1939 MHL Offseason: Off the Ice

1938-39 Award Winners unveiled

The Hackatt Trophy Winner for the 1938-39 season was Chicago’s Trevor Alrick. He, along with Brooklyn’s James Whaley, broke the MHL record for assists in a season, with 59. He also tied Martin Valley’s points record from the season before, getting 82, albeit in 2 more games than Valley. Overall, it was a great season from Alrick, who is also a great defensive forward. 



As well, the MHL also announced their all-star teams for the year. Jeffrey Stephen and Moses Addison both maintained their first-team spots, while Calvin Thomas and Guy Topolinski (making the team for the third straight year) did the same for the second-team. Philadelphia (Walter Potts), Chicago (Trevor Alrick), Brooklyn (Richard Gravel), and Boston (Joseph Lévèsque) all got their inaugural first-team players this season.



5 Branding changes in the offseason

Five teams made updates to their jerseys over the course of the offseason, while one of those teams made an official logo change.

First, the Chicago Wildcats went for uniformity across their set by making their away a true inverse of their home. The shoulder stripes are removed, and everything else matches the home.

Montreal HC, once again trying to draw in more interest into their club, replaced their short-lived MHC logo with a full diagonal text reading “MONTREAL”. This replaced the MHC logo in official use, not just in use as the jersey crest. 

In one of the most minor changes in MHL history, the Philadelphia Minutemen’s manufacturer moved to new thread colors for navy and red, resulting in a darker navy and a brighter red. It is hard to notice from afar and really isn’t noticeable at all up close either, but a change is a change.

The Toronto Lakers probably had the most noticeable change of any team, moving to a new home jersey design. The overall structure is relatively the same, with arm, chest, and hem stripes, but the stripes themselves are a brand-new design. 

Lastly, the Washington Bats added a second W to their jersey, on each player’s right sleeve.

ItDoesntMatter wrote:

I gotta say, they don't usually get much in the way of comments but I for one love these tiny tweaks that teams make; it makes the whole series feel a lot more realistic and grounded, plus it's just fun to see these changes that no team would bother making nowadays. philly especially is fantastic lmao. also shoutout diagonal wordmarks, it's about time we got one of those up in here

Thanks! It's a fun thing I'm trying to do for, like you said, realism. Teams just did stuff like that back then.

1939 MHL Offseason: On the ice

Notable Retirements:
(note: because of the deletion of the original file, some statistics and dates may be wrong or incomplete)

Claude Brown - C/W (NWK 1927, DET 1928, STL 1929-31, NAS 1932, TOR 1933-38)
The Hackatt Trophy winner as league MVP in 1932-33, Brown was a great player in his prime. It may not have been as long as some of the other stars, and he was a real journeyman to start his career off, but he still led the league in points twice and goals once, to go along with the aforementioned MVP. Likely not a Hall of Famer, but one that old heads will remember fondly.

François “Frank” Renaud - D (HAM, MTB, BRK)
Currently the all-time leader in GP in MHL history, Renaud was a defensive stalwart that won the Abbott Cup with both Montreal and Brooklyn, and will be a hall-of-famer. The stats don’t say much about his game, but what his peers say do. Chicago legend Dan Vanderbeken is quoted as calling Renaud “The most ferocious and competitive man to ever skate on ice”. He was relentlessly physical but clean, and is what every coach tells a defenseman to aspire to be.

Jeff Apps - C (HAM, BOS)
A Boston legend, Apps led the Harpers in goals, assists, and points twice, and was a consistent secondary scorer even in the latter half of his career. He helped the Harpers win their only Abbott Cup to date, and was their captain for the past 6 seasons. Absolutely beloved by the Boston faithful, Apps is sure to continue with a role in the organization, whatever that may be.

Derrick Dorvilus - D (SYR, OTT, MTB, MHC)
Dorvilus was a defender who struggled early in his career with Syracuse before blossoming into an amazing talent in Ottawa, helping them win the Abbott Cup before their unfortunate demise. He then went to Montreal, where he helped them win the Abbott Cup as well. A very dependable blueliner with a bullet shot that he rarely used. He ended his career crossing the bridge to Montreal HC helping as a veteran. 

Jean Fortin (COR 1924-25, MTB 1926-38)
Fortin was a fan favourite in Montreal, for being their Francophone star through the late 20s and early 30s. Along with Robert Courbouche, he formed a great offensive duo that made defenders tremble in their wake. Fortin also captained the Barons after Courbouche’s retirement, and immediately after announcing his retirement, the Barons announced he was hired as team governor.

