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The '''1939-40 NHL season''' was the 23rd season for the [[National Hockey League]]. Of the league's seven teams, the [[Boston Bruins]] were the best in the 48-game regular season, but the [[List of Stanley Cup champions|Stanley Cup winners]] were the [[New York Rangers]], who defeated the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] in the best-of-seven Finals 4-2 for their third [[Stanley Cup]] in 14 seasons of existence. It would be another 54 years before their fourth.
  
   
  +
[[File:1940_Rangers_celebrate.jpg|thumb|center|450px]]
⚫
==Regular season==
  
   
  ⚫
The '''1939-40 NHL season''' was the 23rd season for the [[National Hockey League]]. Of the league's seven teams, the [[Boston Bruins]] were the best in the 48-game regular season, but the [[List of Stanley Cup champions|Stanley Cup winners]] were the [[New York Rangers]], who defeated the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] in the best-of-seven Finals 4-2 for their third [[Stanley Cup]] in 14 seasons of existence. It would be another 54 years before their fourth.
−
Tragedy struck the Montreal Canadiens when [[Babe Siebert]], named coach of the struggling club, drowned along with his daughter in August. It put a big hole in the Habs defence and the team finished last under [[Alfred Lépine|Pit Lepine]]. An all-star benefit was held in Siebert's memory.
  
  +
  +
==Pre-Season==
  +
[[File:29Oct1939-Babe_Siebert_All_Stars.jpg|thumb|All-Star team for the Babe Siebert Memorial game, October 29, 1939.]]
  +
The tragic death of [[Babe Siebert]] in a drowning accident led to a memorial game at the [[Montreal Forum]] on October 29, 1939. The game raised over $15,000 to benefit Siebert's wife, who was paralyzed after giving birth to their second daughter. A team of All-Stars defeated the [[Montreal Canadiens]] 5-2.
  +
  +
Training Camp Sites:
  +
  +
:Boston Bruins - [[Hershey, Pennsylvania]]
  +
:Chicago Black Hawks - [[Hibbing, Minnesota]]
  +
:Detroit Red Wings - [[Detroit, Michigan]]
  +
:Montreal Canadiens - [[Montreal, Quebec]]
  +
:New York Americans - [[Port Arthur, Ontario]]
  +
:New York Rangers - [[Winnipeg, Manitoba]]
  ⚫
:Toronto Maple Leafs - [[St. Catharines, Ontario]]
  +
  ⚫
==Regular Season==
  +
Without [[Babe Siebert]], named playing coach of the struggling [[Montreal Canadiens]], the team finished last under [[Alfred Lépine|Pit Lepine]].
   
 
The New York Americans, in financial trouble, decided to trade their star left wing
 
The New York Americans, in financial trouble, decided to trade their star left wing
 
[[Sweeney Schriner]] to Toronto for [[Harvey "Busher" Jackson]], [[Buzz Boll]], [[Murray Armstrong]], and minor-leaguer [[Jimmy Fowler]]. Late in the season, they traded [[Eddie Wiseman]] and $5000 to Boston for [[Eddie Shore]]. The Americans then managed to make the playoffs by finishing a poor sixth. They also obtained Charlie Conacher and used him as a defenceman.
  
[[Sweeney Schriner]] to Toronto for [[Harvey "Busher" Jackson]], [[Buzz Boll]], [[Murray Armstrong]], and minor-leaguer [[Jimmy Fowler]]. Late in the season, they traded [[Eddie Wiseman]] and $5000 to Boston for [[Eddie Shore]]. The Americans then managed to make the playoffs by finishing a poor sixth. They also obtained Charlie Conacher and used him as a defenceman.
   
  +
Before the December 19, 1939 game at Boston versus the [[Boston Bruins]], [[Conn Smythe]] puts an ad in the [[Boston Globe]] which states "Attention Hockey Fans! If you're tired of seeing the kind of hockey the Boston Bruins are playing, come to the Garden tonight and see a real hockey club, the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]]." The Bruins win 3-2 in overtime.
⚫
The first place [[Boston Bruins]] had a new coach in [[Cooney Weiland]], their one-time captain, and were once again led by their "Kraut Line", [[Milt Schmidt]], [[Woody Dumart]], and [[Bobby Bauer]] as they finished 1-2-3 in overall league scoring. Unfortunately, the potient three were unable to help the Bruins get past the first round of the playoffs as the Bruins lost in 6 to the Rangers.
  
