The Eastern Conference ( French : Conférence de l'Est ) is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League (NHL) used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference .
73-576: Originally named the Prince of Wales Conference , it was created in 1974 when the NHL realigned its teams into two conferences and four divisions. Because the new conferences and divisions had little to do with North American geography, geographical references were removed. The Prince of Wales Trophy dates back to 1925, when it was donated to the League by the Prince of Wales , who later became King Edward VIII and then
146-559: A Rogers Media -produced broadcast under a sub-license agreement, with it streaming on Rogers Media's digital platform, and a simulcast on Sportsnet starting in 2017 . French-language broadcasts in Canada also began in 1953, with play-by-play commentator Rene Lecavalier and colour commentator Jean-Maurice Bailly on CBC's Télévision de Radio-Canada (SRC) division. SRC continued to be the exclusive French-language broadcaster until 2003 when Réseau des sports (RDS) took over. Since 2015, under
219-492: A sub-license agreement with Rogers, TVA has been the exclusive home of French-language broadcasts in Canada. The first television broadcast in the United States was in 1962 , covered by local Chicago station WGN , while network broadcasts started in 1966 on NBC . However, national coverage on American television, like the rest of the NHL season, remained in a state of flux for decades. From 1966 to 1975, NBC and CBS held
292-510: A two-point lead in the standings. When L.A. won in Montreal in mid-January, they were back in first place. The teams continued to battle, with the Canadiens finally clinching first place with three games to play. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold With
365-696: Is awarded the Stanley Cup , North America's oldest professional sports trophy, and one of the "most important championships available to the sport [of ice hockey]" according to the International Ice Hockey Federation . Originally inscribed the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup , the trophy was donated in 1892 by Lord Stanley of Preston , then– Governor General of Canada , initially as a " challenge trophy " for Canada's top-ranking amateur ice hockey club. The champions held onto
438-510: The de facto championship trophy of the NHL. In 1947, the NHL reached an agreement with trustees P. D. Ross and Cooper Smeaton to grant control of the cup to the NHL, allowing the league itself to reject challenges from other leagues that may have wished to play for the Cup. A 2006 Ontario Superior Court case found that the trustees had gone against Lord Stanley's conditions in the 1947 agreement. The NHL has agreed to allow other teams to play for
511-474: The 1981–82 to better reflect the geographical locations of the teams, but the existing names were retained with the Wales Conference becoming the conference primarily for the NHL's eastern teams. The names of conferences and divisions were changed for the 1993–94 season to reflect their geographic locations. Then-new NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman made the change to help non-hockey fans better understand
584-843: The Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens never missed the playoffs in this format, while the Buffalo Sabres only missed twice. In the Patrick Division, the Washington Capitals only missed the playoffs once, the New York Rangers twice, the New York Islanders three times and the Philadelphia Flyers four. In both cases, this usually left the other two teams to contend for the final playoff spot. This format also raised
657-551: The Duke of Windsor . It was originally given to the NHL's playoff champion. (Until 1926, the Stanley Cup was presented to the winner of a post-season playoff between the NHL and Western Hockey League champions.) Since 1926–27 , the Stanley Cup has gone to the NHL's playoff champion. During the years when the NHL had no divisions, (i.e., 1925–26; 1938 to 1967), the Prince of Wales Trophy
730-702: The Prince of Wales Conference and consisted of the Adams Division and Norris Division . The West Division became the Clarence Campbell Conference and consisted of the Patrick Division and Smythe Division . The Capitals had the worst season ever recorded in the history of major professional hockey, and the third worst in the postwar era the following season, while the Scouts the following season will have
803-488: The Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts , were added, increasing the number of teams to 18. To accommodate the new teams, the NHL re-organized its divisional structure and playoff format. The regular season was expanded to 80 games per team (which would be the case until 1992–93 ). The Philadelphia Flyers won the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive year. The Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts were added as expansion teams. The 1974 NHL Expansion Draft
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#1732851268723876-567: The Washington Capitals . For the first time ever in the National Hockey League, there was a three-way tie for first place overall. The respective divisional leaders of the Norris ( Montreal Canadiens ), Patrick ( Philadelphia Flyers ), and Adams ( Buffalo Sabres ) all had 113 points. By virtue of having the most wins, the Flyers were accorded the league's best record and held home-ice advantage in
