1965–66 Chicago Black Hawks season
| 1965–66 Chicago Black Hawks | |
|---|---|
| Division | 2nd NHL |
| 1965–66 record | 37–25–8 |
| Home record | 21–8–6 |
| Road record | 16–17–2 |
| Goals for | 240 |
| Goals against | 187 |
| Team information | |
| General Manager | Tommy Ivan |
| Coach | Billy Reay |
| Captain | Pierre Pilote |
| Alternate captains |
Bill Hay Bobby Hull Stan Mikita |
| Arena | Chicago Stadium |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Bobby Hull (54) |
| Assists | Stan Mikita (48) |
| Points | Bobby Hull (97) |
| Penalties in minutes | Matt Ravlich (78) |
| Wins | Glenn Hall (34) |
| Goals against average | Glenn Hall (2.63) |
The 1965–66 Chicago Black Hawks season was the Hawks' 40th season in the NHL, and the club was coming off a third-place finish in 1964–65, as Chicago had a record of 34–28–8, earning 76 points, which was their lowest point total since 1961–62. The Hawks then upset the first place Detroit Red Wings in the NHL semi-finals, before losing to the Montreal Canadiens in seven games in the 1965 Stanley Cup Finals.
Chicago began the season very strong, going unbeaten in their first seven games, with a 6–0–1 record, before recording their first loss of the year. The Hawks continued to play very strong hockey all season long, only once did they have a losing streak of more than three games, as the club set a team record for wins with 37, and their 82 points earned was a six-point improvement over the previous season, as the Black Hawks finished second in the NHL, and earned a playoff spot for the eighth consecutive season.
On February 26, 1966, team owner James D. Norris died due to a heart attack. Norris was 59 years old.
Offensively, the Hawks were led by Bobby Hull, who had a record breaking season, as he scored an NHL record 54 goals, while earning an NHL record 97 points, as he won the Art Ross Trophy and Hart Memorial Trophy for his efforts. Stan Mikita recorded a team high 48 assists and finished second with 78 points in NHL scoring. Phil Esposito had a strong season, scoring 27 goals and 53 points, while Bill Hay had 20 goals and 51 points. Kenny Wharram and Doug Mohns each scored over 20 goals, earning 26 and 22 respectively. On the blueline, Pierre Pilote led the way, earning 36 points, while fellow defenseman Pat Stapleton earned 34 points. Matt Ravlich led the club with 78 penalty minutes.
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