New York Americans

Lore & Background

The New York Americans were awarded as a franchise in April 1925 to Thomas Duggan and Bill Dwyer, a celebrated Prohibition bootlegger. The team acquired the collective rights to the players of the suspended Hamilton Tigers for $75,000, giving them raises. Their original jerseys were covered with stars and stripes, patterned after the American flag. The Americans entered the NHL in the 1925–26 season alongside the Pittsburgh Pirates. Their first home game at Madison Square Garden drew 17,000 fans, a loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Despite icing essentially the same team that finished first the previous year, they finished fifth overall with a record of 12–22–4. The Americans' lease with Madison Square Garden contained a clause requiring them to support any bid by the Garden for its own NHL franchise. Despite a promise that the clause would never be exercised, the Garden created the New York Rangers in 1926, dooming the Americans to be New York's second team. The Americans were placed in the Canadian Division, resulting in extensive train travel. In 1928–29, goaltender Roy Worters led the team to a 19–13–12 record and a playoff appearance, becoming the first goaltender to win the Hart Trophy. The team struggled financially after Prohibition ended, and owner Bill Dwyer abandoned the team after the 1935–36 season. The NHL took control, and the team became a ward of the league for its last six years. For the 1941–42 season, the team was renamed the Brooklyn Americans, though they continued to play home games at Madison Square Garden while practicing in Brooklyn.

Reader's Guide

The New York Americans are notable as the first NHL team in New York City and as the third expansion franchise in league history. Their arrival, along with the Pittsburgh Pirates, marked the NHL's early expansion into the United States. The team's existence was overshadowed by the New York Rangers, which began play in 1926 under the ownership of Madison Square Garden, the Americans' landlord. The Americans never won the Stanley Cup but reached the semifinals twice. Their financial difficulties, exacerbated by the end of Prohibition and the onset of World War II, led to the team suspending operations in 1942. The demise of the club marked the beginning of the NHL's Original Six era from 1942 to 1967, though the franchise was not formally canceled until 1946. The team's overall regular season record was 255–402–127. The Americans' history includes the acquisition of the Hamilton Tigers' players, the Hart Trophy win by goaltender Roy Worters, and the team's role in catalyzing the NHL's icing rule after a game against the Boston Bruins in which the Americans iced the puck 61 times.

Did You Know?

• The New York Americans were owned by Bill Dwyer, New York City's most-celebrated Prohibition bootlegger.
• Goaltender Roy Worters became the first goaltender to win the Hart Trophy as most valuable player while playing for the Americans in 1928–29.
• The team's lease with Madison Square Garden required them to support the Garden's bid for its own NHL franchise, which became the New York Rangers.