Andy Bathgate

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Image:BathgateNYR 175x250.jpg
Position	Center
Shot	Right
Height Weight	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (80 kg)
NHL Team F. Teams	Retired New York Rangers Toronto Maple Leafs Detroit Red Wings Pittsburgh Penguins Vancouver Blazers
Nationality	Image:Flag of Canada.svg Canada
Born	August 28, 1932, Winnepeg, Manitoba
Pro Career	1952 – 1975
Hall of Fame	1978

</div></div> Andrew James Bathgate, (Born - August 28, 1932 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) is a retired Canadian Professional Hockey Centerman who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins.

1 Playing Career
2 Awards & Achievements
3 Records
4 Career Statistics
5 International Play
6 See also
7 External Links

[edit] Playing Career

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. In 1961-62, he tied Bobby Hull for the leadership of NHL scoring, but lost the Art Ross Trophy to Hull because Hull had more goals.

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 during the 1963-64 season, where he immediately helped Toronto to a Stanley Cup championship, and later was dealt 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 the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft, and after one season, 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 after scoring 40 goals, no easy feat in that era. 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.

Preceded by: George Sullivan	New York Rangers captains 1961-64	Succeeded by: Camille Henry

Preceded by: Gordie Howe	Winner of the Hart Trophy 1959	Succeeded by: Gordie Howe

[edit] Awards & Achievements

Hart Memorial Trophy winner - 1959
Stanley Cup Champion - 1964
Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978
In 1998, he was ranked number 58 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.

[edit] Records

[edit] Career Statistics

                                  Regular Season
Season  Team                    Lge   GP   G   A   Pts  PIM

1952-53 New York Rangers        NHL   18   0   1    1    6
1953-54 New York Rangers        NHL   20   2   2    4    18
1954-55 New York Rangers        NHL   70   20  20   40   37
1955-56 New York Rangers        NHL   70   19  47   66   59
1956-57 New York Rangers        NHL   70   27  50   77   60
1957-58 New York Rangers        NHL   65   30  48   78   42
1958-59 New York Rangers        NHL   70   40  48   88   48
1959-60 New York Rangers        NHL   70   26  48   74   28
1960-61 New York Rangers        NHL   70   29  48   77   22
1961-62 New York Rangers        NHL   70   28  56   84   44
1962-63 New York Rangers        NHL   70   35  46   81   54
1963-64 New York/Toronto        NHL   71   19  58   77   34
1964-65 Toronto Maple Leafs     NHL   55   16  29   45   34
1965-66 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   70   15  32   47   25
1966-67 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   60   8   23   31   24
1967-68 Pittsburgh Penguins     NHL   74   20  39   59   55
1970-71 Pittsburgh Penguins     NHL   76   15  29   44   34

                         NHL Totals   1069 349 624  973  624