Lol Barons. A hockey team having a historic regular season only to lose in the first round? Sounds familiar. And oh yeah, wasn’t a Boston team that did IRL? In short: Go Jacks.

1932 MHL Playoffs: Abbott Cup Final

(A2) Boston Harpers (38-22-2) vs (C2) Ottawa Lumberjacks (34-28)

This was another Abbott Cup Final that few people expected at the start of the year. The upstart Boston Harpers finally found their footing, and knocked off Nassau to make their first ever championship series. On the other hand, Ottawa pulled a historic upset off of Montreal, and are still the reigning champs. The Jacks are the lower seed again here, but are the favourites to win it all.

Game 1 at Boston’s Storrow Arena was the loudest the Harper fanbase had ever been. From start to finish they were cheering their team on. However, the first period was dominated by Ottawa. The Jacks had many chances for the opening goal, but they couldn’t find their first opening period goal of the playoffs. At the other end, Boston’s offense struggled, generating only 2 shots in the opening 20 minutes. It was scoreless after a period of play.

In the second, it was Boston’s turn to dominate play. They got even more shots on John Gilchrist, but it was Ottawa who opened the scoring. A Boston defensive miscue resulted in a Cody Trice breakaway, and he made no mistake beating Caleb Ross to give the Jacks a 1-0 lead. However, Boston tied it up in the dying minutes. Jeff Apps took a shot that deflected off a defender and right to Jack Roy, who scored despite the tight angle. The home crowd loved it, and it was 1-1 heading into the final frame.

The third period was the most intense of the game. It started off slow, but pace would get faster after Boston was awarded a power play. On the man advantage, David Covington took a shot from the right faceoff dot and beat Gilchrist high, giving Boston their first lead of the series. With the building electrified, the Harpers finished the job, and prevented Ottawa from getting any more good chances. Time ran out, and Boston took the first game 2-1.

Game 1: Boston 2, Ottawa 1 (Boston leads series 1-0)

Game 1’s atmosphere was amazing, but somehow Game 2’s was even better. With the series lead, the Harpers faithful were absolutely jovial. Ottawa players acknowledged after game 1 how much the atmosphere affected their play, but they were hoping the story would be different this time.

The first period was fairly even, and had good chances at both ends. Each team had a power play to work with, but the goalies were strong. Jack Roy hit a post for Boston, and Caleb Ross made a sensational stop on Sam Cruciani late in the frame. However, for the second straight game, there was no scoring in the opening frame. Ottawa had now played 5 postseason games, without a first period goal in any of them.

Like in game 1, the second period was dominated by Boston. They opened the scoring early in the period, with Daniel Covington sniping his second of the series past Gilchrist. The Harpers continued piling up the chances, but that single goal was all they could muster. On the other end, Ottawa seemed like they were backing down again, not getting much past Ross, who was looking unbeatable overall. Boston held on to their 1-0 lead through 40.

The third period started off with a surprise goal, as Ottawa’s Robert Smith beat Ross with a long shot just 4:08 in. Ross looked like he was screened, as he never saw the puck until after it was already coming out of the net. With the score tied again, the two teams played very evenly, with little chances. In the final minute, Ottawa had a counter-attack, and amidst a scramble in front, the puck to Smith once again, who was behind the play. he took a quick shot, and it somehow went through all the bodies in the crease and past Ross, giving Ottawa the lead with 19 seconds left. Storrow Arena was stunned. Boston tried to get something with the little time they had left, but time ran out, and Ottawa tied the series at 1 heading home.

Game 2: Ottawa 2, Boston 1 (Series tied 1-1)

The series shifted to the Ottawa Forum for games 3 and 4. The small but rowdy barn saw them win the Abbott Cup last year, and hoped to do the same this year. Ottawa had the momentum following their 2-1 Game 2 win, but there was still work to be done. Boston hoped to get back on their feet and put Ottawa with their backs to the wall.

The first period was extremely boring, and it looked like the series was destined for another scoreless opening 20. However, Boston had a rare counter attack with 6 minutes to play, and the original shot by Roy went wide, but the puck bounced right back to Bob Murray, who beat John Gilchrist, giving Boston a 1-0 lead. Just one minute later, a long shot from Curtis Wiebe deflected off of Arthur Johnston in front, and just like that, Boston was up 2-0. For the first time in the series, there were goals in the first period, and Boston had quieted the Ottawa Forum through 20.

