Maybe, just maybe, the Bats can get hot and make a run for the last playoff spot. At least we aren’t Philly.

RightGuard wrote:

I know this is old news, but when did Ottawa go from the Lumbermen to Lumberjacks?

gonna be completely honest, I kinda just switched it on its own. It was a mix of me forgetting it was actually Lumbermen and me just thinking Lumberjacks sounds better as a name.

1932-33 MHL Season: First Half

The second half of the 1932-33 was an exciting one. From teams making surprise runs, to other teams making surprise collapses, to a 4-team playoff race that went to the very end of the season, there was tons of action across the board, and lots of scoring records broken.

Finishing atop the Western Division were the Toronto Lakers. Their second half saw them slow down a little, and they relinquished the spot as #1 in the league. However, their offense was still far and away the best in the league, average over 0.2 goals per game more than the #2 team. Claude Brown had the best season points-wise in league history, with 45 goals and 24 assists for 69 points. As well, C Gregory Bekkering broke the league assists record, getting 44. The new league scoring rules definitely helped, but it’s still a great accomplishment. Toronto is going into the postseason as a favourite to win it all. They finished at 37-22-3.

Holding onto the second Western spot are the Chicago Wildcats. They improved greatly in the second half, closing the gap with Toronto to 5 points. Dan Vanderbeken and Henry Baumgartner both finished top 5 in goals, while Roy Parent was the one feeding them. As well, Trevor Alrick showed his great two-way play, being lauded as the best defensive forward in the game. Overall, their defense was great, the best in the West. Blueliners Alexander Klassen and Lawrence Tabor both broke out as big-name defenders, helping the Wildcats with their great run. Chicago finished at 36-26, comfortably in the final playoff spot.

In third and missing the playoffs were the Detroit Guardians. It was a disappointing second half, though they were in a playoff spot for a short period of time. Their inexperience caught up to them and they couldn’t get past the streaking Chicago team. However, this is far and away their best complete season, and something they can build off of for next year. There were some bright spots too, with Wolf Southward continuing his great two-way play, and rookie Michael Fraser leading the team in scoring. There’s still some thing that need to improve for them to become a playoff team, but they’re finally going in the right direction. Detroit finished at 30-30-2.

Finishing fourth were the London Locomotives, who lost steam (pun may have been intended) in the second half. If standings were solely based on offense, they would have made it. However, the defense was the one area that needed to improve, and it didn’t. The goaltending left something to be desired as well. Back to the offense, Simon Peters and Jack Lilly both had the best years of their careers, and were the main reason the Locomotives won their games. They’ll need more depth if they want to improve. London finished at 27-34-1.

Finishing fifth were the Washington Bats. Their second half wasn’t an improvement or a decline, it was pretty much the same as the first 32 games. Having two competent goalies was a big help for them, and it led to them having the best inaugural season of an expansion team since the Kingston Sentinels and Boston Harpers of 1921-22. In terms of skaters, they had some breakout years. Rookies Bob Mullins and Martin Valley had great years, leading the team in goals and assists/points, respectively. A really good first season for them, and it will be interesting seeing if they can keep it up. Washington finished at 26-35-1.

Last in the West were the Philadelphia Minutemen, who continued struggling mightily. Their offense and defense finished worst in the league, and they finished 33 points behind the next closest team in either division. Their only real bright spot was Clarence Leonard, who despite the struggles, finished with 35 points in 57 games. He had a part in 36% of the team’s total goals. Another weird positive was the play of Lawrence Turner, who despite being placed in this mess, finished with a respectable 2.87 GAA and 0.902 SV%. Other goalies wouldn’t play that well behind that inexperienced blueline. However, that didn’t mean much for Philly, who finished at 10-52.

In the East, the Boston Harpers maintained their top spot, and also leapfrogged Toronto for the #1 overall seed. Despite not having a single player as top 5 in any major offensive category, they still finished atop the league. Players like Jack Roy and David Covington had good years, partiucularly Covington who showed good two-way play. Their defense was great, with particularly solid seasons from Jack O’Connor and John Wilson. David Gagnon wasn’t quite at the level of Caleb Ross in net, but still was solid for them. Boston finished at 38-22-2, 1 point up on the Lakers.

In the second playoff spot with a crazy second-half run were Les Quebecois. It was something that pretty much nobody saw coming. Despite their defense still not being that great, the offense was second only to the Lakers. Players like Sam Cruciani, Ben Richards, Lloyd Gardiner and Robert Durant all had great years, helping Les Bleus average over 3.14 goals per game. The other positions weren’t pretty, but when the offense was humming like it did in the second half, that didn’t really matter. Quebec went 22-10 in the second half, good enough to finish at 35-27 and clinch their first ever postseason appearance.

