1931 Stanley Cup Finals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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* indicates periods of overtime. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Location(s) | Chicago: Chicago Stadium (1, 2) Montreal: Montreal Forum (3–5) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Format | best-of-five | |||||||||||||||||||||
Coaches | Chicago: Dick Irvin Montreal: Cecil Hart | |||||||||||||||||||||
Captains | Chicago: Ty Arbour Montreal: Sylvio Mantha | |||||||||||||||||||||
Dates | April 3–14, 1931 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Series-winning goal | Johnny Gagnon (9:59, second) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Hall of Famers | Black Hawks: Charlie Gardiner (1945) Canadiens: George Hainsworth (1961) Aurele Joliat (1947) Sylvio Mantha (1960) Howie Morenz (1945) Coaches: Dick Irvin (1958, player) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1931 Stanley Cup Finals was played between the Montreal Canadiens and the Chicago Black Hawks, making their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance. The defending champions Canadiens, won the series to become the second NHL team to win back-to-back championships. Former player and now coach, Chicago's Dick Irvin, made his Finals coaching debut against the team he would later coach to three Stanley Cup titles.
Over 18,000 fans packed Chicago Stadium for game two to set a record for the largest attendance in hockey history to that time.[ citation needed ] The triple-overtime game three of the series was (at the time) the longest game in Stanley Cup Finals history, and today remains the fourth-longest game in Stanley Cup Finals history at 113:50.[ citation needed ]
For game five, Foster Hewitt came to Montreal to make the radio broadcast play-by-play and transmission lines carried his broadcast to radio stations across Canada Interest was so high that Montrealers in the thousands lined up for end zone and standing room tickets.[ citation needed ] Johnny Gagnon opened the scoring in the second period and Howie Morenz scored an insurance goal in the third period. It ended a nine-game goalless streak for Morenz. [1]
April 3 | Montreal Canadiens | 2–1 | Chicago Black Hawks | Chicago Stadium | Recap | |||
Georges Mantha (3) - 4:50 | First period | No scoring | ||||||
No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
Pit Lepine (2) - 2:20 | Third period | 8:20 - Vic Ripley (2) | ||||||
George Hainsworth | Goalie stats | Charlie Gardiner |
April 5 | Montreal Canadiens | 1–2 | 2OT | Chicago Black Hawks | Chicago Stadium | Recap | ||
No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
No scoring | Second period | 11:45 - Stew Adams (2) | ||||||
Nick Wasnie (3) - 12:10 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
No scoring | Second overtime period | 4:50 - Johnny Gottselig (2) | ||||||
George Hainsworth | Goalie stats | Charlie Gardiner |
April 9 | Chicago Black Hawks | 3–2 | 3OT | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | ||
No scoring | First period | 5:15 - Johnny Gagnon (3) | ||||||
No scoring | Second period | 7:29 - Georges Mantha (5) | ||||||
Mush March (3) - 16:20 Stew Adams (3) - 17:07 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
Cy Wentworth (1) - 13:50 | Third overtime period | No scoring | ||||||
Charlie Gardiner | Goalie stats | George Hainsworth |
April 11 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2–4 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
Johnny Gottselig (3) - 1:33 Ty Arbour (1) - 13:58 | First period | No scoring | ||||||
No scoring | Second period | 4:34 - Johnny Gagnon (4) | ||||||
No scoring | Third period | 4:25 - Johnny Gagnon (5) 10:55 - Pit Lepine (3) 17:25 - Pit Lepine (4) | ||||||
Charlie Gardiner | Goalie stats | George Hainsworth |
April 14 | Chicago Black Hawks | 0–2 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
No scoring | Second period | 9:59 - Johnny Gagnon (6) | ||||||
No scoring | Third period | 15:27 - Howie Morenz (1) | ||||||
Charlie Gardiner | Goalie stats | George Hainsworth |
Montreal won series 3–2 | |
The 1931 Stanley Cup was presented to Canadiens captain Sylvio Mantha by NHL President Frank Calder following the Canadiens 2–0 win over the Black Hawks in game five.
The following Canadiens players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup
1930–31 Montreal Canadiens
† Left off the Cup, but qualified to be on it. A Played three of five games in the Finals. B Played 22 of 44 regular season games.
The Montreal Canadiens, officially le Club de hockey Canadien and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Since 1996, the team has played its home games at Bell Centre, originally known as Molson Centre. The Canadiens previously played at the Montreal Forum, which housed the team for seven decades and all but their first two Stanley Cup championships.
Howard William Morenz was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Beginning in 1923, he played centre for three National Hockey League (NHL) teams: the Montreal Canadiens, the Chicago Black Hawks, and the New York Rangers. Before joining the NHL, Morenz excelled in the junior Ontario Hockey Association, where his team played for the Memorial Cup, the championship for junior ice hockey in Canada. In the NHL, he was one of the most dominant players in the league and set several league scoring records. A strong skater, Morenz was referred to as the "Stratford Streak" and "Mitchell Meteor" in reference to his speed on the ice.
