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1959–60 NHL season

The 1959–60 NHL season was the 43rd season of the National Hockey League. The Montreal Canadiens were the Stanley Cup winners as they defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs four games to none for their fifth straight Stanley Cup.

Regular season

The year was marked by important changes in the NHL. Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacques Plante, like Clint Benedict before him, began to wear a mask in hockey games. Plante, who had asthma-related problems throughout his career, began wearing a mask in practice shortly after a sinus operation in 1957. His first appearance with a mask in a game was on November 1, 1959, against the New York Rangers. Although many in the NHL disapproved of Plante's decision, due to the traditions of the NHL at the time, many followed suit after Plante went undefeated in ten games with the mask on.

Phil Watson suffered an ulcer and was quietly dismissed as Ranger coach and replaced by Alf Pike. Gump Worsley was demoted to Springfield of the AHL and Worsley screamed he was finished with hockey. But he reported to Springfield anyway. Eddie Shore, known for his criticism of his players, gave Worsley a surprise vote of confidence. Gump played well for the Indians.

There was trouble brewing for Rangers right-winger sniper Andy Bathgate, who'd ripped open Plante's nose on the night of the goalie mask's official NHL debut, when, in an article in True Magazine, ghosted by Dave Anderson, he listed the names of players whom he considered guilty of the dangerous act of spearing. This was brought to the attention of NHL President Clarence Campbell, who then fined Bathgate $500 and Ranger general manager Muzz Patrick $100 on the grounds the article was prejudicial to and against the welfare of the league.

Gump Worsley, demoted to Springfield of the AHL, was brought back up as Marcel Paille was even worse in goal. Gump and the Rangers beat the Canadiens 8–3 in his first game back. Then a week later, Gump got bombed 11–2. Nothing had changed. Later against Chicago, Worsley suffered an injury that finished him for the season. Hawks' winger Bobby Hull skated over his catching glove and severed two tendons in his fingers. Al Rollins was called up to replace him. Later, Olympic hero Jack McCartan played a few games for the Rangers and played very well.

This regular season, like the two preceding it and the two following it, belonged to the Montreal Canadiens as they were in the midst of five straight first overall finishes and at the tail end of five straight Stanley Cup victories. The Detroit Red Wings, who were dead last and missed the playoffs the previous season, squeaked into the playoffs riding a Hart Memorial Trophy performance by their ageless star right-winger Gordie Howe.

This season marked the first season of the Original Six era during which every active player had played for Original Six teams only. Ken Mosdell, the last player to play for another team, retired the previous season.

Final standings

National Hockey League	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA	PIM
Montreal Canadiens	70	40	18	12	92	255	178	756
Toronto Maple Leafs	70	35	26	9	79	199	195	859
Chicago Black Hawks	70	28	29	13	69	191	180	970
Detroit Red Wings	70	26	29	15	67	186	197	538
Boston Bruins	70	28	34	8	64	220	241	932
New York Rangers	70	17	38	15	49	187	247	850

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points

Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts
Bobby Hull	Chicago Black Hawks	70	39	42	81
Bronco Horvath	Boston Bruins	68	39	41	80
Jean Beliveau	Montreal Canadiens	60	34	40	74
Andy Bathgate	New York Rangers	70	26	48	74
Henri Richard	Montreal Canadiens	70	30	43	73
Gordie Howe	Detroit Red Wings	70	28	45	73
Bernie Geoffrion	Montreal Canadiens	59	30	41	71
Don McKenney	Boston Bruins	70	20	49	69
Vic Stasiuk	Boston Bruins	69	29	39	68
Dean Prentice	New York Rangers	70	32	34	66

Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; MIN = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; SO = Shut outs; AVG = Goals against average

