1943–44 NHL season

Professional ice hockey league season August 2023 1943–44 NHL season National Hockey League Ice hockey October 30, 1943 – April 13, 1944 Regular season 50 6 Season champion Montreal Canadiens Babe Pratt (Maple Leafs) Hart Memorial Trophy Herb Cain (Bruins) Stanley Cup 1944 Stanley Cup Finals Montreal Canadiens Chicago Black Hawks 1944–45 NHL season 1942–43 NHL season 1944–45 1942–43 NHL The 1943–44 NHL season was the 27th season of the National Hockey League. Six teams played 50 games each. The Montreal Canadiens were the top team of the regular season and followed it up with the team's fifth Stanley Cup championship. League business In memory of Frank Calder, the former NHL President who died in 1943, the league's Board of Governors donated the Calder Memorial Trophy to be awarded to the NHL's top rookie.https://www.hhof.com/thecollection/caldermemorialtrophy.html Calder Memorial Trophy Hockey Hall of Fame HHOF.com June 17, 2024 Due to World War II, 75 per cent of the amateurs signed by the NHL ended up in the armed services.Young Scott Scott Young (writer) 100 Years of Dropping the Puck https://archive.org/details/100yearsofdroppi0000youn registration McClelland & Stewart Inc. 1989 Toronto, Ontario 198–199 0-7710-9093-5 In April 1943, Canadian Amateur Hockey Association past-president George Dudley recommended that payments from the NHL for signing amateurs be deferred until players lost due to the wartime enlistments return to professional hockey.$38,000 Profit In Puck Series April 26, 1943 Winnipeg Tribune Winnipeg, Manitoba 16 https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-apr-26-1943-1552919/ The NHL negotiated with W. G. Hardy and the International Ice Hockey Association to sign more junior-aged players than usual, due to World War II travel restrictions.Halt Concessions To Major League October 29, 1943 Winnipeg Tribune Winnipeg, Manitoba 16 https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-oct-29-1943-1474827/ The Canadian Press reported that Hardy was rumored to be appointed president of the NHL, to replace Red Dutton who had been acting president since the death of Calder.Rumor Hardy To Boss N.H.L. April 24, 1943 Winnipeg Free Press Winnipeg, Manitoba 19 https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-apr-24-1943-1474822/ Rule changes thumb|The centre red line was introduced to the ice hockey rink during the 1943–44 season.|alt=Diagram of a hockey rink NHL rules committee chairman Frank Boucher and Ottawa District Hockey Association executive Cecil Duncan collaborated to experiment with then introduce the centre ice red line to the hockey rink, in an effort to open up the game and allow the defending team to pass the puck out of their own zone and counter-attack quicker.https://www.hhof.com/htmlSpotlight/spot_oneononep195801.shtml Spotlight – One on One with Frank Boucher Shea Kevin 2011-11-19 Legends of Hockey Hockey Hall of Fame 2019-11-05 2019-11-05 https://web.archive.org/web/20191105012804/https://www.hhof.com/htmlSpotlight/spot_oneononep195801.shtml dead "This rule is considered to mark the beginning of the modern era in the NHL", according to the NHL's Guide and Record Book. In 2005, 62 years later, the two-line pass would be legalized for similar reasons.https://records.nhl.com/history/historical-rule-changes Historical Rule Changes NHL Enterprises, L. P. records.NHL.com June 17, 2024 Regular season The Montreal Canadiens had turned the corner and now Tommy Gorman and Dick Irvin had a team to make the fans happy. Bill Durnan solved the goaltending woes, but not before Gorman had all kinds of problems signing him. Durnan knew his worth, and wanted a handsome sum. Just before the first game, Gorman agreed to his contract demands. He was worth every penny, as he ran away with the Vezina Trophy and the Canadiens lost only five games all year, finishing first by a wide margin. The new and more familiar "Punch line" of Elmer Lach, Toe Blake, and Maurice Richard dominated the offence and Richard had 32 goals. He replaced Joe Benoit, who did his duty to his country by joining the armed forces. Richard, in fact, was dubbed by teammate Ray Getliffe the nickname that would be his legend "The Rocket". When Paul Bibeault came back from the Army, he found his job lost to the best goaltender in the NHL, Bill Durnan. Montreal agreed to loan him to Toronto, where he played very