1928–29 NHL season

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1928–29 NHL season
League National Hockey League
Sport Ice hockey
Duration November 15, 1928 – March 29, 1929
Number of games 44
Number of teams 10
Regular season
Season champions Montreal Canadiens
Season MVP Roy Worters (New York Americans)
Top scorer Ace Bailey (Toronto)
Canadian Division champions Montreal Canadiens
American Division champions Boston Bruins
Stanley Cup
Champions Boston Bruins
  Runners-up New York Rangers
NHL seasons

The 1928–29 NHL season was the 12th season of the National Hockey League. Ten teams played 44 games each. This was the first Stanley Cup final that saw two United States-based teams compete for the cup. The Boston Bruins defeated the New York Rangers two games to none in the best-of-three final.

League business

Notable rule changes

Forward passing was permitted from the neutral zone across the blue line into the attacking zone, as long as no offensive player preceded the puck into the attacking zone; forward passing within the attacking zone was still forbidden. Regular season overtime was changed to a 10-minute, non-sudden-death format, to be played in its entirety.

Playoff format

The playoff format was revised to match the divisional first-place teams in a best-of-five semi-final. The divisional second-place teams and third-place teams played off in a two-game total-goals series to determine the participants for the other best-of-three semi-final. The semi-final winners then played off in a best-of-three series for the Cup.

Regular season

Ottawa continued in financial trouble and sold Punch Broadbent to the New York Americans. They continued to erode, and at one point, rumour had it that they would be sold to a Chicago group. Frank Ahearn, the Senators owner, denied this, but admitted that the team was for sale to the highest bidder.

The New York Americans, last place finishers in 1927–28, surprised everyone by occupying first place for much of the season in the Canadian Division. They were held up by the great play of defenceman Lionel Conacher and goaltender Roy Worters. However, the Montreal Canadiens dislodged the Americans and finished first. Boston, led by rookie Tiny Thompson in goal, led the American Division.

Bruins' player George Owen was the first NHL player to regularly wear headgear for protective purposes. Prior to this, the only time protective headgear was worn was to temporarily protect injuries. Fifty-one years later the NHL would mandate the use of helmets. Craig MacTavish was the last NHL player to not wear a helmet, retiring in 1997.

The Chicago Black Hawks set records for goal scoring futility, scoring on average less than one goal per game (33), while giving up a league worst 85 goals against. In one stretch from February 7 through February 28, the Hawks were shut out in eight consecutive games.[1] Forward Vic Ripley was the Hawks' leading goal scorer with only 11 goals and 2 assists for 13 points for the entire 44-game season.[2]

The season produced a record 120 shutouts in the 220 games played. George Hainsworth, Canadiens goaltender, set an NHL record that remains unmatched through the 2015–16 season of 22 shutouts and a 0.92 goals against average. Seven other goaltenders hit double digits in shutouts.[1]

Final standings

Canadian Division
GP W L T GF GA PIM Pts
Montreal Canadiens 44 22 7 15 71 43 465 59
New York Americans 44 19 13 12 53 53 486 50
Toronto Maple Leafs 44 21 18 5 85 69 541 47
Ottawa Senators 44 14 17 13 54 67 461 41
Montreal Maroons 44 15 20 9 67 65 638 39
American Division
GP W L T GF GA PIM Pts
Boston Bruins 44 26 13 5 89 52 472 57
New York Rangers 44 21 13 10 72 65 384 52
Detroit Cougars 44 19 16 9 72 63 381 47
Pittsburgh Pirates 44 9 27 8 46 80 324 26
Chicago Black Hawks 44 7 29 8 33 85 363 22


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

Playoffs

The playoffs were now between division finishers of each division, rather than a division champion from each division.The Boston Bruins knocked off the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Rangers beat the New York Americans, and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Detroit Cougars. The Rangers defeated Toronto to advance to the final against Boston.

Finals

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Main article: 1929 Stanley Cup Finals

The Bruins won their first Stanley Cup defeating the Rangers. In the process, Boston became one of the few Cup winners in history to not lose a single game in the playoffs, and the last team until 1952 to go undefeated in the playoffs.

Playoff bracket

  Quarter-finals Semi-finals Stanley Cup Final
                           
       
  C1  Montreal Canadiens 0  
    A1  Boston Bruins 3  
     
         
    A1  Boston Bruins 2
  A2  New York Rangers 0
  C2  New York Americans 0G  
A2  New York Rangers 1G  
A2  New York Rangers 2
    C3  Toronto Maple Leafs 0  
C3  Toronto Maple Leafs 7G
  A3  Detroit Cougars 2G  


Awards

Frank Boucher won his second consecutive Lady Byng award and George Hainsworth won his third consecutive Vezina Trophy.

1928–29 NHL awards
O'Brien Cup:
(Canadian Division champion)		 Montreal Canadiens
Prince of Wales Trophy:
(American Division champion)		 Boston Bruins
Hart Trophy:
(Most valuable player)		 Roy Worters, New York Americans
Lady Byng Trophy:
(Excellence and sportsmanship)		 Frank Boucher, New York Rangers
Vezina Trophy:
(Fewest goals allowed)		 George Hainsworth, Montreal Canadiens

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
Ace Bailey Toronto Maple Leafs 44 22 10 32 78
Nels Stewart Montreal Maroons 44 21 8 29 74
Carson Cooper Detroit Cougars 43 18 9 27 14
Howie Morenz Montreal Canadiens 42 17 10 27 47
Andy Blair Toronto Maple Leafs 44 12 15 27 41
Frank Boucher New York Rangers 44 10 16 26 8
Harry Oliver Boston Bruins 43 17 6 23 24
Bill Cook New York Rangers 43 15 8 23 41
Jimmy Ward Montreal Maroons 44 14 8 22 46
Frank Finnigan Ottawa Senators 44 15 4 19 71

Source: NHL.[3]

Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average

Player Team GP W L T Mins GA SO GAA
George Hainsworth Montreal Canadiens 44 22 7 15 2800 43 22 0.92
Tiny Thompson Boston Bruins 44 26 13 5 2710 52 12 1.15
Roy Worters New York Americans 44 16 12 10 2390 46 13 1.15
Dolly Dolson Detroit Cougars 38 19 16 9 2750 63 10 1.37
John Ross Roach New York Rangers 44 21 13 10 2760 65 13 1.41

Source: hockey-reference.com[4]

Debuts

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1928–29 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):

Last games

The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1928–29 (listed with their last team):

See also

References

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Notes
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dryden 2000, p. 31.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Dinger 2011, p. 146.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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