1967-68 NHL season facts for kids
The 1967–68 NHL season was the 51st season for the National Hockey League (NHL). This was a special year because the NHL had just expanded, adding six new teams! This meant there were now twelve teams playing in the league. Each team played 74 games during the regular season. In the end, the Montreal Canadiens won the famous Stanley Cup trophy, beating one of the new teams, the St. Louis Blues.
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How the Teams Ranked
The NHL was split into two groups this season: the East Division and the West Division. Teams played against each other to earn points. The teams with the most points got to go to the playoffs!
Here's how the teams finished in each division:
East Division Standings
Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals For (how many goals they scored), GA = Goals Against (how many goals were scored against them)
| East Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 74 | 42 | 22 | 10 | 94 | 236 | 167 |
| New York Rangers | 74 | 39 | 23 | 12 | 90 | 226 | 183 |
| Boston Bruins | 74 | 37 | 27 | 10 | 84 | 259 | 216 |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 74 | 32 | 26 | 16 | 80 | 212 | 222 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 74 | 33 | 31 | 10 | 76 | 209 | 176 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 74 | 27 | 35 | 12 | 66 | 245 | 257 |
West Division Standings
Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against
| West Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Flyers | 74 | 31 | 32 | 11 | 73 | 173 | 179 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 74 | 31 | 33 | 10 | 72 | 200 | 224 |
| St. Louis Blues | 74 | 27 | 31 | 16 | 70 | 177 | 191 |
| Minnesota North Stars | 74 | 27 | 32 | 15 | 69 | 191 | 226 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 74 | 27 | 34 | 13 | 67 | 195 | 216 |
| Oakland Seals | 74 | 15 | 42 | 17 | 47 | 153 | 219 |
Top Players and Scorers
Some players had amazing seasons, scoring lots of goals and helping their teammates. These are called "scoring leaders."
Scoring Leaders
Note: GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points (Goals + Assists)
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stan Mikita | Chicago Black Hawks | 72 | 40 | 47 | 87 |
| Phil Esposito | Boston Bruins | 74 | 35 | 49 | 84 |
| Gordie Howe | Detroit Red Wings | 74 | 39 | 43 | 82 |
| Jean Ratelle | New York Rangers | 74 | 32 | 46 | 78 |
| Rod Gilbert | New York Rangers | 74 | 29 | 48 | 77 |
| Bobby Hull | Chicago Black Hawks | 71 | 44 | 31 | 75 |
| Norm Ullman | Toronto Maple Leafs | 71 | 35 | 37 | 72 |
| Alex Delvecchio | Detroit Red Wings | 74 | 22 | 48 | 70 |
| John Bucyk | Boston Bruins | 72 | 30 | 39 | 69 |
| Ken Wharram | Chicago Black Hawks | 74 | 27 | 42 | 69 |
The Playoffs and Stanley Cup
After the regular season, the best teams from each division competed in the 1968 Stanley Cup playoffs. This is a knockout tournament where teams play a series of games, and the winner moves on. The final winner gets to lift the Stanley Cup!
Playoff Journey
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Stanley Cup Final | |||||||||||
| 1 | Montreal Canadiens | 4 | |||||||||||
| 3 | Boston Bruins | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1 | Montreal Canadiens | 4 | |||||||||||
| East Division | |||||||||||||
| 4 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2 | New York Rangers | 2 | |||||||||||
| 4 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4 | |||||||||||
| E1 | Montreal Canadiens | 4 | |||||||||||
| W3 | St. Louis Blues | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1 | Philadelphia Flyers | 3 | |||||||||||
| 3 | St. Louis Blues | 4 | |||||||||||
| 3 | St. Louis Blues | 4 | |||||||||||
| West Division | |||||||||||||
| 4 | Minnesota North Stars | 3 | |||||||||||
| 2 | Los Angeles Kings | 3 | |||||||||||
| 4 | Minnesota North Stars | 4 | |||||||||||
The Finals
The Montreal Canadiens from the East Division played against the St. Louis Blues from the West Division in the 1968 Stanley Cup Finals. The Canadiens won the series 4 games to 0, showing they were the best team that year!
NHL Awards and Honors
At the end of the season, special awards are given to players and teams for their amazing achievements.
| 1967–68 NHL Awards | |
|---|---|
| Prince of Wales Trophy: | Montreal Canadiens (Awarded to the East Division regular season champions) |
| Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: | Philadelphia Flyers (Awarded to the West Division regular season champions) |
| Art Ross Trophy: | Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks (For the player with the most points) |
| Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: | Claude Provost, Montreal Canadiens (For perseverance and sportsmanship) |
| Calder Memorial Trophy: | Derek Sanderson, Boston Bruins (For the best rookie player) |
| Conn Smythe Trophy: | Glenn Hall, St. Louis Blues (For the most valuable player in the playoffs) |
| Hart Memorial Trophy: | Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks (For the most valuable player to his team) |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy: | Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins (For the best defenseman) |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: | Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks (For sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with playing ability) |
| Plus-Minus Leader: | Dallas Smith, Boston Bruins (For being on the ice for more goals scored by his team than against) |
| Vezina Trophy: | Rogatien Vachon & Gump Worsley, Montreal Canadiens (For the best goaltender(s)) |
| Lester Patrick Trophy: | Thomas F. Lockhart, Walter A. Brown, General John R. Kilpatrick (For outstanding service to hockey in the United States) |
All-Star Teams
The NHL also picks "All-Star Teams" which are like dream teams made up of the best players at each position.
| 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 |
Related pages
- 1967 NHL expansion
- 1967 NHL Expansion Draft