The second period was overall very boring, like the opening part of the first period. There were few shots and few chances overall, but there was a singular goal in the middle frame. With around 7 minutes to play, a sweet pass from Dim Meredith found Sam Cruciani, who scored his first goal of the postseason. The Forum had some life back in it, but Ottawa still needed an equalizing goal. Nothing more happened in the middle 20, and Boston led 2-1 through 40.

The third period saw the most action of any in the series. An early Boston power play led to a snipe from Jeff Apps, and the Harpers’ two-goal lead was restored. There were plenty of chances both ways, with lots of fine saves from both goalies, as well as two crossbars from Ottawa. One crowd member yelled obscenities at the net after the second crossbar hit, and was promptly escorted out of the arena. Ottawa scored a late goal off of an absolute blast by Karl Lucas, but they couldn’t find that tying goal despite many late looks. Caleb Ross saved the day with late heroics, including a crazy glove save on Cruciani. Boston took game 3, and were now a game away from their first ever Abbott Cup.

Game 3: Boston 3, Ottawa 2 (Boston leads series 2-1)

Game 4 saw a loud but nervous Ottawa crowd. They were still the same rabid, die-hard supporters as always, but still nervous knowing that Boston could very well stop their bid to go back-to-back. A few Boston supporters were in the crowd, hoping to see them win it all.

The first period was in Ottawa’s favour, as they pressed hard for the opening goal They had a power play and other good looks on Caleb Ross, but the Boston goaltender did well whenever he was tested. Boston had a breakaway from David Covington, but John Gilchrist came up huge with a big pad stop. Despite all this action, the players left the ice after 20 with the same scoreline as when they first came onto it. Ottawa had now gone 7 games without a single opening period goal. 

In the second, Ottawa had more chances, but so did Boston. In fact, Boston were the ones who opened the scoring. Jack Roy made a nice move to get to the centre of the slot, and he shot one past John Gilchrist to get Boston up 1-0. Sam Cruciani almost came right back with a goal of his own, but Ross stood tall and denied it. Cruciani in particular had multiple chances, but was shut down each time. In the dying minutes of the period, Roy beat Gilchrist again, but this time from a very tight angle. Boston was up 2-0, and despite Ottawa’s flurry of chances, they had nothing to show for it and were a period away from falling in 4.

The third period say Boston basically parking the bus. Their focus was solely on protecting the lead, and not really on expanding it. They did have a blemish when Robert Smith snuck a shot past Ross to get Ottawa on the board, but for the most part they were successful. Ottawa had some good looks, but couldn’t get the puck on net. Time would eventually run out, and the Harpers spilled to the ice in celebration. For the first time in its history, the Abbott Cup was heading to a state other than New York. Boston and the state of Massachusetts had its first championship. 

Despite the disappointment of losing, Ottawa fans were respectful and applauded as commissioner James Burris handed the trophy off to the Harpers. One young child managed to get onto the ice for a closer look at the trophy, and despite initially being stopped by the police, Boston players let him look at it and even attempt to lift it.

Game 4: Boston 2, Ottawa 1 (Boston wins series 3-1)

Congrats Boston.

Wonder if that kid who touched the Abbott Cup could touch it again…

1932 MHL Offseason: Off the Ice

Tragedy in Ottawa: Lumberjacks lose home arena, and withdraw from MHL

One of the most unfortunate events in league history happened over the offseason, as the Ottawa Forum was lost to fire on July 8. A circus in town had finished performing that evening, and in the early hours of the morning, a frayed wire on the roof started sparking. With nobody there to alert firefighters, it started to create a blaze that couldn’t be controlled. Firefighters were able to put it out, but not before the small arena was burned beyond repair.

The Lumberjacks were a financially struggling team, despite their success. The small market and major crisis of the Great Depression were factors that contributed to this. The costs to build a new arena or rent out another one were too large, and with much sadness, the Lumberjacks announced they would be withdrawing from the MHL, effective immediately. It was a sad end to a franchise that was only beginning to show its full potential.