In third and just missing the playoffs were the New York Blue Birds. They were in a 4-team race until the very end, and couldn’t quite pull it off. Like Quebec, their second half was great, and had they not had that poor start, they would be back in the playoffs. Instead, it’s now their 6th straight season without any playoffs. They had good seasons from a few players, with Len Charter finishing 2nd in assists and points, with his best season so far. Moses Addison continued to play like he’s 10 years younger, leading the league in GAA and SV% once again. In the end, those weren’t enough for them to beat out Quebec’s own hot streak, and they finished at 33-27-2.

Finishing fourth the Nassau Scouts, who miss the playoffs for the first time in 3 years. The loss of Kenneth Paquette due to injury, combined with multiple teams having hot streaks meant that they finished where they did. Paquette played great before and after the injury, but your best player missing half the year is almost always going to hurt. 23-year-old Rodney Tebow stepped up in a big way, finishing 3rd in assists in 37. Aside from him, nobodyelse on the team really stood out league-wide. A disappointing result for a team that was hoping to take a step forward. Nassau finished at 34-28, on level terms with the Birds.

Finishing 5th, also with 68 points are the Montreal Barons. Falling short of expectations seems to be their thing, as they’ve gone from holding the second playoff spot to being 5th in the conference on tiebreakers. Their defense and goaltending were good enough for the playoffs, but the offense finished 11th out of 13 teams, a far far cry from its dominance last year. Players like Robert Courbouche and Thaddeus Morgan are getting up there in age, and haven’t been able to carry the team like they have before. Frank Pangos kept them in the playoff race to the end, but unfortunately they’ve continued their tradition of disappointment. Montreal finished at 32-26-4, behind New York and Nassau on H2H.

The bottom two teams in the East were the Greys and the Kings. Neither team collapsed in the second half, but they’re definitely still a level below the other Eastern teams. The Greys actually finished with a positive goal differential, but couldn’t finish the close games. Their offense showed some flashes, as they had multiple players with great years, including two players in the top 5 in points. They finished at 28-32-2. In Brooklyn, The Kings were a similar story, though they were a little more shaky defensively. Richard McGrath continued being a top goalscorer, while Laurence Antoine found his great playmaking form once again. Still a disappointing year for them, but it’s not completely hopeless. Brooklyn finished at 28-33-1.





Playoff Predictions:

W1 - Toronto Lakers vs W2 - Chicago Wildcats
Previous Meeting: 1930 SF
Result: Chicago 2-0 Toronto
Series Record: Toronto 2-1 Chicago

For the 4th time in 7 years, the Lakers and Wildcats meet in the postseason. Toronto won the first two comfortably, while the Wildcats got revenge with the latest series. They’ll now look to even the overall record up, while Toronto hopes to show why they’re the better team.

Chicago won 3 of the 5 meetings between the two teams. Despite that, Toronto have to be the favourites here. Their offense is one of the most intimidating the league has seen, and they have great defensive players too. What could work in the Wildcats’ favour is their great second half. They went on a roll to claim the second spot, and could continue their momentum. A lot of first round matchups aren’t close, but this should be a very good matchup, one that goes to 3 games.

My pick: The Wildcats keep their hot streak going, defeating the Lakers in 3.

E1 - Boston Harpers vs C2 - Club de Hockey Québécois
Previous Meeting: None
Result: N/A
Series Record: N/A

It’s a first-time matchup in the east, and a first ever playoff series for Les Bleus. Their reward for this is getting to play both the reigning Abbott Cup champs AND the #1 team overall in the league. Some present that is.

Quebec does have some players with playoff experience, as well as championship experience, but pretty much Boston’s entire roster can say the same. They’re definitely favoured here, but can they stop Quebec’s offense, who have been on fire recently? It’s been super tough to keep them down, and this hot streak could be enough to overpower the reigning champs. Quebec even won the season series against them, so they know they have the ability to do it.

My pick: Quebec begins a cinderella story, defeating Boston in 2 games.