949-570: The Allan Cup became the highest prize for amateur hockey teams in Canada, the trustees had become dependent on the top two professional leagues to bolster the prominence of the trophy. After the Portland Rosebuds , an American-based team, joined the PCHA in 1914, the trustees issued a statement that the Cup was no longer for the best team in Canada, but now for the best team in the world. Two years later,
1022-753: The Atlantic Division formed a re-constituted East Division. The five remaining American teams from the Eastern Conference teams joined the Central Division. These changes have been reversed, for the 2021–22 season. The Wales Conference originally consisted of the Adams Division and the Norris Division . The 1981 realignment moved the Norris Division to the Clarence Campbell Conference and added that Conference's Patrick Division instead. When
1095-583: The Cup should the league not be operating, as was the case in the 2004–05 NHL lockout . The first television broadcast of the Stanley Cup Finals in Canada was in 1953 . English-language coverage was aired by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), with Danny Gallivan calling the play-by-play, Keith Dancy providing the colour commentary, and Wes McKnight hosted. The Hockey Night in Canada team of Gallivan and Dancy called
1168-469: The Cup until they either lost their league title to another club, or a champion from another league issued a formal challenge and defeated the reigning Cup champion in a final game to claim their win. Professional teams first became eligible to challenge for the Stanley Cup in 1906. Starting in 1915, the Cup was officially held between the champion of the National Hockey Association (NHA) and
1241-584: The Cup, the trophy was then awarded to the winner of the NHL's championship playoff round. This first took place in 1927 between the Boston Bruins and the Ottawa Senators , which was planned to be a best-of-three series, although the series allowed ties. The series ended after four games, when the Senators defeated the Bruins in the fourth game. The NHL has changed its playoff format several times since 1927, and thus
1314-664: The Cup. At the same time, the NHA concluded a similar agreement with the Maritime Hockey League but the MHL champions abandoned their 1914 challenge and did not challenge again. From 1914 onwards, the Stanley Cup championship finals alternated between the East and the West each year, with alternating games played according to NHA and PCHA rules. The Cup trustees agreed to this new arrangement, because after
1387-626: The Eastern champions have won 20 times. The Stanley Cup was first awarded to the Montreal Hockey Club in 1893 when the team won the 1893 AHAC season . The team then had to defend its champion-title both through league championships and challenge games organised by the Stanley Cup trustees. Until 1912, these challenges could take place before or during a league season. After 1912, the trustees ordered that challenges only take place after all league games were completed. The last challenge, in 1914,
1460-626: The NHL in 1995 when the Quebec Nordiques moved there and became the Colorado Avalanche , where they remain to this day. Seattle was later awarded an expansion team, the Seattle Kraken , in 2018 that began play in 2021. The 1974 NHL Amateur Draft was held on May 28–30. For the first time, the draft was held at the NHL offices in Montreal , Quebec . Greg Joly was selected first overall by
1533-698: The NHL's stronger markets), while the Golden Seals moved to Cleveland in 1976 to become the Cleveland Barons before merging with the Minnesota North Stars in 1978. The Scouts gave up on Kansas City after two seasons and moved to Denver to become the Colorado Rockies in 1976 before moving east to East Rutherford, New Jersey , in 1982 and becoming the New Jersey Devils ; Denver returned to
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#17328512687231606-603: The Patrick Division champions, the Clarence Campbell Conference regular season champions, and the first seed overall earning 113 points during the regular season, winning the tie-breaker over both Buffalo and Montreal in total wins. The Toronto Maple Leafs were seeded eighth in the Quarterfinals as the lowest remaining seed in the playoffs and qualified for the Quarterfinals by defeating the Los Angeles Kings in
1679-509: The Quarterfinals as the fourth seed and they qualified for this round by defeating the St. Louis Blues in the preliminary round. The New York Islanders were seeded fifth in the Quarterfinals and qualified for this round by defeating the New York Rangers in the preliminary round. This was the first playoff series between these two teams. The teams split this year's regular season series. After trailing
1752-775: The Rosebuds became the first American team to play in the Stanley Cup championship finals. In 1917, the Seattle Metropolitans became the first American team to win the Cup. After that season, the NHA dissolved, and the National Hockey League (NHL) took its place. In 1919 , the Spanish influenza epidemic forced the Montreal Canadiens and the Seattle Metropolitans to cancel their series tied at 2–2–1, marking
