Toronto forward Harry Watson was a big, bruising winger who could score goals. He was part of four Stanley Cup victories and had 20 or more goals four times while with the Leafs. Goalie Al Rollins won a Cup with Toronto in 1951 and was a Hart Trophy winner with Chicago in 1954.

Montreal goaltender Gerry McNeil shows a battered face after a game against Toronto at Maple Leaf Gardens. McNeil was in net for the Canadiens the night Leafs defenseman Bill Barilko scored a Stanley Cup–winning goal in 1951.

Detroit won the Stanley Cup in 1955 with Terry Sawchuk as their goalie but started the next season with Glenn Hall in net. Sawchuk was traded to Boston, and Hall was named the NHL’s best rookie. Here, he is helped by defenseman Marcel Pronovost against Toronto’s Billy Harris.

Montreal right winger Bernie Geoffrion tries to score on Toronto’s Harry Lumley. From the minute he entered the NHL with the Habs in 1950–51, the hard-shooting Geoffrion could score goals. He scored 30 in just his second full season and then led the league with 38 tallies in 1954–55.

Detroit’s Red Kelly (left) and Ted Lindsay (right) attack the Toronto net occupied by goalie Harry Lumley. The Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in 1950, 1952, 1954, and 1955, becoming the first dynasty of the fifties. Kelly and Lindsay were prominent players on all four of those championship teams.

Detroit goaltender Terry Sawchuk was named the rookie of the year in three different professional leagues: the USHL, the AHL, and the NHL. Sawchuk’s first full NHL season was in 1950–51 when he won 44 games and recorded a league-best 11 shutouts.

Goaltender Don Simmons broke into the NHL with Boston in 1956–57. He took his team all the way to the Stanley Cup finals that year before losing to Montreal. Simmons was with the Maple Leafs in 1962 when they won the Cup with him in net in the last game of the finals.

New York goalie “Gump” Worsley was in net for the whole game the night the Maple Leafs beat the Rangers 14–1 on March 16, 1957. Tod Sloan of the Leafs (shown here) scored twice during that contest.

Toronto defenseman Jim Thomson (#2) has Montreal’s Jean Béliveau all wrapped up. Thomson was a low-scoring but very valuable blueliner who helped the Leafs to four Stanley Cups. Leafs netminder Ed Chadwick (#1) also keeps his eye on the Montreal star.

When Eric Nesterenko (#16) was a junior for the Toronto Marlboros in 1951–52 he scored 53 goals and totaled 95 points in 52 games; the Maple Leafs thought he would be their next great star. After four years, the rather unproductive right winger was dealt to Chicago where he had a long career with the Black Hawks.

Bob Pulford joined the Maple Leafs for the 1956–57 season and scored 11 goals in his rookie year. He scored over 20 goals four times and won four Cups during his career. Pulford scores here while being checked by Tom Johnson and Jean-Guy Talbot in front of goalie Jacques Plante.

Chicago’s Jack Evans battles Detroit’s Red Kelly for position. Evans began his career with the New York Rangers in 1948 but was picked up by the Black Hawks in 1958. In 1954, Kelly became the first-ever recipient of the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman.

Jacques Plante led the NHL in goaltender wins a total of five times while he was with the Canadiens. He won 40 or more games on three occasions and was a first-team All-Star three times as well. Here, Plante watches Chicago’s Eric Nesterenko with help from Doug Harvey.

Toronto’s Dick Duff gets checked by Detroit defenseman Jim Morrison as Leaf George Armstrong looks for a rebound. On the last night of the 1958–59 season, Duff scored the winning goal for a Maple Leaf victory over the Red Wings to get Toronto the final playoff spot that season.

Players’ association activist Tod Sloan (#9) was sent to the Black Hawks as a form of punishment imposed by the league owners. Sloan would play three years with Chicago where he won a Stanley Cup in 1961. Sloan is checked here by New York defenseman Lou Fontinato.

Winger Ron Stewart joined the Maple Leafs starting with the 1952–53 season but had his best goal-scoring year in 1958–59 when he notched 21 for Toronto. He won three Stanley Cups as a Leaf and played in 1,353 games, scoring 276 goals and totaling 529 points.

When left winger Bobby Hull joined the Black Hawks for the 1957–58 season he wore number 16. He also wore number 7 before finally settling on 9—the number he made famous for the rest of his career.

Born in Czechoslovakia in 1940, Stan Mikita overcame great hardships in his homeland to come to Canada in 1948 for a better life. He first joined Chicago in 1958–59 and stayed with the Hawks until the end of 1979–80 season. Here, Mikita is chasing down Detroit defenseman Marcel Pronovost.

