1934–35 St. Louis Eagles season

The 1934–35 St. Louis Eagles season was the Eagles' only season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Eagles finished last in the Canadian Division and did not qualify for the playoffs. The team made a coaching change, replacing Eddie Gerard after a 2–11 start, with Buck Boucher, who could not turn the team around.

The Ottawa Senators relocated their NHL franchise and players to St. Louis in the summer of 1934 due to financial losses in Ottawa. Despite good attendance at the St. Louis Arena, the Eagles would have financial problems, due to travel costs. The Eagles would take the Senators' spot in the Canadian Division, and would face numerous road trips to Montreal and Toronto throughout the season, despite being closer to Chicago and Detroit, who played in the American Division. The Eagles were forced to sell players, such as Syd Howe and Frank Finnigan. After the season, the NHL bought the franchise and dispersed its players.

Off-season The St. Louis Arena had an ice surface that was × , reputedly the "largest ice surface in the world". The rink was cut down to the league standard wide, but left , leaving a neutral zone of . It was the largest ice surface in the NHL.

Regular season The first NHL game in St. Louis was played on November 8, 1934, against the Chicago Black Hawks with a paid attendance of 12,622. The Eagles lost 3–1 and their only goal was scored by Earl Roche.

The Eagles were led offensively by Carl Voss and his team-leading 31 points, team captain Syd Howe would lead the club with 14 goals, despite being traded to the Detroit Red Wings late in the season, while Glen Brydson would finish second in team scoring with 29 points. Frank Jerwa, acquired from the Boston Bruins, would lead the defense with 11 points in 16 games in St. Louis.

Bill Beveridge was the Eagles' only goaltender, winning 11 games with a 2.89 goals against average (GAA) and 3 shutouts.

The strain of so many long train rides showed early on. Midway through the season, new head coach and former Senators player Eddie Gerard was relieved of his duties after a 2–11–0 start and was replaced by Buck Boucher, who was the head coach of the Senators the previous season. Boucher would post a 9–20–6 record in 35 games. The Eagles finished the season last in the NHL with a 11–31–6 record and a .292 winning percentage.

After the season, the franchise owners asked permission to suspend operations for a year. Instead, the NHL bought the players' contracts for and dispersed the players to other NHL teams. The NHL took back the franchise, on the condition that if it were resold, the original franchisees would share in the proceeds.

The Montreal Maroons nearly relocated to St. Louis in 1938, but the NHL nixed the move. St. Louis would be without an NHL team until the 1967–68 season, when the league expanded from 6 teams to 12, and granted the St. Louis Blues a place in the NHL.

Final standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

| 1 || November 8 || Chicago || 3–1 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 0–1–0 || 0

| 2 || November 10 || NY Rangers || 2–4 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 1–1–0 || 2

| 3 || November 13 || Mtl Maroons || 2–1 || St. Louis || OT || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 1–2–0 || 2

| 4 || November 17 || St. Louis || 0–1 || Boston || || Beveridge || Boston Garden || 1–3–0 || 2

| 5 || November 18 || St. Louis || 0–5 || NY Rangers || || Beveridge || Madison Square Garden || 1–4–0 || 2

| 6 || November 20 || Toronto || 5–2 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 1–5–0 || 2

| 7 || November 22 || St. Louis || 0–1 || Chicago || || Beveridge || Chicago Stadium || 1–6–0 || 2

| 8 || November 24 || Boston || 4–1 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 1–7–0 || 2

| 9 || November 25 || St. Louis || 1–4 || Detroit || || Beveridge || Detroit Olympia || 1–8–0 || 2

| 10 || December 1 || St. Louis || 3–4 || Toronto || || Beveridge || Maple Leaf Gardens || 1–9–0 || 2

| 11 || December 4 || NY Americans || 0–2 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 2–9–0 || 4

| 12 || December 8 || St. Louis || 0–1 || Mtl Maroons || || Beveridge || Montreal Forum || 2–10–0 || 4

| 13 || December 9 || St. Louis || 1–3 || Detroit || || Beveridge || Detroit Olympia || 2–11–0 || 4

| 14 || December 13 || Detroit || 11–2 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 2–12–0 || 4

| 15 || December 15 || St. Louis || 1–1 || Mtl Canadiens || OT || Beveridge || Montreal Forum || 2–12–1 || 5

| 16 || December 18 || St. Louis || 2–1 || NY Americans || OT || Beveridge || Madison Square Garden || 3–12–1 || 7

| 17 || December 20 || Toronto || 1–1 || St. Louis || OT || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 3–12–2 || 8

| 18 || December 22 || Mtl Canadiens || 2–1 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 3–13–2 || 8

