WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.859 I want you to imagine, just for a second, lacing 00:00:02.859 --> 00:00:06.099 up your skates to play professional sports right 00:00:06.099 --> 00:00:08.259 at the absolute height of the Great Depression. 00:00:08.439 --> 00:00:11.080 Yeah, you are definitely not flying on chartered 00:00:11.080 --> 00:00:14.039 jets. No, definitely not. You're not sleeping 00:00:14.039 --> 00:00:17.120 in five -star hotels, and you certainly aren't 00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:19.660 signing multi -million dollar endorsement deals. 00:00:19.780 --> 00:00:22.940 You are playing an incredibly brutal, physically 00:00:22.940 --> 00:00:26.500 demanding game, and absolute financial survival 00:00:26.500 --> 00:00:30.899 means your team might... you know, have to sell 00:00:30.899 --> 00:00:34.460 off its very best players just to pay for a train 00:00:34.460 --> 00:00:36.920 ticket to the next city. It's a completely different 00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:39.119 universe from the sports landscape we know today. 00:00:39.259 --> 00:00:41.789 Exactly. We are talking about an era where pure, 00:00:41.990 --> 00:00:44.689 unadulterated desperation led to some of the 00:00:44.689 --> 00:00:46.630 most game -changing innovations the sport has 00:00:46.630 --> 00:00:49.429 ever seen. You have franchises literally teetering 00:00:49.429 --> 00:00:51.869 on the brink of total financial collapse on a 00:00:51.869 --> 00:00:54.770 daily basis. Every single decision. From blockbuster 00:00:54.770 --> 00:00:57.149 trains to ticket sales. Right, to the very rules 00:00:57.149 --> 00:00:59.710 governing the ice. It's all driven by the urgent, 00:00:59.829 --> 00:01:02.890 localized need to simply exist for one more week. 00:01:03.149 --> 00:01:05.290 And that brings us to the mission of our deep 00:01:05.290 --> 00:01:08.629 dive today. We are exploring the fascinating 00:01:08.629 --> 00:01:13.829 and honestly turbulent 1934 to 1935 NHL season. 00:01:14.069 --> 00:01:17.609 Quite a year. It really is. Our goal is to extract 00:01:17.609 --> 00:01:20.989 the most incredible survival tactics, the bizarre 00:01:20.989 --> 00:01:23.209 new rules that were introduced out of thin air, 00:01:23.329 --> 00:01:26.510 and the legendary, almost mythic playoff runs 00:01:26.510 --> 00:01:30.049 from this highly pivotal 48 -game season. And 00:01:30.049 --> 00:01:32.090 keep in mind, there are only nine teams in the 00:01:32.090 --> 00:01:34.900 entire league at this point. Just nine. While 00:01:34.900 --> 00:01:36.599 this might sound like your standard historical 00:01:36.599 --> 00:01:39.859 sports recap, it's actually a masterclass in 00:01:39.859 --> 00:01:42.079 adaptation and survival under extreme pressure. 00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:45.359 Okay, let's unpack this. To set the stage properly, 00:01:45.500 --> 00:01:47.280 we need to look at the timeline. We're covering 00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:50.439 a season that ran from November 8, 1934 to April 00:01:50.439 --> 00:01:54.209 9, 1935. Right. What is crucial to keep in mind 00:01:54.209 --> 00:01:56.430 for you listening to this deep dive is that this 00:01:56.430 --> 00:01:59.269 isn't just a list of who won and who lost. It 00:01:59.269 --> 00:02:01.390 is about understanding the broader context of 00:02:01.390 --> 00:02:03.549 why the league looked the way it did during a 00:02:03.549 --> 00:02:06.189 massive global financial crisis. Because the 00:02:06.189 --> 00:02:09.270 economics of the 1930s basically dictated almost 00:02:09.270 --> 00:02:11.310 everything that happened in the arenas. Exactly. 00:02:11.569 --> 00:02:15.889 Which brings up the deeply complicated and, well, 00:02:15.949 --> 00:02:19.250 somewhat tragic comic saga of the Ottawa Senators. 00:02:19.889 --> 00:02:22.870 Due to extreme financial difficulties, the Ottawa 00:02:22.870 --> 00:02:25.930 franchise had to pack up and relocate entirely. 