Boston netminder Harry Lumley gets help from teammate Réal Chevrefils against Bob Pulford of Toronto. Lumley began his NHL career when he was just 16 years old with the Detroit Red Wings. He also played for Toronto and Chicago.

Johnny Bucyk was as surprised as anyone when he heard on the radio during the summer of 1957 that he had been traded from Detroit to Boston for Terry Sawchuk. He stayed in Boston until the end of his career, scoring 545 of his 556 career goals as a Bruin.

The face of hockey changed on the night on November 1, 1959, when Canadiens goalie Jacques Plante refused to re-enter a game against the Rangers after he had been badly cut by the puck, unless he was allowed to wear a protective mask.

New York’s Larry Popein looks for the puck against Toronto’s George Armstrong. Popein played in 449 career NHL games and recorded 221 points. He also played four games for the Oakland Seals in 1967–68 and would go on to coach the Rangers during the 1973–74 season.

Frank Mahovlich of Toronto has just beaten goalie Glenn Hall of Chicago. Known as the “Big M,” Mahovlich scored 48 goals for the Maple Leafs in 1960–61 and beat Hall four times on December 11, 1960, at the Chicago Stadium during a 6–1 Toronto victory.

The Canadiens and the Maple Leafs met for the Stanley Cup in 1959 and 1960. Shown here are five Hall of Fame players: Red Kelly (#4) and goalie Johnny Bower of Toronto as well as Maurice (#9) and Henri Richard (#16) and Dickie Moore (#12) of the Canadiens.

Boston forward Charlie Burns was one of the first NHL players to wear a helmet. New York defenseman Harry Howell played most of his Hall of Fame career (1,411 games) with the Rangers but also played for the California Seals and Los Angeles Kings after 1967.

Earl Ingarfield (#10) had many good years with the New York Rangers. He scored a career-best 26 goals in 1961–62 and had a 20-goal season in 1964–65. Here, Ingarfield has scored despite the efforts of Doug Mohns (#19) and goalie Eddie Johnston of Boston.

Chicago netminder Glenn Hall fires the puck away from Detroit winger Parker MacDonald (#20). MacDonald began his career with the Maple Leafs before being sent to the New York Rangers. He also played for New York, Boston, and Minnesota before his 676-game career ended. MacDonald recorded 323 career points.

Floyd Smith of Detroit is closely watched by New York defenseman Doug Harvey. Smith began his NHL career with Boston then played with New York, Detroit, Toronto, and Buffalo, where he was first team captain of the 1970 expansion Sabres.

Defenseman Pat Stapleton (#4) began his NHL career with Boston during the 1961–62 season, scoring two goals and adding five assists. He played one more year in Boston before going to Chicago where he enjoyed his best NHL seasons. Here, Stapleton is chased by Dave Keon of Toronto.

Eddie Litzenberger joined the Leafs in December of 1961—just in time to be in on three straight Stanley Cups. He had a two-goal game against Terry Sawchuk and the Red Wings during the 1963 finals. Litzenberger captained the Black Hawks to the Cup in 1961, his first of four consecutive NHL titles.

The Red Wings traded Red Kelly (#4) to New York in 1960 but Kelly refused to report to the Rangers, and Toronto swooped in and picked him up to play center for them. He helped the Leafs win four Cups. Here, Kelly starts a rush up the ice with Dave Keon (#14).

After a great career with the Canadiens, defenseman Doug Harvey (#2) was traded to New York in 1961. He was named as playing coach of the Rangers for the 1961–62 season and promptly won his seventh Norris Trophy as top defense-man. Toronto’s Billy Harris (#15) is in hot pursuit. Harris had 287 points in 610 games as a Maple Leaf.

Wayne Connelly played four years with Boston (scoring 25 times in total) before going to the expansion Minnesota North Stars for the 1967–68 campaign. He finished his career with 307 points in 543 career games. Here he takes a shot on Toronto’s Johnny Bower.

During the 70 games of the 1961–62 season, Chicago left winger Bobby Hull scored 50 goals. Hull also led the league in points that year with 84, giving him his second Art Ross Trophy. Toronto netminder Johnny Bower won 31 games in 1961–62 and another six in the playoffs.

Boston’s Dean Prentice, shown here against Frank Mahovlich (#27) and Eddie Litzenberger (#25), had a memorable game against the Maple Leafs on January 18, 1964: Prentice scored three goals and added three assists for a six-point night at Maple Leaf Gardens.

