By scoring 47 goals Gordie Howe captures his first Hart Trophy as the Red Wings continue to dominate the regular season inning their 4th league title in a row with a 44-14-12 record. In the playoffs the Wings started flying right away as goalie Terry Sawchuk blanked the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 of the semifinals 3-0,. Following the game a few fans had the idea of throwing an octopus on the ice being that it had 8 arms and to win the Stanley Cup you need to win 8 games. The Wings would go on to sweep the series in 4 straight as the octopus tossing began to catch on. In the finals the Wings won the first 2 games on the road in Montreal and came home where Terry Sawchuk blanked the Canadiens with twin 3-0 scores to complete the sweep. With the Red Wings winning 8 straight they became the first team to sweep through the playoffs ensuring the octopi tossing would become a tradition for years to come.