Editing Red Dutton (section)

==Executive career==
While Dutton focused on coaching the team, the Americans were facing bankruptcy.<ref name="RLPColeman" /> Heavily in debt, team owner [[Bill Dwyer (mobster)|Bill Dwyer]] turned to Dutton who lent him $20,000 to allow the team to continue operating.  When the NHL finally forced Dwyer out and took over ownership of the franchise, the league asked Dutton to take over management of the team.<ref name="NYT1961" />

Though the ownerless team was written off by the press and labelled as being "orphans",<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7SE_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=wU8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=6151,3990505 |title=Red Dutton has faith in his motley crew |work=Windsor Daily Star |date=January 19, 1938 |access-date=December 3, 2010}}</ref> Dutton built an Americans team in [[1937–38 NHL season|1937–38]] that finished with a 19–18–11 record. It was only the third time in the team's 13-year history they finished with a winning record.  It was also only the third time the Americans qualified for the playoffs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/display_standings.php?tmi=7080 |title=Standings for the New York Americans of the NHL |publisher=The Internet Hockey Database |access-date=December 3, 2010}}</ref> They faced, and defeated, their rival [[New York Rangers]] in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the Black Hawks in the league semi-final.<ref name="McFarlane 1990 37">{{Cite book|last=McFarlane |first=Brian |year=1990|title=100 Years of Hockey|isbn=0-929091-26-4|publisher=Summerhill Press |page=37}}</ref>  Dutton pioneered the use of air travel as the Americans became the first hockey team to fly between games in 1938.<ref name="HeraldObit" />
[[File:Red Dutton, 1944.jpg|thumb|left|Dutton (left front) presents the [[Calder Memorial Trophy]] to [[Gus Bodnar]] as [[NHL president]] in 1944]]
The Americans continued to defy expectations in [[1938–39 NHL season|1938–39]].<ref>{{cite news |last=McNeil |first=Marc |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kIsjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kJgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6072,270101 |title=Red Dutton and his Amerks deserve a pat on the back |work=Montreal Gazette |date=January 3, 1939 |access-date=December 3, 2010 |page=12}}</ref> They again qualified for the playoffs, losing to Toronto in the first round,<ref>{{cite book|last=McFarlane |first=Brian |year=1990|title=100 Years of Hockey|isbn=0-929091-26-4|publisher=Summerhill Press |page=38}}</ref> while Dutton was named an NHL Second-Team All-Star as coach.<ref name="LOHStats" />  He led them to the playoffs again in [[1939–40 NHL season|1939–40]], but the loss of players due to [[World War II]] took its toll on the franchise.<ref name="McFarlane 1990 37"/>  After finishing in last place the season before, the league announced that the Americans had suspended operations for the [[1942–43 NHL season]], though Dutton continued to represent the team on the Board of Governors.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0R8vAAAAIBAJ&sjid=59sFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3628,4380248 |title=Hockey league drops Americans |work=Ottawa Citizen |date=September 25, 1942 |access-date=December 3, 2010 |page=1}}</ref> Dutton believed that if the Americans could have held on through the war, his team would become more popular than the Rangers.  "A couple of more years and we would have run the Rangers right out of the rink," he said.<ref name="sportse">{{cite web |url=http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nhl/nya/nyamericans.html |title=New York Americans |publisher=Sports Ecyclopedia |access-date=January 14, 2011}}</ref>

