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1967–68 NHL season

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The 1967–68 NHL season was the 51st season of the National Hockey League. The league expanded to 12 teams, putting the new six in the newly created West Division, while the "Original Six" were all placed in the newly created East Division. The regular season schedule was expanded to 74 games per team and featured the first time all twelve teams played games on the same day on October 18, 1967. The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup against the new St. Louis Blues, in four games.

1967–68 NHL season
LeagueNational Hockey League
SportIce hockey
DurationOctober 11, 1967 – May 11, 1968
Number of games74
Number of teams12
TV partner(s)CBC, CTV, SRC (Canada)
CBS (United States)
Draft
Top draft pickRick Pagnutti
Picked byLos Angeles Kings
Regular season
Season championsMontreal Canadiens
Season MVPStan Mikita (Black Hawks)
Top scorerStan Mikita (Black Hawks)
Playoffs
Playoffs MVPGlenn Hall (Blues)
Stanley Cup
ChampionsMontreal Canadiens
  Runners-upSt. Louis Blues
NHL seasons

League business

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This season saw the NHL expand from the "original six" teams by adding six new franchises, including the St. Louis Blues, California Seals, Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota North Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Los Angeles Kings. On December 8, 1967, the California Seals were renamed the Oakland Seals before being renamed again to the California Golden Seals in 1970.[1] As a result of the expansion, the League reorganized its teams into two divisions, placing the Original Six teams into the East Division and the expansion franchises into the West Division. The NHL, furthermore, increased its regular season schedule from 70 to 74 games per team [2] with each team playing 50 games against opponents within its own division (10 against each divisional opponent) and 24 games with teams in the opposite division (4 games per opponent). The newly created Clarence S. Campbell Bowl was awarded to the team that finished first in the West Division during the regular season, the Prince of Wales Trophy was likewise awarded the East Division first-place team. A new format for the playoffs would also be introduced which would see the top four teams in each division qualify for the post-season with the first and third and the second and fourth place teams in each respective division pairing off in a divisional semi-final series. The winners of the latter would then compete in their respective divisional final series and a berth in the Stanley Cup finals. All series would be best-of-seven contests.[2]

The 1967 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 6, at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec to fill the rosters of the six expansion teams. The 1967 NHL Amateur Draft was then held one day later at the same hotel. Under the agreement signed with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA), all players who graduated from junior hockey became eligible for the amateur draft this year, and the minimum age of players subject to amateur draft was changed to 20.[1][3] The Kings had the first overall picks in both drafts, selecting Terry Sawchuk first overall in the expansion draft, and drafting Rick Pagnutti first overall in the amateur draft.

This season, the NHL also added a new player award called the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, named in honour of Bill Masterton who died on January 15, 1968, after sustaining an injury during a game (the first time an NHL player had ever died directly as a result of an on-ice injury).

There were a large number of holdouts this year. Three New York Ranger players, including Rod Gilbert, Arnie Brown and Orland Kurtenbach were fined $500 by their team. However, Ed Van Impe of the Flyers refused to sign his contract, followed by Earl Ingarfield and Al MacNeil also refused to sign, then Tim Horton of Toronto, Norm Ullman of Detroit and Kenny Wharram and Stan Mikita of Chicago. Led by Alan Eagleson, the new National Hockey League Players' Association was up and running.

Arena changes

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Regular season

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Highlights

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All twelve of the League's member teams played games on the same day for the first time on October 18, 1967, competing in six scheduled games — the most the League had ever scheduled on one day.[4]

On October 11, 1967, Jean Beliveau scored his 400th career goal on goaltender Hank Bassen of the Pittsburgh Penguins. This also happened to be the first game in Penguins franchise history.

The Canadiens stumbled out of the gate. In their first west coast road trip, the Seals beat them 2–1 and the Kings beat them 4–2. The Habs lost quite a few more and were in last place by December. But by January, Jean Beliveau began to score and others were inspired also. The Habs got very hot, winning 12 consecutive games and then put together 10 more wins to take the East Division lead. Paced by Gump Worsley, who had 6 shutouts and a 1.98 goals against average and backstopped the team to the fewest goals allowed in the league, they managed to keep first place thereafter. Worsley, for the first time, made the first all-star team.

On February 24, 1968, Rogie Vachon of Montreal was the victim of four goals by Rod Gilbert, who set an NHL record with 16 shots on goal.

Eddie Giacomin again led the league with 8 shutouts, and led the Rangers to second place, bolstered by Jean Ratelle's emergence into stardom.

Boston obtained Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield in a blockbuster trade with Chicago. This trade, as shown over time, heavily favored the Bruins. This, coinciding with the rise of Bobby Orr, led to an improvement in Boston's play, and the Bruins led the league in scoring behind Esposito's 84 points and made the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. Though he missed action with a knee injury, Orr still won the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenceman.

