Trisha Shetty (Editor)

1918–19 Montreal Canadiens season

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Goals for
  
88

General Manager
  
George Kennedy

Goals against
  
78

Coach
  
Newsy Lalonde

League
  
1st (1st half), 2nd (2nd half) NHL

1918–19 record
  
7–3–0 (1st half), 3–5–0 (2nd half)

The 1918–19 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's tenth season and second as a member of the new National Hockey League (NHL). The Canadiens would win the NHL title and go to Seattle to face off for the Stanley Cup. However, a Spanish flu epidemic broke out in Seattle and both teams would abandon the series after several Canadiens fell ill. Montreal defenceman Joe Hall would die from the flu.

Contents

Team business

Prior to the season, another attempt was made by Eddie Livingstone to revive the National Hockey Association. Livingstone did not wish to sell his team for less than $20,000, more than the Arena Company was willing to pay. On September 20, 1918, the NHA owners, including the Canadiens, voted to permanently suspend the NHA. Livingstone forced another meeting on December 11, 1918, hoping to get Canadiens' minority shareholder Brunswick to vote with him, but at the meeting, Brunswick officials affirmed their loyalty to the Canadiens and the meeting ended with the Canadiens, Brunswick, Ottawa and Wanderers simply leaving the meeting.

Regular season

Georges Vezina came second in the league in goals against average of 4.3 per game. Odie Cleghorn returned to professional play and he had an outstanding 24 goals in 17 games to lead the league in goals for the Canadiens.

The Toronto Arenas folded on March 20, 1919, leaving only Montreal and Ottawa in the league. The teams proceeded to play off for the league title.

Final standings

Note: 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

They went against Ottawa for the championship and on it 13 goals to 7, or 13–7.

Finals

Montreal Canadiens vs. Seattle Metropolitans

Series ended 2–2–1 and no winner awarded – playoffs were curtailed due to the influenza epidemic

Skaters

Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average

Awards and records

  • NHL champions (O'Brien Cup not awarded)

    • Transactions

  • signed Odie Cleghorn as a free agent, December 9, 1918
  • signed Fred Doherty as a free agent, December 13, 1918
  • signed Amos Arbour as a free agent, January 23, 1919

    • Roster

  • Georges Vezina
  • Amos Arbour, Billy Bell, Louis Berlinquette, Odie Cleghorn, Bert Corbeau, Billy Coutu, Fred Doherty, Joe Hall, Newsy Lalonde, Joe Malone, Jack McDonald, Didier Pitre

    • Source: Mouton, p. 153

    References

    1918–19 Montreal Canadiens season Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA