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CaptainCrunch · 03-09-2024, 04:48 PM

1942-43

With the War raging in Europe, Africa and the Pacific, NHL teams were having difficulty filling their rosters with many of their stars leaving to serve a higher cause. Meanwhile the Brooklyn American's had folded at the end of last season due to severe financial difficulties. The American's had never won the Stanley Cup since joining the NHL and were the third American team bought into the league during league expansion. With their folding the NHL stood at 6 teams and would stay that way until the late 60's.

Founded by Sports promoter Tom Duggan and bootlegger Big Bill Dwyer, the American's were a colourful franchise, Dwyer had spent the money he earned from illegal liquor sales into pro franchises, he had purchased the NHL's Pittsburgh Pirates quietly, and also purchased the Tampa Triangles of the NFL and moved them to Brooklyn and renamed them the Dodgers. Through this all Dwyer would become known for his big spending ways and later on in life it would cost him. With the end of prohibition in 1930 Bill Dwyer was leaking money with very little income. At the same time, Dwyer lost a lawsuit to the government and it left him pennyless with pretty much only the American's to his name.

The NHL had seized control of the floundering Americans and Dwyer sued the NHL who agreed to return ownership of the team to him if he could pay off the teams debts, but that wasn't possible. Meanwhile Merwyn "Red" Dutton had taken over the team first as a player manager in 1936, and later as the teams manager. He ran the team brilliantly considering it had no owner and the league had mandated a cheap existence. But then the war hit and Dutton had trouble assembling a roster and with the team continuing to struggle financially the league finally pulled the pin on the Americans.

However opportunity knocked for Dutton, when Frank Calder died suddenly the NHL asked Dutton to step in as league president, and he did so on the condition that the league would find a way to bring back the Americans after the war. Behind the scenes Dutton found financing for a new arena in Brooklyn, and continued to press the league to re-instate the Americans. Dutton continued to serve as president until 1946 when he found out that the NHL had backstabbed him in terms of bringing back the Americans. He instantly suspected the Rangers of foul play and put the Dutton curse on the Rangers, and it was a powerful bit of whammy as the Rangers didn't win another cup until the 1994 team. At the same time he told the NHL to stick the franchise up their asses and stormed out of the meeting, and didn't step foot iinto a NHL building until the opening night of the first season of the Calgary Flames where he dropped the puck as the last surviving member of the Calgary Tigers.

Things were grim with the rest of the NHL there were rumours that the NHL would not operate starting in the 1942-43 season until the end of the war. However the Canadian Government pushed the NHL to continue to operate, but it wasn't a question of interest in operating, it was more a question that with the war on and most young men away the NHL couldn't fill their rosters.

No team was hurt more then the Rangers. They lost Suger Jim Henry and didn't have a single goalie on the roster. This opened the door of opportunity for goalies like Steve "Let em in" Buzinski, who's nickname was changed to "The Puck Goesinki". It became so bad that the various Armed Forces teams in Canada and the US were better then the NHL teams. The US Coast Guard Cutters featured Frank Brimsek in goal, Rangers Captain Art Coulter up front, defenseman Frank Mariucci and Alex Motter.

Financially there was a mini boon as fans were curious about the replacement players and they flocked to games to just support hockey.

The Red Wings who had retained most of their roster danced through the league and destroyed the ravaged Bruins in the finals to win the first real War Stanley Cup.

Trivia

The NHL cancels overtime to meet the wartime train schedules.
Teams are limited to 14 players the 12 player minimum is abolished.
The regular season is expanded to 50 games.
NHL President Frank Calder has a heart attack and dies, he's replaced by Red Dutton.
On Feb 6, Ray Getliffe records the leagues first 5 goal game in 11 years.
Maurice "Rocket" Richard makes his NHL debut.
Doug Bentley wins the scoring title with 73 points.
Gord Dillion burning over his benching with the Leafs in the finals debuts with the Canadians and scores 28 goals.
Rangers goalie Steve Buzinski posts a 6.11 gaa in 9 games.
Detroits Jimmy Orlando takes the penalty title with 88 minutes.
Detroit finishes first in the NHL .
Jimmy Mowers leads the league in wins with 25, shutouts with 6 and gaa with a 2.47.
Chicago and the Rangers miss the playoffs.
The Red Wings beat the Leafs 4-2.
The Bruins beat Montreal 4 games to 1.
In the finals the Wins beat the Bruins 4-0. They win game 1 6-2, game 2 4-3 and then shut out the Bruins 4-0 and 2-0.
Bill Cowley of the Bruins wins the Hart.
Johnny Mowers of the Wings wins the Vezina.
Toronto Winger Gaye Stewart scores 24 goals and 47 points wins the Calder.
Max Bentley who's brother Doug won the scoring title takes home the Lady Byng.
Tony Esposito is born in Sault Ste Marie on April 23.