00:02:26.449 --> 00:02:28.210 Yeah, they moved all the way down to Missouri 00:02:28.210 --> 00:02:30.889 and became the St. Louis Eagles. Ottawa did manage 00:02:30.889 --> 00:02:33.229 to keep a senior amateur team, but the professional 00:02:33.229 --> 00:02:36.139 NHL franchise was gone. heading to the American 00:02:36.139 --> 00:02:38.860 Midwest. And this is where the geographical logistics 00:02:38.860 --> 00:02:41.919 become completely absurd and, frankly, a massive 00:02:41.919 --> 00:02:44.020 financial trap for the franchise. Because of 00:02:44.020 --> 00:02:46.520 the divisions? Precisely. Despite moving all 00:02:46.520 --> 00:02:48.580 the way down to St. Louis, Missouri, the Eagles 00:02:48.580 --> 00:02:50.900 remain stuck in the Canadian division of the 00:02:50.900 --> 00:02:54.560 NHL. Wow. The league divisions were rigidly set, 00:02:54.719 --> 00:02:57.599 and restructuring the entire league was a luxury 00:02:57.599 --> 00:03:00.360 the NHL couldn't afford at the time. I was looking 00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:02.900 at the travel schedules for that year, and the 00:03:02.900 --> 00:03:05.710 logistics just seem impossible. How did a team 00:03:05.710 --> 00:03:08.150 in Missouri afford to regularly play in Montreal 00:03:08.150 --> 00:03:10.449 and Toronto during a depression? They couldn't, 00:03:10.449 --> 00:03:12.530 ultimately. You have to remember what travel 00:03:12.530 --> 00:03:17.069 actually meant in the 1930s. It meant long, grueling, 00:03:17.069 --> 00:03:20.270 freezing train rides. Not exactly comfortable. 00:03:20.490 --> 00:03:23.009 Not at all. We're talking about multi -day journeys 00:03:23.009 --> 00:03:26.009 just to play a hockey game. The players are carrying 00:03:26.009 --> 00:03:29.330 their own heavy wool gear, sleeping in cramped 00:03:29.330 --> 00:03:31.530 rail cars. Eating whatever they could find at 00:03:31.530 --> 00:03:34.090 train stations. Exactly. And then they're expecting... 00:03:34.120 --> 00:03:37.939 to play a highly physical sport. The sheer cost 00:03:37.939 --> 00:03:40.300 of those rail tickets from dragging a team from 00:03:40.300 --> 00:03:43.080 Missouri up to Canada on a regular basis completely 00:03:43.080 --> 00:03:46.580 crippled the newly formed Eagles financially. 00:03:47.419 --> 00:03:49.780 So they tried to escape their financial problems 00:03:49.780 --> 00:03:52.620 by moving to a new market. But the inflexible 00:03:52.620 --> 00:03:54.560 league structure essentially guaranteed they 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:56.680 would bleed money faster than before. It was 00:03:56.680 --> 00:03:59.080 a structural trap. And that trap led to some 00:03:59.080 --> 00:04:02.379 jaw -dropping desperation moves. To literally 00:04:02.379 --> 00:04:04.879 make ends meet, the St. Louis Eagles had to treat 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:06.900 their roster like a liquid asset. Yeah, they 00:04:06.900 --> 00:04:09.620 did. They sold their captain, Sid Howe, and Ralph 00:04:09.620 --> 00:04:12.120 Scottie Bowman to the Detroit Red Wings for $50 00:04:12.120 --> 00:04:15.539 ,000. Just incredible. They just sold elite talent. 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:19.100 for straight cash to keep the lights on. And 00:04:19.100 --> 00:04:20.860 they weren't the only ones making massive business 00:04:20.860 --> 00:04:23.699 shifts. Up in Montreal, the Canadiens' owners, 00:04:23.980 --> 00:04:27.100 Leo Dandurand and Joseph Kataranich, sold the 00:04:27.100 --> 00:04:29.889 team. Right, to Ernest Savard and Maurice Forget 00:04:29.889 --> 00:04:32.250 of the Canadian Arena Company. It was a season 00:04:32.250 --> 00:04:34.930 defined by executives shuffling the deck in a 00:04:34.930 --> 00:04:36.889 panic. If we connect this to the bigger picture, 00:04:37.089 --> 00:04:40.490 this highlights how macroeconomic crises force 00:04:40.490 --> 00:04:43.129 fundamental changes in behavior. When the global 00:04:43.129 --> 00:04:46.189 economy collapses, businesses lose the luxury 00:04:46.189 --> 00:04:48.750 of long -term strategic building. Yeah, modern 00:04:48.750 --> 00:04:51.490 fans are used to teams initiating a rebuild over 00:04:51.490 --> 00:04:54.490 five years. Right, but in 1934, there was no 00:04:54.490 --> 00:04:57.370 five -year plan. You liquidate your best... assets 00:04:57.370 --> 00:05:01.009 for $50 ,000 today simply so your remaining players 00:05:01.009 --> 00:05:03.050 can afford to play tomorrow. While the owners 00:05:03.050 --> 00:05:04.850 were desperately shuffling money off the ice, 00:05:05.009 --> 00:05:07.529 the need for survival actually changed the rules 00:05:07.529 --> 00:05:10.250 of the game itself. It did. The league desperately 00:05:10.250 --> 00:05:12.269 needed to boost gate receipts, they needed more 00:05:12.269 --> 00:05:15.310 excitement, and they needed goals. So this season 00:05:15.310 --> 00:05:18.850 introduced a brand new, highly anticipated innovation. 