The 1930–31 Philadelphia Quakers season was the Quakers' sole season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The team moved from Pittsburgh, where they had played as the Pittsburgh Pirates since 1925.

Offseason The team relocated to Philadelphia and was in the charge of Benny Leonard, the prizefighter who held the world lightweight title from 1917 to 1925.

On October 18, 1930, 13 players, including player-coach Frank Fredrickson, were transferred to the Quakers from Pittsburgh. But Fredrickson was released two days later and replaced by Cooper Smeaton, who resigned his position as the league's referee-in-chief to become the Quakers head coach.

Regular season The team finished with 12 points for the season, the worst performance in the six-year history of the Pirate/Quaker franchise. The team lost $100,000 on its operations and folded after the season.McFarlane, p. 28 As a result, Philadelphia was left without an NHL franchise until the Flyers arrived in 1967.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

| 1 || November 11 || 0–3 || align="left"| New York Rangers || Miller || 5,000 || 0–1–0 || 0 ||

| 2 || November 15 || 0–4 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs || Miller || 6,000 || 0–2–0 || 0 ||

| 3 || November 16 || 1–5 || align="left"| @ Detroit Falcons || Miller || 7,500 || 0–3–0 || 0 ||

| 4 || November 18 || 2–2 OT || align="left"| Ottawa Senators || Miller || 2,000 || 0–3–1 || 1 ||

| 5 || November 23 || 2–5 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers || Miller || 9,000 || 0–4–1 || 1 ||

| 6 || November 25 || 2–1 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs || Miller || 3,500 || 1–4–1 || 3 ||

| 7 || November 29 || 3–6 || align="left"| New York Rangers || Miller || 2,500 || 1–5–1 || 3 ||

| 8 || December 2 || 0–2 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens || Miller || 4,000 || 1–6–1 || 3 ||

| 9 || December 4 || 2–5 || align="left"| @ Ottawa Senators || Miller || 4,000 || 1–7–1 || 3 ||

| 10 || December 6 || 3–4 || align="left"| Boston Bruins || Miller || 5,000 || 1–8–1 || 3 ||

| 11 || December 9 || 1–2 OT || align="left"| New York Americans || Miller || 3,000 || 1–9–1 || 3 ||

| 12 || December 13 || 2–3 || align="left"| Detroit Falcons || Miller || 5,000 || 1–10–1 || 3 ||

| 13 || December 16 || 0–3 || align="left"| @ New York Americans || Miller || 5,000 || 1–11–1 || 3 ||

| 14 || December 20 || 1–5 || align="left"| @ Montreal Maroons || Miller || 9,000 || 1–12–1 || 3 ||

| 15 || December 23 || 2–3 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks || Cude || 2,000 || 1–13–1 || 3 ||

| 16 || December 25 || 0–8 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins || Cude || 11,000 || 1–14–1 || 3 ||

| 17 || December 28 || 2–4 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers || Cude || 7,000 || 1–15–1 || 3 ||

| 18 || January 1 || 3–10 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks || Cude || 7,000 || 1–16–1 || 3 ||

| 19 || January 3 || 4–5 OT || align="left"| Ottawa Senators || Cude || 3,500 || 1–17–1 || 3 ||

| 20 || January 4 || 0–5 || align="left"| @ New York Americans || Cude || 7,000 || 1–18–1 || 3 ||

| 21 || January 8 || 0–4 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks || Cude || n/a || 1–19–1 || 3 ||

| 22 || January 10 || 4–3 OT || align="left"| Montreal Maroons || Miller || 3,000 || 2–19–1 || 5 ||

| 23 || January 13 || 1–2 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens || Forbes || 3,500 || 2–20–1 || 5 ||

| 24 || January 17 || 2–5 || align="left"| Detroit Falcons || Forbes || 2,500 || 2–21–1 || 5 ||

| 25 || January 20 || 2–5 || align="left"| @ Detroit Falcons || Cude || 6,000 || 2–22–1 || 5 ||

| 26 || January 22 || 2–5 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks || Cude || 6,500 || 2–23–1 || 5 ||

| 27 || January 24 || 2–4 || align="left"| Boston Bruins || Cude || 3,500 || 2–24–1 || 5 ||

| 28 || January 27 || 3–3 OT || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins || Cude || n/a || 2–24–2 || 6 ||

| 29 || January 29 || 1–7 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens || Cude || 10,000 || 2–25–2 || 6 ||

| 30 || January 31 || 2–3 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs || Cude || 7,000 || 2–26–2 || 6 ||

| 31 || February 5 || 1–6 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks || Cude || 8,000 || 2–27–2 || 6 ||

| 32 || February 10 || 1–3 || align="left"| New York Rangers || Cude || n/a || 2–28–2 || 6 ||

