1944–45 NHL season

Last updated • 4 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

1944–45 NHL season
League National Hockey League
Sport Ice hockey
DurationOctober 28, 1944 – April 22, 1945
Number of games50
Number of teams6
Regular season
Season champion Montreal Canadiens
Season MVP Elmer Lach (Canadiens)
Top scorerElmer Lach (Canadiens)
Stanley Cup
Champions Toronto Maple Leafs
  Runners-up Detroit Red Wings
NHL seasons

The 1944–45 NHL season was the 28th season of the National Hockey League. Six teams each played 50 games. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup in seven games versus the Detroit Red Wings.

Contents

League business

In October 1944, Lester Patrick sponsored W. G. Hardy to become NHL president, replacing Red Dutton who wanted to step down. Patrick credited Hardy for being largely responsible for the current professional-amateur agreement between the NHL and the amateur associations in the International Ice Hockey Association, and said he was "temperamentally suited and has an excellent record as an executive of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association". [1]

Regular season

It was the year of the "Punch Line" as Rocket Richard scored 50 goals in 50 games, breaking Joe Malone's record of 44 goals, and when Richard scored his 45th, Malone was on hand to present him with the record-breaking puck. Richard had a five-goal, three-assist night against Detroit at the Montreal Forum on December 28, 1944. His centreman, Elmer Lach, though, won the scoring race with 26 goals and 80 points. Toe Blake finished third with 29 goals, 38 assists, and for the second time, an entire line finished first, second, third scoring. The previous time had been in 1939–40, when the Boston Bruins' Kraut Line of Milt Schmidt, Bobby Bauer and Woody Dumart accomplished the feat. Schmidt finished with 52 points in 48 games that year, and Bauer and Dumart 43 apiece.

Montreal dared not loan Paul Bibeault to Toronto again with his fine year the previous season and loaned him instead to Boston. But the Maple Leafs came up with a fine rookie named Frank McCool who won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's top rookie. For the first time, a team produced three consecutive top rookies. McCool and Chicago netminder Mike Karakas tied for the league lead in shutouts with four each.

Bill Durnan won his second consecutive Vezina Trophy with Montreal. Flash Hollett became the first defenceman to score twenty goals in one season. [2] The record would stand until Bobby Orr broke it several decades later.

A major trade that occurred this year was Chicago trading their great defenceman Earl Seibert to Detroit for Don Grosso, Cully Simon and Byron "Butch" McDonald. After team owner Frederic McLaughlin died, it was just a matter of time before Bill Tobin would trade Seibert, as the two did not get along.

Final standings

National Hockey League [3]
GPWLTGFGADIFFPts
1 Montreal Canadiens 503884228121+10780
2 Detroit Red Wings 5031145218161+5767
3 Toronto Maple Leafs 5024224183161+2252
4 Boston Bruins 5016304179219−4036
5 Chicago Black Hawks 5013307141194−5333
6 New York Rangers 50112910154247−9332

Playoffs

Playoff bracket

Semifinals Stanley Cup Finals
      
1 Montreal 2
3Toronto4
3Toronto4
2 Detroit 3
2Detroit4
4 Boston 3

Semifinals

(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (3) Toronto Maple Leafs

The Montreal Canadiens finished first in the league with 80 points. The Toronto Maple Leafs finished third with 52 points. This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams with Montreal winning the two of the three previous series. They last met in previous year's Stanley Cup Semifinals where the Canadiens won in five games. Toronto won this season's ten-game regular-season series earning eleven of twenty points.

