1942–43 NHL season

1942–43 NHL season
League	National Hockey League
Sport	Ice hockey
Duration	October 31, 1942 – April 8, 1943
Number of games	50
Number of teams	6
Regular season
Season champion	Detroit Red Wings
Season MVP	Bill Cowley (Boston Bruins)
Top scorer	Doug Bentley (Chicago Black Hawks)
Stanley Cup
Finals champions	Detroit Red Wings
Runners-up	Boston Bruins
NHL seasons
← 1941–42 1943–44 →

The 1942–43 NHL season was the 26th season of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Brooklyn Americans were dropped, leaving six teams to play a schedule of 50 games. This is the first season of the "Original Six" era of the NHL. The league's long-time president Frank Calder died due to heart disease. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Boston Bruins to win the Stanley Cup.

League business

The Brooklyn Americans franchise was dropped, as Madison Square Garden turned down a lease agreement with team owner Red Dutton. Dutton argued that the other teams would be weakened by the war, but the other owners pointed out the number of American players serving in the armed forces was such that the Americans could not operate. A despondent Dutton left the league meeting, but was to return to the NHL sooner than he thought.

With the suspension of the Americans, this was the inaugural season of the so-called Original Six era, with the NHL consisting of six teams (the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs). This arrangement would last until the 1966–67 season, after which the league doubled in size.

Death of Frank Calder

The league's meeting of January 25, 1943, was to have been a non-event. The only news that was supposed to come out of the meeting was that the playoffs would begin on March 20, and that all series would be best-of-seven affairs. This was resolved in the morning session.

The afternoon session had just begun and NHL president Frank Calder had informed Red Dutton of the reserve status of his suspended franchise, when Toronto coach Hap Day noticed that Calder appeared to be in pain. Two league governors came up to his aid, but he assured them he was all right. Then Calder's face contracted as if he were in pain. He took a few steps and exclaimed "My God, there IS something wrong!" He was taken to his hotel room and a doctor diagnosed a heart attack. A specialist convinced him, despite his protests, to check into St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, where he suffered a second heart attack. In a week, Calder felt well enough to return to Montreal and checked into Montreal General Hospital. After eating a light breakfast surrounded by his family and friends, he was looking over the league books when he slipped back on the pillows of his bed and died of a third heart attack. He died on February 4, 1943, at the age of 65 years. Red Dutton was chosen as the new president, on an "interim" basis.

Regular season

Due to war-time travel restrictions, the NHL ceased playing overtimes to decide tie games partway through the season. The last regular season overtime game was November 10, 1942, between the Chicago Black Hawks and the New York Rangers, won by New York 5–3. Regular season overtime would not be re-introduced until the 1983–84 NHL season.

Highlights

Detroit finished first, partly due to the six shutouts of goaltender Johnny Mowers, who won the Vezina Trophy. During the season, Jimmy Orlando got into a stick-swinging incident with Toronto rookie Gaye Stewart and came out of it on the short end, badly cut in the face and bleeding profusely. Both players were suspended for the incident.

The Montreal Canadiens were still making progress, and coach Dick Irvin put together the first "Punch Line" of Elmer Lach, Toe Blake and Joe Benoit. Maurice Richard showed promise, but broke his leg, and Canadiens' manager Tommy Gorman began to look at him as brittle. Benoit became the first Canadien to hit the 30 goal plateau since Howie Morenz did it in 1929–30 (40 goals) scoring an even 30. Gordie Drillon also added some scoring power. The Canadiens made the playoffs by one slim point and lost to Boston in the playoffs' first round.

In contrast to the 1941–42 season, the Rangers felt the full impact of World War II and lost Art Coulter, Alex Shibicky, the Colville brothers, and Bill Juzda to the Armed Forces. Only Ott Heller was left of their defence. Babe Pratt was traded to Toronto for Hank Goldup and Dudley "Red" Garrett. Garrett proved to be an excellent replacement for Pratt. However, he only played 21 games, then gave his life in the Armed Forces. Goaltending was the Rangers problem as Steve Buzinski, Jimmy Franks, and old veteran Bill Beveridge all had to face lots of rubber as the Rangers went from first to worst.

