WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.580 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today, we're looking 00:00:03.580 --> 00:00:06.679 at a year that completely reshaped professional 00:00:06.679 --> 00:00:10.039 sport. Oh, yeah. A really wild one. Yeah. If 00:00:10.039 --> 00:00:12.339 you want to understand how modern athletics evolved, 00:00:12.740 --> 00:00:15.779 you really have to look at the specific 48 game 00:00:15.779 --> 00:00:19.969 stretch. We are talking about the 1937 -38. NHL 00:00:19.969 --> 00:00:23.129 season. And it is packed with vintage hockey 00:00:23.129 --> 00:00:26.149 chaos. Exactly. I mean, our mission today is 00:00:26.149 --> 00:00:28.030 to take you through this incredible Wikipedia 00:00:28.030 --> 00:00:31.030 article on the season and extract the most surprising 00:00:31.030 --> 00:00:35.030 nuggets. Because this one season perfectly encapsulates 00:00:35.030 --> 00:00:37.850 the chaotic evolution of modern sports. It really 00:00:37.850 --> 00:00:40.210 does. We've got locker room horseplay resulting 00:00:40.210 --> 00:00:43.890 in 11 stitches, fans literally physically preventing 00:00:43.890 --> 00:00:46.750 referees from counting goals, and a championship 00:00:46.750 --> 00:00:52.469 team with the lowest regular season wins. What's 00:00:52.469 --> 00:00:54.829 fascinating here is how this season represented 00:00:54.829 --> 00:00:57.570 transitional era for hockey. You have a sport 00:00:57.570 --> 00:00:59.710 caught right in the middle. On one hand, you 00:00:59.710 --> 00:01:03.070 have this lawless frontier, a super physical 00:01:03.070 --> 00:01:06.109 contest played by rough and tumble guys. But 00:01:06.109 --> 00:01:08.569 on the other hand, you're seeing the beginnings 00:01:08.569 --> 00:01:11.769 of the highly structured corporate game we know 00:01:11.769 --> 00:01:14.250 today. The executives are trying to invent the 00:01:14.250 --> 00:01:17.390 modern rulebook. Exactly. While the players are 00:01:17.390 --> 00:01:19.730 still acting like absolute cowboys the second 00:01:19.730 --> 00:01:22.170 they step off the ice. Okay, let's unpack this. 00:01:22.250 --> 00:01:25.290 Because the rule changes are the perfect place 00:01:25.290 --> 00:01:28.030 to start. They fundamentally altered the whole 00:01:28.030 --> 00:01:30.810 geometry of the game. They really did. In September 00:01:30.810 --> 00:01:34.510 1937, the NHL officially passed the icing rule. 00:01:35.109 --> 00:01:37.290 Which, you know, for anyone who knows the sport, 00:01:37.370 --> 00:01:39.409 it's hard to even imagine a time before icing 00:01:39.409 --> 00:01:41.849 existed. Oh, it would be unwatchable today. Right. 00:01:42.170 --> 00:01:44.549 But prior to the season, teams with the lead 00:01:44.549 --> 00:01:47.370 could just, they would indiscriminately blast 00:01:47.370 --> 00:01:49.969 the puck 200 feet down the ice over and over 00:01:49.969 --> 00:01:53.049 again solely to kill the clock. With absolutely 00:01:53.049 --> 00:01:55.250 no penalty unless they were already shorthanded. 00:01:55.250 --> 00:01:57.469 Yeah, which was just terrible for the fans. It 00:01:57.469 --> 00:01:59.629 was an absolute nightmare for the spectator experience. 00:02:00.349 --> 00:02:02.870 the league realized they had a massive commercial 00:02:02.870 --> 00:02:05.530 viability problem on their hands. Especially 00:02:05.530 --> 00:02:08.389 during the Great Depression. Exactly. If fans 00:02:08.389 --> 00:02:11.969 are paying good money for a ticket in 1937, they 00:02:11.969 --> 00:02:15.469 expect to see an actual hockey game, not a group 00:02:15.469 --> 00:02:18.250 of guys exploiting a massive loophole to play 00:02:18.250 --> 00:02:21.210 keep away for the entire third period. So by 00:02:21.210 --> 00:02:24.349 outlawing icing at even strength, they legislated 00:02:24.349 --> 00:02:27.229 entertainment value back into the product. They 00:02:27.229 --> 00:02:31.159 forced