1932-33 NHL season

The 1932-33 NHL season was the 16th season of the National Hockey League. Nine teams each played 48 games. The New York Rangers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs three games to one for the Stanley Cup. It was the first season that Frank Calder named the best rookie of the year. The first winner was Carl Voss of the Detroit Red Wings (formerly the Detroit Falcons).

Regular Season
After sitting out for a season due to financial difficulties, the Ottawa Senators rejoined the NHL. The Detroit Falcons merged with the Chicago Shamrocks of the AHL and became the Detroit Red Wings, now owned by James Norris.

The Red Wings and Boston Bruins tied for the best overall record with 58 points apiece, but it was Boston that was awarded first overall due to a better head-to-head record. Ottawa started the season up in second place in the Canadian Division near the .500 mark at mid season, but collapsed in the second half and finished last. President Ahearn instructed coach Cy Denneny to fine players who displayed indifferent hockey.At the same time, he stated that Hector Kilrea was not for sale. Toronto manager Conn Smythe offered Andy Blair, Ken Doraty, and Baldy Cotton for Kilrea which drew a snort of disdain from Ahearn.

The first forfeit in NHL history occurred during a Black Hawks-Bruins game at Boston Garden on March 14, 1933. Chicago coach Tommy Gorman punched referee Bill Stewart following a disputed overtime goal by Boston's Marty Barry. Stewart threw several punches at Gorman before summoning the police to remove Gorman from the visitors' bench. The Hawks refused to continue the game without their coach. The puck was placed at center ice by Stewart and the Bruins scored without any Hawks on the ice at which point the game was forfeited to Boston.

On March 19, 1933, the Black Hawks hosted the Detroit Red Wings in the first afternoon game in NHL history. About 6,000 spectators showed up for a game that faced-off at 3.30 p.m. instead of the usual 8.30. The Wings prevailed 4-2 and to add insult to (literally) injury, Hawks centre Billy Burch broke his leg. It would be the last game Burch would play of his 11 year NHL career.

The Montreal Canadiens, surprisingly, under new coach Newsy Lalonde, spent much of the season in last place, but managed to make the playoffs when they rallied to finished third. Toronto, with its Kid line, finished first for the first time as the Maple Leafs. Led by the great play of Eddie Shore,the Boston Bruins finished first in the American Division.

Although the Montreal Maroons had Flat Walsh, Dave Kerr and Normie Smith for goal, they were very taken by Chuck Gardiner of Chicago. James Strachan offered $10,000 plus one of his goalkeepers, but there was no deal.

Billy Coutu, expelled from the NHL in 1927, was reinstated to the NHL, but never returned.

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

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

Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Boston Bruins 2
The league's two best teams met in the second round of the playoffs, both teams having received byes in the first round. The series was one of the closest in NHL history with four of the five games being decided in overtime.

Game 1 after Dit Clapper tied the game at 1-1 in the second period, overtime was needed to decide the game. The Bruins leading scorer Marty Barry potted the winner at 14:14 of the first OT period.

Game 2 was a close checking affair with the only goal scored by Busher Jackson at 15:03 of the first OT period to tie the series at 1-1. Lorne Chabot registered the shutout.

Game 3 saw the Bruins lead on a goal by Nels Stewart at 4:47 of the second period until Ken Doraty tied it up with less than six minutes left in the game. To no avail as Eddie Shore scored at 4:23 of the first OT period.

Game 4 was the only wide-open affair of the series. A pair of goals by Busher Jackson and Charlie Sands (who would later play for the Bruins and become one of their top ten scorers of the 1930's) led the Leafs to a 5-3 victory and tied the series 2-2.

Game 5 was the second longest game in NHL history requiring six overtime periods before Ken Doraty scored at 4:46 on Tiny Thompson to win the series for the Leafs. Eddie Shore didn't leave the ice for the 60 minutes of regulation time, except for two penalties he took, and played nearly all of overtime. After four OT periods, the two GMs, Art Ross and Conn Smythe agreed the game be decided by a coin toss. But the players wouldn't have it and NHL president Frank Calder, who was in attendance, agreed with the players, so the game continued. Lorne Chabot picked up his second shutout of the playoffs. The Leafs would lose to the Rangers in the finals.

Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1932-33 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
 * Art Wiebe, Chicago Black Hawks
 * Eddie Wiseman, Detroit Red Wings
 * Charlie Sands, Toronto Maple Leafs
 * Buzz Boll*, Toronto Maple Leafs
 * Bill Thoms, Toronto Maple Leafs

Last Games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1932-33 (listed with their last team):
 * George Owen, Boston Bruins
 * Billy Burch, Chicago Black Hawks
 * Reg Noble, Montreal Maroons
 * Hib Milks, Ottawa Senators
 * Norman Gainor, Ottawa Senators
 * Harold Darragh, Toronto Maple Leafs