1923 – 24 Montreal Canadiens season The 1923 – 24 Montreal Canadiens season was the team ' s 15th season and seventh as a member of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . The Canadiens once again returned to the playoffs and won their second Stanley Cup defeating the Calgary Tigers . Regular season . This season was the rookie season of new star Howie Morenz . Placed on a line with Bill Boucher and Aurel Joliat , the Canadiens had an offensive line to terrorize the league . All three player were top 10 scorers , Boucher with 16 , Joliat with 15 and Morenz with 13 . The threesome scored 44 of Montreal ' s total of 59 goals in 24 games . December was mild in Montreal and the situation forced the postponement of several games at the Mount Royal Arena . The Canadiens played their first three games on the road before opening at home on December 29 , defeating Toronto 3 – 0 . The NHL held a mid - season meeting on January 26 to consider suspending Sprague Cleghorn . Ottawa claimed he was deliberately injuring opponents , citing a spearing incident against Cy Denneny . The league rejected the charges , and in a game against Ottawa shortly thereafter , Cleghorn charged Lionel Hitchman into the boards and earned a one game suspension . After the mild month of December , the winter was snowy . On February 20 , the train from Ottawa carrying the Senators was snow - bound partway to Montreal . The Senators ' Cy Denneny while out looking for food , fell down a well , but escaped without injury . The game took place the next day . It was a defensive era in the NHL . The Canadiens scored only 59 goals in 24 games , giving up 48 . Georges Vezina led the league in goals against average of 2 . 0 per game . All four team ' s starting goalies had GAA under 4 . Bill Boucher led the Canadiens in offence , scoring 16 goals . Playoffs . The Montreal Canadiens defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Ottawa Senators 5 - 2 in a two - game total - goals series . Out west , the PCHA second place Vancouver Maroons defeated the first place team ( Seattle Metropolitans ) also . Meanwhile , in the Western Canada Hockey League , the Calgary Tigers won the regular season and the playoffs . The Canadiens owner , Leo Dandurand , wanted Calgary and Vancouver to face off against each other and then have the Canadiens play the winner for the Stanley Cup . Frank Patrick , the president of the PCHA , refused to go along with that idea . NHL Championship . " All dates 1924 " Montreal Canadiens vs . Ottawa Senators " Montreal wins two game total goal series 5 goals to 2 to win the Prince of Wales Trophy . " Stanley Cup playoffs . Semi - Finals . Since Leo Dandurand ' s request to have Vancouver and Calgary face off first was denied , the first round match - up was the Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Maroons . This didn ' t dissuade Montreal at all as the Canadiens swept the best of three series two games to none . Vancouver Maroons vs . Montreal Canadiens " Montreal wins best - of - three two games to none " Finals . After sweeping Vancouver , Montreal ' s next opponent was the Calgary Tigers . Montreal swept them too in a best of three series . Howie Morenz was the star , scoring a hat trick in the first game , then another goal in the next game , which was transferred to Ottawa because of the slushy ice at Mount Royal Arena . Morenz was levelled by Cully Wilson of Calgary and suffered a chipped collarbone , but it was all in vain as Montreal won . The Canadiens swept all three teams they faced during the playoffs en route to their first Stanley Cup since their 1916 Cup win as a member of the NHA . Calgary Tigers vs . Montreal Canadiens " Montreal wins best - of - three two games to none for the Stanley Cup " Roster . Source :