1938–39 NHL season facts for kids
The 1938–39 NHL season was the 22nd year for the National Hockey League (NHL). Seven teams played 48 games each. The Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup, which is the championship trophy in ice hockey. They beat the Toronto Maple Leafs four games to one in the final series. A new rule called the icing rule was created by the NHL on March 13, 1939.
Contents
The Regular Season in 1939
The regular season is when all the teams play their scheduled games to see who will make it to the playoffs.
Team Standings and Playoff Teams
At the end of the regular season, teams are ranked by points. Teams that get enough points move on to the playoffs. Here's how the teams finished:
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold
| National Hockey League Team | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Bruins | 48 | 36 | 10 | 2 | 74 | 156 | 76 | 251 |
| New York Rangers | 48 | 26 | 16 | 6 | 58 | 149 | 105 | 393 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 48 | 19 | 20 | 9 | 47 | 114 | 107 | 370 |
| New York Americans | 48 | 17 | 21 | 10 | 44 | 119 | 157 | 276 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 48 | 18 | 24 | 6 | 42 | 107 | 128 | 240 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 48 | 15 | 24 | 9 | 39 | 115 | 146 | 294 |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 48 | 12 | 28 | 8 | 32 | 91 | 132 | 367 |
Top Players: Scoring Leaders
These players scored the most points during the regular season. Points are given for goals and assists.
Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toe Blake | Montreal Canadiens | 48 | 24 | 23 | 47 | 10 |
| Sweeney Schriner | New York Americans | 48 | 13 | 31 | 44 | 20 |
| Bill Cowley | Boston Bruins | 34 | 8 | 34 | 42 | 2 |
| Clint Smith | New York Rangers | 48 | 21 | 20 | 41 | 2 |
| Marty Barry | Detroit Red Wings | 48 | 13 | 28 | 41 | 4 |
The Playoff Tournament
The playoffs are a special tournament after the regular season. Teams play against each other in a series of games. The team that wins the most games in a series moves on. The last team standing wins the Stanley Cup!
How Teams Advanced in the Playoffs
This bracket shows how teams played against each other in the playoffs. The winner of each series moved on to the next round.
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | |||||||||||
| 1 | Boston Bruins | 4 | |||||||||||
| 2 | New York Rangers | 3 | |||||||||||
| 1 | Boston Bruins | 4 | |||||||||||
| 3 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1 | |||||||||||
| 3 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 2 | |||||||||||
| 4 | New York Americans | 0 | |||||||||||
| 3 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 2 | |||||||||||
| 5 | Detroit Red Wings | 1 | |||||||||||
| 5 | Detroit Red Wings | 2 | |||||||||||
| 6 | Montreal Canadiens | 1 | |||||||||||
NHL Awards and Honors
At the end of the season, the NHL gives out special awards to players and teams for their great performance.
Special Awards Given Out
| Calder Memorial Trophy: | This award goes to the best new player (rookie) in the NHL. It was won by Frank Brimsek from the Boston Bruins. |
| Hart Memorial Trophy: | This award is for the player who is most valuable to their team. Toe Blake from the Montreal Canadiens won it. |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: | This award is for the player who shows the best sportsmanship and plays fairly. Clint Smith from the New York Rangers received it. |
| O'Brien Cup: | This trophy was given to the champion of the Canadian Division. The Toronto Maple Leafs won it. |
| Prince of Wales Trophy: | This trophy was given to the champion of the American Division. The Boston Bruins won it. |
| Vezina Trophy: | This award is for the best goalie in the league. Frank Brimsek from the Boston Bruins also won this one. |
All-Star Teams of the Season
The NHL also picks "All-Star" teams. These are like dream teams made up of the best players at each position from all the teams. There's a First Team (the very best) and a Second Team (also amazing players).
| First Team | Position | Second Team |
|---|---|---|
| Frank Brimsek, Boston Bruins | G | Earl Robertson, New York Americans |
| Eddie Shore, Boston Bruins | D | Earl Seibert, Chicago Black Hawks |
| Dit Clapper, Boston Bruins | D | Art Coulter, New York Rangers |
| Syl Apps, Toronto Maple Leafs | C | Neil Colville, New York Rangers |
| Gordie Drillon, Toronto Maple Leafs | RW | Bobby Bauer, Boston Bruins |
| Toe Blake, Montreal Canadiens | LW | Johnny Gottselig, Chicago Black Hawks |
| Art Ross, Boston Bruins | Coach | Red Dutton, New York Americans |