By contrast, the Chicago Black Hawks fell into a tailspin, and despite the scoring heroics of Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, were hard pressed to make the playoffs. Mediocre team defence and goaltending was the culprit. However, they were able to beat the Rangers in the quarter-final round, but lost in the semi-final round to eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens.

Roger Crozier felt the strain of goaltending and walked out on Detroit. He came back, but the Red Wings finished last anyway, despite a potent offense led by Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio and Norm Ullman. Even a late season trade of Ullman and Paul Henderson for Toronto star Frank Mahovlich and future Blues star Garry Unger was too little, too late. However, on March 24, 1968, Mahovlich became only the 11th player to score 300 goals as he scored both his 300th and 301st goals in a 5–3 win over the Boston Bruins.

Meanwhile, the defending Cup champion Toronto Maple Leafs, still steady on defence in front of elder statesman Johnny Bower and backup Bruce Gamble, had numerous problems. Mahovlich spent time in hospital with a nervous breakdown, and the season was marred by contract disputes and tension with the high-strung coach, Punch Imlach. A late season charge failed to win a playoff berth.

In the West Division, the Philadelphia Flyers became the first regular season champion of the expansion clubs. While their offense was poor (career minor-league Leon Rochefort led the team with just 21 goals), ex-Bruins' goaltenders Bernie Parent and Doug Favell showed surprising form. Behind such hardnosed players as Gary Dornhoefer, Ed Van Impe, Larry Zeidel and Forbes Kennedy, the team showed the first glimmers of the "Broad Street Bullies" of future years.

The Los Angeles Kings were a team that writers predicted to finish last in the new West Division.[5] Owner Jack Kent Cooke had purchased the American Hockey League's Springfield Indians for $1 million to bolster the Kings roster. Surprisingly, the Kings finished second, just one point out of first. Bill Flett scored 26 goals, while Eddie Joyal scored 23 goals, adding 34 assists for 57 points and was the second leading scorer in the West Division. Among the expansion teams, the Kings had the best record against the established teams, going 10–12–2 vs. the Eastern Division.

Oakland, predicted to finish first, fell far short of the mark, amidst poor attendance. Defenceman Kent Douglas, a former Calder Memorial Trophy winner, played far below expected form and was traded to Detroit for Ted Hampson and defenceman Bert Marshall. The Seals finished last in the West Division.

Glenn Hall may have been deemed too old by the Black Hawks, which left him unprotected in the expansion draft, but not for the St. Louis Blues, who rode his five shutouts to a third-place finish. A surprising benefit was their leading scorer, previously unheralded Red Berenson (with only 45 points in 185 previous NHL games) who exploded into stardom, more than doubling his career total in only 55 games.

By contrast, the Pittsburgh Penguins finished fifth, led by former Ranger star Andy Bathgate. Behind an elderly roster—nine of their top ten scorers and both of their goaltenders were over thirty—they could neither muster much offense nor defence.

The Minnesota North Stars had their bright moments despite finishing fourth in the West Division. On December 30, 1967, Bill Masterton and Wayne Connelly each scored goals in a 5–4 upset win over the Boston Bruins. On January 10, Connelly—who would finish the season with 35 goals to lead his team and the West Division—had a hat trick in a 6–4 win over the West Division power, the Philadelphia Flyers and Masterton was the architect on all three goals.

Tragedy struck the league on January 13, 1968. In a game at the Metropolitan Sports Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, the Oakland Seals were in town to play the North Stars and Bill Masterton led a rush into the Oakland zone. Two defencemen, Larry Cahan and Ron Harris braced for the old fashioned sandwich check and as Masterton fired the puck into the Seals zone, the two hit Masterton hard but cleanly. Masterton flipped backwards and hit his head on the ice. He was removed to a Minneapolis hospital where doctors were prevented from doing surgery by the seriousness of the head injury. Early on the morning of January 15, 1968, Bill Masterton died. He was the first—and as of 2023, the only—player to die as the direct result of injuries suffered in an NHL game, the only such incident in a senior game since 1907.

Final standings

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Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold

East Division[6]
GP W L T GF GA DIFF Pts
1 Montreal Canadiens 74 42 22 10 236 167 +69 94
2 New York Rangers 74 39 23 12 226 183 +43 90
3 Boston Bruins 74 37 27 10 259 216 +43 84
4 Chicago Black Hawks 74 32 26 16 212 222 −10 80
5 Toronto Maple Leafs 74 33 31 10 209 176 +33 76
6 Detroit Red Wings 74 27 35 12 245 257 −12 66
West Division[6]
GP W L T GF GA DIFF Pts
1 Philadelphia Flyers 74 31 32 11 173 179 −6 73
2 Los Angeles Kings 74 31 33 10 200 224 −24 72
3 St. Louis Blues 74 27 31 16 177 191 −14 70
4 Minnesota North Stars 74 27 32 15 191 226 −35 69
5 Pittsburgh Penguins 74 27 34 13 195 216 −21 67
6 Oakland Seals 74 15 42 17 153 219 −66 47


Playoffs

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Main article: 1968 Stanley Cup playoffs

The first-place vs. third-place and second-place vs. fourth-place playoff format that had been in place for the previous 25 seasons was retained within the East and West Divisions, with the winners of the division finals facing off in the Stanley Cup Finals. As the Original Six formed the East Division and the expansion teams formed the West Division, this resulted in a competitive imbalance in the Finals, but also guaranteed that an expansion team would at least reach the Finals.

