From an issue of THN after the conclusion of the 1964-65 NHL regular season: Why a record-setting coached by Sid Abel entered the postseason as Stanley Cup favorites
In April of 1965, at the conclusion of the NHL's regular season, the cover of The Hockey News read "Wings Rate as Cup Favorites," and an accompanying story by Jack Berry explained why.
"Wings Rate as Cup Favrorites" from The Hockey News Vol 18., Issue 26, April 3, 1965As Berry pointed out, the 1964-65 Detroit Red Wings (40-23-7) topped the NHL's regular season standings for the first time since 1957.
From 1949-57, the team accomplished that feat seven straight times. With Norm Ullman, Gordie Howe, and Alex Delvecchio leading the way in '64-65, Detroit scored more goals than any Red Wing team since 1952. Rookie Roger Crozier handled the goaltending duties and was the netminder of record for all 40 Detroit victories.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Berry's article in retrospect is that he repeatedly refers to the Red Wings as "National Hockey League champions," despite the fact that the playoffs had not yet begun. The Presidents' Trophy would not be introduced as the prize for the league's top regular season team until the 1985-86 season, so it was evidently common practice to distinguish between NHL and Stanley Cup champions in the years prior to the introduction of that award.
Unfortunately for the '64-65 Red Wings, while they might have been "NHL champions," they couldn't complete the Stanley Cup double, falling in a seven-game semifinal series against the Chicago Black Hawks (two words until 1986), who would in turn fall to the Jean Beliveau-led Montreal Canadiens in the Cup Final.
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