  +
  ⚫
The first place Boston Bruins had a new coach in [[Cooney Weiland]], their one-time captain, and were once again led by their "Kraut Line", [[Milt Schmidt]], [[Woody Dumart]], and [[Bobby Bauer]] as they finished 1-2-3 in overall league scoring and Bruins [[Bill Cowley]] finishes 4th. Unfortunately, the potent four were unable to help the Bruins get past the first round of the playoffs as the injury-riddled Bruins lost in 6 games to the Rangers.
   
 
The New York Rangers were coasting in first place and went 19 consecutive games without a loss.
  
The New York Rangers were coasting in first place and went 19 consecutive games without a loss.
 
They slumped in the second half, though, and Boston edged them out for first place.
  
They slumped in the second half, though, and Boston edged them out for first place.
   
−
The name New York Rangers-Montreal Canadiens 6-2 on February 25 1940 was the first ice hockey game ever in the USA to be shown on TV.
 +
The New York Rangers-Montreal Canadiens 6-2 game on February 25, 1940 was the first ice hockey game ever in the USA to be shown on TV.
   
−
===Final standings===
 +
===Final Standings===
  +
{{1939–40 NHL standings |team=}}
−
''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes''
  
−
<br>
  
−
''Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highligted in bold''
  
−
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
  
⚫
|-
  
−
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="30%" | National Hockey League
  
−
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="5%" | GP
  
−
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="5%" | W
  
−
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="5%" | L
  
−
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="5%" | T
  
−
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="5%" | Pts
  
−
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="7.5%" | GF
  
−
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="7.5%" | GA
  
−
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="7.5%" | PIM
  
⚫
|-
  
−
| '''[[Boston Bruins]]'''||48 || 31 || 12 || 5 || 67 || 170 || 98|| 330
  
⚫
|-
  
⚫
| '''[[New York Rangers]]''' ||48 || 27 || 11 || 10 || 64 || 136 || 77|| 520
  
⚫
|-
  
⚫
| '''[[Toronto Maple Leafs]]'''||48 || 25 || 17 || 6 || 56 || 134 || 110 ||485
  
⚫
|-
  
⚫
| '''[[Chicago Black Hawks]]''' || 48||23 || 19 || 6 || 52 || 112 || 120 ||351
  
⚫
|-
  
⚫
| '''[[Detroit Red Wings]]''' || 48|| 16 || 26 || 6 || 38 || 90 || 126 || 250
  
⚫
|-
  
−
| '''[[New York Americans]]''' ||48 || 15 || 29 || 4 || 34 || 106 || 140 ||236
  
⚫
|-
  
⚫
| [[Montreal Canadiens]] || 48|| 10 || 33 || 5 || 25 || 90 || 167 ||338
  
⚫
|}
  
   
−
===Scoring leaders===
 +
===Scoring Leaders===
 
''Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points''
  
''Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points''
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
  
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
 
|-
  
|-
 
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="125" | Player
  
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="125" | Player
−
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="125" | Team
 +
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="140" | Team
 
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="5" | GP
  
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="5" | GP
 
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="5" | G
  
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="5" | G
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|}
  
