I like the Yellow Jackets, hope they have a fighting chance in staying around with all the teams in the NYC area. Toronto, Boston and the Greys away jersey’s all look pretty good too!

1926-27 MHL Season: First Half

The first half of the 1926-27 saw a lot of action, with some surprises, and some obvious performances by both players and teams. The two divisions were dead even, with a 0.500 split against each other. It was looking like it could be anyone’s year.

Storming out of the basement and leading the charge for the West were the Kingston Sentinels. After a 24-32 season in 25-26, they came out firing. Their 78 goals is tops in the league at the half, and it’s coming from all throughout the lineup, led by C Cody Trice. They sit at 19-8-1 at the halfway mark.

In 2nd are who everyone expected to be at or near the top, the Toronto Lakers. Similar to Kingston, they had no real superstar performances from players, but their lineup is one of the deepest in the league, getting great offensive and defensive play from virtually everyone. They should be a lock to make the playoffs again, sitting at 16-10-2.

In 3rd and claiming the final Western spot are the back-to-back Abbott Cup losers, the Pittsburgh Ints. They’re playing well, especially on the road, with a 9-4-1 record away from home. However, their offense hasn’t been a strong point, something they need to improve to hold on to their spot. They sit at 16-11-1.

Outside the playoffs in 4th are the Chicago Wildcats. It’s been a disappointing season so far, as many predicted that they could finally take their step forward into being a contender. However, their offense had been dreadful, scoring barely over 2 goals a game. Their defense has been top-notch, so if they can get going offensively, they should have a chance to get that last playoff spot. They sit at 14-14.

The bottom 3 teams in the West, aside from Peoria, are still in the race. Ottawa seems to be the opposite of Chicago. Their offense is good, but defense is nonexistent. They sit at 13-16-1. In Indianapolis, the Chauffeurs seems to be getting unlucky, as their goal different is actually positive despite being 12-16. Lastly, Peoria is struggling getting back to MHL action, sitting at a dismal 6-21.

In the East, it was the Montreal Greys breaking free from everyone else and turning into the league’s team to beat. allowing an astonishing 1.37 goals per game, They are suffocating all their opponents. Alan Clercius has been their rock, leading the league in all 3 major goalie statistical categories. They are looking real good, sitting at 21-5-1.

In second, are the New York Blue Birds, the reigning champs. Even though their points percentage is still above 0.600, they’re on track for their worst season since 1920-21. They seem to be regressing a little, but having won 3 Abbott Cups, you can never count them out. The Birds sit at 18-10-2, comfortably in a playoff spot.

In third are the team with the reigning best regular season record, the Brooklyn Kings. Their defense and goaltending remain at the top of the league, led by Frank Clercius and David Price. However, their offense has dropped considerably, leaving them hanging on to the third seed barely. Their 1.85 goals per game is worst among all teams in a playoff position. They sit at 15-10-2.

Just outside the playoffs in 4th are the Boston Harpers. After a season where they controversially missed the playoffs due to the format, they were expected to come out hungry, but their appetites don’t seem to be too big so far. They do have some great players, like league goals leader Ivan Davison, but their consistency just hasn’t been there. They will look to get that final spot, as they sit at 15-13-1.

The remaining 4 teams have all disappointed, with some more than others. Syracuse has definitely improved over last season, but aren’t at the level of a playoff team yet. They sit at 13-14. The Montreal Barons have been incredibly disappointing, and despite Robert Courbouche having a renaissance year offensively, they haven’t been getting luck in-game, and sit 8 points out, at 12-15. Nassau has stayed relatively the same, something a little concerning for a young team in the league. They’ve been high-event, scoring a lot of goals, but giving up more. They sit at 11-17-1. Lastly, the first-year Newark Yellow Jackets are having… a season so far. Giving up almost 2.5x the amount of goals they score, it’s been a rough start. However, this is expected for a new team joining the MHL. They sit at 3-24. 



