1943–44 NHL season

League business

The NHL lost its president, Frank Calder, in 1943. In his memory, the league's Board of Governors created the Calder Memorial Trophy for the top rookie. World War II pulled about three-quarters of the amateurs the NHL signed into military service. In April 1943, George Dudley, a former Canadian Amateur Hockey Association head, suggested the NHL delay payments for signing amateurs until those players returned from war.

The league worked with W. G. Hardy and the International Ice Hockey Association to sign more junior-aged players due to wartime travel limits. Rumors circulated that Hardy might replace acting president Red Dutton. To speed up play and allow defenders to pass out of their zone for quicker counter-attacks, rules chairman Frank Boucher and Ottawa executive Cecil Duncan tested and introduced the centre ice red line. The NHL's official guide calls this rule the start of the modern era.

Regular season

The Montreal Canadiens, led by Tommy Gorman and Dick Irvin, finished first by a wide margin, losing only five games all year. Paul Bibeault, returning from the Army, found his job taken by Durnan and was loaned to Toronto, where he led the NHL with five shutouts and helped the Maple Leafs to third place. Gus Bodnar, the top rookie, scored the fastest goal by a rookie in his first game, 15 seconds into a 5–2 win over the Rangers, and became the second consecutive Calder Memorial Trophy winner from the same team.

The Rangers, weakened by the loss of Clint Smith, Lynn Patrick, Phil Watson, and Alf Pike, finished last with only six wins, setting a modern-day record of 6.20 goals against per game (310 total). Coach Frank Boucher came out of retirement to play. Detroit defeated the Rangers 15–0, a modern-day record for most goals by a team in a single game, and Syd Howe scored six goals in a 12–2 win over the Rangers a week later.

Playoffs

The top four teams qualified for the playoffs. In the semifinals, first-place Montreal faced third-place Toronto, while second-place Detroit met fourth-place Chicago, both in best-of-seven series. Montreal and Toronto had split their two previous playoff meetings; Montreal won the regular season series earning fifteen of twenty points. Maurice Richard scored all five Montreal goals in game two and was named first, second, and third Star of the game, the first player to receive that honour. Detroit and Chicago had split their two previous playoff meetings; they split the regular season series. This was the sixth playoff meeting between Montreal and Chicago, with Chicago winning three of the previous five series; Montreal won the regular season series earning eighteen of twenty points. The winners of each semifinal advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.