1929-30 NHL season

The 1929-30 NHL season was the thirteenth season of the National Hockey League. Ten teams played 44 games each. The Montreal Canadiens upset the heavily favoured Boston Bruins two games to none for the Stanley Cup.

Regular SeasonEdit

To combat low scoring, a major rule change was implemented. Players were now allowed forward passing in the offensive zone, instead of only in the defensive and neutral zones. This led to abuse: players sat in front of the opposing net waiting for a pass. The rule was changed again mid-season in December 1929, and players were no longer allowed to enter the offensive zone before the puck. Hence the birth of the modern-day offside rule.

Cooney Weiland of the Boston Bruins took advantage of the rule changes and smashed the old NHL scoring record with 73 points. Weiland and Tiny Thompson, who won the Vezina Trophy with a 2.23 goals against average, led the Bruins to a final season standings record of 38 wins, 5 losses, and 1 tie — an .875 winning percentage, an NHL record as of 2020.

Conn Smythe brought up two outstanding forwards, Harvey Jackson and Charlie Conacher, and combined with Joe Primeau, the Kid Line was born. Conacher actually scored on his first shift in the NHL. Jackson got his nickname Busher from Tim Daly, the Toronto trainer, when asked by Daly to assist with some sticks. "I'm a hockey player, not a stickboy," Jackson told Daly, who replied, "Why you fresh young busher!" And it was Busher Jackson from that day on.

Eddie Gerard resigned as manager-coach of the Montreal Maroons. He was replaced as manager by team president James Strachan. Dunc Munro was hired as coach and led the team to first place in the Canadian Division.

There was a a well-founded rumour that Eddie Gerard would take the coaching reins of Ottawa from Newsy Lalonde when Lalonde was not well. Dave Gill filled in during his absence and the team did much better and made the playoffs. Gerard turned down the coaching job.

During the second period of the March 1, 1930 game versus the Ottawa Senators, the Bruins Lionel Hitchman was hit in the jaw by an Eddie Shore shot, breaking it. Hitchman would return to action in the season finale four games later wearing a jaw protector and play the entire playoffs with the head gear.

Final StandingsEdit

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Scoring LeadersEdit

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

Leading GoaltendersEdit

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

Stanley Cup PlayoffsEdit

After defeating the Montreal Maroons and after having not lost consecutive games all season, the Boston Bruins were swept by the Montreal Canadiens two games to none in a best-of-three series. The first game saw Boston play way below its usual form. The Canadiens then won the Cup with a 4-3 victory in game two. The Canadiens went 5-0-1 in the playoffs, making them one of the few Cup winning teams in history to not lose a game in the playoffs.

Playoff BracketEdit

Boston Bruins 3, Montreal Maroons 1 Edit

As the American Division champions, Boston enjoyed a first round bye in the playoffs, and faced the Montreal Maroons, the Canadian Division champions, in the semi-finals in a best-of-five series.

The first game of the series was a grueling overtime match in which Bruins' coach Art Ross was noted for ceaseless criticism of the officiating and the ice condition, to the annoyance of the home crowd in Montreal, won on a Harry Oliver overtime goal at the 45 minute mark. The Bruins won the second match handily on two goals from Dit Clapper, partially due to an injury forcing Montreal star Babe Siebert out only a few minutes into the game, but with Siebert's return in the third game the match was much closer. Unusually, Montreal starter Buck Boucher broke a leg 24 minutes into overtime, and his replacement, little-used defenseman Archie Wilcox, scored the game winner at the 26 minute mark. Siebert did not dress for the final game, and the Bruins overwhelmed the Maroons to reach the Cup finals, behind two goals from Marty Barry, earning the Bruins a rest while they waited for their next opponents.^[1]

FinalsEdit

Main article: 1930 Stanley Cup Finals

NHL AwardsEdit

DebutsEdit

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1929-30 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):

• Tom Cook, Chicago Black Hawks
• Ebbie Goodfellow, Detroit Cougars
• Syd Howe, Ottawa Senators
• Busher Jackson, Toronto Maple Leafs
• Charlie Conacher, Toronto Maple Leafs

Last GamesEdit

The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1929-30 (listed with their last team):

• Mickey MacKay, Boston Bruins
• Jimmy Herberts, Detroit Cougars
• Clint Benedict, Montreal Maroons
• Frank Nighbor, Toronto Maple Leafs

GalleryEdit

Hawks Johnny Gottselig rounds the net past Maroons Flat Walsh on December 12, 1929.

Bruins and Maroons line up for the anthems in 1930.

Bruins and Rangers in 1929-30 season action.

Add a photo to this gallery

See AlsoEdit

• List of Stanley Cup champions

ReferencesEdit

• Hockey Database
• NHL.com