League Leaders:

1926-27 MHL Season: Second Half

The second half of the 1926-27 didn’t see an abundance of movement, but there were teams that leapfrogged others, and the playoff race came right down to the wire, with one team only advancing on a tiebreaker.

Finishing 1st in the west were the Kingston Sentinels. While it wasn’t quite the same level of play they had in the first half, it was still enough to hold on to that top spot. Their offense, lead by Cody Trice and Dean Shaw, remained among the best in the league, and their defense was solid as well. While they may not be experienced in the playoffs, they should still be a force. They finished at 36-19-1.

In 2nd was a team that took a massive leap in the second half, the Chicago Wildcats. They were firing on all cylinders, winning 21 of their last 28 games, including an 11-game win streak. Dan Vanderbeken had 19 goals in the second half, putting him atop the league in goals, and second in points. It was a breakthrough for them, and they look to ride the momentum in the playoffs. They finished at 35-20-1.

In 3rd and just squeaking into the playoffs were the Toronto Lakers. They actually did better in the second half, but so did other Western teams, meaning that they only made the playoffs thanks to a head-to-head tiebreaker. Kenneth Moore in particular had a monster second half offensively, finishing near the top of the league in both goals and points. Toronto finished at 33-20-3.

Just outside the playoffs in heartbreaking fashion were the Pittsburgh Internationals. In a season where they seemingly needed playoff/final bonuses for financial stability, they couldn’t get it done. Even though they tied with Toronto on points, their 1-3 record against the Lakers meant they were on the outside looking in. They had more points than the Eastern 3rd seed, but rules are rules. If this is the end, the Ints will be seen as one of the league’s unluckier teams. They finish at 34-21-1.

The bottom 3 teams in the West more or less had the same type of second half as they did first half. Ottawa continued their disappointing play, once again finishing outside the playoffs. They are the only original team to have not made the postseason. In Indy, a they finally played like their record indicated, losing more consistently and by more goals. Lastly, Peoria continued being Peoria, struggling mightily.

In the East, it was the inevitable, the New York Blue Birds having a dominant second half. Going 21-5 in their final 26 games, the division and overall #1 seed was theirs once more. Giving up just 88 goals total all season, their offense didn’t need to do too much, though it was still among the best in the MHL. New York finished at 39-16-1.

In second were the Montreal Greys, who had a subpar second half. New York’s dominance likely would’ve had them leapfrogged anyway, but the Greys still went below 0.500 in the second half. Thanks to their red-hot start, they Greys still finished 9 points in the playoffs, at 33-21-2.

Finishing in third were the Brooklyn Kings, who maintained their hold on the final spot. They had improvement offensively, which gave them more of a grip on that postseason appearance. The breakout of Isaiah Ryan was a big part of their season, as his 29 goals were good for 3rd overall, and 34 points were good for 4th. Brooklyn finished at 30-23-3.

Just outside the playoffs in 4th were the Montreal Barons, who had a strong second-half surge. Unfortunately for them, despite going 17-11-1 in the second half, their tough start kept them 4 points behind Brooklyn for that final spot. One bright spot for them was Robert Courbouche, who was consistently rated among the best in the league, but had fallen behind expectations the past few years. His 39 points were good for that top spot, his 2nd scoring title and first since the league’s inaugural season in 1920-21. the Barons finished at 29-26-1.

The remaining 4 teams disappointed in the second half. Boston looked to take a big step toward the playoffs, but went 0.500 to close out the year. Syracuse regressed amidst financial pressure, and their MHL future is uncertain. Nassau and Newark both had pretty much the same second half as first half, disappointing. In fact, Newark was so bad, their 6-50 record managed to surpass Peoria’s 1922-23 mark of 5-43-2 for MHL futility. Including a 24-game losing streak, this was not a fun time in the Garden State.



League Leaders:



Playoff Predictions:

W2 - Chicago Wildcats vs W3 - Toronto Lakers
Previous Meeting: None
Result: N/A

The Wildcats and Lakers meet for the first time in the postseason. A high-flying Chicago team with all the momentum, facing a calm and collected Toronto team with tons of playoff experience.

