Quiet the playoffs so far, hopefully the finals is as good.

1934 MHL Playoffs: Abbott Cup Final

(E1) Montreal Barons (31-15-16) vs (W2) Chicago Wildcats (32-18-12)

For the third consecutive year, the reigning champions were playing a team looking for their first ever title. The Chicago Wildcats were in Montreal’s scenario just one year ago, and they pulled off the upset. Chicago was hoping for a different story this year, though the Barons were considered the better team going in.

Game 1 at Stade Barons saw it at its loudest. Montreal’s fans were always among the most passionate, but now that they were finally close to history, they brought it up to a whole new level. The visitors controlled possession in the opening 20, as Montreal looked to be struggling under the bright lights. However, Frank Pangos didn’t let anything past. Chicago’s Ted Harvey wasn’t tested a lot, but a late Barons power play resulted in a Thaddeus Morgan goal, off a beautiful feed from Jean Fortin. Despite Chicago’s play, they were down 1 through 20.

In the second, Montreal looked better. It wasn’t quite as dominant a period as Chicago’s first, but they were definitely the better team. Like the first, there wasn’t a ton of grade A chances early on, but there was another late goal. Curtis Wiebe had space to walk in on Harvey, and ripped one far-side, leaving the net just as fast as it entered. The crowd was electric, and it was 2-0 for hosts. Chicago had a great chance in the dying seconds, but the shot from Henry Baumgartner went off Pangos before hitting the post. Montreal expanded their lead by 1 in the second.

In the third, Chicago finally broke through Pangos early. Trevor Alrick took a shot from the line, and it pinballed off of a couple of bodies before going over the goalie’s head and in. That type of weird goal was the only thing that could beat a goalie that hot. With that early momentum, Chicago got some more good looks, but Pangos rebounded well, letting none of them by. With the Wildcats getting a little frustrated, the game started getting a little physical, and there were a couple of fights. In the final bit of the period, George Paquet stole a puck from Alex Klassen, went in on Harvey, and beat him backhand. Montreal had a 2-goal lead with little time to spare. They held on, and took game 1, 3-1.

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

Game 2 was once again an immaculate atmosphere. The Barons had all the momentum, and the fans knew it. They were doing their best to make it hell for the Wildcats.

The period started with a bang. Just 27 seconds in, the Barons had a netfront scramble, and it was finished by Thaddeus Morgan, scoring the opening goal for the second straight game. 6 minutes later, they were right back at it, with Vincent Shaw finishing a great passing play. Then, just after the halfway mark, The Barons capitalized off of a turnover, and Earl Cyr potted home a rebound. It was 3-0 10 minutes in. The home crowd was loud as ever, and Chicago looked shell-shocked. They did up their play in the latter stages, getting a lot of shots, but none of them beat Clercius. Montreal had a commanding 3-0 lead through 20.

In the second, the pace died down a little. Montreal wasn’t as urgent with their 3-0 lead, and Chicago struggled to generate anything. However, 7 minutes in, a shot from Trevor Alrick was blocked, and it came right to Henry Baumgartner, and Pangos didn’t see it. The ensuing shot was taken too quickly for him to react, and Chicago was on the board. The WIldcats had a great chance to get within 1, but a beautiful defensive play by Derrick Dorvilus prevented it. Ultimately, even though Chicago got a goal in the second, it was still a tough hill to climb.

The third period was even, and both sides had good looks. Fortin had a good look blocked, and Baumgartner hit a post. The two goalies did very well in the final 20, and despite multiple grade-A chances, there was no scoring. Montreal eventually just wound down the clock, and the crowd was perfectly content. They had a commanding 2-0 series lead, with Chicago having scored just 2 goals in Games 1 and 2. They needed to find an answer to Pangos if they wanted any chance of remaining in it.

Game 2: Montreal 3, Chicago 1 (Montreal leads series 2-0)

The series shifted to Adrianson Arena in Chicago for Games 3 and 4. The brand-new arena was larger than the old Lovely Arena, but still had the same Chicago charm. Montreal was in control, but this was no easy venue to play in.

