1957-58 was an interesting year in the National Hockey League. The Boston Bruins, a team that finished the regular season a game below .500, reached the Stanley Cup finals before bowing to the mighty Montreal Canadiens.
The Toronto Maple Leafs missed the post season for the second consecutive season but would be in the final the following two years. The Buds wouldn’t miss the playoffs again until 1967-68.
The Montreal Canadiens were right in the middle of their five year Stanley Cup dynasty. However, a power shift was in the process with Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard nearing the end of his career. Younger brother Henri Richard was now part of the club’s leadership.
A young kid named Bobby Hull was enjoying his rookie season with the Chicago Black Hawks. The Hawks did not qualify for the playoffs for the eleventh time over the past 12 years. But, it would be the last time until 1968-69. The Golden Jet would be the catalyst for two consecutive championships just a few years down the road.
The top 10 in the race for the Art Ross Trophy is a collection of the usual suspects and some lesser known players.
1957-58 NHL Top 10 Scorers (Video)
A Closer Look At The Top 10
From the bottom to the top, here’s a look at the top 10 scorers in the National Hockey League in 1957-58.
Don McKenney – Boston Bruins
Playing the full 70 game regular season schedule for the Bruins, Don McKenney racked up 28 goals and added 30 assists for 58 points. This was good enough for tenth overall in the NHL.
McKenney would top out in 1959-60 with a career high of 69 points on 20 goals and 49 assists while again playing all 70 games. In 1958-59, he achieved a personal best with 32 goals.
Jean Beliveau – Montreal Canadiens
Actually a tie for eighth, Le Gros Bill equalled Alex Delvecchio’s 59 points with 27 goals and 32 assists for the Habs. However, Beliveau played just 55 games while Delvecchio appeared in all 70 for the Red Wings. Jean was named a Second Team All-Star while Alex was shut out.
The man also known as Gentleman Jean tied for eighth in the NHL with 93 penalty minutes despite missing 15 games. Fittingly, he tied with George Armstrong of the Maple Leafs.
A few years earlier, in 1955-56, Beliveau won his only Art Ross Trophy with 88 points in 70 games.
Alex Delvecchio – Detroit Red Wings
As mentioned, Alex Delvecchio tied for eighth with Jean Beliveau, each with 59 points. Delvecchio achieved that total with 21 goals and 38 assists over 70 games.
Delvecchio would never win a scoring title, despite his incredibly lengthy career. The Lady Byng Trophy would come to him the following year.
Fleming Mackell – Boston Bruins
With a one point edge on Delvecchio and Beliveau, Fleming Mackell shored up the seventh position with 60 points on 20 goals and 40 assists over 70 games. It was the highest single season point total of his NHL career.
His offensive firestorm continued to the post season. He led all players with 19 playoff points on five goals and 14 assists in 12 games. This was definitely the swan song of his career. His days in Boston fizzled out after two mediocre seasons.
Ed Litzenberger – Chicago Blackhawks
Right in the middle of a three year goal scoring rampage, Ed Litzenberger finished sixth with 62 points on 32 goals and 30 assists while appearing in the full schedule of games for the Chicago Blackhawks.
The 1954-55 Calder Trophy winner in a split rookie season between the Canadiens and Chicago, Ed was in his second of three consecutive 30+ goal seasons. These would be the only times in his career that he would reach that mark.
Bronco Horvath – Boston Bruins
In just his first season with the Bruins and only his third in the National Hockey League, Bronco Horvath finished in the fifth position. In 67 games, Horvath put up 30 goals and added 36 assists for 66 points.
Two years later, Bronco would lead the NHL with 39 goals, tied with Bobby Hull. He would miss the overall scoring lead by a single point, again behind Hull.
Gordie Howe – Detroit Red Wings
In 64 games, Gordie Howe scored 33 and assisted on 44 for 77 points to place fourth. The six time Art Ross Trophy winner would gladly accept his second consecutive Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player. He would take that honour six times over his epic career.
Gordie was named a First Team All-Star.
Andy Bathgate – New York Rangers
One game and one point more than Howe, Andy Bathgate totaled 78 points on 30 goals and 48 assists over 65 games for the New York Rangers. He was named a Second Team All-Star for his efforts.
The following year, Bathgate again finished third in the scoring race with 88 points, behind Dickie Moore and Jean Beliveau of the Canadiens. But, it would be Andy that would be awarded the Hart Trophy. In 1957-58, Bathgate was selected a Second Team All-Star.
Henri Richard – Montreal Canadiens
The Pocket Rocket worked his magic as a setup man, leading the NHL with 52 assists. He finished second in the scoring race with 80 points (28 goals) over 67 games.
For Henri Richard, it was just his third year in the league. His 80 points would remain as a personal best in a career that would would continue until 16 games into the 1974-75 season. His efforts landed on the First All-Star Team.
Dickie Moore – Montreal Canadiens
The first of two consecutive Art Ross Trophy wins for Dickie Moore. He led the league with 36 goals, adding 48 assists for his NHL leading 84 points. He was named a First Team All-Star, as should be expected.
The following year, he took the award again with 96 points on 41 goals and 55 assists over 70 games for the Habs.
The Stats
Here’s a breakdown of the stats. I’ve added an interesting column that shows the percentage that each player contributed to their team’s overall offense. Howe and Bathgate were part of 40% or more of all their team’s goals in 1957-58.
| Player | Team | Gms | G | A | Pts | Team Goals | % Team Goals |
| Dickie Moore | Montreal | 70 | 36 | 48 | 84 | 250 | 33.6 |
| Henri Richard | Montreal | 67 | 28 | 52 | 80 | 250 | 32.0 |
| Andy Bathgate | NY Rangers | 65 | 30 | 48 | 78 | 195 | 40.0 |
| Gordie Howe | Detroit | 64 | 33 | 44 | 77 | 176 | 43.8 |
| Bronco Horvath | Boston | 67 | 30 | 36 | 66 | 199 | 33.2 |
| Ed Litzenberger | Chicago | 70 | 32 | 30 | 62 | 163 | 38.0 |
| Fleming Mackell | Boston | 70 | 20 | 40 | 60 | 199 | 30.2 |
| Alex Delvecchio | Detroit | 70 | 21 | 38 | 59 | 176 | 33.5 |
| Jean Beliveau | Montreal | 55 | 27 | 32 | 59 | 250 | 23.6 |
| Don McKenney | Boston | 70 | 28 | 30 | 58 | 199 | 29.1 |
1957-58 NHL Season
Of course, it was all Montreal in 1957-58. The Habs finished first overall with a 19 point cushion over the second place New York Rangers. The Canadiens swept the Red Wings and Boston eliminated the Rangers to set up the Stanley Cup final. Montreal won in six games.
As mentioned, Gordie Howe was awarded the Hart Trophy. The Calder Trophy for top rookie went to Frank Mahovlich of the Maple Leafs. Doug Harvey, as usual, was awarded the Norris Trophy as the top blueliner. The Lady Byng went to Camille Henry of the Rangers. The Vezina went to Jacques Plante from Montreal.