Wilfrid Arthur "Billy" Coutu, nicknamed "Wild Beaver", was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, the Hamilton Tigers, and the Boston Bruins. He is the only player ever to have been banned from the NHL for life, as a result of his attack on a referee in 1927.
The 1923–24 NHL season was the seventh season of the National Hockey League. Four teams each played 24 games. The league champions were the Montreal Canadiens, who defeated the first-place Ottawa Senators in the league playoff. The Canadiens then defeated the Calgary Tigers of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) and Vancouver Maroons of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) to win their second Stanley Cup championship.
Joseph Viateur "Léo" Dandurand, was an American-Canadian sportsman and businessman. He was the owner and coach of the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL). He also was an owner of race tracks and of the Montreal Alouettes football team in the league that evolved into the Canadian Football League.
Cecil Mordecai Hart was a head coach and general manager of the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League.
The 1930–31 NHL season was the 14th season of the National Hockey League. Ten teams played 44 games each. The Pittsburgh Pirates moved to Philadelphia and became the Philadelphia Quakers, while the Detroit team was renamed the Detroit Falcons. The Montreal Canadiens beat the Chicago Black Hawks three games to two in the best-of-five Stanley Cup Finals for their second consecutive Stanley Cup victory.
The 1935–36 NHL season was the 19th season of the National Hockey League (NHL). The St. Louis Eagles dropped out of the league, leaving eight teams. The Detroit Red Wings were the Stanley Cup winners as they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs three games to one in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The 1936–37 NHL season was the 20th season of the National Hockey League (NHL). Eight teams each played 48 games. The Detroit Red Wings were the Stanley Cup winners as they beat the New York Rangers three games to two in the final series.
The 1924 Stanley Cup playoffs was the third and final year in which the National Hockey League (NHL) champions, the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) champions, and the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) champions all competed for the Stanley Cup. The playoffs began on March 18, 1924, and concluded on March 25 when the NHL champion Montreal Canadiens defeated the WCHL champion Calgary Tigers in the final series, two games to zero.
The 1924 Stanley Cup Finals saw the National Hockey League (NHL) champion Montreal Canadiens defeat the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) champion Calgary Tigers two games to none in the best-of-three-game series. It was Montreal's fourth appearance in the Finals and second championship.
The 1930 Stanley Cup Finals was played between the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens. In a best of three series, Montreal won 4–3 and 3–0 to win the team's third Stanley Cup title.
The 1962 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1961–62 season, and the culmination of the 1962 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the defending champion Chicago Black Hawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs who had last appeared in the Final in 1960. The Maple Leafs won the best-of-seven series, four games to two, to win the Stanley Cup, their first since 1951.
The National Hockey League (NHL) was founded in 1917 following the demise of its predecessor league, the National Hockey Association (NHA). In an effort to remove Eddie Livingstone as owner of the Toronto Blueshirts, a majority of the NHA franchises suspended the NHA and formed the new NHL. The Quebec Bulldogs, while a member, did not operate in the NHL for the first two years. Instead the owners of the Toronto Arena Gardens operated a new Toronto franchise. While the NHL was intended as a temporary measure, the continuing dispute with Livingstone led to the four NHA owners meeting and making the suspension of the NHA permanent one year later.
The Montreal Canadiens ice hockey club, formally Le Club de Hockey Canadien, was founded on December 4, 1909. The Canadiens are the oldest professional hockey franchise in the world. Created as a founding member of the National Hockey Association (NHA) with the aim of appealing to Montreal's francophone population, the Canadiens played their first game on January 5, 1910, and captured their first Stanley Cup in 1916. The team left the NHA and helped found the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1917. They returned to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1919, but their series against the Seattle Metropolitans was cancelled without a winner due to the Spanish flu pandemic that killed defenceman Joe Hall. The Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup 24 times: once while part of the National Hockey Association (NHA), and 23 times as members of the NHL. With 24 NHL titles overall, they are the most successful team in league history.
The 1923–24 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 15th season and seventh as a member of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Canadiens once again returned to the playoffs and won their second Stanley Cup, defeating the Calgary Tigers.
The 1932–33 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 24th season. The Canadiens again qualified for the playoffs, finishing third in their division. The club again met and lost to the New York Rangers in the playoffs.
The 1935–36 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 27th season of play. The Canadiens slipped to last place in the Canadian division and did not qualify for the playoffs.
The 1936–37 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 28th season of play. After coach Cecil Hart and Howie Morenz returned to the club, the Canadiens placed first in the Canadian Division and qualified for the playoffs. Montreal met and lost to eventual Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings in the semi-finals.
The Howie Morenz Memorial Game was a benefit held by the National Hockey League (NHL) to raise money to support the family of Montreal Canadiens player Howie Morenz, who died shortly after suffering a broken leg during a regular league game. The game featured the Montreal All-Stars, consisting of players with the Canadiens and Montreal Maroons playing against an all-star team of the top players on the remaining teams and was played at the Montreal Forum on November 2, 1937. The NHL All-Stars defeated the Montreal All-Stars 6–5 before 8,683 spectators.