Chicago finally got the opening goal to kick things off. veteran forward Kent Trudel received a pass, lost a defender with a quick stop, waited some more, then shot one past Pangos. The fans loved it. The period overall was even, but Chicago seemed to have that extra step they were missing in games 1 and 2. Montreal very easily could have tied the game, but after a nice passing play, Jean Fortin missed a wide-open net that should have been scored 100 times out of 100. Through 20, Chicago had their first lead of the series, 1-0.

Montreal clearly had a good pep talk in the intermission, as they came out flying to start the second. Cornelius Watman beat Harvey off a shot from the circle, then Derrick Dorvilus had a nice second effort backhand goal less than a minute later. Just like that, the Barons had the lead. After that early flurry, Chicago came back strong, but Pangos did what he had already done countless times, stone them. Montreal had no shots after their last goal until the final few minutes, when Thaddeus Morgan’s 3rd of the series gave the Barons a 3-1 lead. However, Chicago came back late, knowing it was do or die. Trevor Alrick finished a chaotic sequence to put them within 1 through 40.

In the final frame, Chicago didn’t have many chances, but they made them count. First, on an early powerplay, A Dan Vanderbeken pass went off of a defender and past Pangos. Less than a minute later, Michel Bergeron scored his first of the postseason, giving Chicago the lead and reigniting the building. Baumgartner scored on a nice shot at the halfway mark, then Alexander Walters joined in on the action with a beautiful breakaway goal. This onslaught shocked the Barons, who hadn’t faced anything like it yet in the playoffs. Chicago’s 5 consecutive goals gave them a 6-3 victory and a new hope.

Game 3: Chicago 6, Montreal 3 (Montreal leads series 2-1)

Adrianson Arena was loud but tense before Game 4. This game would likely decide the series, as Montreal looked unstoppable at home, and coming back with a 3-1 series lead was basically a guaranteed victory. However, Chicago still had the chance to tie the series at 2.

Wildcat fans hoped for another good start, but unfortunately it was quite the opposite. Vincent Shaw opened the scoring 1:40 in, and right at the 4-minute mark, Jean Fortin made it 2-0. Chicago’s faithful were silenced. The Wildcats tried, but had no answer for this quick start. unfortunately, it got worse. Late in the period, Thaddeus Morgan beat a couple of defenders to go in alone, and beat Harvey to put the Barons up 3-0. It was already looking like it was over, but Chicago had 40 minutes to turn it around. 

The second was played like Chicago already knew it was over. They still got chances, but didn’t have the urgency they badly needed. Montreal outshot them in the period, and Ted Harvey had to bail his team out a few times to keep it 3-0. However, the Barons would end up striking again. a quick turnaround shot by Curtis Wiebe beat Harvey clean, and that was the final dagger in the coffin. Montreal was up 4-0 after 40 minutes, a basically impossible deficit to recover from. Chicago hit the post late in the frame.

The Wildcats would end up getting on the board early in the third. Henry Baumgartner received a pass with Pangos out of position, and he simply deposited the loose puck in the net. However, Chicago was still down by 3 goals, and Montreal was now focusing solely on defense. The few looks that they had were handled easily by Pangos, and the Barons basically just ran out the clock. They took game 4 4-1, and were a game away from their inaugural Abbott Cup.

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

Game 5 was back in Montreal, and the fans somehow were at a level of passion above even Games 1 and 2. The building was yearning for that elusive championship, and this was their chance to see it live.

The theme of the entire game was caution. From the start to the end, the game was close, with few breakouts, and lots of physicality and defensive stops. The first period was described as one of the most boring and even periods of the playoffs. There were few shots, lots of hitting, and lots of contained rushes. The most exciting moment was a fight between Montreal’s Keith Webster and Chicago’s Peter Bekkering, won by Webster. The period ended as it started, with a scoreless tie.

The second period started to see some action, with Montreal getting the edge in chances. They had multiple looks blocked well by the netfront, by both defenders and Ted Harvey. Eventually, a rebound shot was put home by Thaddeus Morgan, who had scored in every game of the finals so far. Harvey had no chance, and the Barons had the lead. They had a couple more looks before the end of the period, and despite some shaky moments from Harvey, the singular goal was all the scoring of the period. Montreal just needed to hold onto it in the third, and the Abbott Cup was theirs.

