1951–52 NHL season

National Hockey League season August 2023 1951–52 NHL season National Hockey League Ice hockey October 11, 1951 – April 15, 1952 Regular season 70 6 Season champion Detroit Red Wings Gordie Howe (Red Wings) Hart Memorial Trophy Gordie Howe (Red Wings) Art Ross Trophy Stanley Cup 1952 Stanley Cup Finals Detroit Red Wings Montreal Canadiens 1952–53 NHL season 1950–51 NHL season 1952–53 1950–51 NHL The 1951–52 NHL season was the 35th season of the National Hockey League. Six teams played 70 games each. The Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup by sweeping the Montreal Canadiens four games to none. League business A long-standing feud between Boston president Weston Adams and general manager Art Ross ended on October 12, 1951, when Adams sold his stock in Boston Garden to Walter Brown.April 2022 The Chicago Black Hawks, who had made the mammoth nine player deal the previous season, now decided to make the largest cash deal for players to this time by paying $75,000 for Jim McFadden, George Gee, Jimmy Peters, Clare Martin, Clare Raglan and Max McNab.April 2022 The NHL and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) agreed to a January 15 deadline for professional teams to call up players from the CAHA's Major Series of senior ice hockey. The agreement gave the NHL a source of emergency replacement players, and prevented teams in Canada from losing players during the Alexander Cup playoffs.Puck Chiefs Come To An Agreement May 27, 1952 Winnipeg Free Press Winnipeg, Manitoba 16 https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-may-27-1952-2982167/ Rule changes The league mandated that home teams would now wear a basic white uniform, while road teams will wear coloured uniforms. Before then, teams would often play with colored jerseys against each other, and with Television being in black white at the time, this helped viewers at home identify the two teams clearly.April 2022 The goal crease is enlarged from 3 x 7 ft on to 4 x 8 ft on. The faceoff circles are expanded from a 10 ft on radius to a 15 ft on radius.Fischler et al. 2003 202 Regular season Conn Smythe offered $10,000 for anyone who found Bill Barilko, missing since August 26. Barilko and Dr. Henry Hudson had left Rupert House on James Bay in the doctor's light plane for Timmins, Ontario, after a weekend fishing trip and had not been found. For the fourth straight season, the Detroit Red Wings finished first overall in the National Hockey League. Highlights On November 25 in Chicago, Chicago goalie Harry Lumley hurt a knee. At age 46, trainer Moe Roberts, who played his first game in the NHL for Boston in 1925–26, played the third period in goal for Chicago and did not yield a goal.Dryden 2000 54 Roberts would stand as the oldest person to ever play an NHL game until Gordie Howe returned to the NHL at age 51 in 1979.Goaltending Legends: Maurice "Moe" Roberts Chicago was not drawing well and so they decided to experiment with afternoon games. It worked, as the largest crowd of the season, 13,600 fans, showed up for a January 20 game in which Chicago lost to Toronto 3–1. Elmer Lach night was held March 8 at the Forum in Montreal as the Canadiens tied Chicago 4–4. 14,452 fans were on hand to see Lach presented with a car, rowboat, TV set, deep-freeze chest, bedroom and dining room suites, a refrigerator and many other articles. On the last night of the season, March 23, 1952, with nothing at stake at Madison Square Garden, 3,254 fans saw Chicago's Bill Mosienko score the fastest hat trick in NHL history, 3 goals in 21 seconds. Lorne Anderson was the goaltender who gave up the goals to Chicago. Gus Bodnar also set a record with the fastest three assists in NHL history as he assisted on all three goals Mosienko scored. Chicago beat the New York Rangers 7–6.Dryden 2000 54 Final standings Playoffs Detroit finished 8–0, sweeping the defending Stanley Cup champions Toronto (the first time in NHL history the cup champs were swept in the first round) and Montreal, the first time a team had gone undefeated in the playoffs since the 1934–35 Montreal Maroons. The Wings scored 24 goals in the playoffs, compared to a combined five goals for their opponents. Detroit goaltender Terry Sawchuk never allowed a goal on home ice during the playoffs.Dryden 2000 54 