Andy Bathgate

Lore & Background

Bathgate began his professional career with the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League in 1952–53. He bounced between the Western Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks and the Rangers before settling with New York in 1954–55, playing 10 full seasons there. In 1961–62, he and Bobby Hull led the league in points, but Bathgate lost the Art Ross Trophy because Hull had more goals. He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1963–64 season and immediately helped Toronto win the Stanley Cup. In May 1965, the Maple Leafs traded Bathgate, Billy Harris, and Gary Jarrett to the Detroit Red Wings for Marcel Pronovost, Aut Erickson, Larry Jeffrey, Ed Joyal, and Lowell MacDonald. Bathgate helped Detroit reach the Stanley Cup Finals in 1965–66. He was chosen by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft and scored the first goal in the team's history. After one season, he returned to the WHL's Vancouver Canucks, leading them to two consecutive Lester Patrick Cup victories in 1969 and 1970. His best professional year was 1969–70, scoring 108 points and earning the George Leader Cup as WHL MVP. He returned to the Penguins for his final NHL season in 1970–71. He later served as playing coach for HC Ambri-Piotta in Switzerland in 1971–72 and briefly played for the Vancouver Blazers of the World Hockey Association.

Reader's Guide

Bathgate is notable for winning the Hart Memorial Trophy as NHL MVP in 1958–59 after scoring 40 goals. He is also known for his contribution to the in-game use of masks for goaltenders: during a game against the Montreal Canadiens, his slapshot struck Jacques Plante in the face, forcing Plante to receive stitches; when Plante returned to the ice wearing a mask, it started a trend that led to protective gear becoming mandatory. In December 1959, Bathgate produced a controversial article for True magazine titled 'Atrocities on Ice,' warning that hockey's 'unchecked brutality is going to kill somebody.' The article focused on spearing and named six players as the most brutal. The NHL fined him $1,000 for comments 'definitely prejudicial to the league and the game.' Bathgate later stated that the rule against spearing was changed at the end of the year, but his fine was not returned. His stance highlighted safety concerns in the NHL during that era. The Rangers retired his #9 in a ceremony on February 22, 2009. In 2017, he was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

Did You Know?

• Bathgate scored the first goal in Pittsburgh Penguins history.
• He was fined $1,000 by the NHL for his 1959 article 'Atrocities on Ice' about spearing.
• His slapshot caused Jacques Plante to wear a goalie mask, starting a trend.

A Seventeen-Season Journey Across Four Franchises

Andrew James Bathgate (1932–2016) was a Canadian right winger whose NHL career spanned 17 seasons and four teams. He launched his professional path with the Cleveland Barons in 1952–53, then split time between the WHL's Vancouver Canucks and the New York Rangers before anchoring himself in New York from 1954–55 onward. Over a decade with the Rangers he became a fan favorite and elite scorer, capturing the Hart Memorial Trophy in 1958–59 with 40 goals. In 1961–62 he and Bobby Hull led the league in points, though Hull edged him for the Art Ross Trophy on goal differential. A persistent knee problem and the Rangers' inconsistent results prompted his 1963–64 trade to Toronto, where he immediately helped secure a Stanley Cup. After a stint with Detroit and a brief chapter with the expansion Pittsburgh Penguins—where he scored their franchise's first goal—he rediscovered his form in the WHL, guiding Vancouver to consecutive Lester Patrick Cups in 1969 and 1970. His 108-point campaign in 1970 earned the George Leader Cup. In 2017 the NHL enshrined him among its 100 Greatest Players.

Atrocities on Ice: Naming the Game's Brutes

In December 1959, Bathgate co-authored a provocative True magazine essay titled "Atrocities on Ice," ghostwritten with journalist Dave Anderson. The January 1960 edition warned that hockey's unchecked brutality was going to kill somebody and zeroed in on the spearing tactic. Bathgate named six players in a section he dubbed his rogues gallery—Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Tom Johnson, Doug Harvey, Fern Flaman, and Lou Fontinato—each accompanied by a pointed caption. Montreal coach Toe Blake and defenseman Doug Harvey both conceded to spearing, framing it as a defensive necessity against Rangers interference. The NHL fined Bathgate one thousand dollars for remarks deemed prejudicial to the league, a staggering sum against his eighteen-thousand-dollar salary. In a 2010 interview he recalled watching Red Sullivan get speared and suffer a punctured spleen right in front of his bench. Though the rule changed by season's end, the league never refunded his fine. "You have to stand up for it," he said, "because someone was going to get seriously hurt."

The Slapshot That Changed Goaltending Forever

One of Bathgate's most consequential contributions to hockey history was neither a goal nor a trophy but an accidental act of violence that reshaped the sport's safety landscape. Renowned for the raw power of his slapshot, Bathgate once fired the puck directly into the face of Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacques Plante during a regular game. The impact was severe enough that Plante required stitches. When Plante returned to the ice, he was wearing a protective mask. That single, grim incident ignited a trend that gradually transformed goaltending headgear from an optional novelty into a mandatory standard. Bathgate's reputation for a devastating shot made the moment particularly striking: the very weapon that made him a feared scorer became the catalyst for one of the sport's most important safety advancements. It stands as a rare example where an act of unintended harm produced a lasting positive change, protecting generations of netminders who followed.

Golf Courses, Grandchildren, and a Final Eleven Games

After hanging up his skates, Bathgate traded the NHL's bright lights for the quiet routine of suburban Ontario. He owned and managed the Bathgate Golf Centre, a twenty-acre course on Highway 10 in Mississauga, while his brother Frank ran a driving range just down the road. In the colder months he shifted his focus to the ice, helping coach his grandson's youth hockey team. Before fully retiring he had taken a brief international detour, serving as playing coach for HC Ambri-Piotta in Switzerland during the 1971–72 season. Three years later he made one final, fleeting appearance in North American professional hockey, suiting up for the WHA's Vancouver Blazers—a team he had coached the prior season—before retiring permanently after just eleven games. In 2017 the NHL honored his career by naming him among the 100 Greatest Players in league history, a recognition that arrived five years after his passing on February 26, 2016.