NHL

On November 22, 1917 the National Hockey Association (NHA) owners created a new league, to avoid problems with the Toronto owner Eddie Livingstone. And so the National Hockey League was born with Frank Calder the secretary for the NHA as the new league's president. The NHL awarded franchises to the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadians, Toronto, and Montreal Wanderers. Quebec was also granted a franchise but the club owners chose not to play that first year. The NHL proceeded to draw up a 22 game schedule running from December 19 through March 10.

During the NHL’s first season a major rule was changed. Before the beginning of the 1917/18 season, goalies were not allowed to fall down on the ice to make a save and if they did they were finned $2. The NHL decided to change the rule allowing goalies to assume any position to make a save.

The NHL schedule was divided into two halves. The winner of each half would play against the other for the NHL title. If one team was in first place for both halves of the season they were automatically awarded the NHL title. The winner of the NHL would then play the winner of the PCHA (Pacific Coast Hockey Association) for the Stanley Cup. In the 1917-18 season the Montreal Canadians won the first half of the season and the Toronto Arenas won the second half. The two teams squared off in the best out of two games total goals playoff. The Arenas won with 10 goals to 7. Toronto then prepared to play the Vancouver Millionaires who had a dangerous player named Cyclone Taylor. Cyclone had scored 32 goals to win the PCHA scoring race, and had helped Vancouver eliminate Seattle for the right to play against the Arenas for Lord Stanley's Cup. In the best out of five series, the Millionaires and the Arenas split the first four before playing the fifth and final game. The Toronto Arenas emerged as over the Vancouver Millionaires with a 2-1 win. Corbett Denneny scored the game-winning goal giving the Toronto Arenas the first Stanley Cup for the NHL.

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