March 20Toronto Maple Leafs1–0Montreal Canadiens Montreal Forum Recap  
No scoringFirst periodNo scoring
No scoringSecond periodNo scoring
Ted Kennedy (1) – 19:38Third periodNo scoring
Frank McCool Goalie stats Bill Durnan
March 22Toronto Maple Leafs3–2Montreal Canadiens Montreal Forum Recap  
Ted Kennedy (2) – pp – 04:07First periodNo scoring
Lorne Carr (1) – 10:58
Nick Metz (1) – 15:37
Second period08:15 – ppButch Bouchard (1)
No scoringThird period17:21 – ppElmer Lach (1)
Frank McCool Goalie stats Bill Durnan
March 24Montreal Canadiens4–1Toronto Maple Leafs Maple Leaf Gardens Recap  
Elmer Lach (2) – 11:14First periodNo scoring
Bob Fillion (1) – sh – 07:58
Dutch Hiller (1) – 11:14
Murph Chamberlain (1) – 18:55
Second periodNo scoring
No scoringThird period09:02 – ppBob Davidson (1)
Bill Durnan Goalie stats Frank McCool
March 27Montreal Canadiens3–4OTToronto Maple Leafs Maple Leaf Gardens Recap  
Elmer Lach (3) – 00:23
Maurice Richard (1) – 02:13
First periodNo scoring
No scoringSecond period02:34 – Mel Hill (1)
16:15 – Sweeney Schriner (1)
Bob Fillion (2) – pp – 03:47Third period09:15 – Babe Pratt (1)
No scoringFirst overtime period12:36 – Gus Bodnar (1)
Bill Durnan Goalie stats Frank McCool
March 29Toronto Maple Leafs3–10Montreal Canadiens Montreal Forum Recap  
Lorne Carr (2) – pp – 07:37
Ted Kennedy (3) – pp – 08:10
First period00:40 – Leo Lamoureux (1)
03:08 – shButch Bouchard (2)
06:02 – Eddie Emberg (1)
Moe Morris (1) – 12:16Second period06:36 – Glen Harmon (1)
13:25 – Maurice Richard (2)
No scoringThird period01:10 – Maurice Richard (3)
01:35 – Elmer Lach (4)
10:48 – Maurice Richard (4)
15:03 – Maurice Richard (5)
19:06 – Bob Fillion (3)
Frank McCool Goalie stats Bill Durnan
March 31Montreal Canadiens2–3Toronto Maple Leafs Maple Leaf Gardens Recap  
Maurice Richard (6) – 18:38First period13:59 – Moe Morris (2)
No scoringSecond period07:11 – Sweeney Schriner (2)
Butch Bouchard (3) – 15:26Third period01:53 – Gus Bodnar (2)
Bill Durnan Goalie stats Frank McCool
Toronto won series 4–2

(2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (4) Boston Bruins

The Detroit Red Wings finished second in the league with 67 points. The Boston Bruins finished fourth with 36 points. This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams with Detroit winning the two of the three previous series. They last met in the 1943 Stanley Cup Finals where the Red Wings won in four games. Detroit won this season's ten-game regular-season series earning nineteen of twenty points.

