On This Date in Sports April 1, 1919: The Stanley Cup and the Flu
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
The final game of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Montreal Canadiens and Seattle Metropolitans is canceled due to a serious outbreak of influenza. The entire series was played at the Seattle Ice Arena, alternating rules between the NHL and PCHA. The teams had split the first five games, with Game 4 ending in a tie. Joe Hall of the Canadiens would succumb four days later.
It was the second time in three years that the Seattle Metropolitans and Montreal Canadiens played in the Stanley Cup Finals. In 1917, the Metropolitans became the first team based in the United States to win the Stanley Cup, winning the series 3-1. The Canadiens were then part of NHA which folded in 1917 and became the NHL.
The Metropolitans who lost to the Vancouver Millionaires in the 1918 PCHA Finals, reclaimed their claim as the top hockey team in the West, by beating Vancouver 7-5 following an 11-9 season that saw them finish in second place under coach Pete Muldoon. The Canadiens meanwhile posted 7-3 record to win the first half of the season. After a 3-5 record in the second half, the Canadiens under coach and captain Newsy Lalonde 13-7 in a two-game total goal series.
In the years of that the Stanley Cup was fought between the NHL and PCHA winners it would alternate years in which league would host. The 1919 Stanley Cup Finals were played at the Seattle Ice Arena. The games would alternate between PCHA rules with seven skaters and the more familiar six players from the NHL.
The Metropolitans got some bad news before the series started as Bernie Morris who scored 22 goals during the season was arrested for dodging the draft and would spend a year in jail. Under PCHA rules Seattle would dominate Game 1, winning 7-0 as Frank Foyston netted a hat trick, while Muzz Murray added two goals to back Hap Holmes who was perfect in goal. Under NHL rules the Montreal Canadiens bounced back with a 4-2 win in Game 2 as Newsy Lalonde scored all four goals. The stalemate continued as the Metropolitans delivered a 7-2 win in Game 3 under PCHA rules, with Foyston scoring four times. Under NHL rules in Game 4, neither team was able to score as Georges Vezina and Hap Holmes both were brick walls as the game was stopped after two overtimes. Due to a 0-0 tie in Game 4, Game 5 was considered a replay and played under NHL rules again. Seattle started strong and had a 3-0 lead after two periods thanks to a goal from Foyston and two by Jack Walker. Montreal would battle back to tie the game with a goal by Odie Cleghorn and two by Lalonde to force overtime. In overtime, the Canadiens won the game on a goal by Jack McDonald at 15:51.
Game 6 was to be played under PCHA rules on April 1st when the flu swept through both teams. Several players on both teams were hospitalized including Newsy Lalonde, Joe Hall, Billy Coutu, Louis Berlinguette and Jack McDonald. At the time North America was undergoing a massive worldwide pandemic of the Spanish Flu. An estimated 100 million people died, reducing the world population by five percent in the worst influenza outbreak in human history. Among those to succumb was Montreal Defenseman Joe Hall who passed away with pneumonia on April 5th at the age of 37. Hall would later be voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Canadiens General Manager George Kennedy attempted to forfeit the cup to Seattle, but Pete Muldoon the GM and coach in Seattle refused. They even attempted to restart the series with Montreal using players from the Victoria Aristocrats, but PCHA President Frank Patrick refused the request. As a result of the Stanley Cup not be deciding the Finals were called no contest. Kennedy himself would suffer the effects of the flu and would pass away in 1921 from the lingering effects.