All series but Bruins-Canadiens had a game postponed after the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4.[7]

Playoff bracket

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Quarterfinals Semifinals Stanley Cup Finals
         
1 Montreal 4
3 Boston 0
1 Montreal 4
East Division
4 Chicago 1
2 New York 2
4 Chicago 4
E1 Montreal 4
W3 St. Louis 0
1 Philadelphia 3
3 St. Louis 4
3 St. Louis 4
West Division
4 Minnesota 3
2 Los Angeles 3
4 Minnesota 4

Quarterfinals

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The Canadiens drew the third-place Boston Bruins in the first round. The Bruins, making their first appearance in the playoffs since 1959, were swept in four games. In the other East series, the second-place Rangers faced off against the fourth-place Chicago Black Hawks. The Black Hawks, led by Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita defeated the Rangers in six to set up a Montreal-Chicago East Division showdown. The Black Hawks could not provide another upset, and lost to the Canadiens in five games, giving Montreal their only defeat of the playoffs.

In the West, all four teams played their first playoff series. The first-place Philadelphia Flyers lost their first-ever playoff series to the Blues, led by goaltender Glenn Hall and coached by future Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman in seven games, while the second-place Los Angeles Kings lost to the fourth-place Minnesota North Stars in seven games. The Blues would defeat the North Stars in seven games to advance to their first final.

(E1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (E3) Boston Bruins

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April 4 Boston Bruins 1–2 Montreal Canadiens Montreal Forum Recap  
Ken Hodge (1) – 04:00 First period 14:08 – pp – Henri Richard (1)
No scoring Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 14:40 – Claude Provost (1)
Gerry Cheevers 33 saves / 35 shots Goalie stats Gump Worsley 21 saves / 22 shots
April 6 Boston Bruins 3–5 Montreal Canadiens Montreal Forum Recap  
Ken Hodge (2) – 13:58 First period 09:33 – Jacques Lemaire (1)
Ted Green (1) – pp – 13:06 Second period 04:15 – Jacques Laperriere (1)
09:24 – Jacques Lemaire (2)
John McKenzie (1) – 10:47 Third period 10:24 – Dick Duff (1)
17:34 – Jean Beliveau (1)
Gerry Cheevers 36 saves / 41 shots Goalie stats Gump Worsley 17 saves / 20 shots
April 9 Montreal Canadiens 5–2 Boston Bruins Boston Garden Recap  
Jean Beliveau (2) – pp – 15:35 First period 05:15 – Ed Westfall (1)
Claude Provost (2) – pp – 07:39
Ralph Backstrom (1) – 08:41
John Ferguson (1) – 18:23 		Second period 19:55 – Tommy Williams (1)
Dick Duff (2) – 08:23 Third period No scoring
Gump Worsley 25 saves / 27 shots Goalie stats Gerry Cheevers 28 saves / 33 shots
April 11 Montreal Canadiens 3–2 Boston Bruins Boston Garden Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
Claude Larose (1) – 12:58 Second period 00:49 – Ed Westfall (2)
Claude Larose (2) – 07:20
Ralph Backstrom (2) – 16:33 		Third period 18:34 – Ken Hodge (3)
Gump Worsley 35 saves / 37 shots Goalie stats Gerry Cheevers 31 saves / 34 shots
Montreal won series 4–0


