- NoE38
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Re: Metropolitan Hockey League: 1935 Offseason
1935 MHL Offseason: Off the Ice
Two teams leave MHL, including one on hiatus
The story of the Locomotives’ drive to survive has been well-documented. But unfortunately, despite their late success, the market was just too small to support a professional team for any longer. The city’s population of 78,000 is barely half as big as the next-smallest market. While their time in the MHL is over, there are already talks of a new ownership group “resurrecting” them to play in the minor leagues.
One thing that got a little swept under the Locomotives story was the fact that Quebec also was unable to field a team for the 1935-36 season. However, their financial situation was a little better than London’s, so like Peoria 5-ish years ago, the league allowed them to take a one-year hiatus before attempting a return for 1936-37. Commissioner Holland made it very clear that any financial struggles after would result in the loss of the team, so they needed to make this year off count. Like the Foxes before, all Quebecois players would be free agents for teams to sign for the 1935-36 season, and the team would have to pick from the free agent pool for the 1936-37 season.
1934-35 Hackatt Trophy Winner unveiled
William Smith took home the MHL’s MVP award for the 1934-35 season, and it’s surprising that this is only his first. He’s lead the league in points 3 of the last 4 years, but hadn’t been first place in voting until now. His 39 assists were a personal career high, and were the third-highest total the league had seen. Smith is widely regarded as the best player in the league at the moment, and he finally has the recognition for his great play.
10 teams make branding changes
Aesthetically, it was a BUSY summer for the league, with 10 different teams changing some aspect of their brand, whether logo, jerseys, or both.
In Boston, the Harpers changed the arched name above their harp to a cursive script. Neither script is officially considered a logo, just an extra jersey element.
Next, in Brooklyn, the Kings did an old switcheroo of their colors. The black jersey with white stripes is now a white jersey with black stripes, but still the exact same design otherwise.
In Chicago, the Wildcats continued their tradition of not staying with a jersey set, as they came up with another new design, this one similar to their inaugural set. The away jersey remains with a blue base, an odd choice considering many teams in the league have blue home jerseys.
In Detroit, the Guardians made one of the most unnecessary tweaks, changing the blue lettering on their road jersey to green. This is despite the fact that green appears nowhere else in their branding. The reasoning for this was that their new ownership “likes the color green”. Alright then.
Speaking of random color changes, the Montreal Barons decided to match the flag of Montreal more, by removing the blue from their brand entirely, now being red and white only. Everything stays the same otherwise.
The new champion Montreal Greys continued the trend of random tweaks, by making the top of their socks grey instead of black.
One of the more exciting brand changes came from Nassau County, where the Scouts changed their jersey design for the first time ever. No longer an orange base, they now wear navy at home, with a new striping pattern incorporating orange and the yellow. The away is a color swap, with a yellow base. They also ever so slightly changed their logo, lengthening the left leg of the N.
In New York, the Blue Birds unveiled a new set as well, similar to their old with the chest stripe, but new in terms of the actual stripes themselves. They also added an yoke to both their jerseys, and switched the cream color back to white, as it was originally.
Toronto updated their logo for the first time, simply adding an outline to their T. They also removed some stripes from their home jersey, and actually used their logo on a jersey for the first time. The “Toronto” script is no more.
Lastly, the Washington Bats apparently decided to copy Toronto, as they also added an outline to their logo. Their jersey set stays the same otherwise.
- NoE38
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Re: Metropolitan Hockey League: 1935 Offseason
1935 MHL Offseason: On the Ice
Notable Retirements:
Thaddeus Morgan - W (MTB 1920-34)
Montreal’s long-time captain, all-time leader in games played, and the current skater record holder for games played with one franchise, Morgan was one of the league’s more underrated players during his career. As of the end of the 1934-35 season, he ranks 5th all-time in games played, 7th in goals, and 5th in points. Once the league has a hall of fame, he’ll be in as a founding member.
Joseph Ocking - C (PIT 1920-27, NWK 1928-29, TOR 1929-33)
Ocking is another surefire hall of famer in the future. He is currently the only MHL player to have over 300 career goals, with his total of 324. He also had the points record for a while, but was passed a couple seasons ago. Despite never winning an Abbott Cup, he was highly regarded for his all-around game, and while he was putting up points, was also renowned for his defensive play. A true legend of the early days of the league.
John Young - C (NYB 1920-24, TOR 1924-34)
Young was a consistently good player his entire career. While he was never the best of the best, he was always a reliable scorer for both New York and Toronto. He technically won an Abbott Cup with both teams, but didn’t play a single game in either postseason. Nevertheless, he still had a very solid career, finishing at over half a point per game, impressive considering the low scoring seasons.