teams to actively engage. And it's a huge 00:02:31.159 --> 00:02:34.080 shift in how the game had to be coached. But 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:36.599 they didn't stop there. No, they completely revamped 00:02:36.599 --> 00:02:38.800 the penalty shot that same year. They removed 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:41.219 the static dots on the ice where the shot used 00:02:41.219 --> 00:02:42.919 to take place. Right, they used to just shoot 00:02:42.919 --> 00:02:45.780 from a dot. Yeah, like a golf swing. Yeah. But 00:02:45.780 --> 00:02:48.039 they replaced those dots with two lines painted 00:02:48.039 --> 00:02:50.629 30 feet from the goal. So the player taking the 00:02:50.629 --> 00:02:52.750 shot had to start from the line closest to his 00:02:52.750 --> 00:02:55.009 own net, physically skate with the puck, and 00:02:55.009 --> 00:02:57.310 shoot before crossing that 30 -foot penalty line 00:02:57.310 --> 00:02:59.810 nearest the opposition's goal. Which completely 00:02:59.810 --> 00:03:02.129 changes the psychology of a penalty shot. You 00:03:02.129 --> 00:03:05.530 go from a static swing to a dynamic play where 00:03:05.530 --> 00:03:08.189 the skater is carrying momentum toward the goaltender. 00:03:08.370 --> 00:03:10.770 They also tweet face -offs, right? Yeah, they 00:03:10.770 --> 00:03:14.250 did. If a puck was shot out of bounds, the ensuing 00:03:14.250 --> 00:03:16.090 face -off was moved to the point where the shot 00:03:16.090 --> 00:03:18.219 was actually taken. Rather than the spot where 00:03:18.219 --> 00:03:20.139 the puck happened to cross the boards. Exactly. 00:03:20.900 --> 00:03:23.060 Again, it was about stopping defensive teams 00:03:23.060 --> 00:03:25.780 from excluding the geometry of the rink just 00:03:25.780 --> 00:03:29.300 to gain cheap territory. That desire to clean 00:03:29.300 --> 00:03:32.680 up the on -ice product definitely mirrored what 00:03:32.680 --> 00:03:34.159 the league was trying to do in the boardroom. 00:03:34.659 --> 00:03:36.539 Because the business side of the league was just 00:03:36.539 --> 00:03:39.000 as ruthless as the checking on the ice. Oh, absolutely. 00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:41.360 Just look at Bill Dwyer. Right. The owner of 00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:43.419 the New York Americans. He couldn't come up with 00:03:43.419 --> 00:03:45.240 the capital required to keep his team afloat. 00:03:45.900 --> 00:03:49.050 And... The NHL didn't hesitate for a second. 00:03:49.270 --> 00:03:52.030 They stepped in, stripped him of his ownership, 00:03:52.210 --> 00:03:55.270 and took full control of the franchise. The finances 00:03:55.270 --> 00:03:58.110 of the era are incredibly revealing, like the 00:03:58.110 --> 00:04:01.810 Howie Morenz Memorial Game. November 2nd, 1937. 00:04:01.969 --> 00:04:04.789 Yeah. It was only the NHL's second All -Star 00:04:04.789 --> 00:04:07.969 game ever. They pitted the league's top talent 00:04:07.969 --> 00:04:10.629 against a combined roster of Canadians and Maroons 00:04:10.629 --> 00:04:13.189 players. But the hockey itself was totally secondary 00:04:13.189 --> 00:04:15.599 to the economics of that night. The game generated 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:19.079 over $11 ,000, which was combined with other 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:21.720 contributions to establish a fund of over $20 00:04:21.720 --> 00:04:25.199 ,000 for the Morenz family. And they even auctioned 00:04:25.199 --> 00:04:27.540 off Howie Morenz's uniform right before the puck 00:04:27.540 --> 00:04:29.939 dropped. Joseph Katarnich put down the winning 00:04:29.939 --> 00:04:33.500 bid of $500 and then immediately handed the uniform 00:04:33.500 --> 00:04:36.360 over to Howie Morenz Jr. Which is such a touching 00:04:36.360 --> 00:04:39.620 moment. And to put it in perspective, $20 ,000 00:04:39.620 --> 00:04:43.639 in 1937 was a small fortune. It shows a profound 00:04:43.639 --> 00:04:46.060 sense of fraternity among the players. A real 00:04:46.060 --> 00:04:49.379 community. Yes. But at the exact same time, you 00:04:49.379 --> 00:04:52.360 have NHL president Frank Calder making administrative 00:04:52.360 --> 00:04:55.379 moves that were coldly calculating. In February 00:04:55.379 --> 00:04:58.740 of 1938. Right. Calder unilaterally terminated 00:04:58.740 --> 00:05:01.240 the Professional Amateur Agreement with the Canadian 00:05:01.240 --> 00:05:05.199 Amateur Hockey Association, the CAHA. The history 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:07.899 there is that the agreement had previously limited 00:05:07.899 --> 00:05:11.160 how NHL teams could sign junior players. It was 00:05:11.160 --> 00:05:13.680 a very messy system. Super messy. A suspended 00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:16.360 NHL player might get registered by a CHA team, 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:19.300 creating these weird contractual loopholes. So 00:05:19.300 --> 00:05:22.800 Calder meets with CHA Vice President W .G. Hardy, 00:05:23.019 --> 00:05:25.459 couldn't get a resolution he liked, and just 00:05:25.459 --> 00:05:28.040 goes nuclear. He essentially told all the NHL 00:05:28.040 --> 00:05:31.399 owners that the gloves were off. They were now 00:05:31.399 --> 00:05:34.000 free to approach any junior player they wanted 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:36.430 with a contract offer. bypassing the amateur 00:05:36.430 --> 00:05:38.970 association entirely. It was a massive flex of 00:05:38.970 --> 00:05:41.529 executive power. It showed the NHL was no longer 00:05:41.529 --> 00:05:43.610 willing to share governance of the sports talent 00:05:43.610 --> 00:05:46.290 pipeline. But while Calder is in the boardroom 00:05:46.290 --> 00:05:48.870 trying to modernize the business structure, the 00:05:48.870 --> 00:05:51.569 actual players are still operating in this wild 00:05:51.569 --> 00:05:54.509 circus -like reality. All the locker room stuff 00:05:54.509 --> 00:05:56.610 is unbelievable. Which brings us to the regular 00:05:56.610 --> 00:05:59.689 season and honestly one of the most absurd anecdotes 00:05:59.689 --> 00:06:01.730 you will ever hear in sports history. The penknife 00:06:01.730 --> 00:06:04.910 incident. Yes. The New York Rangers lost their 00:06:04.910 --> 00:06:07.629 star center, Neal Colville, for a stretch of 00:06:07.629 --> 00:06:09.709 games. And he didn't tear an ACL or separate 00:06:09.709 --> 00:06:12.189 a shoulder? No, he was sidelined because of a 00:06:12.189 --> 00:06:14.949 locker room fad involving formal wear and a blade. 00:06:15.230 --> 00:06:17.550 It perfectly captures the juxtaposition of the 00:06:17.550 --> 00:06:20.550 era. You have defenseman Joe Cooper, who apparently 00:06:20.550 --> 00:06:22.990 decided it was hilarious to walk around the dressing 00:06:22.990 --> 00:06:25.670 room with a pocket knife. And just slice off 00:06:25.670 --> 00:06:28.449 the bottom of his teammates' neckties. Casually 00:06:28.449 --> 00:06:31.269 ruining everyone's suits. So Cooper goes to slice 00:06:31.269 --> 00:06:34.209 Colville's tie. Colville naturally throws his 00:06:34.209 --> 00:06:36.850 hand up to protect himself, and the blade catches 00:06:36.850 --> 00:06:39.649 his hand, resulting in a gash that required 11 00:06:39.649 --> 00:06:42.720 stitches to close. Rangers coach Lester Patrick 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:46.259 was absolutely furious. And I want you to imagine 00:06:46.259 --> 00:06:50.920 this today. Imagine a modern media trained multimillion 00:06:50.920 --> 00:06:53.920 dollar superstar getting sidelined today because 00:06:53.920 --> 00:06:56.620 his defensive pairing was playing Zorro in the 00:06:56.620 --> 00:06:59.000 locker room. The sports talk radio cycle would 00:06:59.000 --> 00:07:00.920 just melt down completely. It would be front 00:07:00.920 --> 00:07:03.720 page news for weeks. It's a great reminder that 00:07:03.720 --> 00:07:05.399 these weren't corporate entities. They were just 00:07:05.399 --> 00:07:08.240 young, reckless guys. blowing off steam in an 00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:10.920 era before PR departments existed. But that lack 00:07:10.920 --> 00:07:13.220 of modern sports medicine and oversight also 00:07:13.220 --> 00:07:15.839 had a very dark side. You look at Charlie Conacher. 