44-14 (.714)
Arena
Attendance
11,996 per game
RetroSeasons
RetroSeasons recaps past sports seasons through stories, photos, videos, and stats from every team, league, and stadium in history. Coverage includes the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, as well as vintage media from defunct teams and leagues.
Detroit Red Wings
1951-52 Season Recap
By scoring 47 goals Gordie Howe captures his first Hart Trophy as the Red Wings continue to dominate the regular season inning their 4th league title in a row with a 44-14-12 record. In the playoffs the Wings started flying right away as goalie Terry Sawchuk blanked the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 of the semifinals 3-0,. Following the game a few fans had the idea of throwing an octopus on the ice being that it had 8 arms and to win the Stanley Cup you need to win 8 games. The Wings would go on to sweep the series in 4 straight as the octopus tossing began to catch on. In the finals the Wings won the first 2 games on the road in Montreal and came home where Terry Sawchuk blanked the Canadiens with twin 3-0 scores to complete the sweep. With the Red Wings winning 8 straight they became the first team to sweep through the playoffs ensuring the octopi tossing would become a tradition for years to come.