Summary
The New York/Brooklyn Americans finally gave up the ghost. The franchise had struggled financially for years but the league had kept it going because having two teams in New York was considered a good idea. Now, with many NHL players called into service, talent was becoming diluted throughout the league and it was decided that dismantling one money-losing team and redistributing its players was an even better idea.
The playoff format was revamped. When the NHL had seven teams, six of them made the playoffs. Now that the league was down to six teams, only four were admitted to post-season play. In the first round, the first-place team played the third-place team, and the second- and fourth-place teams played one another, with the winners advancing to the championship round.
The Detroit Red Wings, who had blown a 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup finals the previous year, led the league mainly because of a stingy defense and Vezina Trophy goalie John Mowers. They carried right on in the post-season, eliminating the Canadiens and then sweeping the Boston Bruins for the championship.
