coveted Cup. The new division alignment and the new playoff format also meant that an American team was guaranteed to be the first American NHL team to make the Cup Finals. The division winners received a bye to the second round. The second-place and third-place finishers played a two-game, total-goals series to advance to the second round. The second-place Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins both advanced to the second round. The Canadiens lost to the first-place Ottawa Senators, while the Bruins upset the first-place New York Rangers to set up the Finals. Ties were not broken using overtime. After two ties in the Finals, NHL president Frank Calder capped the Finals at four games and neither team won three games of the best-of-five Finals. Ottawa won two to Boston's none and the series ended on April 13 with Ottawa the winner. Playoff bracket Quarterfinals (C2) Montreal Canadiens vs. (C3) Montreal Maroons (A2) Boston Bruins vs. (A3) Chicago Black Hawks Game one of this series was played in New York. Semifinals (C1) Ottawa Senators vs. (C2) Montreal Canadiens (A1) New York Rangers vs. (A2) Boston Bruins Stanley Cup Finals Awards A new trophy in memory of Georges Vezina, the Vezina Trophy, was donated this year by Montreal Canadiens owners Leo Dandurand, Louis Letourneau and Joseph Cattarinich. It is to be presented to the league's "most valuable goaltender." It is won by his successor with the Canadiens, George Hainsworth. Player statistics Scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points Source: NHL. Leading goaltenders Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; SO = Shut outs; GAA = Goals against average Playoff scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points Coaches American Division Boston Bruins: Art Ross Chicago Black Hawks: Pete Muldoon Detroit Cougars: Art Duncan New York Rangers: Lester Patrick Pittsburgh Pirates: Odie Cleghorn Canadian Division Montreal Canadiens: Cecil Hart Montreal Maroons: Eddie Gerard New York Americans: Newsy Lalonde Ottawa Senators: Dave Gill Toronto St. Patricks: Charlie Querrie, Mike Rodden and Alex Romeril Debuts The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1926–27 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs): Percy Galbraith, Boston Bruins Eddie Shore, Boston Bruins Harry Oliver, Boston Bruins Duke Keats, Boston Bruins George Hay, Chicago Black