(E2) New York Rangers vs. (E4) Chicago Black Hawks

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April 4 Chicago Black Hawks 1–3 New York Rangers Madison Square Garden Recap  
No scoring First period 11:22 – Orland Kurtenbach (1)
No scoring Second period 07:34 – pp – Harry Howell (1)
Pierre Pilote (1) – pp – 12:27 Third period 01:36 – Rod Gilbert (1)
Denis DeJordy 41 saves / 44 shots Goalie stats Ed Giacomin 31 saves / 32 shots
April 9 Chicago Black Hawks 1–2 New York Rangers Madison Square Garden Recap  
No scoring First period 15:57 – Rod Gilbert (2)
Bobby Hull (1) – 10:12 Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 12:40 – Donnie Marshall (1)
Denis DeJordy 28 saves / 30 shots Goalie stats Ed Giacomin 36 saves / 37 shots
April 11 New York Rangers 4–7 Chicago Black Hawks Chicago Stadium Recap  
Vic Hadfield (1) – pp – 16:47 First period 11:35 – Pit Martin (1)
Rod Gilbert (3) – 09:32
Rod Gilbert (4) – 09:38 		Second period 08:48 – Stan Mikita (1)
Rod Seiling (1) – 13:22 Third period 02:36 – Pit Martin (2)
05:25 – pp – Stan Mikita (2)
08:59 – Dennis Hull (1)
18:19 – Doug Mohns (1)
19:42 – Gilles Marotte (1)
Ed Giacomin 24 saves / 31 shots Goalie stats Denis DeJordy 29 saves / 33 shots
April 13 New York Rangers 1–3 Chicago Black Hawks Chicago Stadium Recap  
Ron Stewart (1) – 17:20 First period 15:33 – Kenny Wharram (1)
No scoring Second period 03:33 – Gilles Marotte (2)
No scoring Third period 08:24 – Chico Maki (1)
Ed Giacomin 41 saves / 44 shots Goalie stats Denis DeJordy 37 saves / 38 shots
April 14 Chicago Black Hawks 2–1 New York Rangers Madison Square Garden Recap  
Donnie Marshall (2) – 05:20 First period 16:14 – pp – Bobby Hull (2)
No scoring Second period No scoring
Bobby Schmautz (1) – 16:46 Third period No scoring
Denis DeJordy 32 saves / 33 shots Goalie stats Ed Giacomin 27 saves / 29 shots
April 16 New York Rangers 1–4 Chicago Black Hawks Chicago Stadium Recap  
No scoring First period 05:50 – Doug Jarrett (1)
Rod Gilbert (5) – 03:15 Second period 19:25 – Chico Maki (2)
No scoring Third period 02:39 – Pit Martin (3)
16:35 – Stan Mikita (3)
Ed Giacomin 25 saves / 29 shots Goalie stats Denis DeJordy 26 saves / 27 shots
Chicago won series 4–2


(W1) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (W3) St. Louis Blues

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April 4 St. Louis Blues 1–0 Philadelphia Flyers Spectrum Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period No scoring
Jimmy Roberts (1) – 14:13 Third period No scoring
Glenn Hall 14 saves / 14 shots Goalie stats Bernie Parent 32 saves / 33 shots
April 6 St. Louis Blues 3–4 Philadelphia Flyers Spectrum Recap  
Dickie Moore (1) – 07:11 First period 01:32 – Pat Hannigan (1)
18:37 – pp – Don Blackburn (1)
19:10 – Claude Laforge (1)
Don McKenney (1) – 04:22
Larry Keenan (1) – 05:46 		Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 06:51 – Leon Rochefort (1)
Glenn Hall 37 saves / 41 shots Goalie stats Doug Favell 26 saves / 29 shots
April 10 Philadelphia Flyers 2–3 2OT St. Louis Blues St. Louis Arena Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
Jean Gauthier (1) – pp – 17:35 Second period 02:54 – Terry Crisp (1)
Joe Watson (1) – 13:54 Third period 07:38 – Frank St. Marseille (1)
No scoring Second overtime period 04:10 – Larry Keenan (2)
Bernie Parent 54 saves / 57 shots Goalie stats Glenn Hall 33 saves / 35 shots
April 11 Philadelphia Flyers 2–5 St. Louis Blues St. Louis Arena Recap  
Andre Lacroix (1) – pp – 02:26 First period 06:52 – sh – Bill McCreary Sr. (1)
13:29 – pp – Red Berenson (1)
No scoring Second period 16:55 – Dickie Moore (2)
Don Blackburn (2) – 14:04 Third period 00:49 – Red Berenson (2)
16:05 – sh – Barclay Plager (1)
Doug Favell 28 saves / 33 shots Goalie stats Glenn Hall 22 saves / 24 shots
April 13 St. Louis Blues 1–6 Philadelphia Flyers Spectrum Recap  
No scoring First period 09:01 – Leon Rochefort (2)
13:18 – Rosaire Paiement (1)
15:52 – sh – Forbes Kennedy (1)
No scoring Second period 17:00 – Brit Selby (1)
Gerry Melnyk (1) – sh – 11:05 Third period 10:27 – pp – Rosaire Paiement (2)
13:26 – pp – Rosaire Paiement (3)
Glenn Hall 9 saves / 12 shots
Seth Martin 17 saves / 20 shots 		Goalie stats Bernie Parent 30 saves / 31 shots
April 16 Philadelphia Flyers 2–1 2OT St. Louis Blues St. Louis Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 18:06 – pp – Gerry Melnyk (2)
No scoring Second period No scoring
Andre Lacroix (2) – 19:45 Third period No scoring
Don Blackburn (3) – 11:18 Second overtime period No scoring
Bernie Parent 63 saves / 64 shots Goalie stats Glenn Hall 41 saves / 43 shots
April 18 St. Louis Blues 3–1 Philadelphia Flyers Spectrum Recap  
Frank St. Marseille (2) – pp – 07:38 First period 18:25 – pp – Bill Sutherland (1)
Larry Keenan (3) – pp – 10:45 Second period No scoring
Red Berenson (3) – 19:10 Third period No scoring
Glenn Hall 26 saves / 27 shots Goalie stats Bernie Parent 28 saves / 30 shots
St. Louis won series 4–3