Boston:

Ins:
Peter Perderko - C (FA, last with NYB)
Tony Stevens - C (Rookie)
Eli Teprospect - W (Rookie)
Patrick Patterson - W (Rookie)
David Edwards - C (Acquired from NAS)

Outs:
Carl Ball - W (FA)
Basket Parker - D (FA)

Re-Signings:
David Michaud - W
Jon Young - D
Thomas Marshall - W
Lucien Bernard - G

The Harpers need to cut 7 players before the season starts, so they have a lot of decisions to make. They had no major signings or losses, their biggest addition being Peter Perderko, who played in the minor leagues last season, now being given a second chance in the MHL. He’ll likely be a bottom-line player. Their biggest re-signing was David Michaud, who was a great secondary scorer for them last season.

Ins:
Peter Urban - C (Acquired from CHI)
François Dubois - G (Rookie)

Outs:
Frank Girard - C (FA)
Samuel Belmont - W (FA)
Henri Couture - W (CHI)
Ronald Wiebe - G (FA)

Re-Signings:
Randall Thomas - G
Richard Gravel - W
Robert Turner - W
Frank MacNeil - D

The Kings did what needed to be done over the offseason, re-signing absolute key parts of their team in Randall Thomas and Richard Gravel. Thomas backstopped them to their 3rd Abbott Cup, while Gravel had 44 goals in 63 games. Peter Urban was acquired as a depth scorer, while 24-year-old François Dubois will get his first taste of MHL action as the backup to Thomas. Longtime player Frank Girard will be missed, but he wasn’t able to keep up with the fast play of the MHL anymore.

Ins:
Jean-François Larocque - C (Rookie)
Walter Potts - W (Acquired from PHI)
Henri Couture - W (Acquired from BRK)
Thomas Jones - D (Rookie)
Colin Clarke - W (Rookie)
Thom Moore - D (Rookie)

Outs:
Sean Doherty - C (FA)
John Mateas - C (FA)
Peter Urban - C (BRK)
Guy Demers - D (PHI)

Re-Signings:
Trevor Alrick - C
Gerald Lindham - G
Lawrence Tabor - D
Christopher Taylor - D
Andrew Reid - D

The Wildcats made a big trade in the offseason, acquiring first-team all-star Walter Potts in exchange for rookie Guy Demers. It was a confusing move for Philly, and Chicago was good to take advantage of his availability. He’s projected to be a third-liner in Chicago, but a guy as good as that on the third line is never a bad thing. No rookies are projected to be stars, but almost all of them should be good depth from day 1. Can’t look over Chicago extending reigning MVP Trevor Alrick either. They should be in contention for the Abbott Cup once again.

Ins:
William Smith - C (Acquired from MHC)
Jim Wood - W (Rookie)
Robert Mungar - D (Rookie)

Outs:
Simon Peters - C (TOR)
Bentley Doull - W (TOR)
Adam Wilkinson - D (MHC)

Re-Signings:
Harry Reid - C
Michael Nee - D
Louis Pierre - G
Stephan Wagner - W
Neil Carr - W

It was a weird offseason in Detroit, but a good one. Acquiring superstar William Smith from Montreal wasn’t expected at all, but the movement of his contract helped make MHC’s finances easier to deal with. Going the other way was Adam Wilkinson, a good second-pair defenseman. In addition to the re-signings of Harry Reid and Michael Nee, rookie Jim Wood is expected to have a large offensive role and could be a welcome addition with his top-tier hockey IQ.

Ins:
Mark Quinn - W (Rookie)
John Rogers - D (Rookie)
Hugo Savant - D (Rookie)
François Pelletier - C (Rookie)
Murray Chartrand - G (NYB)

Outs:
David Gagnon - G (FA)

Re-Signings:
Harold Sutton - W
Serge Godin - W
Michel Parent - W
William MacKay - D
James Marshall - W

Wasn’t much of an offseason for the Barons, who had a lot of needs. All of their rookies are expected to play in bottom-line roles, but the good news is that everyone that needed to be re-signed was re-signed. Among those is young winger Serge Godin, who looks primed for a breakout season after scoring 24 goals last year.