03-09-2024, 04:48 PM	#96
CaptainCrunch Norm! Join Date: Jun 2002 Exp:	1942-43 With the War raging in Europe, Africa and the Pacific, NHL teams were having difficulty filling their rosters with many of their stars leaving to serve a higher cause. Meanwhile the Brooklyn American's had folded at the end of last season due to severe financial difficulties. The American's had never won the Stanley Cup since joining the NHL and were the third American team bought into the league during league expansion. With their folding the NHL stood at 6 teams and would stay that way until the late 60's. Founded by Sports promoter Tom Duggan and bootlegger Big Bill Dwyer, the American's were a colourful franchise, Dwyer had spent the money he earned from illegal liquor sales into pro franchises, he had purchased the NHL's Pittsburgh Pirates quietly, and also purchased the Tampa Triangles of the NFL and moved them to Brooklyn and renamed them the Dodgers. Through this all Dwyer would become known for his big spending ways and later on in life it would cost him. With the end of prohibition in 1930 Bill Dwyer was leaking money with very little income. At the same time, Dwyer lost a lawsuit to the government and it left him pennyless with pretty much only the American's to his name. The NHL had seized control of the floundering Americans and Dwyer sued the NHL who agreed to return ownership of the team to him if he could pay off the teams debts, but that wasn't possible. Meanwhile Merwyn "Red" Dutton had taken over the team first as a player manager in 1936, and later as the teams manager. He ran the team brilliantly considering it had no owner and the league had mandated a cheap existence. But then the war hit and Dutton had trouble assembling a roster and with the team continuing to struggle financially the league finally pulled the pin on the Americans. However opportunity knocked for Dutton, when Frank Calder died suddenly the NHL asked Dutton to step in as league president, and he did so on the condition that the league would find a way to bring back the Americans after the war. Behind the scenes Dutton found financing for a new arena in Brooklyn, and continued to press the league to re-instate the Americans. Dutton continued to serve as president until 1946 when he found out that the NHL had backstabbed him in terms of bringing back the Americans. He instantly suspected the Rangers of foul play and put the Dutton curse on the Rangers, and it was a powerful bit of whammy as the Rangers didn't win another cup until the 1994 team. At the same time he told the NHL to stick the franchise up their asses and stormed out of the meeting, and didn't step foot iinto a NHL building until the opening night of the first season of the Calgary Flames where he dropped the puck as the last surviving member of the Calgary Tigers. Things were grim with the rest of the NHL there were rumours that the NHL would not operate starting in the 1942-43 season until the end of the war. However the Canadian Government pushed the NHL to continue to operate, but it wasn't a question of interest in operating, it was more a question that with the war on and most young men away the NHL couldn't fill their rosters. No team was hurt more then the Rangers. They lost Suger Jim Henry and didn't have a single goalie on the roster. This opened the door of opportunity for goalies like Steve "Let em in" Buzinski, who's nickname was changed to "The Puck Goesinki". It became so bad that the various Armed Forces teams in Canada and the US were better then the NHL teams. The US Coast Guard Cutters featured Frank Brimsek in goal, Rangers Captain Art Coulter up front, defenseman Frank Mariucci and Alex Motter. Financially there was a mini boon as fans were curious about the replacement players and they flocked to games to just support hockey. The Red Wings who had retained most of their roster danced through the league and destroyed the ravaged Bruins in the finals to win the first real War Stanley Cup. Trivia The NHL cancels overtime to meet the wartime train schedules. Teams are limited to 14 players the 12 player minimum is abolished. The regular season is expanded to 50 games. NHL President Frank Calder has a heart attack and dies, he's replaced by Red Dutton. On Feb 6, Ray Getliffe records the leagues first 5 goal game in 11 years. Maurice "Rocket" Richard makes his NHL debut. Doug Bentley wins the scoring title with 73 points. Gord Dillion burning over his benching with the Leafs in the finals debuts with the Canadians and scores 28 goals. Rangers goalie Steve Buzinski posts a 6.11 gaa in 9 games. Detroits Jimmy Orlando takes the penalty title with 88 minutes. Detroit finishes first in the NHL . Jimmy Mowers leads the league in wins with 25, shutouts with 6 and gaa with a 2.47. Chicago and the Rangers miss the playoffs. The Red Wings beat the Leafs 4-2. The Bruins beat Montreal 4 games to 1. In the finals the Wins beat the Bruins 4-0. They win game 1 6-2, game 2 4-3 and then shut out the Bruins 4-0 and 2-0. Bill Cowley of the Bruins wins the Hart. Johnny Mowers of the Wings wins the Vezina. Toronto Winger Gaye Stewart scores 24 goals and 47 points wins the Calder. Max Bentley who's brother Doug won the scoring title takes home the Lady Byng. Tony Esposito is born in Sault Ste Marie on April 23. __________________ My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!