National Hockey League (NHL)

1961-62 NHL Season Overview

Recap

For the second season in a row, an NHL player tied Rocket Richard's record of 50 goals. The player was the 'Golden Jet,' Bobby Hull of the Chicago Blackhawks. Hull shared the scoring lead at 84 points with New York's Andy Bathgate, who had a league-leading 56 assists to go with 28 goals.

The Montreal Canadiens finished in first place, as Jacques Plante won not only the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender but the Hart Trophy as most valuable player. Doug Harvey once again won the Norris Trophy as best defenseman, but he had left the Canadiens ti become player coach of the New York Rangers.

In the semifinal series, the third-place Blackhawks eliminated the Canadiens by winning four in a row after Montreal had won the first two games. The second-place Toronto Maple Leafs beat the New York Rangers, also in six games.

In the Stanley Cup finals, Toronto grabbed the first two games at home, 4-1 and 3-2. Then Chicago turned up the defense to win a pair, 3-0 and 4-1. Early in Game 5, Toronto goalie Johnny Bower was injured and Don Simmons replaced him. Toronto exploded for an 8-4 win.

Simmons and Chicago's Glenn Hall were both outstanding in the sixth game, which was scoreless until Hull got a goal at 8:56 of the third period. But Toronto's Bob Nevin tied the game less than two minutes later and Dick Duff put the Maple Leafs up, 2-1, with 5:46 to play. Simmons then turned away every shot by the the frenzied Black Hawks and Toronto had won the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1951.