MHL Unveils new trophy, announces first ever League MVP for 1931-32 season

The MHL announced soon after the Abbott Cup Final that the league would now be giving a trophy to the player deemed “Most valuable compared to his peers, and for the success of his team”. This new MVP trophy was donated to the league by New York Blue Birds GM Ludwig Hackatt, and he selflessly named it after himself. The newly-inaugurated Hackatt Trophy would be determined through voting, both by league executives and non-affiliated analysts.

The first winner of the Hackatt Trophy is Montreal Barons goaltender Frank Pangos, who set league records in both Wins and GAA this past season, helping Montreal to the best regular-season record in league history.



MHL Announces two new expansion teams in major cities

Though Ottawa leaving the MHL was sad, there was still some good news in the offseason. The MHL announced it’s most notable expansion class yet, with two teams in major markets joining the league. 

First up, the MHL announced the addition of a team in the American capital, Washington DC. A rapidly-growing city and heart of the nation, James Burris said this was a perfect opportunity to expand the popularity of the game in the United States.

The first team is the Washington Bats, named after the flying mammals that are quite common in the area. The logo featured a bat intertwined with the letter W, and the team colors are red, black and white, based on the coat of arms of the Washington family. Their home jersey uses the 3 colors in a traditional pattern, while the away only has red stripes on a white base.



The second team are the Philadelphia Minutemen. Team owner Eugene Coombs wanted a patriotic-sounding name, and that fit the bill. The team logo is a P with a star in the negative space, while the jerseys feature a white base with blue stripes and red outlines. The stripes are notably high up the arms. The team only has one jersey to start. There were concerns on how they would clash with the Montreal Barons when they played, but the Barons would solve that problem soon after.



4 teams make jersey changes, 3 tweak logos

It was a busy offseason already in the MHL, but the Boston Harpers, Montreal Greys, Montreal Barons, and New York Blue Birds all added to that with their identity changes heading into 1932-33. 

First, Harpers owner Patrick O’Brien promised his team that the crest would be “made lavish” if the team won the Abbott Cup, and he delivered on that. The team’s crest now features a darker gold trim, with intricate patterns throughout the harp. This new harp will be worn on both jerseys, with a green version on the away.

Next, the Montreal Barons unveiled their first ever away jersey. It’s a simple color swap of their home, with a red base, a large white stripe, and smaller blue ones on either side. The M in the club logo is white as well.

The Montreal Greys unveiled a brand new M as the club logo, as well as a new away jersey. The M is still in a script font, but taller, thinner, and rounder than before. The away jersey is now white instead of grey, with elongated grey shoulders, and grey and black stripes.

Lastly, the New York Blue Birds simply changed the white in their color scheme to cream. No changes were made design-wise to their logo or jerseys besides that.

 



MHL changes multiple rules to increase offense

The MHL was an offensive nightmare in 1931-32. Scoring dipped to its absolute lowest, with teams averaging just 1.92 goals per game. James Burris felt that this low-offense league just wasn’t going to be sustainable for long, so he brought together a rules committee to help create rules that would get the league back to having more goals.

The first rule they added was more to do with player scoring, as now two players could be credited for assists on goals, instead of 1 like it always had been. Next, they made more lenient rules for passing. Previously, players were unable to pass forward from the neutral and defensive zones, but now they can do so. This allows for quicker counter-attacks. Lastly, they announced more crackdowns on penalties. Usually, referees wouldn’t call infractions unless they were incredibly obvious. Now, players will have to be more careful, as on-ice officials have been instructed to call smaller contacts and other infractions.

1931 MHL Offseason: On the Ice

Notable Retirements:

Andrew Moehring - D (NYB 1920-31)
At the moment, Andrew Moehring is the greatest defenseman in MHL history. A 4-time champion with the Birds, He is the all-time defensive goals and points leader, and he also led the league in goals and points in 1921-22. Finishing his career with 306 points in 506 games, he should be a surefire hall of famer, whenever the MHL decides to open one.

Jerome Bouchard - G (YRK/HAM 1920-23, TOR 1923-29, MTL 1929, STL 1929-31)
Bouchard was never the best goalie in the MHL, but certainly was a winner. He backstopped the Lakers to two Abbott Cups, and won 273 of his 465 career games. He was largely mediocre outside of Toronto, going 57-78 with York, Hamilton, Montreal, and St. Louis. Still a better career than most MHL goalies, and should be remembered fondly in Toronto.

