1930–31 NHL season


The 1930–31 NHL season was the 14th season of the National Hockey League. Ten teams played 44 games each. The Pittsburgh Pirates moved to Philadelphia and became the Philadelphia Quakers, while the Detroit team was renamed the Detroit Falcons. The Montreal Canadiens beat the Chicago Black Hawks three games to two in the best-of-five Stanley Cup Finals for their second consecutive Stanley Cup victory.

League business

The Great Depression was starting to take its toll on the NHL. In attempts to solve financial problems, the Pittsburgh Pirates moved to Philadelphia and became the Philadelphia Quakers, but there was nothing about the team to win games or fans. It was intended that the team stay in Philadelphia only until a new arena was built in Pittsburgh. The arena was never built, and the team folded after only one season in the new city. The state of Pennsylvania would be without an NHL team until the league doubled in size 36 years later.
The Ottawa Senators were in a similar financial boat but instead of relocating, they sold a star asset and future Hall of Famer, King Clancy, to the Toronto Maple Leafs for $35,000 and two players. Even after the sale of Clancy, the Senators' owners put the team up for sale for $200,000, although no bids approached anywhere near that figure. The team would suspend operations before the start of the next season.
The Detroit Cougars changed the team name to the Detroit Falcons.
The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association sent W. A. Fry and W. A. Hewitt to the 1930 NHL general meeting to seek a better working agreement. The CAHA suggested that players remain as amateurs for one season after graduating from junior ice hockey, and in return the CAHA would permit its amateurs to tryout and practice with professional teams. Hewitt subsequently met multiple times with NHL president Frank Calder, who saw merit in Hewitt's request to keep players in amateur hockey, and continued to discuss having a professional-amateur agreement.

Arena changes

The relocated Philadelphia Quakers moved from Pittsburgh's Duquesne Gardens to Philadelphia Arena.

Regular season

Howie Morenz led the league in scoring.
Dick Irvin started his career in coaching with Chicago and they finished second in the American Division. He resigned at season's end after having taken the Black Hawks to the finals.

Final standings

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

Playoffs

On March 26, during the second game of the best-of-five series between the Bruins and Canadiens, coach-GM Art Ross of Boston pulled his goalie for an extra attacker while down 1–0 with 40 seconds left in the final period. The attempt was unsuccessful. This marked the first time in Stanley Cup play that a goalie was pulled for an extra attacker.

Playoff bracket

Two modifications were made to the playoff format. The top three teams in each division still qualified for the playoffs. The two division winners met in a best-of-five Stanley Cup semifinal series. The divisional second-place teams and third-place teams played off in a two-game total-goals series to determine the participants for the other semifinal, which was changed from a best-of-three to another two-game total-goals series. The semifinal winners then played in the Stanley Cup Finals, which was expanded from a best-of-three to a best-of-five.

Stanley Cup Finals

In the final series, the Chicago Black Hawks took an early two games to one lead in the newly expanded best-of-five Stanley Cup Finals but the Montreal Canadiens came back and won the series three games to two for their second consecutive Stanley Cup win.

Awards

Howie Morenz won the Hart Trophy for the second time in his career. Frank Boucher won the Lady Byng for the fourth consecutive year. Roy Worters won the Vezina Trophy for the one and only time in his career.

All-Star teams

This was the first season that the NHL named its 'all-stars'. Although Roy Worters won the Vezina Trophy for "most valuable goaltender", Charlie Gardiner and Tiny Thompson were named to the all-star teams at the goaltender position.
First Team Position Second Team
Charlie Gardiner, Chicago Black HawksGTiny Thompson, Boston Bruins
Eddie Shore, Boston BruinsDSylvio Mantha, Montreal Canadiens
King Clancy, Toronto Maple LeafsDChing Johnson, New York Rangers
Howie Morenz, Montreal CanadiensCFrank Boucher, New York Rangers
Bill Cook, New York RangersRWDit Clapper, Boston Bruins
Aurel Joliat, Montreal CanadiensLWBun Cook, New York Rangers
Lester Patrick, New York RangersCoachDick Irvin, Chicago Black Hawks

Source: NHL.

Player statistics

Scoring leaders

GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties In Minutes
PlayerTeamGPGAPtsPIM
Howie MorenzMontreal Canadiens3928235149
Ebbie GoodfellowDetroit Falcons4425234832
Charlie ConacherToronto Maple Leafs3731124378
Bill CookNew York Rangers4330124239
Ace BaileyToronto Maple Leafs4023194246
Joe PrimeauToronto Maple Leafs389324118
Nels StewartMontreal Maroons4225143975
Frank BoucherNew York Rangers4412273920
Cooney WeilandBoston Bruins4425133814
Bun CookNew York Rangers4418173572
Aurel JoliatMontreal Canadiens4313223573

Source: NHL.

Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average
PlayerTeamGPWLTMinsGASOGAA
Roy WortersNew York Americans4418161027607481.61
Charlie GardinerChicago Black Hawks4424173271078121.73
John Ross RoachNew York Rangers441916927608771.89
George HainsworthMontreal Canadiens442610827408981.95
Tiny ThompsonBoston Bruins442810627309031.98
Lorne ChabotToronto Maple Leafs37218823008062.09

Source: NHL.

Coaches

American Division

Canadian Division

Debuts

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1930–31 :

Last games

The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1930–31 :