1825-409: The Stanley Cup travel west, because they did not consider Victoria a proper challenger, as they had not verified themselves with the trustees. However, on March 18, trustee William Foran stated that it was a misunderstanding. PCHA president Lester Patrick, had not filed a challenge, because he had expected Emmett Quinn of the NHA to make all of the arrangements in his role as hockey commissioner, whereas
1898-597: The Wales/Eastern Conference playoff champions. In the playoff system introduced in 1982, the top four teams in each division made the playoffs. The first-round winners met in the Division finals, and the division final winners met in the conference finals. In this format, the division standings tended to be somewhat static, though not quite as static as in the Campbell Conference. In the Adams Division,
1971-720: The Western Conference and NHL logos) to its current format. Along with the Western Conference, the Eastern Conference was temporarily abolished for the 2020–21 NHL season after the COVID-19 pandemic in North America forced a realignment of the League to preclude the need for teams to regularly cross the Canada–United States border . For 2020–21 the three Canadian teams competed in the newly formed North Division while six Metropolitan Division teams and two American teams from
2044-537: The champion of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA). After a series of league mergers and folds, it became the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1926. Starting in 1982 , the championship round of the NHL's playoffs has been a best-of-seven series played between the champions of the Eastern and Western Conferences . Since then, Western champions have won 21 times, while
2117-491: The championship reverted to a single series. After winning in the 1924–25 season, the Victoria Cougars became the last team outside the NHL to win the Stanley Cup. The WHL folded in 1926, and most of the players moved to the NHL. This left the NHL as the only league left competing for the Cup. Other leagues and clubs have issued challenges, but from that year forward, no non-NHL team has played for it, leading it to become
2190-642: The fifth worst record of the postwar era. The Clarence S. Campbell Bowl and Prince of Wales Trophy (previously awarded to the first-place finishers of the West Division and East Division respectively) now became awarded to the first-place finishers of the Campbell Conference and the Wales Conference, respectively. In early 1975, newspapers reported that the California Golden Seals and Pittsburgh Penguins were to be relocated to Denver and Seattle respectively, in an arrangement that would have seen
2263-408: The final round has not always pitted conference or division playoff champions against each other. In the playoff format used from 1929 to 1938, the two teams with identical division ranking would face each other (i.e. the first place teams played each other, the second place teams play each other, and likewise for the third place teams). The winner of the first place series would automatically advance to
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2336-463: The final round. The winner of the second and third place series would then play each other, with the winner of that series earning the other berth to the championship round. During the Original Six era, the top four teams made the playoffs, with the first and third place teams battling in one semifinal series, while the second and fourth place teams battled in the other. And from 1975 to 1981 , all
2409-519: The first Stanley Cup Finals matchup between two expansion teams, The Philadelphia Flyers beat the Buffalo Sabres four games to two for their second consecutive Stanley Cup . Source: NHL. Stanley Cup Finals The Stanley Cup Finals in ice hockey (also known as the Stanley Cup Final among various media, French : Finale de la Coupe Stanley ) is the National Hockey League 's (NHL) annual championship series. The winner
2482-606: The first time the Stanley Cup was not awarded. The format for the Stanley Cup championship changed in 1922 , with the creation of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). Now three leagues competed for the Cup and this necessitated a semi-final series between two league champions, with the third having a bye directly to the finals. In 1924 , the PCHA and the WCHL merged to form the Western Hockey League (WHL) and
2555-463: The four division winners in the quarterfinals, and they were again re-seeded 1–8 based on regular season record. The teams that advanced to the semifinals were reseeded 1–4. Proponents of this re-seeding state that it makes the regular season more important by rewarding teams with better records with potentially easier matchups. In addition, it avoids the potential issue of two lower seeded teams (who may have pulled early round upsets) playing each other in
2628-490: The game, as the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) all use geographic-based names for their divisions. However, the trophy awarded to the conference champion, the Prince of Wales Trophy, retains some connection to the heritage of the League. In 2005, following the 2004–05 NHL lockout , Bettman changed the Eastern Conference logo (along with