|}
   
  +
===Leading Goaltenders===
⚫
==Stanley Cup playoffs==
  
  +
''Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts''
  +
{| class="wikitable"
  ⚫
|-
  +
! style="background:#ddf; width:20%;"| Player
  +
! style="background:#ddf; width:20%;"| Team
  +
! style="background:#ddf; width:6%;"| GP
  +
! style="background:#ddf; width:6%;"| MIN
  +
! style="background:#ddf; width:6%;"| GA
  +
! style="background:#ddf; width:6%;"| GAA
  +
! style="background:#ddf; width:6%;"| W
  +
! style="background:#ddf; width:6%;"| L
  +
! style="background:#ddf; width:6%;"| T
  +
! style="background:#ddf; width:6%;"| SO
  ⚫
|-
  ⚫
|[[Dave Kerr]] || New York Rangers || 48 || 3000 || 77 || 1.54 || 27 || 11 || 10 || 8
  ⚫
|-
  ⚫
|[[Paul Goodman]] || Chicago Black Hawks || 31 || 1920 || 62 || 1.94 || 16 || 10 || 5 || 4
  ⚫
|-
  ⚫
|[[Frank Brimsek]] || Boston Bruins || 48 || 2950 || 98 || 1.99 || 31 || 12 || 5 || 6
  ⚫
|-
  ⚫
|[[Turk Broda]] || Toronto Maple Leafs || 47 || 2900 || 108 || 2.23 || 25 || 17 || 5 || 4
  ⚫
|-
  ⚫
|[[Cecil "Tiny" Thompson]] || Detroit Red Wings || 46 || 2830 || 120 || 2.54 || 16 || 24 || 6 || 3
  ⚫
|-
  +
|[[Earl Robertson]] || N.Y. Americans || 48 || 2960 || 140 || 2.84 || 15 || 29 || 4 || 6
  ⚫
|-
  +
|[[Claude Bourque]] || Montreal Canadiens || 36 || 2210 || 121 || 3.29 || 9 || 24 || 3 || 2
  +
|-
  +
|[[Mike Karakas]] || Chicago Black Hawks || 17 || 1050 || 58 || 3.31 || 7 || 9 || 1 || 0
  ⚫
|}
  +
  ⚫
==Stanley Cup Playoffs==
 
The Boston Bruins were expected to make the [[Stanley Cup]] finals after a first overall finish during the regular season riding the shoulders of the "Kraut Line". But the New York Rangers were too much for the Bruins who lost in six and were out-scored 14 to 8 and shut-out twice in the first round. The third seed Toronto Maple Leafs swept the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks en route to the Stanley Cup finals.
  
The Boston Bruins were expected to make the [[Stanley Cup]] finals after a first overall finish during the regular season riding the shoulders of the "Kraut Line". But the New York Rangers were too much for the Bruins who lost in six and were out-scored 14 to 8 and shut-out twice in the first round. The third seed Toronto Maple Leafs swept the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks en route to the Stanley Cup finals.
   
 
''Note: All dates in 1940''
  
''Note: All dates in 1940''
−
===Playoff bracket===
 +
===Playoff Bracket===
 
{{3RoundBracket-Byes
  
{{3RoundBracket-Byes
 
| RD1-seed5='''3'''
  
| RD1-seed5='''3'''
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}}
  
}}
   
  +
=== Series A: New York Rangers 4, Boston Bruins 2 ===
−
===Quarterfinals and Semifinals===
  
  +
The league's two best teams met in the second round of the playoffs, both teams having received byes in the first round. The Bruins lost 4 players to injury during the series. The Rangers held league leading scorer [[Milt Schmidt]] off the score sheet for the series and won 4-2, with goalie [[Dave Kerr]] posting three shutouts. The Rangers would go on to the beat the Leafs in the Finals.<br /><br />
−
'''Series A: Boston Bruins vs. New York Rangers'''
  
  +
'''Game 1''' at [[Madison Square Garden]] was dominated by the Rangers. After [[Phil Watson]] put the Rangers up 1-0 in the second period, the "Bread Line" of [[Alex Shibicky]], [[Neil Colville]] and [[Mac Colville]] took over. Combining for 7 points on a goal by Shibicky and two by Mac, the Rangers blanked the Bruins 4-0 with Dave Kerr earning the shutout.<br /><br />
  +
'''Game 2''' in Boston was special teams battle. A huge brawl in the first period saw seven players in the penalty box after which Mac Colville scored a [[Shorthanded goal]]. The Bruins special teams took over in the second period. [[Power play]] goals by [[Flash Hollett]] and [[Woody Dumart]] and a shorthanded goal by [[Herb Cain]] spotted them a 3-1 lead. The Rangers [[Dutch Hiller]] made it close at 9:56 of the third but [[Art Jackson]] sealed the Bruins 4-2 victory with a late goal. The Bruins [[Mel Hill]] broke his ankle and was lost for the remainder of the series.<br /><br />
  +
'''Game 3''' in Boston was a close affair with the team trading goals throughout the game. A pair by [[Eddie Wiseman]], who opened the scoring at 7:21 of the first and netted the winner at 7:49 of the third period was the difference as the Bruins took game 3 by a 4-3 score and led in the series 2-1.<br /><br />
  +
'''Game 4''' in New York was a goaltending duel between [[Frank Brimsek]] and Kerr with the Rangers prevailing 1-0 on a 40 foot shot by [[Muzz Patrick]] at 10:40 of the third period to tie the series 2-2. The Bruins lost defenseman [[Des Smith]] to injury for the remainder of the series.<br /><br />
  +
'''Game 5''' in Boston was a repeat of Game 4 but with [[Babe Pratt]] scoring the game's only goal at 4:27 of the third period on a two on one with Alex Shibicky. The Bruins [[Art Jackson]] broke his ankle in the first period. With 20 seconds left, the Bruins pulled Brimsek for an extra attacker but to no avail. [[Dit Clapper]] hurt his ankle at the end of the game and wouldn't play in Game 6.<br /><br />
  +
'''Game 6''' in New York saw the Bruins go ahead 1-0 on a late first period goal by [[Roy Conacher]] assisted by Art Jackson's replacement [[Terry Reardon]]. But the shorthanded Bruins, playing without Jackson, Des Smith, Mel Hill and Clapper couldn't hold off the Rangers and [[Alf Pike]] tied it up in the second period. In the third, Alex Shibicky scored to make it 2-1 and in the process [[Robert "Red" Hamill]] took a major penalty for high-sticking and broke Shibicky's nose. The Rangers capitalized on the power play with goals by [[Clint Smith]] and Phil Watson to win the series with a 4-1 victory in front of their home town faithful.<br /><br />
  +
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
  
