The New York Americans began their hockey team NHL career as the Hamilton Tigers.
1924
The league added the Boston Bruins and Montreal Maroons and extended the game schedule from 24 to 30 games. This action would trigger a players strike near the end of the season. Hamilton Tigers goal-scorer Reg Green was at the center of the problem. Hamilton won the regular season and under a new playoff system was to meet the winner of a series between the second and third place teams. On behalf of the Hamilton team, Green protested saying that everyone had signed a contract for a 24 game schedule. Having already played six games beyond the contract, Green and his teammates demanded $200 more to play the winner of the Toronto - Montreal series.
1925
NHL president Frank Calder refused the demands of the strikers and declared that the winner of the Toronto - Montreal series would represent the NHL in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Hamilton players were suspended on April 17th and fined $200. 'Big Bill Dwyer', a notorious New York bootlegger during the Prohibition years, purchased the Hamilton Tigers for $75,000 and moved them to New York. The team was renamed The New York Americans.
1925-26
The New York Americans opened the 1925-26 season on December 15, 1925 at Madison Square Garden. The Amerks, as the newspapers called them, faced off against the Montreal Canadiens to an unheard crowd of 17,000 fans. Although they lost this first game 3-1, the Amerks impressed everyone and developed an immediate fan base. The Americans touted such stars as Billy Burch, Roy Worters, Ching Johnson, Red Dutton, Eddie Shore and many other NHL stars.
1926
After witnessing the popularity of the Americans, Madison Square Garden ownership decided to obtain a big-league team of its own, even though they had guaranteed Dwyer that he would hold sole rights over the New York area. During this time, Dwyer was facing prosecution over an elaborate rum-running scheme (landing him in prison for two years in 1927) that put a strain on his funds. While the Garden's New York Rangers enjoyed a rent-free status at the Garden, Dwyer faced increasing rent bills for the Amerks. A bitter rivalry ensued between the two teams that nearly matched that of the Brooklyn Dogers and the New York Giants.
1928
The New York Rangers take home the Stanley Cup in their second season. The Rangers instantly become the favorites in New York hockey, leaving the Amerks in their shadow.
1933
The Americans are still Cupless when the Rangers take home their second championship.
1936-37
The league takes over the Americans after Dwyer goes bankrupt.
1937-38
Mervyn "Red" Dutton, the heir of a wealthy Canadien contracting family, coached a competetive Americans team that nearly challenged for the Stanley Cup. Finishing second in the Canadian Division, the Amerks faced the Rangers in a best of three series in the playoffs. After splitting the first two games, the third game was played into overtime with a third sudden death period score from the Americans' Lorne Carr. It was their greatest victory. Unfortunately, The Americans lost the semi-finals to the cup winning Chicago Black Hawks.
1940-41
The Americans finished dead last in the league.
1941-42
The New York Americans changed their name to the Brooklyn Americans while still playing their home games at MSG. Huge debts left by Dwyer and player enlistments in WW2 forced Red Dutton to fold the Americans in 1942, thus closing the book on the New York Americans.
| New York Americans |
| SEASON |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
GF |
GA |
Pts |
FINISH |
PLAYOFFS |
| 1925-26 |
36 |
12 |
20 |
4 |
68 |
89 |
28 |
4 |
Out |
| 1926-27 |
44 |
12 |
25 |
2 |
82 |
91 |
36 |
4 |
Out |
| 1927-28 |
44 |
11 |
22 |
6 |
83 |
126 |
28 |
5 |
Out |
| 1928-29 |
44 |
19 |
13 |
12 |
83 |
53 |
50 |
2 |
Lost Quarters |
| 1929-30 |
44 |
14 |
25 |
5 |
113 |
161 |
33 |
5 |
Out |
| 1930-31 |
44 |
18 |
16 |
10 |
76 |
74 |
46 |
4 |
Out |
| 1931-32 |
48 |
16 |
24 |
8 |
95 |
142 |
40 |
4 |
Out |
| 1932-33 |
48 |
15 |
22 |
11 |
91 |
118 |
41 |
4 |
Out |
| 1933-34 |
48 |
15 |
23 |
10 |
104 |
132 |
40 |
4 |
Out |
| 1934-35 |
48 |
12 |
21 |
8 |
100 |
142 |
33 |
4 |
Out |
| 1935-36 |
48 |
16 |
25 |
7 |
109 |
122 |
39 |
3 |
Lost Semis |
| 1936-37 |
48 |
15 |
29 |
4 |
122 |
161 |
34 |
4 |
Out |
| 1937-38 |
48 |
19 |
18 |
11 |
110 |
111 |
49 |
2 |
Out |
| 1938-39 |
48 |
17 |
21 |
10 |
119 |
152 |
44 |
4 |
Lost Quarters |
| 1939-40 |
48 |
15 |
29 |
4 |
106 |
140 |
34 |
6 |
Lost Quarters |
| 1940-41 |
48 |
8 |
29 |
11 |
99 |
186 |
24 |
7 |
Out |
| 1941-42 |
48 |
16 |
29 |
8 |
135 |
175 |
35 |
7 |
Out |
