1966 Stanley Cup Final
1966 ice hockey championship series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1966 Stanley Cup Final was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1965–66 season, and the culmination of the 1966 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by the Detroit Red Wings and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens. This was the fifth Detroit–Montreal series; they previously met in 1952, 1954, 1955, and 1956, with the Red Wings winning the former three and the Canadiens winning the latter. The Canadiens defeated the Red Wings in six games to win the Stanley Cup for the seventh time in eleven years. This was the last Cup Final appearance for the Red Wings until 1995.
Detroit: Olympia Stadium (3, 4, 6)
Detroit: Alex Delvecchio
| 1966 Stanley Cup Final | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * – Denotes overtime period(s) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location(s) | Montreal: Montreal Forum (1, 2, 5) Detroit: Olympia Stadium (3, 4, 6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaches | Montreal: Toe Blake Detroit: Sid Abel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captains | Montreal: Jean Beliveau Detroit: Alex Delvecchio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dates | April 24 – May 5, 1966 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Roger Crozier (Red Wings) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series-winning goal | Henri Richard (2:20, OT) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hall of Famers | Canadiens: Jean Beliveau (1972) Yvan Cournoyer (1982) Dick Duff (2006) Jacques Laperriere (1987; did not play) Henri Richard (1979) Gump Worsley (1980) Red Wings: Andy Bathgate (1978) Leo Boivin (1986) Alex Delvecchio (1977) Bill Gadsby (1970) Gordie Howe (1972) Norm Ullman (1982) Coaches: Sid Abel (1969, player) Toe Blake (1966, player) Officials: Josh Ashley (1981) Neil Armstrong (1991) John D'Amico (1993) Matt Pavelich (1987) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Paths to the Final
Montreal defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–0 to advance to the Final, and Detroit defeated the Chicago Black Hawks 4–2.
Game summaries
The Montreal Canadiens were the defending champions in their twenty-second Stanley Cup Finals, after winning their thirteenth championship the previous year with a seven-game victory over the Chicago Black Hawks. This was the Detroit Red Wings' eighteenth Stanley Cup Finals, having won seven championships previously. Their most recent Finals came in 1964, when they lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games. This was the eleventh playoff series between these two teams, with Detroit winning seven of their ten previous series. Their most recent series had come in the 1958 semifinals, where Montreal won in a four-game sweep. Montreal won eighteen of twenty-eight points in this year's regular season series. Detroit would not return to the Stanley Cup Finals again until 1995. Toe Blake had coached the Canadiens to seven Cups in eleven years.
Game one
| April 24 | Detroit Red Wings | 3–2 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap |
In game one, Roger Crozier made 33 saves in net for Detroit, and Paul Henderson scored the game winning goal early in the third period to win the game 3–2, giving the Red Wings a 1–0 series lead.
| Scoring summary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score |
| 1st | DET | Floyd Smith (3) | Andy Bathgate (1) | 13:25 | 1–0 DET |
| 2nd | MTL | Ralph Backstrom (2) | J. C. Tremblay (5) | 04:23 | 1–1 |
| DET | Bill Gadsby (1) | Ab McDonald (3) | 05:14 | 2–1 DET | |
| 3rd | MTL | Paul Henderson (3) | Bert Marshall (2) | 02:14 | 3–1 DET |
| DET | Terry Harper (2) | Bobby Rousseau (3) | 02:36 | 3–2 DET | |
| Penalty summary | |||||
| Period | Team | Player | Penalty | Time | PIM |
| 1st | DET | Bill Gadsby | Interference | 00:35 | 2:00 |
| MTL | Ted Harris | Interference | 09:10 | 2:00 | |
| DET | Andy Bathgate | Hooking | 09:26 | 2:00 | |
| 2nd | None | ||||
| 3rd | None | ||||
| Shots by period | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Total | |
| Detroit | 9 | 10 | 16 | 35 | |
| Montreal | 10 | 11 | 14 | 35 | |
Game two
| April 26 | Detroit Red Wings | 5–2 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap |
In game two, Detroit defeated Montreal by a score of 5–2, to take a 2–0 series lead back home.