The Maple Leafs defeated the Red Wings in five games during the 1963 Stanley Cup finals. Leafs netminder Johnny Bower played all five contests. Detroit defenseman Marcel Pronovost (#3) was the second leading scorer for the Red Wings with four points—all of them assists.

Detroit’s defenseman Doug Barkley (#5) takes out New York forward Dean Prentice (#17) along the boards. Barkley scored 11 goals for the Red Wings in 1963–64. Prentice had a 32-goal season for the Rangers in 1959–60.

Toronto defenseman Bob Baun crunches Montreal centre Jean Béliveau into the boards. Between 1959 and 1967 the Maple Leafs and Canadiens staged hockey’s greatest rivalry during the regular season and the playoffs. The Leafs beat the Canadiens in the semi-finals in 1963 and 1964.

Paul Henderson of Detroit tries to check Montreal defenseman J.C. Tremblay. Henderson’s first full year in the NHL was in 1964–65. Tremblay played his entire NHL career (1959 to 1972) with Montreal and he won a total of five Stanley Cups.

Vic Stasiuk of the Red Wings blocks out Black Hawks winger Eric Nesterenko behind the Detroit net. Stasiuk was one of the biggest left wingers during his time in the NHL (1949–63), recording 437 points in 745 games. Here, Red Wing goalie Terry Sawchuk (#1) and defenseman Marcel Pronovost (#3) watch the action.

Boston defenseman Leo Boivin has good position on Dave Balon of the Rangers. The hard-hitting blueliner was named captain of the Bruins in 1963 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1986 after 1,150 NHL games and 322 points.

Both Gordie Howe (from Floral) and Johnny Bower (from Prince Albert) were natives of Saskatchewan. In the summers they would fish together but were fierce rivals during the NHL season.

Norm Ullman (#7) played a 20-year Hall of Fame career with Detroit and Toronto. In 1965–66 Ullman led the NHL in goals scored with 42. He recorded 1,229 career points (including 490 goals) in 1,410 games played. Ullman scores here against Boston’s Eddie Johnston while defenseman Bob McCord (#4) checks Floyd Smith of the Red Wings.

Orland Kurtenbach (#7) was one of the league’s toughest players during his NHL career (1960–74). Other players were wary of tangling with Kurtenbach for fear of getting destroyed by his fists. He was named first-ever captain of the Vancouver Canucks in 1970.

Boston defenseman Ted Green has his hands full with Toronto winger Frank Mahovlich. Green was a tough player for the Bruins, racking up 1,029 penalty minutes in 620 games. Mahovlich led the Leafs in goals scored six straight seasons from 1960–61 to 1965–66.

Boston’s Warren Godfrey was one the few players in the NHL to play with a helmet during the 1960s. He was a stay-at-home-type defenseman who never scored more than six goals in a single season over his 16-year career. Boston goalie Eddie Johnston (#1) guards the Bruins net.

The 1963 All-Star Game was played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. The game ended in a 3–3 tie between the Maple Leafs and the NHL All-Stars. Here, Bobby Hull (#7) scores for the All-Stars with the help of Bernie Geoffrion (#5) against Johnny Bower of the Leafs.

Boston defenders Ed Westfall (#18), Ted Green (on one knee), Tom Johnson (#10), and goalie Eddie Johnston (#1) combine with another Bruin to defend against the Maple Leafs. Johnston played in all 70 games for the Bruins in 1963–64. Billy Harris (#15) is the Leaf with the helmet.

The Maple Leafs sent five players to Springfield of the American Hockey League to acquire defenseman Kent Douglas in 1962. The 27 year old was named the winner of the Calder Trophy as best rookie for the 1962–63 season. Here, Douglas has knocked down Bobby Hull of Chicago (#9).

Chicago blueliner Pierre Pilote was named the winner of the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman three straight years from 1963 to 1965. Pilote recorded 498 career points in 890 games. He also had 1,251 penalty minutes during his Hall of Fame career.

Rod Gilbert, seen here slipping one past Glenn Hall, played his entire career for the New York Rangers and scored 406 career goals with the Rangers. Gilbert had his most productive years during the 1970s. Hall recorded 84 career shutouts.

The Rangers plucked tough winger Vic Hadfield—seen here rushing Toronto’s Johnny Bower—from the Black Hawks in 1961. Hadfield tallied over 100 minutes in penalties three times between 1961 and 1967.

New York defenseman Jim Neilson watches Ken Wharram of Chicago very closely. Neilson played in 1,023 career games, recording 368 points and made the Second All-Star Team in 1968. Wharram was forced to retire in 1969 with heart problems, after scoring 30 goals in 1968–69.

