Andy Bathgate
A scorer whose 1961–62 title chase ended via goal-count tiebreaker against Bobby Hull.
Andy Bathgate was a prominent National Hockey League player known for his scoring ability during the Original Six era. According to the provided source, he is specifically mentioned as having lost the Art Ross Trophy in the 1961–62 season due to a tiebreaker rule. The text notes that while Joe Thornton started with Boston but finished with San Jose, Bathgate's record stands as a winner from Pittsburgh who was defeated by Hull on goals scored that year. Louis Blues, nor does it mention his induction into the Hall of Fame.
- Role
- None
- Affiliation
- None
- Hall of Fame
- None
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The history of the Art Ross Trophy highlights a specific moment in the 1961–62 season involving Andy Bathgate. During this campaign, a scoring tie occurred that required the league to apply its first tiebreaker: most goals scored. In this instance, Bobby Hull defeated Bathgate for the award based on having more goals, despite their point totals being equal at the end of the regular season. This event is recorded alongside other notable ties in 1979–80 and 1994–95. The source confirms that Hull won over Bathgate in this specific year, marking a unique statistical footnote in the trophy's history where goal count determined the champion.
In Their Own Story
In the 1961–62 NHL season, the race for the Art Ross Trophy concluded with a tie in total points between Andy Bathgate and Bobby Hull. The rules stipulated that when players are tied in points, the player with the most goals wins the award. Consequently, Hull claimed the trophy over Bathgate because he had scored more goals during the regular season. This decision is one of only three documented scoring ties in the history of the award, the others occurring in 1979–80 and 1994–95. The source explicitly lists this matchup as a defining moment where the first tiebreaker was applied to separate the leaders.
Reader's Guide
Fans looking at Art Ross Trophy history should note that Andy Bathgate is cited specifically regarding the 1961–62 season. He is mentioned as one of the players involved in a scoring tie that was decided by goals scored, with Bobby Hull taking the award. The source does not provide details on his career statistics, team movements beyond this specific loss, or any affiliation with the Edmonton Oilers. It also does not mention his Hall of Fame status or his role as a center. The only verifiable fact from the text is his participation in the 1961–62 scoring race and his placement second to Hull due to the tiebreaker rule.
Did You Know?
- Andy Bathgate lost the 1961–62 Art Ross Trophy to Bobby Hull based on the first tiebreaker: most goals scored.
- The 1961–62 season was one of only three times in history that the Art Ross Trophy winner was decided by a tiebreaker.
- According to the source, Bathgate is mentioned solely in the context of losing the scoring title to Hull in 1961–62.
- The source does not state that Andy Bathgate ever played for the Edmonton Oilers.
- Bathgate is listed as a player from the Pittsburgh Penguins who won the trophy 0 times, having lost the tiebreaker.