| Scoring summary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score |
| 1st | MTL | J. C. Tremblay (2) – pp | Jean Beliveau (4) and Yvan Cournoyer (3) | 06:55 | 1–0 MTL |
| DET | Andy Bathgate (6) – pp | Dean Prentice (5) and Norm Ullman (8) | 18:39 | 1–1 | |
| 2nd | None | ||||
| 3rd | DET | Bruce MacGregor (1) | Paul Henderson (1) and Norm Ullman (9) | 01:51 | 2–1 DET |
| DET | Ab McDonald (1) | Bill Gadsby (3) and Floyd Smith (2) | 02:45 | 3–1 DET | |
| MTL | Yvan Cournoyer (1) | Terry Harper (2) and Noel Price (1) | 12:00 | 3–2 DET | |
| DET | Floyd Smith (4) | Andy Bathgate (2) | 12:28 | 4–2 DET | |
| DET | Dean Prentice (5) | Alex Delvecchio (9) | 16:25 | 5–2 DET | |
| Penalty summary | |||||
| Period | Team | Player | Penalty | Time | PIM |
| 1st | MTL | Dick Duff | Cross-checking | 03:01 | 2:00 |
| DET | Andy Bathgate | Elbowing | 05:30 | 2:00 | |
| DET | Paul Henderson | Tripping | 10:18 | 2:00 | |
| MTL | Bobby Rousseau | Hooking | 14:11 | 2:00 | |
| MTL | John Ferguson | Interference | 17:06 | 2:00 | |
| 2nd | DET | Leo Boivin | Slashing | 03:01 | 2:00 |
| MTL | Jean-Guy Talbot | Boarding | 05:22 | 2:00 | |
| DET | Bruce MacGregor | Tripping | 08:55 | 2:00 | |
| DET | Bryan Watson | Cross-checking | 10:26 | 2:00 | |
| MTL | Henri Richard | Roughing | 10:26 | 2:00 | |
| DET | Bryan Watson | Hooking | 12:50 | 2:00 | |
| MTL | Terry Harper | High-sticking | 17:09 | 2:00 | |
| 3rd | MTL | Jean-Guy Talbot | Slashing | 03:49 | 2:00 |
| DET | Norm Ullman | Cross-checking | 17:24 | 2:00 | |
| MTL | John Ferguson | Cross-checking | 17:24 | 2:00 | |
| Shots by period | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Total | |
| Detroit | 14 | 7 | 13 | 34 | |
| Montreal | 7 | 6 | 12 | 25 | |
Game three
| April 28 | Montreal Canadiens | 4–2 | Detroit Red Wings | Detroit Olympia | Recap |
Gilles Tremblay scored twice for the Canadiens in a 4–2 over the Red Wings in game three to cut the series lead in half.
| Scoring summary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score |
| 1st | DET | Norm Ullman (3) | Unassisted | 04:20 | 1–0 DET |
| MTL | Dave Balon (1) | Terry Harper (3) and Henri Richard (1) | 15:40 | 1–1 | |
| MTL | Jean Beliveau (3) | Unassisted | 19:12 | 2–1 MTL | |
| 2nd | None | ||||
| 3rd | MTL | Gilles Tremblay (3) | Jean Beliveau (5) | 01:45 | 3–1 MTL |
| MTL | Gilles Tremblay (4) – pp | J. C. Tremblay (6) and Bobby Rousseau (4) | 03:21 | 4–1 MTL | |
| DET | Gordie Howe (4) | Alex Delvecchio (10) and Bert Marshall (3) | 19:59 | 4–2 MTL | |
| Penalty summary | |||||
| 1st | MTL | Ralph Backstrom | Elbowing | 08:38 | 2:00 |
| 2nd | MTL | Leon Rochefort | High-sticking | 02:46 | 2:00 |
| DET | Gordie Howe | High-sticking | 05:20 | 2:00 | |
| DET | Dean Prentice | Tripping | 11:31 | 2:00 | |
| DET | Bryan Watson | Charging | 18:23 | 2:00 | |
| MTL | Dave Balon | Misconduct | 18:23 | 10:00 | |
| 3rd | DET | Bert Marshall | Holding | 03:03 | 2:00 |
| DET | Norm Ullman | High-sticking | 10:14 | 2:00 | |
| MTL | Dave Balon | Tripping | 10:14 | 2:00 | |
| MTL | Jean-Guy Talbot | Interference | 13:24 | 2:00 | |
| DET | Bench (Served by Ab McDonald) | Too many men on the ice | 16:50 | 2:00 | |
| Shots by period | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Total | |
| Montreal | 9 | 9 | 13 | 31 | |
| Detroit | 9 | 15 | 7 | 31 | |
Game four
| May 1 | Montreal Canadiens | 2–1 | Detroit Red Wings | Detroit Olympia | Recap |
Roger Crozier was injured in the opening five minutes and forty-eight seconds into game four and had to be replaced by backup Hank Bassen. After a scoreless first, Norm Ullman opened the scoring for the Red Wings, and Jean Beliveau tied the game with nine seconds remaining in the second period. Ralph Backstrom scored the game winning goal in the third, and Gump Worsley made a total of 22 saves to give the Canadiens a 2–1 victory to tie the series.