Chicago won 3 of 4 season series meetings, with the other matchup being a tie. Historically though, Toronto has dominated, winning 22 of 33 games. If any team can slow down a team on a hot streak, it’s the team that’s won the Abbott Cup 3 out of 6 years. This will be a valuable experience for Chicago, they deserve tons of bragging rights if they win this one.

My pick: The Lakers prevail over the young Wildcats team, winning in 3.

E2 - Montreal Greys vs E3 - Brooklyn Kings
Previous Meeting: None
Result: N/A

Another first-time playoff matchup, the two greyscale teams face off in the Eastern First Round. Montreal has struggled of late, though Brooklyn hasn’t exactly been dominant either.

Brooklyn went 2-1-1 in the season series, and they have the overall head-to-head edge. The wildcard here is going to be goalies, with brothers Frank and Alan Clercius facing off in the crease. Both have been unbeatable at times and uninspiring at others. As two defensive-minded teams, one is going to prove superior, and it could go either way right now.

My pick: Brooklyn easily takes the series over the Greys, advancing to the semifinals in 2 games.

1927 MHL Playoffs: First Round

(W2) Chicago Wildcats (35-20-1) vs (W3) Toronto Lakers (33-20-3)

A first-time matchup between the Chicago Wildcats and Toronto Lakers would determine which of the two would face off against the Kingston Sentinels to be the Western representative in the Abbott Cup.

Game 1 at Chicago’s Lovely Arena started with the visiting Lakers dominating the action. However, despite doubling Chicago’s shot totals in the opening frame, the two teams remained even after 20. In the second, play was more even, but there was finally a breakthrough, as Kenneth Moore put Toronto up 1-0, with a quick shot from in close, which held after 2. However, in the third, Chicago finally got some offense together, as goals from Dan Vanderbeken and Alex Palmer gave them a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish. The home crowd went home happy, as Chicago took the opening game.

Game 2 at Toronto’s Lakeshore Arena saw another overall even affair. This time however, scoring was opened early as Kenneth Moore’s second in as many games gave Toronto the lead after 20. The rest of the game saw solid defensive hockey and goaltending from both sides. In the ends Jerome Bouchard turned away all 21 shots he faced, as the Lakers evened the series and forced a winner-take-all game 3.

Game 3 back in Chicago saw a restless crowd. The Wildcats not only had another chance to knock off a perennial contender, but do it at home. Unfortunately for them, Toronto was NOT playing around, as they put 20 shots on the Chicago defense in the opening frame alone. Sylvain Ermengille opened the scoring for the Lakers, who led after 1. A powerplay goal by Chicago’s Grant Kimball brought life back to the arena, but Kenneth Moore responded with a PPG of his own, and 3rd goal overall in the series, to keep Toronto on top heading into the final frame. The Lakers played suffocating defense to close out, and the only further scoring would be a late goal by Francois Girard to seal it.

Toronto took the well-fought series in 3. Chicago showed promise, but the more experienced team won here.


(E2) Montreal Greys (33-21-2) vs (E3) Brooklyn Kings (30-23-3)

It was another first-time matchup to see which team would face the #1 overall seeded Blue Birds in the Eastern final. 

Game 1 was held at Montreal’s Victoria Square Stadium, which was as loud as it’s ever been.For the entire first period the crowd was electric, but despite the atmosphere, neither team could find an opener in the first 20. However, early in the second, a laser shot from Paul Washington made the crowd erupt, as Montreal got the lead. the shot and possessional totals remained close after 40, but Montreal still had that lead. Less than a minute into the third, Lewis Brown finally got a shot past Alan Clercius, and the game was tied. 7 minutes later, Isaiah Ryan scored on a similar shot, and just like that, Brooklyn had the lead. The fans did their best to spur the Greys on, but the only other scoring would be another late goal from Ryan. Brooklyn took game 1 3-1, and just needed a win at home to advance.

