The 1939–40 NHL season was the 23rd season for the National Hockey League. Seven teams played 48 games each. The Boston Bruins were the best in the regular season, but the Stanley Cup winners were the New York Rangers, who defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the best-of-seven final series 4–2 for their third Stanley Cup in 14 seasons of existence. It would be another 54 years before their fourth.
League business In June 1939, the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association notified the NHL of the request for development fees when signing amateur players to contracts, after the existing professional-amateur deal expired in 1940.
Regular season Tragedy struck the Montreal Canadiens when Babe Siebert, named coach of the struggling club, drowned along with his daughter in August. It put a big hole in the Habs defence and the team finished last under Pit Lepine. An all-star benefit was held in Siebert's memory.
The New York Americans, in financial trouble, decided to trade their star left wing Sweeney Schriner to Toronto for Harvey "Busher" Jackson, Buzz Boll, Murray Armstrong, and minor-leaguer Jimmy Fowler. Late in the season, they traded Eddie Wiseman and $5000 to Boston for Eddie Shore. The Americans then managed to make the playoffs by finishing a poor sixth. They also obtained Charlie Conacher and used him as a defenceman.
The first place Boston Bruins had a new coach in Cooney Weiland, their one-time captain, and were once again led by their Kraut Line, Milt Schmidt, Woody Dumart, and Bobby Bauer as they finished 1–2–3 in overall league scoring. Unfortunately, the potent three were unable to help the Bruins get past the first round of the playoffs as the Bruins lost in six games to the Rangers.
The New York Rangers were coasting in first place and went 19 consecutive games without a loss. They slumped in the second half, though, and Boston edged them out for first place.
The first NHL game broadcast on television was between the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens on February 25, 1940. The game was seen by only 300 people in a small area in the United States. This, though, was not the first ice hockey game broadcast on television, as a broadcast had been made in England in 1938. The CBC's first hockey broadcast was in 1952 between the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings.
Final standings
Playoffs The Boston Bruins were expected to make the Stanley Cup Finals after a first overall finish during the regular season riding the shoulders of the "Kraut Line", but the New York Rangers were too much for the Bruins who lost in six games, got out-scored 14 to 8, and got shut-out twice in the Semifinals. The third seed Toronto Maple Leafs swept the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks en route to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Rangers Cup win would begin the 54 Year Curse, and they would not win another Cup until 1994.
Playoff bracket The top six teams in the league qualified for the playoffs. The top two teams played in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup semifinal series. The third-place team then met the fourth-place team in one best-of-three series, and the fifth-place team faced the sixth-place team in another best-of-three series, to determine the participants for the other best-of-three semifinal series. The semifinal winners then met in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Finals (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each series).
Quarterfinals
(3) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (4) Chicago Black Hawks
(5) Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) New York Americans
Semifinals
(1) Boston Bruins vs. (2) New York Rangers
(3) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings
Stanley Cup Finals
