Andy Bathgate

Andrew James Bathgate (born the August 28th 1932 with Winnipeg with the Canada) is a former player of professional Hockey of the National league of hockey. It carried out 17 seasons LNH as a center and played successively for the Rangers of New York, the Maple Leafs of Toronto, the Red Wings de Détroit and finally the Penguins de Pittsburgh.

Professional path

Andy Bathgate was a popular player high-speed motorboat of the Rangers of New York which had the honor to be indicated MVP (Meilleur player of the league) of the LNH but also of the Western Canada Hockey League

It began its career within the team of Biltmores de Guelph of the Ontario Hockey League in 1951. As of its first time of play, it receives a load which damages its left knee to him and obliges it to be made operate the year according to.
It gains in 1952 with its team the Coupe Memorial then decides to take the direction of the Rangers of New York. It carries out a score of match before leaving to play within the league of Canadian hockey (WCHL) with the Canucks of Vancouver). It carries out the end of the season there before leaving to play in American Ligue of hockey then to return in the manpower of Rangers (at the end of 1954).

It remains during nine seasons a large player of Rangers and when it decides to leave to join the Maple Leafs of Toronto it is after having gained the title of MVP during the Saison LNH 1958-59 (he carries out then 48 master keys and registers 40 goals). It even failed to receive the Trophée Art Ross in 1961-62 but he is exceeded with the number of goals by Bobby Hull.

He thus leaves Rangers for Maple Leafs with which he gains the Coupe Stanley during the Saison LNH 1963-64. He joined then the Red Wings de Détroit for one season then he is transferred to the Hornets de Pittsburgh from the LAH and he turns over to Red Wings.

In 1967 and the extension of LNH to 12 teams, it joined the news frankness Penguins de Pittsburgh and them first team with which it will play two seasons (with a gaining return two years between the two seasons in the team of the Canucks of Vancouver).

Its last team of hockey for the LNH was Penguins (1971) but it continues nevertheless after this date hockey in particular within a team of Switzerland (HC Ambri-Piotta) where it occupies the double post of trainer-player.

Three years later, it rejoue for the Blazers of Vancouver of the Worldwide association of hockey but at the end of 11 matches it hangs up again the shoes definitively.

Bathgate was at the base of two important innovations in the rules of the hockey. Indeed, during a match against the Canadian of Montreal, it sent the metal disc directly in the face of the unfavourable guard (Jacques Plante) who then decided to return on the ice with a mask on the face. The second innovation was even more revolutionist. At the end of the years 1950, Bathgate tested by curving the blade of its stick and realized that increased the power and the precision of its shooting. The trainer of Rangers of the time, the very preserving Alf Pike, wanted nothing to know of a curved stick and crashed to pieces each experiment of Andy. On the other hand, at the time of a European round of Rangers and Blackhawks of Chicago, it showed a curved blade with Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull. Of return to Chicago, those did not have any evil to use the innovation with great success and the remainder of the players of the league followed their example quickly.

Trophies

Victorious of the Cut Stanley in 1964
Trophy Art Ross: 1958-59
with the Temple of re-elected hockey in 1978

Statistical in career

References

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