Andy Bathgate
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:BathgateNYR 175x250.jpg Andrew James Bathgate, (born August 28, 1932 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) was an ice hockey player and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Andy Bathgate was a popular star-player of the New York Rangers and also holds the honor of being declared the MVP of both the NHL and WHL. He started his professional career with the Cleveland Barons of the AHL in the 1952-53 season. He would bounce between the Vancouver Canucks and the Rangers for two seasons before settling with the Rangers in 1954-55. He would play ten full seasons with the Rangers, where he became a popular player in New York as well as being a top-tiered player in the NHL. He tied Bobby Hull for the scoring title in 1959-60 but because Bobby Hull had more goals he was awarded the trophy.
Bathgate's career was frustrated by the mediocre play of the Rangers and a nagging knee problem. He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a heartbreaking move, and later to the Detroit Red Wings, where he helped the team reach the Stanley Cup Finals in 1965-66. He was chosen by the Pittsburgh Penguins in their expansion draft the next year, and after that, he returned to the Canucks where he would help lead the team to 2 consecutive Lester Patrick Cup victories, in 1969 and 1970. His best professional year was with them, where he scored 108 points in 1969-70. That performance gave him the George Leader Cup, the top player award in the WHL. His final NHL year was with the Penguins in 1971; 1971-1972 he was playing coach for HC Ambri-Piotta in Switzerland. He came briefly out of retirement three seasons later to play for the Vancouver Blazers of the WHA, which he had coached the previous season, but retired for good after eleven games.
He won the Hart Memorial Trophy for the MVP of the NHL in 1958-59. He is famous for contributing to one of the largest innovations in NHL history. During a game against the Montreal Canadiens, Bathgate shot the puck into the face of Jacques Plante, forcing Plante to receive stitches. When Plante returned to the ice, he was wearing a mask. That started a trend that continues to this day.
He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978.
His career stats are: 1,069 games played, 349 goals, 624 assists, 973 points, and 624 penalty minutes.
Template:Start box Template:Succession box Template:End box
See also
Categories: 1932 births | Living people | Canadian ice hockey players | Detroit Red Wings players | Hart Trophy winners | Hockey Hall of Fame | New York Rangers players | Pittsburgh Penguins players | Stanley Cup Champions | Toronto Maple Leafs players | Vancouver Canucks players | Winnipeggers | Manitoba sportspeople