well, leading the Leafs to third place and leading the NHL with five shutouts. Gus Bodnar, a crack centre, was the top rookie, and for the first time, a team produced Calder Memorial Trophy winners in consecutive years. In fact, Bodnar scored the fastest goal by a rookie in his very first game. It took him only 15 seconds to score on Ken McAuley, Ranger goaltender, in a 5–2 win over the war-weakened Rangers. The Rangers had plunged to last place the previous year and Lester Patrick was so discouraged that he wanted to suspend operations for the year. This year the Rangers lost Clint Smith, Lynn Patrick, Phil Watson, and Alf Pike. The most unbelievably inept team iced for the Rangers this year. Things were so desperate that coach Frank Boucher had to come out of retirement to play some. But the Rangers set a modern-day record of 6.20 goals against, giving up 310 goals in 50 games. One night when Lester Patrick went behind the bench to coach the team with Frank Boucher attending a brother's funeral, the Rangers were demolished 15–0 by Detroit as the Red Wings set a modern-day record of most goals by a team in a single game. It was a horrifying experience for Patrick. Only a week later Syd Howe set a modern-day record of 6 goals in a game in a 12–2 conquest of the hapless Rangers. The Rangers won only 6 games all year and finished a distant last, 26 points behind fifth-place Boston. Chicago started with sub-par goaltending, but then president and general manager Bill Tobin decided to bring back Mike Karakas, who had been demoted to the minors in 1939–40 for his lackluster play. Karakas was just what the Black Hawks needed, as he played well and recorded three shutouts and got the team into the playoffs. In Boston, the Bruins lost star forward Bill Cowley to injury after the first 36 games. At that point in the season Cowley was on pace to set a new standard in scoring for the NHL. After the first 36 games he had scored 30 goals – 41 assists – 71 points before going down to injury. However, the scoring title would still eventually end up in Boston as linemate Herb Cain picked up the slack, scoring 82 points over the course of the 50-game schedule and setting a new record for points in the regular season. Final standings Playoffs Playoff bracket The top four teams in the league qualified for the playoffs. In the semifinals, the first-place team played the third-place team, while the second-place team faced the fourth-place team, with the winners advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals. In both rounds, teams competed in a best-of-seven series (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each best-of-seven series). Stanley Cup Finals Semifinals 1 Montreal 4 3 Toronto 1 2 Detroit 1 4 Chicago 4 1 Montreal 4 4 Chicago 0 Semifinals (1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (3) Toronto Maple Leafs The Montreal Canadiens finished first in the league with 83 points. The Toronto Maple Leafs finished third in the league with 50 points. This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams with the teams splitting the two previous series. They last met in the 1925 NHL Championship where Montreal won a two-game total goals series 5–2. Montreal won this year's ten game regular season series earning fifteen of twenty points. Maurice "Rocket" Richard was named first, second, and third Star of the game after scoring all 5 Montreal goals in game two, the first player to have this honour. Toronto Maple Leafs Montreal Canadiens Maple Leaf Gardens Montreal Forum March 21 3–1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/tor-vs-mtl/1944/03/21/1943030111#game=1943030111,game_state=final Moe Morris (1) – pp – 06:07George Boothman (1) – pp – 18:35 No scoring Jackie Hamilton (1) – 12:24 No scoring No scoring 02:49 – sh – Toe Blake (1) Paul Bibeault Bill Durnan March 23 1–5 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/tor-vs-mtl/1944/03/23/1943030112#game=1943030112,game_state=final No scoring No scoring Reg Hamilton (1) – pp – 08:30 01:48 – Maurice Richard (1)02:03 – Maurice Richard (2)16:46 – Maurice Richard (3) No scoring 01:00 – pp – Maurice Richard (4)08:51 – Maurice Richard (5) Paul Bibeault Bill Durnan March 25 2–1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-tor/1944/03/25/1943030113#game=1943030113,game_state=final No scoring Glen Harmon (1) – 09:57 08:06 – George Boothman (2) No