| 19 || December 27 || Detroit || 2–5 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 4–13–2 || 10

| 20 || December 30 || St. Louis || 3–3 || Chicago || OT || Beveridge || Chicago Stadium || 4–13–3 || 11

| 21 || January 3 || Mtl Maroons || 3–0 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 4–14–3 || 11

| 22 || January 5 || St. Louis || 2–1 || Mtl Maroons || || Beveridge || Montreal Forum || 5–14–3 || 13

| 23 || January 10 || Boston || 2–1 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 5–15–3 || 13

| 24 || January 13 || St. Louis || 2–3 || NY Rangers || || Beveridge || Madison Square Garden || 5–16–3 || 13

| 25 || January 15 || St. Louis || 3–5 || Boston || || Beveridge || Boston Garden || 5–17–3 || 13

| 26 || January 17 || Chicago || 5–1 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 5–18–3 || 13

| 27 || January 19 || St. Louis || 2–6 || Toronto || || Beveridge || Maple Leaf Gardens || 5–19–3 || 13

| 28 || January 20 || St. Louis || 6–1 || Detroit || || Beveridge || Detroit Olympia || 6–19–3 || 15

| 29 || January 22 || Toronto || 2–1 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 6–20–3 || 15

| 30 || January 24 || NY Americans || 2–2 || St. Louis || OT || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 6–20–4 || 16

| 31 || January 27 || St. Louis || 3–5 || Chicago || || Beveridge || Chicago Stadium || 6–21–4 || 16

| 32 || January 29 || St. Louis || 2–5 || Mtl Maroons || || Beveridge || Montreal Forum || 6–22–4 || 16

| 33 || February 2 || Mtl Canadiens || 1–1 || St. Louis || OT || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 6–22–5 || 17

| 34 || February 5 || St. Louis || 3–3 || NY Americans || OT || Beveridge || Madison Square Garden || 6–22–6 || 18

| 35 || February 7 || Chicago || 0–1 || St. Louis || OT || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 7–22–6 || 20

| 36 || February 9 || St. Louis || 2–4 || Mtl Canadiens || || Beveridge || Montreal Forum || 7–23–6 || 20

| 37 || February 12 || NY Rangers || 5–1 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 7–24–6 || 20

| 38 || February 16 || Boston || 0–3 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 8–24–6 || 22

| 39 || February 19 || St. Louis || 1–2 || NY Rangers || || Beveridge || Madison Square Garden || 8–25–6 || 22

| 40 || February 21 || St. Louis || 4–3 || NY Americans || || Beveridge || Madison Square Garden || 9–25–6 || 24

| 41 || February 23 || Mtl Maroons || 4–0 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 9–26–6 || 22

| 42 || February 26 || St. Louis || 0–5 || Boston || || Beveridge || Boston Garden || 9–27–6 || 24

| 43 || February 28 || St. Louis || 2–4 || Mtl Canadiens || || Beveridge || Montreal Forum || 9–28–6 || 24

| 44 || March 2 || Mtl Canadiens || 3–2 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 9–29–6 || 24

| 45 || March 7 || NY Americans || 2–3 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 10–29–6 || 26

| 46 || March 9 || NY Rangers || 5–1 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 10–30–6 || 26

| 47 || March 12 || Detroit || 2–3 || St. Louis || || Beveridge || St. Louis Arena || 11–30–6 || 28

| 48 || March 19 || St. Louis || 3–5 || Toronto || || Beveridge || Maple Leaf Gardens || 11–31–6 || 28

Legend:

Player statistics

Skaters Regular season Player C 48 13 18 31 14 RW 48 11 18 29 45 C 36 14 13 27 23 RW 31 11 12 23 19 RW 25 3 10 13 14 C 41 5 7 12 10 C 11 4 7 11 2 LW 16 4 7 11 14 RW 34 5 5 10 10 LW 19 3 3 6 2 LW 31 1 5 6 8 RW 13 3 1 4 2 D 47 2 2 4 60 D 31 2 2 4 47 LW 26 2 2 4 11 RW 25 1 2 3 8 LW 8 1 1 2 2 D 48 0 2 2 89 LW 12 1 0 1 2 C 4 0 1 1 0 C 4 0 0 0 0 D 12 0 0 0 2 D 3 0 0 0 6 C 11 0 0 0 0 LW 11 0 0 0 2 RW 7 0 0 0 10 RW 8 0 0 0 0 D 9 0 0 0 6

Goaltenders Regular season Player 48 48 2,990:00 11 31 6 144 2.89 3 0 0 0

1934–35 St. Louis Eagles season

Bron en licentie