1943–44 Montreal Canadiens season

NHL hockey team season (won Stanley Cup) March 2026 August 2023 Montreal Canadiens NHL 1943–44 1943 1st 38–5–7 22–0–3 16–5–4 234 109 Tommy Gorman Dick Irvin Toe Blake Montreal Forum Maurice Richard (32) Elmer Lach (48) Elmer Lach (72) Mike McMahon Sr. (98) Bill Durnan (38) Bill Durnan (2.18) yes yes The 1943–44 Montreal Canadiens season was the club's 35th season, 27th in the National Hockey League (NHL). The team would win the Stanley Cup for the fifth time. Bill Durnan would join the club as its new goaltender and he won the Vezina Trophy in his rookie season.https://habslegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/bill-durnan.html Bill Durnan 2 Offseason At the Habs' training camp in 1943, Canadiens manager Tommy Gorman settled on Bill Durnan as his goalie. Durnan stated that he was happy as an amateur and happy with less money if it meant avoiding the stress of the professional game. On opening night, Durnan was not yet signed. Ten minutes before the first faceoff, he spoke with Gorman and reached a deal. Durnan signed the contract and played in the game. The result was a 2–2 draw with the Boston Bruins. The rookie netminder was a few months shy of his 27th birthday.http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p196402&type=Player&page=bio&list=#photo HHOF – Player Details Regular season Some of Durnan's teammates included the "Punch Line" of Elmer Lach, Rocket Richard and Toe Blake. Durnan was a key element that took Montreal back to the Stanley Cup Final after 13 years of frustration. Durnan led the league in games played, wins and goals-against average in the regular season. Final standings MTL Record vs. opponents MTL Schedule and results background:#fff; border-top:#AF1E2D 5px solid; border-bottom:#192168 5px solid; 1943–44 regular season1943-44 Montreal Canadiens Schedule https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/MTL/1944_games.html Hockey-Reference.com April 7, 2025 y background:#fff; border-top:#AF1E2D 2px solid; border-bottom:#192168 2px solid; October Game Result Date Score Opponent Record |- |1||T||October 30, 1943||2–2 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1943–44) ||0–0–1 |- y background:#fff; border-top:#AF1E2D 2px solid; border-bottom:#192168 2px solid; November Game Result Date Score Opponent Record |- |2||W||November 2, 1943||2–1 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1943–44) ||1–0–1 |- |3||W||November 4, 1943||5–3 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1943–44) ||2–0–1 |- |4||W||November 7, 1943||5–1 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1943–44) ||3–0–1 |- |5||W||November 13, 1943||4–1 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1943–44) ||4–0–1 |- |6||W||November 14, 1943||2–0 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1943–44) ||5–0–1 |- |7||T||November 16, 1943||2–2 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1943–44) ||5–0–2 |- |8||W||November 18, 1943||5–2 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1943–44) ||6–0–2 |- |9||W||November 20, 1943||7–2 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1943–44) ||7–0–2 |- |10||W||November 21, 1943||13–4 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1943–44) ||8–0–2 |- |11||W||November 27, 1943||6–3 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1943–44) ||9–0–2 |- |12||T||November 28, 1943||2–2 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1943–44) ||9–0–3 |- y background:#fff; border-top:#AF1E2D 2px solid; border-bottom:#192168 2px solid; December Game Result Date Score Opponent Record |- |13||W||December 2, 1943||6–2 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1943–44) ||10–0–3 |- |14||W||December 4, 1943||8–2 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1943–44) ||11–0–3 |- |15||L||December 5, 1943||4–5 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1943–44) ||11–1–3 |- |16||L||December 11, 1943||2–4 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1943–44) ||11–2–3 |- |17||W||December 12, 1943||5–1 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1943–44) ||12–2–3 |- |18||W||December 19, 1943||3–1 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1943–44) ||13–2–3 |- |19||W||December 25, 1943||5–1 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1943–44) ||14–2–3 |- |20||W||December 30, 1943||8–3 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1943–44) ||15–2–3 |- y background:#fff; border-top:#AF1E2D 2px solid; border-bottom:#192168 2px solid; January Game Result Date Score Opponent Record |- |21||W||January 1, 1944||4–0 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1943–44) ||16–2–3 |- |22||W||January 2, 1944||5–2 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1943–44) ||17–2–3 |- |23||W||January 4, 1944||6–3 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1943–44) ||18–2–3 |- |24||W||January 8, 1944||8–2 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1943–44) ||19–2–3 |- |25||W||January 9, 1944||6–5 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1943–44) ||20–2–3 |- |26||L||January 11, 1944||0–5 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1943–44) ||20–3–3 |- |27||T||January 13, 1944||2–2 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1943–44) ||20–3–4 |- |28||T||January 16, 1944||1–1 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1943–44) ||20–3–5 |- |29||W||January 22, 1944||6–2 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1943–44) ||21–3–5 |- |30||W||January 23, 1944||4–1 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1943–44) ||22–3–5 |- |31||T||January 27, 1944||2–2 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1943–44) ||22–3–6 |- |32||W||January 30, 1944||5–3 