Ins:
Adam Wilkinson - D (Acquired from DET)
Bob Charles - D (Rookie)
James Tontodonati - C (Rookie)
Viktor Velkroslav - D (Rookie)
Carl Buck - D (Rookie)

Outs:
William Smith - C (DET)
Olivier Lacasse - W (Retired)
Nicholas Reid - D (FA)
Derrick Dorvilus - D (Retired)

Re-Signings:
Frank Martin - C
Michael Carstens - D
Anthony Wilson - W
Vincent Haley - C
Lawrence Painden - W
Walt Frasier - D
Gilbert Markle - G
Paul Boyle - W
Daniel Castle - D

Montreal HC was in a tough position heading into the season, needing to re-sign a bunch of players. They managed to get all the players they wanted, but in the process, they realized that they were unable to pay the contract of star centre William Smith. Instead of moving other players out, they decided to trade Smith to Detroit for the much cheaper contract of defenseman Adam Wilkinson. While Wilkinson is not a bad player, a 2nd/3rd-pairing defenseman for their star player did not make their fans happy, and they’re starting to wonder if two pro teams in the city will be feasible in the future.

Ins:
Marcel Mardner - C (Rookie)
Nevell Cooper - W (Rookie)
Éric Atte - C (Rookie)
Victor Hawk - D (Acquired from TOR)
Brent McInnis - D (Rookie)
Ferdy Bridge - W (Acquired from BOS)

Outs:
David Edwards - C (BOS)
Randy Dixon W (TOR)

Re-Signings:
Jeffrey Stephen - D
Anthony Gordon - W
Mathieu Lafleur - D
Martin Rousseau - W

Nassau without question signed the best rookie class of the offseason. Marcel Mardner projects to be their 1C in his rookie year, while Éric Atte is projected to be the 2C. Winger Nevell Cooper also is showing a lot of promise with one of the hardest shots in the league. Topping that with the re-signing of Jeffrey Stephen, arguably the best defenseman in the league, it’s easy to say the Scouts are an offseason winner.

Ins:
Sydney Harbour - W (Rookie)
Harold Bishop - W (Rookie)
Henri Bernier - D (Rookie)

Outs:
Arthur Haley - W (FA)
Perry Johnson - W (FA)
Edward Bryner - W (FA)
Lewis Lawley - W (FA)
Mathieu Leger - D (FA)
John Richer - D (WSH)
Murray Chartrand - G (MTB)

Re-Signings:
Neil McInnis - D
Simon Comeau - W

The Birds did a big purge of unwanted players in the offseason, getting rid of 7 regulars from their 1938-39 team. In return, they only signed 3 rookies, giving them a couple extra spots to potentially sign a free agent during the season. Sydney Harbour and Harold Bishop aren’t expected to be too impactful early in their careers, but the hope is that they can grow into being dependable two-way forwards. Neil McInnis and Simon Comeau were both re-signed, and McInnis in particular will be their defensive anchor, and he’s their guy for at least the next 5 years.

Ins:
Bill Henderson - C (Acquired from RCH)
Basile Chiasson - D (Acquired from RCH)
Peter Patrick - W (Rookie)
John Wiggins - W (Rookie)
Patrick Robinson - W (Rookie)
Guy Demers - D (Acquired from CHI)

Outs:
Walter Potts - W (CHI)
Alex Paul - W (FA)
Joe Hart - D (FA)
Don Judges - G (RCH)

Re-Signings:
Ivan Cremot - D

Philly had an interesting offseason, trading away star winger Walter Potts to Chicago for promising rookie defenseman Guy Demers. It was a head-scratching move, since Potts was a first-team all-star in 1938-39. They did make a good move though, trading backup goalie Don Judges to Rochester for two young players, C Bill Henderson and D Basile Chiasson. The Minutemen will look a little different heading into 1939-40.

Ins:
Don Judges - G (Acquired from PHI)
Craig Williams - C (Rookie)
Michel Côté - W (Rookie)
George White - D (WSH)

Outs:
Bill Henderson - C (PHI)
Basile Chiasson - D (PHI)

Re-Signings:
Fergus Satter - D
Barry Chandler - G
Daniel Wilson - C
Christophe Gervais - W
Lynn Currie - W

Rochester had a good offseason, signing the biggest contract in Fergus Satter’s new deal. Satter has been the league’s premier offensive defenseman, and had 40 points last season when no other defenseman had even 30. They also re-signed G Barry Chandler to a new deal, and weirdly acquired Philly’s Don Judges, who can easily be a starter on his own but won’t be one with the better and younger Chandler in front.