(W2) Los Angeles Kings vs. (W4) Minnesota North Stars

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April 4 Minnesota North Stars 1–2 Los Angeles Kings The Forum Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 19:55 – pp – Eddie Joyal (1)
Dave Balon (1) – 03:54 Third period 03:13 – Bill White (1)
Cesare Maniago 38 saves / 40 shots Goalie stats Terry Sawchuck 30 saves / 31 shots
April 6 Minnesota North Stars 0–2 Los Angeles Kings The Forum Recap  
No scoring First period 08:45 – pp – Lowell MacDonald (1)
No scoring Second period 18:12 – Eddie Joyal (2)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Cesare Maniago 37 saves / 39 shots Goalie stats Terry Sawchuck 18 saves / 18 shots
April 9 Los Angeles Kings 5–7 Minnesota North Stars Met Center Recap  
Lowell MacDonald (2) – 12:44
Lowell MacDonald (3) – 13:56
Howie Hughes (1) – pp – 15:19 		First period 05:51 – Bill Collins (1)
15:48 – Ray Cullen (1)
17:34 – pp – Mike McMahon Jr. (1)
No scoring Second period 01:25 – Parker MacDonald (1)
16:56 – ps – Wayne Connelly (1)
Ted Irvine (1) – 03:23
Doug Robinson (1) – 04:15 		Third period 00:09 – Bill Collins (2)
17:50 – Andre Boudrias (1)
Terry Sawchuck 18 saves / 23 shots
Wayne Rutledge 9 saves / 11 shots 		Goalie stats Cesare Maniago 24 saves / 29 shots
April 11 Los Angeles Kings 2–3 Minnesota North Stars Met Center Recap  
Bill Flett (1) – 03:37
Bill White (2) – 04:45 		First period 11:30 – pp – Ray Cullen (2)
No scoring Second period 06:31 – Mike McMahon Jr. (2)
09:27 – Dave Balon (2)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Terry Sawchuck 31 saves / 34 shots Goalie stats Cesare Maniago 30 saves / 32 shots
April 13 Minnesota North Stars 2–3 Los Angeles Kings The Forum Recap  
No scoring First period 02:14 – Gord Labossiere (1)
02:29 – Gord Labossiere (2)
No scoring Second period 12:23 – pp – Eddie Joyal (3)
Wayne Connelly (2) – 07:15
Wayne Connelly (3) – 14:55 		Third period No scoring
Cesare Maniago 21 saves / 24 shots Goalie stats Wayne Rutledge 27 saves / 29 shots
April 16 Los Angeles Kings 3–4 OT Minnesota North Stars Met Center Recap  
Doug Robinson (2) – 11:12 First period 08:05 – sh – Mike McMahon Jr. (3)
Real Lemieux (1) – 01:37
Howie Hughes (2) – 04:20 		Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 07:23 – Bill Goldsworthy (1)
16:39 – Bob McCord (1)
No scoring First overtime period 09:11 – Milan Marcetta (1)
Wayne Rutledge 29 saves / 33 shots Goalie stats Cesare Maniago 33 saves / 36 shots
April 18 Minnesota North Stars 9–4 Los Angeles Kings The Forum Recap  
Parker MacDonald (2) – 02:24
Wayne Connelly (4) – pp – 08:05
Bill Goldsworthy (2) – 16:25 		First period 02:51 – Doug Robinson (3)
Milan Marcetta (2) – 08:45
Parker MacDonald (3) – 11:58
Milan Marcetta (3) – 12:49
Dave Balon (3) – 15:58
Andre Boudrias (2) – 16:12 		Second period 05:12 – pp – Eddie Joyal (4)
16:45 – Poul Popiel (1)
Bill Goldsworthy (3) – pp – 09:07 Third period 19:36 – Doug Robinson (4)
Cesare Maniago 22 saves / 26 shots Goalie stats Terry Sawchuck 24 saves / 33 shots
Minnesota won series 4–3


Semifinals

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(E1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (E4) Chicago Black Hawks

