Toronto Maple Leafs win Stanley Cup
The 1962 Stanley Cup Final was contested by the defending champion Chicago Black Hawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs who had last appeared in the Final in 1960.
The Maple Leafs would win the best-of-seven series four games to two to win the Stanley Cup, their first since 1951.
Toronto defeated the New York Rangers to advance to the finals and Chicago defeated the Montreal Canadiens.
Stan Mikita broke Gordie Howe's 1955 playoff record of 20 points, finishing with 21, but it was not enough as the Leafs would defeat the Black Hawks
The Stanley Cup champion Chicago Black Hawks met the first place Montreal Canadiens in the semi-finals. It was a classic NHL confrontation that Chicago won 4 games to 2. The Hawks, after losing the first two games, won four straight contests to earn a spot in the final for a second straight season. Toronto and New York faced off to decide on the other participant for the final. The Maple Leafs won this series four games to two, taking the final game of the semi-final 7-1. In the Stanley Cup final, the Hawks faced the Leafs, who had not won a Stanley Cup since Bill Barilko's famous overtime winner in 1951. Toronto took games one and two, but in game three, Leaf star Johnny Bower pulled a leg muscle stopping a Bobby Hull slapshot. Back-up goaltender Don Simmons was summoned to carry the ball for Toronto, but allowed a goal by Reg Fleming on his first shot. Chicago won game three 3-0, then took game four 4-1 to tie the series. In game five, played in Toronto, Bob Pulford scored a hat-trick to help Toronto to an 8-4 victory. The teams returned to Chicago for game six. Simmons shook off his nerves, and both he and Chicago netminder Glen Hall played shutout hockey for the first two periods. Bobby Hull scored mid-way through the third, and the play stopped for ten minutes while the ice was cleared of debris thrown by celebrating Chicago fans. But Toronto scored to tie the game. Then, Dick Duff, alone in front of Hall, scored to not only win the game, but to win the Stanley Cup. It was the first of three Cup celebrations the Maple Leafs would win.