Standings

Note: GP = Games played, 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
Detroit Red Wings	50	25	14	11	61	169	124	371
Boston Bruins	50	24	17	9	57	195	176	364
Toronto Maple Leafs	50	22	19	9	53	198	159	431
Montreal Canadiens	50	19	19	12	50	181	191	318
Chicago Black Hawks	50	17	18	15	49	179	180	361
New York Rangers	50	11	31	8	30	161	253	352

Playoffs

First round

Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Date Away Team Home Team Notes March 21 Toronto 2 4 Detroit March 23 Toronto 3 2 Detroit 4OT March 25 Detroit 4 2 Toronto March 27 Detroit 3 6 Toronto March 28 Toronto 2 4 Detroit March 30 Detroit 3 2 Toronto OT Detroit won the series 4:2.

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens Date Away Team Home Team Notes March 21 Montreal 4 5 Boston OT March 23 Montreal 3 5 Boston March 25 Boston 3 2 Montreal OT March 27 Boston 0 4 Montreal March 30 Montreal 4 5 Boston OT Boston won the series 4:1.

Stanley Cup Final

Detroit Red Wings vs. Boston Bruins
Date	Away Team		Home Team
April 1	Boston	2	6	Detroit
April 4	Boston	3	4	Detroit
April 7	Detroit	4	0	Boston
April 8	Detroit	2	0	Boston
Detroit won the series 4:0 and the Stanley Cup.

Awards

Calder Memorial Trophy: (Best first-year player)	Gaye Stewart, Toronto Maple Leafs
Hart Trophy: (Most valuable player)	Bill Cowley, Boston Bruins
Lady Byng Trophy: (Excellence and sportsmanship)	Max Bentley, Chicago Black Hawks
O'Brien Cup: (Playoff runner-up)	Boston Bruins
Prince of Wales Trophy: (Best regular-season record)	Detroit Red Wings
Vezina Trophy: (Fewest goals allowed)	Johnny Mowers, Detroit Red Wings

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
Doug Bentley	Chicago Black Hawks	50	33	40	73	18
Bill Cowley	Boston Bruins	48	27	45	72	10
Max Bentley	Chicago Black Hawks	47	26	44	70	2
Lynn Patrick	New York Rangers	50	22	39	61	28
Lorne Carr	Toronto Maple Leafs	50	27	33	60	15
Billy Taylor	Toronto Maple Leafs	50	18	42	60	2
Bryan Hextall	New York Rangers	50	27	32	59	28
Toe Blake	Montreal Canadiens	48	23	36	59	26
Elmer Lach	Montreal Canadiens	45	18	40	58	14
Buddy O'Connor	Montreal Canadiens	50	15	43	58	2

Source: NHL

Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games pPlayed; Mins – Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts

Player	Team	GP	Mins	GA	W	L	T	SO	GAA
Johnny Mowers	Detroit Red Wings	50	3010	124	25	14	11	6	2.47
Turk Broda	Toronto Maple Leafs	50	3000	159	22	19	9	1	3.18
Frank Brimsek	Boston Bruins	50	3000	176	24	17	9	1	3.53
Bert Gardiner	Chicago Black Hawks	50	3020	180	17	18	15	1	3.58
Paul Bibeault	Montreal Canadiens	50	3010	191	19	19	12	1	3.81
Jimmy Franks	New York Rangers	23	1380	103	5	14	4	0	4.48
Bill Beveridge	New York Rangers	17	1020	89	4	10	3	1	5.24

Team Photos

• 

  Boston Bruins

• 

  Chicago Black Hawks

• 

  Detroit Red Wings

• 

  Montreal Canadiens

• 

  New York Rangers

• 

  Toronto Maple Leafs

References

• (1994) in Diamond, Dan: Years of glory, 1942–1967: the National Hockey League's official book of the six-team era. Toronto, ON: McClelland and Stewart. ISBN 0-7710-2817-2. 
• (2000) in Diamond, Dan: Total Hockey. Total Sports. ISBN 1-892129-85-X. 
• (2011) The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Toronto, ON: 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. Lincolnwood, IL: 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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