# 1929–30 Montreal Canadiens season

The 1929–30 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 21st season. The team placed second in the Canadian Division and qualified for the playoffs. The team won three series to win the Stanley Cup, for the third time in team history, and the second time in the National Hockey League (NHL).

## Regular season

To combat low scoring, a major rule change was implemented. Players were now allowed forward passing in the offensive zone, instead of only in the defensive and neutral zones. This led to abuse: players sat in front of the opposing net waiting for a pass. The rule was changed again mid-season in December 1929, and players were no longer allowed to enter the offensive zone before the puck. Hence the birth of the modern-day offside rule. The Canadiens doubled their scoring output compared to the previous season.

### Highlights

On December 14, 1929, Alfred Lepine scored four goals and added one assist in the second period of a game versus Ottawa, won 6–4 by Montreal. As of 2009, this feat is still the Canadiens' record for goals and points in one period.

### Final standings

Canadian Division :
| | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | PTS |
| Montreal Maroons | 44 | 23 | 16 | 5 | 141 | 114 | 51 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 44 | 21 | 14 | 9 | 142 | 114 | 51 |
| Ottawa Senators | 44 | 21 | 15 | 8 | 138 | 118 | 50 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 44 | 17 | 21 | 6 | 116 | 124 | 40 |
| New York Americans | 44 | 14 | 25 | 5 | 113 | 161 | 33 |
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.

### Record vs. opponents
## Schedule and results

Regular season results :
| No. | R | Date | Score | Opponent | Record |
| 1 | T | November 14, 1929 | 3–3 OT | @ Ottawa Senators (1929–30) | 0–0–1 |
| 2 | T | November 16, 1929 | 4–4 OT | Chicago Black Hawks (1929–30) | 0–0–2 |
| 3 | L | November 19, 1929 | 1–5 | @ Montreal Maroons (1929–30) | 0–1–2 |
| 4 | W | November 21, 1929 | 3–2 OT | Toronto Maple Leafs (1929–30) | 1–1–2 |
| 5 | W | November 24, 1929 | 3–2 OT | @ New York Americans (1929–30) | 2–1–2 |
| 6 | W | November 26, 1929 | 9–2 | Pittsburgh Pirates (1929–30) | 3–1–2 |
| 7 | W | November 30, 1929 | 3–1 | New York Americans (1929–30) | 4–1–2 |
| 8 | L | December 3, 1929 | 1–3 | @ Boston Bruins (1929–30) | 4–2–2 |
| 9 | L | December 5, 1929 | 4–5 | Montreal Maroons (1929–30) | 4–3–2 |
| 10 | W | December 7, 1929 | 1–0 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1929–30) | 5–3–2 |
| 11 | W | December 10, 1929 | 5–3 OT | Detroit Cougars (1929–30) | 6–3–2 |
| 12 | L | December 12, 1929 | 3–8 | @ New York Rangers (1929–30) | 6–4–2 |
| 13 | W | December 14, 1929 | 6–4 | Ottawa Senators (1929–30) | 7–4–2 |
| 14 | T | December 17, 1929 | 3–3 OT | @ Pittsburgh Pirates (1929–30) | 7–4–3 |
| 15 | W | December 19, 1929 | 7–2 | New York Rangers (1929–30) | 8–4–3 |
| 16 | T | December 21, 1929 | 1–1 OT | @ Ottawa Senators (1929–30) | 8–4–4 |
| 17 | L | December 28, 1929 | 2–3 | Boston Bruins (1929–30) | 8–5–4 |
| 18 | W | January 1, 1930 | 3–2 OT | @ Chicago Black Hawks (1929–30) | 9–5–4 |
| 19 | L | January 2, 1930 | 0–4 | @ Detroit Cougars (1929–30) | 9–6–4 |
| 20 | L | January 4, 1930 | 3–4 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1929–30) | 9–7–4 |
| 21 | L | January 7, 1930 | 1–2 | Montreal Maroons (1929–30) | 9–8–4 |
| 22 | L | January 11, 1930 | 1–2 OT | Ottawa Senators (1929–30) | 9–9–4 |
| 23 | W | January 16, 1930 | 6–1 | Detroit Cougars (1929–30) | 10–9–4 |
| 24 | W | January 21, 1930 | 5–2 | @ New York Americans (1929–30) | 11–9–4 |
| 25 | L | January 25, 1930 | 1–2 | Boston Bruins (1929–30) | 11–10–4 |
| 26 | W | January 28, 1930 | 3–2 | @ Montreal Maroons (1929–30) | 12–10–4 |
| 27 | W | January 30, 1930 | 1–0 OT | Chicago Black Hawks (1929–30) | 13–10–4 |
| 28 | L | February 1, 1930 | 1–4 | @ Ottawa Senators (1929–30) | 13–11–4 |
| 29 | W | February 4, 1930 | 3–1 | Toronto Maple Leafs (1929–30) | 14–11–4 |
| 30 | T | February 6, 1930 | 3–3 OT | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1929–30) | 14–11–5 |
| 31 | T | February 8, 1930 | 2–2 OT | Montreal Maroons (1929–30) | 14–11–6 |
| 32 | T | February 13, 1930 | 4–4 OT | Ottawa Senators (1929–30) | 14–11–7 |
| 33 | W | February 16, 1930 | 2–1 OT | @ Chicago Black Hawks (1929–30) | 15–11–7 |
| 34 | W | February 18, 1930 | 2–0 | @ Detroit Cougars (1929–30) | 16–11–7 |
| 35 | W | February 22, 1930 | 9–2 | New York Americans (1929–30) | 17–11–7 |
| 36 | L | February 25, 1930 | 2–4 | @ New York Americans (1929–30) | 17–12–7 |
| 37 | W | February 27, 1930 | 6–2 | Toronto Maple Leafs (1929–30) | 18–12–7 |
| 38 | W | March 1, 1930 | 4–2 | @ Pittsburgh Pirates (1929–30) | 19–12–7 |
| 39 | L | March 4, 1930 | 2–5 | @ Boston Bruins (1929–30) | 19–13–7 |
| 40 | L | March 6, 1930 | 0–4 | @ Montreal Maroons (1929–30) | 19–14–7 |
| 41 | W | March 8, 1930 | 6–0 | New York Rangers (1929–30) | 20–14–7 |
| 42 | T | March 11, 1930 | 3–3 OT | @ New York Rangers (1929–30) | 20–14–8 |
| 43 | T | March 13, 1930 | 2–2 OT | Pittsburgh Pirates (1929–30) | 20–14–9 |
| 44 | W | March 18, 1930 | 8–3 | New York Americans (1929–30) | 21–14–9 |