Greg Mullins - C (BRK 1920-23, TOR 1923-31)
One of the pieces of the major Toronto-Brooklyn trade in 1923, Mullins carved out a wonderful career for himself. He won 2 Abbott Cups with Toronto, and led the league in assists in 1927-28. He finished with 172 goals and 273 points in 456 games. A noted faceoff phenom as well, he finishes his career at over 60% in the dot.

Buck Mahoney - D (BNG 1920-21, HAM 1921-24, NAS 1924-31)
Mahoney was a solid stay-at-home defenseman, using his big body to patrol his own zone. Despite being known for his defensive play, he was a solid point scorer as well, finishing with 167 goals and 218 points in his 488 career games. He was also Nassau’s longtime captain, helping them to their first playoff appearance in franchise history.

Transactions:

Boston

Outs: 
Douglas Larocque - W (FA)
Maurice Lefebvre - W (Released)
Robert Carron - D (WSH)
Patrick Woods - D (Released)

Ins:
Pierre Belanger - W (Rookie)
Jack O’Connor - D (OTT)
Arthur Bachynski - D (Rookie)

Re-Signings:
Caleb Ross - G
Donald Pellerin - C


Boston was mostly able to keep their Abbott Cup-winning squad intact. Larocque and Carron were both depth pieces, while Lefebvre and Woods were mainly injury replacements. Their one veteran signing was Ottawa defenseman Jack O’Connor, who was a solid presence for the Jacks. Their two rookies are Pierre Belanger, a big & strong winger, and Arthur Bachynski, who could become an absolute defensive beast if he hits his ceiling. The Harpers should be a playoff contender once again this year.

Brooklyn

Outs: 
Garth MacKenzie - W (LDN)
Joseph Moore - W (FA)
Thomas Hamilton - W (Released)

Ins:
Walter Tieide - W (OTT)
Richard Perroges - W (Rookie)
Frank Renaud - D (MTB)
John Laurence - D (Rookie)

Re-Signings:
Michael Sutherland - W
Donald Benoit - D

The Kings had a decent loss of Garth MacKenzie this offseason. MacKenzie had 68 points in 186 games for the Kings, and was a solid secondary offensive threat. In terms of their adds, the Kings drastically improved. Tieide should be able to take MacKenzie’s spot in the lineup, while Perroges adds a cannon of a shot to the lower end of the lineup. The acquisition of Frank Renaud from Montreal was huge, as he is now by far Brooklyn’s best player. His defensive abilities are some of the best in the league, and should help the Kings’ aging core. John Laurence is another fearless player, noted as one of the best shot blockers to join the league in years.

Chicago

Outs:
Dorian Chiasson - C (NAS)
David Adams - W (FA)
Robert Nicholson - G (FA)

Ins:
Paul Brooks - C (Rookie)
Michel Bergeron - W (Rookie)
Pascal Owe - W (Rookie)
Peter Bekkering - D (OTT)
Peter Resemseph - D (Rookie)
Claude Kepkay - G (Rookie)

Re-Signings:
Falconer King - W

The Wildcats lost a key offensive player in Dorian Chiasson this offseason. Injuries hampered his play this past season, but he was always productive in the lineup. Their apaprent solution to this was to sign a ton of rookies, and hope that one breaks out. The most notable of these is winger Michel Bergeron, who has a pro-ready shot at just 19 years of age. Another potential player for them is Pascal Owe, who has a good shot, but also good defensive abilities. Their lone add with MHL experience was Peter Bekkering, who won an Abbott Cup with Ottawa in 1930-31.

Detroit

Outs:
Stephane Dion - W (Released)
Eric Wallace - D (Released)
Anthony Forton - D (Released)

Ins:
Michael Fraser - W (Rookie)
Alexander Marshall - D (Rookie)
John Bagley - D (Rookie)
Philip Emillus - G (QUE)

The Guardians didn’t have any major moves this offseason. All of their outs were borderline players to begin with, and the players they were replaced with don’t have guaranteed spots. However, management is very impressed with Marshall, and he could end up being a top-pairing defenseman to start the year. He’s smart, has great endurance, and can block shots, something that Guardians defenseman have been doing a lot in their time in the MHL. Fraser also has a good shot at a significant role, as he’s very well-rounded offensively.

