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1926–27 Detroit Cougars season

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1926–27 Detroit Cougars
Division5th American
1926–27 record12–28–4
Home record6–15–1
Road record6–13–3
Goals for76
Goals against105
Team information
General managerArt Duncan
CoachArt Duncan
Duke Keats
CaptainArt Duncan
ArenaBorder Cities Arena
Average attendance4,400
Team leaders
GoalsJohn Sheppard (13)
AssistsJohn Sheppard (8)
Gordon "Duke" Keats (8)
PointsJohn Sheppard (21)
Penalty minutesJohn Sheppard (60)
WinsHap Holmes (11)
Goals against averageHerb Stuart (1.67)

The 1926–27 Detroit Cougars season was the first season of National Hockey League (NHL) hockey in Detroit, Michigan. The Detroit Cougars scored 28 points, finished at the bottom of the American Division as well as the league and failed to make the playoffs in their inaugural year.

Founding

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On May 15, 1926, the Townsend syndicate of investors was granted a conditional expansion NHL franchise, to begin play in the upcoming season if their arena was ready. For players, the syndicate decided to purchase one of the most successful teams from the bankrupt Western Canada Hockey League, the Victoria Cougars, who had won the Stanley Cup in 1925. On September 25, 1926, the NHL made the franchise purchase permanent, although the arena was not ready. The expansion club kept the Cougars name. The club played in Windsor for the entire season.

Regular season

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Olympia Stadium wasn't finished being built in time for the 1926–27 season, so the Cougars began play in Border Cities Arena right across the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario. The team struggled as the players adjusted to the style of play in the NHL and the team finished with only twelve wins on the season and over 80,000 USD in debt.[1][2][3] The team's total of 28 points is the lowest total points for a season in the Detroit Red Wings' franchise history.

The team's first game, a "home" game in Windsor, was played on November 18 before a sell-out crowd of 6,000. Starting goaltender Hap Holmes took ill two hours before game time and substitute Herb Stuart gave up two goals in the first three minutes before shutting down the Boston Bruins for the rest of the game. However, Detroit could not score on Doc Stewart in the Boston net and lost 2–0.[4]

Haldor "Slim" Halderson scored the first goal in franchise history in the third period of a loss to Pittsburgh on November 20.[5] The team won its first game on November 24, defeating expansion cousins Chicago Black Hawks, 1–0, in Chicago. Frank Frederickson scored the game's only goal.[6] On November 30, Russell Oatman had the first multiple goal game in franchise history, scoring two goals in a 4–0 victory over the Maroons. In the same game, Hap Holmes recorded the first shutout in franchise history.[7]

On January 1, 1927, the Cougars suspended Oatman and Hobie Kitchen for "breaking training." The Cougars then shook up their line-up that week by selling Oatman to the Maroons and trading Frank Fredrickson and Harry Meeking to the Bruins for Duke Keats and Archie Briden.[8]

After 33 games, the Cougars replaced Duncan as coach with Keats. Duncan has a record of 10–21–2. Keats record was 2–7–2.[9]

Final standings

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American Division
GP W L T GF GA Pts
New York Rangers 44 25 13 6 95 72 56
Boston Bruins 44 21 20 3 97 89 45
Chicago Black Hawks 44 19 22 3 115 116 41
Pittsburgh Pirates 44 15 26 3 79 108 33
Detroit Cougars 44 12 28 4 76 105 28

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Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold. For complete final standings, see 1926–27 NHL season

Record vs. opponents

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Schedule and results

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1926–27 regular season[12]
November: 3–2–0 (home: 1–1–0; road: 2–1–0)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Pts
1 November 18 Boston 2–0 Detroit 0–1–0 0
2 November 20 Detroit 1–4 Pittsburgh 0–2–0 0
3 November 24 Detroit 1–0 Chicago 1–2–0 2
4 November 27 NY Americans 2–4 Detroit 2–2–0 4
5 November 30 Detroit 4–0 Mtl. Maroons 3–2–0 6
December: 2–6–1 (home: 1–4–0; road: 1–2–1)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Pts
6 December 4 NY Rangers 0–1 Detroit 4–2–0 8
7 December 9 Ottawa 3–1 Detroit 4–3–0 8
8 December 11 NY Americans 4–2 Detroit 4–4–0 8
9 December 14 Detroit 2–7 Boston 4–5–0 8
10 December 16 Detroit 5–0 Ottawa 5–5–0 10
11 December 19 Detroit 1–1 NY Rangers OT 5–5–1 11
12 December 23 Mtl. Canadiens 3–2 Detroit 5–6–1 11
13 December 25 Detroit 0–2 Chicago 5–7–1 11
14 December 30 Mtl. Maroons 2–0 Detroit 5–8–1 11
January: 3–8–1 (home: 1–2–0; road: 2–6–1)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Pts
15 January 1 Pittsburgh 3–2 Detroit 5–9–1 11
16 January 4 Toronto 2–1 Detroit 5–10–1 11
17 January 6 Detroit 3–1 Pittsburgh 6–10–1 13
18 January 9 Detroit 1–4 NY Rangers 6–11–1 13
19 January 11 Detroit 1–0 NY Americans OT 7–11–1 15
20 January 13 Boston 2–3 Detroit 8–11–1 17
21 January 15 Detroit 1–1 Toronto OT 8–11–2 18
22 January 18 Detroit 3–5 Mtl. Canadiens 8–12–2 18
23 January 22 Detroit 0–1 Pittsburgh 8–13–2 18
24 January 25 Detroit 1–2 Mtl. Maroons 8–14–2 18
25 January 27 Detroit 1–3 Ottawa 8–15–2 18
26 January 29 Detroit 0–2 NY Rangers 8–16–2 18
February: 2–6–0 (home: 2–4–0; road: 0–2–0)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Pts
27 February 1 Chicago 3–4 Detroit OT 9–16–2 20
28 February 8 Detroit 0–2 Boston 9–17–2 20
29 February 12 Mtl. Canadiens 4–1 Detroit 9–18–2 20
30 February 15 Toronto 1–5 Detroit 10–18–2 22
31 February 17 Ottawa 2–1 Detroit 10–19–2 22
32 February 19 Chicago 4–1 Detroit 10–20–2 22
33 February 22 Detroit 2–3 Boston 10–21–2 22
34 February 24 Mtl. Maroons 2–0 Detroit 10–22–2 22
March: 2–6–2 (home: 1–4–1; road: 1–2–1)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Pts
35 March 1 Detroit 0–3 Mtl. Canadiens 10–23–2 22
36 March 5 Detroit 2–4 Toronto 10–24–2 22
37 March 8 Chicago 4–1 Detroit 10–25–2 22
38 March 10 Pittsburgh 1–7 Detroit 11–25–2 24
39 March 13 NY Rangers 2–2 Detroit OT 11–25–3 25
40 March 15 Detroit 1–0 NY Americans 12–25–3 27
41 March 17 NY Rangers 2–0 Detroit 12–26–3 27
42 March 19 Boston 3–1 Detroit 12–27–3 27
43 March 22 Detroit 3–3 Chicago OT 12–27–4 28
44 March 26 Pittsburgh 6–4 Detroit OT 12–28–4 28

