1925–26 NHL season

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1925–26 NHL season
League National Hockey League
Sport Ice hockey
Duration November 26, 1925 – March 27, 1926
Number of games 36
Number of teams 7
Regular season
Season champions Ottawa Senators
Top scorer Nels Stewart (Montreal Maroons)
O'Brien Cup
O'Brien Cup champions Montreal Maroons
  Runners-up Ottawa Senators
NHL seasons

The 1925–26 NHL season was the ninth season of the National Hockey League (NHL). The NHL dropped the Hamilton, Ontario team and added two new teams in the United States (US), the New York Americans and the Pittsburgh Pirates to bring the total number of teams to seven. The Ottawa Senators were the regular-season champion, but lost in the NHL playoff final to the Montreal Maroons. The Maroons then defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Victoria Cougars of the newly renamed Western Hockey League three games to one in a best-of-five series to win their first Stanley Cup.

League business

A special meeting was held on September 22, 1925, to discuss expansion to New York City. The NHL approved the dropping of the Hamilton Tigers franchise and the adding of the New York Americans club, which would sign the Hamilton players. The New York franchise was granted to Colonel J. S. Hammond and T. J. Duggan, although the ownership was held secretly by "Big Bill" Dwyer, an infamous bootlegger from New York City, to play in New York's Madison Square Garden.

At the annual meeting on November 7, 1925, the league added another new expansion franchise, in Pittsburgh, the third United States-based team in the NHL. The Ottawa Senators objected to the adding of the team, but were outvoted. The Pittsburgh team, known as the Pirates was formed because former Toronto NHA owner Eddie Livingstone had been again threatening to form a rival league and mentioned Pittsburgh as one of the possible franchise locations. League president Frank Calder and the governors quickly agreed to grant the Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets organization an NHL franchise, known as the Pittsburgh Pirates, like the baseball club. Odie Cleghorn left the Canadiens to sign on as playing-coach with Pittsburgh.

Tommy Gorman and Ted Dey sold their interests in the Ottawa Senators to T. Franklin Ahearn. Ahearn then hired a successful junior executive, Dave Gill, to be secretary-treasurer (general manager) of the team and Gill hired Alex Curry, a former Senators player in the old NHA, to coach the team. Gorman joined the Americans' organization.

The league imposed a salary cap of $35,000 per team in an effort to curb player's salaries. The Pittsburgh Pirates' Lionel Conacher was paid $7,500 for the season, the Montreal Maroons' Dunc Munro was also paid $7,500, the New York Americans' Billy Burch was paid $6,500, the Americans' Joe Simpson, and the Toronto Maple Leafs' Hap Day were paid $6,000.

Rule changes

  • Only two players on defence within the blue line at a time.
  • A faceoff for 'ragging the puck' unless playing short-handed.
  • Only team captains would be allowed to talk to referees.
  • Timekeepers would signal the end of a period with a gong instead of the referee's whistle.
  • Goalkeeper pads were limited to 12" wide.
  • 14 player roster limits, only 12 to be dressed for any one game.
  • Team salary cap of $35,000.

[1]

Regular season

The Hamilton Tigers had spent their first five seasons in the NHL in last place until last season where they went from worst to first. The success enjoyed by the Tigers players was not carried over to New York, though, as the Americans finished fifth overall with a record of 12–20–4.

Eddie Gerard improved the Montreal Maroons by signing Nels Stewart and Babe Siebert and signing former Olympian Dunc Munro for defence. The Maroons were on their way to glory. Nels Stewart not only set a record for goals by a first-year player, but became the first rookie to win the scoring title. Stewart also won the Hart Trophy as league MVP. Stewart's record of 34 goals remains an NHL record for rookies until 1970–71.[2]

From the 1910–11 season Georges Vezina had been the Montreal Canadiens goaltender, and had led them to the Cup in 1916 and 1924. In the first game of this season, he collapsed on the ice as the second period got underway. It was found he had tuberculosis, and he died in March 1926.[2] The Canadiens would finish last in the standings and miss the playoffs.

