1919 Stanley Cup Finals
| 1919 Stanley Cup Finals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| * – overtime periods | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location(s) | Seattle, WA (Seattle Ice Arena) (1–5) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Format | best-of-five | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaches | Montreal: Newsy Lalonde Seattle: Pete Muldoon |
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| Dates | March 19 – 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||
The 1919 Stanley Cup Final ice hockey play-off series to determine the 1919 Stanley Cup champion ended with no champion decided, being suspended after five games had been played due to an outbreak of influenza. It was the only time in the history of the Stanley Cup that it was not awarded due to a no-decision after playoffs were held.
Hosting the series in Seattle was the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) champion Seattle Metropolitans playing off against the National Hockey League (NHL) champion Montreal Canadiens. Both teams had won two games, lost two, and tied one before health officials were forced to cancel the deciding game of the series. Most of the Canadiens players and their manager George Kennedy fell ill with the flu and were hospitalized. The flu would claim the life of Canadiens' defenseman Joe Hall four days later. Kennedy was permanently weakened by his illness, and it led to his death a few years later.
The Canadiens won the first half of the 1918–19 NHL regular season while the Ottawa Senators won the second half, setting up a best-of-seven series between the two clubs to determine the NHL title. Montreal ended up winning the series, four games to one.
Meanwhile, the Metropolitans finished the 1919 PCHA regular season in second place with an 11–9 record, behind the 12–8 Vancouver Millionaires. The two teams then faced off in a two-game total-goals championship series, with Seattle winning game one, 6–1. Vancouver recorded a 4–1 victory in game two, but lost the series to the Metropolitans by a combined score of 7–5.
All of the games were held at the Seattle Ice Arena. As with previous Stanley Cup Finals, the differing rules for the leagues alternated each game: PCHA rules were to be used in games one, three and five; and NHL rules were to be used in games two and four. The actual game five used NHL rules, as it was considered a replay of game four. Prior to the series, Seattle star Bernie Morris was arrested by United States authorities for alleged draft dodging. He would not be released to return to hockey until 1920.
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