New York goalie Jacques Plante tries to find the puck with the help of teammates Don Johns (#6) and Jim Neilson, as Chicago’s Bobby Hull enters the fray. Plante was traded to the Rangers in 1963 but his stay in New York was not a success, lasting only a season and a half.

Chicago forward Johnny “Pie Face” McKenzie tries to score on Jacques Plante of New York. McKenzie scored a total of 17 goals for Chicago over two seasons before the Hawks dealt him to New York. He finished his NHL career playing for Boston.

Detroit’s Larry Jeffrey (#21) and Gordie Howe (#9) crash the Chicago goal area occupied by Denis DeJordy. Lindsay was crushed when he was traded to the Black Hawks in 1957. He came out of retirement at 39 to join Detroit for the 1964–65 season and helped the team finish in first place.

Detroit’s left winger Ron Murphy (#12) scored 205 career goals in 889 games played. He scored 30 of his goals as a Red Wing and also played for New York, Chicago, and Boston.

The Rangers gave up four players to acquire the rights to goalie Eddie Giacomin, shown here defending against Dave Keon of the Leafs. He would post a 288–209–96 career record and would be named to the Hall of Fame.

Frank Mahovlich had his last great season as a Maple Leaf in 1965–66, when he scored 32 times. Here, Mahovlich sweeps the puck past Gerry Cheevers (#30) in the Boston net for one of his classic goals.

After his record-breaking season in 1965–66, Bobby Hull scored 52 times in 1966–67, as his Black Hawks finished the regular season in first place. In this superb action photo, Hull is stopped by Toronto’s Johnny Bower.

Stan Mikita (#21) looks for a rebound against Toronto goalie Bruce Gamble (#30). Mikita won his third scoring title in 1966–67 when he recorded 97 points, including a league-high 62 assists.

Detroit goalie Roger Crozier (#1) sticks his catching glove in the face of defenseman Doug Barkley (#5) while battling Wally Boyer of the Maple Leafs. Barkley had a very good career cut short when he took a stick in the eye from Chicago’s Doug Mohns in 1966.

Toronto’s Terry Sawchuk sprawls to stop a shot by the Detroit Red Wings. In his first year with the Leafs in 1964–65, the veteran netminder played in 36 games, posting a 17–13–6 record while allowing only 92 goals.

New York’s Camille Henry (#21) gains position on Toronto defenseman Tim Horton while watching teammate Rod Gilbert (#7) go at the Leaf net occupied by Terry Sawchuk (#24). Henry also played for Chicago and St. Louis and finished with 279 goals and 528 points in 727 games played.

Detroit’s Bruce MacGregor (#16) is shut down by the Toronto defense made up of Tim Horton (#7), goalie Johnny Bower, and Allan Stanley (#26). MacGregor entered the NHL in 1960–61 but had his best goal-scoring year in 1966–67 when he netted 28 for the Red Wings.

Toronto’s Eddie “The Entertainer” Shack is closely followed by Detroit’s Howie Young. Shack could score goals and play a tough brand of hockey, recording 1,437 penalty minutes in 1,047 career games. Young was one the NHL’s all-time bad boys and led the league with 273 penalty minutes in 1962–63.

Defenseman Allan Stanley (#26) was a prized prospect when he started his NHL career in 1948 for the New York Rangers. The Maple Leafs acquired him—after stints in Chicago and Boston—and he would help anchor the Toronto defense for the next ten seasons, which included four Stanley Cups.

Chicago players (from left) Glenn Hall, Pierre Pilote, and Dennis Hull defend against New York forward Rod Gilbert (#7). In 1966–67 the first-place Black Hawks scored a then-record 264 goals, allowed only 170, and won just about every individual award possible but could not take the Stanley Cup!

Doug Mohns (#2) leads a rush up the ice with Chicago teammate Pierre Pilote. Mohns was a long-time (11 seasons) member of the Boston Bruins before he was dealt to the Black Hawks in 1964.

Toronto defenseman Tim Horton keeps the puck away from New York forward Jean Ratelle. In the 1962 Stanley Cup finals, Horton set a then-record for points by a defenseman in the playoffs with 16, as the Leafs reclaimed the championship for the first time since 1951.

Chicago forward Fred Stanfield moves in on Maple Leafs defense-man Bobby Baun. None of Baun’s three career playoff goals was bigger than the overtime marker he scored in the 1964 Stanley Cup playoffs, playing with a broken bone in his lower leg.

Detroit defenseman Bill Gadsby battles Toronto right winger Ron Ellis. Gadsby played in 20 NHL seasons but was never able to win the Stanley Cup, despite three chances in the finals with the Red Wings.