00:05:19.750 --> 00:05:22.800 The penalty shot. Now, this was originally an 00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:24.839 invention borrowed from the old Pacific Coast 00:05:24.839 --> 00:05:27.939 Hockey Association. The PCHA. Right, the PCHA, 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:30.699 which was a rival league known for its wild, 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:33.920 crowd -pleasing innovations. But when the NHL 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:36.439 brought the penalty shot in this year, the mechanics 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:39.620 were entirely different from the fluid, breakaway 00:05:39.620 --> 00:05:42.560 spectacles we see today. How exactly did it work 00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:45.660 back then? The mechanics were incredibly rigid, 00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:49.139 almost theatrical, resembling a formalized duel 00:05:49.139 --> 00:05:51.959 rather than a hockey play. The puck was placed 00:05:51.959 --> 00:05:54.600 in a 10 -foot painted circle that was exactly 00:05:54.600 --> 00:05:58.980 38 feet from the goal mouth. 38 feet. Okay. player 00:05:58.980 --> 00:06:01.339 taking the shot had two options. They could either 00:06:01.339 --> 00:06:04.439 shoot while standing completely stationary within 00:06:04.439 --> 00:06:06.660 that circle, or they could shoot while moving. 00:06:06.800 --> 00:06:09.100 But there's a catch, right? A huge catch. Regardless 00:06:09.100 --> 00:06:12.319 of their momentum, the shot absolutely had to 00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:14.980 be released from within that specific 10 -foot 00:06:14.980 --> 00:06:17.220 circle. So if the shooter is confined to this 00:06:17.220 --> 00:06:20.759 incredibly specific geometry, 38 feet away, what 00:06:20.759 --> 00:06:22.839 on earth was the goalie doing during all of this? 00:06:23.209 --> 00:06:25.149 The goaltender was essentially handcuffed by 00:06:25.149 --> 00:06:27.569 the rulebook. They had to remain completely stationary 00:06:27.569 --> 00:06:30.389 until the puck was actually shot. Wow. Furthermore, 00:06:30.709 --> 00:06:33.509 they were positioned no more than one foot in 00:06:33.509 --> 00:06:35.269 front of the goal mouth. So they couldn't cut 00:06:35.269 --> 00:06:37.149 down the angle at all? Not at all. They were 00:06:37.149 --> 00:06:40.209 basically glued to the goal line, unable to skate 00:06:40.209 --> 00:06:43.490 out, challenge the angle, or use any of the dynamic 00:06:43.490 --> 00:06:46.189 positioning modern goalies rely on. They just 00:06:46.189 --> 00:06:48.810 had to stand there and wait for a shot from exactly 00:06:48.810 --> 00:06:53.139 38 feet away. It's such a bizarre visual. The 00:06:53.139 --> 00:06:56.139 historical firsts for this are fascinating. Definitely. 00:06:56.399 --> 00:07:00.600 The very first penalty shot in NHL history was 00:07:00.600 --> 00:07:03.459 awarded to Armand Mondieu of the Montreal Canadiens 00:07:03.459 --> 00:07:08.060 on November 10th, 1934. He stepped up to that 00:07:08.060 --> 00:07:11.120 38 -foot mark, but he was stopped by the Toronto 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:13.399 Maple Leafs legendary goalie George Hainsworth. 00:07:13.519 --> 00:07:16.360 But the poetic irony comes just three days later. 00:07:16.620 --> 00:07:19.199 Right. November 13th. when the first penalty 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:21.259 shot goal in NHL history was finally scored. 00:07:21.379 --> 00:07:23.779 And the player who scored it was Scotty Bowman. 00:07:23.860 --> 00:07:27.120 The exact same Scotty Bowman who had just been 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:29.500 sold for cash by the struggling St. Louis Eagles 00:07:29.500 --> 00:07:31.899 to the Detroit Red Wings. It's a brilliant piece 00:07:31.899 --> 00:07:34.079 of historical symmetry. It really is. He goes 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:37.449 from being a liquidated asset to... immortalizing 00:07:37.449 --> 00:07:39.550 himself in the NHL record books within the span 00:07:39.550 --> 00:07:42.069 of the same turbulent season. The aesthetics 00:07:42.069 --> 00:07:44.170 of the game were evolving right alongside these 00:07:44.170 --> 00:07:48.610 new rules, too. This 1934 -75 season is really 00:07:48.610 --> 00:07:50.829 when the modern concept of having a distinct 00:07:50.829 --> 00:07:53.730 home -and -away jersey started to gain traction 00:07:53.730 --> 00:07:56.610 across the league. Yes. Detroit introduced a 00:07:56.610 --> 00:07:59.170 white version of their uniform, swapping out 00:07:59.170 --> 00:08:01.870 their traditional red elements to contrast better 00:08:01.870 --> 00:08:04.389 with opponents. And Chicago went even further. 