| Scoring summary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score |
| 1st | None | ||||
| 2nd | DET | Norm Ullman (4) | Brad MacGregor (4) and Paul Henderson (2) | 11:24 | 1–0 DET |
| MTL | Jean Beliveau (4) – pp | Dick Duff (3) and J. C. Tremblay (7) | 19:51 | 1–1 | |
| 3rd | MTL | Ralph Backstrom (3) | Dick Duff (4) and Jim Roberts (1) | 13:37 | 2–1 MTL |
| Penalty summary | |||||
| 1st | DET | Parker MacDonald | Tripping | 04:25 | 2:00 |
| DET | Norm Ullman | Cross-checking | 10:15 | 2:00 | |
| MTL | John Ferguson | High-sticking | 13:21 | 2:00 | |
| DET | Gordie Howe | Elbowing | 14:52 | 2:00 | |
| 2nd | DET | Bryan Watson | Charging | 07:44 | 2:00 |
| MTL | Terry Harper | Tripping | 12:11 | 2:00 | |
| DET | Gordie Howe | Interference | 18:23 | 2:00 | |
| 3rd | MTL | John Ferguson | Holding | 04:33 | 2:00 |
| DET | Gary Bergman | Roughing | 16:36 | 2:00 | |
| MTL | Claude Provost | Elbowing | 16:36 | 2:00 | |
| Shots by period | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Total | |
| Montreal | 12 | 13 | 8 | 33 | |
| Detroit | 5 | 9 | 9 | 23 | |
Game five
| May 3 | Detroit Red Wings | 1–5 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap |
In game five, Montreal defeated Detroit by a score of 5–1 on their home ice, giving them a 3–2 series lead, needing just one more victory to clinch the series and win the Stanley Cup.
| Scoring summary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score |
| 1st | MTL | Claude Provost (2) | Ralph Backstrom (3) and J. C. Tremblay (8) | 01:06 | 1–0 MTL |
| MTL | Yvan Cournoyer (2) – pp | J. C. Tremblay (9) and Gilles Tremblay (4) | 19:21 | 2–0 MTL | |
| 2nd | MTL | Dave Balon (2) | Henri Richard (2) and Leon Rochefort (1) | 01:05 | 3–0 MTL |
| MTL | Bobby Rousseau (4) | Dick Duff (5) and Ralph Backstrom (4) | 11:22 | 4–0 MTL | |
| DET | Norm Ullman (5) | Paul Henderson (3) and Andy Bathgate (3) | 14:22 | 4–1 MTL | |
| 3rd | MTL | Dick Duff (2) | Henri Richard (3) | 05:31 | 5–1 MTL |
| Penalty summary | |||||
| Period | Team | Player | Penalty | Time | PIM |
| 1st | MTL | Jean-Guy Talbot | Hooking | 05:51 | 2:00 |
| DET | Paul Henderson | Interference | 18:07 | 2:00 | |
| 2nd | DET | Gary Bergman | Elbowing | 02:44 | 2:00 |
| DET | Bob Wall | Tripping | 05:03 | 2:00 | |
| MTL | Bobby Rousseau | Hooking | 06:25 | 2:00 | |
| MTL | Dave Balon | Holding | 12:21 | 2:00 | |
| DET | Bert Marshall | Holding | 16:42 | 2:00 | |
| 3rd | DET | Bert Marshall | Holding | 07:49 | 2:00 |
| MTL | Leon Rochefort | Slashing | 13:17 | 2:00 | |
| DET | Leo Boivin | Slashing | 17:12 | 2:00 | |
| Shots by period | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Total | |
| Detroit | 8 | 5 | 8 | 21 | |
| Montreal | 13 | 15 | 5 | 33 | |
Game six
| May 5 | Montreal Canadiens | 3–2 | OT | Detroit Red Wings | Detroit Olympia | Recap |
Henri Richard, a member of all seven championship teams, would score his first goal of the playoffs in game six to win the series in overtime. Two minutes into the extra period, Richard broke in on Red Wing goalie Roger Crozier, lost his footing on the newly resurfaced ice as he cut across the goalmouth, and sprawled into Crozier. The puck went in, and even though Crozier and the Wings protested that Richard had pushed the puck in with his hand, the goal stood. His brilliant play in goal, even in defeat, earned Crozier the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs, becoming the first player to win the award as a member of the losing team.
