# 1919–20 Montreal Canadiens season

The 1919–20 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 11th season and third as a member of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Canadiens opened their new Mount Royal Arena built to replace burnt-down Jubilee Rink.
The Toronto NHL franchise was now operated by a new group and known as the Toronto St. Patricks. A Quebec team was active this season, meaning a four-team league operated, and players from the Quebec NHA team were 'returned' to the new Quebec Bulldogs NHL team. The Canadiens lost Joe Malone and Jack McDonald to the Bulldogs.
Harry Cameron joined the Canadiens from Ottawa and Howard McNamara re-joined the Canadiens after not playing since 1917 with the Toronto 228th Battalion, and serving in the Canadian army. Don Smith, who had last played for the Canadiens in 1914–15, returned after serving in the army, last playing for the Montreal Wanderers in 1915–16.

## Regular season

The Mount Royal Arena was not ready for the start of the season, and the Canadiens started their season on the road. The home opener was held January 10, and Newsy Lalonde used the occasion to celebrate with six goals in a 14–7 drubbing of the Toronto St. Patricks.
On March 3, the Montreal Canadiens pummeled the Quebec Bulldogs 16–3, setting an all-time record for goals by one team.
Georges Vezina came third in the league in goals against average of 4.66 per game. Newsy Lalonde led the Canadiens in offence, scoring 37 goals and 9 assists to place second in league scoring to Joe Malone.
The Canadiens picked up their scoring from the previous season, but gave up more goals on defence and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since the 1914–15 season.
There was no playoffs as the Ottawa Senators won both halves of the season.

### Final standings

First half :
| | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
| Ottawa Senators | 12 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 59 | 23 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 62 | 51 |
| Toronto St. Patricks | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 52 | 62 |
| Quebec Athletics | 12 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 44 | 81 |
Second half :
| | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
| Ottawa Senators | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 62 | 41 |
| Toronto St. Patricks | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 67 | 44 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 67 | 62 |
| Quebec Athletics | 12 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 47 | 96 |
Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

### Record vs. opponents

1919–20 NHL Records :
| Team | MTL | OTT | QUE | TOR |
| Montreal | — | 1–7 | 7–1 | 5–3 |
| Ottawa | 7–1 | — | 7–1 | 5–3 |
| Quebec | 1–7 | 1–7 | — | 2–6 |
| Toronto | 3–5 | 3–5 | 6–2 | — |

## Schedule and results

| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| December ||||
| 25 | at Quebec Bulldogs | 12–5 | 1–0 |
| 27 | Ottawa Senators | 0–2 | 1–1 |
| 31 | at Toronto St. Pats | 1–5 | 1–2 |
| January ||||
| 7 | at Ottawa Senators | 3–4 | 1–3 |
| 10 | Toronto St. Pats | 14–7 | 2–3 |
| 12 | Quebec Bulldogs | 7–3 | 3–3 |
| 14 | at Toronto St. Pats | 4–3 | 4–3 |
| 17 | Ottawa Senators | 3–2 | 5–3 |
| 21 | Toronto St. Pats | 3–2 | 6–3 |
| 24 | at Quebec Bulldogs | 8–4 | 7–3 |
| 28 | Quebec Bulldogs | 4–3 | 8–3 |
| 31 | at Ottawa Senators | 3–11 | 8–4 |

### Second half

| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| February ||||
| 4 | at Toronto St. Pats | 6–5 | 1–0 |
| 7 | Quebec Bulldogs | 6–2 | 2–0 |
| 11 | at Ottawa Senators | 3–4 | 2–1 |
| 14 | Ottawa Senators | 2–3 | 2–2 |
| 18 | Toronto St. Pats | 2–8 | 2–3 |
| 21 | at Quebec Bulldogs | 7–8 | 2–4 |
| 25 | at Ottawa Senators | 3–6 | 2–5 |
| 28 | Quebec Bulldogs | 8–6 | 3–5 |
| March ||||
| 3 | at Quebec Bulldogs | 16–3 | 4–5 |
| 6 | Ottawa Senators | 3–4 | 4–6 |
| 10 | Toronto St. Pats | 7–2 | 5–6 |
| 13 | at Toronto St. Pats | 4–11 | 5–7 |

## Player statistics
### Skaters

Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes
| | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Player | # | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Newsy Lalonde | 4 | 23 | 37 | 9 | 46 | 34 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Amos Arbour | 10 | 22 | 21 | 5 | 26 | 13 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Didier Pitre | 5 | 23 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 6 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Odie Cleghorn | 6 | 21 | 20 | 4 | 24 | 30 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Harry Cameron† | 11 | 16 | 12 | 5 | 17 | 36 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Bert Corbeau | 2 | 24 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 65 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Louis Berlinguette | 8 | 24 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 36 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Billy Coutu | 9 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 67 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Don Smith | 7 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Howard McNamara | 3 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Jack Coughlin† | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - |
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Montreal. Stats reflect time with the Canadiens only.

### Goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average
| | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Player | # | GP | TOI | W | L | T | GA | SO | GAA | GP | TOI | W | L | T | GA | SO | GAA |
| Georges Vezina | 1 | 24 | 1456 | 13 | 11 | 0 | 113 | 0 | 4.66 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -.-- |

## Transactions

* transferred Joe Malone and Jack McDonald to Quebec Bulldogs when the club returned to the NHL, November 25, 1919
* signed Don Smith as a free agent, November, 1919
* signed Howard McNamara as a free agent, December 5, 1919
* signed Eddie Carpenter as a free agent, December 15, 1919
* traded Eddie Carpenter to Quebec Bulldogs for Goldie Prodgers, December 21, 1919
* traded Goldie Prodgers to Toronto St. Pats for Harry Cameron, January 14, 1920
* signed Jack Coughlin as a free agent, February 18, 1920
Source:
* Mouton, p. 153