1947–48 NHL season

Maple Leafs sweep Red Wings for Stanley Cup.

The 1947–48 NHL season was the 31st season of the National Hockey League, featuring six teams playing 60 games each. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup, sweeping the Detroit Red Wings in four games. This season introduced the Art Ross Trophy, awarded to the regular-season points leader.

Quick Facts

League: National Hockey League
Sport: Ice hockey
Duration: October 15, 1947 – April 14, 1948
Top scorer: Elmer Lach (Canadiens)
Finals: Stanley Cup

Facts from the source article.

Regular season

The National Hockey League All-Star Game returned this season, though Chicago Black Hawks forward Bill Mosienko suffered a severe ankle injury during the game that nearly ended his career. Several notable lines disbanded as stars retired, including the Montreal Canadiens' Punch line and the Boston Bruins' Kraut line, while the Detroit Red Wings' Production Line was formed. A new tradition began when players raised their sticks to signal a goal, first done by Montreal's Billy Reay on November 13, 1947, at Frank Patrick's suggestion.

Boston's Don Gallinger was suspended indefinitely pending a gambling investigation, and New York Rangers' Billy "The Kid" Taylor received a lifetime expulsion for gambling. Seven games into the season, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Black Hawks completed the largest trade in NHL history at that time, with Toronto sending five players to Chicago for Max Bentley and rookie winger Cy Thomas. Bentley provided a crucial offensive boost, helping the Maple Leafs finish first overall and later win the Stanley Cup.

Playoffs

The top four teams qualified for the playoffs, with the first-place team facing the third-place team and the second-place team meeting the fourth-place team in best-of-seven semifinals. Toronto defeated Boston four games to one, though three of the five games were decided by a single goal. In the other semifinal, Detroit and the New York Rangers split the first four games after the Rangers won games three and four to tie the series, but Detroit took the next two to win in six games and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.