Player	Team	GP	MINS	GA	SO	AVG
Jacques Plante	Montreal Canadiens	69	4140	175	3	2.54
Glenn Hall	Chicago Black Hawks	70	4200	179	6	2.56
Terry Sawchuk	Detroit Red Wings	58	3480	155	5	2.67
Johnny Bower	Toronto Maple Leafs	66	3960	177	5	2.68
Don Simmons	Boston Bruins	28	1680	91	2	3.25
Harry Lumley	Boston Bruin	42	2520	146	2	3.48
Gump Worsley	New York Rangers	39	2301	135	0	3.52

Stanley Cup playoffs

All dates in 1960

The momentum did not stop for the Habs as they played the minimum number of games to win the Stanley Cup. Montreal, in the process, became the last Cup winners in NHL history to go undefeated in the playoffs to date. After winning the Stanley Cup, Maurice Richard retired from the NHL as a champion.

Playoff bracket

Semifinals

Bobby Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks had lead the league in scoring, but the well-oiled machine called the Montreal Canadiens managed to hold him to only one goal as the Canadiens swept the Black Hawks in four. The Toronto Maple Leafs, though, had a slightly tougher time against the Gordie Howe led Detroit Red Wings as it took the Leafs 6 games, including one in triple overtime, to win the series.

Chicago Black Hawks vs. Montreal Canadiens

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
March 24	Chicago Black Hawks	3	Montreal Canadiens	4
March 26	Chicago Black Hawks	3	Montreal Canadiens	4	(OT)
March 29	Montreal Canadiens	4	Chicago Black Hawks	0
March 31	Montreal Canadiens	2	Chicago Black Hawks	0

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 0

Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
March 23	Detroit Red Wings	2	Toronto Maple Leafs	1
March 26	Detroit Red Wings	2	Toronto Maple Leafs	4
March 27	Toronto Maple Leafs	5	Detroit Red Wings	4	(3OT)
March 29	Toronto Maple Leafs	1	Detroit Red Wings	2	(OT)
April 2	Detroit Red Wings	4	Toronto Maple Leafs	5
April 3	Toronto Maple Leafs	4	Detroit Red Wings	2

Toronto wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 2

Finals

see 1960 Stanley Cup Finals

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score
April 7	Toronto Maple Leafs	2	Montreal Canadiens	4
April 9	Toronto Maple Leafs	1	Montreal Canadiens	2
April 12	Montreal Canadiens	5	Toronto Maple Leafs	2
April 14	Montreal Canadiens	4	Toronto Maple Leafs	0

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 0

Playoff leading scorers

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points

Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts
Henri Richard	Montreal Canadiens	8	3	9	12
Bernie Geoffrion	Montreal Canadiens	8	2	10	12
Leonard "Red" Kelly	Toronto Maple Leafs	10	3	8	11
Dickie Moore	Montreal Canadiens	8	6	4	10
Alex Delvecchio	Detroit Red Wings	6	2	6	8
Jean Beliveau	Montreal Canadiens	8	5	2	7
Bert Olmstead	Toronto Maple Leafs	10	3	4	7

NHL awards

1959–60 NHL awards
Prince of Wales Trophy:	Montreal Canadiens
Art Ross Memorial Trophy:	Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
Calder Memorial Trophy:	Bill Hay, Chicago Black Hawks
Hart Memorial Trophy:	Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
James Norris Memorial Trophy	Doug Harvey, Montreal Canadiens
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy:	Don McKenney, Boston Bruins
Vezina Trophy:	Jacques Plante, Montreal Canadiens

All-Star teams

First team	Position	Second team
Glenn Hall, Chicago Black Hawks	G	Jacques Plante, Montreal Canadiens
Doug Harvey, Montreal Canadiens	D	Allan Stanley, Toronto Maple Leafs
Marcel Pronovost, Detroit Red Wings	D	Pierre Pilote, Chicago Black Hawks
Jean Beliveau, Montreal Canadiens	C	Bronco Horvath, Boston Bruins
Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings	RW	Bernie Geoffrion, Montreal Canadiens
Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks	LW	Dean Prentice, New York Rangers

Debuts

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1959–60 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):