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
 
|-
  
|-
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''Rangers win best of seven series 4 games to 2''
  
''Rangers win best of seven series 4 games to 2''
   
−
'''Series B: Chicago Black Hawks vs. Toronto Maple Leafs'''
 +
===Series B: Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Chicago Black Hawks 0===
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
  
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
 
|-
  
|-
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''Toronto wins best of three series 2 games to 0''
  
''Toronto wins best of three series 2 games to 0''
   
−
'''Series C: New York Americans vs. Detroit Red Wings'''
 +
===Series C: Detroit Red Wings 2, New York Americans 1===
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
  
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
 
|-
  
|-
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''Detroit wins best of three series 2 games to 1''
  
''Detroit wins best of three series 2 games to 1''
   
−
'''Series D: Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs'''
 +
===Series D: Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Detroit Red Wings 0===
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
  
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
 
|-
  
|-
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===Finals===
  
===Finals===
−
{{main|1940 Stanley Cup Finals}}
 +
{{main|1940 Stanley Cup Finals}}'''Toronto Maple Leafs vs. New York Rangers'''
−  
⚫
'''Toronto Maple Leafs vs. New York Rangers'''
  
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
  
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
 
|-
  
|-
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''New York wins best of seven series 4 games to 2''
  
''New York wins best of seven series 4 games to 2''
   
−
===Playoff scoring leaders===
 +
===Playoff Scoring Leaders===
 
''Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points''
  
''Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points''
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
  
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
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|}
  
|}
   
−
===1940 New York Rangers roster===
 +
===1940 New York Rangers Roster===
 
General Manager: [[Lester Patrick]]<br />
  
General Manager: [[Lester Patrick]]<br />
 
Head Coach: [[Frank Boucher]]<br />
  
Head Coach: [[Frank Boucher]]<br />
−
Trainer: [[Harry Westerby]]<br />
 +
Trainer: Harry Westerby<br />
 
Players: [[Art Coulter]] ([[Captain (hockey)|Captain]]), [[Mac Colville]], [[Neil Colville]], [[Ott Heller]], [[Bryan Hextall]], [[Dutch Hiller]], [[Dave Kerr]], [[Kilby MacDonald]], [[Lynn Patrick]], [[Muzz Patrick]], [[Alf Pike]], [[Babe Pratt]], [[Alex Shibicky]], [[Clint Smith]], [[Phil Watson]]
  
Players: [[Art Coulter]] ([[Captain (hockey)|Captain]]), [[Mac Colville]], [[Neil Colville]], [[Ott Heller]], [[Bryan Hextall]], [[Dutch Hiller]], [[Dave Kerr]], [[Kilby MacDonald]], [[Lynn Patrick]], [[Muzz Patrick]], [[Alf Pike]], [[Babe Pratt]], [[Alex Shibicky]], [[Clint Smith]], [[Phil Watson]]
   
−
==NHL awards==
 +
==NHL Awards==
 
{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" border="1"
  
{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" border="1"
 
|[[O'Brien Trophy]]: || [[Toronto Maple Leafs]]
  
|[[O'Brien Trophy]]: || [[Toronto Maple Leafs]]
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|}
  
|}
   
−
===All-Star teams===
 +
==All-Star Teams==
 
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
  
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
 
|-
  
|-
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*[[Kilby MacDonald]], New York Rangers
  