George Armstrong was the last Toronto captain appointed by Maple Leafs founder Conn Smythe. The Leafs right winger earned the last goal of the Original Six era when he scored an empty net goal versus Montreal on May 2, 1967.

Considered one of the best junior prospects when he joined the Montreal Canadiens in 1963–64, Yvan Cournoyer was first used as a power-play specialist by Habs coach Toe Blake. Toronto defenseman Larry Hillman (#2) watches the Montreal forward known as “The Roadrunner.”

Montreal defenseman Terry Harper, seen here reaching up for a loose puck, was never a graceful skater but he knew exactly where to position himself defensively. His smarts kept him in the NHL for 19 seasons, and Harper was a part of five championship teams with the Canadiens.

Boston defender Bob McCord chases Toronto’s Eddie Shack. The Leafs acquired the rambunctious winger from the New York Rangers in a 1960 trade and he stayed with them until the end of the 1966–67 season. McCord played for four different teams during his career.

Montreal defenseman J.C. Tremblay (#3) had a very good playoff in 1966 when the Canadiens won their second consecutive Stanley Cup. He had 11 points in ten playoff games, as Montreal knocked out Toronto and Detroit to capture the championship. All-Star forward Murray Oliver (#16) is in pursuit.

The 1965 NHL All-Star Game was played at the Montreal Forum. The NHL All-Stars defeated the Stanley Cup champions 5–2, with Norm Ullman (#8) scoring one goal (which came against “Gump” Worsley, #30 in photo).

Toronto defenseman Marcel Pronovost tries to beat Norm Ullman of Detroit to the puck. Pronovost won four Stanley Cups with the Red Wings but a 1965 deal sent the veteran to Toronto, where he was an important player in the Maple Leafs surprising Cup win in 1967.

New York’s Phil Goyette contends with Boston defenseman Don Awrey and goalie Bernie Parent. Parent began his Hall of Fame career with Boston in 1965–66. Goyette played six seasons for the Rangers and had one of his best years with New York in 1966–67 when he tallied 61 points.

Toronto forward Larry Jeffrey tangles with Boston rearguard Ted Green. Jeffrey, a very good junior prospect in the Detroit organization, came to the Leafs in a 1965 deal and was with Toronto when the team won the Stanley Cup in 1966–67.

The Hull brothers—from left, Bobby and Dennis—pose for a photo. Dennis was not nearly as famous as his older sibling but he was a very good NHL player who began his career in 1964–65 with the Black Hawks.

Toronto’s mighty Tim Horton was runner-up for the Norris Trophy for best defense-man on two occasions, losing to Chicago’s Pierre Pilote in 1964 and Boston’s Bobby Orr in 1969. Murray Oliver (#16) was one of few bright lights on the Bruins in the 1960s—he had three-straight seasons of 20 or more goals.

Montreal’s Henri Richard won the Stanley Cup in each of his first five seasons in the NHL (1955 to 1960). The feisty and determined younger brother of Maurice “Rocket” Richard, Henri was known as the “Pocket Rocket.” All-Star defenseman Bob Baun gives Richard a ride along the boards.

Dave Keon remains the lone Toronto Maple Leaf to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the best player in the playoffs. He was simply outstanding in the ’67 post-season when he scored three goals and added five assists in 12 games played.

New York’s Don Marshall (#22) is hoping for a pass to score on Bernie Parent of Boston. Marshall was traded from Montreal to the Rangers after winning five Stanley Cups with the Canadiens between 1956 and 1960.

Detroit center Alex Delvecchio (#10) played his entire 1,549-game career with the Red Wings, scoring 456 goals and totaling 1,281 points. He was team captain from 1962 to 1973.

Goaltender Gerry Cheevers first belonged to the Toronto Maple Leafs who did everything they could to retain rights to him, including trying to list him as a forward. The NHL would not allow the Leafs to change his status as a goalie, and the Bruins acquired him in 1965.

When the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup in 1967, they were led by veterans like George Armstrong (#10) and goalie Johnny Bower (#1). Nine players on the 1966–67 team were aged 30 or over, including 42-year-old Bower and 36-year-old Armstrong.

Toronto captain George Armstrong holds the Stanley Cup with youngster Peter Stemkowski after the Leafs defeated Montreal in the 1967 Stanley Cup finals. Stemkowski teamed with Bob Pulford (#20) and Jim Pappin to form the Leafs best line throughout the 1967 post-season.

Bobby Orr started his NHL career in 1966–67 as the much anticipated savior of the Boston Bruins. He won the Calder Trophy as top rookie, the first of many awards the superstar defenseman would win over the course of an illustrious, Hall of Fame career.