2701-433: The last time an NHL team forced a seventh game of a best-of-seven series after trailing 3–0 until the Flyers themselves did so against Boston in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals . This was the second playoff series between these two teams, with Montreal winning the only previous meeting in six games in the 1973 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals . Buffalo won this year's season series earning nine of ten points during
2774-581: The names of conferences and divisions were changed in 1993, the Eastern Conference's divisions became the Atlantic and Northeast . Realignment in 1998 added a third division, the Southeast . Another realignment in 2013 reorganized the Eastern Conference into two, eight-team divisions: the Atlantic Division name retained, but was reassigned to what had been the Northeast Division, while the old Atlantic Division
2847-439: The new conference and division structure, the 1975 playoffs used a new format. The playoffs were expanded from eight to twelve teams with the top three teams in each division qualifying for the playoffs. The first place teams in each division earned a first round bye, while the second and third place teams were seeded 1–8 based on their regular season record and played a best-of-three series. The four preliminary series winners joined
2920-461: The next eight finals. Gallivan called his last championship series in 1978 . For decades, Hockey Night in Canada on CBC remained the exclusive English-language broadcaster across Canada, except in 1972 when a lengthy NABET strike forced coverage to be instead aired on CTV , and from 1985 to 1988 when the series was split between CBC and either CTV or Global TV . In 2015 , the CBC telecast became
2993-609: The next round while two higher seeded teams are playing each other (as is possible in a "bracketed" playoff format like in the NBA ). The biggest beneficiary of this format was the Vancouver Canucks , who were ninth overall in the regular season but received a first-round bye for winning the relatively weak Smythe Division. Unfortunately for Vancouver, the fact that the Quarterfinals was re-seeded regardless to their first place divisional finish meant they had to face another division champion in
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3066-471: The playoff teams were seeded regardless of division or conference. From 1982 to 2020 , the NHL's final round pitted the league's two conference playoff champions. In 2021 , the league temporarily realigned due the COVID-19 pandemic , as a result the four playoff division champions were re-seeded and played in the Semifinals, with the winners of those series advancing to the finals. The league then returned to
3139-451: The playoffs are listed here. The Los Angeles Kings entered the preliminary round as the top seed (and fourth seed overall) earning 105 points during the regular season. The Toronto Maple Leafs earned 78 points during the regular season and entered the preliminary round as the eighth seed (and twelfth seed overall). This was the first playoff series between these two teams. Los Angeles won this year's season series earning 9 of 10 points during
3212-466: The playoffs as the Norris Division champions, and the third seed overall earning 113 points during the regular season, losing the tie-breaker to both Philadelphia and Buffalo in total wins. The Vancouver Canucks entered the playoffs as the Smythe Division champions and the sixth seed in the quarterfinals as the third lowest remaining seed in the playoffs, earning 86 points during the regular season. This
3285-558: The playoffs, where they eventually met the Sabres in the Stanley Cup Finals . The Vancouver Canucks , which had been playing in the original East Division since they debuted in the league, were moved over to the Campbell Conference and led the way in the Smythe Division with a meager 86 points. Bobby Orr won the scoring title for the second time, the only defenceman in the history of the NHL to accomplish this feat. The surprise team of
3358-418: The possibility of the strongest teams in the regular season being forced to meet in the first or second round rather than the conference finals. From 1994 to 2013, the top eight teams in each conference made the playoffs, with the division winners being guaranteed the top seeds (top two from 1994 to 1998 and top three from 1999 to 2013) and home ice in the first round regardless of record. A new playoff format
3431-452: The preliminary round. This was the first playoff series between these two teams. Philadelphia won this year's season series earning 7 of 8 points during the regular season. The Buffalo Sabres entered the playoffs as the Adams Division champions, the Prince of Wales Conference regular season champions, and the second seed overall earning 113 points during the regular season, losing the most wins tie-breaker to Philadelphia while winning
3504-588: The previous conference based playoff format in 2022 . ^ 1. The NHL includes the Toronto Hockey Club ( Toronto Arenas ) 1918 win and the 1922 Toronto St. Patricks win in the Toronto Maple Leafs total. ^ 2. The Chicago Blackhawks were known as the Chicago Black Hawks before the 1986–87 season . ^ 3. The Montreal Canadiens totals include the 1919 finals that ended with
3577-430: The regular season. The Boston Bruins entered the preliminary round as the second seed (and fifth seed overall) earning 94 points during the regular season. The Chicago Black Hawks earned 82 points during the regular season and entered the preliminary round as the seventh seed (and eleventh seed overall). This was the fifth playoff series between these two teams, with Boston winning all four previous meetings. Thus
