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.

Game 1: Montreal 2, Chicago 0 (Montreal leads series 1-0)

Game 2 was a rowdy atmosphere. Some Barons supporters tried to enter to cheer for the Wildcats, but police stopped them, causing small riots. The crowd was loud as the game started, a pivotal one for Chicago.

Unlike the previous game, scoring started early. Chicago’s Roy Parent got things going with a top-corner snipe less than 5 minutes in. A minute later, Montreal tied it back up, as Luc Knevel put home a loose puck in front of Harvey. Both teams had more grade-A chances as the period progressed, but nothing resulted in a goal until the dying minutes when a Chicago d-zone pass deflected off the referee and right to James Urban, who gave Montreal their first lead. They led 2-1 through 20 minutes.

The second saws fewer shots but more true grade-A chances. Chicago had 4 or 5 very good looks on Clercius, but the best goalie in the league was looking like his regular self and not budging. The defense did a good job to clear pucks out as well, preventing any rebound opportunities. The lone goal of the period came in the dying minutes, with James Pasztor cleaning out a rebound in front, giving Montreal a 3-1 lead. With the way Clercius was playing, it seemed like they were on their way to another win.

Early in the third, Chicago broke through again. A beautiful passing play left Trevor Alrick all alone in front, and he did not waste that opportunity, cleanly beating Clercius and getting Chicago within 1. Montreal would get some chances to try and extend, but Ted Harvey stood tall now, not letting it get any worse. Time ticked and Montreal looked to play out the clock, but a terrible turnover by Ken Lalonde in the final minute led to an Alrick breakaway, and he made no mistake, beating Clercius clean and tying it up with 42 seconds to play. The home crowd was stunned, and the few Barons fans that managed to sneak in were loving it. The two teams headed to overtime for the first time in the championship series.

Overtime did not start well for the Greys. Less than a minute in, Luc Knevel was called for a hook on Parent, putting the Wildcats on the power play. After a couple minutes of passing around and having their shots saved by Clercius, Robert Nicholson found Trevor Alrick at the side of the net, and all he had to do was have his stick deflect the pass into the net, giving Clercius no chance. The Wildcats came back from a 3-1 deficit to win their first ever Abbott Cup game, and tie the series at 1 apiece.

Game 2: Chicago 4, Montreal 3 (OT) (Series tied 1-1)

The series shifted to Chicago’s Lovely Arena for Games 3 and 4. The old arena with lots of personality finally got to play host to some Abbott Cup action. The home Chicago crowd was hoping for a win and 2-1 series lead, and they were loud.

The first period started off very slow. After Chicago’s fast-paced comeback in game 2, Montreal’s goal was to slow them down and get back to their dominating defensive play. It worked for the most part, though Chicago did open the scoring via the power play goal from Dan Vanderbeken. Despite the low-event game so far, the crowd was loving the fact that their team had the lead. Chicago kept that 1-0 lead through 20 minutes.

The second period saw the home Wildcats get some more action. A couple of power plays saw good looks, but Alan Clercius looked locked in again. On the other end, Montreal was generally lackluster offensively. They got shots, but none dangerous enough for the crowd to hold its breath. Ted Harvey was doing well when he needed to be too. After the high-scoring game 2, it was looking like another defensive stalemate. The 1-0 scoreline held through 40.

In the third, Montreal finally got on the board. Ken Lalonde deflected a shot past Harvey on the power play, and under 3 minutes in, it was all tied up. In an instant, it was as if all defensive play ceased to exist. The teams went back and forth trading chance after chance. The goalies made good saves, but the tie got broken at the halfway mark. Luc Knevel’s 3rd goal of the series came off of a rebound from Harvey, and the Greys were up 2-1 with 10 minutes to play. The chaotic pace of play continued, but despite the chaos the only other goal was a dagger by James Urban in the dying seconds. Montreal scored 3 in the final frame to win 3-1, and take a 2-1 series lead.

Game 3: Montreal 3, Chicago 1 (Montreal leads series 2-1)

Game 4 saw lots of nervous energy. The Wildcats needed to win at home to keep themselves alive, while the Greys were a win away from back-to-back Abbott Cups. You could cut the tension with a knife.

Chicago was the better team possession-wise in the first, but they weren’t the ones who struck first. An early turnover led to a Montreal odd-man rush, and they made no mistake, taking the lead less than 3 minutes in. At the halfway point, that lead increased. William Smith took a slap shot from the blue line and Harvey didn’t see it. Despite Chicago outshooting Montreal 9-5 in the opening frame, it was 2-0 for the Greys after 20 minutes. Alan Clercius was standing tall in net.

In the second, it was high-octane action on both sides, like the final period of game 3. However, both goalies were absolutely dialed in. Ted Harvey had a great bounceback period, while Alan Clercius continued his flawless night. Multiple posts were hit as well, Chicago easily could have tied it up but the iron said no. It was unfortunate, because they only had 20 minutes left to score 2 goals and save their season. Montreal on the other hand needed to do anything but collapse and the Abbott Cup was theirs once more.

The third period did not start how Chicago wanted it to. They took a tripping penalty, and Ken Lalonde made them pay with his second of the game. A shot from Smith was partially saved by Harvey, and Lalonde tapped the loose puck home. Now up 3-0, the Greys shifted to full defense, and it worked. Chicago was suffocated in the offensive zone, and virtually nothing got through to Clercius. The 3 shots on net he dealed with quite easily. Time ran out for the Wildcats, and the Greys celebrated. They became the 2nd team to win back-to-back Abbott Cups, after the New York Blue Birds in 1926-27.

Unlike last year’s debacle in Toronto, the Chicago crowd was generally civil afterwards. Obviously they were unhappy about the loss, but many stayed and applauded as the Greys were awarded the trophy by commissioner James Burris. 

Game 4: Montreal 3, Chicago 0 (Montreal wins series 3-1)



And just like that, the first decade of the MHL is complete! This offseason's posts will be a little more special, as I'll recap the decade, with player stats, team stats and more! Hopefully the next 10 years don't take quite this long lmao