00:07:16.060 --> 00:07:18.160 The big bomber. The captain of the Toronto Maple 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:20.399 Leafs. His season is a tragedy of cumulative 00:07:20.399 --> 00:07:24.180 trauma. In mid -November, Conacher has this explosive 00:07:24.180 --> 00:07:26.879 weekend against Chicago. He scores a hat -trick 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:29.540 in a 7 -3 win and then follows it up with two 00:07:29.540 --> 00:07:32.560 more goals and a tie. He is playing at the absolute 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:35.720 peak of his abilities. But just days later against 00:07:35.720 --> 00:07:39.240 the Canadians, He dislocates his shoulder. And 00:07:39.240 --> 00:07:41.779 this wasn't an isolated incident for him. The 00:07:41.779 --> 00:07:44.379 medical reports from the time specifically note 00:07:44.379 --> 00:07:47.240 that the constant cycle of injuries had a profound 00:07:47.240 --> 00:07:49.600 effect on his nervous and physical condition. 00:07:49.899 --> 00:07:52.699 His doctor had to step in and forcefully demand 00:07:52.699 --> 00:07:55.399 that he retire from hockey. Because his body 00:07:55.399 --> 00:07:58.199 was simply failing him. He stepped away for the 00:07:58.199 --> 00:08:00.600 rest of that season. He did try to come back 00:08:00.600 --> 00:08:02.860 the following year, but his legendary tenure 00:08:02.860 --> 00:08:05.610 with the Maple Leafs was permanently over. It 00:08:05.610 --> 00:08:07.569 really paints a picture of what these guys sacrificed. 00:08:07.949 --> 00:08:10.589 It does. Meanwhile, the New York Americans, the 00:08:10.589 --> 00:08:13.149 team the NHL had just seized from Bill Dwyer, 00:08:13.250 --> 00:08:15.670 were actually thriving despite the front office 00:08:15.670 --> 00:08:18.250 turmoil. They brought in Ching Johnson and Hap 00:08:18.250 --> 00:08:20.610 Day to relieve their defensemen. And offensively, 00:08:20.629 --> 00:08:23.129 Sweeney Schreiner and Nell Stewart were lighting 00:08:23.129 --> 00:08:26.089 the lamp. Stewart even potted his 300th career 00:08:26.089 --> 00:08:28.949 NHL goal on St. Patrick's Day against the Rangers. 00:08:29.389 --> 00:08:32.009 Plus, Earl Robertson was a brick wall for them. 00:08:32.090 --> 00:08:34.190 He led the entire Canadian division in goaltending. 00:08:34.539 --> 00:08:36.980 If we connect this to the bigger picture, the 00:08:36.980 --> 00:08:39.799 American success highlights the extreme volatility 00:08:39.799 --> 00:08:42.059 of the league back then. Oh, absolutely. Without 00:08:42.059 --> 00:08:45.039 a modern draft or a salary cap to enforce parity, 00:08:45.320 --> 00:08:48.919 teams rose and fell at breakneck speeds. Look 00:08:48.919 --> 00:08:50.740 at the Detroit Red Wings. They won the Stanley 00:08:50.740 --> 00:08:55.799 Cup in 1937. And by this 1937 -38 season, they 00:08:55.799 --> 00:08:58.299 plummeted to dead last in the American division. 00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:01.659 A complete free fall from champions to the cellar 00:09:01.659 --> 00:09:04.279 in a matter of months. Though, to be fair to 00:09:04.279 --> 00:09:07.159 Detroit, they did provide one incredible highlight. 00:09:07.399 --> 00:09:10.240 Carl Liskum. Yes, he set a record for the fastest 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:12.220 hat -trick up to that point in league history. 