March 20Boston Bruins4–3Detroit Red Wings Olympia Stadium Recap  
Bill Cowley (1) – 06:20
Bill Cupolo (1) – 10:07
Herb Cain (1) – 14:04
First periodNo scoring
No scoringSecond periodNo scoring
Jack McGill (1) – 07:22Third period04:04 – Earl Seibert (1)
09:05 – Joe Carveth (1)
19:04 – Eddie Bruneteau (1)
Paul Bibeault Goalie stats Harry Lumley
March 22Boston Bruins4–2Detroit Red Wings Olympia Stadium Recap  
Jack McGill (2) – 02:46First periodNo scoring
Ken Smith (1) – 10:03
Jean-Paul Gladu (1) – 10:18
Second period08:25 – Harold Jackson (1)
Pat Egan (1) – 17:05Third period12:48 – Eddie Bruneteau (2)
Paul Bibeault Goalie stats Harry Lumley
March 24Detroit Red Wings3–2Boston Bruins Boston Garden Recap  
Ted Lindsay (1) – 18:54
Murray Armstrong (1) – 19:35
First periodNo scoring
No scoringSecond period16:05 – Pat Egan (2)
Mud Bruneteau (1) – 15:48Third period17:57 – Gino Rozzini (1)
Harry Lumley Goalie stats Paul Bibeault
March 27Detroit Red Wings3–2Boston Bruins Boston Garden Recap  
Earl Seibert (2) – 17:21First period08:31 – Ken Smith (2)
No scoringSecond period14:38 – Herb Cain (2)
Joe Carveth (2) – 05:10
Murray Armstrong (2) – 17:15
Third periodNo scoring
Harry Lumley Goalie stats Paul Bibeault
March 29Boston Bruins2–3OTDetroit Red Wings Olympia Stadium Recap  
Herb Cain (3) – 11:52First period02:51 – Mud Bruneteau (2)
11:41 – Flash Hollett (1)
No scoringSecond periodNo scoring
Bill Jennings (1) – pp – 17:00Third periodNo scoring
No scoringFirst overtime period17:12 – Mud Bruneteau (3)
Paul Bibeault Goalie stats Harry Lumley
April 1Detroit Red Wings3–5Boston Bruins Boston Garden Recap  
Jud McAtee (1) – 00:45First period12:54 – Bill Cowley (2)
Joe Carveth (3) – 03:24
Jud McAtee (2) – 17:12
Second period06:24 – Bill Jennings (2)
07:33 – ppHerb Cain (4)
10:38 – Jean-Paul Gladu (2)
No scoringThird period09:25 – Bill Cowley (3)
Harry Lumley Goalie stats Paul Bibeault
April 3Boston Bruins3–5Detroit Red Wings Olympia Stadium Recap  
Jack McGill (3) – 19:15First period08:20 – ppCarl Liscombe (1)
Herb Cain (5) – 08:50
Ken Smith (3) – 19:39
Second period03:51 – Carl Liscombe (2)
No scoringThird period02:01 – Eddie Bruneteau (3)
04:09 – Carl Liscombe (3)
19:54 – Carl Liscombe (4)
Paul Bibeault Goalie stats Harry Lumley
Detroit won series 4–3

Stanley Cup Finals

This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams with Toronto winning four of the seven previous series. They last met in the 1943 Stanley Cup Semifinals where Detroit won in six games. Detroit won this season's ten-game regular-season series earning seventeen of twenty points.

April 6Toronto Maple Leafs1–0Detroit Red Wings Olympia Stadium Recap  
Sweeney Schriner (3) – 13:56First periodNo scoring
No scoringSecond periodNo scoring
No scoringThird periodNo scoring
Frank McCool Goalie stats Harry Lumley
April 8Toronto Maple Leafs2–0Detroit Red Wings Olympia Stadium Recap  
No scoringFirst periodNo scoring
Ted Kennedy (4) – 13:05Second periodNo scoring
Moe Morris (3) – 12:03Third periodNo scoring
Frank McCool Goalie stats Harry Lumley
April 12Detroit Red Wings0–1Toronto Maple Leafs Maple Leaf Gardens Recap  
No scoringFirst periodNo scoring
No scoringSecond periodNo scoring
No scoringThird period03:02 – Gus Bodnar (3)
Harry Lumley Goalie stats Frank McCool
April 14Detroit Red Wings5–3Toronto Maple Leafs Maple Leaf Gardens Recap  
Flash Hollett (2) – pp – 08:35First period09:19 – Ted Kennedy (5)
11:44 – ppTed Kennedy (6)
Murray Armstrong (3) – 09:20Second period10:20 – Ted Kennedy (7)
Eddie Bruneteau (4) – sh – 01:11
Ted Lindsay (2) – 03:20
Joe Carveth (4) – 17:38
Third periodNo scoring
Harry Lumley Goalie stats Frank McCool
April 19Toronto Maple Leafs0–2Detroit Red Wings Olympia Stadium Recap  
No scoringFirst periodNo scoring
No scoringSecond periodNo scoring
No scoringThird period08:21 – Flash Hollett (3)
16:16 – Joe Carveth (5)
Frank McCool Goalie stats Harry Lumley
April 21Detroit Red Wings1–0OTToronto Maple Leafs Maple Leaf Gardens Recap  
No scoringFirst periodNo scoring
No scoringSecond periodNo scoring
No scoringThird periodNo scoring
Eddie Bruneteau (5) – 14:16First overtime periodNo scoring
Harry Lumley Goalie stats Frank McCool
April 22Toronto Maple Leafs2–1Detroit Red Wings Olympia Stadium Recap  
Mel Hill (2) – 05:38First periodNo scoring
No scoringSecond periodNo scoring
Babe Pratt (2) – pp – 12:14Third period08:16 – Murray Armstrong (4)
Frank McCool Goalie stats Harry Lumley
Toronto won series 4–3