scoring No scoring Ray Getliffe (1) – 09:43 Paul Bibeault Bill Durnan March 28 4–1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-tor/1944/03/28/1943030114#game=1943030114,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring Gerry Heffernan (1) – 15:55Toe Blake (2) – 18:45 09:53 – pp – Ted Kennedy (1) Murph Chamberlain (1) – pp – 12:57Murph Chamberlain (2) – 19:48 Paul Bibeault Bill Durnan March 30 0–11 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/tor-vs-mtl/1944/03/30/1943030115#game=1943030115,game_state=final No scoring 16:02 – Ray Getliffe (2)17:39 – Phil Watson (1) No scoring 00:27 – Maurice Richard (6)10:33 – sh – Murph Chamberlain (3) No scoring 02:27 – Butch Bouchard (1)07:58 – Toe Blake (3)08:37 – Toe Blake (4)09:17 – Maurice Richard (7)10:33 – Ray Getliffe (3)11:34 – Buddy O'Connor (1)15:41 – pp – Murph Chamberlain (4) Paul Bibeault Bill Durnan Montreal won series 4–1 (2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (4) Chicago Black Hawks The Detroit Red Wings finished second in the league with 58 points. The Chicago Black Hawks finished fourth with 49 points. This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams with the teams splitting the two previous series. They last met in the 1941 Stanley Cup Semifinals where Detroit won in two games. The teams split this year's ten-game regular season series. Chicago Black Hawks Detroit Red Wings Chicago Stadium Olympia Stadium March 21 2–1 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/chi-vs-det/1944/03/21/1943030121#game=1943030121,game_state=final No scoring 12:18 – pp – Syd Howe (1) No scoring No scoring Bill Mosienko (1) – 07:12Doug Bentley (1) – 07:56 No scoring Mike Karakas Connie Dion March 23 1–4 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/chi-vs-det/1944/03/23/1943030122#game=1943030122,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring 03:00 – Joe Carveth (1)19:10 – pp – Syd Howe (2) George Allen (1) – 11:18Mud Bruneteau (1) – 16:06 00:21 – Don Grosso (1) Mike Karakas Connie Dion March 26 0–2 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/det-vs-chi/1944/03/26/1943030123#game=1943030123,game_state=final 11:06 – Joe Cooper (1) No scoring No scoring No scoring 11:30 – Clint Smith (1) No scoring Mike Karakas Connie Dion March 28 1–7 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/det-vs-chi/1944/03/28/1943030124#game=1943030124,game_state=final 04:44 – Doug Bentley (2)11:09 – pp – Bill Mosienko (2)16:54 – Clint Smith (2) Carl Liscombe (1) – 06:00 01:42 – Clint Smith (3)15:30 – Doug Bentley (3)19:18 – Doug Bentley (4) No scoring 19:57 – Fido Purpur (1) No scoring Mike Karakas Connie Dion March 30 5–2 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/chi-vs-det/1944/03/30/1943030125#game=1943030125,game_state=final Doug Bentley (5) – pp – 18:23 06:59 – Bill Quackenbush (1) No scoring No scoring Johnny Gottselig (1) – 03:37Doug Bentley (6) – 08:10Doug Bentley (7) – 12:30George Allen (2) – 18:56 08:40 – Joe Carveth (2) Mike Karakas Connie Dion Chicago won series 4–1 Stanley Cup Finals 1944 Stanley Cup Finals This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams with Chicago winning three of the five previous series. They last met in the 1941 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals where Chicago won in three games. Montreal won this year's ten game regular season series earning eighteen of twenty points. Chicago Black Hawks Montreal Canadiens Chicago Stadium Montreal Forum April 4 1–5 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/chi-vs-mtl/1944/04/04/1943030211#game=1943030211,game_state=final No scoring 08:37 – Phil Watson (2) Clint Smith (4) – pp – 10:11 06:35 – pp – Toe Blake (5)10:58 – Ray Getliffe (4) No scoring 04:47 – Murph Chamberlain (5)18:07 – Ray Getliffe (5) Mike Karakas Bill Durnan April 6 2 3–1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-chi/1944/04/06/1943030212#game=1943030212,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring Maurice Richard (8) – 13:00 19:59 – John Harms (1) Maurice Richard (9) – 12:16Maurice Richard (10) – 15:33 Mike Karakas Bill Durnan April 9 3–2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-chi/1944/04/09/1943030213#game=1943030213,game_state=final 05:14 – George Allen (3) No scoring No scoring Toe Blake (6) – 02:02 04:19 – John Harms (2) Mike McMahon (1) – 05:47Phil Watson (3) – 06:42 Mike Karakas Bill