Grant Meeks - D (BRK 1920-25, MTB 1925-32, MTG 1932-34)
For a defenseman, Meeks was a solid goalscorer. his 154 career goals are in the top 5 for MHL blueliners. He unfortunately never won an Abbott Cup, with each of his teams winning the trophy within 3 years of his leaving. Overall, while he was never the best defenseman in the league, he still had a heck of a career.
John Lavigne - D (OTT 1921-24/1927-32, NYB 1924-26, PHI 1932-34)
Lavigne was more of a defensive defenseman, but was still a solid offensive contributor as well. He was less consistent than Meeks, but had a higher peak, being considered the league’s #1 defenseman for a couple of seasons of his career. He also won 2 Abbott Cups, one with New York and one with Ottawa.
Transactions:
Boston:
Brooklyn:Outs:
Richard Parent - G (PHI)
Arthur Bachynski - D (FA)
Paul Reimer - D (FA)
Ins:
Bernard Simard - D (QUE)
Alberto Esposito - G (LDN)
Francis Taylor - W (QUE)
Jesse Currie - C (Rookie)
Re-Signings:
David Covington - C
David Gagnon - G
Bob Murray - W
Boston definitely upgraded in the offseason. Bernard Simard was one of Quebec’s best defenseman, and now he’ll have the chance to be a true #1 for the Harpers. As well, Alberto Esposito, who helped London to their finals run this past year, will be the new guy in goal, hoping to build on his potential. Elite centre David Covington was also re-signed to a nice 6-year deal.
Chicago:Outs:
Walter MacMillan - C (FA)
Andrew Williams - G (FA)
Gregory McNeilly - C (FA)
Ins:
Allan Henderson - D (QUE)
Daniel Gallimore - G (QUE)
Wallace Harper - C (Rookie)
Re-Signings:
Walter Tieide - W
Donald Hayes - C
It wasn’t a huge offseason for the Kings, but they did make some moves. Longtime goalie Andrew Williams had struggled in recent years, and he was replaced with Quebec’s Daniel Gallimore, who at 21 years old, has all the potential in the world. Allen Henderson was also taken from Quebec to be a solid veteran option on the blueline.
Detroit:Outs:
Bruno Munnis - W (FA)
Ins:
None
Re-Signings:
Michel Bergeron - W
It was a very slow offseason for the Wildcats. They added no free agents or rookies, and only re-signed a singular player. Michel Bergeron tallied 38 points in 49 games in 1934-35, and was given a rather cheap deal. Chicago will look to run it back with virtually the same squad that lost in round 1 last year.
Montreal Barons:Outs:
Jack Walker - C (FA)
Ins:
Simon Peters - C (LDN)
Bartholomew Long - W (QUE)
Will Breton - C (LDN)
Re-Signings:
Michael Fraser - W
Alex Marshall - D
Donald Jones - D
If any team improved drastically this offseason, it was Detroit. First, they made the surprising decision to not re-sign Jack Walker, who had been with the team since their first season, and was a fixture for their offense. Instead, they locked up two core pieces in Michael Fraser and Alex Marshall, both still in their early/mid 20s. They also signed three of the most coveted players on the market, in London’s Simon Peters and Will Breton, and Quebec’s Bartholomew Long. With all this, playoffs are a must for them.
Montreal Greys:Outs:
Vincent Shaw - W (FA)
Ins:
None
Re-Signings:
Earl Cyr - W
Cornelius Watman - W
The Barons didn’t get up to much in the offseason, other than a couple of re-signings. Earl Cyr has grown into a sniper, and while he’s not a top-liner at this stage, he can certainly become one. Cornelius Watman didn’t play much in 1934-35, and wasn’t expected to be retained, but clearly Montreal sees something in him. He’ll look to get back to playing regularly this year.
Nassau:Outs:
William Smith - C (to NAS)
Arthur Simpson - C (FA)
Chris Clark - W (FA)
Donald MacMillan - C (FA)
Dan Clark - W (FA)
Ins:
George Powell - D (LDN)
Michel Pelletier - D (from NAS)
Rodney Tebow - C (from NAS)
Gerald Milne - D (from NAS)
Henry MacDonald - W (from NAS)
Harold Henderson - W (from NAS)
Re-Signings:
Nicholas Nathans - W
Montreal was a part of the single most shocking trade in MHL history over the offseason. William Smith, fresh off of his 3rd scoring title in 4 years, as well as his 3rd Abbott Cup, was unbelievably traded to Nassau, in exchange for a crazy haul. The Greys acquired 2 Top 4 defenseman in Michel Pelletier and Gerald Milne, a #1C in Rodney Tebow, and two wingers in Henry MacDonald and Harold Henderson, the latter whom has a Hackatt Trophy of his own.