00:09:12.500 --> 00:09:15.279 He buried three goals in just 1 minute and 52 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:18.299 seconds against Chicago. That record held until 00:09:18.299 --> 00:09:21.480 Bill Mosienko broke it later. But sub two minutes 00:09:21.480 --> 00:09:23.840 is still mind -blowing. It really is. But if 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:26.080 you want to study a true masterclass in organizational 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:28.879 collapse, you have to look at the Montreal Maroons. 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:31.299 Oh, the Maroons. They started the year under 00:09:31.299 --> 00:09:34.299 the guidance of Coach King Clancy, and they immediately 00:09:34.299 --> 00:09:36.879 sank to the bottom of the standings. So team 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:39.539 president and general manager Tommy Gorman decided 00:09:39.539 --> 00:09:42.379 he could do a better job. He fired Clancy and 00:09:42.379 --> 00:09:44.320 put himself behind the bench. Which went about 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:47.460 as well as you'd expect. Gorman's hubris triggered 00:09:47.460 --> 00:09:50.860 a brutal eight -game losing streak. The fan base 00:09:50.860 --> 00:09:53.700 turned on them completely. They staged a massive 00:09:53.700 --> 00:09:56.500 boycott and the gate receipts just plummeted. 00:09:56.539 --> 00:09:58.820 They did have one chaotic night where they beat 00:09:58.820 --> 00:10:01.740 their bitter rivals, the Canadians, 11 to 7. 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:05.240 Featuring a hat trick by Baldy Northcott. But 00:10:05.240 --> 00:10:08.960 the writing was on the wall. On March 17th, 1938, 00:10:09.559 --> 00:10:11.820 the Montreal Maroons played their final game 00:10:11.820 --> 00:10:14.740 in franchise history, fittingly against the Canadians. 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:18.279 And then vanish. And that volatility, that constant 00:10:18.279 --> 00:10:21.240 shifting of power, sets the stage perfectly for 00:10:21.240 --> 00:10:23.580 the postseason. Because while teams like the 00:10:23.580 --> 00:10:26.000 Maroons were collapsing, a team that had absolutely 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:28.620 no business competing for a championship was 00:10:28.620 --> 00:10:30.500 quietly preparing for the greatest Cinderella 00:10:30.500 --> 00:10:32.960 story in North American professional sports. 00:10:33.299 --> 00:10:35.639 The Chicago Blackhawks. Here's where it gets 00:10:35.639 --> 00:10:38.000 really interesting. The playoff structure back 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:40.659 then was incredibly forgiving, which is the only 00:10:40.659 --> 00:10:42.659 reason Chicago was even invited to the dance. 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:45.240 They finished the regular season with an abysmal 00:10:45.240 --> 00:10:49.879 record. 14 wins, 25 losses, and 9 ties. That 00:10:49.879 --> 00:10:53.039 is a total of just 37 points. They lost almost 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:55.820 twice as many games as they won. In any modern 00:10:55.820 --> 00:10:58.419 metric, that is a lottery team. Yet, because 00:10:58.419 --> 00:11:00.860 the top three teams in each division qualified, 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:04.100 Chicago scraped into the quarterfinals to face 00:11:04.100 --> 00:11:06.940 the Canadians. And right away, Montreal's ToeBlake 00:11:06.940 --> 00:11:09.179 lights them up with a hat -trick in Game 1. But 00:11:09.179 --> 00:11:11.340 Chicago's goaltender, Mike Korekis, responds 00:11:11.340 --> 00:11:14.980 with a 4 -0 shutout in Game 2. Game 3 is where 00:11:14.980 --> 00:11:18.710 the magic really starts. Montreal's Georges Mantha 00:11:18.710 --> 00:11:21.529 scores what looks like a back -breaking freak 00:11:21.529 --> 00:11:24.690 power play goal. But Chicago's Earl Seibert saves 00:11:24.690 --> 00:11:27.210 their season. He scores with just over a minute 00:11:27.210 --> 00:11:29.929 left in the third period to force overtime. Where 00:11:29.929 --> 00:11:31.789 Paul Thompson wins it for the Hawks. And while 00:11:31.789 --> 00:11:34.250 Chicago was surviving the quarterfinals, the 00:11:34.250 --> 00:11:36.730 New York Americans were busy stunning the Rangers. 