1923–24 Montreal Canadiens season

1923–24 Montreal Canadiens
1923–24 Montreal Canadiens
Stanley Cup champions
League	2nd NHL
1923–24 record	13–11–0
Goals for	59
Goals against	48
Team information
General manager	Leo Dandurand
Coach	Leo Dandurand
Captain	Sprague Cleghorn
Arena	Mount Royal Arena
Team leaders
Goals	Bill Boucher (16)
Assists	Bill Boucher (6)
Points	Bill Boucher (22)
Penalty minutes	Sprague Cleghorn (85)
Wins	Georges Vezina (13)
Goals against average	Georges Vezina (2.0)
	← 1922–23 1924–25 →

The 1923–24 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 15th season and seventh as a member of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Canadiens once again returned to the playoffs and won their second Stanley Cup, defeating the Calgary Tigers.

Regular season

This season was the rookie season of new star Howie Morenz. Placed on a line with Bill Boucher and Aurel Joliat, the Canadiens had an offensive line to terrorize the league. All three player were top 10 scorers, Boucher with 16, Joliat with 15 and Morenz with 13. The threesome scored 44 of Montreal's total of 59 goals in 24 games.

December was mild in Montreal and the situation forced the postponement of several games at the Mount Royal Arena. The Canadiens played their first three games on the road before opening at home on December 29, defeating Toronto 3–0.

The NHL held a mid-season meeting on January 26 to consider suspending Sprague Cleghorn. Ottawa claimed he was deliberately injuring opponents, citing a spearing incident against Cy Denneny. The league rejected the charges, and in a game against Ottawa shortly thereafter, Cleghorn charged Lionel Hitchman into the boards and earned a one-game suspension.

After the mild month of December, the winter was snowy. On February 20, the train from Ottawa carrying the Senators was snow-bound partway to Montreal. The Senators' Cy Denneny while out looking for food, fell down a well, but escaped without injury. The game took place the next day.

It was a defensive era in the NHL. The Canadiens scored only 59 goals in 24 games, giving up 48. Georges Vezina led the league in goals against average of 2.0 per game. All four team's starting goalies had GAA under 4. Bill Boucher led the Canadiens in offence, scoring 16 goals.

Final standings

National Hockey League
	GP	W	L	Pts	GF	GA
Ottawa Senators	24	16	8	32	74	54
Montreal Canadiens	24	13	11	26	59	48
Toronto St. Patricks	24	10	14	20	59	85
Hamilton Tigers	24	9	15	18	63	68

^[1] Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Record vs. opponents

1923–24 NHL records ^[2]
Team	HAM	MTL	OTT	TOR
Hamilton	—	2–6	2–6	4–4
Montreal	6–2	—	3–5	4–4
Ottawa	6–2	5–3	—	6–2
Toronto	4–4	4–4	2–6	—

Schedule and results

Regular season results
No.	R	Date	Score	Opponent	Record
1	L	December 15, 1923	1–2	@ Toronto St. Patricks (1923–24)	0–1–0
2	W	December 19, 1923	3–1	@ Hamilton Tigers (1923–24)	1–1–0
3	L	December 26, 1923	2–3	@ Ottawa Senators (1923–24)	1–2–0
4	W	December 29, 1923	3–0	Toronto St. Patricks (1923–24)	2–2–0
5	L	January 2, 1924	0–4	@ Hamilton Tigers (1923–24)	2–3–0
6	W	January 5, 1924	5–1	Hamilton Tigers (1923–24)	3–3–0
7	L	January 9, 1924	1–2	@ Ottawa Senators (1923–24)	3–4–0
8	L	January 12, 1924	3–5	@ Toronto St. Patricks (1923–24)	3–5–0
9	W	January 16, 1924	2–1	Ottawa Senators (1923–24)	4–5–0
10	L	January 19, 1924	0–2	Toronto St. Patricks (1923–24)	4–6–0
11	L	January 21, 1924	2–3	Ottawa Senators (1923–24)	4–7–0
12	L	January 23, 1924	1–4	@ Hamilton Tigers (1923–24)	4–8–0
13	L	January 26, 1924	1–2	@ Toronto St. Patricks (1923–24)	4–9–0
14	W	January 30, 1924	5–2	Hamilton Tigers (1923–24)	5–9–0
15	W	February 2, 1924	1–0	Ottawa Senators (1923–24)	6–9–0
16	L	February 6, 1924	0–4	@ Ottawa Senators (1923–24)	6–10–0
17	W	February 9, 1924	5–3	Toronto St. Patricks (1923–24)	7–10–0
18	W	February 13, 1924	3–2	@ Hamilton Tigers (1923–24)	8–10–0
19	W	February 16, 1924	2–1	Hamilton Tigers (1923–24)	9–10–0
20	W	February 21, 1924	3–0	Ottawa Senators (1923–24)	10–10–0
21	L	February 23, 1924	0–1	@ Ottawa Senators (1923–24)	10–11–0
22	W	February 27, 1924	6–1	Toronto St. Patricks (1923–24)	11–11–0
23	W	March 1, 1924	4–1	@ Toronto St. Patricks (1923–24)	12–11–0
24	W	March 5, 1924	6–3	Hamilton Tigers (1923–24)	13–11–0

