1942–43 NHL season

League business

The NHL and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) agreed that a junior-aged player could become a professional whenever he wanted under wartime conditions, expecting NHL clubs to rely on such players due to military enlistments. In October 1942, NHL president Frank Calder and CAHA president Frank Sargent reached a new professional-amateur agreement. NHL teams could sign junior-aged players if the junior club was contacted first and agreed not to sign other junior-eligible players who had not yet played for the CAHA; the NHL continued to pay the CAHA for developing players.

The Brooklyn Americans franchise was dropped after Madison Square Garden turned down a lease agreement with owner Red Dutton. Dutton argued the other teams would be weakened by war, but other owners pointed out that the number of American players in the armed forces prevented the Americans from operating. Dutton left the meeting despondent but would return to the NHL sooner than he thought. With the Americans suspended, the Original Six era began, lasting until the 1966–67 season.

The league meeting of January 25, 1943, was expected to be uneventful; the only news was that playoffs would begin March 20 and all series would be best-of-seven, resolved in the morning session.

Regular season

The NHL scrapped overtime for tied games on November 21, 1942, because of wartime travel limits. The final regular-season overtime contest happened on November 10, when the New York Rangers beat the Chicago Black Hawks 5–3. Overtime would not come back until the 1983–84 season, and then as a five-minute sudden-death format instead of a full ten-minute period. Detroit topped the standings, helped by Johnny Mowers’ six shutouts, which earned him the Vezina Trophy.

That season, Jimmy Orlando got into a stick-swinging fight with Toronto rookie Gaye Stewart. Orlando ended up with a deep, bloody gash on his face, and both players were suspended. The Montreal Canadiens kept improving under coach Dick Irvin, who put together the first “Punch Line” of Elmer Lach, Toe Blake, and Joe Benoit. Maurice Richard showed flashes of talent but broke his leg, leading manager Tommy Gorman to consider him fragile.

Benoit became the first Canadien since Howie Morenz in 1929–30 to reach 30 goals, hitting that mark exactly. Gordie Drillon also boosted the offense. Montreal squeezed into the playoffs by a single point, then lost to Boston in the first round. The Rangers, meanwhile, felt the war’s full force.

Art Coulter, Alex Shibicky, the Colville brothers, and Bill Juzda all joined the military, leaving only Ott Heller on defense. Babe Pratt was traded to Toronto for Hank Goldup and Dudley “Red” Garrett, who played just 21 games before dying in service. Goaltending became a mess: Steve Buzinski, Jimmy Franks, and veteran Bill Beveridge faced a barrage of shots as New York dropped from first place to last.

Playoffs

With the NHL down to six clubs, only four made the playoffs, scrapping the quarterfinals. The top seed faced the third seed, and second played fourth, both in best-of-seven series, with the winners meeting in the Stanley Cup Finals. This setup lasted through the 1966–67 season. It also marked the last time Boston beat Montreal in a playoff round until 1988.