00:08:04.779 --> 00:08:07.660 introducing a completely new design. They used 00:08:07.660 --> 00:08:10.240 a white stripe and white socks to differentiate 00:08:10.240 --> 00:08:12.839 one version of their uniform, and they used a 00:08:12.839 --> 00:08:14.800 brown aesthetic for the other version. It's a 00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:17.160 subtle but vital step in the professionalization 00:08:17.160 --> 00:08:19.620 of the league. You have the New York Americans 00:08:19.620 --> 00:08:22.720 and the Toronto Maple Leafs also utilizing two 00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:25.220 sets of uniforms to avoid on -ice confusion. 00:08:25.660 --> 00:08:28.420 But not everyone, right? No. Meanwhile, Boston, 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:31.240 the Canadians, the Maroons, the Rangers, and 00:08:31.240 --> 00:08:34.210 the St. Louis Eagles were all still tough. it 00:08:34.210 --> 00:08:36.889 out with just a single uniform design for every 00:08:36.889 --> 00:08:39.629 game, regardless of who they were playing or 00:08:39.629 --> 00:08:41.690 where they were traveling. Even the physical 00:08:41.690 --> 00:08:43.309 buildings they played in were seeing corporate 00:08:43.309 --> 00:08:47.169 shifts. The Boston Madison Square Garden, which 00:08:47.169 --> 00:08:49.389 has always been a confusing name, became simply 00:08:49.389 --> 00:08:52.320 known as Boston Garden. Right. After the Madison 00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:55.220 Square Garden Corporation sold its ownership 00:08:55.220 --> 00:08:58.100 stake to the Boston Arena Corporation. And our 00:08:58.100 --> 00:09:00.279 relocated St. Louis Eagles took up residence 00:09:00.279 --> 00:09:03.059 in the St. Louis Arena, officially moving out 00:09:03.059 --> 00:09:05.559 of the Ottawa Auditorium. Everything around the 00:09:05.559 --> 00:09:07.980 game was shifting. Everything. But while the 00:09:07.980 --> 00:09:09.940 executives were managing real estate and jersey 00:09:09.940 --> 00:09:12.539 fabrics, the players realized they had their 00:09:12.539 --> 00:09:15.539 own economic battles to fight. Which brings us 00:09:15.539 --> 00:09:18.269 to an incredible contract standoff. with Charlie 00:09:18.269 --> 00:09:20.529 Conacher of the Toronto Maple Leafs. A classic 00:09:20.529 --> 00:09:22.789 high -stakes holdout. Conacher decided to play 00:09:22.789 --> 00:09:24.990 coy this year, refusing to sign his contract. 00:09:25.809 --> 00:09:28.149 Maple Leafs owner Con Smythe was having a terrible 00:09:28.149 --> 00:09:30.590 time getting his star player on the ice. And 00:09:30.590 --> 00:09:33.750 this was a massive crisis for Toronto because 00:09:33.750 --> 00:09:36.669 Conacher's linemate, Hari Jackson, was out with 00:09:36.669 --> 00:09:39.750 an injury. Right. That meant Joe Primo was going 00:09:39.750 --> 00:09:42.570 to be the only active member of Toronto's famous 00:09:42.570 --> 00:09:45.090 kid line. The kid line was the offensive engine 00:09:45.090 --> 00:09:47.730 of the franchise, wasn't it? Absolutely. Primo 00:09:47.730 --> 00:09:50.090 was the playmaker, Jackson was the flashy winger, 00:09:50.190 --> 00:09:52.470 and Conacher was the heavy shooting finisher. 00:09:53.400 --> 00:09:56.299 By holding out while Jackson was injured, the 00:09:56.299 --> 00:09:59.379 leverage Conacher wielded was immense. They really 00:09:59.379 --> 00:10:01.679 needed him. They did. The team was facing the 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:04.120 prospect of starting the season missing two thirds 00:10:04.120 --> 00:10:07.100 of their star offensive production. Conacher 00:10:07.100 --> 00:10:09.940 intimately knew his value to the franchise, especially 00:10:09.940 --> 00:10:12.039 in a gate driven league during a depression. 