London

Outs:
Mitchell Carter - C (FA)
Arthur Murray - W (Released)
Dean Scott - W (Released)
James Valley - G (FA)

Ins:
Garth MacKenzie - W (BRK)
Mark Young - W (Rookie)
Kenneth Oppenheimer - G (OTT)

Re-Signings:
Wesley Kinville - D

The Locomotives cut a lot of loose change this offseason. None of the players they released showed too much potential, though Mitchell Carter was an underrated playmaker for them. As for their Ins, they did very well in signing Garth MacKenzie from Brooklyn. MacKenzie was a good secondary contributor for the Kings, and will have a much bigger role in London. Kenneth Oppenheimer will also be the team’s new #1 goalie, after Paul Archibald struggled with the reins last year. All in all, the Locomotives marginally improved over their 1931-32 team, but will need players to take massive leaps to have a shot at the playoffs.

Montreal Barons

Outs:
Chris Batesoff - W (PHI)
Frank Renaud - D (BRK)
John Laurence - D (BRK)
John Windsorton - D (Released)

Ins:
Derrick Dorvilus - D (OTT)
Dim Meredith - D (OTT)

Re-Signings:
Earl Cyr - W
Gregory Curney - W
James Bos - C
Cornelius Watman - W

The Barons, despite being the best regular season team in league history last year, decided to completely revamp their defensive core this offseason. They traded star D Frank Renaud to Brooklyn for cash, as well as releasing John Laurence, who was solid. However, the two defenseman they brought in have championship pedigree. Derrick Dorvilus and Dim Meredith were the heartbeats of Ottawa’s defensive core, and will look to get the Barons over the hump. While neither player is quite on Renaud’s level, the two of them together make the defense stronger than in 1931-32. The Barons also re-signed some good depth pieces, like Earl Cyr and Gregory Curney. Both players filled in well when called upon.

Montreal Greys

Outs:
Timothy Pinter - D (Released)

Ins:
Gordon McLeod - W (Rookie)

Re-Signings:
William Smith - C
Anthony Wilson - W
Arthur Simpson - C

In wasn’t a very busy offseason for the Greys. Their lone big move was re-signing superstar centre William Smith to a huge deal, 9 years at an AAV of $15,200. Smith has only played 4 seasons in the MHL, but has already led the league in assists twice, and points once. He’s only going to get better, and now he’s locked up in Montreal long-term. Their lone addition was rookie Gordon McLeod, who is big and can shoot, but needs to work on other areas of his game.

Nassau

Outs:
Edouard Lacroix - C (WSH)
Eric Fox - D (Released)
Lionel Gibson - G (TOR)

Ins:
Dorian Chiasson - C (CHI)
Philip Lawley - W (QUE)
Gerald Milne - D (Rookie)
Patrick John - D (Rookie)

Re-Signings:
Michel Pelletier - D
Daniel Robertson - D

The Scouts have lost in the first round three straight years, and they wanted to make a big addition to help them finally get past it. Dorian Chiasson may not have been their first choice, but he’s still a great addition to the team. He’ll be the second centre behind superstar Kenneth Paquette, and he should help lighten the load on his shoulders. The other 3 additions are mainly depth, but can develop into solid players. They also re-signed promising young defenseman Michel Pelletier, who is projected to break out offensively this coming year. All in all a solid offseason for the Scouts.

New York

Outs:
Antoine Tessier - C (FA)
Andrew Landry - C (Released)
James Kennedy - W (Released)
Jim Wright - D (Released)
Vincent Reid - D (Released)

Ins:
Robert Smith - W (OTT)
Russell Clarke - D (Rookie)
Wilfrid de Lallia - D (Rookie)
Paul Reimer - D (Rookie)

Re-Signings:
Victor Gosselin - C
Peter Alden - W

The Blue Birds had one notable player loss in Antoine Tessier, but the addition of Robert Smith from Ottawa definitely should take care of filling his spot. He has over 60 goals throughout the last 3 seasons, and has Abbott Cup experience as well with Ottawa. They also signed rookie defenseman Russell Clarke to a contract, and Clarke is actually projected to be a top-pairing defenseman for New York this upcoming season, according to head coach Henry MacKenzie. They also re-signed veteran center Victor Gosselin to a new deal, as he heads into his 8th season with the team.

