1928–29 NHL season

1928–29 NHL season
League	National Hockey League
Sport	Ice hockey
Duration	November 15, 1928 – March 29, 1929
Number of games	44
Number of teams	10
Regular season
Season champions	Montreal Canadiens
Season MVP	Roy Worters (New York Americans)
Top scorer	Ace Bailey (Toronto)
Canadian Division champions	Montreal Canadiens
American Division champions	Boston Bruins
Stanley Cup
Finals champions	Boston Bruins
Runners-up	New York Rangers
NHL seasons
← 1927–28 1929–30 →

The 1928–29 NHL season was the 12th season of the National Hockey League. Ten teams played 44 games each. This was the first Stanley Cup final that saw two United States-based teams compete for the cup. The Boston Bruins defeated the New York Rangers two games to none in the best-of-three final.

League business

Notable rule changes

Forward passing was permitted from the neutral zone across the blue line into the attacking zone, as long as no offensive player preceded the puck into the attacking zone; forward passing within the attacking zone was still forbidden. Regular season overtime was changed to a 10-minute, non-sudden-death format, to be played in its entirety.

Playoff format

The playoff format was revised to match the divisional first-place teams in a best-of-five semi-final. The divisional second-place teams and third-place teams played off in a two-game total-goals series to determine the participants for the other best-of-three semi-final. The semi-final winners then played off in a best-of-three series for the Cup.

Regular season

Ottawa continued in financial trouble and sold Punch Broadbent to the New York Americans. They continued to erode, and at one point, rumour had it that they would be sold to a Chicago group. Frank Ahearn, the Senators owner, denied this, but admitted that the team was for sale to the highest bidder.

The New York Americans, last place finishers in 1927–28, surprised everyone by occupying first place for much of the season in the Canadian Division. They were held up by the great play of defenceman Lionel Conacher and goaltender Roy Worters. However, the Montreal Canadiens dislodged the Americans and finished first. Boston, led by rookie Tiny Thompson in goal, led the American Division.

Bruins' player George Owen was the first NHL player to regularly wear headgear for protective purposes. Prior to this, the only time protective headgear was worn was to temporarily protect injuries. Fifty-one years later the NHL would mandate the use of helmets. Craig MacTavish was the last NHL player to not wear a helmet, retiring in 1997.

The Chicago Black Hawks set records for goal scoring futility, scoring on average less than one goal per game (33), while giving up a league worst 85 goals against. In one stretch from February 7 through February 28, the Hawks were shut out in eight consecutive games. Forward Vic Ripley was the Hawks' leading goal scorer with only 11 goals and 2 assists for 13 points for the entire 44-game season.

The season produced a record 120 shutouts in the 220 games played. George Hainsworth, Canadiens goaltender, set an NHL record that remains unmatched through the 2015–16 season of 22 shutouts and a 0.92 goals against average. Seven other goaltenders hit double digits in shutouts.

Final standings

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold

Canadian Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA	PIM
Montreal Canadiens	44	22	7	15	59	71	43	465
New York Americans	44	19	13	12	50	53	53	486
Toronto Maple Leafs	44	21	18	5	47	85	69	541
Ottawa Senators	44	14	17	13	41	54	67	461
Montreal Maroons	44	15	20	9	39	67	65	638

American Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA	PIM
Boston Bruins	44	26	13	5	57	89	52	472
New York Rangers	44	21	13	10	52	72	65	384
Detroit Cougars	44	19	16	9	47	72	63	381
Pittsburgh Pirates	44	9	27	8	26	46	80	324
Chicago Black Hawks	44	7	29	8	22	33	85	363

Playoffs

The playoffs were now between division finishers of each division, rather than a division champion from each division. The Boston Bruins knocked off the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Rangers beat the New York Americans, and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Detroit Cougars. The Rangers defeated Toronto to advance to the final against Boston.