3650-531: The regular season. The defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers' appeared in their second consecutive Stanley Cup Finals and second overall. In the previous year's Stanley Cup Finals , the Flyers defeated the Boston Bruins in six games. This was the Buffalo Sabres' first Stanley Cup Finals appearance in their fifth season. This was the first playoff series (and only Finals) meeting between these two teams. The Philadelphia Flyers won this year's regular season series earning seven of eight points. In
3723-401: The representatives of the three pro leagues (NHA, PCHA and Maritime) to make all arrangements each season as to the series of matches to be played for the Cup." Victoria vs. Toronto All games played at Arena Gardens in Toronto. Part of their 1913 agreement to set up drafting and player rights ownership, the NHA and PCHA agreed to have their respective champions face each other for
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#17328512687233796-420: The rights at various times, but they each only covered selected games of the series. It was then carried on syndication from 1976 to 1979 through the 1970s NHL Network . In 1980, the Hughes broadcast network simulcast CBC's feed before the series was moved to cable. During its time on cable from 1980 to 1993, rights to the series was held at various times by USA , SportsChannel America , and ESPN , but there
3869-406: The same conference could meet in the Stanley Cup Finals , as happened in 1977 , 1978 and 1980 . Under this system, the Wales Conference champion, and therefore the winner of the Prince of Wales Trophy, was the team that finished with the best regular season record in the conference. Ever since the introduction of the Conference finals in 1982, the Prince of Wales Trophy has been presented to
3942-421: The same tie-breaker over Montreal. The Chicago Black Hawks were seeded seventh in the Quarterfinals as the second lowest remaining seed in the playoffs and qualified for the Quarterfinals by defeating the Boston Bruins in the preliminary round. This was the first playoff series between these two teams. Buffalo won three of the four games in this year's regular season series. The Montreal Canadiens entered
4015-408: The second North American professional sports team to win a best-of-seven series after trailing 3–0 in the previous round against the Penguins, the Islanders almost accomplished the same feat in this round. However, the Flyers firmly defeated them in game seven to preserve the series win. In doing so, the Islanders set a record for most consecutive playoff wins (8) when facing elimination. This would mark
4088-449: The second round, the Norris-winning Montreal Canadiens , who defeated Vancouver 4–1. The team that suffered the most from the new format, the Los Angeles Kings , had the fourth best overall record but had to play in the risky mini series where they were upset by the twelfth-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs 2–1. The twelve teams that qualified for the playoffs are ranked 1–12 based on regular season points. Note: Only teams that qualified for
4161-399: The series 3–0, the Islanders rallied to win four straight games and take the series. They became the second North American professional sports team (after the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs ) to accomplish such a feat. This was the first playoff series between these two teams. The Flyers won this year's season series earning eight of twelve points during the regular season. After becoming
4234-406: The series has been rotated annually between ABC in even years and the cable channel TNT in odd years (with the option for simulcasts on their respective sister cable networks or streaming platforms). The championship series began with the interleague 'World Series' played in one city. The series alternated between a rink of the NHA and later the NHL and a rink of the PCHA and later the WCHL/WHL. It
4307-405: The tie-breaker with the New York Islanders in wins (37 to 33) while the Islanders entered the preliminary round as the fifth seed (and eighth seed overall). This was the first playoff series between these two teams. The Rangers won this year's season series earning 7 of 12 points during the regular season. The Philadelphia Flyers entered the playoffs as the defending Stanley Cup champions,
4380-442: The trustees thought they were being purposely ignored. The Victoria challenge was accepted. Any tension was diffused as Toronto successfully defended the Cup by sweeping a best-of-five series in three games. This began the end of the influence of the Stanley Cup trustees on the challengers and series for the Cup. In March 1914, trustee William Foran wrote to NHA president Emmett Quinn that the trustees are "perfectly satisfied to allow
4453-464: The two teams sold to groups in those cities that had already been awarded "conditional" franchises for the 1976–77 season. After staunchly rejecting previous franchise relocation attempts, league president Clarence Campbell saw this as a method by which the NHL might extricate itself from two problem markets, while honoring the expansion commitments it had made. The Penguins ended up staying in Pittsburgh (and ultimately, over time, made Pittsburgh one of