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:14.720 Fans pay their hard earned money to see stars 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:17.480 score goals. Exactly. If the stars aren't on 00:10:17.480 --> 00:10:20.539 the ice, the seats stay empty. Well, the tactic 00:10:20.539 --> 00:10:23.710 absolutely worked. He secured his deal, and the 00:10:23.710 --> 00:10:25.990 way he responded to the immense pressure of that 00:10:25.990 --> 00:10:28.809 holdout is legendary. He had an unbelievable 00:10:28.809 --> 00:10:31.470 year. He had the best season of his entire career. 00:10:31.629 --> 00:10:34.610 He led the entire league in scoring with 36 goals 00:10:34.610 --> 00:10:38.519 and 57 points in a 48 -game season. Just incredible 00:10:38.519 --> 00:10:41.100 dominant production. But as impactful as that 00:10:41.100 --> 00:10:43.840 contract drama was, here's where it gets really 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:46.820 interesting. The blockbuster trades of the season 00:10:46.820 --> 00:10:50.120 shifted the entire balance of power. We see the 00:10:50.120 --> 00:10:53.279 landscape of the league genuinely tilt with one 00:10:53.279 --> 00:10:56.840 specific monumental transaction. A bombshell 00:10:56.840 --> 00:11:00.269 trade out of Montreal. Howie Morens. Was basically 00:11:00.269 --> 00:11:02.610 hockey royalty. Right. The Babe Ruth of the sport, 00:11:02.789 --> 00:11:05.730 known as the Stratford Streak. He is traded alongside 00:11:05.730 --> 00:11:08.289 Laurence Chabot and Marty Burke to the Chicago 00:11:08.289 --> 00:11:12.389 Blackhawks. In return, the Canadians got Leroy 00:11:12.389 --> 00:11:15.549 Goldsworthy, Roger Jenkins, and Lionel Conacher. 00:11:15.899 --> 00:11:18.200 What's fascinating here is the profound psychological 00:11:18.200 --> 00:11:21.480 and cultural impact of moving a franchise icon 00:11:21.480 --> 00:11:24.860 during an era of intense hardship. Yeah. Morenz 00:11:24.860 --> 00:11:26.500 was the face of the Canadians. Even though he 00:11:26.500 --> 00:11:28.679 was aging and perhaps past his absolute physical 00:11:28.679 --> 00:11:31.759 peak, his presence alone carried an aura. And 00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:34.120 it worked for Chicago. It did. When he arrived 00:11:34.120 --> 00:11:36.220 in Chicago, his skill and leadership were enough 00:11:36.220 --> 00:11:38.379 to help the Blackhawks surge in the standings. 00:11:38.600 --> 00:11:40.700 They finished second in the American division, 00:11:40.919 --> 00:11:42.879 falling short of Boston by just a single point. 00:11:43.230 --> 00:11:45.230 And the Montreal Canadiens, who traded him away, 00:11:45.450 --> 00:11:48.889 faced a massive reckoning. They tried to fix 00:11:48.889 --> 00:11:51.649 their faltering roster by immediately trading 00:11:51.649 --> 00:11:53.970 Lionel Conacher, who they had just acquired in 00:11:53.970 --> 00:11:56.870 the Morens deal. Right. Along with Herb Kane, 00:11:57.129 --> 00:12:00.250 they sent him to the crosstown rival Montreal 00:12:00.250 --> 00:12:04.090 Maroons for Nels Crutchfield. But these cascading 00:12:04.090 --> 00:12:06.470 trades completely failed to improve the team. 00:12:06.690 --> 00:12:09.029 And more importantly, the fan base absolutely 00:12:09.029 --> 00:12:11.789 punished the Canadians for it. They really did. 00:12:12.220 --> 00:12:14.779 They traded away a beloved icon, the team didn't 00:12:14.779 --> 00:12:17.700 get any better, and the fans responded by refusing 00:12:17.700 --> 00:12:20.840 to buy tickets. It is a stark reminder of fan 00:12:20.840 --> 00:12:23.840 loyalty. In a depression, discretionary income 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:26.639 is almost non -existent. Fans were willing to 00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:29.100 spend their sparse pennies to watch Howie Morens 00:12:29.100 --> 00:12:31.379 fly down the ice. They were not willing to spend 00:12:31.379 --> 00:12:33.919 it to watch a struggling, unrecognizable roster. 00:12:34.120 --> 00:12:36.379 No, they weren't. Meanwhile, the other team in 00:12:36.379 --> 00:12:38.960 Montreal, the Maroons, were putting on an absolute 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:41.980 masterclass in quiet, effective management. Tommy 00:12:41.980 --> 00:12:44.080 Gorman was the mastermind there. He bought a 00:12:44.080 --> 00:12:46.120 share of the Montreal Maroons from James Strachan, 00:12:46.179 --> 00:12:48.480 securing his influence over the team's direction. 