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The 1945-46 NHL season was the 29th season of the National Hockey League. Six teams each played 50 games. The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup.
Regular season
Veterans came back to their teams this year, as World War II ended, but many found they could not regain their form. One who did regain his form was Frank Brimsek. He was shelled in an 8-3 contest with Chicago, but got better game by game. The Bruins had first place at one point, then finished second. Brimsek made the second all-star team as a result. Max Bentley of Chicago led the league in scoring, and, because of the 'Pony Line' of he, brother Doug and Bill Mosienko, the Black Hawks were in first place at one point. But misfortune hit the Hawks when Doug injured his knee in a January 23rd game and the team sagged.
Frank Patrick, former Pacific Coast Hockey Association president and former managing director for the NHL, suffered a heart attack and was not released from the hospital for several weeks.
A bombshell exploded on January 30th, 1946 when defenceman Babe Pratt was expelled from the NHL for betting on games. However, he only bet on his own team and appealed his expulsion. On his promise he would not bet on any more games, he was reinstated. Pratt missed 9 games during his suspension.
It was rumoured in the press that Lester Patrick planned to retire as general manager of the New York Rangers. On February 22nd, 1946, he finally announced his retirement, but would stay on as vice president of Madison Square Garden.
Gaye Stewart led the league in goals with 37, but Toronto finished fifth and missed the playoffs.
Bill Durnan equalled George Hainsworth's record of three consecutive Vezina Trophies and led the league in shutouts with 4.
Final standings
GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, PIM = Penalties In MinutesTeams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold
| National Hockey League | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 50 | 28 | 17 | 5 | 61 | 172 | 134 | 337 |
| Boston Bruins | 50 | 24 | 18 | 8 | 56 | 167 | 156 | 273 |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 50 | 23 | 20 | 7 | 53 | 200 | 178 | 339 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 50 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 50 | 146 | 159 | 298 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 50 | 19 | 24 | 7 | 45 | 174 | 185 | 247 |
| New York Rangers | 50 | 13 | 28 | 9 | 35 | 144 | 191 | 285 |
Scoring leaders
Stanley Cup playoffs
Playoff bracket
NHL awards
See also
References
"1945-46 NHL season"