*[[Kilby MacDonald]], New York Rangers
   
−
==Last games==
 +
==Last Games==
 
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1939-40 (listed with their last team):
  
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1939-40 (listed with their last team):
 
*[[Tiny Thompson]], Detroit Red Wings
  
*[[Tiny Thompson]], Detroit Red Wings
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*[[Red Horner]], Toronto Maple Leafs
  
*[[Red Horner]], Toronto Maple Leafs
   
−
==See also==
 +
==Attendance==
  +
  +
#[[Chicago Blackhawks]]: 275,032
  +
#[[Toronto Maple Leafs]]: 271,031
  +
#[[Boston Bruins]]: 245,795
  +
#[[New York Rangers]]: 239,928
  +
#[[New York Americans]]: 170,905
  +
#[[Montreal Canadiens]]: 121,792
  +
#[[Detroit Red Wings]]: 107,512
  +
  +
==Gallery==
  +
<gallery captionalign="center">
  +
Mel_Hill_dressing_1939.jpg|[[Mel Hill]] dressing in 1939, showing the paucity of equipment protection.
  +
Mel_Hill_39-40.jpg|Mel Hill wearing the 1939-40 Bruins jersey.
  +
1939-Brimsek_NYR.jpg|Brimsek stops the Rangers #10 [[Clint Smith]] in a 1939 game.
  +
1939-40-Cain_Jackson_Young_Bourque_Hill.jpg|Bruins #4 [[Herb Cain]], #18 [[Art Jackson]], [[Mel Hill]], Canadiens [[Doug Young]], [[Claude Bourque]] in 1939-40 action.
  +
19Mar1940-Bruins_NYR.gif|Bruins Brimsek, #6 [[Jack Crawford]] and #18 [[Art Jackson]] defend against [[Bryan Hextall]] and #3 [[Ott Heller]] of the Rangers. Game 1 of the 1940 Semi-finals, March 19, 1940.
  +
22Mar1940-Connie_Brown_Robertson.jpg|[[Connie Brown]] dekes [[Earl Robertson]] during Game 2 of the 1940 Quarter-finals, March 22, 1940.
  +
26March1940-Brimsek_save.jpg|Bruins Brimsek, #6 [[Jack Crawford]] holds off Rangers #16 [[Alf Pike]] while #8 [[Des Smith]] defends against [[Lynn Patrick]]. Game 4 of the 1940 Semi-finals, March 26, 1940.
  +
2Apr1940-Broda_Pike_Smith_Marker_L._Patrick_Stanowski.jpg|[[Turk Broda]], [[Alf Pike]], Clint Smith, [[Gus Marker]], [[Lynn Patrick]] and [[Wally Stanowski]] in Game 1 of the [[1940 Stanley Cup Finals]], April 2, 1940.
  +
</gallery>
  +
  +
==Video==
  +
A minute of highlights of the March 19, 1940 Semi-finals Game 1 which the Rangers won over the Bruins 4-0 on their way to winning the Stanley Cup. Second period goals by [[Phil Watson]] and [[Alex Shibicky]] are shown.
  +
<gallery>
  +
New York Rangers Defeat Boston Bruins in Stanley Cup Quarterfinal Game, Madison Square Garden (1940)
  +
</gallery>
  +
  +
==See Also==
 
*[[List of Stanley Cup champions]]
  
*[[List of Stanley Cup champions]]
   
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*[http://nhl.com/ NHL.com]
  
*[http://nhl.com/ NHL.com]
   
  +
{{NHL seasons|1939}}
−
{{NHL seasons|1939}}<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://nhl.wikia.com NHL Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>
  
  +
{{1939–40 NHL season by team}}

Revision as of 19:57, 24 May 2020

1940 Rangers celebrate

The 1939-40 NHL season was the 23rd season for the National Hockey League. Of the league's seven teams, the Boston Bruins were the best in the 48-game regular season, but the Stanley Cup winners were the New York Rangers, who defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the best-of-seven Finals 4-2 for their third Stanley Cup in 14 seasons of existence. It would be another 54 years before their fourth.

Pre-Season

29Oct1939-Babe Siebert All Stars

All-Star team for the Babe Siebert Memorial game, October 29, 1939.