The third period was similar to Game 4’s, where Montreal went full defense to try and protect their lead. It worked for the majority of the frame, with the Wildcats’ chances being snuffed out continuously. It really was looking like the Barons would see it out. However, the Wildcats vets were not backing down. Baumgartner almost set up the tying goal off a rare Montreal defensive miscue, but Pangos came in clutch. Eventually, with 1:16 to go, Dan Vanderbeken received a puck in the slot, and he beat Pangos clean, barely saving Chicago from the loss. It was now tied, and heading to overtime.

The overtime period was the most fast-paced of any so far. It had the most shots, the most chances, and the most saves of any period. Both teams had times where it looked like they could end it. However, the two goalies would come in clutch throughout the entirety of the period, stopping every shot. Eventually, 20 minutes of extra time were up, and the two teams were headed to a second overtime period. For the second time in Abbott Cup Final history and first time since 1922, there would be multiple overtimes in a championship game.

The second overtime period was more in Montreal’s favour than the first. They had a great look early, but Ted Harvey shut the door. Chicago had a good chance as well they didn’t go. Finally, just over the halfway mark of the period, and after 90:47 of play, Montreal had a scramble in front. Harvey couldn’t get his glove on the puck, and loose in front, James Bos flipped the puck past, and in the net. Stade Barons exploded in joy. Players paraded onto the ice, and the Montreal Barons celebrated their first ever Abbott Cup victory.

It was the second time the Cup had been decided in overtime, with the only other team doing so being the Barons’ crosstown rival, the Montreal Greys. However, this was the first time a team won the cup at home in overtime. Commissioner Richard Holland carried the cup onto the ice, and the Barons paraded the trophy back to their dressing room to a chorus of cheers.

Game 5: Montreal 2, Chicago 1 (2OT) (Montreal wins series 4-1)

So, has every surviving original team won the Abbot Cup at least once now?

1934 MHL Offseason: On the Ice

Notable Retirements:

Robert Andrews - D (YRK/HAM 1920-24, TOR 1924-33)
The league leader in games played for a time, Andrews was was a bulking defenseman and one of the smartest defensive minds during his career. He was a big part of Toronto’s 1925 Abbott Cup triumph, with the consensus being that he was the best player in that playoffs. While he wasn’t an offensive defenseman, he still found the net a good amount, finishing with 170 goals in his 684 career games.

Victor Gosselin - C (PIT 1920-25, CHI 1925-26, NYB 1926-32)
The main guy in Pittsburgh before folding, Gosselin was also a force for the Blue Birds in his later career. A 2-time Abbott Cup winner in the Big Apple, Gosselin was a postseason force, and arguably was the biggest piece of the Birds’ back-to-back wins in 1926-27. Gosselin finishes with the highest point total of the retirement class this offseason, with 305 points.

Falconer King - W (NYB 1920-26, CHI 1926-32)
King was a 2-time Abbott Cup Champion, both times with the Blue Birds. He was a solid secondary scorer throughout his career, and had a career high of 37 goals and 41 points in 1924-25. King finished his career with 193 goals and 294 points in 613 career games. 

Cody Trice - C (CLE 1920-21, KGN 1922-27, BOS 1927-30, OTT 1930-32)
Trice is likely a name that will be forgotten to time due to playing for 3 defunct teams, but he was a great two-way forward. His offensive stats don’t jump off the board, but he was still a solid contributor. He also won the Abbott Cup with Ottawa in 1931. Trice finished with 151 goals and 92 assists in 511 games.

Luc Knevel - W (OTT 1920, MTG 1920-32)
Knevel was the Greys’ longtime captain, leading them to their back-to-back Abbott Cup victories in 1930-31. We was never the star on the ice, but in the dressing room we was easily the guy everyone looked up to. He will be taking over as the team’s head coach, and will look to guide them back to contention.

Transactions:

Boston:

Outs: 
Robert Fraser - D (FA)

Ins:
Benedict Miller - W (Rookie)

Re-Signings:
John Wilson - D
John Windsorton - D
Michael Colquhoun - W

Boston had a quiet offseason, signing one rookie, Ben Miller. Miller is well-rounded forward who isn’t elite at one thing, but good at multiple. The Harpers also locked down their #1 defense pairing in John Wilson and John Windsorton. Young winger Michael Colquhoun was also signed to a surprisingly cheap deal. He has 54 points in 79 career games, but will only be making $800 a year on his deal. 