Awards Calder Trophy:(Best first-year player) Kilby MacDonald, New York RangersHart Trophy:(Most valuable player) Ebbie Goodfellow, Detroit Red WingsLady Byng Trophy:(Excellence and sportsmanship) Bobby Bauer, Boston BruinsO'Brien Cup:(Stanley Cup runner-up) Toronto Maple LeafsPrince of Wales Trophy:(Regular season champion) Boston BruinsVezina Trophy:(Fewest goals allowed) Dave Kerr, New York Rangers
All-Star teams First Team Position Second TeamDave Kerr, New York Rangers GFrank Brimsek, Boston BruinsDit Clapper, Boston Bruins DArt Coulter, New York RangersEbbie Goodfellow, Detroit Red Wings DEarl Seibert, Chicago Black HawksMilt Schmidt, Boston Bruins CNeil Colville, New York RangersBryan Hextall, New York Rangers RWBobby Bauer, Boston BruinsToe Blake, Montreal Canadiens LWWoody Dumart, Boston BruinsPaul Thompson, Chicago Black Hawks CoachFrank Boucher, New York Rangers
Player statistics Regular season
Scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points Player Team GP G A PtsMilt Schmidt Boston Bruins48 22 30 52Woody Dumart Boston Bruins48 22 21 43Bobby Bauer Boston Bruins48 17 26 43Gordie Drillon Toronto Maple Leafs 4321 19 40Bill Cowley Boston Bruins48 13 27 40Bryan Hextall New York Rangers 48 24 15 39Neil Colville New York Rangers 48 19 19 38Syd Howe Detroit Red Wings 46 14 23 37Toe Blake Montreal Canadiens 4817 19 36Murray Armstrong New York Americans 48 16 20 36 Source: NHL
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 SODave Kerr New York Rangers 48 3000 77 1.54 27 11 10 8Paul Goodman Chicago Black Hawks 31 1920 62 1.94 16 10 5 4Frank Brimsek Boston Bruins 48 2950 98 1.99 31 12 5 6Turk Broda Toronto Maple Leafs 47 2900 108 2.23 25 17 5 4Cecil "Tiny" Thompson Detroit Red Wings 46 2830 120 2.54 16 24 6 3Earl Robertson N.Y. Americans 48 2960 140 2.84 15 29 4 6Claude Bourque Montreal Canadiens 36 2210 121 3.29 9 24 3 2Mike Karakas Chicago Black Hawks 17 1050 58 3.31 7 9 1 0 Playoffs
Playoff scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team GP G A Pts PIM Phil Watson New York Rangers 12 3 6 9 16 Neil Colville New York Rangers 12 2 7 9 18 Syl Apps Toronto Maple Leafs 10 5 2 7 2 Bryan Hextall New York Rangers 12 4 3 7 11 Alex Shibicky New York Rangers 11 2 5 7 4 Hank Goldup Toronto Maple Leafs 10 5 1 6 4 Wilbert Hiller New York Rangers 12 2 4 6 2 Mac Colville New York Rangers 12 3 2 5 6 Mud Bruneteau Detroit Red Wings 5 3 2 5 0 Alf Pike New York Rangers 12 3 1 4 6
Playoff leading goaltenders Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts Player Team GP Min W L T SO GAA Dave Kerr New York Rangers 12 770 8 4 0 3 1.56 Turk Broda Toronto Maple Leafs 10 657 6 4 0 1 1.74 Frank Brimsek Boston Bruins 6 360 2 4 0 0 2.50 Tiny Thompson Detroit Red Wings 5 300 2 3 0 0 2.40 Earl Robertson New York Americans 3 180 1 2 0 0 3.00 Paul Goodman Chicago Black Hawks 2 127 0 2 0 0 2.36
Coaches Boston Bruins: Cooney Weiland Chicago Black Hawks: Paul Thompson Detroit Red Wings: Jack Adams Montreal Canadiens: Babe Siebert and Alfred Lepine New York Americans: Red Dutton New York Rangers: Frank Boucher Toronto Maple Leafs: Dick Irvin
Debuts The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1939–40 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs): Doug Bentley, Chicago Black Hawks Johnny Mowers, Detroit Red Wings Pat Egan, New York Americans Kilby MacDonald, New York Rangers
Last games The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1939–40 (listed with their last team): Tiny Thompson, Detroit Red Wings Cecil Dillon, Detroit Red Wings Hec Kilrea, Detroit Red Wings Cy Wentworth, Montreal Canadiens Earl Robinson, Montreal Canadiens Armand Mondou, Montreal Canadiens Marty Barry, Montreal Canadiens Doc Romnes, New York Americans Art Chapman, New York Americans Nels Stewart, New York Americans Eddie Shore, New York Americans Cliff Barton, New York Rangers, last active player form the Pittsburgh Pirates (NHL) franchise. Johnny Gagnon, New York Rangers Red Horner, Toronto Maple Leafs
See also 1939–40 NHL transactions List of Stanley Cup champions 1939 in sports 1940 in sports
References
Notes
External links
Hockey Database 1939–40 NHL Playoff Season Stats – quanthockey.com 1939–40 NHL Playoff Season Goaltender Stats NHL.com