1924 Stanley Cup playoffs The 1924 Stanley Cup playoffs was the third and final year in which the National Hockey League ( NHL ) champions , the Pacific Coast Hockey Association ( PCHA ) champions , and the Western Canada Hockey League ( WCHL ) champions all competed for the Stanley Cup ( the PCHA and the WCHL would later merge after the season ) . The playoffs began on March 18 , 1924 , and concluded on March 25 when the NHL champion Montreal Canadiens defeated the WCHL champion Calgary Tigers in the final series , two games to zero . Background . Montreal finished second overall in the 1923 – 24 NHL regular season standings with a 13 – 11 record , behind the 16 – 8 Ottawa Senators . However , the Canadiens upset the Senators in the two - game total goal league champion series , 5 goals to 2 , to win the NHL title . Calgary finished the 1923 – 24 WCHL regular season with an 18 – 11 – 1 record . The Tigers then defeated the 17 – 11 – 2 second place Regina Capitals in the WCHL championship series , tying Game 1 in Regina , 2 – 2 , and then winning 2 – 0 in Calgary . The 1923 – 24 PCHA season was capped with the 13 – 6 – 1 Vancouver Maroons defeating the 14 – 16 – 1 Seattle Metropolitans in a two - game league championship series . Pre - Cup Playoffs news . Both rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs were scheduled to be played on the NHL winner ' s home ice , with Montreal having to face both the PCHA and the WCHL champions . However , Canadiens owner Leo Dandurand claimed that Calgary and Vancouver were inferior to his . He therefore wanted the two western teams to face off against each other , and then have the Canadiens play the winner in the final round . PCHA President Frank Patrick refused to go along with that idea and instead proposed a compromise in which the host team ' s ( Montreal ' s ) customary contribution towards the two other clubs ' travel expenses would be cut in half . But in order to generate the additional money , Calgary and Vancouver decided to play a three - game series before going to Montreal , with the loser having to face the Canadiens in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs . Games were played in Vancouver , Calgary , and Winnipeg , with the Tigers coming back from a Game 1 loss to win the next two contests . Despite this extra series between the Tigers and the Maroons , Montreal still had to defeat both western teams in order to win the Cup . Cup Playoffs summary . Semi - final : Montreal Canadiens defeat Vancouver Maroons , 2 games to 0 . The Canadiens swept the Maroons in two , one - goal victories in the best - of - three series . Billy Boucher scored the game - winning goal in Montreal ' s 3 – 2 victory in the first game . In the second game , Vancouver scored first on a goal by Billy ' s brother , Frank Boucher . But Billy responded with two goals of his own to give the Canadiens a 2 – 1 win and clinch the series . Final : Montreal Canadiens defeat Calgary Tigers , 2 games to 0 . Montreal also swept Calgary in the best - of - three series to clinch the Cup . In the first game , rookie Howie Morenz recorded a hat - trick as he led the Canadiens to a 6 – 1 victory . The second game was then moved to the artificial ice at Ottawa Auditorium in Ottawa because of poor ice conditions at Mount Royal Arena . There , goaltender Georges Vézina lead Montreal to a 3 – 0 shutout to clinch the Cup . Morenz also added another goal in the second contest , but was also leveled by Calgary right wing Cully Wilson and suffered a chipped collarbone . The Canadiens won their first Stanley Cup as a member of the NHL , their second counting the 1916 Cup win . Cup engravings . After the playoffs , a new ring was added to the Cup with the player ' s names engraved along with the following : " Canadiens of Montreal / World ' s Champions / Defeated / Ottawa Vancouver Calgary / Two Straight Games Each "