1941–42 NHL season


The 1941–42 NHL season was the 25th season of the National Hockey League. Seven teams played 48 games each. The New York Americans rebranded as the Brooklyn Americans. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup defeating the Detroit Red Wings, winning four straight after losing the first three in a best-of-seven series, a feat only repeated to date three times in NHL history and once in Major League Baseball. However the '41–42 Leafs were the only ones to achieve the feat in a championship final series.

League business

This was the last season for the Brooklyn Americans who had changed their name from the New York Americans in an attempt to build a civic relationship with those from the Flatbush area of New York. However, the team continued to play at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan since there was no suitable arena in Brooklyn.
Due to World War II travel restrictions on adults, the NHL demanded more junior-aged players who were free of the travel restrictions. NHL president Frank Calder reported there was a general agreement with the amateur leagues that a junior-aged player should be able to determine his own financial future due to the war.

Regular season

The Americans started the season without Harvey "Busher" Jackson who refused to sign. He was then sold to Boston. But the Amerks had two positive notes: two defencemen, Tommy Anderson and Pat Egan, were now All-Star calibre. That did not prevent them from finishing last, though. On December 9, 1941, the Chicago Black Hawks-Boston Bruins game would be delayed for over a half-hour as United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared that the United States was at war.
Frank Patrick suffered a heart attack and had to sell his interest in the Montreal Canadiens, and the Habs almost had to move to Cleveland. But Tommy Gorman kept the team alive. They added Emile "Butch" Bouchard to start his great career on defence and another very good player, Buddy O'Connor, at centre. Montreal had goaltending problems as Bert Gardiner slumped, and rookie Paul Bibeault replaced him. He showed flashes of brilliance, but his inexperience showed. Joe Benoit starred with 20 goals, the first Canadien to do that since 1938–39, when Toe Blake did it.
The New York Rangers had a new goaltender as Sugar Jim Henry replaced the retired Dave Kerr. Henry was one of the reasons the Rangers finished first, something they did not do again for the next 50 years.

Playoffs

Playoff bracket

The top six teams in the league qualified for the playoffs. The top two teams played in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup semifinal series. The third-place team then met the fourth-place team in one best-of-three series, and the fifth-place team faced the sixth-place team in another best-of-three series, to determine the participants for the other best-of-five semifinal series. The semifinal winners then met in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Finals.

Awards

First team Position Second team
Frank Brimsek, Boston BruinsGTurk Broda, Toronto Maple Leafs
Earl Seibert, Chicago Black HawksDPat Egan, Brooklyn Americans
Tommy Anderson, Brooklyn AmericansDBucko McDonald, Toronto Maple Leafs
Syl Apps, Toronto Maple LeafsCPhil Watson, New York Rangers
Bryan Hextall, New York RangersRWGordie Drillon, Toronto Maple Leafs
Lynn Patrick, New York RangersLWSid Abel, Detroit Red Wings
Frank Boucher, New York RangersCoachPaul Thompson, Chicago Black Hawks

Player statistics

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes
PLAYERTEAMGPGAPTSPIM
Bryan HextallNew York Rangers4824325630
Lynn PatrickNew York Rangers4732225418
Don GrossoDetroit Red Wings4523305313
Phil WatsonNew York Rangers4815375258
Sid AbelDetroit Red Wings4818314945
Toe BlakeMontreal Canadiens4817284529
Bill ThomsChicago Black Hawks471530458
Gordie DrillonToronto Maple Leafs482318416
Syl AppsToronto Maple Leafs381823410
Tommy AndersonBrooklyn Americans4812294164

Source: NHL

Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Mins – Minutes Played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts
PlayerTeamGPMinGAGAAWLTSO
Frank BrimsekBoston Bruins4729301152.35241763
Turk BrodaToronto Maple Leafs4829601362.76271836
Jim HenryNew York Rangers4829601432.90291721
Johnny MowersDetroit Red Wings4728801443.00192535
Sam LoPrestiChicago Black Hawks4728601523.19212333
Paul BibeaultMontreal Canadiens3823801313.30171921
Chuck RaynerBrooklyn Americans3623801293.47132121
Earl RobertsonBrooklyn Americans12750463.683810
Bert GardinerMontreal Canadiens10620424.061810

Coaches

Debuts

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1941–42 :

Last games

The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1941–42 :