1924 – 25 Montreal Canadiens season The 1924 – 25 Montreal Canadiens season was the team ' s 16th season and eighth as a member of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . The Canadiens once again made it to the Stanley Cup Final but lost to the Victoria Cougars . Pre - Season . The Canadiens joined with the Saskatoon Sheiks of the Western Canada Hockey League for training camp at the artificial ice rink in Grimsby , Ontario . The Canadiens had just traded Newsy Lalonde to the Sheiks for Aurel Joliat . Workouts started on November 17 . On the 19th , Saskatoon beat Montreal 4 - 2 in their first exhibition game . Two days later , the Canadiens got their revenge 6 - 1 in a game at Niagara Falls . The third game of the series , played at London , Ontario , ended in a 4 - 2 Saskatoon victory . The teams then travelled to their respective home cities . With ice not yet ready at the Canadiens ' home rink Mount Royal Arena , the team joined the Montreal Maroons at the almost - completed Montreal Forum for workouts on November 25 . Construction was still going on in the spectators ' areas , so no fans were allowed to come in . Despite that , hundreds of fans lined up outside . The next day , spectators were allowed in for a treat . The Maroons and Canadiens played an improptu exhibition match which was the first to be played in the building . Regular season . This was the first season for the Montreal Maroons and Boston Bruins - the first American NHL team . The Montreal Forum , was built to house the Maroons . However , it was the Canadiens who played in it first . The season started earlier , on November 29 , and because the Mount Royal Arena couldn ' t produce ice , it was decided to move a game against the Toronto St . Patricks to the Forum . The Canadiens beat the St . Patricks 7 – 1 , as Billy Boucher scored a hat trick before 8000 fans . The Canadiens improved their scoring , scoring 93 goals in 30 games , giving up 56 . Georges Vezina led the league in goals against average of 1 . 9 per game . All six team ' s starting goalie had a GAA under 4 . Aurel Joliat led the Canadiens on offence , scoring 29 goals . Playoffs . NHL Championship . The third seed Montreal Canadiens played against the second seed Toronto St . Patricks in a total goals series . The winner of that series was to go on and play the first seed team , the Hamilton Tigers . But it was not to happen that way . During the total goals series , the Hamilton players demanded $ 200 each for the extra six games played during the regular season and the league threatened to suspend the players and the team . Last ditch efforts to reach a compromise failed and the Tigers were suspended . It was suggested that the Ottawa Senators be included in the playoffs , but Charlie Querrie and Leo Dandurand cited a fourth place finish didn ' t qualify Ottawa a playoff berth and it was decided that Montreal and Toronto had played for the league title . NHL president Frank Calder announced that the Canadiens played home games at the Forum , but Leo Dandurand said that they would be played at Mount Royal Arena unless it were necessary to move to the Forum , citing home games were home games , and the Canadiens played better in front of their own fans . Calder backed down from his stand . Montreal won the series against Toronto and was awarded the Prince of Wales Trophy and earned the right to play for the Stanley Cup . Montreal Canadiens vs . Toronto St . Patricks " Montreal wins total goals series 5 goals to 2 " Finals . Over in the Western Canada Hockey League , the third place Victoria Cougars won their league championship and would face the Montreal Canadiens for the Stanley Cup championship . Victoria easily beat Montreal three games to one out - scoring the Canadiens 16 to 8 . This marks the first , and last , time since the inception of the NHL that a non - NHL team won the Stanley Cup . On a foot - note , though , the Seattle Metropolitans could have claimed the Cup during the flu cancelled season of 1919 , but chose not to out of good - sportsmanship . The series was played in Patrick Arena in Victoria . Montreal Canadiens vs . Victoria Cougars " Victoria Cougars win best - of - five series 3 games to 1 for the Stanley Cup " Roster . Source :