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April 18 Chicago Black Hawks 2–9 Montreal Canadiens Montreal Forum Recap  
No scoring First period 06:37 – Ralph Backstrom (3)
07:31 – Yvan Cournoyer (1)
09:24 – John Ferguson (2)
No scoring Second period 15:26 – pp – Yvan Cournoyer (2)
Doug Jarrett (2) – 10:20
Gilles Marotte (3) – 11:26 		Third period 00:10 – John Ferguson (3)
01:28 – Gilles Tremblay (1)
07:08 – Jacques Lemaire (3)
16:03 – Jean Beliveau (3)
17:50 – Claude Larose (3)
Denis DeJordy 24 saves / 33 shots Goalie stats Gump Worsley 32 saves / 34 shots
April 20 Chicago Black Hawks 1–4 Montreal Canadiens Montreal Forum Recap  
Stan Mikita (4) – pp – 05:03 First period 10:58 – Jean Beliveau (4)
No scoring Second period 10:04 – pp – Jean Beliveau (5)
15:41 – pp – Jacques Lemaire (4)
17:57 – pp – Jean Beliveau (6)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Denis DeJordy 35 saves / 39 shots Goalie stats Gump Worsley 23 saves / 24 shots
April 23 Montreal Canadiens 4–2 Chicago Black Hawks Chicago Stadium Recap  
Jean Beliveau (7) – 00:39 First period 15:25 – Doug Jarrett (3)
Yvan Cournoyer (3) – pp – 02:39
Yvan Cournoyer (4) – 06:11
J. C. Tremblay (1) – 12:05 		Second period 10:35 – Doug Jarrett (4)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Gump Worsley 39 saves / 41 shots Goalie stats Denis DeJordy 29 saves / 33 shots
April 25 Montreal Canadiens 1–2 Chicago Black Hawks Chicago Stadium Recap  
No scoring First period 08:57 – Bobby Hull (3)
Henri Richard (2) – 03:37 Second period 06:50 – sh – Bobby Hull (4)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Gump Worsley 3 saves / 4 shots
Rogie Vachon 29 saves / 30 shots 		Goalie stats Denis DeJordy 28 saves / 29 shots
April 28 Chicago Black Hawks 3–4 OT Montreal Canadiens Montreal Forum Recap  
No scoring First period 08:10 – Bobby Rousseau (1)
Bobby Schmautz (2) – 09:59 Second period 11:15 – sh – J. C. Tremblay (2)
Stan Mikita (5) – pp – 01:23
Wayne Maki (1) – 08:14 		Third period 06:38 – pp – Jacques Lemaire (5)
No scoring First overtime period 02:14 – Jacques Lemaire (6)
Denis DeJordy 40 saves / 44 shots Goalie stats Rogie Vachon 24 saves / 27 shots
Montreal won series 4–1


(W3) St. Louis Blues vs. (W4) Minnesota North Stars

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April 21 Minnesota North Stars 3–5 St. Louis Blues St. Louis Arena Recap  
Milan Marcetta (4) – pp – 07:49 First period 14:27 – Tim Ecclestone (1)
Wayne Connelly (5) – 00:49
Wayne Connelly (6) – pp – 15:41 		Second period 09:31 – pp – Frank St. Marseille (3)
10:05 – pp – Dickie Moore (3)
12:36 – sh – Bill McCreary Sr. (2)
No scoring Third period 14:08 – Larry Keenan (4)
Cesare Maniago 28 saves / 33 shots Goalie stats Glenn Hall 25 saves / 28 shots
April 22 St. Louis Blues 2–3 OT Minnesota North Stars Met Center Recap  
Jimmy Roberts (2) – 12:28 First period No scoring
No scoring Second period No scoring
Frank St. Marseille (4) – pp – 04:58 Third period 02:12 – Milan Marcetta (5)
07:00 – Bill Goldsworthy (4)
No scoring First overtime period 03:41 – Parker MacDonald (4)
Glenn Hall 24 saves / 27 shots Goalie stats Cesare Maniago 23 saves / 25 shots
April 25 Minnesota North Stars 5–1 St. Louis Blues St. Louis Arena Recap  
Milan Marcetta (6) – 09:38
Bill Goldsworthy (5) – 13:00
J. P. Parise (1) – 19:01 		First period No scoring
Bill Goldsworthy (6) – 16:33 Second period 04:53 – Dickie Moore (4)
Dave Balon (4) – pp – 00:09 Third period No scoring
Cesare Maniago 30 saves / 31 shots Goalie stats Glenn Hall 16 saves / 21 shots
April 27 Minnesota North Stars 3–4 OT St. Louis Blues St. Louis Arena Recap  
Walt McKechnie (1) – 04:42
J. P. Parise (2) – pp – 14:40 		First period No scoring
Wayne Connelly (7) – 19:37 Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 11:57 – Jimmy Roberts (3)
12:57 – Dickie Moore (5)
19:49 – Jimmy Roberts (4)
No scoring First overtime period 01:32 – Gary Sabourin (1)
Cesare Maniago 39 saves / 43 shots Goalie stats Glenn Hall 21 saves / 24 shots
April 29 Minnesota North Stars 2–3 OT St. Louis Blues St. Louis Arena Recap  
Walt McKechnie (2) – 05:39 First period 01:53 – Bob Plager (1)
10:44 – Gary Sabourin (2)
Bob McCord (2) – 06:31 Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period No scoring
No scoring First overtime period 17:27 – Bill McCreary Sr. (3)
Cesare Maniago 52 saves / 55 shots Goalie stats Glenn Hall 26 saves / 28 shots
May 1 St. Louis Blues 1–5 Minnesota North Stars Met Center Recap  
No scoring First period 05:28 – pp – Wayne Connelly (8)
10:54 – Andre Boudrias (3)
Gary Sabourin (3) – 13:53 Second period 06:34 – Bill Goldsworthy (7)
17:16 – Bill Goldsworthy (8)
No scoring Third period 09:52 – Milan Marcetta (7)
Glenn Hall 12 saves / 15 shots
Seth Martin 21 saves / 23 shots 		Goalie stats Cesare Maniago 22 saves / 23 shots
May 3 Minnesota North Stars 1–2 2OT St. Louis Blues St. Louis Arena Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period No scoring
Walt McKechnie (3) – 16:49 Third period 17:20 – Dickie Moore (6)
No scoring Second overtime period 02:50 – Ron Schock (1)
Cesare Maniago 36 saves / 38 shots Goalie stats Glenn Hall 44 saves / 45 shots
St. Louis won series 4–3


