1929 MHL Playoffs: Abbott Cup Final

(W1) Chicago Wildcats (40-22) vs (E1) Montreal Greys (40-21-1)

An Abbott Cup debutant vs the defending champs? That’s a tale of two very different sides. Montreal was in Chicago’s position just one year before, but they got the job done. Could the Wildcats do the same in 1930?

Game 1 at Victoria Square Stadium started off very slow and boring. The crowd was hyped to start, but with no major chances the buzz died down quickly in the first. The biggest chance came from Chicago’s Dan Vanderbeken, who drove in on Alan Clercius, and got a shot away. Immediately after, Montreal’s Joseph Gill hit him hard into the end boards, drawing a scrum. Vanderbeken was slow to get up, but stayed in the game. The period ended with the teams still scoreless.

The hit on Vanderbeken energized Chicago in the second, as they controlled play after an even first period. They got good looks on multiple power plays, but Clercius remained tall in the Montreal net. The Greys got a great look of their own, with Chris Clark making a strong dash toward the Chicago net, but his work was stopped by Ted Harvey. Both teams had more looks, but still, neither goalie was letting anything go. The second period came to a close, and it was still scoreless.

In the third, the game opened up and there was chance after chance. Montreal hit the post early on, and got some more chances on Ted Harvey, who didn’t want to budge. Finally, with 5 minutes to go, Luc Knevel found a loose puck behind the Chicago net, went in front, and beat Harvey, getting the home team the icebreaker and igniting the building. It was loud again, and the fans were loving it. Chicago pressed hard for an equalizer, but 5 minutes wasn’t a lot of time. They got good shots on Clercius, but he stood tall. James Urban added a dagger in the dying seconds, and Montreal took game 1, shutting out Chicago’s #1 offense.

[u][b]Game 1: Montreal 2, Chicago 0 (Montreal leads seri

1929-30 MHL Season: Second Half

The second half of the year was one with lots of intrigue, and some teams caught fire, some went cold, and a nerve-wracking playoff race persevered to the end of the year. 

Finishing 1st in the West for the first time in their history were the Chicago Wildcats. They broke Toronto’s two-year stranglehold on #1, and pushed through to the end. It wasn’t quite as dominant as the first half, but their star players played amazing. Dan Vanderbeken and Henry Baumgartner were both top 5 in goals, while Roy Parent set an MHL record with 33 assists. While the league changed rules make it easier for players to be awarded the statistic, That shouldn’t discount his playmaking, something the league has never seen before. Chicago finished at 40-22, 1 point back of the overall #1 seed.

Finishing in 2nd for the last spot in the West were the Toronto lakers, who did not make it easy for Chicago to retain 1st. With the way they played to close out the year, you couldn’t imagine it was the same team that won 6 of its first 17. Sylvain Ermengille and Gregory Bekkering created an incredible duo offensively, finishing 2nd and 3rd in the league in points. As well, in the high-offense West, the Lakers had the best defense, the only team there allowing under 2 goals per game. The Lakers finished at 38-23-1, 3 points behind Chicago.

Finishing in 3rd yet far outside the playoffs were the Ottawa Lumberjacks. It was tight at the halfway point, but Toronto caught fire while the rest of the teams in the picture continued their mediocrity. Their big addition of Cody Trice was a dud, only scoring 6 goals and 9 total points in his 38 games after the trade. However, Sam Cruciani continued being one of the league’s underrated stars, finishing in the top 5 in points for the 2nd time in 3 years. Ottawa finished at 29-33.

In 4th were the Indianapolis Chauffeurs, who crashed out of the playoff picture. They struggled with injuries in the second h

1929-30 MHL Season: First Half

The 1929-30 season was different yet similar to other past seasons. Some new teams were finally making the right moves, while otheres continued their perennial great play. The removal of division-heavy schedules saw one favoured over the other as well.

Leading the way in the west were the Chicago Wildcats, off to their best start in franchise history. Their offense and defense, while not ranked #1 in the league, are both near the top. However, their play away from home has been their secret weapon, as they’ve gone 13-3 away from Lovely Arena. Players like Dan Vanderbeken and Roy Parent have been among the best in the league offensively, while Ted Harvey has been a welcome addition in net. Chicago sits at 23-9.

In 2nd, but taking a big step back, are the Toronto Lakers. It was a horrible start to the year for them, as they were getting used to playing at the Toronto Garden. They won only 6 of their first 11 games. They’ve gone on a heater since to retain that playoff spot, but they’re lucky to be in the weaker Western division, otherwise they may be on the outside looking in for the first time in their history. Toronto sits at 15-14-1, barely above 0.500.

In 3rd are the Indianapolis Chauffeurs, who have taken their biggest step forward. They’ve been great offensively, with players like Jeff Smith and Lennie Triplett having strong first halves. Their defense and goaltending haven’t been great, but it hasn’t kept them from being out of the playoff picture. With improvements made there, they can absolutely stay in the race for the second Western spot. Indy sits at 15-16-1.

In 4th are the Ottawa Lumberjacks, who continue to be painfully mediocre. Their defense has actually been the best in the West to start, but they’ve gotten unlucky with a few results, and despite having a goal differential better than both Toronto and Indy, they sit below both. They made a big move trading young playmaking centre William

The 2023 Season is almost upon us! The Deacons will look to get a coveted back-to-back AltWS championship. The season opens with a true test, the only other team to win it all, the OKC Bison. Will be an exciting game no matter what.

1929 MHL Playoffs: Abbott Cup Final

(W1) Toronto Lakers (42-18) vs (E2) Montreal Greys (37-23-0)

The Lakers and Greys faced off in an All-Canadian battle for the Abbott Cup. It would be returning north of the border for the first time since 1925, but which team would take it home?

Game 1 at Lakeshore Arena did not start well for the home side. Joseph Ocking took an early penalty, and Montreal’s Jim Clarkson scored on the ensuing powerplay, just 1:50 into the game. Before the halfway point, Clarkson scored another, and the visitors were up 2-0. Toronto would push back in the latter stages of the period, and despite Alan Clercius looking unbeatable, Francois Girard beat him cleanly in the dying minutes. Montreal lead 2-1 through 20.

In the second, Toronto started off strong, but had no answer for Clercius. Montreal would get a few chances of their own, and they managed to convert, with Ken Lalonde driving to the net and beating Kenneth Oppenheimer. Toronto would continue applying pressure, but still Clercius was doing what he had done all season: Be a wall in net. Despite Toronto handily outshooting the Greys through 2 periods, Montreal still retained that 3-1 lead.

In the third, Toronto seemed discouraged and tired by their play, and Montreal would end up being the better team in the final frame. Their 6 powerplays definitely helped though. They weren’t able to beat Oppenheimer, but Toronto couldn’t get anything either. Time ran out, and the Greys had won their first ever Abbott Cup game. Toronto fell in their first game at home.

Game 1: Toronto 1, Montreal 3 (Montreal leads series 1-0)

Game 2 saw Toronto looking a lot more angry and aggressive after being stonewalled by Clercius in Game 1, Montreal on the other hand were as calm and cool as they were in game 1.

In the first, Toronto came out absolutely flying, getting chance after chance early. Despite this, the play of Clercius in net continued to be virtually without blemi