Even aside from that, the Greys signed George Powell from London, who was a top pairing blueliner for them. While losing a player like Smith hurts, a haul like this is still amazing, and the Greys should be back in contention for 1935-36.
New York:Outs:
Michel Pelletier - D (to MTG)
Rodney Tebow - C (to MTG)
Gerald Milne - D (to MTG)
Henry MacDonald - W (to MTG)
Harold Henderson - W (to MTG)
Stephen Keenan - W (FA)
Daniel Robertson - W (FA)
Ins:
William Smith - C (from MTG)
Lennie Triplett - W (LDN)
Mathieu Lafleur - D (QUE)
Philip Brown - W (NYB)
Jean Dufour - D (Rookie)
Svein Pettersen - W (Rookie)
Re-Signings:
Mike Whitlow - G
Paul Brooks - W
Noble Dixon - C
The Scouts definitely made a splash in acquiring the reigning MVP in William Smith, but analysts believed that the players they gave up were a little much. Nassau gave up 2 top four defenseman, a #1C, and two promising wingers, one of whom has a Hackatt Trophy as MVP. Nassau still made some good moves, such as signing playoff star Lennie Triplett, veteran defenseman Mathieu Lafleur, and former Blue Bird Philip Brown. To fill out their roster, they signed two rookie, Norwegian-born Svein Pettersen and Quebec City’s very own Jean Dufour.
Philadelphia:Outs:
Philip Brown - W (NAS)
Ins:
Jack Lilly - W (LDN)
James Whaley - C (QUE)
Leon Wright - C (Rookie)
Re-Signings:
Russell Clarke - D
Chris Batesoff - W
New York didn’t have a crazy offseason like other teams, but still made some good moves. Jack Lilly is the reigning goalscoring leader, and will be their go-to guy for goals now, especially with great playmaker James Whaley joining the fold too. Russell Clarke is heir to the #1 defenseman throne, and is locked up long-term too.
Toronto:Outs:
Junior Judges - W (FA)
Lawrence Turner - G (FA)
Ins:
William Bilodeau - C (QUE)
Lionel Hansen - W (QUE)
Richard Parent - G (BOS)
Re-Signings:
Clarence Leonard - C
James Cash - D
Alain Boudreau - W
Philadelphia’s main piece this offseason was William Bilodeau, who never quite put it together in Quebec. The Minutemen are banking on him finding his potential and being their backbone. To help him, they also signed Lionel Hansen from Quebec, who could help him adjust. Lastly, they made a change in goal, releasing original goalie Lawrence Turner and replacing him with Boston’s Richard Parent, who got pushed out of the goalie logjam in Beantown.
Washington:Outs:
Francois Girard - D (FA)
Ins:
Matthew Daubney - W (LDN)
Matthew Young - C (QUE)
Edmund Haley - W (QUE)
Irvine Webster - W (QUE)
Re-Signings:
Claude Brown - W
Toronto’s big event in the offseason was the mutual release of Francois Girard, who had been with the team since 1922. No player other than him has played over 500 games with the Lakers, and he played 673. As for new players, Matthew Daubney and Matthew Young are the big ones, who should both play crucial offensive roles.
Top 10 Re-Signings/Free Agent Signings/Traded Players:Outs:
Philip Lawley - W (FA)
Donald Thompson - W (FA)
Ins:
Calvin Benn - D (LDN)
Reginald Hoffley - C (Rookie)
Re-Signings:
Stewart MacNeil - D
Nevell Johnson - C
Ed Lacroix - C
Wystan Zenn - W
Washington hasn’t been the most exciting destination during their time in the MHL, but they were able to grab a decent pull in Calvin Benn from London. Benn was the Locomotives’ main blueliner, and is only 23. He should be the backbone of the Bats as they attempt to gain momentum out of the basement. Keep an eye on Ed Lacroix too, as he could be poised for a breakout year.
1935-36 MHL Preseason:
Commissioner Richard Holland made the tough move of slimming down the league’s schedule in 1934-35 for hopes that 1935-36 could see more games, and it paid off. The league would be expanding to a record 64 game season for this upcoming year. As well, the league expanded roster size from 17 to 18, giving teams the chance to add one extra player. This was especially helpful considering there was an abundance of free agents available with London and Quebec not participating.
As for the playoffs, the format and number of teams was to remain the same. With only 11 teams, more than half the league would qualify for the first time ever.
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