Ins:
André Boucher - D (Rookie)
Barry Mayne - D (DET)
Randy Dixon - W (Acquired from NAS)
Bentley Doull - W (DET)
Simon Peters - C (DET)
Barry Wallace - W (Rookie)
Paul Barnes - D (Rookie)

Outs:
Victor Hawk - D (NAS)

Re-Signings:
Patrick Stone - C
Gordon Morrison - W
Tim Guy - W
Gordon Dubé - D
François Longpre - W
Matthew Daubney - W
Oswald Walter - D

Toronto had a busy offseason in terms of additions, getting a mix of rookies and seasoned vets. Most notable is probably Simon Peters, a longtime Detroit Guardian that will be a good mentor for the young players. Of their rookies, the most notable is André Boucher, who despite not being too hyped before being signed, was a player the Toronto staff was convinced would be a star. Only time will tell whether that’s true. Patrick Stone was also re-signed, and he’ll look to be the player all the offense flows through.

Ins:
John Richer - D (NYB)
Alain Fortier - W (Rookie)
Joe Bell - G (Rookie)
Étienne Richard - W (Rookie)

Outs:
Lewis Alexander - W (FA)
George White - D (RCH)
Thyge Hedeland - G (Retired)
Tony Branghi - G (FA)

Re-Signings:
Martin Valley - C
Michael Hunter - W
David Jones - C

Martin Valley is obviously staying in Washington. Staying with him is Michael Hunter, who is looking to be their main winger heading into this season. The signing of John Richer will help with defensive depth, which is their biggest need. Not the biggest offseason from the Bats, but they definitely didn’t get worse. 

1939-40 MHL Season: First Half

The theme of the start of this MHL season was that scoring was UP. A bunch of league records and firsts are projected to happen because of this uptick, but we will see if that continues in the second half of the season.

Leading the West division at the halfway point for the second straight year were the Philadelphia Minutemen. After falling back and ceding the #1 seed to Chicago last season, they’re determined to not let that happen again, and get that first-round bye. Their goalie, Richard Parent, is having an unbelievable season so far, on track to get the goaltending triple crown, leading in wins, GAA, and save percentage. Philly is also an insane 14-3 on the road, on track for an MHL record in road wins. Philly sits at 22-9-2 at the half.

Second in the West are the reigning conference champs, the Chicago Wildcats. They aren’t too far behind Philly, and are looking to overtake them once again. Their defense has been among the best in the league, but the offense has not been as good. In an attempt to help, the Wildcats acquired Rochester C Stanley Brand and a couple defenders in exchange for the underperforming Daniel Dyck. Claude Kepkay is having one of his best seasons, with a save percentage over 0.920. The Wildcats are right behind Philly, at 20-8-3.

Holding the final playoff spot at the half were the Rochester Blues, looking to make their first postseason appearance since their move from Quebec. 20 of their first 32 games have been road games, and yet they’re still at 0.500 and in a position, which bodes well for the second half of the year. In net, Barry Chandler has been quite good, sitting top 5 in GAA and save percentage. The Blues control their own fate, at they sit at 15-15-2.

In fourth are the Toronto Lakers, who have the league’s #1 offense at the halfway point, and a good goal differential, but are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs. The offense has been amazing, scoring over 4 goals per game, but they had a very slow start as a team, and are climbing out of that hole. They only won 7 of their first 23 games, but are making up ground on Rochester. First-line centre Patrick Stone is leading the league in assists and points, and it on track to break the all-time records for both those categories. Toronto sits at 14-17-2.

In fifth are the Washington Bats, who were hoping for a better start after making their first playoff appearance in 1938-39. The offense has been alright, but the defense, as almost always with Washington, has been their downfall. The almost 4 goals per game they give up is most in the league, and goaltending hasn’t been helping with the defensive issues. They’re definitely still in the mix, but a much better second half would be needed.

At the bottom of the West are the Detroit Guardians, who decided one Abbott Cup was enough for a few years. Ever since their triumph in 1938, they’ve gone back to being absolutely dreadful, especially against fellow Western teams. The Guardians are actually above 0.500 against the East, but have won just 5 of 21 games against Western teams. They do have starpower though, with David Pelletier and Carl Brown both in the top 5 in goals, and Brown also having the second-most points in the league. Detroit sits at 11-17-3.

In the East, the Brooklyn Kings are still looking like the Kings. They had an insane start, winning 12 of their first 14 games. They’ve cooled off since then, but are still way ahead of the other Eastern teams. Richard Gravel has been on a tear, with 34 goals in the first 32 games. Barring something catastrophic, he should become the first player since the league’s first season in 1920-21 to score 50 goals, and he looks on track to shatter the record of 53. Brooklyn sits at 21-9-2.