Stanley Cup Finals

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Main article: 1968 Stanley Cup Finals

The Blues faced the Canadiens for the Stanley Cup. Blues coach Bowman, a long-time member of the Canadiens organization was unable to spur the Blues to an upset, but they made it a hard-fought series, with each game being decided by one goal and two going to overtime. However, the Canadiens, led by Jean Beliveau and Henri Richard, were not to be denied and swept the series in four games. Despite this, the exceptional performance of the heavy underdog Blues impressed and surprised most hockey fans who were expecting an utter blowout by the Canadiens, to the point that their goaltender Glenn Hall, who helped lead the team to the Cup Finals, was named the MVP of the playoffs.


May 5 Montreal Canadiens 3–2 OT St. Louis Blues St. Louis Arena Recap  
Henri Richard (3) – 09:42 First period 09:19 – Barclay Plager (2)
Yvan Cournoyer (5) – 18:14 Second period 08:16 – pp – Dickie Moore (7)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Jacques Lemaire (7) – 01:41 First overtime period No scoring
Gump Worsley 34 saves / 36 shots Goalie stats Glenn Hall 35 saves / 38 shots
May 7 Montreal Canadiens 1–0 St. Louis Blues St. Louis Arena Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period No scoring
Serge Savard (1) – sh – 02:17 Third period No scoring
Gump Worsley 19 saves / 19 shots Goalie stats Glenn Hall 35 saves / 36 shots
May 9 St. Louis Blues 3–4 OT Montreal Canadiens Montreal Forum Recap  
Frank St. Marseille (5) – pp – 10:22 First period 14:24 – pp – Yvan Cournoyer (6)
Red Berenson (4) – 03:37 Second period 01:23 – sh – Serge Savard (2)
Red Berenson (5) – sh – 17:25 Third period 11:43 – Ralph Backstrom (4)
No scoring First overtime period 01:13 – Bobby Rousseau (2)
Glenn Hall 42 saves / 46 shots Goalie stats Gump Worsley 12 saves / 15 shots
May 11 St. Louis Blues 2–3 Montreal Canadiens Montreal Forum Recap  
No scoring First period 16:47 – Dick Duff (3)
Craig Cameron (1) – 06:53
Gary Sabourin (4) – pp – 07:50 		Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 07:24 – Henri Richard (4)
11:40 – J. C. Tremblay (3)
Glenn Hall 28 saves / 31 shots Goalie stats Gump Worsley 19 saves / 21 shots
Montreal won series 4–0


Awards

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1967–68 NHL awards
Prince of Wales Trophy:
(East Division champion, regular season)		 Montreal Canadiens
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl:
(West Division champion, regular season)		 Philadelphia Flyers
Art Ross Trophy:
(Top scorer, regular season)		 Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy:
(Perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication)		 Claude Provost, Montreal Canadiens
Calder Memorial Trophy:
(Top first-year player)		 Derek Sanderson, Boston Bruins
Conn Smythe Trophy:
(Most valuable player, playoffs)		 Glenn Hall, St. Louis Blues
Hart Memorial Trophy:
(Most valuable player, regular season)		 Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
James Norris Memorial Trophy:
(Best defenceman)		 Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy:
(Excellence and sportsmanship)		 Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
Vezina Trophy:
(Best goaltending record, regular season)		 Rogatien Vachon and Gump Worsley, Montreal Canadiens

