The 1924–25 NHL season was the
eighth season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
. The NHL added two teams this season, a second team in Montreal, the
Montreal Maroons
The Montreal Maroons (officially the Montreal Professional Hockey Club) were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL). They played in the NHL from 1924–25 NHL season, 1924 to 1937–38 NHL season, 1938, winning the Sta ...
and the first U.S. team, the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
. Six teams played 30 games each.
The NHL regular-season champion
Hamilton Tigers did not participate in the playoffs, as their players demanded to their owner,
Percy Thompson, that they would not participate in the NHL championship series unless they received an additional $200 each for the extra six games played that year. Under their contracts, the Tigers players were to receive the same amount of money no matter how many games they played from December 1, 1924, to March 31, 1925 (even though the season started on November 29, 1924). NHL President
Frank Calder
Frank Sellick Calder (November 17, 1877 – February 4, 1943) was a British-born Canadian ice hockey executive, journalist, and athlete.
Calder was the first president of the National Hockey League (NHL), from 1917 until his death in 1943. He ...
was not amused, stating that the players would be fined or suspended if they did not play in the final series, but the players stated that they would rather retire than advantage be taken of them. The day of the final game of the Semi-Final, Tiger
Shorty Green met with Calder to try to reach an agreement, but to no avail. The players were all suspended and fined $200 each, therefore eliminating themselves from the playoffs.
Because of the suspension, the semi-final playoff series between Montreal and Toronto became the NHL championship series. The
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
won the series and faced off against the
Victoria Cougars
The Victoria Cougars were a major league professional ice hockey team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) from 1911 to 1924 under various names, and (after the PCHA's merger with the Western Canada Hockey League) in the W ...
of the
Western Canada Hockey League
The Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), founded in 1921–22 WCHL season, 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.
...
(WCHL) for the
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
. Victoria won the series, the last non-NHL team to win the Cup.
League business
Prior to the start of this hockey season, the
Pacific Coast Hockey Association
The Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) was a professional ice hockey league in Western Canada and the Western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). The PCHA was cons ...
folded and two of its teams, the
Vancouver Maroons and
Victoria Cougars
The Victoria Cougars were a major league professional ice hockey team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) from 1911 to 1924 under various names, and (after the PCHA's merger with the Western Canada Hockey League) in the W ...
, joined the
Western Canada Hockey League
The Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), founded in 1921–22 WCHL season, 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.
...
. This meant that after three seasons of having three leagues compete for the Stanley Cup, there were once again only two.
At the November 1924 NHL meeting, the NHL approved two new franchises, including its first franchise in the
United States of America
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...
.
Charles Adams of
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
was granted
a franchise. The NHL also granted a second franchise for
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
to
James Strachan and
Donat Raymond
Joseph Donat Raymond (January 3, 1880 – June 5, 1963) was a Canadians, Canadian Senate of Canada, Senator and builder in the National Hockey League.
Biography
Born in Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka, Quebec, Donat Raymond was a member of the Canadia ...
. Applications from
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
,
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
and
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
were shelved.
In January 1925,
Tommy Gorman
Thomas Patrick Gorman (June 9, 1886 – May 15, 1961), known as "T.P." or "Tommy", was a Canadian ice hockey executive, sports entrepreneur and athlete. Gorman was a founder of the National Hockey League (NHL), won the Stanley Cup seven times a ...
and Ted Dey sold their interests in the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...
to
T. Franklin Ahearn. Ahearn then hired amateur hockey executive,
Dave Gill
David Norman Gill (November 24, 1887 – March 30, 1959) was head coach of the Ottawa Senators (original), original Ottawa Senators from 1926 to 1931 and a prominent Ottawa sportsman. He won the Stanley Cup in the 1926–27 NHL season, 19 ...
, to be secretary-treasurer (general manager) of the team.
A new trophy was added for the 1924–25 NHL season. The original
Lady Byng Trophy
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, formerly known as the Lady Byng Trophy, is presented each year to the National Hockey League "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard o ...
was donated by Lady Byng, wife of
Governor General
Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...
Viscount Byng of Vimy, to be handed out to the player who showed the best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with performance in play. She presented it to
Frank Nighbor of the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...
.
Arena changes
* The expansion
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
moved into
Boston Arena
Matthews Arena (formerly Boston Arena) is a historic multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts currently owned by Northeastern University. It is the world's oldest multi-purpose athletic building still in use, as well as the oldest arena in u ...
.
* The expansion
Montreal Maroons
The Montreal Maroons (officially the Montreal Professional Hockey Club) were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL). They played in the NHL from 1924–25 NHL season, 1924 to 1937–38 NHL season, 1938, winning the Sta ...
moved into the
Montreal Forum
Montreal Forum () is a historic building located facing Cabot Square, Montreal, Cabot Square in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by ''Sporting News'', it was an indoor arena which served as the home o ...
.
Regular season
This was the first season for the
Montreal Maroons
The Montreal Maroons (officially the Montreal Professional Hockey Club) were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL). They played in the NHL from 1924–25 NHL season, 1924 to 1937–38 NHL season, 1938, winning the Sta ...
and
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
, the Bruins becoming the first
American NHL team. It was also the last season for the
Hamilton Tigers, which would dissolve at season's end. The number of games played per team was increased from 24 to 30.
The first game the League ever played on United States soil was the first game for the Bruins, who hosted the Maroons on December 1, 1924.
A new arena, the
Montreal Forum
Montreal Forum () is a historic building located facing Cabot Square, Montreal, Cabot Square in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by ''Sporting News'', it was an indoor arena which served as the home o ...
, was built to house the Maroons. However, the Montreal Canadiens played in it first. Because the Canadiens' home rink,
Mount Royal Arena
The Mount Royal Arena () was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada at the corner of Mount Royal and St. Urbain Street.Mouton(1987), p. 111 It was home of the National Hockey League (NHL) Montreal Canadiens from 1920 to 1926, before ...
, couldn't produce ice, the November 29 home opener against the Toronto St. Patricks was moved to the Forum. The Canadiens beat the St. Patricks 7–1, before 9,000 fans. an NHL attendance record of 11,000 was set on December 27, when the Maroons hosted the Canadiens.
The Maroons actually had no official nickname their first season. However, fans took to the deep crimson uniforms they wore and called them the Maroons, and the team leaned on two former Ottawa Senators,
Punch Broadbent and
Clint Benedict
Clinton Stevenson "Praying Benny" Benedict (September 26, 1892 – November 12, 1976) was a Canadian professional lacrosse goalie, ice hockey goaltender who played for the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Maroons. He played on four Stanley Cup-win ...
they picked up from Ottawa before the season but still managed only fifth place. Broadbent scored a pair of goals in the Maroons' first ever victory, a 3–1 victory over Ottawa at the Forum in Montreal. Broadbent scored five goals in a game on January 7 as Montreal defeated the Tigers 6–2 in the Abso-Pure rink in Hamilton.
On December 17, goaltenders
Jake Forbes of Hamilton and
Alex Connell of Ottawa engaged in the first ever scoreless tie in a regular season game in NHL history.
Just before the end of the season, the Bruins, which finished in last place, had a modest winning streak. First, they beat the Montreal Canadiens 3–2 March 3.
Normand Shay
Norman Morse "Norm, Norman" Shay (February 3, 1899 in Huntsville, Ontario — November 28, 1968) was a Canadian ice hockey player who played two seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins and the Toronto St. Pats between 1924 and ...
scored the winning goal on a two on one break at 16:39 of the third period as
Jimmy Herbert shot and then Shay pounced on the rebound and put it by
Georges Vezina. The game was rough and referee Jerry Laflamme meted out quite a few penalties, including four minors to
Lionel Hitchman of Boston.
Howie Morenz
Howard William Morenz (September 21, 1902 – March 8, 1937) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Beginning in 1923, he played centre for three National Hockey League (NHL) teams: the Montreal Canadiens (in two stints), the Chicago Bla ...
starred in a losing cause with two goals. The Bruins then defeated the league-leading Hamilton Tigers 2–0 in their next game as
Doc Stewart played well in goal.
Final standings
Playoffs
The
Pacific Coast Hockey Association
The Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) was a professional ice hockey league in Western Canada and the Western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). The PCHA was cons ...
folded prior to the 1924–25 season, leaving only the NHL and the
Western Canada Hockey League
The Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), founded in 1921–22 WCHL season, 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.
...
competing for the Stanley Cup. This marked the last time until
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
that the playoffs were played entirely in Canada.
NHL Championship
With an increase in the number of NHL teams, the NHL changed its
O'Brien Cup playoff format by having the second- and third- place teams play a
two-game total-goals series to see who played the number one seed in another two-game total-goals for the NHL championship.
However, players on the first-place Hamilton Tigers demanded $200 each for the extra six games played during the regular season and the league threatened to suspend the players and the team. Last-ditch efforts to reach a compromise failed and the Tigers were suspended. It was suggested that the Ottawa Senators be included in the playoffs, but Toronto General Manager
Charlie Querrie and Montreal owner
Leo Dandurand cited a fourth-place finish did not qualify Ottawa a playoff berth. Thus, the series between second-place Toronto and third-place Montreal would determine the NHL title.
During the Toronto–Montreal series, NHL president
Frank Calder
Frank Sellick Calder (November 17, 1877 – February 4, 1943) was a British-born Canadian ice hockey executive, journalist, and athlete.
Calder was the first president of the National Hockey League (NHL), from 1917 until his death in 1943. He ...
announced that the Canadiens would playe their home games at the Forum, but Dandurand said that they would be played at Mount Royal Arena unless it were necessary to move to the Forum, citing home games were home games, and the Canadiens played better in front of their own fans. Calder backed down from his stand. Montreal won the series against Toronto and earned the right to play for the Stanley Cup. Early in the following , when they were given placeholder possession of the new
Prince of Wales Trophy
The Prince of Wales Trophy, also known as the Wales Trophy, is a team award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL). Named for Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII and then Duke of Windsor), it has been awarded for different ac ...
which duplicated the O'Brien Cup as an award for the NHL playoff championshipthe Canadiens retroactively engraved this 1925 championship on the new trophy.
Stanley Cup Finals
In the
Western Canada Hockey League
The Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), founded in 1921–22 WCHL season, 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.
...
, the third place
Victoria Cougars
The Victoria Cougars were a major league professional ice hockey team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) from 1911 to 1924 under various names, and (after the PCHA's merger with the Western Canada Hockey League) in the W ...
won its league championship and faced the Montreal Canadiens for the Stanley Cup. The series was played in
Patrick Arena
Patrick Arena (1911–1929) was the main sports arena located in the Greater Victoria, British Columbia area. The wood construction, brick-faced arena was located in the suburb municipality of Oak Bay, on the northeast corner of Cadboro Bay Roa ...
in
Victoria, except for game two, which was played at
Denman Arena in
Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
to gather greater fan support and more income. Victoria beat Montreal three games to one, out-scoring the Canadiens 16 to 8. Victoria was the first (and only to date) non-NHL team to win the Stanley Cup since the NHL's founding.
NHL Playoff scoring leader
''Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points''
Awards
The NHL introduced its second individual award, the Lady Byng Trophy, named after its donor, Lady Byng, wife of Canada's Governor-General. It is awarded to Frank Nighbor for excellence, gentlemanly play and sportsmanship.
Note: The Prince of Wales Trophy was not in use during this season. The Canadiens were engraved onto the Trophy in 1925–26.
Player statistics
Scoring leaders
''Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points''
Source: NHL.
Leading goaltenders
''GP = Games Played, GA = Goals Against, SO =
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout (North American English, US) or clean sheet (Commonwealth English, UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketba ...
s, GAA =
Goals Against Average
Goals against average (GAA), also known as average goals against (AGA), is a statistic used in field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender or goalkeeper (depending on spo ...
''
Coaches
*Boston Bruins:
Art Ross
Arthur Howey Ross (January 13, 1885 – August 5, 1964) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and corporate officer, executive from 1905 until 1954. Regarded as one of the best defenders of his era by his peers, he was one of the first t ...
*Hamilton Tigers:
Jimmy Gardner
*Montreal Canadiens:
Leo Dandurand
*Montreal Maroons:
Cecil Hart and
Eddie Gerard
Edward George Gerard (February22, 1890August7, 1937) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, coach, and manager. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, he played for 10 seasons for his hometown Ottawa Senators. He spent the first three years of his p ...
*Ottawa Senators:
Pete Green
*Toronto St. Patricks:
Eddie Powers
Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1924–25 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
*
Alex Connell, Ottawa Senators
*
Carson Cooper, Boston Bruins
*
Hap Day
Clarence Henry "Happy" Day (June 14, 1901 – February 17, 1990), later known as Hap Day, was a Canadian professional hockey player who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Americans. Day enjo ...
, Toronto St. Patricks
*
Charles Dinsmore, Montreal Maroons
*
Jimmy Herbert, Boston Bruins
*
Bert McCaffrey, Toronto St. Patricks
*
Alex Smith, Ottawa Senators
*
Hooley Smith, Ottawa Senators
Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1924–25 (listed with their last team):
Free agency
Transactions
See also
*
List of Stanley Cup champions
The Stanley Cup is a trophy awarded annually to the Season structure of the NHL, playoff champion club of the National Hockey League (NHL). It was donated by the Governor General of Canada Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby, Lord Stanley of Pr ...
*
1924–25 WCHL season
The 1924–25 WCHL season was the fourth Season (sport), season for the Western Canada Hockey League. With the collapse of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA), two teams, the Vancouver Millionaires, Vancouver Maroons and Victoria Cougars j ...
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
;Notes
External links
Hockey DatabaseNHL.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:1924-25 NHL season
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...