Second in the East are the Nassau Scouts, who are starting to build around a new core of players, along with some of their old stars. Rookies Marcel Mardner and Éric Atte have both fit in impressively, and both have over 25 points at the halfway mark. Leading the way though has been Mark Adams, on track to score 50 goals. G Mike Whitlow has also turned back the clock, posting great numbers to help the Scouts be one of the league’s best defensive teams. Nassau sits at 16-14-1.

In third are the Boston Harpers, who absolutely do not deserve to be sitting in a playoff spot. The bottom 4 Eastern teams have all been quite bad in the first half, and Boston is the best of the worst in this case. No player is having a notable season, and they’ve tied more road games than they’ve won. It’s looking like a weak team is going to squeak into the playoffs, and Boston is hoping they can be that team. The Harpers sit at 11-16-5 at the half.

The Montreal Hockey Club had a very poor start, and despite being a lot better recently, they’re still outside the playoffs in a weak division. They do have the most goals of the Eastern non-playoff teams, but have given up the most goals in the entire league at 134. Gilbert Markle has had his hands full, and an 0.895 SV% is quite respectable considering the circumstances. MHC sits at 13-20-1.

In 5th are the New York Blue Birds, who despite having a team below them, are probably the worst-performing team in the whole league at the half. Their goal differential of -31 is 13 lower than the next-closest team. Somehow, they’re above 0.500 at home, but only 4 road wins at the half is a tough hole to climb out of. Moses Addison, at 41 years old, is still putting up decent numbers, and his SV% is actually above 0.900 despite this. Jack Lilly is the only skater of note this year, with 33 points in 32 games. New York sits at 12-19-1.

At the bottom of the East and the league are the Montreal Barons. Looking only at goals scored and goals allowed, it really doesn’t look like they should be as bad at the record shows, but they’ve won only 1 of their last 10 games. None of their players are at or above a point per game, Frank Pangos is starting to be past his prime in goal, and there just doesn’t seem to be any sense of direction for the club. Fans are starting to grow impatient with ownership, and an unsatisfactory second half could put them over the edge. Montreal sits at 10-18-4.



League leaders (so far)

I’m so happy to see this back! Even if the Blue Birds continue to be the Blue Birds, LOL. At least we aren’t the Montreal Hockey Club, who I have a funny feeling will either fold or relocate this offseason.

Anyway, I guess I’ll root for Rochester in the playoffs. Here’s hoping it’s a good one! And will there be an All-Star game for the MHL in the near future? I admittedly don’t expect such a thing until after World War II at the earliest, but you never know.

1940 MHL Playoffs

First Round

(W2) Rochester Blues (34-27-2) vs (W3) Chicago Wildcats (32-27-5)

The Rochester Ice Centre was the loudest it had ever been as the Blues took to the ice. It was their first playoff game in Rochester, and they were hoping to make the experience a memorable one for their fans. In their way were the Chicago Wildcats, looking to spoil the party with their playoff experience.

The first period was very fast-paced, as the two teams traded opportunities. Chicago had a great early chance, getting 3 shots off in a scramble, but Rochester’s Barry Chandler made quick work of all 3 of them, keeping it scoreless. Rochester had an amazing chance of their own, with Chicago’s Claude Kepkay sliding out of position and the puck lying in the crease, but Wildcats defenseman Tim Beaudin did an incredible job holding strong, blocking a shot with his stick, and clearing the puck out. Rochester should have scored, but after 20, it was still a scoreless tie.

Play opened up in the second. 5 minutes into the middle frame, Henry Baumgartner opened the scoring with a rebound goal that went through Chandler’s legs. 8 minutes later, Baumgartner double-dipped with a beautiful shot that rang off the post and in. The arena was silenced and Chicago was looking good. Roderic Racine scored another rebound goal less than 90 seconds later, and the lead was daunting. Rochester would quickly respond to the third goal, with Lorne Knight, not a noted goalscorer, beat Kepkay with a beautiful shot into the top right corner. It was still looking like all Chicago after 3, as they led 3-1.

Disaster struck for Chicago about halfway through the third, with Henry Baumgartner receiving a 5-minute major for a late hit on Rochester defenseman Marcel Sems. Early on the ensuing man advantage, Mark Lewandowski scored to cut the deficit to two, and Former Wildcat Daniel Dyck tied the game, shooting through a maze of bodies in front. The arena had come to life, as Rochester had overcome a 3-goal deficit. The remainder of the period saw the typical slower-paced play in games that go to overtime, and there wouldn’t be a winner in regulation.

