

  • The Bruins did not receive any awards this season.

Transactions[]

Draft Picks[]

The 1964 NHL Entry Draft involved picking 16-year-olds. None of the players picked ever played for the Bruins. Future Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Ken Dryden was picked in the third round by Boston but his rights were traded weeks later to the Montreal Canadiens for Guy Allen and Paul Reid, two players who never played in the NHL.

Round Player Position Nationality College/Junior/Club Team (league)
1 Alex Campbell RW Flag of Canada Canada Strathroy Midgets
2 Jim Booth C Flag of Canada Canada Sault Ste. Marie Midgets
3 Ken Dryden G Flag of Canada Canada Etobicoke Jr. B
4 Allister Blair - Flag of Canada Canada Ingersoll Jr. B

Farm Teams[]

1963-Orr Generals

Bobby Orr was again voted to the OHA First All-Star team and had 93 points in 1964-65.

The Bruins development system in 1964-65 was filled with players who would go on to have long NHL careers. However, many would find success with teams other than the Bruins. Led by Bobby Orr, the prospects also included Danny O'Shea, Wayne Cashman, Derek Sanderson, Bill Goldsworthy, Gilles Marotte, Jean Pronovost, Don Marcotte, Jim Lorentz, Bernie Parent, Doug Favell, J. P. Parisé, Joe Watson, Ross Lonsberry and Terry Crisp.

Trivia[]

  • The Bruins played games on three consecutive nights twice during the season, the only time this has happened in NHL history.
  • Bruins who recorded a Hat trick this season include:

Gallery[]

Video[]

Over ten minutes of silent clips from the 1964-65 season featuring Reg Fleming. The Bruins-Rangers game on December 5, 1964, in which a goal by #12 Wayne Maxner is shown, on #23 Marcel Paille. Next, the Bruins-Black Hawks game on December 10, 1964. Lastly, the Bruins-Canadiens game on December 13, 1964 in which Fleming fights with Henri Richard.

See Also[]

References[]

  1. Hockey’s Book of Firsts, p.33, James Duplacey, JG Press, ISBN 978-1-57215-037-9
  2. 1964-65 Boston Bruins Statistics - Hockey-Reference.com. hockey-reference.com. Retrieved on 2009-06-09.
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