A Look at the 1966-67 Toronto Maple Leafs

The National Hockey League has changed a lot in the last 56 years. There were quite a few teams even in the early years of the league, but by 1942, the league was whittled down to just six teams: the Detroit Red Wings, the New York Rangers, the Chicago Black Hawks, the Montréal Canadiens, the Boston Bruins, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The playoff format in the Original Six format was simple: top four teams qualify, and it's only two rounds--the Semifinals and the Final. That's it.

Regarding the 1966-67 season, it was played under a 70-game format back then, and in regards to the Leafs, they were looking to avenge their Semifinals loss from the previous year. The Leafs finished third in the league and ended up swept by the eventual champions that year, the Canadiens. As for 1966-67, the Leafs finished in third place again, with a record of 32-27-11 and 75 points--a two game decrease from the previous season.

Among the offensive leaders for the Leafs that year included Dave Keon, the longtime captain, who racked up 52 points in 66 games that year. Nineteen of Keon's points were goals, and speaking of that category, the leader in goals that year was Ron Ellis, who netted 22. Frank Mahovlich was second behind Keon in points with 46, while Bob Pulford and the aforementioned Ellis each had 45 points. Red Kelly led Toronto blueliners with 38 points (14 of them were goals), and in the net was the legendary Terry Sawchuk--who was the measuring stick for goalies long before Patrick Roy entered the fray. Sawchuk's numbers: 15-5-4, 2.81 GAA, and two shutouts.

As I stated before, the Stanley Cup Playoffs consisted of the league's top four teams, but the matchups were unorthodox. Back then, the first place team actually faced off against the third place team in one Semifinal, while the other Semifinal pitted the second place team against the fourth place team. The Leafs faced off against the first place Black Hawks in the Semifinals, with the teams being separated by 19 points in the standings. Toronto also went 4-8-2 against Chicago in the regular season, but despite all of that, the Leafs managed to take down the top seeded Hawks in six games, capped off by a 3-1 victory in Game Six at Maple Leafs Gardens.

The 1967 Stanley Cup Final pitted the Leafs against the Canadiens, which was the Semifinal from 1966. The Habs swept the Leafs in the previous year, and regarding 1967, the defending champs swept the Rangers to return to the Final, looking to win their third straight Stanley Cup. The regular season series between the clubs was tied at 6-6-2, so this Final would settle it. Games One and Two at the Montréal Forum were split between the clubs, with the Habs taking Game One while Toronto evened it up in Game Two. The Leafs won Game Three in double overtime behind Pulford's game-winner in the fifth period, but the Habs captured Game Four to even the series. It would be the last gasp for the Habs, as the Leafs took Games Five and Six of the Final, with Game Six taking place at Maple Leaf Gardens, where Leafs fans celebrated their team capturing the Stanley Cup.

The Toronto Maple Leafs captured their 13th Stanley Cup on May 2, 1967--56 years ago today. Since then, the team hasn't won another Cup, nor have they actually advanced to the Cup Final. Jim Pappin led the team in goals (7) and points (15) during the Leafs' championship run. Ron Ellis, the regular season goals leader, only had two goals and an assist in 12 games played. The late, great George Armstrong had those same exact stats, though his second of the two was the final goal of not just the series, but also the Original Six era. Bob Pulford's double OT winner was his only one of the playoffs, but he led the team in helpers with 10. As for captain Dave Keon, he had three goals and five assists for eight points total, and he ended up winning the then-relatively new Conn Smythe Trophy, which was first awarded two years prior. As a result of this timing, Keon stands as the only Maple Leafs player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.

As I said before, a lot changed in 56 years. For one, the league doubled in size on the following year, increasing from six teams to 12. As the decades passed, more and more teams would be added, which included the NHL-WHA merger in 1979, and the league would branch out to cities such as San Jose, Sunrise, Anaheim, Denver, Nashville, Columbus, and even Las Vegas, to name a few. Sadly, the one thing that hadn't changed in 56 years was the Maple Leafs' Stanley Cup total; it's been 13 ever since that May evening in 1967. This year, the Leafs appear to be on the verge of a possible long run. It could be a successful one. It could lead to big things. It could finally lead to a huge celebration that is 56 years in the making.