1928–29 Boston Bruins season

NHL team season March 2026 August 2023 NHL 1928–29 1928 Boston Bruins American 1st 26–13–5 15–6–1 11–7–4 89 (1st) 52 (2nd) Art Ross Cy Denneny Lionel Hitchman Boston Madison Square Garden 13387https://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=NHL1927&sid=1929 National Hockey League 1928-29 Attendance Graph Slate Ralph hockeydb.com The Internet Hockey Database Harry Oliver (17) Eddie Shore and Cooney Weiland (7) Harry Oliver (23) Eddie Shore (96) Tiny Thompson (26) Tiny Thompson (1.15) Yes Yes The 1928–29 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' fifth season in the NHL. Boston defended its American Division title, and went on to defeat the New York Rangers in the Final to become the third American-based team to become Stanley Cup champions. 2 Offseason In the off-season, the Bruins acquired Cy Denneny from the Ottawa Senators, who became a player-coach for the team, taking over from Art Ross, who stepped down to concentrate on his general manager duties. With the retirement of Hal Winkler, the team also had a new goaltender, rookie Tiny Thompson—who had spent the 1927–28 season with the Bruins' farm team, the Minneapolis Millers of the AHA—and a promising new forward, Cooney Weiland, who also had played with Minneapolis. Nobby Clark and the rights to suspended Billy Coutu were sold to New Haven of the Canadian–American League, January 5, 1928. The team also moved into a new home, the Boston Madison Square Garden. The Garden's much larger capacity than the old Boston Arena saw the Bruins' attendance double, to lead the league by a wide margin.https://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=NHL1927&sid=1929 National Hockey League 1928-29 Attendance Graph Slate Ralph hockeydb.com The Internet Hockey Database Regular season 1928–29 NHL season In their debut game at Boston Garden, the Bruins lost 1–0 to the Montreal Canadiens.September 27, 1995 HOCKEY; A Garden Fades This Fall https://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/27/sports/hockey-a-garden-fades-this-fall.html?sq=bruins+%22Boston+Garden%22+1928&scp=4&st=nyt New York Times 26 January 2008 Boston got off to a slow start, and through their first 14 games, the Bruins had a record of 5–7–2, tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates. As the season progressed, Boston made a few trades, acquiring star Mickey MacKay from the Pirates and Bill Carson from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lester Patrick and the New York Rangers offered Winthrop native Myles Lane to the Bruins, astonishingly asking for superstar Eddie Shore in return. Bruins' general manager Art Ross replied famously, "You are so many Myles from Shore you need a life preserver."https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE1D8163CF934A2575BC0A961948260 Sports World Specials; No Deal The New York Times August 17, 1987 Nonetheless, the Bruins purchased Lane's rights for $7,500. Further, Weiland was matched with Dit Clapper and Dutch Gainor on a powerful forward line which garnered the nickname "Dynamite Line", one of the first named forward lines in history.Vautour Kevin 1997 The Bruins Book Toronto ECW Press 47 978-1-55022-334-7 The Bruins rebounded with a 13-game unbeaten streak, which gave them a 16–7–4 record and suddenly in contention with the New York Rangers for top spot in the American Division.Vautour