Playoffs

The Montreal Canadiens defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Ottawa Senators 5–2 in a two-game total-goals series. Out west, the PCHA second place Vancouver Maroons defeated the first place team (Seattle Metropolitans) also. Meanwhile, in the Western Canada Hockey League, the Calgary Tigers won the regular season and the playoffs. The Canadiens owner, Leo Dandurand, wanted Calgary and Vancouver to face off against each other and then have the Canadiens play the winner for the Stanley Cup. Frank Patrick, the president of the PCHA, refused to go along with that idea.

NHL Championship

All dates 1924

Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators

Date	Team	Score	Team	Score	Notes
March 8	Montreal Canadiens	1	Ottawa Senators	0
March 11	Montreal Canadiens	4	Ottawa Senators	2

Montreal wins two game total goal series 5 goals to 2 to win the Prince of Wales Trophy.

Stanley Cup playoffs

Semi-finals

Since Leo Dandurand's request to have Vancouver and Calgary face off first was denied, the first round match-up was the Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Maroons. This didn't dissuade Montreal at all as the Canadiens swept the best of three series two games to none.

Vancouver Maroons vs. Montreal Canadiens

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
March 18	Vancouver Maroons	2	Montreal Canadiens	3
March 20	Vancouver Maroons	1	Montreal Canadiens	2

Montreal wins best-of-three two games to none

Finals

After sweeping Vancouver, Montreal's next opponent was the Calgary Tigers. Montreal swept them too in a best of three series. Howie Morenz was the star, scoring a hat trick in the first game, then another goal in the next game, which was transferred to Ottawa because of the slushy ice at Mount Royal Arena. Morenz was levelled by Cully Wilson of Calgary and suffered a chipped collarbone, but it was all in vain as Montreal won. The Canadiens swept all three teams they faced during the playoffs en route to their first Stanley Cup since their 1916 Cup win as a member of the NHA.

Calgary Tigers vs. Montreal Canadiens

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
March 22	Calgary Tigers	1	Montreal Canadiens	6
March 25	Calgary Tigers	0	Montreal Canadiens	3	in Ottawa

Montreal wins best-of-three two games to none for the Stanley Cup

Awards

O'Brien Cup – NHL champion
Stanley Cup – Stanley Cup playoff champion

Source:

Mouton, Claude (1987). The Montreal Canadiens. Key Porter Books. p. 155.

References

Coleman, Charles L. (1966). The Trail of the Stanley Cup, vol. 1 1893–1926 inc. National Hockey League. pp. 441–464.

^ Standings: NHL Public Relations Department (2008). Dave McCarthy; et al. (eds.). THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Official Guide & Record Book/2009. National Hockey League. p. 145. ISBN 978-1-894801-14-0.
^ "All-Time NHL Results". NHL.com. Retrieved August 25, 2023.

v t e Montreal Canadiens
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v t e Montreal Canadiens seasons
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2020s	2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
Highlighted seasons indicate Stanley Cup championship

v t e 1923–24 NHL season
NHL	Hamilton Montreal Ottawa Toronto
See also	Stanley Cup Finals Transactions