Game 2 at Brooklyn’s Main Arena started with a bang, but for the visitors. Luc Knevel opened the scoring just 1:33 in, and with the league’s low scoring that was huge. Nick Hadley added on to the visitors’ score later in the period, and Montreal led 2-0 after 1. In the second, Brooklyn would get some life, with Isaiah Ryan’s 3rd of the series putting the Kings within 1. The game remained even, and it remained 2-1 after 2. In the third, Montreal put their foot on the gas, and controlled the play. A late goal by Nick Hadley sealed the deal, and Montreal tied the series at 1, now hosting a do or die game 3.

In game 3, it was a similar start to game 2, as Ryan Houle opened the scoring for the visiting Kings. With the sloppy start, both teams stayed defensive for the opening period. Neither team had many shots, and it remained 1-0 Brooklyn after 1. The second saw play open up more, and just over 7 minutes in, James Urban’s second of the series tied the game up, and Victoria Square Stadium erupted. it remained 1-1 heading into the final frame. In the third, on one of Montreal’s 6 power plays, Ken Lalonde scored, and the building became even louder. Brooklyn tried all they could to get a tie, but Alan Clercius shut the door. Montreal ended up victorious, and Montreal won their first series since 1922.



1927 MHL Playoffs: Semifinals

(W1) Kingston Sentinels (36-19-1) vs (W3) Toronto Lakers (33-20-3)

It was a young juggernaut facing an experienced foe in the Western final. Kingston went 3-1 against the Lakers in the regular season, but you can never bet against Toronto in the postseason.

Game 1 in Kingston saw a very fast-paced first period. despite the two teams combining for 26 shots, there was no score after 1. In the second, Toronto controlled more of the play, but it wasn’t the Lakers who got on the board. Early in the middle frame, Greg MacDonald got a very powerful shot past Jerome Bouchard. Bruce Harris added a second goal and the Sentinels led 2-0 after 40 minutes. In the third, despite being held to 2 total shots, the Sentinels put it out of reach, with MacDonald scoring against and George Bailey getting one as well. Kenneth Moore scored a consolation goal for Toronto, who fell 4-1 in game 1.

Game 2 at Toronto’s Lakeshore Arena saw the Sentinels get on the board first. However, this time the Lakers responded quickly, with Sylvain Ermengille tying it up before the end of the period. In the second, Toronto really got in control, but despite that, the only goal of the frame was Greg MacDonald’s 3rd of the series. the shots were 27-13 for Toronto, but the score 2-1 for Kingston. Toronto had a period to stay alive. They would score twice early on to take their first lead of the game, but Milford Diep’s second of the game tied it back up soon after. Toronto was playing for their lives, and eventually, with 6 seconds on the clock, Kenneth Moore scored his 5th of the playoffs on a scramble in front, and Toronto took a wild one, 4-3. 

Game 3 in Kingston had a lot of nervous energy. The Sentinels had the ability to finish the job, but Toronto was not going down easily. The first period started in Toronto’s favour, but everyone seemed to be locked in. There were chances, but none getting past. In the second, Toronto especially cracked down on defense. 5:41 into the middle frame, relatively unknown defenseman Graham Walsh scored, giving Toronto that crucial lead. After 2, it was 1-0, and Toronto was outshooting Kingston 22-13. In the third, it was more of the same, with Toronto especially suffocating the Sentinels’ offense. John Young scored in the final minute to make it 2-0, and the Lakers held on to advance to their 4th Abbott Cup Final.

Kingston had a good start overall, but the second half of this series was pure Toronto dominance. They advance to their 4th final in 7 years.


(E1) New York Blue Birds (39-15-2) vs (E2) Montreal Greys (33-21-2)

New York and Montreal faced off to see which team would be the Eastern rep in the Abbott Cup Final. They faced off in this round in 1922, where the Birds won in 4 games. The Greys actually won this year’s season series, taking 3 out of 4.

Game 1 at New York Stadium was a brilliant atmosphere. It was loud, the crowd seemed endless, and it was good time, just not for the home fans to start off. Ken Lalonde scored on the Greys’ first shot of the game, and Paul Washington scored on their only other shot of the period, giving them a shock 2-0 lead after 1. Unfortunately for Montreal, Washington suffered a broken hand early in the second, and was unable to finish. In the middle frame, the hosts came right back, and got goals from Dale Harvey and Jim Wright to tie it back up. In the final frame, Harvey scored his second of the night. Without Washington, the Greys seemed lifeless, as they ended up falling to that 3-2 scoreline.

Game 2 at Square Victoria Stadium saw the crowd have a mix of anxiety and cheerfulness. It was a tough task winning 2 straight against New York, but they were with their team until the end. From the very get-go, you could tell New York were planning on finishing the job. It was an offensive onslaught to start, with the Birds getting 17 shots on Alan Clercius in the first period. Despite that, he held his ground, and kept the score even after 20. Eventually, just over 5 minutes into the second, Victor Gosselin broke through, and quieted the arena. Montreal couldn’t get anything going, and after 40, the shots were 31-13 for New York. In the third, fans hoped the Greys could get it together, but the Birds continued rolling. In the end, they put up 45 shots, with only the 1 getting past Clercius. Montreal had 13 total shots, none of which were much issue for Moses Addison.

The Blue Birds once again advanced to the Abbott Cup Final, looking to win their 4th.



Abbott Cup Final Preview:

(E1) New York Blue Birds vs (W3) Toronto Lakers
Previous Meeting: 1923 Abbott Cup Final
Result: Toronto 2-0 New York

The league’s two premier teams meet in the Abbott Cup Final. Despite one of these two winning every final so far, this is only their second meeting in the championship series. Toronto handily won that meeting 2-0.

New York took the season series 2-1-1, and their overall head-to-head is slightly in Toronto’s favour. It really could go any way, neither team looks easy to beat in general, let alone for the Abbott Cup. New York seems stronger, but Toronto has won every time they’ve reached the final round.

My Pick: New York becomes the first team to win consecutive Abbott Cups, defeating Toronto 3-1.

1927 MHL Playoffs: Abbott Cup Final

(E1) New York Blue Birds (39-15-2) vs (W2) Toronto Lakers (33-20-3)

Game 1 of the best-of-5 championship series was played at a familiar venue, the Birds’ New York Stadium. They went 21-6-1 at home in the regular season, plus 1 victory at home in the semifinals. Toronto had a respectable 16-10-2 road record, 2-2 in the postseason so far. 

New York started Game 1 with a mission, and that mission was to score. just 5:25 in, Victor Gosselin took advantage of an odd-man rush on the power play and took a low shot that got past Jerome Bouchard, getting the crowd into it early. Just 3 minutes later, Danny Prince made it 2-0 on a quick release that Bouchard couldn’t locate. This was looking like it could get ugly, and the period wasn’t even 10 minutes done yet. Before the end of the period, New York caught Toronto’s defense sleeping again, and Bouse Rogers scored his first of the playoffs on a play Bouchard had no hope of saving. One period into the Abbott Cup, the Birds led 3-0. 

In the second period, it was Toronto’s turn for offensive play. They got good chances on Moses Addison, but he did his best to turn them away. With every stopped chance, the crowd rose to its feet, and the building was deafening. This was nothing the Lakers had experienced before. In the end, they fired home 10 major chances in the middle frame, but nothing could be done to chip away at the lead. New York’s 3-0 lead remained after 2.

In the third, Toronto kept pushing, and they finally got on the board 5:20 in. A deflection off a defender was too much for Addison to handle, and Graham Walsh tapped home an easy one. They still had work to do though. Unfortunately for them, New York didn’t seem too keen on allowing a goal, and they got one back soon after, as Dale Harvey made a nice move to fake out Bouchard, and slot one home. Toronto tried to get something back, but Addison continued his wonderful performance. The score held up, and New York won the opening game in convincing fashion.

