1950-51 NHL season facts for kids
The 1950–51 NHL season was the 34th year for the National Hockey League (NHL). Six teams competed, and each team played 70 games. The Toronto Maple Leafs were the champions that year! They beat the Montreal Canadiens 4 games to 1 to win the Stanley Cup. This was their fifth Stanley Cup win in just seven years, showing how strong they were!
Contents
The Regular Season: Who Was Best?
During the regular season, all the teams played many games to earn points. The teams with the most points got to go to the playoffs.
Final Standings
Here's how the teams finished in the regular season:
| National Hockey League Team | GP (Games Played) |
W (Wins) |
L (Losses) |
T (Ties) |
Pts (Points) |
GF (Goals For) |
GA (Goals Against) |
PIM (Penalty Minutes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Red Wings | 70 | 44 | 13 | 13 | 101 | 236 | 139 | 566 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 70 | 41 | 16 | 13 | 95 | 212 | 138 | 823 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 70 | 25 | 30 | 15 | 65 | 173 | 184 | 835 |
| Boston Bruins | 70 | 22 | 30 | 18 | 62 | 178 | 197 | 656 |
| New York Rangers | 70 | 20 | 29 | 21 | 61 | 169 | 201 | 774 |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 70 | 13 | 47 | 10 | 36 | 171 | 280 | 615 |
Top Scorers: Who Scored the Most Points?
These players earned the most points by scoring goals or making assists. Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gordie Howe | Detroit Red Wings | 70 | 43 | 43 | 86 |
| Maurice Richard | Montreal Canadiens | 65 | 42 | 24 | 66 |
| Max Bentley | Toronto Maple Leafs | 67 | 21 | 41 | 62 |
| Sid Abel | Detroit Red Wings | 69 | 23 | 38 | 61 |
| Milt Schmidt | Boston Bruins | 62 | 22 | 39 | 61 |
| Ted Kennedy | Toronto Maple Leafs | 63 | 18 | 43 | 61 |
| Ted Lindsay | Detroit Red Wings | 67 | 24 | 35 | 59 |
Best Goaltenders: Who Let in the Fewest Goals?
These goalies were the best at stopping pucks from going into their net. Note: GP = Games played; MIN = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; SO = Shut outs; AVG = Goals against average
| Player | Team | GP | MINS | GA | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Rollins | Toronto Maple Leafs | 40 | 2373 | 70 | 5 | 1.77 |
| Terry Sawchuck | Detroit Red Wings | 70 | 4200 | 139 | 11 | 1.99 |
Stanley Cup Playoffs: The Road to the Championship
The playoffs are exciting knockout rounds where teams play best-of-seven series. The winner moves on, and the loser goes home. All these games happened in 1951.
The Toronto Maple Leafs (ranked second) beat the Boston Bruins in five games. The Montreal Canadiens (ranked third) surprised everyone by beating the top-ranked Detroit Red Wings in six games. This set up a big final series between the Leafs and the Canadiens, which the Leafs won 4–1.
Playoff Bracket
This shows how the teams matched up in the playoffs:
| Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||
| 1 | Detroit Red Wings | 2 | |||||||
| 3 | Montreal Canadiens | 4 | |||||||
| 3 | Montreal Canadiens | 1 | |||||||
| 2 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4 | |||||||
| 2 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4 | |||||||
| 4 | Boston Bruins | 1 | |||||||
Semi-finals: Who Made it to the Finals?
These were the first rounds of the playoffs.
Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
| Date | Away Team | Score | Home Team | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 28 | Boston Bruins | 2 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 0 | |
| March 31 | Boston Bruins | 1 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1 | OT1 |
| April 1 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 3 | Boston Bruins | 0 | |
| April 3 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 3 | Boston Bruins | 1 | |
| April 7 | Boston Bruins | 1 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4 | |
| April 8 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 6 | Boston Bruins | 0 |
- 1 Note: The game on March 31st was stopped after one overtime period because of a curfew.