Chicago had more chances in overtime, getting shots just to test Chandler. They had reached 40 shots total by the 5-minute mark, Off a chance that had Chandler lying down in front, but he managed to find the loose puck and cover it. Rochester got a chance too, and hit the post, so close to winning it. The winning goal came with 3 minutes to play in the first overtime period, with a simple blueline pass from Jean-François Larocque to 21-year-old defenseman Daniel Saunders, whose simple shot on net beat Chandler. Chicago celebrated, breaking Rochester’s hearts after they turned a 3-0 scoreline to 3-3.

(E2) Boston Harpers (29-28-7) vs (E3) Nassau Scouts (29-32-3)

Storrow Arena was packed to the rafters, with Boston fans hoping for a repeat of the previous year’s Eastern Round 1 matchup, where the Harpers defeated the Nassau Scouts to advance to the Eastern Final. Nassau on the other hand, had been in the league for 16 years, without a single postseason round victory. They were hoping to break that drought.

While play was even in the first, one team finished all their chances while the other couldn’t. 4 minutes in, Boston’s William Robinson scored on a rebound to give the home team an early 1-0 lead. After a while without much activity, Harpers rookie Neil Stevens scored on an odd-man rush to double the lead. The Harpers got a power play soon after, and they converted, courtesy of Joseph Levesque. Nassau started to lose composure and drew a bit of a scrum, but that only ignited Boston further. Melvin Graham scored with 48 seconds to play, and after another fight, Jack Roy made it 5-0 with 9 seconds to play. The shots were 10-10 after 1, but Boston had an almost unsurmountable 5 goal lead.

Boston did not stop the offense in the second, with Robert Bass joining in on the action 6:30 in to make it 6-0. Nassau seemed shell-shocked, because at that point they were actually outshooting the Harpers. Eventually, just past the halfway mark of the period, Nevell Cooper beat Alberto Esposito with a shot from distance, and the Scouts were on the board, just down by 5. Less than a minute after that, Walt Fraser scored to make it 6-2. It was still very clearly Boston’s to lose, but some fans got a little anxious. Tensions would flare again late with a bad hit by Jon Young, but there would be no further scoring. Barring an all-time collapse, Boston was heading to the Eastern Final.

In the third, Nassau’s strategy was all offense, but it backfired as it lead to a lot of defensive breakdowns, giving the Harpers a lot of shots to make the lead even larger. Boston would end up getting 18 shots in the final frame, only one of which beat Mike Whitlow, a shot from Jack Roy that ended up being his second goal of the game. The Scouts were unable to solve Esposito in the third, as Boston cruised to an easy 7-2 victory and a date with the Brooklyn Kings in the Eastern Final.



Semifinals

(W1) Philadelphia Minutemen (38-22-4) vs (W3) Chicago Wildcats (32-27-5)

In a rematch of the previous year’s Western Final, the Philadelphia Minutemen and Chicago Wildcats faced off once again. This time, it was Philadelphia that had home-ice advantage to start, and they were looking to take advantage. 

The Minutemen got the party started early, with Alphonse Boudreau knocking home a loose puck just over a minute into Game 1. Boudreau had a breakaway as well early, but couldn’t score. He’d get his chance halfway through the period though, potting a rebound to make it 2-0. Yves Lang joined in on the party soon after, and the home side was buzzing. Chicago didn’t get much going, as the Philly defense did a good job stifling them. Philly led 3-0 after 1, outshooting Chicago 15-5.
The second period was more even, but was also more uneventful. Chicago thought they had scored to get on the board, but it was waved off due to being hit in with a high stick. Aside from that, there was no further action, and the scoreline remained the same after 40.

Early in the third, Harold Beauchamp had a great chance to make it 4-0, but his shot was saved. Unfortunately for Chicago, Kepkay didn’t get all of it, and Lang was right there to easily push the loose puck in and score his second of the game. Echoing the theme of the game, Clarence Leonard scored his first of the postseason with 5 minutes to play, off a loose puck in front. 4 of Philly’s 5 goals ended up being off these loose pucks and rebounds, as they handily took Game 1 5-0.

In Chicago for Game 2, the home crowd was hoping they’d at least be able to see a goal. However, it seemed like more of the same to start, with Philly vastly outshooting Chicago. The Wildcats did get a good look of a shot from the blueline, but Richard Parent stood his ground, having not given up a single playoff goal yet. Kepkay did his job well too, saving all 17 shots he faced from Philly in the opening frame. Philly had put up 59 shots on him in the series’ first 80 minutes.

