1927–28 NHL season

League business

The O'Brien Cup, previously awarded to the NHL league champion, was reassigned to the winner of the Canadian Division. The Prince of Wales Trophy, originally given for the first game at Madison Square Garden and later to the league champion, was reassigned to the winner of the American Division. The Ottawa Senators, facing financial difficulties, requested a larger share of road game income; the league considered the request but did not grant it.

Ottawa subsequently sold star right wing Hooley Smith to the Montreal Maroons for an undisclosed amount believed to be $22,500, while right wing Punch Broadbent returned to Ottawa. The Toronto Maple Leafs introduced new blue and white sweaters, becoming the first NHL team to have both a set of white uniforms and a set of dark uniforms. The league allowed substitutions on the fly, provided the departing player reached the bench before the substitute entered.

To increase scoring, blue lines were introduced, dividing the rink into defending, neutral, and attacking zones. Forward passing was permitted within the defending and neutral zones, but not across the blue lines. New penalties were imposed for picking up the puck and for clearing it out of play. Goalie leg pads were reduced from twelve inches to ten inches in width, and goalies were prohibited from moving more than four feet with the puck.

Despite these changes, average goals per game fell from 4.0 to 3.8. A new ten-minute sudden-death overtime period was introduced for tied games, but the number of tie games doubled from 36 to 74.

Regular season

The Chicago Black Hawks fired coach Pete Muldoon before the season, with coaching duties split between Hugh Lehman and Barney Stanley. The Black Hawks finished last with only seven wins. Muldoon publicly placed a curse on the team, stating they would never win the NHL pennant; Chicago did not place first until the 1966–67 season. The Ottawa Senators, the league's smallest market, sold star right wing Hooley Smith to the Montreal Maroons for $22,500 plus the return of right wing Punch Broadbent, and later sold defenceman Edwin Gorman to Toronto.

Howie Morenz dominated the scoring race, winning the Hart Trophy with 33 goals and leading the league in assists. Ottawa goaltender Alex Connell set an all-time record with six consecutive shutouts, his shutout sequence reaching 460 minutes and 59 seconds. The Toronto Maple Leafs showed early power but injuries to Hap Day and Bill Carson caused them to finish fourth, missing the playoffs for the third straight year. The Boston Bruins, led by Eddie Shore and goaltender Hal Winkler (who tied Connell for the lead in shutouts with 15), finished first in the American Division.

The Canadiens, after a strong mid-season, slumped following an injury to Pit Lepine but held onto first place in the Canadian Division.

Playoffs

In the Canadian Division, the Montreal Maroons defeated the Ottawa Senators, then eliminated the Canadiens in a two-game total-goals series when Russell Oatman scored in overtime. In the American Division, the New York Rangers defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in a rough series, then beat the Boston Bruins to reach the finals. The top three teams in each division qualified for the playoffs; division winners received a first-round bye. The first two rounds were two-game total-goals series, while the Stanley Cup Finals were a best-of-five format.

Because the circus displaced the Rangers from Madison Square Garden, all finals games were played at the Montreal Forum, despite Boston offering to host the Rangers. The Maroons won game one 2–0, with Nels Stewart and goaltender Clint Benedict starring. In game two, Nels Stewart's shot struck Rangers goaltender Lorne Chabot in the eye, forcing him out. Coach Eddie Gerard refused to allow the Rangers to use Alex Connell or minor league goaltender Hugh McCormick, so Rangers coach Lester Patrick donned the pads himself.

The Rangers body-checked any Maroon near Patrick. Bill Cook put the Rangers ahead 1–0, but Stewart tied the game. Frank Boucher scored the overtime winner, and Patrick, tears streaming, was carried off the ice after stopping 17 of 18 shots.