The tragic death of Babe Siebert in a drowning accident led to a memorial game at the Montreal Forum on October 29, 1939. The game raised over $15,000 to benefit Siebert's wife, who was paralyzed after giving birth to their second daughter. A team of All-Stars defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5-2.

Training Camp Sites:

Boston Bruins - Hershey, Pennsylvania
Chicago Black Hawks - Hibbing, Minnesota
Detroit Red Wings - Detroit, Michigan
Montreal Canadiens - Montreal, Quebec
New York Americans - Port Arthur, Ontario
New York Rangers - Winnipeg, Manitoba
Toronto Maple Leafs - St. Catharines, Ontario

Regular Season

Without Babe Siebert, named playing coach of the struggling Montreal Canadiens, the team finished last under Pit Lepine.

The New York Americans, in financial trouble, decided to trade their star left wing Sweeney Schriner to Toronto for Harvey "Busher" Jackson, Buzz Boll, Murray Armstrong, and minor-leaguer Jimmy Fowler. Late in the season, they traded Eddie Wiseman and $5000 to Boston for Eddie Shore. The Americans then managed to make the playoffs by finishing a poor sixth. They also obtained Charlie Conacher and used him as a defenceman.

Before the December 19, 1939 game at Boston versus the Boston Bruins, Conn Smythe puts an ad in the Boston Globe which states "Attention Hockey Fans! If you're tired of seeing the kind of hockey the Boston Bruins are playing, come to the Garden tonight and see a real hockey club, the Toronto Maple Leafs." The Bruins win 3-2 in overtime.

The first place Boston Bruins had a new coach in Cooney Weiland, their one-time captain, and were once again led by their "Kraut Line", Milt Schmidt, Woody Dumart, and Bobby Bauer as they finished 1-2-3 in overall league scoring and Bruins Bill Cowley finishes 4th. Unfortunately, the potent four were unable to help the Bruins get past the first round of the playoffs as the injury-riddled Bruins lost in 6 games to the Rangers.

The New York Rangers were coasting in first place and went 19 consecutive games without a loss. They slumped in the second half, though, and Boston edged them out for first place.

The New York Rangers-Montreal Canadiens 6-2 game on February 25, 1940 was the first ice hockey game ever in the USA to be shown on TV.

Final Standings

National Hockey League
GP W L T GF GA PIM Pts
Boston Bruins 48 31 12 5 170 98 330 67
New York Rangers 48 27 11 10 136 77 520 64
Toronto Maple Leafs 48 25 17 6 134 110 485 56
Chicago Black Hawks 48 23 19 6 112 120 351 52
Detroit Red Wings 48 16 26 6 90 126 250 38
New York Americans 48 15 29 4 106 140 236 34
Montreal Canadiens 48 10 33 5 90 167 338 25


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

Scoring Leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points

Player Team GP G A Pts
Milt Schmidt Boston Bruins 48 22 30 52
Woody Dumart Boston Bruins 48 22 21 43
Bobby Bauer Boston Bruins 48 17 26 43
Bill Cowley Boston Bruins 48 13 27 40
Gordie Drillon Toronto Maple Leafs 43 21 19 40
Bryan Hextall New York Rangers 48 24 15 39
Neil Colville New York Rangers 48 19 19 38
Syd Howe Detroit Red Wings 48 14 23 37
Murray Armstrong New York Americans 48 16 20 36
Toe Blake Montreal Canadiens 48 17 19 36

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 SO
Dave Kerr New York Rangers 48 3000 77 1.54 27 11 10 8
Paul Goodman Chicago Black Hawks 31 1920 62 1.94 16 10 5 4
Frank Brimsek Boston Bruins 48 2950 98 1.99 31 12 5 6
Turk Broda Toronto Maple Leafs 47 2900 108 2.23 25 17 5 4
Cecil "Tiny" Thompson Detroit Red Wings 46 2830 120 2.54 16 24 6 3
Earl Robertson N.Y. Americans 48 2960 140 2.84 15 29 4 6
Claude Bourque Montreal Canadiens 36 2210 121 3.29 9 24 3 2
Mike Karakas Chicago Black Hawks 17 1050 58 3.31 7 9 1 0

Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Boston Bruins were expected to make the Stanley Cup finals after a first overall finish during the regular season riding the shoulders of the "Kraut Line". But the New York Rangers were too much for the Bruins who lost in six and were out-scored 14 to 8 and shut-out twice in the first round. The third seed Toronto Maple Leafs swept the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks en route to the Stanley Cup finals.

