The 1941–42 NHL season was the 25th season of the National Hockey League. Seven teams played 48 games each. The Toronto Maple Leafs would win the Stanley Cup defeating the Detroit Red Wings winning four straight after losing the first three in a best-of-seven series, a feat only repeated to date three times in NHL history (1975, 2010, 2014) and once in Major League Baseball (2004). However the 41-42 Leafs were the only ones to achieve the feat in a championship final series.
League business
This season was the last season for the Brooklyn Americans who had changed their name from the New York Americans in an attempt to build a civic relationship with those from the Flatbush area of New York.
Due to World War II travel restrictions on adults, the NHL demanded more junior-aged players who were free of the travel restrictions. NHL president Frank Calder reported there was a general agreement with the amateur leagues that a junior-aged player should be able to determine his own financial future due to the war.
Regular season
The Americans started the season without Harvey "Busher" Jackson who refused to sign. He was then sold to Boston. But the Amerks had two positive notes: two defencemen, Tommy Anderson and Pat Egan, were now All-Star calibre. That did not prevent them from finishing last, though. On December 9, 1941, the Chicago Black Hawks-Boston Bruins game would be delayed for over a half-hour as United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared that the United States was at war.
Frank Patrick suffered a heart attack and had to sell his interest in the Montreal Canadiens, and the Habs almost had to move to Cleveland. But Tommy Gorman kept the team alive. They added Emile "Butch" Bouchard to start his great career on defence and another very good player, Buddy O'Connor, at centre. Montreal had goaltending problems as Bert Gardiner slumped, and rookie Paul Bibeault replaced him. He showed flashes of brilliance, but his inexperience showed. Joe Benoit starred with 20 goals, the first Canadien to do that since 1938–39, when Toe Blake did it.
The New York Rangers had a new goaltender as Sugar Jim Henry replaced the retired Dave Kerr. Henry was one of the reasons the Rangers finished first, something they would not again do for the next 50 years.
Final standings
Record vs. opponents
Playoffs
Playoff bracket
Quarterfinals
(3) Boston Bruins vs. (4) Chicago Black Hawks
(5) Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) Montreal Canadiens
Semifinals
(1) New York Rangers vs. (2) Toronto Maple Leafs
(3) Boston Bruins vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings
Stanley Cup Finals
Awards
Player statistics
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes
Source: NHL
Leading goaltenders
Note: GP = Games played; Mins – Minutes Played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts
Coaches
Boston Bruins: Art Ross
Brooklyn Americans: Red Dutton
Chicago Black Hawks: Paul Thompson
Detroit Red Wings: Jack Adams
Montreal Canadiens: Dick Irvin
New York Rangers: Frank Boucher
Toronto Maple Leafs: Hap Day
Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1941–42 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs): Kenny Mosdell, Brooklyn Americans Harry Watson, Brooklyn Americans Bill Mosienko, Chicago Black Hawks Adam Brown, Detroit Red Wings Buddy O'Connor, Montreal Canadiens James Haggarty, Montreal Canadiens Emile "Butch" Bouchard, Montreal Canadiens Grant Warwick, New York Rangers Jim Henry, New York Rangers Bob Goldham, Toronto Maple Leafs Gaye Stewart*, Toronto Maple Leafs
Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1941–42 (listed with their last team): Eddie Wiseman, Boston Bruins Tommy Anderson, Brooklyn Americans Art Coulter, New York Rangers Pete Langelle, Toronto Maple Leafs