1944-45 NHL season

The 1944-45 NHL season was the 28th season of the National Hockey League. Six teams each played 50 games. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup in seven games versus the Detroit Red Wings.

Regular Season
NHL president Red Dutton offered to resign because of business concerns, but the league's board of governors dissuaded him. Conn Smythe, at one point, was offered the presidency, but turned it down. Dutton then stayed on.

It was the year of the "Punch Line" as Rocket Richard scored 50 goals in 50 games, breaking Joe Malone's record of 44 goals, and when Richard scored his 45th, Malone was on hand to present him with the record-breaking puck. Richard had a 5-goal, 3-assist night against Detroit at the Montreal Forum on December 28, 1944. His centreman, Elmer Lach, though, won the scoring race with 26 goals and 80 points. Toe Blake finished third with 29 goals, 38 assists, and for the second time, an entire line finished 1, 2, 3 in scoring. The previous time had been in 1939-40, when the Boston Bruins' Kraut Line of Milt Schmidt, Bobby Bauer and Woody Dumart accomplished the feat. Schmidt finished with 52 points in 48 games that year, and Bauer and Dumart 43 apiece.

Montreal dared not loan Paul Bibeault to Toronto again with his fine year the previous season and loaned him instead to Boston. But the Maple Leafs came up with a fine rookie named Frank McCool who won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's top rookie. For the first time, a team produced three consecutive top rookies. McCool and Chicago netminder Mike Karakas tied for the league lead in shutouts with 4 each.

Bill Durnan won his second consecutive Vezina Trophy with Montreal.

A major trade that occurred this year was Chicago trading their great defenceman Earl Seibert to Detroit for Don Grosso, Cully Simon and Byron "Butch" McDonald. After team owner Frederic McLaughlin died, it was just a matter of time before Bill Tobin would trade Seibert, as the two did not get along.

Scoring Leaders
Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Leading Goaltenders
Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts

Semi-finals
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens Toronto wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 2

Detroit Red Wings vs. Boston Bruins Detroit wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 3

Finals

 * see 1945 Stanley Cup Finals

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings Toronto wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 3

Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1944-45 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
 * Fern Flaman, Boston Bruins
 * Murray Henderson, Boston Bruins
 * Pete Horeck, Chicago Black Hawks
 * Ted Lindsay, Detroit Red Wings
 * Bill Ezinicki, Toronto Maple Leafs
 * Frank McCool, Toronto Maple Leafs

Last Games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1944-45 (listed with their last team):
 * Bill Thoms, Boston Bruins
 * Cully Dahlstrom, Chicago Black Hawks
 * Mush March, Chicago Black Hawks
 * Johnny Gottselig, Chicago Black Hawks
 * Kilby MacDonald, New York Rangers
 * Bucko McDonald, New York Rangers

Attendance
Toronto: 305,597