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Don't forget to vote for the 1933 MHL MVP and Hackatt Trophy Winner!

https://forms.gle/McU5VdLCvzTu7pLB9

hold on, detroit has a player named "wolf southward"? and this is the first time we're hearing about him? insane

in any case I'm ready to watch the harpers run it all the way back, which is definitely something that will happen. nobody here likes quebec anyway. I'm also glad to see new york miss the playoffs again, because lol lmao. good thing nobody roots for them either

1932 MHL Playoffs: Semifinals

(W1) Toronto Lakers (37-22-3) vs (W2) Chicago Wildcats (36-26)

Familiar foes faced off once more in the Western semifinals, as Toronto and Chicago looked to book a trip to the first ever 7-game Abbott Cup Final. Toronto leads the all-time playoff H2H, but Chicago has won the most recent matchup. Both teams missed the playoffs last year, so both will be looking to move past that.

Game 1 at the Toronto Garden was the arena’s first playoff game after renovations had been completed. 15,000 people crammed in the arena to see their hometown Lakers take on the Wildcats once more. Toronto started on the hot foot, but it was the visitors who struck first. Great passing from Chicago saw John Martin get a breakaway, and he made no mistake beating Trevor Walker. Toronto would come back with chances of their own, and Gregory Bekkering would even it up with a shot that Ted Harvey couldn’t get all of. The home crowd was buzzing, and momentum was on their side, but a big rebound from Walker off a point shot led to Henry Baumgartner tapping it home. Chicago led 2-1 through 20. The second period started strong for Chicago, who increased their lead to 3 after a bank shot from Kent Trudel. Toronto would continue pressing in the second, but Harvey was standing tall, and looking cool under pressure. However, Francois Girard would slide a puck under him late in the frame, putting Toronto back within 1. In the third, Toronto continued with chances against Harvey, but he continued to come in clutch, and nothing got past him. Midway through the frame, Chicago added to their lead, with poor defense from a Toronto penalty kill leading to Baumgartner scoring his second from right in front of Walker. Chicago took the Game 1 win, 4-2, with Ted Harvey stopping 29/31 shots.

Game 2 was at Chicago’s Lovely Arena, which was entering its last year hosting the Wildcats. The home crowd was hoping this wouldn’t be the last game there, and they made that clear with their atmosphere. The home team rewarded them early, with a power play strike from Michel Bergeron opening the scoring. Toronto took another penalty a few minutes later, and a hot shot from Martin made it 2-0. The Lakers would get one back off a laser from defenseman Gordon Dube, but the Wildcats would strike again in the dying seconds to restore their 2-goal lead after 20. In the second, Toronto saw their situation and knew they needed goals if they wanted to survive. They got some good chances against Harvey, but couldn’t get a good finish on these chances. Despite outshooting Chicago through 40 minutes, they were still down 3-1 heading into a do-or-die third period. In the third, Chicago was suffocating them. To make matters worse, they were also getting chances offensively. Trevor Alrick’s first of the playoffs came off a sweet solo rush halfway through, and it was 4-1. 5 minutes later, Baumgartner scored while falling down, and it was now 5-1. The home fans were ecstatic, and the building felt like it was going to have its roof blown off. Brent Colsavage scored a late breakaway goal to cut the lead to 3, but there just wasn’t enough time or effort for Toronto to make a comeback. 

Time ran out, and Lovely Arena was still alive to see at least one more Wildcats home game. Chicago advanced to their second Abbott Cup Final in 4 years, looking to win it all after coming up short in 1930. Meanwhile, Toronto comes home after a very disappointing showing. It will be interesting to see if there are any big changes for them heading into 1933-34. Goaltending has been a weak link for them for so long, could they maybe try and trade for a star?

(E1) Boston Harpers (38-22-2) vs (E2) Club de Hockey Québécois (35-27)

The Eastern Division was a heavyweight vs a newcomer. The Harpers are the reigning champs and also finished with the best overall record in 1932-33. On the other end is Quebec, who are only making their first-ever postseason appearance after a crazy second-half run. There’s definitely a favourite in this series.

Game 1 at Storrow Arena saw a buzzing crowd, but also a crowd already expecting a win, just waiting for the result to play out. They seemed vindicated early, as Dan Covington shot a rocket past, Marc Friesen, just 23 seconds in. However, 48 seconds later, Karl Lucas had a hot shot of his own to tie it up. The two teams traded chances back and forth in the opening 20 minutes, with Boston getting more opportunities. With around 5 minutes to play, Jack Roy capitalized on a rebound to get the Harpers back in front. There were a few chances here and there in the final minutes, but Boston still led 2-1 through 20. It was less intense in the second, but the two teams still had good looks. 8 minutes in, William Robinson scored another rebound goal, and Boston had their first 2-goal lead. 29 seconds later, Boston had an odd-man rush, and Ivan Davison made no mistake with his shot, putting Boston up 4-1 halfway through the game. The home crowd was loving it. Quebec would get a few chances to close out the period, and a beautiful pass from Lloyd Gardiner to Lionel Hansen put them back within 2. In the third, Quebec was the dominant team, getting more good looks. However, in his first career playoff game, David Gagnon was amazing and kept turning them away. Quebec had no answers for him, and Boston held on for the 4-2 Game 1 victory.

