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Wikipedia

Ottawa Senators (original)

March 10, 2023

For the current NHL team, see Ottawa Senators. For other uses, see Ottawa Senators (disambiguation).

The Ottawa Senators were an ice hockey team based in Ottawa, which existed from 1883[1] to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario,[5] a founding member of the National Hockey League (NHL) and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934. The club, which was officially the Ottawa Hockey Club (Ottawa HC), was known by several nicknames, including the Generals in the 1890s, the Silver Seven from 1903 to 1907 and the Senators dating from 1908.[6]

Ottawa HC
Founded1883
History
  • 1883–1886 (independent)
  • 1887 (AHAC)
  • 1888–1889 (dormant)
  • 1890 (OCHL)
  • 1890–1894 (OHA)
  • 1891–1894 (AHAC) & (OCHL)
  • 1895–1898 (AHAC)
  • 1899–1904 (CAHL)
  • 1904 (independent)
  • 1905 (FAHL)
  • 1906–1909 (ECAHA) amateur;later pro
  • 1910 (CHA)
  • 1910–1917 (NHA)
  • 1917–1934 (NHL)


Split in 1934:

Senior Senators: (amateur/semi-pro)

  • 1934–44 (QAHA Sr.)
    1944–53 (QSHL)
    1953–54 (QHL)


St. Louis Eagles: (pro)

  • 1934–35 (NHL)
Home arenaRoyal Rink (1883)[1]
Dey's Rink (1884–1887)
Rideau Rink (1889–1895,1898)[2]
Dey's Arena (1896–1897,1898–1903)
Aberdeen Pavilion (1904)
Dey's Arena (1905–1907)
The Arena (1908–1923)
Ottawa Auditorium (1923–1954)
CityOttawa, Ontario
ColoursBlack, red, and white
     
Stanley Cups11 (1903, 1904, 1905, 1906,[3] 1909, 1910,[4] 1911, 1920, 1921, 1923, 1927)
Division championships8 NHL Canadian: 1927
NHA: 1911, 1915
CAHL: 1901
AHAC: (Jan-Mar 1892)
OHA:1891,1892,1893

Generally acknowledged by hockey historians as one of the greatest teams of the early days of the sport, the club won numerous championships, starting with the 1891 to 1893 Ontario championships. Ottawa HC played in the first season during which the Stanley Cup was challenged in 1893, and first won the Cup in 1903, holding the championship until 1906 (the Silver Seven years). The club repeated its success in the 1920s, winning the Stanley Cup in 1920, 1921, 1923 and 1927 (the Super Six years). In total, the club won the Stanley Cup 11 times, including challenges during two years it did not win the Cup for the season. In 1950, Canadian sports editors selected the Ottawa HC/Senators as Canada's greatest team in the first half of the 20th century.[7][8]

The club was one of the first organized clubs in the early days of the sport of ice hockey, playing in the Montreal Winter Carnival ice hockey tournaments in the early 1880s and founding the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada and the Ontario Hockey Association. Along with the rise of professionalism in ice hockey in the first decade of the 1900s, the club changed to a professional team and were founding members of the National Hockey Association (NHA) and its successor, the National Hockey League. The club competed in the NHL until the 1933–34 season. Due to financial difficulties, the NHL franchise relocated to St. Louis, Missouri to become the St. Louis Eagles. The organization continued the Senators as an amateur, and later semi-professional, team in Quebec senior men's leagues until 1954. The "Senior Senators" would win three Allan Cup titles.

Team history

Early amateur era (1883–1902)

 
First photo of Ottawa Hockey Club, 1883–84.
Back row: L to R: T.D. Green, T. Gallagher, N. Porter.
Middle row, L to R: H. Kirby, J.Kerr, F. Jenkins.
Front row: L to R: G. Young, A. Low, E. Taylor

The Ottawa Hockey Club (Ottawa HC) was founded by a small group of like-minded hockey enthusiasts. A month after witnessing games of hockey at the 1883 Montreal Winter Carnival, Halder Kirby, Jack Kerr and Frank Jenkins met and founded the club.[9] Being the first organized ice hockey club in Ottawa, and also the first in Ontario, the club had no other clubs to play that season. The only activities that winter were practices at the "Royal Rink" starting on March 5, 1883.[10]

The club first participated competitively at the 1884 Montreal Winter Carnival ice hockey tournament (considered the Canadian championship at the time)[11] wearing red and black uniforms. Future Ottawa mayor Nelson Porter is recorded as the scorer of the club's first-ever goal, at the 1884 Carnival.[1] Frank Jenkins was the first captain of the team; he later became the president of the hockey club in 1891 and of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHA or AHAC) in 1892.[9]

 
Ottawa Hockey Club, 1885

For the 1885 season, the club adopted gold and blue as its colours[12] and returned to the Montreal tournament. Ottawa earned its first-ever victory at the tournament over the Montreal Victorias, but lost its final match to the Montreal Hockey Club (Montreal HC) to place second in the tournament. The 1886 Montreal tournament was cancelled due to an outbreak of smallpox and the club would not play an outside match again until 1887.