Durnan April 13 1 4–5 1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/chi-vs-mtl/1944/04/13/1943030214#game=1943030214,game_state=final George Allen (4) – 05:12 08:48 – Elmer Lach (1) John Harms (3) – pp – 07:30George Allen (5) – pp – 09:12Doug Bentley (8) – 10:09 No scoring No scoring 10:02 – Elmer Lach (2)16:05 – Maurice Richard (11)17:20 – Maurice Richard (12) No scoring 09:12 – Toe Blake (7) Mike Karakas Bill Durnan Montreal won series 4–0 Awards + Award winnersO'Brien Cup:(Stanley Cup runner-up) Chicago Black HawksPrince of Wales Trophy:(Regular season champion) Montreal CanadiensCalder Memorial Trophy:(Best first-year player) Gus Bodnar, Toronto Maple LeafsHart Trophy:(Most valuable player) Babe Pratt, Toronto Maple LeafsLady Byng Trophy:(Excellence and sportsmanship) Clint Smith, Chicago Black HawksVezina Trophy:(Fewest goals allowed) Bill Durnan, Montreal Canadiens +All-Star teams First team   Position   Second teamBill Durnan, Montreal Canadiens GPaul Bibeault, Toronto Maple LeafsEarl Seibert, Chicago Black Hawks DEmile "Butch" Bouchard, Montreal CanadiensBabe Pratt, Toronto Maple Leafs DDit Clapper, Boston BruinsBill Cowley, Boston Bruins CElmer Lach, Montreal CanadiensLorne Carr, Toronto Maple Leafs RWMaurice Richard, Montreal CanadiensDoug Bentley, Chicago Black Hawks LWHerb Cain, Boston BruinsDick Irvin, Montreal Canadiens CoachHap Day, Toronto Maple Leafs Player statistics Scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes Player Team GP G A PTS PIM Herb Cain Boston Bruins 48 36 46 82 4 Doug Bentley Chicago Black Hawks 50 38 39 77 22 Lorne Carr Toronto Maple Leafs 50 36 38 74 9 Carl Liscombe Detroit Red Wings 50 36 37 73 17 Elmer Lach Montreal Canadiens 48 24 48 72 23 Clint Smith Chicago Black Hawks 50 23 49 72 4 Bill Cowley Boston Bruins 36 30 41 71 12 Bill Mosienko Chicago Black Hawks 50 32 38 70 10 Art Jackson Boston Bruins 49 28 41 69 8 Gus Bodnar Toronto Maple Leafs 50 22 40 62 18 Source: NHLDinger 2011 148 Leading goaltenders Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts Player Team GP Mins GA GAA W L T SOBill Durnan Montreal Canadiens 50 3000 109 2.18 32 5 7 2Paul Bibeault Toronto Maple Leafs 29 1740 87 3.00 13 14 2 5Mike Karakas Chicago Black Hawks 26 1560 79 3.04 12 9 5 3Connie Dion Detroit Red Wings 26 1560 80 3.08 17 7 2 1Jimmy Franks Detroit Red Wings 17 1020 69 4.06 6 8 3 1Benny Grant Toronto Maple Leafs 20 1200 83 4.15 9 9 2 0Hec Highton Chicago Black Hawks 24 1440 108 4.50 10 14 0 0Bert Gardiner Boston Bruins 46 2460 212 5.17 17 19 5 1Ken McAuley New York Rangers 50 2980 310 6.24 6 39 5 0 Coaches Boston Bruins: Art Ross Chicago Black Hawks: Paul Thompson Detroit Red Wings: Jack Adams Montreal Canadiens: Dick Irvin New York Rangers: Frank Boucher Toronto Maple Leafs: Hap Day Debuts The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1943–44 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs): Harry Lumley, Detroit Red Wings Bill Durnan, Montreal Canadiens Don Raleigh, New York Rangers Gus Bodnar, Toronto Maple Leafs Last games The following is a list of players of note who played their last game in the NHL in 1943–44 (listed with their last team): Buzz Boll, Boston Bruins Busher Jackson, Boston Bruins Frank Boucher, New York Rangers See also 1943–44 NHL transactions List of Stanley Cup champions 1943 in sports 1944 in sports References Years of glory, 1942–1967: the National Hockey League's official book of the six-team era Diamond, Dan 1994 McClelland and Stewart Toronto, ON 0-7710-2817-2 Total Hockey Diamond, Dan Total Sports 2000 1-892129-85-X Dinger Ralph 2011 The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012 Dan Diamond & Associates 978-1-894801-22-5 Toronto, ON registration https://archive.org/details/nationalhockeyle0000unse_u6g5 Dryden Steve Century of hockey McClelland & Stewart Ltd. Toronto, ON 2000 0-7710-4179-9 Fischler Stan Fischler Shirley Hughes Morgan Romain Joseph Duplacey James 2003 The Hockey Chronicle: Year-by-Year History of the National Hockey League Publications International Inc. 0-7853-9624-1 Lincolnwood, Illinois Fischler 2003 McFarlane Brian The Story of the National Hockey League Pagurian Press New York 1973 0-684-13424-1 registration https://archive.org/details/storyofnationalh0000mcfa Notes External links Hockey Database NHL.com 1943 Category:1943–44 in Canadian ice hockey by league Category:1943–44 in American ice hockey by league