In the second, Trevor Alrick finally got Chicago’s first goal of the series, with a shot deflecting off his stick, then skate, past Parent. The Minutemen responded quickly, with Alphonse Boudreau’s 3rd of the postseason beating Kepkay. Philly started pressing hard after that goal, but it was a late Chicago powerplay that broke the deadlock. Roderick Racine just decided to shoot the puck from the blueline, and it beat Parent cleanly. Heading into the final frame, Chicago led 2-1.

The third period was Chicago’s best of the playoffs to that point, limiting the relentless shooting that Philadelphia had used to victimize them. Daniel Saunders had a good look to double Chicago’s lead, but Parent made a very nice glove save to keep his team in it. Chicago would get another powerplay late in the game, and Alrick would capitalize, scoring his second of the game to make it 3-1 with 3 minutes to play. The Wildcats held on, and this series would go to a deciding 3rd game.

The 3rd game ended up being one of the most absurd, insane, and unexpected games in MHL history. It was the kind of games players on both teams had to sit back and take in after it had happened.

Chicago took an early lead on a power play, 4 minutes in courtesy of Marcel Girard. On another power play soon after, rookie Tim Beaudin cashed in, and the Wildcats had a 2-0 lead. Then, not even two minutes later, Henry Baumgartner stole a puck in the offensive zone and beat Parent to make it 3-0 not even halfway through the period. Philly would counter though, with Lionel Hansen getting them on the board with a power play goal at the 9-minute mark, Harold Beauchamp getting them within 1 with 5 minutes to play, and Ivan Cremot tying it up with 90 seconds to play. In the first period alone, Chicago had taken and blown a 3-goal lead.

The scoring didn’t stop in the second, with Henri Couture having a shot deflect off him and in to give Chicago the lead back, then William Robinson tying it back up with a nice play down low. 30 seconds after that, Patrick Quinn gave Chicago their 3rd separate lead of the goal, before Yves Lang tied it once again. After almost 5 minutes without a goal, Cremot’s 2nd of the game gave Philadelphia their first lead. James Cash lasered one past Kepkay to make it 7-5 for Philly. Alex Klassen got Chicago within 1 with 3 minutes to play in the frame, but a shorthanded rush by Philly with a minute to go resulted in an Yves Lang shorthanded goal, and the Minutemen took an 8-6 lead into the final frame. Every third shot had gone in.

Peter Patrick gave the Minutemen their largest lead of the game 4 minutes into the third, off of a breakaway after a steal. Interestingly, the third period had the most shots of any period, but compared to the 14 combined goals from the first two periods, it felt like nothing was happening. Philly was completely fine holding on to a 3-goal lead, but Chicago did make it nervy. Stanley Brand scored with two minutes to play, and it was 9-7. Chicago would get a power play soon after, and off a defensive breakdown, Henri Couture made it a 1-goal game with a minute to play. It was almost a tie game with 45 seconds to play, as Alrick almost banked in a shot off of Parent and in, but it never fully crossed the goal line. Then, with 30 seconds to play, Alrick got Parent out of position, had the puck on his backhand, but it went across the line and out, never crossing again. Time ran out, and the most absurd game in MHL history had finished. Philadelphia won 9-8, advancing to their first ever Abbott Cup Final.

(E1) Brooklyn Kings (35-26-3) vs (E2) Boston Harpers (29-28-7)

It was a second rematch from the previous year in the East, with Brooklyn once again hosting the Boston Harpers to start the Eastern Final. Boston was looking for revenge, while the Kings were looking to show why they were still the Kings of the MHL.

The first game started as one would expect, with Brooklyn taking the lead 10 minutes in, with Francois Demers opening the scoring on a nice move. The lead would double with 3 minutes left, with David Michaud finishing a nice team play. Brooklyn only had 4 shots in the frame, but finished on two of them. Boston didn’t test Randall Thomas much, and didn’t beat him in the opening frame.

The Harpers got a couple of power plays in the second period, and they converted on those. Peter Perderko got them on the board first, then Eli Teprospect got tied the game with 7:39 to play in the middle frame. The period overall was much more frantic, and Boston goalie Alberto Esposito in particular did very well. With shots coming in from every angle, he didn’t let anything get past, leading to some groans from the crowd near the end of the period when Brooklyn couldn’t take the lead again. It was a big bounceback from his poor first period.