Kevin 1997 The Bruins Book Toronto ECW Press 48 978-1-55022-334-7 Boston had a 10–6–1 record in their remaining 17 games, and held off the Rangers to defend their American Division and the Prince of Wales Trophy, finishing with a 26–13–5 mark and a team record 57 points. Harry Oliver led Boston in scoring, with 17 goals and 23 points. Dutch Gainor and defenseman Eddie Shore finished just behind Oliver with 19 points, while rookie Cooney Weiland tallied 11 goals and 18 points. Shore led the club with 96 penalty minutes, while team captain Lionel Hitchman finished with 64 penalty minutes. In goal, Tiny Thompson had an impressive rookie season, winning 26 games while posting a 1.15 goals against average—both Bruins' records, as well as recording 12 shutouts. Thompson's 1.15 GAA remains the Bruins' single-season record and is the second lowest ever recorded over a full season in NHL history. Final standings BOS Record vs. opponents BOS Schedule and results background:#fff; border-top:#764F25 5px solid; border-bottom:#FFC70C 5px solid; 1928–29 regular season1928-29 Boston Bruins Schedule https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/BOS/1929_games.html Hockey-Reference.com April 3, 2025 y background:#fff; border-top:#764F25 2px solid; border-bottom:#FFC70C 2px solid; November Game Date Visitor Score Home Record Pts |- | 1 || November 15 || Boston Bruins || 1–0 || Pittsburgh Pirates || 1–0–0 || 2 |- | 2 || November 17 || Boston Bruins || 2–2 || Ottawa Senators || 1–0–1 || 3 |- | 3 || November 20 || Montreal Canadiens || 1–0 || Boston Bruins || 1–1–1 || 3 |- | 4 || November 22 || Boston Bruins || 0–2 || Detroit Cougars || 1–2–1 || 3 |- | 5 || November 25 || Boston Bruins || 1–1 || Chicago Black Hawks || 1–2–2 || 4 |- | 6 || November 27 || Pittsburgh Pirates || 0–1 || Boston Bruins || 2–2–2 || 6 |- y background:#fff; border-top:#764F25 2px solid; border-bottom:#FFC70C 2px solid; December Game Date Visitor Score Home Record Pts |- | 7 || December 4 || New York Rangers || 0–2 || Boston Bruins || 3–2–2 || 8 |- | 8 || December 8 || Montreal Maroons || 1–5 || Boston Bruins || 4–2–2 || 10 |- | 9 || December 9 || Boston Bruins || 1–2 || New York Americans || 4–3–2 || 10 |- |10 || December 11 || New York Americans || 3–0 || Boston Bruins || 4–4–2 || 10 |- |11 || December 15 || Boston Bruins || 0–2 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 4–5–2 || 10 |- |12 || December 18 || Detroit Cougars || 1–3 || Boston Bruins || 5–5–2 || 12 |- |13 || December 25 || Chicago Black Hawks || 2–1 || Boston Bruins || 5–6–2 || 12 |- |14 || December 30 || Boston Bruins || 0–2 || New York Rangers || 5–7–2 || 12 |- y background:#fff; border-top:#764F25 2px solid; border-bottom:#FFC70C 2px solid; January Game Date Visitor Score Home Record Pts |- |15 || January 1 || Ottawa Senators || 0–3 || Boston Bruins || 6–7–2 || 14 |- |16 || January 3 || Boston Bruins || 1–0 || Montreal Maroons || 7–7–2 || 16 |- |17 || January 5 || Pittsburgh Pirates || 2–3 || Boston Bruins || 8–7–2 || 18 |- |18 || January 8 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 2–5 || Boston Bruins || 9–7–2 || 20 |- |19 || January 10 || Boston Bruins || 4–2 || Montreal Canadiens || 10–7–2 || 22 |- |20 || January 12 || Detroit Cougars || 2–3 || Boston Bruins || 11–7–2 || 24 |- |21 || January 15 || New York Rangers || 1–4 || Boston Bruins || 12–7–2 || 26 |- |22 || January 17 || Boston Bruins || 1–1 || Detroit Cougars || 12–7–3 || 27 |- |23 || January 20 || Boston Bruins || 2–0 || Chicago Black Hawks || 13–7–3 || 29 |- |24 || January 22 || Montreal Canadiens || 0–0 || Boston Bruins || 13–7–4 || 30 |- |25 || January 27 || Boston Bruins || 2–1 || New York Rangers || 14–7–4 || 32 |- |26 || January 29 || Chicago Black Hawks || 1–4 || Boston Bruins || 15–7–4 || 34 |- |27 || January 31 || Boston Bruins || 3–1 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 16–7–4 || 36 |- y background:#fff; border-top:#764F25 2px solid; border-bottom:#FFC70C 2px solid; February Game Date Visitor Score Home Record Pts |- |28 || February 2 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 3–0 || Boston Bruins || 16–8–4 || 36 |- |29 || February 5 || New York Americans || 1–0 || Boston Bruins || 16–9–4 || 36 |- |30 || February 9 || Boston Bruins || 0–1 || Montreal Maroons || 16–10–4 || 36 |- |31 || February 12 || Detroit Cougars || 0–1 || Boston Bruins || 17–10–4 || 38 |- |32 || February 14 || Boston Bruins || 0–2 || Pittsburgh Pirates || 17–11–4 || 38 |- |33 || February 16 || Boston Bruins || 3–0 || Chicago Black Hawks || 18–11–4 || 40 |- |34 || February 19 || Pittsburgh Pirates || 0–1 || Boston Bruins || 19–11–4 || 42 |- |35 || February 24 || Boston Bruins || 2–2 || New York Americans || 19–11–5 || 43 |- |36 || February 26 || Montreal Maroons || 0–1 || Boston Bruins || 20–11–5 || 45 |- |37 || February 28 || Boston Bruins || 4–0 || Ottawa Senators || 21–11–5 || 47 |- y background:#fff; border-top:#764F25 2px solid; border-bottom:#FFC70C 2px solid; March Game Date Visitor Score Home Record Pts |- |38 || March 2 || Boston Bruins || 0–3 || Montreal Canadiens || 21–12–5 || 47 |- |39 || March 5 || New York Rangers || 1–2 || Boston Bruins || 22–12–5 || 49 |- |40 || March 9 || Ottawa Senators || 2–1 || Boston Bruins || 22–13–5 || 49 |- |41 || March 10 || Boston Bruins || 3–2 || New York Rangers || 23–13–5 || 51 |- |42 || March 12 || Chicago Black Hawks || 1–11 || Boston Bruins || 24–13–5 || 53 |- |43 || March 14 || Boston Bruins || 5–1 || Detroit Cougars || 25–13–5 || 55 |- |44 || March 16 || Boston Bruins || 3–1 || Pittsburgh Pirates || 26–13–5 || 57 |- |- | 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 playoffs, Boston had a first round bye, due to finishing on top of the American Division, and faced the Montreal Canadiens, the winners of the Canadian Division, in the semi-finals in a best-of-five series. The series began with two games at the Boston Garden, and the Bruins, led by Tiny Thompson, won both games by identical 1–0 scores to take a 2–0 series lead. Game Three shifted to Montreal, and while the Canadiens were able to solve Thompson for two goals, Boston scored three of their own, and swept the series. In the first Stanley Cup Final exclusively played between American teams, Boston faced their divisional rival – and the team that eliminated them from the playoffs the previous season – the New York Rangers in a best-of-three series. New York had defeated the Detroit Cougars and the Toronto Maple Leafs to earn a spot in the Final. Game One was played in Boston, and Thompson again shut the door, as the Bruins won the game 2–0. Boston completed the two-game sweep at Madison Square Garden in New York City, defeating the Rangers 2–1 on March 29 on a goal by Bill Carson, to clinch the first Stanley Cup in team history and making them the third