Sports History On This Day: August 26

August 26, 1938 – Montreal Maroons were dropped from the NHL. The franchise started up in the league during the 1924-25 season at the same time that the Boston Bruins were added to the fold. The Maroons shared the city with the Canadiens for almost a decade and a half. Their purpose was to be the team of the English-speaking population of the City while the Canadiens appeased the French-speaking contingent.

The Maroons filled a void left when a 1917 fire burned down the arena of a prior club called the Montreal Wanderers. At first, the Canadiens organization challenged the rise of the Maroons, but the NHL appeased them by handing over a good portion of the Maroons $15,000 League entrance fee.

During their 14-year existence, the Maroons qualified for the playoffs in all but three seasons and won the Stanley Cup during the 1926 and 1935 seasons. In 1935 they went undefeated in the postseason by the writing was on the wall due mainly to economic reasons incurred due to the Great Depression and the two teams in one city.