Ottawa's coach Curry was quite successful, as he took a team that had gone from fourth overall to first with an impressive record of 24–8–4, and the expansion Pittsburgh Pirates, with a strong cast of ex-amateurs led by future Hall of Famers Roy Worters and Lionel Conacher, finished third. The Pirates introduced "on-the-fly" player substitution to the NHL, a practice already in use in the Western League.[2]

Highlights

First game at Madison Square Garden December 15, 1925

The first regular-season game at Madison Square Garden between the Montreal Canadiens and the expansion New York Americans was a big event. Opening ceremonies included performances by the Governor-General's Bodyguard Band of Ottawa and the United States Military Band from West Point, displays of 'fancy skating', a miniature game between the team's mascots and the opening faceoff was made by New York Mayor John F. Hylan and Tex Rickard. The attendance was 19,000 and the ticket prices ranged from $1.50 to $11.50. Gate receipts were donated to the Neurological Society of New York. Montreal won the game, officiated by Cooper Smeaton 3–1, and were awarded the new Prince of Wales Trophy.[3] (The Trophy would subsequently be given as an award to the NHL playoff champions.)

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

National Hockey League GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM
Ottawa Senators 36 24 8 4 52 77 42 341
Montreal Maroons 36 20 11 5 45 91 73 554
Pittsburgh Pirates 36 19 16 1 39 82 70 264
Boston Bruins 36 17 15 4 38 92 85 279
New York Americans 36 12 20 4 28 68 89 361
Toronto St. Patricks 36 12 21 3 27 92 114 325
Montreal Canadiens 36 11 24 1 23 79 108 458

Playoffs

This is the last season that saw challengers from outside of the NHL compete for the Stanley Cup. At the beginning of the season, the Western Canada Hockey League renamed itself the Western Hockey League because one of its teams, the Regina Capitals, had moved to the States to play in Portland, Oregon. They were renamed the Portland Rosebuds.

Once again, the Victoria Cougars finished third in their league but once again won their league championship and the right to play for the Stanley Cup. The previous season, the Cougars beat the Montreal Canadiens for the Stanley Cup with that being the only time in NHL history in which a non-NHL team won the Cup. After the 1926 playoffs, the Western Hockey League would fold leaving the Stanley Cup entirely to the NHL. The Cup would never again be contested by a non-NHL team. This was also the only season in NHL history where the number of playoff berths was less than half of the number of teams in the league and is the most recent season in which none of the Original Six qualified for the playoffs (as of 2016).

All dates 1926

NHL championship

The second seed Montreal Maroons beat the third seed Pittsburgh Pirates and then went on to beat first place Ottawa Senators two goals to one in a two-game total goals series, thus capturing the O'Brien Cup, Prince of Wales Trophy and the right to play the Victoria Cougars for the Stanley Cup.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Montreal Maroons
Date Team Score Team Score Notes
March 20 @Pittsburgh Pirates 1 Montreal Maroons 3
March 23 @Pittsburgh Pirates 3 Montreal Maroons 3

Montreal wins total goals series 6 goals to 4

Montreal Maroons vs. Ottawa Senators
Date Team Score Team Score Notes
March 25 @Montreal Maroons 1 Ottawa Senators 1
March 27 Montreal Maroons 1 @Ottawa Senators 0

Montreal wins total goals series 2 goals to 1.

Finals

Main article: 1926 Stanley Cup Finals

Nels Stewart was "Old Poison" to the Victoria Cougars, as he scored six goals in the four games and goaltender Clint Benedict shut out the westerners three times.

