1939–40 NHL season

Did You Know?

• In June 1939, the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association notified the NHL of a request for development fees when signing amateur players, after the existing professional-amateur deal expired in 1940.
• The CBC's first hockey broadcast was in 1952 between the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings.

Regular season

The Montreal Canadiens were struck by tragedy when Babe Siebert, who had been named coach of the struggling club, drowned along with his daughter in August. The loss weakened the Canadiens' defence, and the team finished last under Pit Lepine. An all-star benefit was held in Siebert's memory. The New York Americans, facing financial trouble, traded star left wing Sweeney Schriner to Toronto for Harvey "Busher" Jackson, Buzz Boll, Murray Armstrong, and minor-leaguer Jimmy Fowler.

Late in the season, they acquired Eddie Shore from Boston for Eddie Wiseman and $5000, and also obtained Charlie Conacher, using him as a defenceman. Despite finishing sixth, the Americans made the playoffs. The first-place Boston Bruins, coached by former captain Cooney Weiland, were led by the Kraut Line of Milt Schmidt, Woody Dumart, and Bobby Bauer, who finished 1–2–3 in league scoring. The New York Rangers went 19 consecutive games without a loss while coasting in first place, but slumped in the second half and were edged out by Boston.

The first NHL game broadcast on television took place on February 25, 1940, between the Rangers and Canadiens, seen by about 300 people in a small U.S. area; it was not the first televised ice hockey game, as one had been broadcast in England in 1938.

Playoffs

The top six teams qualified for the playoffs. The top two teams played a best-of-seven semifinal; the third and fourth teams met in a best-of-three series, and the fifth and sixth teams in another best-of-three, with those winners playing a best-of-three semifinal. The semifinal winners then met in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Finals. The first-place Boston Bruins, expected to reach the finals, lost to the New York Rangers in six games in the semifinals, being out-scored 14 to 8 and shut out twice. The third-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs swept the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks to reach the finals. The Rangers' Cup win began what became known as the 54 Year Curse, as they would not win again until 1994.