| Scoring summary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score |
| 1st | MTL | Jean Beliveau (5) | Gilles Tremblay (3) and Claude Provost (3) | 09:08 | 1–0 MTL |
| 2nd | MTL | Leon Rochefort (1) | Henri Richard (4) and Dave Balon (2) | 10:11 | 2–0 MTL |
| DET | Norm Ullman (6) | Alex Delvecchio (11) and Gordie Howe (6) | 11:55 | 2–1 MTL | |
| 3rd | DET | Floyd Smith (5) | Gary Bergman (3) and Ab McDonald (4) | 10:30 | 2–2 |
| OT | MTL | Henri Richard (1) | Dave Balon (3) and Jean-Guy Talbot (2) | 02:20 | 3–2 MTL |
| Penalty summary | |||||
| 1st | DET | Bryan Watson | Hooking | 11:15 | 2:00 |
| MTL | Dave Balon | Slashing | 15:04 | 2:00 | |
| 2nd | DET | Leo Boivin | Charging | 00:23 | 2:00 |
| DET | Bert Marshall | Holding | 07:13 | 2:00 | |
| MTL | Ted Harris | Interference | 10:42 | 2:00 | |
| MTL | Jim Roberts | Misconduct | 11:55 | 10:00 | |
| DET | Bryan Watson | Hooking | 12:18 | 2:00 | |
| DET | Ab McDonald | Tripping | 16:42 | 2:00 | |
| 3rd | None | ||||
| OT | None | ||||
| Shots by period | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | Total |
| Montreal | 5 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 22 |
| Detroit | 10 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 30 |
Stanley Cup engraving
The 1966 Stanley Cup was presented to Canadiens captain Jean Beliveau by NHL President Clarence Campbell following the Canadiens 3–2 win over the Red Wings in game six.
The following Canadiens players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup
1965–66 Montreal Canadiens
Players
- 4 Jean Beliveau (Captain)
- 6 Ralph Backstrom
- 16 Henri Richard (A)
- 18 Leon Rochefort
- 8 Dick Duff
- 12 Yvan Cournoyer
- 11 Claude Larose
- 14 Claude Provost
- 15 Bobby Rousseau
- 20 David Balon
- 21 Gilles Tremblay
- 22 John Ferguson Sr.
- 26 Jim Roberts
- 2 Jacques Laperriere
- 3 Jean-Claude J. C. Tremblay
- 10 Edward Ted Harris
- 17 Jean-Guy Talbot (A)
- 19 Terry Harper
- 23 Noel Price
- 1 Charlie Hodge
- 30 Lorne Gump Worsley
Coaching and administrative staff
- Hartland Molson (Chairman/owner), J. David Molson (President)
- Sam Pollock (Vice President/Manager), Hector Toe Blake (Coach)
- Andy Galley (Trainer), Larry Albut (Asst. Trainer)
Stanley Cup engravings
- Montreal Canadiens name was misspelt MONTREAL CANADIENE. This mistake was later corrected on the Replica Cup created in 1992–93.
Broadcasting
In 1966, NBC became the first[1] television network in the United States to air a national broadcast of a Stanley Cup Playoff game. The network provided coverage of four Sunday afternoon playoff games[2][3] during the 1965–66 postseason.[4] On April 10[5] and April 17,[6] NBC aired semifinal games between the Chicago Black Hawks and the Detroit Red Wings. On April 24,[7] and May 1,[8] NBC aired Games 1 and 4[9] of the Stanley Cup Final between the Montreal Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings. Win Elliot served as the play-by-play man while Bill Mazer served as the color commentator for the games.[10]
NBC's coverage of the 1966 Stanley Cup Final marked the first time that hockey games were broadcast on network television in color.[11] The CBC would follow suit the following year. NBC's Stanley Cup coverage preempted a sports anthology series called NBC Sports in Action, hosted by Jim Simpson and Bill Cullen, who were between-periods co-hosts for the Stanley Cup broadcasts.
Aftermath
The next season, the Red Wings finished a distant fifth, 24 points out of the playoffs, marking the beginning of a 20 year slump known as the "Dead Wings" era. The Red Wings only made the playoffs four times in the next 20 years between 1967 and 1986, and would not return to the Stanley Cup Final again until 1995, where they were swept by the New Jersey Devils.
The Canadiens would return to the Stanley Cup Final the next season, but lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games. However, the Canadiens would eventually become a dynasty, winning the Stanley Cup in 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979.