1941–42 NHL season
The 1941–42 NHL season was the 25th season of the National Hockey League. Seven teams played 48 games each. The Toronto Maple Leafs would win the Stanley Cup defeating the Detroit Red Wings winning four straight after losing the first three in a best-of-seven series, a feat only repeated three times in NHL history and once in Major League Baseball as of 2017.
League business
This season was the last season for the Brooklyn Americans who had changed their name from the New York Americans in an attempt to build a civic relationship with those from Flatbush area of New York.Due to World War II travel restrictions on adults, the NHL demanded more junior-aged players who were free of the travel restrictions. NHL president Frank Calder reported there was a general agreement with the amateur leagues that a junior-aged player should be able to determine his own financial future due to the war.
Regular season
The Americans started the season without Harvey "Busher" Jackson who refused to sign. He was then sold to Boston. But the Amerks had two positive notes: two defencemen, Tommy Anderson and Pat Egan, were now All-Star calibre. That did not prevent them from finishing last, though. On December 9, 1941, the Chicago Black Hawks-Boston Bruins game would be delayed for over a half-hour as United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared that the United States was at war.Frank Patrick suffered a heart attack and had to sell his interest in the Montreal Canadiens, and the Habs almost had to move to Cleveland. But Tommy Gorman kept the team alive. They added Emile "Butch" Bouchard to start his great career on defence and another very good player, Buddy O'Connor, at centre. Montreal had goaltending problems as Bert Gardiner slumped, and rookie Paul Bibeault replaced him. He showed flashes of brilliance, but his inexperience showed. Joe Benoit starred with 20 goals, the first Canadien to do that since 1938–39, when Toe Blake did it.
The New York Rangers had a new goaltender as Sugar Jim Henry replaced the retired Dave Kerr. Henry was one of the reasons the Rangers finished first, something they would not again do for the next 50 years.
Final standings
Playoffs
Playoff bracket
Quarterfinals
(3) Boston Bruins vs. (4) Chicago Black Hawks
(5) Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) Montreal Canadiens
Semifinals
(1) New York Rangers vs. (2) Toronto Maple Leafs
(3) Boston Bruins vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings
Stanley Cup Finals
Awards
First team | Position | Second team |
Frank Brimsek, Boston Bruins | G | Turk Broda, Toronto Maple Leafs |
Earl Seibert, Chicago Black Hawks | D | Pat Egan, Brooklyn Americans |
Tommy Anderson, Brooklyn Americans | D | Bucko McDonald, Toronto Maple Leafs |
Syl Apps, Toronto Maple Leafs | C | Phil Watson, New York Rangers |
Bryan Hextall, New York Rangers | RW | Gordie Drillon, Toronto Maple Leafs |
Lynn Patrick, New York Rangers | LW | Sid Abel, Detroit Red Wings |
Frank Boucher, New York Rangers | Coach | Paul Thompson, Chicago Black Hawks |
Player statistics
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutesPLAYER | TEAM | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
Bryan Hextall | New York Rangers | 48 | 24 | 32 | 56 | 30 |
Lynn Patrick | New York Rangers | 47 | 32 | 22 | 54 | 18 |
Don Grosso | Detroit Red Wings | 45 | 23 | 30 | 53 | 13 |
Phil Watson | New York Rangers | 48 | 15 | 37 | 52 | 58 |
Sid Abel | Detroit Red Wings | 48 | 18 | 31 | 49 | 45 |
Toe Blake | Montreal Canadiens | 48 | 17 | 28 | 45 | 29 |
Bill Thoms | Chicago Black Hawks | 47 | 15 | 30 | 45 | 8 |
Gordie Drillon | Toronto Maple Leafs | 48 | 23 | 18 | 41 | 6 |
Syl Apps | Toronto Maple Leafs | 38 | 18 | 23 | 41 | 0 |
Tommy Anderson | Brooklyn Americans | 48 | 12 | 29 | 41 | 64 |
Source: NHL
Leading goaltenders
Note: GP = Games played; Mins – Minutes Played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = ShutoutsPlayer | Team | GP | Min | GA | GAA | W | L | T | SO |
Frank Brimsek | Boston Bruins | 47 | 2930 | 115 | 2.35 | 24 | 17 | 6 | 3 |
Turk Broda | Toronto Maple Leafs | 48 | 2960 | 136 | 2.76 | 27 | 18 | 3 | 6 |
Jim Henry | New York Rangers | 48 | 2960 | 143 | 2.90 | 29 | 17 | 2 | 1 |
Johnny Mowers | Detroit Red Wings | 47 | 2880 | 144 | 3.00 | 19 | 25 | 3 | 5 |
Sam LoPresti | Chicago Black Hawks | 47 | 2860 | 152 | 3.19 | 21 | 23 | 3 | 3 |
Paul Bibeault | Montreal Canadiens | 38 | 2380 | 131 | 3.30 | 17 | 19 | 2 | 1 |
Chuck Rayner | Brooklyn Americans | 36 | 2380 | 129 | 3.47 | 13 | 21 | 2 | 1 |
Earl Robertson | Brooklyn Americans | 12 | 750 | 46 | 3.68 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
Bert Gardiner | Montreal Canadiens | 10 | 620 | 42 | 4.06 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
Coaches
- Boston Bruins: Art Ross
- Brooklyn Americans: Art Chapman
- Chicago Black Hawks: Paul Thompson
- Detroit Red Wings: Jack Adams
- Montreal Canadiens: Dick Irvin
- New York Rangers: Frank Boucher
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Hap Day
Debuts
- Kenny Mosdell, Brooklyn Americans
- Harry Watson, Brooklyn Americans
- Bill Mosienko, Chicago Black Hawks
- Adam Brown, Detroit Red Wings
- Buddy O'Connor, Montreal Canadiens
- James Haggarty, Montreal Canadiens
- Emile "Butch" Bouchard, Montreal Canadiens
- Grant Warwick, New York Rangers
- Jim Henry, New York Rangers
- Bob Goldham, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Gaye Stewart*, Toronto Maple Leafs
Last games
- Eddie Wiseman, Boston Bruins
- Tommy Anderson, Brooklyn Americans
- Art Coulter, New York Rangers