First round

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
March 19	Montreal Canadiens	0	Boston Bruins	1
March 21	Montreal Canadiens	0	Boston Bruins	1
March 23	Boston Bruins	3	Montreal Canadiens	2

Boston wins best-of-five series 3–0. Boston received a bye to the final.

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
March 19	New York Rangers	0	New York Americans	0
March 21	New York Americans	0	New York Rangers	1	2OT

New York Rangers win two-game, total goals series 1–0

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
March 19	Toronto Maple Leafs	3	Detroit Red Wings	1
March 21	Detroit Red Wings	1	Toronto Maple Leafs	4

Toronto wins two-game, total goals series 7–2

Second round

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
March 24	Toronto Maple Leafs	0	New York Rangers	1
March 26	New York Rangers	2	Toronto Maple Leafs	1	OT

New York Rangers win best-of-three series 2–0

Finals

The Bruins won their first Stanley Cup defeating the Rangers. In the process, Boston became one of the few Cup winners in history to not lose a single game in the playoffs, and the last team until 1952 to go undefeated in the playoffs.

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
March 28	New York Rangers	0	Boston Bruins	2
March 29	Boston Bruins	2	New York Rangers	1

Boston wins best-of-three series 2–0

Awards

1928–29 NHL awards
O'Brien Cup: (Canadian Division champion)	Montreal Canadiens
Prince of Wales Trophy: (American Division champion)	Boston Bruins
Hart Trophy: (Most valuable player)	Roy Worters, New York Americans
Lady Byng Trophy: (Excellence and sportsmanship)	Frank Boucher, New York Rangers
Vezina Trophy: (Fewest goals allowed)	George Hainsworth, 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
Ace Bailey	Toronto Maple Leafs	44	22	10	32	78
Nels Stewart	Montreal Maroons	44	21	8	29	74
Carson Cooper	Detroit Cougars	43	18	9	27	14
Howie Morenz	Montreal Canadiens	42	17	10	27	47
Andy Blair	Toronto Maple Leafs	44	12	15	27	41
Frank Boucher	New York Rangers	44	10	16	26	8
Harry Oliver	Boston Bruins	43	17	6	23	24
Bill Cook	New York Rangers	43	15	8	23	41
Jimmy Ward	Montreal Maroons	44	14	8	22	46
Frank Finnigan	Ottawa Senators	44	15	4	19	71

Source: NHL.

Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average

Player	Team	GP	W	L	T	Mins	GA	SO	GAA
George Hainsworth	Montreal Canadiens	44	22	7	15	2800	43	22	0.92
Tiny Thompson	Boston Bruins	44	26	13	5	2710	52	12	1.15
Roy Worters	New York Americans	44	16	12	10	2390	46	13	1.15
Dolly Dolson	Detroit Cougars	38	19	16	9	2750	63	10	1.37
John Ross Roach	New York Rangers	44	21	13	10	2760	65	13	1.41

Source: hockey-reference.com

Team Photos

• 

  Boston Bruins

• 

  Chicago Black Hawks

• 

  Detroit Cougars

• 

  Montreal Canadiens

• 

  New York Americans

• 

  New York Rangers

• 

  Ottawa Senators

• 

  Pittsburgh Pirates

• 

  Toronto St. Patricks

References

• (2000) in Diamond, Dan: Total Hockey. Total Sports. ISBN 1-892129-85-X. 
• (2011) The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. ISBN 978-1-894801-22-5. 
• (2000) Century of hockey. Toronto, ON: McClelland & Stewart Ltd.. ISBN 0-7710-4179-9. 
• (2003) The Hockey Chronicle: Year-by-Year History of the National Hockey League. Publications International Inc.. ISBN 0-7853-9624-1. 
• McFarlane, Brian (1973). The Story of the National Hockey League. New York, NY: Pagurian Press. ISBN 0-684-13424-1. 

Notes

External links

• Hockey Database
• NHL.com

National Hockey League seasons

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