Philadelphia

Notable Signings:
John Lavigne - D (OTT)
Ivan Cremot - D (NYB)
Clarence Leonard - C (Rookie)
Arthur Murray - W (QUE)
Chris Batesoff - W (NYB)

Of the two expansion teams, the Minutemen are predicted to be the weaker of the two. However, that’s mainly to due them dressing two rookie goalies as their tandem. They signed some players with good pedigree, who can help band everyone together. The team’s best player at the moment and likely team captain is John Lavigne, former Lumberjack and Blue Bird who won an Abbott Cup with each team. He’s aging, but still can play really solid defensive hockey. Ivan Cremot is a young blueliner who will likely join Lavigne on the first pairing. He should break out this coming year. The most promising rookie on the team is Clarence Leonard of Toronto, who plays a very smart offensive game, and will be the team’s first 1C.

Quebec

Outs:
Philip Lawley - W (NAS)
Michel Brittain - W (Released)
Arthur Murray - W (PHI)
Oliver Bernard - D (PHI)
Chris Williams - D (Released)
Leon Campbell - G (Retired)

Ins:
Wallace Harper - C (Rookie)
Sam Cruciani - W (OTT)
Karl Lucas - W (OTT)
Desmond Merson - W (OTT)
Herman Bishop - D (Rookie)

Re-Signings:
James Whaley - C

Quebec made waves in the offseason with the signing of Ottawa’s best player, Sam Cruciani. It was a shock, as many expected him to go to a team in more of a contending position. However, the signing of Cruciani’s former linemate and best friend Karl Lucas helped in his decision. The two of them should help Quebec finally have an intimidating offense. They also re-signed young centre James Whaley to a 5-year deal. While he hasn’t lived to the hype of his rookie season, he’s still a key part of their offense, and with this new talent, he should be back to that old form. 

Toronto

Outs:
David Houle - C (Released)

Ins:
Scott Joseph - C (Rookie)
Brent Colsavage - W (OTT)
Lionel Gibson - G (NAS)

Re-Signings:
Bradford Russell - W
Augustin Levesque - W
Trevor Walker - G

Toronto’s offseason was fairly quiet. Their only notable acquisition was former Ottawa winger Brent Colsavage. He was a secondary scorer for the Jacks, and should have the same role in Toronto. The Lakers were also expected to go after Ottawa goalie John Gilchrist to improve their weak goaltending, but surprisingly, they re-signed #1 Trevor Walker and signed Nassau backup Lionel Gibson to be the other goalie in the tandem. Many analysts call Toronto’s goalies the weakest link of the team, so it was a bit of a shock that they didn’t upgrade it with a perfect option available.

Washington

Notable Signings:
John Gilchrist - G (OTT)
Robert Carron - D (BOS)
Michael Colquhoun - W (Rookie)
Edouard Lacroix - C (BOS)
Neville Johnson - C (Rookie)

Washington had a great offseason, solely because they acquired the best goalie to play for a team in their inaugural season, former Ottawa netminder John Gilchrist. While other expansion teams chose to have young talent in net, Washington opted to with a solid option from the get-go, to help them have stability right away. Other players they picked up include young defenseman Robert Carron from Boston, and rookie Michael Colquhoun. Carron was behind lots of defensive talent in Boston, but now has the chance to be a #1 guy on the back end. Colquhoun is a smart player with a good shot, and should be their main trigger man.

Top 10 Free Agent Signings:


1931-32 MHL Preseason

The MHL stayed with the same season length as before, with 62 games. However, due to the odd number of teams, The schedule will mainly be a round-robin, with teams facing each other the same number of times, regardless of division. This could lead to some unhappy teams on the outside looking in when the season is all said and done. The playoffs will remain in almost the same format, with the top 2 teams in each division facing off in a best-of-3. However, the Abbott Cup Final will now be a best-of-7 instead of a best-of-5 like it was before. It will now be even more of an on-ice war than before.