Toronto won this series 4 games to 1.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Detroit Red Wings
| Date | Away Team | Score | Home Team | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 27 | Montreal Canadiens | 3 | Detroit Red Wings | 2 | 4 OT |
| March 29 | Montreal Canadiens | 1 | Detroit Red Wings | 0 | 3 OT |
| March 31 | Detroit Red Wings | 2 | Montreal Canadiens | 0 | |
| April 3 | Detroit Red Wings | 4 | Montreal Canadiens | 1 | |
| April 5 | Montreal Canadiens | 5 | Detroit Red Wings | 2 | |
| April 7 | Detroit Red Wings | 2 | Montreal Canadiens | 3 |
Montreal won this series 4 games to 2.
Finals: The Stanley Cup Showdown!
- See also: 1951 Stanley Cup Finals
Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
| Date | Away Team | Score | Home Team | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 11 | Montreal Canadiens | 2 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 3 | OT-Smith |
| April 14 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 2 | Montreal Canadiens | 3 | OT-M. Richard |
| April 17 | Montreal Canadiens | 1 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 2 | OT-Kennedy |
| April 19 | Montreal Canadiens | 2 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 3 | OT-Watson |
| April 21 | Montreal Canadiens | 2 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 3 | OT-Barilko (2:53) |
Toronto won the Stanley Cup series 4 games to 1!
Top Playoff Scorers
These players scored the most points during the exciting playoff games. Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maurice Richard | Montreal Canadiens | 11 | 9 | 4 | 13 |
| Max Bentley | Toronto Maple Leafs | 11 | 2 | 11 | 13 |
| Sid Smith | Toronto Maple Leafs | 11 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
NHL Awards: Recognizing the Best Players
At the end of the season, special awards are given to players who showed amazing skill and sportsmanship.
| Prince of Wales Trophy: | Awarded to the team that finished first in the regular season. This year it was the Detroit Red Wings. |
| Art Ross Memorial Trophy: | Given to the player who scored the most points in the regular season. This year it was Gordie Howe from the Detroit Red Wings. |
| Calder Memorial Trophy: | Given to the best rookie (first-year player) in the NHL. This year it was Terry Sawchuk from the Detroit Red Wings. |
| Hart Memorial Trophy: | Awarded to the player judged most valuable to his team. This year it was Milt Schmidt from the Boston Bruins. |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: | Given to the player who showed the best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with high playing ability. This year it was Red Kelly from the Detroit Red Wings. |
| Vezina Trophy: | Awarded to the best goaltender. This year it was Al Rollins from the Toronto Maple Leafs. |
All-Star Teams: The Dream Teams
The NHL also picks the very best players for "All-Star" teams, like a dream team for each position.
| First Team | Position | Second Team |
|---|---|---|
| Terry Sawchuk, Detroit Red Wings | G | Chuck Rayner, New York Rangers |
| Red Kelly, Detroit Red Wings | D | Jimmy Thomson, Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Bill Quackenbush, Boston Bruins | D | Leo Reise, Detroit Red Wings |
| Milt Schmidt, Boston Bruins | C | Ted Kennedy, Toronto Maple Leafs
|
| Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings | RW | Maurice Richard, Montreal Canadiens |
| Ted Lindsay, Detroit Red Wings | LW | Sid Smith, Toronto Maple Leafs |
New Players and Last Games
Players Who Started in 1950–51
Here are some important players who played their very first NHL game during this season:
- Alex Delvecchio, Detroit Red Wings
- Bernie Geoffrion, Montreal Canadiens
- Jean Beliveau, Montreal Canadiens
- Dollard St. Laurent, Montreal Canadiens
- Danny Lewicki, Toronto Maple Leafs
Players Who Played Their Last Game in 1950–51
These players finished their NHL careers during this season:
- Joe Carveth, Detroit Red Wings
- Glen Harmon, Montreal Canadiens
- Wally Stanowski, New York Rangers
- Pat Egan, New York Rangers
- Buddy O'Connor, New York Rangers
- Bill Barilko, Toronto Maple Leafs