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1943–44) ||23–3–6 |- y background:#fff; border-top:#AF1E2D 2px solid; border-bottom:#192168 2px solid; February Game Result Date Score Opponent Record |- |33||W||February 5, 1944||6–1 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1943–44) ||24–3–6 |- |34||L||February 8, 1944||0–3 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1943–44) ||24–4–6 |- |35||W||February 12, 1944||3–2 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1943–44) ||25–4–6 |- |36||T||February 13, 1944||2–2 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1943–44) ||25–4–7 |- |37||W||February 17, 1944||3–2 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1943–44) ||26–4–7 |- |38||W||February 19, 1944||5–2 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1943–44) ||27–4–7 |- |39||W||February 20, 1944||7–2 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1943–44) ||28–4–7 |- |40||W||February 24, 1944||3–1 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1943–44) ||29–4–7 |- |41||W||February 26, 1944||10–2 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1943–44) ||30–4–7 |- |42||W||February 27, 1944||5–1 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1943–44) ||31–4–7 |- y background:#fff; border-top:#AF1E2D 2px solid; border-bottom:#192168 2px solid; March Game Result Date Score Opponent Record |- |43||W||March 4, 1944||5–2 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1943–44) ||32–4–7 |- |44||W||March 5, 1944||8–3 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1943–44) ||33–4–7 |- |45||W||March 9, 1944||3–2 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1943–44) ||34–4–7 |- |46||W||March 11, 1944||4–3 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1943–44) ||35–4–7 |- |47||L||March 12, 1944||5–6 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1943–44) ||35–5–7 |- |48||W||March 16, 1944||3–2 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1943–44) ||36–5–7 |- |49||W||March 18, 1944||11–2 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1943–44) ||37–5–7 |- |50||W||March 19, 1944||6–1 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1943–44) ||38–5–7 |- |- | Legend: #cfc Win (2 points) 1px solid black #fcc Loss (0 points) 1px solid black #ffc Tie (1 point) 1px solid black Playoffs In the Stanley Cup playoffs, Durnan allowed only 1.53 goals per game as the Canadiens skated to the title. At season's end, Durnan was awarded the Vezina Trophy, the first rookie to win the award, and was selected to the league's First All-Star Team. Semi-final: Montreal vs. Toronto Rocket Richard scored seven goals in the series, including all five for Montreal in game two. After giving up the first game at home to Toronto, Montreal took over, winning the next four, finishing the series with an 11–0 shellacking in game five. Date Away Score Home Score NotesMarch 21Toronto3 Montreal 1 March 23Toronto 1 Montreal 5 March 25Montreal 2 Toronto 1 March 28Montreal 4 Toronto 1 March 30Toronto0 Montreal 11 Diamond(2008), p. 54 Stanley Cup Final: Montreal vs. Chicago 1944 Stanley Cup Final Maurice 'Rocket' Richard made his Stanley Cup debut with a five-goal performance in the series, including a hat-trick in game two. The Punch Line of Richard, Elmer Lach and Toe Blake scored 10 of the Canadiens 16 goals. Blake scored the Cup winner in overtime. In the same overtime, Bill Durnan stopped the first penalty shot awarded in the finals, awarded to Virgil Johnson. Date Away Score Home Score NotesApril 4Chicago 1 Montreal 5 April 6Montreal 3 Chicago 1 April 9Montreal 3 Chicago 2 April 13Chicago 4 Montreal 5 OT Diamond(2008), pp. 54–55 Montreal won the best-of-seven series 4–0. Player statistics Regular season Scoring Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM Elmer Lach C 48 24 48 72 23 Toe Blake LW 41 26 33 59 10 Maurice Richard RW 46 32 22 54 45 Buddy O'Connor C 44 12 42 54 6 Ray Getliffe C/LW 44 28 25 53 44 Phil Watson RW/C 44 17 32 49 61 Gerry Heffernan RW 43 28 20 48 12 Murph Chamberlain LW 47 15 32 47 85 Fern Majeau C/LW 44 20 18 38 39 Leo Lamoureux C/D 44 8 23 31 32 Bob Fillion LW 41 7 23 30 14 Mike McMahon Mike McMahon Sr. D 42 7 17 24 98 Glen Harmon D 43 5 16 21 36 Emile Bouchard D 39 5 14 19 52 Tod Campeau C 2 0 0 0 0 Bill Durnan G 50 0 0 0 0 Bob Walton ice hockey C/RW 4 0 0 0 0 Goaltending Player MIN GPW LTGAGAA SO Bill Durnan 3000 50 38 5 7 109 2.18 2 Team: 3000 50 38 5 7 109 2.18 2 Playoffs Scoring Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM Toe Blake LW 9 7 11 18 2 Maurice Richard RW 9 12 5 17 10 Elmer Lach C 9 2 11 13 4 Ray Getliffe C/LW 9 5 4 9 16 Murph Chamberlain LW 9 5 3 8 12 Phil Watson RW/C 9 3 5 8 16 Emile Bouchard D 9 1 3 4 4 Glen Harmon D 9 1 2 3 4 Gerry Heffernan RW 7 1 2 3 8 Mike McMahon Mike McMahon Sr. D 8 1 2 3 16 Buddy O'Connor C 8 1 2 3 2 Leo Lamoureux C/D 9 0 3 3 8 Bill Durnan G 9 0 0 0 0 Bob Fillion LW 3 0 0 0 0 Fern Majeau C/LW 1 0 0 0 0 Goaltending Player MIN GPW LGAGAA SO Bill Durnan 549 9 8 1 14 1.53 1 Team: 549 9 8 1 14 1.53 1 hockey-reference.com 2009-05-28 1943-44 Montreal Canadiens Statistics - Hockey-Reference.com https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/MTL/1944.html Awards and records Bill Durnan, Vezina Trophy Bill Durnan, NHL First Team All-Star Emile "Butch" Bouchard, Defence, NHL Second Team All-Star Elmer Lach, Centre, NHL Second Team All-Star Maurice Richard, Right wing, NHL Second Team All-Star Dick Irvin, Coach, NHL First Team All-Star See also 1943–44 NHL season List of Stanley Cup champions Citations References Canadiens on Hockey Database Diamond Dan 2008 Playoff Media Guide: Total Stanley Cup 2008 NHL Category:Stanley Cup championship seasons Category:Montreal Canadiens seasons Montreal Montreal