Following the sudden death of [[Frank Calder]] in 1943, the NHL asked Dutton to serve as acting president of the league.<ref name="HeraldColeman1980">{{cite news |last=Coleman |first=Jim |title=Dutton link with bygone era |work=Calgary Herald |date=October 10, 1980 |page=D2}}</ref> The owners wanted Dutton in the post both because he was popular with the players, and because they felt they could control him. Dutton agreed to take the presidency on the promise that the league would reinstate the Americans following the war.<ref name="PodnieksPlayers" /> He resigned the position after one year, citing the fact that the role took too much time away from his business interests in Calgary,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BXktAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yZgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4237%2C3814524 |title=N.H.L. looks for new president as Dutton says he is unable to take job |work=Montreal Gazette |date=August 23, 1944 |access-date=December 3, 2010}}</ref> but reversed his decision on the understanding that he would not always be available to serve the NHL post.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=o3YtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hJgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4254,1479876 |title=Mervyn 'Red' Dutton agrees to continue as N.H.L. managing-director |work=Montreal Gazette |date=September 9, 1944 |access-date=December 3, 2010 |page=16}}</ref> Despite this agreement, he again attempted to resign in December 1944, and again had to be persuaded to complete the season.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GakWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HSMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5141,3751964 |title=Red Dutton to remain head of hockey loop |work=Milwaukee Journal |date=December 9, 1944 |access-date=December 3, 2010 |page=2}}</ref> On both occasions of his potential resignation, [[Canadian Amateur Hockey Association]] executives [[W. G. Hardy]] and [[George Dudley]] were rumoured as likely replacements.<ref>{{cite news|title=Rumor Hardy To Boss N.H.L.|date=April 24, 1943|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|location=Winnipeg, Manitoba|page=19|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-apr-24-1943-1474822/}}{{free access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Patrick Sponsorshing Hardy As N.H.L. Chief|date=October 18, 1944|newspaper=Lethbridge Herald|location=Lethbridge, Alberta|page=23|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-oct-18-1944-1458507/}}{{free access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=N.H.L. Seeks New Leader|date=August 24, 1944|newspaper=Winnipeg Tribune|location=Winnipeg, Manitoba|page=19|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-aug-24-1944-1552996/}}{{free access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Canadian Sport Snapshorts|last=Thomas|first=Syd|date=May 22, 1945|newspaper=Brandon Daily Sun|location=Brandon, Manitoba|page=3|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-may-22-1945-1553008/}}{{free access}}</ref>

In spite of his earlier reluctance to retain the presidency, Dutton signed a five-year agreement to remain as NHL president in 1945.<ref>{{cite news |last=Carroll |first=Dink |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UX4tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ApkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2327%2C2546045 |title=Red reappointed for five-year term |work=Montreal Gazette |date=June 15, 1945 |access-date=December 3, 2010 |page=14}}</ref> He continued to make inquiries on the status of his team, but found in 1946 that the owners had reneged on their promise and cancelled the franchise. Dutton had arranged $7 million in financing for a new arena in Brooklyn. When the owners told him during a league meeting that they were not interested, Dutton told his peers "You can stick your franchise up your ass", and left the meeting.<ref name="Frayne, p. 80">{{cite book |title=The Mad Men of Hockey |last=Frayne |first=Trent |year=1974 |publisher=Dodd, Mead and Company |isbn=0-396-07060-4 |location=New York |page=[https://archive.org/details/madmenofhockey0000fray/page/80 80] |url=https://archive.org/details/madmenofhockey0000fray/page/80 }}</ref>  Dutton then resigned the presidency, but remained in the position until he convinced the league to accept [[Clarence Campbell]] as his replacement.<ref name="RLPColeman" />

Dutton felt that the Rangers were responsible for the league's refusal to allow the Americans to resume operations, and in a fit of pique, swore that the Rangers would never win another Stanley Cup in his lifetime.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bonanno |first=Rocky |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=503836 |title=Rangers' Cup "curse" lasted 54 years |publisher=National Hockey League |date=October 30, 2009 |access-date=December 3, 2010}}</ref> His vow became known as "[[Curse of 1940|Dutton's Curse]]". Additionally, he never set foot in an NHL arena again until 1980 when, as the last surviving Calgary Tiger, he was asked to drop the puck for the ceremonial [[face-off|faceoff]] prior to the first game in [[Calgary Flames]]' history.<ref name="HeraldColeman1980" /> Dutton's 34-year separation from the NHL was attributed to the betrayal of the league's owners,<ref name="PodnieksPlayers" /> but also because Dutton himself found the lure of the game too strong, and knew he had to step away in order to effectively manage his businesses.<ref name="HeraldObit" />

Dutton served as governor of the [[Western Canada Junior Hockey League (1948–1956)|Western Canada Junior Hockey League]] from 1948 to 1951, when he was succeeded by [[Al Pickard]].<ref>{{cite news|title=22 Home Games For Juniors|date=September 17, 1951|newspaper=Lethbridge Herald|location=Lethbridge, Alberta|page=12|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-sep-17-1951-2103278/}}{{free access}}</ref>

In spite of this, he accepted a nomination in 1950 to become one of two Stanley Cup trustees, a position he held until his death in 1987.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net/html/silver_stTrustees.htm |title=Stanley Cup trustees |publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame |access-date=December 5, 2010}}</ref>  Dutton was inducted into the [[Hockey Hall of Fame]] in 1958,<ref name="LOHBio" /> and was a member of the Hall of Fame's selection committee for 15 years.<ref name="HeraldObit" />