00:12:48.779 --> 00:12:51.960 And then, Gorman makes a move that defines the 00:12:51.960 --> 00:12:54.480 entire rest of the season. He goes out and picks 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:57.759 up elite goaltender Alex Connell. That single 00:12:57.759 --> 00:13:00.080 acquisition altered the trajectory of the franchise, 00:13:00.539 --> 00:13:03.100 setting the stage for what would become a legendary 00:13:03.100 --> 00:13:06.720 and incredibly grueling playoff run. When we 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:09.559 talk about the playoffs in 1935, we need to understand 00:13:09.559 --> 00:13:13.120 the sheer, unadulterated brutality of the sport 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:15.659 at that time. Let's look at the quarterfinals 00:13:15.659 --> 00:13:18.139 and semifinals. It was a bloodbath. In the Chicago 00:13:18.139 --> 00:13:21.220 versus Montreal Maroons series, the tension was 00:13:21.220 --> 00:13:24.580 palpable. Chicago coach Clem Laughlin openly 00:13:24.580 --> 00:13:27.220 predicted that whoever survived this series would 00:13:27.220 --> 00:13:30.120 likely win the Stanley Cup. Game one was a grinding 00:13:30.120 --> 00:13:33.000 0 -0 tie. And then in game two. And in the overtime 00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:35.259 of game two, you get this incredibly vivid scene. 00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:38.340 Maroons forward Dave Trottier suffers a severe 00:13:38.340 --> 00:13:40.320 cut on the ice and has to retire to the dressing 00:13:40.320 --> 00:13:42.820 room for stitches. To properly contextualize 00:13:42.820 --> 00:13:45.820 this for you, medical protocols in 1935 were 00:13:45.820 --> 00:13:47.960 virtually non -existent. There are no helmets. 00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:50.340 There are no concussion spotters. A cut requiring 00:13:50.340 --> 00:13:53.220 stitches did not mean your night was over. It 00:13:53.220 --> 00:13:55.240 meant a trainer quickly sewed you up with a needle 00:13:55.240 --> 00:13:57.559 and thread in a dusty back room so you wouldn't 00:13:57.559 --> 00:14:00.340 miss your next shift. Trottier had barely arrived 00:14:00.340 --> 00:14:03.039 in the dressing room, still bleeding, before 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:05.820 his teammate, Baldy Northcott, scored the goal 00:14:05.820 --> 00:14:08.440 that won the series for the Maroons. Imagine 00:14:08.440 --> 00:14:11.600 sitting on a wooden training table. Waiting for 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:14.059 a needle and hearing the roar of the Montreal 00:14:14.059 --> 00:14:17.200 Forum erupt because your team just survived to 00:14:17.200 --> 00:14:21.120 advance. It's wild. And that physical toll wasn't 00:14:21.120 --> 00:14:24.379 isolated to one series. Over in the Rangers versus 00:14:24.379 --> 00:14:27.659 Canadians series, Rangers star Bill Cook suffered 00:14:27.659 --> 00:14:30.500 a massive hit. He was, in the parlance of the 00:14:30.500 --> 00:14:33.559 time, knocked goofy by Nels Crutchfield. Knocked 00:14:33.559 --> 00:14:36.600 goofy. That phrase perfectly encapsulates the 00:14:36.600 --> 00:14:39.799 dangerous ethos of the era. He was clearly suffering 00:14:39.799 --> 00:14:42.179 from a significant concussion. Definitely. Yet 00:14:42.179 --> 00:14:44.120 he stayed in the game. He pushed through the 00:14:44.120 --> 00:14:46.519 brain fog and the disorientation and managed 00:14:46.519 --> 00:14:48.460 to score the deciding goal to win the series 00:14:48.460 --> 00:14:51.399 for New York. The margins for victory were razor 00:14:51.399 --> 00:14:53.840 thin, and these players were putting their long 00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:56.620 -term health on the line every single night because 00:14:56.620 --> 00:14:58.899 their livelihoods depended entirely on advancing. 