1961–62 NHL season facts for kids
The 1961–62 National Hockey League (NHL) season was a super exciting time for ice hockey fans! Six teams battled it out to see who was the best. This season was special because it led to some big moments and saw amazing players show off their skills on the ice. Teams played 70 games each in the regular season before the playoffs began.
Contents
The Regular Season: Who Was on Top?
The regular season is when all the teams play against each other to earn points. The teams with the most points get to move on to the playoffs, where they compete for the Stanley Cup!
Final Standings: The Top Teams
Here's how the teams finished the regular season. The teams at the top were the strongest and earned a spot in the playoffs.
- GP means Games Played (how many games the team played).
- W means Wins (how many games they won).
- L means Losses (how many games they lost).
- T means Ties (how many games ended in a tie).
- Pts means Points (teams get points for wins and ties, which helps them qualify for playoffs).
- GF means Goals For (how many goals the team scored).
- GA means Goals Against (how many goals were scored against them).
- PIM means Penalties in Minutes (how much time players spent in the penalty box).
| National Hockey League | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 70 | 42 | 14 | 14 | 98 | 259 | 166 | 818 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 70 | 37 | 22 | 11 | 85 | 232 | 180 | 762 |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 70 | 31 | 26 | 13 | 75 | 217 | 186 | 894 |
| New York Rangers | 70 | 26 | 32 | 12 | 64 | 195 | 207 | 668 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 70 | 23 | 33 | 14 | 60 | 184 | 219 | 684 |
| Boston Bruins | 70 | 15 | 47 | 8 | 38 | 177 | 306 | 712 |
Scoring Superstars: Who Scored the Most?
Some players really stood out by scoring lots of goals and helping their teammates score. These are the top players who earned the most points during the regular season.
- GP means Games Played.
- G means Goals (how many times they scored).
- A means Assists (how many times they helped a teammate score).
- PTS means Points (Goals + Assists).
- PIM means Penalties in Minutes.
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Hull | Chicago Black Hawks | 70 | 50 | 34 | 84 | 35 |
| Andy Bathgate | New York Rangers | 70 | 28 | 56 | 84 | 44 |
| Gordie Howe | Detroit Red Wings | 70 | 33 | 44 | 77 | 54 |
| Stan Mikita | Chicago Black Hawks | 70 | 25 | 52 | 77 | 97 |
| Frank Mahovlich | Toronto Maple Leafs | 70 | 33 | 38 | 71 | 87 |
Stanley Cup Playoffs: The Battle for the Cup
After the regular season, the top teams compete in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is a knockout tournament where teams play best-of-seven series. The last team standing wins the famous Stanley Cup!
Playoff Bracket: Who Won the Stanley Cup?
This bracket shows how the teams played against each other in the playoffs. The team that wins four games in a series moves on.
| Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||
| 1 | Montreal Canadiens | 2 | |||||||
| 3 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4 | |||||||
| 3 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2 | |||||||
| 2 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4 | |||||||
| 2 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4 | |||||||
| 4 | New York Rangers | 2 | |||||||
In the end, the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup in 1962! They beat the Chicago Black Hawks in the final series.
NHL Awards: Celebrating the Best Players
At the end of the season, special awards are given to players and teams who achieved great things. These awards celebrate different skills and achievements in hockey.
| 1961–62 NHL awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Prince of Wales Trophy: | Montreal Canadiens | This award goes to the team that finishes first in the regular season in the Eastern Conference. |
| Art Ross Memorial Trophy: | Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks | This trophy is given to the player who scores the most points (goals plus assists) in the regular season. |
| Calder Memorial Trophy: | Bobby Rousseau, Montreal Canadiens | This award is for the best rookie player (a player in their first year) in the NHL. |
| Hart Memorial Trophy: | Jacques Plante, Montreal Canadiens | This is given to the player who is considered the most valuable to their team. |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy: | Doug Harvey, New York Rangers | This award goes to the best defenceman (a player who plays defense) in the league. |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: | Dave Keon, Toronto Maple Leafs | This trophy is for the player who shows the best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability. |
| Vezina Trophy: | Jacques Plante, Montreal Canadiens | This award is given to the best goaltender (goalie) in the NHL. |
All-Star Teams: The Dream Teams
At the end of the season, the best players at each position are chosen to be on "All-Star" teams. These are like dream teams made up of the top players from all the different teams. There's a First Team (the very best) and a Second Team (also amazing players!).
| First Team | Position | Second Team |
|---|---|---|
| Jacques Plante, Montreal Canadiens | G | Glenn Hall, Chicago Black Hawks |
| Doug Harvey, Montreal Canadiens | D | Carl Brewer, Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Jean-Guy Talbot, Montreal Canadiens | D | Pierre Pilote, Chicago Black Hawks |
| Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks | C | Dave Keon, Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Andy Bathgate, New York Rangers | RW | Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings |
| Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks | LW | Frank Mahovlich, Toronto Maple Leafs |