Game 2 was held at Quebec’s Colisée de la Capitale. In their first postseason home game, Les Bleus were ready to send their fans home happy. However, Boston once again opened the scoring, with Jeff Apps getting the game’s opening goal in tight just 5:36 in. However, similar to Game 1, Quebec responded quickly. Allan Henderson got a power play breakaway, and beat Gagnon clean. It was a defensive breakdown for Boston, and they almost conceded another, but Gagnon bailed them out. It was an even period, but those two quick goals were the only ones. In the second, Quebec was on the right foot, getting more chances and tightening up defensively. While they had good looks, Gagnon, who was starting to make a name for himself, wouldn’t let anything past. Quebec led in shots through 40 minutes, but the same 1-1 scoreline remained. In the third, it was a little more even, but Quebec was still the stronger team. However, both goalies were committed to sending the game to overtime. Great chances resulted in great saves, and there were even a couple of shots off the iron. The same 1-1 scoreline held to the end of regulation, and the playoffs were ready for their first overtime. Early in the extra frame, Sam Cruciani collected a puck near centre, skated a little, and took a long shot. Gagnon should’ve easily turned it away, but it ended up sneaking through him and into the net. The Colisée erupted, and Les Bleus had their first ever playoff victory, sending the series back to Boston for a winner-take-all game 3.

Game 3 back in Boston saw the crowd slightly nervous, but they were once again expecting an easy Harpers win. However, that expectation quickly became doubt, as Quebec started off with a barrage of shots against Gagnon. However, despite his weak game-winning goal against in Game 2, he fought off all of these early chances. Boston would get a couple of looks of their own in the opening frame, but nothing came of them. Despite 19 total shots between the two, it was scoreless after the opening period. In the second, Boston controlled play. They had great chances, but it was Marc Friesen’s turn to shine in goal. He denied all of their chances. On the other end of the ice, Quebec has a rare rush with 6 minutes to play. This led to a net-front scramble, and a goal from Sam Cruciani, his second of the series. It was 1-0 for the visitors, and the home crowd was starting to get anxious as they were down 1-0 heading into the third period. Quebec started the third period with chances to extend, but couldn’t get anything. By the halfway point, they were in their own zone, and a defensive miscue led to Michel Belanger jumping on a loose puck, feeding Michael Colquoun with a pass, and Colquhoun fed Robert Fraser, who blasted a shot past Friesen to tie the game. The crowd was back into it. Play was tense in the dying minutes, but there was a last chance. Boston had a rush, got a couple of shots on Friesen that he saved, but one of these shots resulted in a rebound out front. William Robinson spun around, connected with the puck, and shot it through Friesen’s legs. The Harpers were up, and they could work on closing out the game. Quebec was suffocated in the remainder of the game.

Time ran out, and what was a nervous building just a few minutes before became a cacophony of cheering. The Harpers didn’t make it easy, and Quebec put up a big fight, but they were back to the Abbott Cup Final for the second consecutive year. While the result was disappointing, Quebec can leave with their heads held high, with their crazy second-half run and 3-game series against the reigning champs.



Abbott Cup Final Preview:

(E1) Boston Harpers vs (W2) Chicago Wildcats
Previous Meeting: None
Result: N/A
Series Record: N/A

The reigning champions are up against a team that’s looking for their first, with their second appearance in the series in 4 years. It’s the first ever best-of-7 Abbott Cup series, and it will be a battle. Neither team has experience with a series this long, so it will be hard to exactly predict how it goes.

Boston dominated the season series, winning 4 out of the 5 games between the two. However, 4 of these meetings came before the Wildcats’ second half surge. Only two of the meetings were won by a single goal, both by the Harpers. Boston also won by 4 and 3 goals, while Chicago’s lone win was a 4-1 scoreline. Boston is tough, but Chicago showed they could shut down the league’s #1 offense in Toronto. Their offense will be in tough against David Gagnon, who is rocking a 0.935 SV% through the first round. 

My Pick: Chicago gets the better of Boston and take home their first Abbott Cup, winning the series 4-1.

Slapshot Kirby wrote:

Well, looks like I was partially right with the Abbott Cup Final I was hoping for, LOL. Anyway, here’s hoping for Quebec gets more confidence for the next couple of seasons and for Chicago to win it all!

Amen to that.