Brooklyn:

Outs:
Hugh Mathieu - C (FA)
Richard McGrath - W (PHI)

Ins:
Raymond Mullins - W (Rookie)
Martin Ferre - W (Rookie)
Lloyd Gerrard - C (Rookie)
Gerald Martin - D (PHI)

Re-Signings:
George Patchian - D
Frank Renaud - D

the Kings made an interesting move in the offseason, trading longtime, high-scoring winger Richard McGrath to Philly for rookie signing Gerald Martin. McGrath is 2nd for the franchise all-time in goals, and 3rd in points. Martin on the other hand is a well-rounded defenseman, good in all areas. Another rookie, Lloyd Gerrard, is pegged to be the team’s #1 centre this upcoming year. Brooklyn’s biggest re-signing was young defenseman George Patchian, who has cemented himself on the top pairing early in his career.

Chicago:

Outs:
Harold Mitchell - C (FA)

Ins:
None

Re-Signings:
Lawrence Tabor - D
Alex Klassen - D
Ted Harvey - G
Alexander Walters - C
Peter Bekkering - D
Paul Brooks - C
Claude Kepkay - G

Chicago only worked in-house for their offseason. They had many players to re-sign, and 7 out of 8 were given new deals. of the 7, They had two of the five most expensive deals. Their top pairing of Lawrence Tabor and Alex Klassen are locked down for the next 9 and 6 years, respectively. They also re-inked Ted Harvey to a 3-year deal, likely his last before he retires. With a core that’s starting to age, the fact they didn’t sign any rookies was a bit of a surprise.

Detroit:

Outs:
Mark Alexander - C (NAS)
Joseph Moore - W (FA)
Myron Tabor - D (MTG)

Ins:
Thomas Gill - W (Rookie)
Michael Lee - W (LDN)
Bruno Williams - W (NAS)
Bert McIntyre - W (Rookie)

Re-Signings:
Peter Diry - W
Albert Becker - C

The Guardians made some changes this offseason, opting for more young talent. They traded inaugural member Mark Alexander to Nassau for rookie Bruno Williams. Alexander was nothing more than a secondary scorer for the Guardians, while Williams is an all-offense sniper who has potential. They also acquired rookie Michael Lee from London for cash. Their two re-signings of Peter Diry and Albert Becker are depth options.

London:

Outs:
Jeff Smith - C (FA)
Michael Lee - W (DET)

Ins:
Adrian Lang - D (TOR)

Re-Signings:
Jack Lilly - W
Calvin Benn - D

The Locomotives are struggling financially, which was seen by them trading away rookie Michael Lee to Detroit for cash. However, with some of the cash they acquired, they were able to sign #1 winger Jack Lilly and #1 Calvin Benn. Coming off of their first playoff appearance, the Locomotives hope that locking down their top players can lead to more financial success. Their lone outside signing was Adrian Lang, formerly a top defensive prospect who hasn’t been able to live up to his ceiling.

Montreal Barons:

Outs:
Keith Webster - W (FA)

Ins:
Robert Leclerc - W (Rookie)
Fred Colpoffe - D (Rookie)
Serge Black - D (Rookie)

Re-Signings:
Jean Fortin - C

The new champions have a few longtime players who are likely in their final years, so they signed three rookies to inject youth for their new generation. Hometown kid Fredéric Colpoffe is the most promising of the three, as he is trending to be their future on defense. Centre Jean Fortin was re-upped to a 4-year deal as well. Fortin was a big part of their Abbott Cup run.

Montreal Greys:

Outs:
Mathieu Lafleur - D (QUE)
Grant Meeks - D (FA)
Philip Emilus - G (FA)

Ins:
Lloyd Gardiner - C (QUE)
Myron Tabor - D (DET)

Re-Signings:
Robert Caron - D

The Greys were a part of the biggest trade of the offseason. They traded away #1 defenseman Mathieu Lafleur to Quebec in exchange for centre Lloyd Gardiner and cash. Lafleur expressed a desire to play for his hometown team, and the request was granted. Coming back, Lloyd Gardiner is an offensive centre who will be part of Montreal’s great forward core. In a corresponding move, the Greys re-signed new #1 defenseman Robert Caron to a 4-year deal. 