| 33 || February 14 || 1–1 OT || align="left"| New York Americans || Cude || 3,000 || 2–28–3 || 7 ||

| 34 || February 17 || 2–0 || align="left"| @ Detroit Falcons || Cude || 5,000 || 3–28–3 || 9 ||

| 35 || February 22 || 1–6 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers || Cude || 8,000 || 3–29–3 || 9 ||

| 36 || February 24 || 1–5 || align="left"| Boston Bruins || Cude || 2,000 || 3–30–3 || 9 ||

| 37 || February 28 || 1–4 || align="left"| @ Montreal Maroons || Cude || 9,500 || 3–31–3 || 9 ||

| 38 || March 3 || 1–5 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs || Cude || 1,500 || 3–32–3 || 9 ||

| 39 || March 7 || 2–7 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins || Cude || n/a || 3–33–3 || 9 ||

| 40 || March 10 || 3–5 OT || align="left"| @ Ottawa Senators || Cude || 2,000 || 3–34–3 || 9 ||

| 41 || March 12 || 7–5 || align="left"| Detroit Falcons || Cude || n/a || 4–34–3 || 11 ||

| 42 || March 14 || 2–3 || align="left"| Montreal Maroons || Cude || n/a || 4–35–3 || 11 ||

| 43 || March 17 || 0–4 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks || Cude || 2,500 || 4–36–3 || 11 ||

| 44 || March 21 || 4–4 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens || Cude || n/a || 4–36–4 || 12 ||

Legend:

Player statistics

Scoring Position abbreviations: C = Center; D = Defense; F = Forward; G = Goaltender; LW = Left wing; RW = Right wing = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Quakers only. = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Quakers only.

Player Regular season 7 C 43 12 14 26 27 4 C 44 18 6 24 42 15 LW/C 44 9 11 20 22 14 C 44 8 11 19 26 10 RW 43 6 7 13 21 5 LW 44 5 7 12 32 12 D 43 7 4 11 102 2 LW 22 2 4 6 11 17 RW 16 3 0 3 6 11 RW 9 3 0 3 2 8 LW 24 0 3 3 10 6 RW 10 1 1 2 4 9 D 39 1 1 2 46 6 RW 21 1 0 1 2 16 D 28 0 0 0 103 3 D 21 0 0 0 10 18 G 29 0 0 0 0 1 G 2 0 0 0 0 2 D 5 0 0 0 29 19 F 4 0 0 0 0 1 G 15 0 0 0 0 3 D 9 0 0 0 8 16 F 1 0 0 0 0

Goaltending Player Regular season 18 Wilf Cude 29 2 23 3 1 130 4.38 1779 1 Joe Miller 15 2 11 1 0 47 3.43 821 1 Jake Forbes 2 0 2 0 0 7 3.50 120

Awards and records

Records The 1930–31 Quakers are tied with the 1919–20 Quebec Bulldogs for the fewest wins in a season with four, though Quebec played 20 fewer games. The Quakers .136 points percentage on the season held the NHL record low for 44 years until being surpassed by the expansion 1974–75 Washington Capitals’ .131.

Transactions

The Quakers were involved in the following transactions before, during, and after the 1930–31 season.

Trades Date Details To Philadelphia Quakers To Ottawa Senators To Philadelphia Quakers To Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets (IHL) To Philadelphia Quakers To Boston Bruins To Philadelphia Quakers To Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets (IHL) To Philadelphia Quakers To New Haven Eagles (CAHL) To Philadelphia Quakers To Boston Bruins To Philadelphia Quakers To Detroit Olympics (IHL) To Philadelphia Quakers To Montreal Canadiens

Players acquired Date Player Former team Via Aubrey Shore Kitchener Flying Dutchmen (CPHL) Free agency D'Arcy Coulson Chicago Shamrocks (AHA) Free agency Wilf Cude Melville Millionaires (S-SSHL) Free agency Eddie McCalmon Toronto Millionaires (IHL) Free agency Stan Crossett Port Hope Eagles (OHA-Sr.) Free agency Doug Young Cleveland Indians (IHL) Inter-league draft

Players lost Date Player New team Via Frank Fredrickson Detroit Falcons Release Tom Cowan Release Rennison Manners Niagara Falls Cataracts (OPHL) Release Joe Miller Release Cliff Barton New York Rangers Dispersal draft D'Arcy Coulson Montreal Maroons Dispersal draft James Jarvis New York Rangers Dispersal draft Gerry Lowrey Chicago Black Hawks Dispersal draft Hib Milks New York Rangers Dispersal draft Doug Young New York Americans Dispersal draft Wilf Cude National Hockey League Free agency

Signings Date Player Gerry Lowrey

Notes

References