Awards

Award winners
O'Brien Cup:
(Stanley Cup runner-up)
Detroit Red Wings
Prince of Wales Trophy:
(Regular season champion)
Montreal Canadiens
Calder Memorial Trophy:
(Best first-year player)
Frank McCool, Toronto Maple Leafs
Hart Trophy:
(Most valuable player)
Elmer Lach, Montreal Canadiens
Lady Byng Trophy:
(Excellence and sportsmanship)
Bill Mosienko, Chicago Black Hawks
Vezina Trophy:
(Fewest goals allowed)
Bill Durnan, Montreal Canadiens
All-Star teams
First team  Position  Second team
Bill Durnan, Montreal Canadiens G Mike Karakas, Chicago Black Hawks
Émile Bouchard, Montreal Canadiens D Glen Harmon, Montreal Canadiens
Flash Hollett, Detroit Red WingsD Babe Pratt, Toronto Maple Leafs
Elmer Lach, Montreal Canadiens C Bill Cowley, Boston Bruins
Maurice Richard, Montreal Canadiens RW Bill Mosienko, Chicago Black Hawks
Toe Blake, Montreal Canadiens LW Syd Howe, Detroit Red Wings
Dick Irvin, Montreal Canadiens Coach Jack Adams, Detroit Red Wings

Player statistics

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes

PlayerTeamGPGAPtsPIM
Elmer Lach Montreal Canadiens5026548037
Maurice Richard Montreal Canadiens5050237346
Toe Blake Montreal Canadiens4929386735
Bill Cowley Boston Bruins4925406512
Ted Kennedy Toronto Maple Leafs4929255414
Bill Mosienko Chicago Black Hawks502826540
Joe Carveth Detroit Red Wings502628546
Ab DeMarco New York Rangers5024305410
Clint Smith Chicago Black Hawks502331540
Syd Howe Detroit Red Wings461736536

Source: NHL [4]

Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts

PlayerTeamGPMINGAGAAWLTSO
Bill Durnan Montreal Canadiens5030001212.4238841
Frank McCool Toronto Maple Leafs5030001613.22242244
Harry Lumley Detroit Red Wings3722201193.22241031
Connie Dion Detroit Red Wings12720393.256420
Mike Karakas Chicago Black Hawks4828801873.90122974
Harvey Bennett Boston Bruins2414701034.20101220
Paul Bibeault Boston Bruins2615301164.5561820
Ken McAuley New York Rangers4627602274.931125101

Coaches

Debuts

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1944–45 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):

Last games

The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1944–45 (listed with their last team):

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

Notes
  1. "Patrick Sponsorshing Hardy As N.H.L. Chief". Lethbridge Herald. Lethbridge, Alberta. October 18, 1944. p. 23. Lock-green.svg
  2. Hockey's Book of Firsts, p.23, James Duplacey, JG Press, ISBN   978-1-57215-037-9
  3. "1944–1945 Division Standings Standings - NHL.com - Standings". National Hockey League.
  4. Dinger 2011, p. 148.