Detroit Red Wings (NHL, 1954-55)

1954-55 Regular Season
Red Wings vs. Boston Bruins

     The Detroit Red Wings were in their first Golden Age entering the 1954-55 regular season. The Wings had gone on an unprecedented streak of finishing in first place for six consecutive seasons, starting in 1948-49. Detroit reached the Stanley Cup Finals five times in the previous seven seasons, winning the Cup in 1949-50, 1951-52 and 1953-54. The team was loaded with talent in the both the major league roster and in the farm system.

     General Manager Jack Adams was back as GM for his 27th season, while Jimmy Skinner was in his first season as head coach. Home games were played at 11,563-seat Olympia Stadium. 

     1954-55 was similar to the previous six seasons, as the Red Wings finished first overall once again, with a 42-17-11 record. However, arch-rival Montreal was closing the gap on the Wings, as the Canadiens finished just two points behind them in the standings. An overflow average of 11,589 packed Olympia Stadium to watch the defending champions all season. Montreal had held first place for the majority of the season, but Maurice Richard's season-ending suspension and the subsequent Richard Riot forfeit to Detroit eventually helped the Red Wings pass Montreal on the last game of the season, a 6-0 win at Olympia on the last game of the season.

     Detroit boasted the second-best offense in the NHL, scoring 204 goals, second only to Montreal (228). They were led in points by center Earl "Dutch" Reibel. The 24-year old Kitchener native scored 25 goals and 66 points in all 70 games that season. Gordie Howe, firmly established as a powerhouse forward and one of the best players in the game, led the team with 29 goals, to go along with 62 points, a drop-off from his 82 points in 1953-54.  No other Wings had over 20 goals, but the team's offense was balanced, as 11 players had at least 10 goals. Captain Ted Lindsay pumped in 19 goals and 38 points in an injury-shortened season (just 49 games). Leading the defense in scoring was Red Kelly, who had 15 goals and 45 points (Kelly also took a turn at forward due to injuries). 

     Detroit had no equal on defense this season, as the Wings allowed a measly 134 goals, 23 more than second-place Montreal. The main goaltender that season was Terry Sawchuk. Just 24 years old and already considered the greatest goaltender who ever lived, the Winnipeg native played 68 games for the Wings, compiling a 40-17-11 record with 12 shutouts, a 1.94 GAA and .926 save percentage. It was the fifth consecutive (and final) season of his career in which "The Uke" had a GAA under two. Spelling Sawchuk for two games was Glenn Hall, who went 2-0-0 in two games with a 1.00 GAA. Sawchuk was the starter in the playoffs.

     The Red Wings drew the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup Finals. This was the seventh time since 1947 that Detroit and Toronto faced each other in the postseason. The pendulum by now had clearly shifted in the Wings favor, as they had won every series against the Leafs since 1949-50. This season was no different, as Detroit swept Toronto in four straight, outscoring the Leafs 14-6 in the process. They would once again face the Montreal Canadiens in the Finals, who crushed Boston in the other first round series in five games. The Red Wings and Canadiens were easily the two most powerful teams in the NHL in the 1950s, soaring past the other four teams. By the end of the decade, the Wings or  Canadiens would win the Stanley Cup every year but one (Toronto won in 1950-51). 

     Despite missing their captain and superstar forward Rocket Richard for the playoffs, the Canadiens took the Wings to seven games. Both the Wings and Canadiens won all their home games, leading to a winner-take-all Game 7 at Olympia. Paced by two goals by Alex Delvecchio, the Red Wings defeated Montreal, 3-1, to take their fourth Stanley Cup of the decade. 

     I have seen a few Red Wings programs from 1954-55 over the years, but this one was the cheapest, so I grabbed it. This is a 34-page program, all in black and white. The Wings opponent on December 18, 1954, was the Boston Bruins. In front of just 9,458 fans, the Wings won, 4-1, to improve to 19-10-2, to keep pace with Montreal in the standings.

This is the rosters for both the Red Wings and Bruins. The Wings were loaded in the early-mid 1950s. In this roster, they featured six future Hall of Fame players on their roster: Terry Sawchuk, Red Kelly, Marcel Pronovost, Ted Lindsay, Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio. Several teammates believed that defenseman Bob Goldham should also  have been enshrined.  Defenseman Keith Allen would later be enshrined as a builder, due to his successful run as GM of the Philadelphia Flyers. Jack Adams was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a builder in 1959. 

     Despite a mediocre 23-26-21 record in 1954-55, the Bruins did feature several Hall of Famers of their own. Leading the way was legendary center Milt Schmidt, in his final playing season before embarking on a 10-year run as head coach of the Bruins. Defenseman Bill Quackenbush, an ex-Red Wing, was inducted in 1976. Defenseman Leo Boivin would play 19 seasons in the NHL (1951-70) and was enshrined in 1986. Defenseman Fern Flaman was inducted in 1990, after a 17-year NHL career and long college coaching career at Northeastern University. GM/Head Coach Lynn Patrick was a 1980 inductee after a long career as player and executive.

     The "Wing of the Week" in this program was Glen Skov, who would score 14 goals and 30 points in all 70 games in 1954-55, his final season with the Red Wings. The Red Wings television schedule is listed on page 34, as three stations WXYZ 7, WJBK 2 and WWJ 4 (now WDIV) broadcast all home games for the 1954-55 season, tape-delayed at 10:00. On pages 22 and 23, the upcoming matchup with Montreal is previewed. "Reddi Red Wing Sez" is an article featured on pages 27-28 and 33. 

     Local advertisements include Nino's Dining Room, Grand River Chop House ("The Original), Lim's Chinese Room, Caesar's Pizzeria (not to be confused with Little Caesar's, which was founded in 1959), and Shedd-Bartush Foods, INC. Detroit was still in it's glory as "The Motor City" and car ads include the 1955 Mercury Montclair and the 1955 Buick. Car dealerships include Glenn Walker, INC, Dick Connell Chevrolet, Jefferson Chevrolet, Falvey Sales and Service (Jaguar) and Murphy Motor Sales (Studebaker). 

     Bonus: Here's the film from the 1955 Stanley Cup Finals between Detroit and Montreal.

Aftermath: 1954-55 was the end of the Red Wings dynasty. General Manager Jack Adams, paranoid about the possibility of complacency, tore apart the Red Wings roster during the 1955 offseason, unloading all but 9 players from the 1954-55 Cup champions. In the 1956 Finals, the Canadiens would decisively dethrone the Red Wings in 5 games in the Finals. Detroit would not win another Stanley Cup until 1997. 

References:

National Hockey League Statistics: 1954-55, from hockeydb.com