00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:01.730 They absolutely did. Before we reach the grand 00:15:01.730 --> 00:15:04.389 finale of those brutal playoffs, we should touch 00:15:04.389 --> 00:15:07.009 on the titans of the season who were recognized 00:15:07.009 --> 00:15:10.389 with the league's major awards. It is a phenomenal 00:15:10.389 --> 00:15:13.070 cross -section of the different styles defining 00:15:13.070 --> 00:15:15.809 the game. You have Eddie Shore taking home the 00:15:15.809 --> 00:15:18.049 Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player 00:15:18.049 --> 00:15:20.659 for the second time. Well deserved. Very much 00:15:20.659 --> 00:15:24.059 so. Shore was the embodiment of that brutal physical 00:15:24.059 --> 00:15:26.940 force we just described. He was terrifying to 00:15:26.940 --> 00:15:30.360 play against. But on the exact opposite end of 00:15:30.360 --> 00:15:32.139 the spectrum, you have Frank Butcher winning 00:15:32.139 --> 00:15:35.019 the Lady Bing Trophy for excellence in sportsmanship 00:15:35.019 --> 00:15:38.399 for an astonishing seventh and final time. But 00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:41.240 Butcher proved that finesse and gentlemanly play 00:15:41.240 --> 00:15:44.360 could still thrive in a punishing league. Exactly. 00:15:44.600 --> 00:15:46.320 You also have Lauren Shabbat, who was part of 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:48.919 that massive Howie Morenz trade, securing his 00:15:48.919 --> 00:15:51.759 first and only Vizina trophy with a microscopic 00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:55.320 1 .80 goals against average. That number alone 00:15:55.320 --> 00:15:59.179 shows you how defensive, tight and low scoring 00:15:59.179 --> 00:16:01.620 these games were. And Sweeney Schweiner took 00:16:01.620 --> 00:16:03.860 rookie of the year honors for the improving New 00:16:03.860 --> 00:16:06.299 York Americans, showing that a new generation 00:16:06.299 --> 00:16:09.000 of talent was beginning to emerge. But all of 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:11.740 those individual accolades were just the prelude 00:16:11.740 --> 00:16:13.919 to the Stanley Cup finals. The climax of the 00:16:13.919 --> 00:16:16.740 season. the Montreal Maroons versus the Toronto 00:16:16.740 --> 00:16:19.940 Maple Leafs. You have Tommy Gorman's shrewdly 00:16:19.940 --> 00:16:22.580 built Maroons going up against Kahn Smythe's 00:16:22.580 --> 00:16:25.379 absolute powerhouse Maple Leafs, featuring the 00:16:25.379 --> 00:16:27.919 league's top scorer, Charlie Kahnatcher. This 00:16:27.919 --> 00:16:30.980 series was entirely defined by a complete, systematic 00:16:30.980 --> 00:16:34.490 defensive shutdown. The Montreal Maroons devised 00:16:34.490 --> 00:16:37.549 a strategy to relentlessly smother Toronto's 00:16:37.549 --> 00:16:40.610 vaunted kid line of Joe Primo, Harvey Jackson, 00:16:40.649 --> 00:16:42.649 and Charlie Conacher. They didn't just play defense. 00:16:42.750 --> 00:16:45.230 They neutralized the greatest offensive weapon 00:16:45.230 --> 00:16:47.470 in the sport. The ultimate safety net behind 00:16:47.470 --> 00:16:50.330 that suffocating defensive strategy was the goalie 00:16:50.330 --> 00:16:53.360 Tommy Gorman acquired, Alex Connell. Connell 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:55.480 turned into an absolute wall in the net, time 00:16:55.480 --> 00:16:58.200 and again foiling point -blank surefire goals 00:16:58.200 --> 00:17:00.740 for Toronto. The Maple Leafs threw everything 00:17:00.740 --> 00:17:03.200 they had at him, pouring on the offensive pressure, 00:17:03.419 --> 00:17:06.619 and Connell simply shut the door. The Maroons 00:17:06.619 --> 00:17:09.420 swept the series three games to none. The emotional 00:17:09.420 --> 00:17:11.720 weight of that victory, especially considering 00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:15.140 the era, cannot be overstated. There is an incredible 00:17:15.140 --> 00:17:17.259 cinematic image from the end of that series. 00:17:17.799 --> 00:17:21.069 As Game 3 ended, With the Montreal Forum crowd 00:17:21.069 --> 00:17:23.869 letting out a massive, deafening roar of approval, 00:17:24.390 --> 00:17:27.430 Maroons goaltender Alex Connell simply leaned 00:17:27.430 --> 00:17:30.130 back on his crossbar. And cried. Yeah. He just 00:17:30.130 --> 00:17:32.730 cried. You have to deeply consider what it took 00:17:32.730 --> 00:17:35.730 for a human being to reach that moment. The physical 00:17:35.730 --> 00:17:38.450 exhaustion of playing heavy minutes, the immense 00:17:38.450 --> 00:17:41.390 pressure of playing goal in an era with minimal 00:17:41.390 --> 00:17:44.210 padding where every shot genuinely hurt. And 00:17:44.210 --> 00:17:45.849 the heavyweight of the Great Depression hanging 00:17:45.849 --> 00:17:49.049 over every player's livelihood. Exactly. Leaning 00:17:49.049 --> 00:17:52.109 on the crossbar and weeping is a profound, incredibly 