## Playoffs

The Canadiens, by placing second had to play in the first round series versus the Chicago Black Hawks. The Canadiens won the two-game total-goals series 3–2. Next, were the New York Rangers who had defeated the Ottawa Senators in their first round series. The Canadiens swept the Rangers two games to none in a best-of-three series. The teams played 68 minutes and 52 seconds of overtime in the first game before Gus Rivers scored to win the game for the Canadiens.

### Finals

The Canadiens advanced to the final against the Boston Bruins. The Bruins were heavily favoured, after winning all meetings with the Canadiens during the regular season. However, it meant little as the Canadiens swept the Bruins in two straight (3–0, 4–3) to win the Stanley Cup.

## Player statistics
### Regular season
#### Scoring

| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Howie Morenz | C | 44 | 40 | 10 | 50 | 72 |
| Pit Lepine | C | 44 | 24 | 9 | 33 | 47 |
| Aurel Joliat | LW | 42 | 19 | 12 | 31 | 40 |
| Wildor Larochelle | RW | 44 | 14 | 11 | 25 | 28 |
| Sylvio Mantha | D | 44 | 13 | 11 | 24 | 108 |
| Nick Wasnie | RW | 44 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 64 |
| Albert Leduc | D | 44 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 90 |
| Marty Burke | D | 44 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 71 |
| Armand Mondou | LW | 44 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 24 |
| Georges Mantha | D/LW | 44 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 16 |
| Bert McCaffrey | RW/D | 28 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 26 |
| Gerry Carson | D | 35 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| Gus Rivers | RW | 19 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Gord Fraser | D | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| George Hainsworth | G | 42 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mickey Murray | G | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Roy Worters | G | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

#### Goaltending

| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SO |
| George Hainsworth | 2680 | 42 | 20 | 13 | 9 | 108 | 2.42 | 4 |
| Roy Worters† | 60 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2.00 | 0 |
| Mickey Murray | 60 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4.00 | 0 |
| Team: | 2800 | 44 | 21 | 14 | 9 | 114 | 2.44 | 4 |
† Worters was loaned from the New York Americans for one game on February 27, 1930, vs. Toronto.

### Playoffs
#### Scoring

| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Pit Lepine | C | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Nick Wasnie | RW | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 12 |
| Albert Leduc | D | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
| Howie Morenz | C | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Sylvio Mantha | D | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 18 |
| Bert McCaffrey | RW/D | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Armand Mondou | LW | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Aurel Joliat | LW | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Wildor Larochelle | RW | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| Gus Rivers | RW | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Marty Burke | D | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Gerry Carson | D | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| George Hainsworth | G | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Georges Mantha | D/LW | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |

#### Goaltending

| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | GA | GAA | SO |
| George Hainsworth | 481 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0.75 | 3 |
| Team: | 481 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0.75 | 3 |
    Pos = Position; GPI = Games played in; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes; +/- = Plus/minus; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals
    Min, TOI = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T,T/OT = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage;