The 1945–46 NHL season was the 29th season of the National Hockey League. Six teams played 50 games each. The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup, defeating the Boston Bruins for the team's sixth championship.

League business Since World War II had ended, the NHL and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) reverted to the pre-war agreement not to sign any junior ice hockey players without permission. CAHA secretary George Dudley stated that tryout contracts must be honoured, and junior-aged players on NHL reserve lists must be reinstated as amateurs to return to the CAHA. The wartime practice of the NHL borrowing amateur players for three games or less was discontinued. The NHL and the CAHA discussed updates to the financial terms of the agreement. The NHL offered a flat payment of $20,000 to signing amateurs, which Dudley felt was too low. The CAHA ultimately accepted the lump sum payment, preferring not to break its alliance with the NHL.

Synchronized red lights to signal goals were made obligatory for all NHL rinks.

It was rumoured in the press that Lester Patrick planned to retire as general manager of the New York Rangers. On February 22, 1946, he announced his retirement from the general manager position, however he would stay on as vice president of Madison Square Garden.

The NHL and the International Ice Hockey Association agreed to mutually enforce suspensions for players not fulfilling a tryout contract.

Regular season Veterans came back to their teams this year, as World War II ended, but many found they could not regain their form. One who did regain his form was the man formerly known as "Mr. Zero"—Boston Bruins' goaltender Frank Brimsek. He was shelled in an 8–3 contest with Chicago, but got better game by game. The Bruins had first place at one point, then finished second. Brimsek made the Second All-Star Team as a result.

Max Bentley of Chicago led the league in scoring, and, because of the "Pony Line" that including him, his brother Doug and Bill Mosienko, the Black Hawks were in first place at one point. But misfortune hit the Hawks when Doug Bentley injured his knee in a January 23 game and the team sagged.

Frank Patrick, former Pacific Coast Hockey Association president and former managing director for the NHL, suffered a heart attack and was not released from the hospital for several weeks.

A bombshell exploded on January 30, 1946, when defenceman Babe Pratt was expelled from the NHL for betting on games. However, he only bet on his own team and appealed his expulsion. On his promise he would not bet on any more games, he was reinstated. Pratt missed 9 games during his suspension.

Maple Leaf Gaye Stewart led the league in goals with 37, but Toronto finished fifth and missed the playoffs for the first time since playing at Maple Leaf Gardens.

Bill Durnan equalled George Hainsworth's record of three consecutive Vezina Trophies and led the league in shutouts with 4.

Final standings

Playoffs

Playoff bracket The top four teams in the league qualified for the playoffs. In the semifinals, the first-place team played the third-place team, while the second-place team faced the fourth-place team, with the winners advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals. In both rounds, teams competed in a best-of-seven series (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each best-of-seven series).

Semifinals

(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (3) Chicago Black Hawks

The Montreal Canadiens finished first in the league with 61 points. The Chicago Blackhawks finished third with 53 points. This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams with the teams splitting the six previous series. They last met in the 1944 Stanley Cup Finals where Montreal won in four games. Montreal won this year's ten game regular season series earning eleven of twenty points.

(2) Boston Bruins vs. (4) Detroit Red Wings

The Boston Bruins finished second in the league with 56 points. The Detroit Red Wings finished fourth with 50 points. This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams with Detroit winning the three of the four previous series. They last met in the previous year's Stanley Cup Semifinals where the Red Wings won in seven games. Boston won this year's ten game regular season series earning eleven of twenty points.

Stanley Cup Finals

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams with the teams splitting the four previous series. They last met in the 1943 Stanley Cup Semifinals where Boston won in five games. Montreal won this year's ten game regular season series earning eleven of twenty points.

Awards The NHL changed the criteria for the Vezina Trophy to award it to the goaltender who plays the most games for the team which gives up the fewest goals in the season.

