Our history - The historical website of the Montreal Canadiens
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| TEAM |
GP
Games played - Number of games the team has played
|
W
Wins - Games the team has won, either in regulation or in overtime
|
L
Losses - Games the team has lost in regulation
|
T
Ties - Games that have ended in a tie
|
PTS
Points - Team points, calculated from W, L, T, OTL and SOL; used to determine standings
|
GF
Goals for - Number of goals the team has scored
|
GA
Goals against - Number of goals scored against the team
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 70 | 42 | 14 | 14 | 98 | 259 | 166 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 70 | 37 | 22 | 11 | 85 | 232 | 180 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 70 | 31 | 26 | 13 | 75 | 217 | 186 |
| New York Rangers | 70 | 26 | 32 | 12 | 64 | 195 | 207 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 70 | 23 | 33 | 14 | 60 | 184 | 219 |
| Boston Bruins | 70 | 15 | 47 | 8 | 38 | 177 | 306 |
| # | SKATERS |
GP
Games played - Number of games the player has set foot on the ice
|
G
Goals - Number of goals the player has scored
|
A
Assists - Number of goals the player has assisted in
|
PTS
Points - Scoring points, calculated as the sum of G and A
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Ralph Backstrom | 66 | 27 | 38 | 65 |
| 14 | Claude Provost | 70 | 33 | 29 | 62 |
| 5 | Bernard Geoffrion | 62 | 23 | 36 | 59 |
| 21 | Gilles Tremblay | 70 | 32 | 22 | 54 |
| 8 | Bill Hicke | 70 | 20 | 31 | 51 |
| # | #1 GOALIE |
GP
Games played - Number of games the player has set foot on the ice
|
RECORD
Record - Goalie record (W-L-T)
|
SO
Shutouts - Number of games where the goaltender has not allowed a goal
|
GAA
Goals against average - Mean goals-per-game scored on the goaltender
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacques Plante | 70 | 42-14-14 | 4 | 2.37 |
| DATE | AWAY | HOME |
|---|
THE REGULAR SEASON
The Canadiens enter the 1961-62 season without Doug Harvey, widely considered the league’s best defenseman after winning the Norris Trophy six of the previous seven seasons.
With the relationship between him and general manager Frank Selke strained ever since Harvey played a significant role in trying to establish a players’ union, he is traded to New York in June in return for rugged defenseman Lou Fontinato.
Possibly inspired by the induction of Habs icon Maurice Richard into the Hockey Hall of Fame over the summer, the Canadiens come roaring out of the gate with seven wins and one tie in their first eight games.
Toe Blake’s team maintains its pace and puts together another exceptional run from November 18 to December 16 with a 13-game unbeaten streak. The Habs nearly repeat the feat in January with another stretch of 12 straight games without a loss.
In January, Henri Richard records his 400th point with the Canadiens while Bernie Geoffrion scores his 325th goal in March.
The team finishes the season with a 42-14-14 record to claim its fifth straight regular season title. With 65 points, including 27 goals, Ralph Backstrom leads the team in scoring and is one of six Habs to score 50 points or more. For the ninth straight season, the Canadiens lead the league with 259 goals despite serious injuries to several players, in particular Jean Beliveau, whose season is limited to just 43 games.
Jacques Plante enjoys an outstanding season in goal to reclaim the Vezina Trophy he yielded to Johnny Bower the year before. It is the sixth time in seven seasons the award goes to Plante, who also wins the Hart Trophy as the league’s MVP, which he claims partly as a result of his stellar 2.37 goals-against average.
With 21 goals and 45 points, right-winger Bobby Rousseau is awarded the Calder Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year. In his Montreal debut, Fontinato leads the league with 167 penalty minutes.
During the season, veteran defenseman Tom Johnson plays his 800th regular season game, establishing a new team record.
THE PLAYOFFS
The Canadiens carry over their regular season play into the playoffs and win the first two games of their semifinal against Chicago, after a regular season record of 9-2-2 against the Blackhawks.
That start is spoiled during the following two games on the road as the Blackhawks even the series with a pair of wins, 4-1 and 5-3.
When the series shifts back to the Forum, the Canadiens are unable to stop their opponent’s momentum and lose, 4-3. In Game 6, Chicago blanks the league’s top offensive team, 2-0, and the Canadiens are eliminated after dropping a fourth game in a row.
Dickie Moore leads the team in scoring with six points in six games.
| Semi-finals - Chicago Blackhawks | ||||
| Date | AWAY | HOME | ||
| March 27th, 1962 | CHI 1 | MTL 2 | ||
| March 29th, 1962 | CHI 3 | MTL 4 | ||
| April 1st, 1962 | MTL 1 | CHI 4 | ||
| April 3rd, 1962 | MTL 3 | CHI 5 | ||
| April 5th, 1962 | CHI 4 | MTL 3 | ||
| April 8th, 1962 | MTL 0 | CHI 2 | ||
| Chicago won best-of-seven series 4-2 | ||||
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