1923–24 Montreal Canadiens season
| 1923–24 Montreal Canadiens | |
|---|---|
|
Stanley Cup champions
|
|
| League | 2nd NHL |
| 1923–24 record | 13–11–0 |
| Goals for | 59 |
| Goals against | 48 |
| Team information | |
| General Manager | Leo Dandurand |
| Coach | Leo Dandurand |
| Captain | Sprague Cleghorn |
| Arena | Mount Royal Arena |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Bill Boucher (16) |
| Assists | Bill Boucher (6) |
| Points | Bill Boucher (22) |
| Penalties in minutes | Sprague Cleghorn (85) |
| Wins | Georges Vezina (13) |
| Goals against average | Georges Vezina (2.0) |
The 1923–24 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 15th season and seventh as a member of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Canadiens once again returned to the playoffs and won their second Stanley Cup, defeating the Calgary Tigers.
This season was the rookie season of new star Howie Morenz. Placed on a line with Bill Boucher and Aurel Joliat, the Canadiens had an offensive line to terrorize the league. All three player were top 10 scorers, Boucher with 16, Joliat with 15 and Morenz with 13. The threesome scored 44 of Montreal's total of 59 goals in 24 games.
December was mild in Montreal and the situation forced the postponement of several games at the Mount Royal Arena. The Canadiens played their first three games on the road before opening at home on December 29, defeating Toronto 3–0.
The NHL held a mid-season meeting on January 26 to consider suspending Sprague Cleghorn. Ottawa claimed he was deliberately injuring opponents, citing a spearing incident against Cy Denneny. The league rejected the charges, and in a game against Ottawa shortly thereafter, Cleghorn charged Lionel Hitchman into the boards and earned a one-game suspension.
After the mild month of December, the winter was snowy. On February 20, the train from Ottawa carrying the Senators was snow-bound partway to Montreal. The Senators' Cy Denneny while out looking for food, fell down a well, but escaped without injury. The game took place the next day.
It was a defensive era in the NHL. The Canadiens scored only 59 goals in 24 games, giving up 48. Georges Vezina led the league in goals against average of 2.0 per game. All four team's starting goalies had GAA under 4. Bill Boucher led the Canadiens in offence, scoring 16 goals.
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.
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