00:17:52.109 --> 00:17:54.950 human release of tension. And the historical 00:17:54.950 --> 00:17:57.029 significance of what Connell and that Maroons 00:17:57.029 --> 00:18:00.450 team accomplished is genuinely staggering. Let's 00:18:00.450 --> 00:18:02.329 look at the numbers. They went through the entire 00:18:02.329 --> 00:18:05.170 playoff run with only ties or victories. That's 00:18:05.170 --> 00:18:08.190 right. They did not record a single loss during 00:18:08.190 --> 00:18:10.390 the entirety of the playoffs. To put that in 00:18:10.390 --> 00:18:12.630 perspective, they were the last team to accomplish 00:18:12.630 --> 00:18:32.049 that perfect. So what does this all mean? We 00:18:32.049 --> 00:18:34.269 started this deep dive by talking about economic 00:18:34.269 --> 00:18:37.670 desperation. Franchises relocating on a whim 00:18:37.670 --> 00:18:40.750 and selling star players for cash. And we end 00:18:40.750 --> 00:18:44.410 with a perfect, flawless... playoff run by a 00:18:44.410 --> 00:18:46.990 team that no longer even exists. It perfectly 00:18:46.990 --> 00:18:50.250 encapsulates a league in deep structural transition. 00:18:50.650 --> 00:18:52.430 Pushed to the brink by the Great Depression, 00:18:52.670 --> 00:18:55.349 the NHL was forced to cannibalize ideas and innovate. 00:18:55.609 --> 00:18:58.150 We saw the birth of the rigid geometric penalty 00:18:58.150 --> 00:19:00.630 shot. We saw the evolution of jersey variants 00:19:00.630 --> 00:19:03.250 and team branding. But simultaneously, underneath 00:19:03.250 --> 00:19:05.349 all of those corporate and structural changes, 00:19:05.630 --> 00:19:07.970 the players were delivering some of the grittiest, 00:19:07.970 --> 00:19:10.349 most emotionally resonant, physically punishing 00:19:10.349 --> 00:19:14.130 hockey ever played. The macroeconomic panic forced 00:19:14.130 --> 00:19:16.789 the business side to adapt wildly. But the spirit 00:19:16.789 --> 00:19:19.329 of the game on the ice was perhaps purer and 00:19:19.329 --> 00:19:21.349 more desperate than it had ever been. And for 00:19:21.349 --> 00:19:24.369 you listening, understanding these chaotic, desperate 00:19:24.369 --> 00:19:27.609 roots makes watching the hyper polished billion 00:19:27.609 --> 00:19:30.980 dollar modern NHL so much richer. It really does. 00:19:31.160 --> 00:19:33.539 When you see a player take a penalty shot today 00:19:33.539 --> 00:19:37.599 with a complex weaving deke moving fluidly down 00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:40.339 the ice, remember that the rule was forged in 00:19:40.339 --> 00:19:43.200 the fires of the 1930s where a guy had to stand 00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:45.940 frozen inside a 10 -foot painted circle to take 00:19:45.940 --> 00:19:48.660 his shot. Right. The rules, the geographic footprints, 00:19:48.920 --> 00:19:51.079 the very structures of the sport you see today 00:19:51.079 --> 00:19:54.099 were hammered out by franchises just trying to 00:19:54.099 --> 00:19:56.359 afford the train ride to the next freezing town. 00:19:56.700 --> 00:19:58.880 This raises an important question, though, doesn't 00:19:58.880 --> 00:20:01.299 it? What's that? Consider the Montreal Maroons. 00:20:01.480 --> 00:20:04.299 They achieved absolute hockey mortality with 00:20:04.299 --> 00:20:06.859 a perfect playoff run, shutting down the greatest 00:20:06.859 --> 00:20:09.119 scorers of their generation and hoisting the 00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:12.059 Stanley Cup. Yet, despite that ultimate triumph, 00:20:12.380 --> 00:20:15.299 their franchise completely vanished from existence 00:20:15.299 --> 00:20:18.180 shortly after. They remain the absolute last 00:20:18.180 --> 00:20:20.420 team that is currently defunct to have won a 00:20:20.420 --> 00:20:22.750 Stanley Cup. That's true. What happens to the 00:20:22.750 --> 00:20:25.269 legacy of a championship and the memories of 00:20:25.269 --> 00:20:27.490 the fans who lived and breathed it when the team 00:20:27.490 --> 00:20:30.769 itself becomes a ghost? The ghost champions of 00:20:30.769 --> 00:20:33.970 1935. That is a phenomenal question to leave 00:20:33.970 --> 00:20:36.230 you with today. Thank you for joining us on this 00:20:36.230 --> 00:20:38.970 deep dive into hockey history and keep exploring 00:20:38.970 --> 00:20:41.390 the incredible gritty stories that built the 00:20:41.390 --> 00:20:42.170 world around us.