+ Award winners O'Brien Cup:(Stanley Cup runner-up) Boston BruinsPrince of Wales Trophy:(Regular season champion) Montreal CanadiensCalder Memorial Trophy:(Best first-year player) Edgar Laprade, New York RangersHart Trophy:(Most valuable player) Max Bentley, Chicago Black HawksLady Byng Trophy:(Excellence and sportsmanship) Toe Blake, Montreal CanadiensVezina Trophy:(Goaltender of team with lowest GAA) Bill Durnan, Montreal Canadiens

+All-Star teams First team   Position   Second teamBill Durnan, Montreal Canadiens GFrank Brimsek, Boston BruinsJack Crawford, Boston Bruins DKen Reardon, Montreal CanadiensEmile "Butch" Bouchard, Montreal Canadiens DJack Stewart, Detroit Red WingsMax Bentley, Chicago Black Hawks CElmer Lach, Montreal CanadiensMaurice Richard, Montreal Canadiens RWBill Mosienko, Chicago Black HawksGaye Stewart, Toronto Maple Leafs LWToe Blake, Montreal CanadiensDick Irvin, Montreal Canadiens CoachJohnny Gottselig, Chicago Black Hawks

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 Max Bentley Chicago Black Hawks 47 31 30 61 6 Gaye Stewart Toronto Maple Leafs 50 37 15 52 8 Toe Blake Montreal Canadiens 50 29 21 50 2 Clint Smith Chicago Black Hawks 50 26 24 50 2 Maurice Richard Montreal Canadiens 50 27 22 49 50 Bill Mosienko Chicago Black Hawks 40 18 30 48 12 Ab DeMarco New York Rangers 50 20 27 47 20 Elmer Lach Montreal Canadiens 50 13 34 47 34 Alex Kaleta Chicago Black Hawks 49 19 27 46 17 Billy Taylor Toronto Maple Leafs 48 23 18 41 14 Source: NHL

Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts Player Team GP MIN GA GAA W L T SOBill Durnan Montreal Canadiens 40 2400 104 2.60 24 11 5 4Harry Lumley Detroit Red Wings 50 3000 159 3.18 20 20 10 2Frank Brimsek Boston Bruins 34 2040 111 3.26 16 14 4 2Mike Karakas Chicago Black Hawks 48 2880 166 3.46 22 19 7 1Turk Broda Toronto Maple Leafs 15 900 53 3.53 6 6 3 0Frank McCool Toronto Maple Leafs 22 1320 81 3.68 10 9 3 0Chuck Rayner New York Rangers 40 2377 149 3.76 12 21 7 1Jim Henry New York Rangers 11 623 42 4.04 1 7 2 1

Coaches Boston Bruins: Dit Clapper Chicago Black Hawks: Johnny Gottselig Detroit Red Wings: Jack Adams Montreal Canadiens: Dick Irvin New York Rangers: Frank Boucher Toronto Maple Leafs: Hap Day

Debuts The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1945–46 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs): Leo Reise Jr., Chicago Black Hawks George Gee, Chicago Black Hawks Jimmy Peters, Montreal Canadiens Cal Gardner, New York Rangers Edgar Laprade, New York Rangers Tony Leswick, New York Rangers Jimmy Thomson, Toronto Maple Leafs

Last games The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1945–46 (listed with their last team): Herb Cain, Boston Bruins (Last active Montreal Maroons player) Mike Karakas, Chicago Black Hawks Carl Liscombe, Detroit Red Wings Earl Seibert, Detroit Red Wings Flash Hollett, Detroit Red Wings (Last active Ottawa Senators player) Mud Bruneteau, Detroit Red Wings Syd Howe, Detroit Red Wings (last active Philadelphia Quakers player) Ott Heller, New York Rangers Lynn Patrick, New York Rangers Frank McCool, Toronto Maple Leafs Bob Davidson, Toronto Maple Leafs Sweeney Schriner, Toronto Maple Leafs Lorne Carr, Toronto Maple Leafs Mel Hill, Toronto Maple Leafs

See also 1945–46 NHL transactions List of Stanley Cup champions 1945 in sports 1946 in sports

References

Notes

External links Hockey Database NHL.com