Victoria Cougars vs. Montreal Maroons

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
March 30 Victoria Cougars 0 Montreal Maroons 3
April 1 Victoria Cougars 0 Montreal Maroons 3
April 3 Victoria Cougars 3 Montreal Maroons 2
April 6 Victoria Cougars 0 Montreal Maroons 2

Montreal Maroons win best-of-five series 3 games to 1 for the Stanley Cup.

Awards

The new Prince of Wales Trophy was introduced this season. It was first presented to the Montreal Canadiens as winners of the first game in the new Madison Square Garden. The Trophy was then intended to be used as a new trophy to be awarded to the champions of the National Hockey League. The existing O'Brien Cup, given also to the league champions, was not retired. Nels Stewart won the Hart for the first time in his career. Frank Nighbor won his second consecutive Lady Byng Trophy.

Hart Trophy:
(Most valuable player)		 Nels Stewart, Montreal Maroons
Lady Byng Trophy:
(Excellence and sportsmanship)		 Frank Nighbor, Ottawa Senators
O'Brien Cup:
(League champions)		 Montreal Maroons
Prince of Wales Trophy:
(for winning first game in Madison Square Garden)		 Montreal Canadiens
Prince of Wales Trophy:
(League champions)		 Montreal Maroons

Player statistics

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points

Player Team GP G A Pts
Nels Stewart Montreal Maroons 36 34 8 42
Cy Denneny Ottawa Senators 36 24 12 36
Carson Cooper Boston Bruins 36 28 3 31
Jimmy Herbert Boston Bruins 36 26 5 31
Howie Morenz Montreal Canadiens 31 23 3 26
Jack Adams Toronto St. Patricks 36 21 5 26
Aurel Joliat Montreal Canadiens 35 17 9 26
Billy Burch New York Americans 36 22 3 25
Hooley Smith Ottawa Senators 28 16 9 25
Frank Nighbor Ottawa Senators 35 12 13 25

Source: NHL.[4]

Leading goaltenders

GP = Games played, GA = Goals against, SO = Shutouts, GAA = Goals against average

Player Team GP GA SO GAA
Alex Connell Ottawa Senators 36 42 15 1.2
Roy Worters Pittsburgh Pirates 35 68 7 1.9
Clint Benedict Montreal Maroons 36 73 6 2.0
Charles Stewart Boston Bruins 35 80 6 2.3
Jake Forbes New York Americans 36 89 2 2.5

NHL Playoff leading scorer

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points

Player Team GP G A Pts
Nels Stewart Montreal Maroons 8 6 3 9

Debuts

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1925–26 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):

  • Wildor Larochelle, Montreal Canadiens
  • Albert Leduc, Montreal Canadiens
  • Pit Lepine, Montreal Canadiens
  • Babe Siebert, Montreal Maroons
  • Nels Stewart, Montreal Maroons
  • Joe Simpson, New York Americans
  • Hec Kilrea, Ottawa Senators
  • Roy Worters, Pittsburgh Pirates
  • Harold Darragh, Pittsburgh Pirates
  • Baldy Cotton, Pittsburgh Pirates
  • Lionel Conacher, Pittsburgh Pirates
  • Hib Milks, Pittsburgh Pirates

Last games

The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1925–26 (listed with their last team):

  • Georges Vezina, Montreal Canadiens

Team Photos

  • Boston Bruins

    Boston Bruins

  • Montreal Canadiens

    Montreal Canadiens

  • Montreal Maroons

    Montreal Maroons

  • New York Americans

    New York Americans

  • Pittsburgh Pirates

    Pittsburgh Pirates

  • Toronto St. Patricks

    Toronto St. Patricks

See also

References

  • Coleman, Charles L. (1966). The Trail of the Stanley Cup, vol.1 1893–1926 inc.. National Hockey League. 
  • (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
  1. ↑ Coleman 1966, p. 488.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Dryden 2000, p. 28.
  3. ↑ "New York Beaten By Canadiens, 3–1", The Globe, p. 10. 
  4. ↑ Dinger 2011, p. 146.

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