1966–67 NHL season
Last six-team season; Bobby Orr debuted; Leafs won Cup.
The 1966–67 NHL season was the 50th season of the National Hockey League and the last with only six teams playing 70 games each. It marked the debut of defenceman Bobby Orr, later regarded as one of hockey's greatest players. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup, their thirteenth championship and, as of this writing, their most recent.
Quick Facts
- League
- National Hockey League
- Sport
- Ice hockey
- Duration
- October 19, 1966 – May 2, 1967
- Draft
- Draft
- Top pick
- Barry Gibbs
- Season
- Regular season
- TV
- CBC
- CTV
- SRC (Canada); CBS
- RKO General (United States)
- Playoffs
- Playoffs
Facts from the source article.
League business
David Molson, president of the Canadian Arena Company, announced a $5 million renovation of the Montreal Forum to begin in April 1968. The fourth NHL amateur draft took place on April 25, 1966, at the Mount Royal Hotel in Montreal, with the Boston Bruins selecting Barry Gibbs first overall. NHL president Clarence Campbell and CAHA president Fred Page announced a new five-year professional-agreement effective July 1, 1967. Direct sponsorship of junior teams by the NHL was to be phased out, and the A, B and C forms that had restricted player movement were eliminated. The NHL agreed to pay development fees to the CAHA, which would distribute them. The agreement also helped level the playing field for the six new clubs joining in 1967.
Regular season
Bobby Orr debuted for Boston on October 19, picking up an assist in a 6-2 victory over Detroit. Chicago's Bobby Hull netted his 50th goal on March 18 during a 9-5 loss to Toronto. Stan Mikita tied the league record with 97 points, capturing his third Art Ross Trophy and adding the Hart Memorial Trophy as MVP. The Black Hawks finished first overall for the first time ever, seventeen points ahead of Montreal and nineteen ahead of Toronto. Boston missed the playoffs, marking their last absence before a record 29-season postseason streak.
Playoffs
The top four teams qualified for the playoffs, with the first-place team facing the third-place team and the second-place team meeting the fourth-place team in best-of-seven semifinals. Despite Chicago's first-place finish, the third-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Black Hawks in the semifinal round. Montreal swept the Rangers in four games to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, where Toronto defeated Montreal four games to two.
Broadcasting
Hockey Night in Canada on CBC Television broadcast Saturday night regular season games and Stanley Cup playoff games, and also produced Wednesday night regular season telecasts for CTV. Games were typically joined in progress rather than shown in full until the 1968–69 season. This was the first season under a new U.S. rights agreement with CBS; for this season only, CBS sub-licensed its Sunday afternoon regular season games to RKO General, while CBS still aired selected playoff games.
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