Game 1: New York 4, Toronto 1 (New York leads 1-0)

Game 2 was once again held at New York Stadium, where it was a raucous atmosphere.

New York started well once again, as Danny Prince got a great bounce, leading to an open net for him, which he easily fired home. Though they had the lead, Toronto made sure not to let them run away with it in the first again. It was a tight defensive affair throughout the first 20. Eventually, Toronto got on the board with a similar goal to New York’s. Kenneth Moore, who had a quiet game 1, got an open net and buried it, tying the game at 1, which held through 20.

The second period was even tighter, with the two teams combining for just 9 shots in the middle frame. Of those 9 shots, none were notably good chances, and the two goalies dealt with them quite easily. It was getting more and more tense, with the home fans realizing that it wasn’t going to be as easy as game 1. Through 40 minutes, the scoreline remained tied at 1 apiece, and who knew what the third period would hold.

In the third, things were finally starting to open up a little, and sloppy play led to Chris Paquet firing home his first off a scramble in front, restoring New York’s lead. 3 minutes later, an almost identical scenario led to Terrance Robertson extending the Birds’ lead to 2. However, less than two minutes after that, Toronto continued the chaos with yet another scramble goal, with Kenneth Moore scoring his second of the game. New York did almost everything they could to prevent the Lakers from tying, but with just over a minute to play, Moore completed the hattrick by hammering home the loose puck from yet another scramble. the two teams went back-and-forth in the third, but in the end, it was 3-3, time for the first overtime of the postseason.

The fans stayed on their feet as the extra period started, not wanting to miss a thing. They weren’t disappointed, as less than two minutes in, a shot deflected off a defender and right to Bouse Rogers, who capitalized on the chance, scoring the goal to give New York the lead. New York Stadium erupted, and the defending champs were now a game away from winning it all again.

Game 2: New York 4, Toronto 3 (OT) (New York leads 2-0)

Game 3 saw the series shift to Toronto. The fans at Lakeshore Arena knew what was at stake, but were still loud and proud as their hometown heroes took the ice. On the other end, New York was looking to put an early end to this, as they knew how easily Toronto could change the series’ outlook.

The trend of an early goal to open the game continued, this time it was Toronto that struck first. Gerald Washington converted a beautiful pass from Greg Mullins, and Toronto had a lead for the first time in the series. It was an almost perfect period for the hosts, who limited New York to just 4 shots, but the Birds found a way to tie it before the end of the frame. Serge Mathieu had some space on the right side, and fired one into the top corner past Bouchard. After 20, the scoreline was knotted at 1 apiece.

The second period saw Toronto’s best offensive play of the series so far. In a series that had few shots and chances, they put 14 total on Moses Addison. Unfortunately for them, he managed to save every single one of those chances. The home crowd nearly rose to their feet countless times, but sat back down disappointed each time as well. Despite the lack of goals, Toronto’s defense continued doing well to hold New York away from chances of their own. The 1-1 scoreline remained after 40, just as it did after 20. 

The third period of Game 3 went down as one of the weirdest on record. Victor Gosselin deposited a loose puck early on, giving New York the lead again. After that, neither team had a shot for 8 minutes, when Gosselin did virtually the exact same thing, putting the visitors up 3-1. Toronto’s defense was doing good, but despite that New York was capitalizing on every chance. there wouldn’t be another shot for 3 minutes, when Toronto got one on the board with 5 to play. in 15 minutes there had been 3 shots, all of which were goals. New York tightened up defensively with the Cup on the line, and though Toronto had the puck for most of the remaining minutes, they only got one more shot, which Addison got a glove on. Time ran out, and New York celebrated. It was their 4th title in 7 years, and they were now the first team in the MHL’s history to win consecutive Abbott Cups.

Game 3: New York 3, Toronto 2 (New York wins series 3-0)