Legend:   Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Tie (1 point)

Player statistics

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Scoring leaders

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Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes

    Regular season   Playoffs
Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
John Sheppard F 43 13 8 21 60 – – – – –
Gordon "Duke" Keats* C 25 11 8 19 42 – – – – –
Frank Foyston C 41 10 5 15 16 – – – – –
Clem Loughlin D 34 7 3 10 40 – -- – – –
Fred Gordon RW 36 5 5 10 28 – – – – –
Frank Fredrickson* C 16 4 6 10 12 – – – – –
Archie Briden* LW 32 5 2 7 36 – – – – –
Jack Walker F 37 3 4 7 6 – – – – –
Pete Bellefeuille* RW 18 6 0 6 14 – – – – –
Jack Arbour D 37 4 1 5 46 – – – – –
Art Duncan D 34 3 2 5 26 – – – – –
Russell Oatman* LW 14 3 0 3 12 – – – – –
Harold "Slim" Halderson* D 18 2 0 2 29 – – – – –
Chapman "Hobie" Kitchen F 17 0 2 2 42 – – – – –
James Riley* D 2 0 0 0 0 – – – – –
Harold "Gizzy" Hart* LW 6 0 0 0 0 – – – – –
Harry Meeking* D 6 0 0 0 4 – – – – –

*Stats reflect games played with Detroit only.

Goaltending

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Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average

    Regular season   Playoffs
Player GP TOI W L T GA SO GAA GP TOI W L GA SO GAA
Hap Holmes 41 2685 11 26 4 100 6 2.23 – – – – – – –
Herb Stuart 3 180 1 2 0 5 0 1.67 – – – – – – –

Awards and records

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Transactions

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The Cougars were involved in the following transactions during the 1926–27 season.

Trades

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October 18, 1926 To Detroit Cougars
Art Duncan 		To Chicago Black Hawks
Gord Fraser
Art Gagne
October 27, 1926 To Detroit Cougars
Fred Gordon 		To Saskatoon Crescents (WHL)
Cash
December 12, 1926 To Detroit Cougars
Cash 		To Montreal Canadiens
Harold "Gizzy" Hart
January 6, 1927 To Detroit Cougars
Cash 		To Montreal Maroons
Russell Oatman
January 7, 1927 To Detroit Cougars
Archie Briden
Gordon "Duke" Keats 		To Boston Bruins
Frank Fredrickson
Harry Meeking
January 7, 1927 To Detroit Cougars
Pete Bellefeuille 		To Toronto St. Pats
Harold "Slim" Halderson

See also

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References

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  • Hahn, John; Beam, Todd, eds. (2008). Detroit Red Wings 2008–09 Media Guide. Detroit Reed Wings.
Notes
  1. ^ "Red Wings History". DetroitHockey.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved October 1, 2007.
  2. ^ "Detroit Red Wings Historical Moments". SportsEcyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved October 1, 2007.
  3. ^ "Detroit Red Wings Written History". Detroit Red Wings.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved October 1, 2007.
  4. ^ "Early Attack Won For Boston 2 To 0". Montreal Gazette. November 19, 1926. p. 18.
  5. ^ "Detroit Cougars Are Beaten By Pittsburgh Pirates". Detroit Free Press. November 21, 1926. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Cougars Hand Chicago Team First Defeat: Frederickson Scores Only Goal of Game to Give Detroit Initial Victory". Detroit Free Press. November 25, 1926. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Cougars Gain Easy Victory Over Maroons". Detroit Free Press. December 1, 1926. pp. 20–21 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Trade Is Announced". Montreal Gazette. January 7, 1927. p. 15.
  9. ^ Hahn, Beam(2008), p.212
  10. ^ Standings: NHL Public Relations Department (2008). Dave McCarthy; et al. (eds.). THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Official Guide & Record Book/2009. National Hockey League. p. 146. ISBN 978-1-894801-14-0.
  11. ^ "All-Time NHL Results". NHL.com. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  12. ^ "1926-27 Detroit Cougars Schedule". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
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