Wikipedia:Today's featured article/November 25, 2013

The history of the National Hockey League from 1942 to 1967 covers the period from the demise of the Brooklyn Americans, which reduced the NHL to six teams, to the league doubling in size with six new expansion teams. Maurice Richard (pictured) became the first player to score 50 goals in a season in 1944–45. In 1955, he was suspended for assaulting a linesman, leading to the Richard Riot. Gordie Howe made his debut in 1946, retiring 32 years later as the NHL's all-time leader in goals and points. Willie O'Ree broke the NHL's colour barrier in 1958. The Stanley Cup became the official championship in 1947; during this period, the Toronto Maple Leafs won the cup nine times and the Montreal Canadiens ten times, including five consecutive titles. Changes occurred on and off the ice. The NHL introduced the centre-ice red line in 1943, allowing players to pass out of their defensive zone for the first time. In 1959, Jacques Plante became the first goaltender to regularly use a mask for protection. The first amateur draft was held in 1963 as part of efforts to balance talent distribution within the league, and the National Hockey League Players' Association was formed in 1967.

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