Note: All dates in 1940

Playoff Bracket

  Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
                           
        
  1  Boston Bruins 2  
    2  New York Rangers 4  
      
          
    2  New York Rangers 4
  3  Toronto Maple Leafs 2
  3  Toronto Maple Leafs 2  
4  Chicago Black Hawks 0  
3  Toronto Maple Leafs 2
    5  Detroit Red Wings 0  
5  Detroit Red Wings 2
  6  New York Americans 1  


Series A: New York Rangers 4, 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 Bruins lost 4 players to injury during the series. The Rangers held league leading scorer Milt Schmidt off the score sheet for the series and won 4-2, with goalie Dave Kerr posting three shutouts. The Rangers would go on to the beat the Leafs in the Finals.

Game 1 at Madison Square Garden was dominated by the Rangers. After Phil Watson put the Rangers up 1-0 in the second period, the "Bread Line" of Alex Shibicky, Neil Colville and Mac Colville took over. Combining for 7 points on a goal by Shibicky and two by Mac, the Rangers blanked the Bruins 4-0 with Dave Kerr earning the shutout.

Game 2 in Boston was special teams battle. A huge brawl in the first period saw seven players in the penalty box after which Mac Colville scored a Shorthanded goal. The Bruins special teams took over in the second period. Power play goals by Flash Hollett and Woody Dumart and a shorthanded goal by Herb Cain spotted them a 3-1 lead. The Rangers Dutch Hiller made it close at 9:56 of the third but Art Jackson sealed the Bruins 4-2 victory with a late goal. The Bruins Mel Hill broke his ankle and was lost for the remainder of the series.

Game 3 in Boston was a close affair with the team trading goals throughout the game. A pair by Eddie Wiseman, who opened the scoring at 7:21 of the first and netted the winner at 7:49 of the third period was the difference as the Bruins took game 3 by a 4-3 score and led in the series 2-1.

Game 4 in New York was a goaltending duel between Frank Brimsek and Kerr with the Rangers prevailing 1-0 on a 40 foot shot by Muzz Patrick at 10:40 of the third period to tie the series 2-2. The Bruins lost defenseman Des Smith to injury for the remainder of the series.

Game 5 in Boston was a repeat of Game 4 but with Babe Pratt scoring the game's only goal at 4:27 of the third period on a two on one with Alex Shibicky. The Bruins Art Jackson broke his ankle in the first period. With 20 seconds left, the Bruins pulled Brimsek for an extra attacker but to no avail. Dit Clapper hurt his ankle at the end of the game and wouldn't play in Game 6.

Game 6 in New York saw the Bruins go ahead 1-0 on a late first period goal by Roy Conacher assisted by Art Jackson's replacement Terry Reardon. But the shorthanded Bruins, playing without Jackson, Des Smith, Mel Hill and Clapper couldn't hold off the Rangers and Alf Pike tied it up in the second period. In the third, Alex Shibicky scored to make it 2-1 and in the process Robert "Red" Hamill took a major penalty for high-sticking and broke Shibicky's nose. The Rangers capitalized on the power play with goals by Clint Smith and Phil Watson to win the series with a 4-1 victory in front of their home town faithful.

Date Home Score Away Score Notes
March 19 New York Rangers 4 Boston Bruins 0
March 21 Boston Bruins 4 New York Rangers 3
March 24 Boston Bruins 4 New York Rangers 2
March 26 New York Rangers 1 Boston Bruins 0
March 28 Boston Bruins 0 New York Rangers 1
March 30 New York Rangers 4 Boston Bruins 1

Rangers win best of seven series 4 games to 2

Series B: Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Chicago Black Hawks 0

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
March 19 Chicago Black Hawks 2 Toronto Maple Leafs 3 6:35 of OT
March 21 Toronto Maple Leafs 2 Chicago Black Hawks 1

Toronto wins best of three series 2 games to 0

Series C: Detroit Red Wings 2, New York Americans 1

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
March 19 New York Americans 1 Detroit Red Wings 2 0:25 of OT
March 22 Detroit Red Wings 4 New York Americans 5
March 24 New York Americans 1 Detroit Red Wings 3

Detroit wins best of three series 2 games to 1

Series D: Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Detroit Red Wings 0

