1940–41 NHL season

The 1940–41 NHL season was the 24th season of the National Hockey League (NHL). Seven teams each played 48 games. The Boston Bruins were the Stanley Cup winners as they swept the Detroit Red Wings four games to none in the final series.

League business
In September 1940, International Ice Hockey Association president W. G. Hardy announced a new one-year agreement was reached with the NHL, who agreed to pay $250 for signing an amateur and another $250 if the amateur played in the NHL. NHL president Frank Calder signed the new professional-amateur agreement in October 1940. The agreement also included allowing the NHL to sign a limited number of junior age players.

Regular season
The Montreal Canadiens had hit the bottom in 1939–40, and were in financial trouble. Frank Patrick decided to become an investor and governor for the team, and Tommy Gorman was hired as general manager. He hired recently released Toronto coach Dick Irvin to run the team. One of the first things Gorman and Irvin did was scout for players, and the Canadiens came up with Johnny Quilty, Joe Benoit, Elmer Lach and defenceman Ken Reardon. Bert Gardiner would be used in goal, replacing Claude Bourque and Wilf Cude. Murph Chamberlain was bought from Toronto to bolster the offence.

Quilty and Benoit came through, as did Toe Blake, but the Habs had a long way to go, finishing sixth. Quilty won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie. In fact, before the season started, Coach Irvin handed a sealed envelope to a reporter of his guess who would win the Calder Trophy, and when the season ended, the reporter opened the envelope: Johnny Quilty was the choice Irvin made.

The Boston Bruins set a record 23 straight unbeaten games en route to a strong first-place finish at the end of the schedule. The Rangers, finished fourth after the previous year's Stanley Cup win and Dave Kerr was not up to his usual form in goal.

Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes Source: NHL

Leading goaltenders
Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts

Coaches

 * Boston Bruins: Cooney Weiland
 * Chicago Black Hawks: Paul Thompson
 * Detroit Red Wings: Jack Adams
 * Montreal Canadiens: Dick Irvin
 * New York Americans: Red Dutton
 * New York Rangers: Frank Boucher
 * Toronto Maple Leafs: Hap Day

Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1940–41 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
 * Max Bentley, Chicago Black Hawks
 * John Mariucci, Chicago Black Hawks
 * Joe Carveth, Detroit Red Wings
 * Elmer Lach, Montreal Canadiens
 * Ken Reardon, Montreal Canadiens
 * John Quilty, Montreal Canadiens
 * Chuck Rayner, New York Americans
 * Bill Juzda, New York Rangers

Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1940–41 (listed with their last team):
 * Paul Haynes, Montreal Canadiens
 * Georges Mantha, Montreal Canadiens
 * Hooley Smith, New York Americans
 * Charlie Conacher, New York Americans
 * Dave Kerr, New York Rangers