The 1940–41 NHL season was the 24th season of the National Hockey League (NHL). Seven teams played 48 games each. The Boston Bruins were the Stanley Cup winners as they swept the Detroit Red Wings four games to none in the final series.
League business In September 1940, International Ice Hockey Association president W. G. Hardy announced a new one-year agreement was reached with the NHL, who agreed to pay $250 for signing an amateur and another $250 if the amateur played in the NHL. NHL president Frank Calder signed the new professional-amateur agreement in October 1940. The agreement also included allowing the NHL to sign a limited number of junior age players.
Regular season The Montreal Canadiens had hit the bottom in 1939–40, and were in financial trouble. Frank Patrick decided to become an investor and governor for the team, and Tommy Gorman was hired as general manager. He hired recently released Toronto coach Dick Irvin to run the team. One of the first things Gorman and Irvin did was scout for players, and the Canadiens came up with Johnny Quilty, Joe Benoit, Elmer Lach and defenceman Ken Reardon. Bert Gardiner would be used in goal, replacing Claude Bourque and Wilf Cude. Murph Chamberlain was bought from Toronto to bolster the offence.
Quilty and Benoit came through, as did Toe Blake, but the Habs had a long way to go, finishing sixth. Quilty won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie. In fact, before the season started, Coach Irvin handed a sealed envelope to a reporter of his guess who would win the Calder Trophy, and when the season ended, the reporter opened the envelope: Johnny Quilty was the choice Irvin made.
The Boston Bruins set a record 23 straight unbeaten games en route to a strong first-place finish at the end of the schedule. The Rangers, finished fourth after the previous year's Stanley Cup win and Dave Kerr was not up to his usual form in goal.
Final standings
Playoffs
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-five series, and the fifth-place team faced the sixth-place team in another best-of-five series, to determine the participants for the other best-of-five 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) Detroit Red Wings vs. (4) New York Rangers
(5) Chicago Black Hawks vs. (6) Montreal Canadiens
Semifinals
(1) Boston Bruins vs. (2) Toronto Maple Leafs
(3) Detroit Red Wings vs. (5) Chicago Black Hawks
Stanley Cup Finals
Awards Calder Trophy:(Best first-year player) Johnny Quilty, Montreal CanadiensHart Trophy:(Most valuable player) Bill Cowley, Boston BruinsLady Byng Trophy:(Excellence and sportsmanship) Bobby Bauer, Boston BruinsO'Brien Cup:(Stanley Cup runners-up) Detroit Red WingsPrince of Wales Trophy:(Top regular season record) Boston BruinsVezina Trophy:(Fewest goals allowed) Turk Broda, Toronto Maple Leafs
All-Star teams First Team Position Second TeamTurk Broda, Toronto Maple Leafs GFrank Brimsek, Boston BruinsDit Clapper, Boston Bruins DEarl Seibert, Chicago Black HawksWally Stanowski, Toronto Maple Leafs DOtt Heller, New York RangersBill Cowley, Boston Bruins CSyl Apps, Toronto Maple LeafsBryan Hextall, New York Rangers RWBobby Bauer, Boston BruinsSweeney Schriner, Toronto Maple Leafs LWWoody Dumart, Boston BruinsCooney Weiland, Boston Bruins CoachDick Irvin, Montreal Canadiens
Player statistics
Scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes PLAYER TEAM GP G A PTS PIM Bill Cowley Boston Bruins 46 17 45 62 16 Bryan Hextall New York Rangers 48 26 18 44 16 Gordie Drillon Toronto Maple Leafs 42 23 21 44 2 Syl Apps Toronto Maple Leafs 41 20 24 44 6 Syd Howe Detroit Red Wings 48 20 24 44 8 Lynn Patrick New York Rangers 48 20 24 44 12 Neil Colville New York Rangers 48 14 28 42 28 Eddie Wiseman Boston Bruins 47 16 24 40 10 Bobby Bauer Boston Bruins 48 17 22 39 2 Roy Conacher Boston Bruins 41 24 14 38 7 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 SOTurk Broda Toronto Maple Leafs 48 2970 99 2.00 28 14 6 5Frank Brimsek Boston Bruins 48 3040 102 2.01 27 8 13 6Johnny Mowers Detroit Red Wings 48 3040 102 2.01 21 16 11 4Dave Kerr New York Rangers 48 3010 125 2.49 21 19 8 2Paul Goodman Chicago Black Hawks 21 1320 55 2.50 7 10 4 2Bert Gardiner Montreal Canadiens 42 2600 119 2.75 13 23 6 2Sam LoPresti Chicago Black Hawks 27 1670 84 3.02 9 15 3 1Chuck Rayner N.Y. Americans 12 773 44 3.42 2 7 3 0Earl Robertson N.Y. Americans 36 2260 142 3.77 6 22 8 1
Coaches Boston Bruins: Cooney Weiland Chicago Black Hawks: Paul Thompson Detroit Red Wings: Jack Adams Montreal Canadiens: Dick Irvin New York Americans: Red Dutton New York Rangers: Frank Boucher Toronto Maple Leafs: Hap Day
Debuts The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1940–41 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs): Max Bentley, Chicago Black Hawks John Mariucci, Chicago Black Hawks Joe Carveth, Detroit Red Wings Elmer Lach, Montreal Canadiens Ken Reardon, Montreal Canadiens John Quilty, Montreal Canadiens Chuck Rayner, New York Americans Bill Juzda, New York Rangers
Last games The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1940–41 (listed with their last team): Paul Haynes, Montreal Canadiens Georges Mantha, Montreal Canadiens Hooley Smith, New York Americans Charlie Conacher, New York Americans Dave Kerr, New York Rangers
See also 1940–41 NHL transactions List of Stanley Cup champions 1940 in sports 1941 in sports
References
Notes
External links Hockey Database NHL.com