Changing the Game: A History of NHL Expansion - Softcover

Laroche, Stephen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1770410791 ISBN 13: 9781770410794

Publisher: ECW Press, 2014

Synopsis

Changing the Game: A History of NHL Expansion celebrates an often-overlooked aspect of hockey history. The book provides comprehensive coverage of the NHL's spread across the North American market in the 1920s along with the memorable expansions that began in 1967.

Relive some great and painful moments from the debut seasons of forgotten teams such as the Montreal Maroons and California Seals along with fan favorites like the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. Every first-year NHL roster is covered and nearly 100 players share their memories of playing for hard-luck clubs.

About this title

About the Author

Stephen Laroche is a long-time hockey enthusiast and has a deep appreciation for the history of the sport. He is also the co-author of Got 'Em, Got 'Em, Need 'Em -- A Fan's Guide to Collecting the Top 100 Sports Cards of All Time. He lives in Belleville, Ontario.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Changing the Game

A History of NHL Expansion

By Stephen Laroche

ECW PRESS

Copyright © 2014 Stephen Laroche
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-77041-079-4

CHAPTER 1

THE ORIGINAL EXPANSION ERA

* * *

Many fans know that the National Hockey League began play in the 1917 — 18 season, but few realize that the league was created as a way for a group of previously established National Hockey Association teams to cleanly break away from Eddie Livingstone, the troublemaking owner of the Toronto Blueshirts. Because the other clubs could not, according to the National Hockey Association's constitution, vote him out, they did the next best thing.

The Ottawa Senators, Quebec Athletics (otherwise known as the Bulldogs) and two teams from Montreal — the Canadiens and the Wanderers — got together to form their own loop, effectively leaving Livingstone in a league by himself and causing years of headaches for both sides. The Bulldogs were unable to drum up enough capital for the first season and their players were loaned to the other clubs. However, the NHL also decided to sell a temporary franchise to the Toronto Arena Company, enticing many Blueshirts players to jump ship. Unofficially called the Arenas, the team went on to capture the Stanley Cup in its first season and became a permanent fixture after the 1918 — 19 campaign before eventually changing its name to the St. Patricks.

The NHL's inaugural season also saw its first franchise fold after the Montreal Arena burned down on January 2, 1918. Before and after the fire, the Wanderers asked for reinforcements from the other teams, yet none were sent their way. The team lasted just four games before the blaze. Their next two contests were forfeited and the roster players were cut loose to other clubs.

After some delay, Quebec finally came into the league in 1919–20. They were an absolute disaster despite the presence of prolific scoring legend Joe Malone, who won a scoring championship. With a 4–20 record, they were at the bottom of the standings. The league showed some pity for them and took the franchise back. It was a smart move, as the team became the Hamilton Tigers and prevented Livingstone's rumoured new league from putting down roots in the Steel City. The Tigers were not exactly competitive for most of their existence, but there was certainly community support for them.

In the early 1920s, the NHL was still stuck in eastern Canada, but an enterprising promoter named Thomas Duggan helped change the league's fortunes by purchasing options for future franchises based in the United States. He had a hand in building the Mount Royal Arena, where the Canadiens played for a brief period and eventually sold the franchises to Charles Adams of Boston and Bill Dwyer of New York. The Boston sale was fraught with controversy, and in subsequent years long lawsuits followed. Although attentive hockey historians are aware of his contributions to the game, he never received recognition from the Hockey Hall of Fame. He died in 1930 and is almost forgotten today.

Sensing an opportunity for growth, the NHL chose to add two clubs for the 1924–25 season, and with one of them finally entered the American market. The Boston Bruins had a harsh first season, but proved a hit with local crowds and within five years saw great success. The other new club was a second team in Montreal. They tried to get the rights to revive the nickname "Wanderers" but were turned down and began play without a name. When the press and fans started calling them the Maroons, inspired by the colour of their sweaters, the name stuck. By their second season, they were Stanley

Edition details

• Publisher: ECW Press
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1770410791
• ISBN 13: 9781770410794
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 417