En 1919, la série finale de la Coupe Stanley à Seattle a été interrompue à mi-chemin lorsqu’une épidémie de grippe espagnole a décimé l’équipe des Canadiens de Montréal. Les deux équipes avaient gagné deux parties chacune et avaient fait un match nul. Le joueur des Canadiens « Bad » Joe Hall, vétéran de onze ans du hockey professionnel, avait été l’un des joueurs atteints par la maladie et il était mort à l’hôpital de Seattle le 5 avril, quatre jours après l’annulation de la série.

Seven of the Canadiens and Owner George Kennedy Stricken With "Flu"

Seattle, April 1. -- Definite and final announcement was made by the Arena management at 2.30 p.m. that there will be no more world series games here this year. At noon today workmen started tearing up the Arena ice floor preparatory to converting the building into a roller skating rink.

The fact that the ice was being taken up settled all arguments as to whether or not the series would be continued if the visitors were able later to put enough men on the ice.

Lalonde, Berlanquette, Couture and Kennedy are reported only slightly ill. Last night the remaining four men came down, leaving only Pitre, Cleghorn and Vezina, who are not afflicted. It is believed here the Canadiens contracted the disease in Victoria, where the players of that team are just recovering from influenza, seven of them having been in bed at one time.

Not in the history of the Stanley Cup series has the world's hockey championship been so beset with hard luck as has this one. Of the 19 players engaged in it, hardly one of them has gone through without some bad luck. The Seattle team has been badly battered, Rowe, Foyston, Wilson, Murray and Walker all having had injuries. Corbeau, the great Canadien defence man, was hurt in the very first game and has not been able to do more than substitute since.

The great overtime games of the series have taxed the vitality of the players to such an extent that they are in poor shape indeed to fight off such a disease as influenza. However, the Canadiens are being given the very best of care, nurses and physicians being in attendance at all times on them and every other attention is being shown the stricken players.