1949–50 NHL season

League business

The NHL increased each team's schedule from 60 to 70 games, with every team playing each other 14 times. A rule change allowed a teammate to serve a goaltender's major penalty in the penalty box. Beginning in June 1949, the league required ice surfaces to be painted white by adding white paint to the water before freezing, improving puck visibility for television.

Regular season

Detroit, led by the Production Line of Lindsay, Abel and Howe, finished first in the regular season; the trio occupied the top three spots in league scoring. On November 2, a brawl erupted at Chicago Stadium during a 4–1 Chicago win over Montreal. Defenceman Ken Reardon swung his stick at a fan who grabbed his sweater; Leo Gravelle and Billy Reay also joined the altercation. Police arrested the three players after the game, but a judge later cleared them, ruling the fans were the aggressors.

After a 6–3 Chicago victory over Toronto on November 27, Conn Smythe told goaltender Turk Broda he would not play until he reduced his weight to 190 lb; Broda, then nearly 200 lb, returned after reaching 189 lb and recorded his fourth shutout on December 3. Following a 9–2 Detroit win over Chicago on February 8, coach Charlie Conacher punched writer Lew Walter; NHL president Clarence Campbell fined Conacher $200, and Conacher later apologized. Montreal fans booed Bill Durnan despite his strong play; Durnan announced his retirement at season's end.

He had been cut several times and missed action due to a fever from penicillin, but still recorded eight shutouts and won the Vezina Trophy for the sixth time.

Playoffs

The top four teams qualified for the playoffs. In the semifinals, first-place Detroit defeated Toronto in seven games, while second-place New York beat Montreal in five games. The Stanley Cup Finals were played mostly in Detroit because the circus had taken over Madison Square Garden; Detroit defeated New York in seven games.