Nassau:

Outs:
Bruno Williams - W (DET)

Ins:
Mark Alexander - C (DET)

Re-Signings:
Gerald Milne - D

The Scouts had a quiet offseason, with only two transactions. First, they sent rookie Bruno Williams to Detroit for Mark Alexander. He will be a good depth addition for the Scouts. Their other move was re-signing Gerald Milne to a 4-year deal. Milne is a stay-at-home defenseman, but one with a very good defensive ceiling. Nassau will be relying on him a lot this year, and he hopes to make the most of it.

New York:

Outs:
None

Ins:
Thomas Willson - C (Rookie)
James Lalonde - D (Rookie)

Re-Signings:
None

The award for the least active offseason went to the Blue Birds, who only made two rookie signings. Thomas Willson is an offense-or-bust winger, with good physical attributes. James Lalonde is a smart defenseman who will be able to play sheltered minutes on New York’s deep blueline. It’s marginal, but the Blue Birds have slightly improved.

Philadelphia:

Outs:
Robert Doherty - C (FA)
Richard Noble - D (FA)
Edward Roberts - D (FA)
Gerald Martin - D (BRK)

Ins:
Richard McGrath - W (BRK)
Neil James - W (Rookie)
Michael Valkovschot - D (Rookie)

Re-Signings:
Ivan Cremot - D
William Robinson - C
Christian Hehn - W

The Minutemen made a bunch of moves during the offseason. Their biggest move was acquiring established goalscorer Richard McGrath, who should be their go-to guy now. Going the other way was rookie defenseman Gerald Martin, who was poised for a big role on the blueline. Philly re-upped defenseman Ivan Cremot, and promising centre William Robinson. Robinson was the #2 guy behind Clarence Leonard the past two years, but now has the chance to overtake him.

Quebec:

Outs:
Lloyd Gardiner - C (MTG)

Ins:
Allan Gibson - W (Rookie)
Mathieu Lafleur - D (MTG)

Re-Signings:
Wallace Harper - C
Ben Richards - C

Quebec made a splash in acquiring hometown defenseman Mathieu Lafleur, who desired a move to where he grew up. His acquisition makes Quebec’s blueline very deep, as they hope for a bounceback year. While they did have to lose Lloyd Gardiner as part of the deal, their centres are also quite deep, so it wasn’t a team-shattering loss. As a matter of fact, Quebec also re-signed two of their centres, so that barring a trade, they won’t have another major loss in the position for the foreseeable future.

Toronto:

Outs:
Scott Joseph - C (FA)
Adrian Lang - D (LDN)

Ins:
Richard Gagne - C (Rookie)

Re-Signings:
Patrick Stone - D
John Mitchell - W
Morris Toole - C

Toronto seems like a defenseman development factory. With the success of players like Gordon Dube and Clifford Allison, now they have another star on their hands. Patrick Stone was signed to the most expensive contract of this offseason, at almost $12,000 per year. Their lone rookie signing was Richard Gagne, who will immediately become one of the league’s best faceoff takers. There were rumors of the Lakers acquiring a better goaltender following their struggles, but they did not end up making any moves in that department.

Washington:

Outs:
Mitchell Carter - C (FA)

Ins:
Russ Lewis - C (Rookie)
Eric Campbell - W (Rookie)

Re-Signings:
Bob Mullins - W
Martin Valley - W
Colin Anthony - D

The Bats weren’t super active in the offseason, with 2 rookie signings and 3 re-signings. Neither rookie is projected to be a superstar, but their re-signings have potential. Bob Mullins has led the Bats in goals through their first two years, while Valley is the leader in points in that same span. Colin Anthony is a stay-at-home defenseman, but a solid one. 

Top 10 Free Agent Signings:


1933-34 MHL Preseason

With the financial situation of the Great Depression getting worse, the MHL announced that the league would be shortening its season from 62 to 50 games, as ice time was proving to be a huge toll on teams’ finances. The league wasn’t in danger of collapse, this was just to ensure that profit would remain on the same level as previous years. Commissioner Richard Holland was adamant that this would only affect one year, and that the league’s financial strategies would allow for the season to increase in games for 1935-36.

Despite the shortening of the season, the playoffs were to remain the exact same as 1933-34, with 6 teams, and 3 rounds.