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#17328512687234526-429: The year were the Los Angeles Kings . The Kings, with their disciplined defensive style, and excellent goaltending tandem of Rogie Vachon and Gary Edwards , battled Montreal all year for first place. The Kings opened their season by beating the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers in Philadelphia and tying the Canadiens in Montreal. The Kings lost only twice in their first 26 games, and on Christmas, Montreal had only
4599-435: Was a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Semifinals where Boston won in six games. The teams split this year's regular season series. The Pittsburgh Penguins entered the preliminary round as the third seed (and sixth seed overall) earning 89 points during the regular season. The St. Louis Blues earned 84 points during the regular season and entered the preliminary round as the sixth seed (and tenth seed overall). This
4672-429: Was held on June 12 to fill the rosters of the two new teams. With the number of teams increased to 18, the NHL bumped up the number of regular season games from 78 to 80, and split the previously two-division league into two conferences with four divisions. Because the new conferences and divisions had little to do with North American geography, geographical references were removed until 1993–94 . The East Division became
4745-442: Was introduced as part of the 2013 realignment. Under the new post-season system that was first used during the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs , the top three teams in each division make the playoffs, with two open wild cards spots in each conference for a total of eight playoff teams from each conference. 1974%E2%80%9375 NHL season The 1974–75 NHL season was the 58th season of the National Hockey League . Two new teams,
4818-443: Was no exclusive coverage of games and thus local broadcasters could also still televise them regionally as well. In 1995 , Fox signed on to be the exclusive national broadcast network of selected games of the final round, splitting it with ESPN. This splitting of exclusive national coverage between a cable and a broadcast network was then passed to ABC and ESPN in 2000 , and then NBC and Versus (now NBCSN ) in 2006 . Since 2022 ,
4891-416: Was not until the demise of the WHL, that the final series alternated games between the two finalists' home ice. The series allowed ties until 1928. As the two and later three leagues differed, the series would alternate using each league's rules. The PCHA continued to use seven-man team play, and games would alternate with six and seven-man games. After the NHL became the last remaining league to compete for
4964-406: Was presented to the League's regular season champion (analogous to today's Presidents' Trophy ). From 1926 to 1938, the Trophy went to the American Division regular season champion; from 1967 to 1974, it was presented to the East Division regular season champion; and from 1974 to 1981, it was presented to the Wales Conference regular season champion. The conferences and divisions were re-aligned for
5037-422: Was renamed the Metropolitan Division ; the Southeast Division was dissolved. With this 2013 realignment, all 16 teams in the Eastern Time Zone are situated within the Eastern Conference. The NHL's playoff system has changed over the years. Prior to 1982, the NHL had a unique playoff system relative to the NFL, NBA and MLB. Playoff teams were seeded regardless of conference affiliation. As a result, two teams from
5110-441: Was the first playoff series between these two teams. Montreal swept all four games in this year's regular season series. This series also marked the first appearance of a team representing Vancouver in the Stanley Cup playoffs in 51 years. The most recent team to represent Vancouver before this was the Vancouver Maroons who lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the 1924 Stanley Cup Semifinals . The Pittsburgh Penguins entered
5183-427: Was the inauguration of the first "World Series" of ice hockey, a series between the Stanley Cup and league champion Toronto Hockey Club of the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the Victoria Aristocrats , champions of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA). The series was pre-arranged between the two leagues before the season after post-season exhibitions held in their previous seasons. The inaugural series
5256-546: Was the second playoff series between these two teams, with St. Louis winning the only previous meeting in six games in the 1970 Stanley Cup Semifinals . The teams split this year's regular season series. Both the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders entered the preliminary round with 88 points earned during the regular season. However, the Rangers entered as the fourth seed (and seventh seed overall) by winning
5329-409: Was to be held in the city of the NHA champion, and alternate annually following the series. After the series got under way, there was some concern that the series would not produce an "official" Stanley Cup champion. The Victoria club had not formally applied to the Stanley Cup trustees to challenge for the Cup. A letter arrived from the Stanley Cup trustees on March 17, that the trustees would not let
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