Just 53 seconds into the third, Robert Bass gave Boston their first lead of the game, and Brooklyn had to lock in. On their second powerplay of the game, James Whaley, normally a playmaker, beat Esposito with a lightning strike, one that had the fans oohing and aahing. Unfortunately for those fans, Bass spoiled their party when he unleashed a lightning strike of his own, one that went in and out so quickly some players didn’t realize a goal had been scored. Boston took the lead with 8:35 to play, and didn’t give it up. In a shock Game 1, the Harpers were heading home a win away from the Final.

The Kings were determined to not go down easily. Peter Urban scored just 2:46 into the game to give the visitors an early lead, and 43 seconds after that, Robert Gravel, who had tied for the league lead in goals, scored his first of the postseason to make it 2-0. Robert Bass, who was proving to be a thorn in Brooklyn’s side, beat Thomas through the legs to get Boston on the board. Just like Brooklyn had earlier, Boston struck twice quickly. Matthew Graham fooled Thomas with a disgusting move and scored, tying the game up to the delight of the boisterous Boston crowd. After 1, the teams were deadlocked at 2.

Perderko almost gave Boston the lead off a solo rush early in the second, but Thomas stood tall and kept it deadlocked. While there were plenty of shots to go around in the middle frame, they were mostly all low-danger opportunities, and the two goalies handled those pretty easily. The teams came into the second period deadlocked, and they remained deadlocked after 40 minutes of play.

Boston broke the deadlock 7 minutes into the third, with a shot from Joseph Levesque deflected off Brooklyn’s Peter Urban and in. They needed to hold on for 13 minutes to claim the game and the series, but Melvin Stjelylai ruined the party, scoring his first of the postseason, tying the game up once again. Richard Gravel would give the Kings less than a minute later, as he seemed to be finding his scoring goal. Immediately after the goal Brooklyn’s Bill Johnson and Boston’s Anthony Sapnick dropped the gloves on the faceoff, with Sapnick taking home the victory and igniting the crowd. There were some more scrums for the remainder of the game, with the Harpers trying to goad Brooklyn into taking penalties. This was unsuccessful, and the Kings took Game 2 on the road to force a decisive Game 3.

The Kings had been outplayed shot-wise in the first periods of Games 1 and 2, but in Game 3, their first-period defense was stellar. Boston had no chances of value, while the Kings got some great looks on Esposito. However, he stood tall in the Boston net, saving all that came at him. It was a very tense opening frame overall, and the icebreaker was still yet to be scored when the buzzer sounded 20 minutes in.

Bill Johnson, who had lost the big fight in Game 2, got his revenge on the scoresheet, by scoring the Kings’ opening goal, giving them the lead with 9 minutes to play in the second period. He seemingly intentionally skated near Sapnick after the goal, who was not amused. Michael Clarke doubled Brooklyn’s lead late in the frame, and everything was looking good for the Kings as they headed into the final frame.

An early Kings power play in the third saw Richard Scott score his first of the postseason, making it 3-0. Boston pushed furiously for a goal to get them back in it, but Randall Thomas seemed absolutely locked in, and didn’t seem like anything would get past him. During a break in play, Johnson appeared to go after Sapnick and challenge him to another fight, but referees stepped in before anything could happen. Robert Turner made it 4-0 Brooklyn with 9 to play, and that effectively sealed the deal. Boston, despite doubling their shot total in the third period alone, couldn’t score, and Thomas picked up the shutout, helping the Kings advance to their second consecutive Abbott Cup Final, and 3rd in 4 years.



Abbott Cup Final Preview:

(W1) Philadelphia Minutemen vs (E1) Brooklyn Kings
Previous Meeting: 1937 Semi-Final
Result: Brooklyn 2-0 Philadelphia
Series Record: Brooklyn 1-0 Philadelphia

It’s really only because of the number of teams that Philadelphia is in the West, because they’ve played Brooklyn in the playoffs before, and the two teams do have a history being somewhat close to each other. It’s also a potential series showcasing a passing of the torch, with the reigning champs facing off against the #1 seed with a ton of young talent.

Philadelphia won 3 of the 4 regular season meetings, winning 4-2, 3-0, and 3-2. Philadelphia’s win was a 5-4 victory. In terms of how they match up, Brooklyn is the better offensive team, while Philly is the better defensive team. The Kings have plenty of experience on the biggest stage, while the Minutemen are making their debut Finals appearance. If the lights aren’t too bright for Philly, they should be able to take home their first ever championship. 

My Pick: Philadelphia shows that they’re the new top dog of the MHL, handily sweeping the Kings, 4-0.