1920-21
As expected, the struggling Quebec Bulldogs did not stick around for the 1920-21 season, as their one-year return to pro hockey ended quickly with news the club had been transferred to Hamilton and would be known as the Tigers. The arrival of the Hamilton club marked the start of a brief period of stability for the NHL as the current four team league (Hamilton, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa) would stay intact for the next four years. The Pacific Hockey Association would remain unchanged from the previous season with the defending Stanley Cup champion Seattle Metropolitans once more joined by Vancouver and Victoria.
The Ottawa Senators, perhaps with something to prove after being upset by Seattle in the Stanley Cup finals last year, were on fire to start the season. The Senators dropped their opening game to Hamilton by a 4-3 score but the proceeded to win their next ten in a row. Even a four-game losing skid to start February could not deprive the Senators of first place after their strong start and they finished at 15-9-0, good for a six-point bulge on both Toronto and Montreal.
Ottawa's strength was once more in net as George Hainsworth and his defense combined to allow the fewest goals against in the league by a wide margin. There was plenty of offense too as Cy Denneny and 19-year-old Aurel Joliat finished one-two in goal scoring with Denneny setting a record for the young league by tallying 23 goals.
Toronto and Montreal tied with 24 points, but the St. Patrick's were awarded second place after winning five of eight regular season meetings with the Canadiens. Mickey MacKay was once more the leader in Toronto with a 31 points season and veteran goaltender Hugh Lehman still looked solid despite turning 35 early in the season.
Montreal had plenty of offense, as only Ottawa scored more than the Habs, but it was at the other end of the ice where the Canadiens had their difficulties. The Habs conceded the most goals against as Georges Vezina endured a tough season in the Canadiens net. Newsy Lalonde won another scoring championship as his 40 points topped the loop with young teammate Babe Dye finishing second in scoring. The Tigers did not find much more success in Hamilton than they had in Quebec and finished last, never really being a factor at all.
The playoff series was a two-game total goal affair with Ottawa prevailing by a 10-7 count and earning the NHL's bid to the Stanley Cup final for the fourth consecutive season. The opener saw Ottawa nip Toronto 5-4 as Joliat scored a hat trick for the Senators while MacKay replied with three of his own for the St. Patrick's. Ottawa closed out the series with a 5-3 win with Joliat collecting another goal and an assist.
The PCHA standings finished in the same order as a year ago with the Vancouver Millionaires, led by league scoring champ and MVP Frank Nighbor, claiming top spot, seven points ahead of second place Seattle with Victoria again bringing up the rear.
After being upset a year ago in the playoff, Vancouver was not going to make the same mistake of taking the Metropolitans lightly. The Millionaires, keyed by a pair of Tommy Smith goals, blasted Seattle 5-1 in the opening game and wrapped up the two-game total goal series with a 3-1 win in game two. Carl Kendall scored twice in the opening period of that one to ensure there would be no comeback bid from Seattle.
STANLEY CUP
After being upset at home by Seattle a year ago, the Ottawa Senators will try once more to win their third Stanley Cup as the play in the finals for the fourth consecutive season. The Vancouver Millionaires made two appearances last decade but are still looking for their first Cup win after being defeated by the Montreal Canadiens both times.
The series will once again be a two-game total goal affair so a strong showing for each team was essential in the opener. Ottawa delivered on that with a dominant 5-0 victory in which the Senators outshot the Millionaires 42-10. Veteran Joe Malone had his troubles during the regular season as injuries limited the 31-year-old to 19 games, but he did average nearly a point a game. He did better than that on this night with a goal and two assists to pace the Ottawa attack. Two days later the Senators, and Malone, were just as impressive as they completed the lobsided series with a 6-1 victory. Buck Boucher scored twice for Ottawa while Malone would collect another goal and an assist to tie for the playoff scoring lead at 5 points with teammate Bernie Morris.
It would prove to be Malone's final game with the Senators as a week later the club traded him to Hamilton as part of six player deal. The club was no longer based in Quebec, but it reunited Malone with the franchise he was most associated with having spent seven and a half seasons with the organization when they were in the NHA and known as the Athletics and later Bulldogs.
1920-21NHLPCHAstandings
NOTABLE RETIREMENTS
Three players that played key roles in the sport each announced their retirement at the end of the season: Didier Pitre along with two of the Patrick brothers Lester and Frank.
Pitre spent his entire FHM career with the Montreal Canadiens, joining the club for its first NHA season in 1909 and serving as their first captain in the National Hockey League. He finished with 280 points, second in Montreal franchise history trailing only Newsy Lalonde. He was a member of three Stanley Cup winning Montreal teams.
Nicknamed "Cannonball" Pitre was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1963. A native of Valleyfield, Quebec, Pitre was known for one of the hardest shots in the league. Between the NHL and NHA he played in 255 career games and scored 220 goals and 280 points. He retired at the end of the 1922-23 season and moved to Sault Ste. Marie, MI where he died at the age of 50 in 1934. His nephew Vic Desjardins would play 87 games for the Rangers and Black Hawks in the early 1930s and is a member of the US Hockey Hall of Fame.
Lester and Frank Patrick began their FHM careers with the Renfrew Creamery Kings before playing a key role in the founding of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. Lester landed in Victoria while Frank began his career in Vancouver, but the duo would be reunited in 1914 when Lester moved to the Millionaires. Lester was named PCHA MVP in his final full season in Victoria and would play 218 professional games. Frank suited up for 182 games between the NHA and PCHA.
Both would go on to coaching and executive roles following their playing careers with Lester best known for his long run in charge of the New York Rangers. Frank had coaching stints with Boston and Montreal. Lester's son's Lynn and Muzz both played in the NHL as did his grandson Craig Patrick had a long career as a player and executive while another grandson, Glenn, played briefly in the NH and WHA.