00:11:37.129 --> 00:11:39.409 Lauren Carr hitting the overtime winner in their 00:11:39.409 --> 00:11:42.309 deciding game. Which set up the semifinals. Now 00:11:42.309 --> 00:11:44.169 the bracket structure mandated that the two division 00:11:44.169 --> 00:11:46.559 winners play a heavyweight best of five. series. 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:49.320 In that matchup, the Toronto Maple Leafs pull 00:11:49.320 --> 00:11:51.899 off a massive sweep against the Boston Bruins. 00:11:52.019 --> 00:11:54.799 That series heavily featured an incredible duel 00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:57.659 between goaltenders Turk Broda and the legendary 00:11:57.659 --> 00:12:01.860 Tiny Thompson. But that sweep left Chicago to 00:12:01.860 --> 00:12:04.559 face the New York Americans in a best of three 00:12:04.559 --> 00:12:06.820 for the other spot in the Stanley Cup finals. 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:09.600 And this series is just insane. The Americans 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:13.159 take game one. Game two turns into this grueling 00:12:13.159 --> 00:12:15.960 goaltending battle between Chicago's Caracas 00:12:15.960 --> 00:12:19.049 and New York's Robertson. Late in the game, it 00:12:19.049 --> 00:12:20.830 looks like New York has finally secured their 00:12:20.830 --> 00:12:23.450 first ever trip to the finals when Nell Stewart 00:12:23.450 --> 00:12:26.070 buries a shot with just seconds left on the clock. 00:12:26.289 --> 00:12:28.389 But referee Clarence Campbell instantly waves 00:12:28.389 --> 00:12:30.649 it off. He disallowed the goal. He ruled that 00:12:30.649 --> 00:12:32.669 New York's Eddie Wiseman was illegally standing 00:12:32.669 --> 00:12:35.230 in the goal crease. You can imagine the absolute 00:12:35.230 --> 00:12:38.149 fury from the Americans and their fans. In that 00:12:38.149 --> 00:12:41.210 era, having a series -clinching goal wiped off 00:12:41.210 --> 00:12:43.929 the board by an official was explosive. Given 00:12:43.929 --> 00:12:46.669 a second life, Chicago's Cully Dahlstrom scored 00:12:46.669 --> 00:12:48.850 in double over... time to force a game three. 00:12:48.950 --> 00:12:51.909 And game three in New York is the crown jewel 00:12:51.909 --> 00:12:55.090 of this entire chaotic season. The series is 00:12:55.090 --> 00:12:57.929 tied. The winner goes to the Stanley Cup finals. 00:12:58.169 --> 00:13:00.649 The tension is incredible. Late in the second 00:13:00.649 --> 00:13:04.110 period, Chicago's Alex Levinsky rips a shot that 00:13:04.110 --> 00:13:06.769 clearly crosses the line to make it 2 -1 for 00:13:06.769 --> 00:13:09.230 the Blackhawks. But the red goal light behind 00:13:09.230 --> 00:13:12.440 the net. doesn't turn on. The officials halt 00:13:12.440 --> 00:13:14.820 the game. There is total confusion. They launch 00:13:14.820 --> 00:13:17.039 an immediate investigation right there on the 00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:18.779 ice. You have to understand the architecture 00:13:18.779 --> 00:13:21.720 of the arenas back then. The gold judges didn't 00:13:21.720 --> 00:13:24.059 sit in secure glassed -in booths high up in the 00:13:24.059 --> 00:13:26.179 stands. Right. They were often sitting right 00:13:26.179 --> 00:13:28.559 on the edge of the crowd, separated by maybe 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:31.379 a thin wire mesh. Which explains