All-Star teams

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First Team   Position   Second Team
Gump Worsley, Montreal Canadiens G Ed Giacomin, New York Rangers
Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins D J. C. Tremblay, Montreal Canadiens
Tim Horton, Toronto Maple Leafs D Jim Neilson, New York Rangers
Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks C Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins
Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings RW Rod Gilbert, New York Rangers
Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks LW Johnny Bucyk, Boston Bruins

Player statistics

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Scoring leaders

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Note: GP = Games played; G Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player Team GP G A PTS PIM
Stan Mikita Chicago Black Hawks 72 40 47 87 14
Phil Esposito Boston Bruins 74 35 49 84 21
Gordie Howe Detroit Red Wings 74 39 43 82 53
Jean Ratelle New York Rangers 74 32 46 78 18
Rod Gilbert New York Rangers 73 29 48 77 12
Bobby Hull Chicago Black Hawks 71 44 31 75 39
Norm Ullman Toronto Maple Leafs 71 35 37 72 28
Alex Delvecchio Detroit Red Wings 74 22 48 70 14
Johnny Bucyk Boston Bruins 72 30 39 69 8
Kenny Wharram Chicago Black Hawks 74 27 42 69 18

Source: NHL.[8]

Leading goaltenders

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Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts

Player Team GP MIN GA GAA W L T SO
Gump Worsley Montreal Canadiens 40 2213 73 1.98 19 9 8 6
Johnny Bower Toronto Maple Leafs 43 2239 84 2.25 14 18 7 4
Doug Favell Philadelphia Flyers 37 2192 83 2.27 15 15 6 4
Bruce Gamble Toronto Maple Leafs 41 2204 85 2.32 19 13 3 5
Eddie Giacomin New York Rangers 66 3940 160 2.44 36 20 10 8
Glenn Hall St. Louis Blues 49 2858 118 2.48 19 21 9 5
Rogie Vachon Montreal Canadiens 39 2227 92 2.48 23 13 2 4
Bernie Parent Philadelphia Flyers 38 2248 93 2.48 16 17 5 4
Seth Martin St. Louis Blues 30 1552 67 2.59 8 10 7 1
Denis DeJordy Chicago Black Hawks 50 2838 128 2.71 23 15 11 4

Other statistics

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The NHL began tracking the plus-minus statistic this season. It measures the difference between the number of goals scored by a player's team while a player is on the ice against the number of goals scored by the opposing team. Power play goals do not count toward the statistic; it does include short-handed goals scored by the opposing team during power plays.

Coaches

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East

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West

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Debuts

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The following is a list of notable players who played their first NHL game in 1967–68 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):

Last games

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The following is a list of notable players who played their last game in the NHL in 1967–68 (listed with their last team):

Broadcasting

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Hockey Night in Canada on CBC Television televised Saturday night regular season games and Stanley Cup playoff games. HNIC also produced Wednesday night regular season game telecasts for CTV. Games were typically not broadcast in their entirety until the 1968–69 season, and were typically joined in progress.

This was the second season under the U.S. rights agreement with CBS. This season, CBS aired Saturday afternoon games between December 30 and January 20, then Sunday afternoon games from January 28 through March. The network then aired Sunday afternoon playoff games.

See also

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References

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  • Diamond, Dan, ed. (2000). Total Hockey. Kingston, New York: Total Sports. ISBN 1-892129-85-X.
  • Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Toronto, ON: Dan Diamond & Associates. ISBN 978-1-894801-22-5.
  • Dryden, Steve, ed. (2000). Century of hockey. Toronto, ON: McClelland & Stewart Ltd. ISBN 0-7710-4179-9.
  • Fischler, Stan; Fischler, Shirley; Hughes, Morgan; Romain, Joseph; Duplacey, James (2003). The Hockey Chronicle: Year-by-Year History of the National Hockey League. Lincolnwood, Illinois: Publications International Inc. ISBN 0-7853-9624-1.
  • McFarlane, Brian (1973). The Story of the National Hockey League. New York: Pagurian Press. ISBN 0-684-13424-1.
Notes
  1. ^ a b NHL Guide & Record Book 2005. p. 9.
  2. ^ a b "HickokSports.com – History – NHL 1967–68 Season". Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved February 29, 2008.
  3. ^ "Sweeping Changes In Pro-Am Hockey Pact". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. August 19, 1966. p. 22. 
  4. ^ Stubbs, David (April 7, 2023). "All 32 NHL teams on ice for 1st time recalls similar scene in 1967". NHL.com. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  5. ^ Brian McFarlane, 50 Years of Hockey, p. 140–143, Greywood Publishing Ltd, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
  6. ^ a b "1967–1968 Division Standings Standings - NHL.com - Standings". National Hockey League.
  7. ^ Stanley Cup Notebook
  8. ^ Dinger 2011, p. 150.
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