1918 - 19 NHL season The 1918 - 19 NHL season was the second season of the National Hockey League . Three teams played 18 games each . Only three teams started the 1918 - 19 , the fewest in NHL history . A major rule change was adopted at the beginning of the season allowing forward passing . The NHL the also implemented the blue line for the first time , a rule that was first introduced in the PCHA . The Stanley Cup was not awarded in 1919 due to the worldwide pandemic of Spanish Influenza . League Business . When Toronto won the Cup in 1917 - 18 , a monkey wrench had been thrown into the other owners ' scheme to get rid of Eddie Livingstone . His team was estimated now to be worth $ 20 , 000 , and Livingstone demanded that . The Mutual Street Arena offered $ 7 , 000 , but Livingstone sued the Arena and Charlie Querrie for the $ 20 , 000 . A league meeting of the old NHA proved futile as heated arguments broke out between Livingstone and the other owners . The old NHA was extinguished . However , George Kennedy gave some ground , saying that if Livingstone dropped his lawsuits , he might be allowed in the league . In the meantime , Hubert Vearncombe , treasurer of the Toronto Arena Company formed the separate Toronto Arena HC . This separated the hockey club from the Livingstone lawsuits , though the franchise still used Livingstone ' s players without permission . Percy Quinn tried to purchase the Quebec Bulldogs , putting down a $ 600 down payment . When Calder issued a November 11th deadline for Quinn to declare his intentions , Quinn could not meet it and the Quebec franchise was suspended for the season . It had been anticipated that the end of World War I would release many veterans to join their old clubs , but very few were demobilized in time to do so . The regular season proceeded with three teams and a twenty - game split - season schedule . However , the second half of the season was cut short to eight games when the Arenas , playing poorly and with issues about breaking training , announced after 7 games of the second half , it could not continue . Calder persuaded Vearncombe to play the 18th game and then the NHL season ended at 18 games . The Arena HC withdrew from the league on February 20 , 1919 following financial difficulties . Left with only two teams , the league had its first ever best - of - seven series to determine who would meet the Pacific Coast Hockey Association champions for the Stanley Cup . Spanish Flu Pandemic . The first hockey death from the influenza pandemic was Ottawa ' s Hamby Shore in October , 1918 . Regular Season . Final standings . " GP = Games Played , W = Wins , L = Losses , T = Ties , Pts = Points , GF = Goals For , GA = Goals Against " < br > " Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold " Scoring leaders . " GP = Games Played , G = Goals , A = Assists , Pts = Points , PIM = Penalties In Minutes " Leading goaltenders . " GP = Games Played , W = Wins , L = Losses , T = Ties , TOI = Time On Ice ( minutes ) , GA = Goals Against , SO = Shutout s , GAA = Goals Against Average " Stanley Cup Playoffs . " All dates in 1919 " With the NHL reduced to two teams eighteen games into its 20 - game season , a decision was made to have the two remaining teams - - coincidentally the two teams leading each half of the season - - compete in a best - of - seven series to see which team would head west to battle against the Pacific Coast Hockey Association champions . With Ottawa star Frank Nighbor missing most of the series due to a family bereavement Montreal won the series four games to one and faced the Seattle Metropolitans for the Cup . With the series tied after five games ( with one tie ) , the sixth game was slated for April 1 , 1919 , when the Spanish Flu epidemic forced the cancellation of the series . Several players on both sides were sick because of it , and it would eventually claim the life of Canadiens ' forward Joe Hall five days later . Canadiens manager George Kennedy would not recover completely . This was the only time in history when the Stanley Cup was not awarded after the playoffs began . NHL Championship . Montreal Canadiens vs . Ottawa Senators " Montreal wins best - of - seven series 4 games to 1 for the O ' Brien Trophy " Finals . Montreal Canadiens vs . Seattle Metropolitans " Series ended 2 - 2 - 1 and no winner awarded – playoffs were curtailed due to the influenza epidemic " Post - season exhibitions . The Ottawa Senators went to the Pacific Coast and played an exhibition game against the Victoria Aristocrats and a best - of - three series against the Vancouver Millionaires . NHL Playoff scoring leader . " GP = Games Played , G = Goals , A = Assists , Pts = Points " Debuts . The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1918 - 19 ( listed with their first team , asterisk ( * ) marks debut in playoffs ) : Last games . The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1918 - 19 ( listed with their last team ) :