what the officials 00:13:31.379 --> 00:13:33.620 found. The investigation revealed that the New 00:13:33.620 --> 00:13:36.259 York fans in the first row were physically grabbing 00:13:36.259 --> 00:13:39.120 and holding the goal judge's hand so he couldn't 00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:41.200 flip the switch to turn on the red light. They 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:43.480 literally wrestled the official to stop him from 00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:46.340 signaling the goal. Despite the blatant fan interference, 00:13:46.740 --> 00:13:49.080 the referees counted the goal, Chicago won 3 00:13:49.080 --> 00:13:52.139 -2, and punched their ticket to the finals. It 00:13:52.139 --> 00:13:54.379 is the ultimate manifestation of that frontier 00:13:54.379 --> 00:13:56.710 lawlessness we talked about. And it brings us 00:13:56.710 --> 00:13:59.149 to the Stanley Cup Finals against the heavily 00:13:59.149 --> 00:14:02.409 favored Toronto Maple Leafs. Just when you think 00:14:02.409 --> 00:14:04.850 Chicago's run couldn't get any weirder, their 00:14:04.850 --> 00:14:07.669 starting goaltender, Mike Karakis, suffers an 00:14:07.669 --> 00:14:09.970 injury and can't play the start of the series. 00:14:10.230 --> 00:14:12.929 So the Blackhawks are forced into a goalie carousel. 00:14:13.009 --> 00:14:16.149 They bring in a guy named Alfie Moore to start 00:14:16.149 --> 00:14:18.950 Game 1. Then they pivot to Paul Goodman for Game 00:14:18.950 --> 00:14:21.789 2. Before a battered Karakis finally returns 00:14:21.789 --> 00:14:24.610 to finish the series. Despite utilizing three 00:14:24.610 --> 00:14:28.629 different goal... and dragging a 14 -25 -9 regular 00:14:28.629 --> 00:14:31.970 season record behind them, Chicago dismantled 00:14:31.970 --> 00:14:34.009 Toronto. Winning the Stanley Cup three games 00:14:34.009 --> 00:14:38.230 to one. To this day, the 1938 Chicago Blackhawks 00:14:38.230 --> 00:14:40.250 hold the record for the lowest regular season 00:14:40.250 --> 00:14:43.049 winning percentage of any champion in North American 00:14:43.049 --> 00:14:47.370 major professional sports. Roughly .375. It defies 00:14:47.370 --> 00:14:50.059 all logic. But the hockey didn't stop with the 00:14:50.059 --> 00:14:52.679 Stanley Cup presentation. Immediately following 00:14:52.679 --> 00:14:55.500 the playoffs, the league embarked on a massive 00:14:55.500 --> 00:14:58.139 cultural exchange. The Detroit Red Wings and 00:14:58.139 --> 00:15:01.220 the Montreal Canadiens boarded ships and crossed 00:15:01.220 --> 00:15:03.779 the Atlantic for a nine -game exhibition series 00:15:03.779 --> 00:15:06.279 in Europe. They played six games in the United 00:15:06.279 --> 00:15:09.379 Kingdom and three in France. It was a monumental 00:15:09.379 --> 00:15:13.419 logistical undertaking for 1938, but it was crucial 00:15:13.419 --> 00:15:17.100 for spreading the gospel of the sport. They were 00:15:17.100 --> 00:15:20.120 the very first NHL teams to ever play a game 00:15:20.120 --> 00:15:22.700 outside of North America. With the Canadians 00:15:22.700 --> 00:15:25.159 ultimately taking the series with five wins, 00:15:25.399 --> 00:15:28.419 three losses, and a tie. Before we wrap up the 00:15:28.419 --> 00:15:30.519 timeline, we have to acknowledge the hardware 00:15:30.519 --> 00:15:33.429 from that season. Right, the awards. Gordie Drillen 00:15:33.429 --> 00:15:36.750 of Toronto led the league with 52 points. That's 00:15:36.750 --> 00:15:39.889 26 goals and 26 assists. And he took home the 00:15:39.889 --> 00:15:42.450 Lady Bing trophy. Over in Boston, despite getting 00:15:42.450 --> 00:15:44.769 swept in the semis, they dominated the individual 00:15:44.769 --> 00:15:47.549 awards. Eddie Shore won the Hart Trophy as the 00:15:47.549 --> 00:15:50.649 league MVP. And Tiny Thompson captured the Vizina 00:15:50.649 --> 00:15:54.059 Trophy with a staggering 1 .80. Goals against 00:15:54.059 --> 00:15:56.460 average. And the Calder Trophy for Rookie of 00:15:56.460 --> 00:15:59.059 the Year went to Chicago's Cully Dahlstrom. Who 00:15:59.059 --> 00:16:01.100 more than earned it with that season -saving 00:16:01.100 --> 00:16:03.960 double overtime goal against the Americans. Absolutely. 00:16:04.220 --> 00:16:07.080 So what does this all mean? When you zoom out 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:11.700 on the 1937 -38 season, you see a sport. desperately 00:16:11.700 --> 00:16:14.700 trying to civilize itself. They are outlawing 00:16:14.700 --> 00:16:18.059 icing to improve the spectator experience, restructuring 00:16:18.059 --> 00:16:20.879 face -offs, and rallying together to raise $20 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:24.559 ,000 for a fallen brother's family. Yet just 00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:27.379 beneath that thin veneer of professionalism, 00:16:27.559 --> 00:16:29.919 players are slashing each other with pocket knives, 00:16:30.259 --> 00:16:33.200 executives are spite -firing coaches to run the 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:36.259 bench themselves, and fans are literally grabbing 00:16:36.259 --> 00:16:39.820 the hands of referees to alter the score. It 00:16:39.820 --> 00:16:42.500 proves that the polished, highly regulated sports 00:16:42.500 --> 00:16:44.600 leagues we enjoy today weren't born overnight. 00:16:44.759 --> 00:16:47.399 No, they were forged in a frantic crucible of 00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:50.379 trial, error, and sheer unpredictability. is 00:16:50.379 --> 00:16:52.500 the ultimate friction between order and chaos. 00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:55.299 And as we leave you today, this raises an important 00:16:55.299 --> 00:16:57.480 question. What's that? I want you to think back 00:16:57.480 --> 00:16:59.379 to that seemingly dry piece of administrative 00:16:59.379 --> 00:17:02.120 business we touched on earlier. NHL President 00:17:02.120 --> 00:17:05.119 Frank Calder, frustrated by an amateur loophole, 00:17:05.240 --> 00:17:07.579 unilaterally terminating the agreement with the 00:17:07.579 --> 00:17:09.920 Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. When he 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:12.319 told his owners to go out and sign any junior 00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:15.059 player they wanted. Exactly. While it might have 00:17:15.059 --> 00:17:17.519 read like a minor boardroom dispute in the newspapers 00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:21.259 of 1938, imagine the ripple effect. That's a 00:17:21.259 --> 00:17:24.359 huge shift. That single aggressive power grab 00:17:24.359 --> 00:17:27.619 laid the foundational architecture for the massive 00:17:27.619 --> 00:17:31.380 high stakes scouting, drafting and developmental 00:17:31.380 --> 00:17:34.980 industrial complex that dictates. every single 00:17:34.980 --> 00:17:38.359 major sport today. Wow. Without that one moment 00:17:38.359 --> 00:17:40.740 of a league executive deciding he refused to 00:17:40.740 --> 00:17:43.140 share power with an amateur board, the entire 00:17:43.140 --> 00:17:45.759 trajectory of how a young athlete becomes a professional 00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:48.259 might look completely different. A butterfly 00:17:48.259 --> 00:17:50.519 effect that changed the business of sports forever. 00:17:51.019 --> 00:17:53.440 Thank you for joining us on this deep dive. We 00:17:53.440 --> 00:17:55.680 hope you enjoyed exploring the pen knives, the 00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:58.039 Cinderella upsets, and the wild history hidden 00:17:58.039 --> 00:18:00.619 behind the modern games you love. Keep questioning, 00:18:00.779 --> 00:18:03.119 keep exploring, and we'll catch you next time.