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
March 26 Detroit Red Wings 1 Toronto Maple Leafs 2
March 28 Toronto Maple Leafs 2 Detroit Red Wings 1

Toronto wins best of three series 2 games to 0

Finals

Main article: 1940 Stanley Cup Finals
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. New York Rangers
Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 2 Toronto Maple Leafs 1 New York Rangers 2 15:30 of OT
April 3 Toronto Maple Leafs 2 New York Rangers 6
April 6 New York Rangers 1 Toronto Maple Leafs 2
April 9 New York Rangers 0 Toronto Maple Leafs 3
April 11 New York Rangers 2 Toronto Maple Leafs 1 11:43 of OT
April 13 New York Rangers 3 Toronto Maple Leafs 2 2:07 of OT

New York wins best of seven series 4 games to 2

Playoff Scoring Leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points

Player Team GP G A Pts
Phil Watson New York Rangers 12 3 6 9
Neil Colville New York Rangers 12 2 7 9

1940 New York Rangers Roster

General Manager: Lester Patrick
Head Coach: Frank Boucher
Trainer: Harry Westerby
Players: Art Coulter (Captain), Mac Colville, Neil Colville, Ott Heller, Bryan Hextall, Dutch Hiller, Dave Kerr, Kilby MacDonald, Lynn Patrick, Muzz Patrick, Alf Pike, Babe Pratt, Alex Shibicky, Clint Smith, Phil Watson

NHL Awards

O'Brien Trophy: Toronto Maple Leafs
Prince of Wales Trophy: Boston Bruins
Calder Memorial Trophy: Kilby MacDonald, New York Rangers
Hart Memorial Trophy: Ebbie Goodfellow, Detroit Red Wings
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: Bobby Bauer, Boston Bruins
Vezina Trophy: Dave Kerr, New York Rangers

All-Star Teams

First Team   Position   Second Team
Dave Kerr, New York Rangers G Frank Brimsek, Boston Bruins
Dit Clapper, Boston Bruins D Art Coulter, New York Rangers
Ebbie Goodfellow, Detroit Red Wings D Earl Seibert, Chicago Black Hawks
Milt Schmidt, Boston Bruins C Neil Colville, New York Rangers
Bryan Hextall, New York Rangers RW Bobby Bauer, Boston Bruins
Toe Blake, Montreal Canadiens LW Woody Dumart, Boston Bruins
Paul Thompson, Chicago Black Hawks Coach Frank Boucher, New York Rangers

Debuts

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1939-40 (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 1939-40 (listed with their last team):

Attendance

  1. Chicago Blackhawks: 275,032
  2. Toronto Maple Leafs: 271,031
  3. Boston Bruins: 245,795
  4. New York Rangers: 239,928
  5. New York Americans: 170,905
  6. Montreal Canadiens: 121,792
  7. Detroit Red Wings: 107,512

Gallery

Video

A minute of highlights of the March 19, 1940 Semi-finals Game 1 which the Rangers won over the Bruins 4-0 on their way to winning the Stanley Cup. Second period goals by Phil Watson and Alex Shibicky are shown.

See Also

References


NHL Seasons

1935-36 | 1936-37 | 1937-38 | 1938-39 | 1939-40 | 1940-41 | 1941-42 | 1942-43 | 1943-44

National Hockey League
Western ConferenceEastern Conference
StructurePlayoffs (Streaks • Droughts • All-time playoff series) • Conference Finals • Finals
Annual eventsSeasons • Stanley Cup (Champions • Winning players • Traditions and anecdotes) • Presidents' Trophy • All-Star Game • Draft • Awards • All-Star Teams
PlayersList of players • Association • Retired jersey numbers • Captains
HistoryLore • Organizational changes :: • Defunct teams • NHA • Original Six • 1967 Expansion • WHA Merger • Lockouts
OthersOutdoor games (Winter Classic • Heritage Classic • Stadium Series) • Potential expansion • Hall of Fame (Members) • Rivalries • Arenas • Rules • Fighting • Violence : International games • Kraft Hockeyville • Collective bargaining agreement • Television and radio coverage
Category • 2020–21 Season • 2021–22 Season • 2022–23 Season
1939–40 NHL season by team
TeamsBoston · Chicago · Detroit · Montreal Canadiens · NY Americans · NY Rangers · Toronto
See also1940 Stanley Cup Finals
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