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The 1931-32 NHL season was the fifteenth season of the National Hockey League. Eight teams played 48 games each. The Toronto Maple Leafs swept the New York Rangers in three games for the Stanley Cup.
Regular season
Due to financial reasons, the Philadelphia Quakers folded and the Ottawa Senators suspended operations bringing the total number of teams in the NHL down from ten to eight. The Detroit Falcons were bankrupt and went into receivership. Meanwhile, The American Hockey Association, which had become the AHL in 1930-31 and declared itself a major league, was condemned as an outlaw league by NHL president Frank Calder. Among the reasons Calder cited for his actions was that the AHL had put a franchise in Chicago, which had an NHL franchise, and a franchise in Buffalo where the NHL had a minor league affiliate. However, the Buffalo team collapsed and Calder entered into negotiations to merge the Chicago Shamrocks, owned by James Norris, with the Detroit Falcons, now bankrupt.
Howie Morenz was as effective as ever for the Montreal Canadiens and won the Hart Trophy again, as the Habs once again finished first. The Rangers finished first in the American Division. But it was to be the year of Toronto, with the NHL's leading scorer Harvey "Busher" Jackson leading the way. Maple Leaf Gardens opened, and its story was harrowing. At one point, the whole project was near collapse, but when Conn Smythe and Frank Selke convinced the unions to accept stock in the Gardens as partial payment of wages, Maple Leaf Gardens was built. Chicago spoiled the home opener with a 3-1 win and it was the Black Hawks Mush March who scored the Gardens first goal.
Final standings
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, PIM = Penalties in minutesNote: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold
| Canadian Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 48 | 25 | 16 | 7 | 57 | 128 | 111 | 450 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 48 | 23 | 18 | 7 | 53 | 155 | 127 | 625 |
| Montreal Maroons | 48 | 19 | 22 | 7 | 45 | 142 | 139 | 593 |
| New York Americans | 48 | 16 | 24 | 8 | 40 | 95 | 142 | 596 |
| American Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Rangers | 48 | 23 | 17 | 8 | 54 | 134 | 112 | 511 |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 48 | 18 | 19 | 11 | 47 | 86 | 101 | 464 |
| Detroit Falcons | 48 | 18 | 20 | 10 | 46 | 95 | 108 | 415 |
| Boston Bruins | 48 | 15 | 21 | 12 | 42 | 122 | 117 | 373 |
Leading scorers
Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes| PLAYER | TEAM | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Busher Jackson | Toronto Maple Leafs | 48 | 28 | 25 | 53 | 63 |
| Joe Primeau | Toronto Maple Leafs | 46 | 13 | 37 | 50 | 25 |
| Howie Morenz | Montreal Canadiens | 48 | 24 | 25 | 49 | 46 |
| Charlie Conacher | Toronto Maple Leafs | 44 | 34 | 14 | 48 | 66 |
| Bill Cook | New York Rangers | 48 | 33 | 14 | 47 | 33 |
Stanley Cup playoffs
The Montreal Canadiens had all the ingredients for a third straight Cup, but injuries to Howie Morenz and Aurel Joliat dashed that dream. With Joliat half throttle and Morenz out, the Canadiens were no match for the speedy Rangers. Toronto broke through Chuck Gardiner's goaltending to polish Chicago off, then they beat the Montreal Maroons.
Stanley Cup finals
The Toronto Maple Leafs swept the best-of-five series against the New York Rangers three games to none. The first two games were to be played in New York but because the circus was in town, the second game was played in Boston. The third and final game was played in Toronto. It was called the "Tennis Series", because the Leafs scored 6 goals in each game.Playoff bracket
NHL awards
See also
References
"1931-32 NHL season"