American team to win the Cup championship.Anderson Dave May 14, 1995 Sports of The Times; At Boston Garden, There's Much More Gold Than Green https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/14/sports/sports-of-the-times-at-boston-garden-there-s-much-more-gold-than-green.html&scp=2&sq=1929+bruins+first+%22stanley+cup%22&st=nyt New York Times 26 January 2008 background:#fff; border-top:#764F25 5px solid; border-bottom:#FFC70C 5px solid; 1929 Stanley Cup playoffs y background:#fff; border-top:#764F25 2px solid; border-bottom:#FFC70C 2px solid; Semifinals vs. (C1) Montreal Canadiens – Bruins win 3–0 Game Date Visitor Score Home Series |- | 1 || March 19 || Montreal Canadiens || 0–1 || Boston Bruins || 1–0 |- | 2 || March 21 || Montreal Canadiens || 0–1 || Boston Bruins || 2–0 |- | 3 || March 23 || Boston Bruins || 3–2 || Montreal Canadiens || 3–0 |- y background:#fff; border-top:#764F25 2px solid; border-bottom:#FFC70C 2px solid; Stanley Cup Finals vs. (A2) New York Rangers – Bruins win 2–0 Game Date Visitor Score Home Series |- | 1 || March 28 || New York Rangers || 0–2 || Boston Bruins || 1–0 |- | 2 || March 29 || Boston Bruins || 2–1 || New York Rangers || 2–0 |- |- | Legend: #cfc Win 1px solid black #fcc Loss 1px solid black Player statistics Regular season Scoring Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM Harry Oliver ice hockey RW 43 17 6 23 24 Dutch Gainor C 44 14 5 19 30 Eddie Shore D 39 12 7 19 96 Cooney Weiland C 42 11 7 18 16 Dit Clapper RW/D 40 9 2 11 48 Mickey MacKay C 30 8 2 10 18 George Owen George Owen (ice hockey) D 27 5 4 9 48 Bill Carson Bill Carson (ice hockey) C 19 4 2 6 10 Frank Fredrickson C 12 3 1 4 24 Percy Galbraith LW/D 38 2 1 3 44 Cy Denneny LW 23 1 2 3 2 Lionel Hitchman D 38 1 0 1 64 Lloyd Klein ice hockey LW 8 1 0 1 5 Myles Lane D 19 1 0 1 2 Red Green Red Green (ice hockey) LW 22 0 0 0 16 Eric Pettinger LW/C 17 0 0 0 17 Eddie Rodden C 20 0 0 0 10 Tiny Thompson G 44 0 0 0 0 Goaltending Player MIN GPW LTGAGAA SO Tiny Thompson 2710 44 26 13 5 52 1.15 12 Team: 2710 44 26 13 5 52 1.15 12 Playoffs Scoring Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM Bill Carson Bill Carson (ice hockey) C 5 2 0 2 8 Dutch Gainor C 5 2 0 2 4 Cooney Weiland C 5 2 0 2 2 Harry Oliver ice hockey RW 5 1 1 2 8 Eddie Shore D 5 1 1 2 28 Dit Clapper RW/D 5 1 0 1 0 Lionel Hitchman D 5 0 1 1 22 Cy Denneny LW 2 0 0 0 0 Percy Galbraith LW/D 5 0 0 0 2 Red Green Red Green (ice hockey) LW 1 0 0 0 0 Myles Lane D 5 0 0 0 0 Mickey MacKay C 3 0 0 0 2 George Owen George Owen (ice hockey) D 5 0 0 0 0 Tiny Thompson G 5 0 0 0 0 Goaltending Player MIN GPW LGAGAA SO Tiny Thompson 300 5 5 0 3 0.60 3 Team: 300 5 5 0 3 0.60 3 hockey-reference.com 2009-06-11 1928-29 Boston Bruins Statistics - Hockey-Reference.com https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/BOS/1929.html Transactions Traded Frank Fredrickson to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Mickey MacKay. Purchased Bill Carson from Toronto Maple Leafs for $25,000, January 25, 1929. Traded Eric Pettinger to Toronto Maple Leafs with the rights to Hugh Plaxton for the rights to George Owen, January 29, 1929. Purchased Myles Lane from New York Rangers for $7,500. See also 1928–29 NHL season List of Stanley Cup champions References Category:Stanley Cup championship seasons Category:Boston Bruins seasons Boston Boston Bruins Boston Bruins Category:1920s in Boston