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 Detroit 4 3 Toronto 0 2 Montreal 4 4 Boston 3 1 Detroit 4 2 Montreal 0 Semifinals (1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (3) Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs Detroit Red Wings Maple Leaf Gardens Olympia Stadium March 25 0–3 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/tor-vs-det/1952/03/25/1951030111#game=1951030111,game_state=final No scoring 13:35 – Red Kelly (1) No scoring No scoring No scoring 02:59 – pp – Sid Abel (1)14:21 – Johnny Wilson (1) Al Rollins Terry Sawchuck March 27 0–1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/tor-vs-det/1952/03/27/1951030112#game=1951030112,game_state=final No scoring 15:33 – pp – Johnny Wilson (2) No scoring No scoring No scoring No scoring Al Rollins Terry Sawchuck March 29 6–2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/det-vs-tor/1952/03/29/1951030113#game=1951030113,game_state=final 11:16 – Joe Klukay (1) Marty Pavelich (1) – 10:56Ted Lindsay (1) – pp – 16:57 12:20 – Max Bentley (1) Johnny Wilson (3) – 02:10Leo Reise Jr. (1) – 05:22 No scoring Johnny Wilson (4) – 00:48Benny Woit (1) – 08:47 Al Rollins Terry Sawchuck April 1 3–1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/det-vs-tor/1952/04/01/1951030114#game=1951030114,game_state=final 02:56 – Harry Watson (1) Ted Lindsay (2) – pp – 04:35Tony Leswick (1) – pp – 09:32 No scoring Sid Abel (2) – 04:52 No scoring No scoring Al Rollins Terry Sawchuck Detroit won series 4–0 (2) Montreal Canadiens vs. (4) Boston Bruins Boston Bruins Montreal Canadiens Boston Garden Forum de Montréal March 25 1–5 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/bos-vs-mtl/1952/03/25/1951030121#game=1951030121,game_state=final No scoring 05:45 – Maurice Richard (1) Pentti Lund (1) – 06:27 00:30 – Dickie Moore (1)14:16 – Maurice Richard (2) No scoring 03:09 – Billy Reay (1)19:24 – Floyd Curry (1) Jim Henry Gerry McNeil March 27 0–4 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/bos-vs-mtl/1952/03/27/1951030122#game=1951030122,game_state=final No scoring 04:01 – Ken Mosdell (1)09:49 – pp – Bernie Geoffrion (1) No scoring 13:39 – Bernie Geoffrion (2) No scoring 17:14 – Bernie Geoffrion (3) Jim Henry Gerry McNeil March 30 1–4 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-bos/1952/03/30/1951030123#game=1951030123,game_state=final No scoring No scoring 02:05 – Hal Laycoe (1)02:38 – Dave Creighton (1)03:07 – Ed Sandford (1) No scoring 06:14 – Fleming MacKell (1) Floyd Curry (2) – 15:24 Jim Henry Gerry McNeil April 1 2–3 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-bos/1952/04/01/1951030124#game=1951030124,game_state=final 09:53 – Real Chevrefils (1) No scoring 06:55 – Milt Schmidt (1) Floyd Curry (3) – pp – 19:46 14:37 – Fleming MacKell (2) Floyd Curry (4) – 06:48 Jim Henry Gerry McNeil April 3 1–0 1 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/bos-vs-mtl/1952/04/03/1951030125#game=1951030125,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring No scoring Jack McIntyre (1) – 03:30 No scoring Jim Henry Gerry McNeil April 6 3–2 2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-bos/1952/04/06/1951030126#game=1951030126,game_state=final 02:53 – Milt Schmidt (2)11:44 – Dave Creighton (2) No scoring No scoring Eddie Mazur (1) – 04:53 No scoring Maurice Richard (3) – 11:05 No scoring Paul Masnick (1) – 07:49 Jim Henry Gerry McNeil April 8 1–3 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/bos-vs-mtl/1952/04/08/1951030127#game=1951030127,game_state=final Ed Sandford (2) – 12:25 04:25 – Eddie Mazur (2) No scoring No scoring No scoring 16:19 – Maurice Richard (4)19:26 – en – Billy Reay (2) Jim Henry Gerry McNeil Montreal won series 4–3 Stanley Cup Finals 1952 Stanley Cup Finals Montreal Canadiens Detroit Red Wings Forum de Montréal Olympia Stadium April 10 3–1 2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/det-vs-mtl/1952/04/10/1951030211#game=1951030211,game_state=final No scoring No scoring No scoring Tony Leswick (2) – 03:27 11:01 – Tom Johnson (1) Tony Leswick (3) – 07:59Ted Lindsay (3) – en – 19:44 Gerry McNeil Terry Sawchuck April 12 2–1 2 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/det-vs-mtl/1952/04/12/1951030212#game=1951030212,game_state=final 18:37 – pp – Elmer Lach (1) Marty Pavelich (2) – 16:09 No scoring Ted Lindsay (4) – pp – 00:43 No scoring No scoring Gerry McNeil Terry Sawchuck April 13 0–3 1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-det/1952/04/13/1951030213#game=1951030213,game_state=final No scoring 04:31 – pp – Gordie Howe (1) No scoring 09:13 – Ted Lindsay (5) No scoring 06:54 – Gordie Howe (2) Gerry McNeil Terry Sawchuck April 15 0–3 1 2 www.nhl.com/gamecenter/mtl-vs-det/1952/04/15/1951030214#game=1951030214,game_state=final No scoring 06:50 – pp – Metro Prystai (1) No scoring 19:39 – Glen Skov (1) No scoring 07:35 – Metro Prystai (2) Gerry McNeil Terry Sawchuck Detroit won series 4–0 Awards +Award winnersPrince of Wales Trophy:(Regular season champion) Detroit Red WingsArt Ross Trophy:(Top scorer) Gordie Howe, Detroit Red WingsCalder Memorial Trophy:(Best first-year player) Bernie Geoffrion, Montreal CanadiensHart Trophy:(Most valuable player) Gordie Howe, Detroit Red WingsLady Byng Memorial Trophy:(Excellence and sportsmanship) Sid Smith, Toronto Maple LeafsVezina Trophy:(Goaltender of team with best goals-against average) Terry Sawchuk, Detroit Red Wings + All-Star teams First team   Position   Second teamTerry Sawchuk, Detroit Red Wings GJim Henry, Boston BruinsRed Kelly, Detroit Red Wings DHy Buller, New York RangersDoug Harvey, Montreal Canadiens DJimmy Thomson, Toronto Maple LeafsElmer Lach, Montreal Canadiens CMilt Schmidt, Boston BruinsGordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings RWMaurice Richard, Montreal CanadiensTed Lindsay, Detroit Red Wings LWSid Smith, 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 Gordie Howe Detroit Red Wings 70 47 39 86 78 Ted Lindsay Detroit Red Wings 70 30 39 69 123 Elmer Lach Montreal Canadiens 70 15 50 65 36 Don Raleigh New York Rangers 70 19 42 61 14 Sid Smith Toronto Maple Leafs 70 27 30 57 6 Bernie Geoffrion Montreal Canadiens 67 30 24 54 66 Bill Mosienko Chicago Black Hawks 70 31 22 53 10 Sid Abel Detroit Red Wings 62 17 36 53 32 Ted Kennedy Toronto Maple Leafs 70 19 33 52 33 Milt Schmidt Boston Bruins 69 21 29 50 57 Source: NHLDinger 2011 148 Leading goaltenders Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts Player Team GP MIN GA GAA W L T SOTerry Sawchuk Detroit Red Wings 70 4200 133 1.90 44 14 12 12Al Rollins Toronto Maple Leafs 70 4170 154 2.22 29 24 16 5Gerry McNeil Montreal Canadiens 70 4200 164 2.34 34 26 10 5Jim Henry Boston Bruins 70 4200 176 2.51 25 29 16 7Chuck Rayner New York Rangers 53 3180 159 3.00 18 25 10 2Emile Francis New York Rangers 14 840 42 3.00 4 7 3 0 Source: NHLhttp://www.nhl.com/ice/historicalstats.htm?fetchKey=19522ALLGAHSALL&sort=goalsAgainstAverage&viewName=statsLeadersSingleSeasonGoalies https://web.archive.org/web/20120302194458/http://www.nhl.com/ice/historicalstats.htm?fetchKey=19522ALLGAHSALL&sort=goalsAgainstAverage&viewName=statsLeadersSingleSeasonGoalies dead March 2, 2012 1951–1952 – Regular Season – Goalie – Skater Season Stats Leaders – Points – NHL.com – Stats nhl.com January 16, 2012 Coaches Boston Bruins: Lynn Patrick Chicago Black Hawks: Ebbie Goodfellow Detroit Red Wings: Tommy Ivan Montreal Canadiens: Dick Irvin New York Rangers: Bill Cook Toronto Maple Leafs: Joe Primeau Debuts The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1951–52 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs): Leo Labine, Boston Bruins Real Chevrefils, Boston Bruins Kenny Wharram, Chicago Black Hawks Don Marshall, Montreal Canadiens Dickie Moore, Montreal Canadiens Wally Hergesheimer, New York Rangers Eric Nesterenko, Toronto Maple Leafs Leo Boivin, Toronto Maple Leafs Last games The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1951–52 (listed with their last team): Bobby Bauer, Boston Bruins Roy Conacher, Chicago Black Hawks Jack Stewart, Chicago Black Hawks Bep Guidolin, Chicago Black Hawks Turk Broda, Toronto Maple Leafs Bill Juzda, Toronto Maple Leafs See also 1951–52 NHL transactions List of Stanley Cup champions 5th National Hockey League All-Star Game National Hockey League All-Star Game Ice hockey at the 1952 Winter Olympics 1951 in sports 1952 in sports References Sources 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 et al. 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 External links Hockey Database NHL.com 1951 Category:1951–52 in American ice hockey by league Category:1951–52 in Canadian ice hockey by league