Formation of the AHAC

On December 8, 1886, the first championship league, the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada was founded in Montreal.[13] It was composed of several clubs from Montreal plus a Quebec City club and the Ottawa club. Ottawa's Thomas D. Green was named the first president of the league.[13] The league did not have a set schedule, and instead games were played in "challenge series", whereby a team held the championship and entertained challengers until the end of the season, a format the league employed until 1893. Under the format, Ottawa lost the one challenge it played in that first 1887 season to the Montreal Victorias.

After that season, Ottawa HC became inactive. The Royal Rink, which had been their primary facility, had been converted to a roller skating rink, and ice rink facilities were at a shortage. This changed with the opening of the Rideau Skating Rink in February 1889. One of the principal organizers in the restarting of the team was Ottawa Journal publisher P. D. Ross, who also played on the team. Returning as captain was Frank Jenkins, and the other players were Halder Kirby, Jack Kerr, Nelson Porter, Ross, George Young, Weldy Young, Thomas D. Green, William O'Dell, Tom Gallagher, Albert Low and Henry Ami.[14] In 1889, the club played only one match against an outside club, an exhibition at the Rideau rink against the Montreal HC 'second' team.[15]

In November 1889, the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Club (OAAC) was opened at the corner of today's Elgin and Laurier Streets on the site of today's Lord Elgin Hotel. The Club building would also be the Hockey Club's headquarters. The OAAC was affiliated with the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Association (OAAA), and the Hockey Club through the affiliation also became OAAA members. When the club began outside competition again in 1889–90, it was with new sweaters of white with black stripes and the OAAA red "triskelion" logo.[16] It was during this period of affiliation with the OAAC, that the club would become known by the nickname "Generals", attributed to the club's insignia.[17] The club is also referred to as the "Capitals" in literature, although there was a rival Ottawa Capitals club organized by the Capital Amateur Athletics Association active at the time.[17]

 
The 1891 Ottawa Hockey Club, Ottawa and Ontario champions.
Back Row, L to R: H. Kirby, Chauncey Kirby, Albert Morel, H.Y. Russel, F. Jenkins, W.C. Young, ?, ?
Front Row, L to R: R. Bradley, J. Kerr[18]
The team is posed with the Cosby Cup.

In the 1889–90 season, Ottawa HC played two competitive games but this was to increase greatly the next season. The 1890–91 season saw the club play 14 games, playing in three leagues. Ottawa HC was a founding member of two new leagues, the Ottawa City Hockey League (OCHL) and the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and also rejoined the AHAC. Ottawa HC won the Ottawa and Ontario championships, and two games against AHAC opponents, but lost to the AHAC champion Montreal HC in its one challenge for the championship.[19]

OHA championships

The team was the OHA champion for that league's first three years. The first championship was played on March 7, 1891, at the Rideau rink and was won 5–0 by Ottawa over Toronto St. George's.[20] The 1891 championship was the only OHA final played in Ottawa, as Ottawa played the 1892 final in Toronto, defeating Osgoode Hall 4–2, and in 1893 the Toronto Granites defaulted by not appearing for the championship match scheduled for Ottawa. The club resigned from the OHA in February 1894 after the OHA refused the club's demand to have the 1894 final in Ottawa and ordered Ottawa HC to play the final in Toronto.[21] The dispute caused a permanent schism between Ottawa area teams competing in the Ottawa City Hockey League (OCHL) and the Ontario Hockey Association. Ottawa and area teams remain unaffiliated with the OHA; the official association under Hockey Canada is Hockey Eastern Ontario, a descendant of the OCHL.

It was at a dinner to honour the 1892 OHA champions at the Russell Hotel that the Governor General, Lord Stanley, announced his new Dominion Challenge Trophy, now known as the Stanley Cup, for the Canadian champions.[22] Former player and president of the club, P. D. Ross, was selected by Stanley to be a trustee of the Cup.[23]

 
The 1895 Ottawa Hockey Club and executive.
Standing: P. D. Ross, G. P. Murphy, Chauncey Kirby, Don Watters.
Seated: Jim Smellie, Alf Smith, Harvey Pulford, Weldy Young, Joe McDougal.
Bottom row: Harry Westwick, Fred Chittick, H. Russell[24]

Re-entry into the AHAC

Ottawa HC did not win a game in its return to AHAC challenge play in 1890–91, but in the next season of AHAC play in 1891–92 the club won the league championship, and held it for most of the season, from January 10 until March 7, 1892. The club took the championship from Montreal HC, who were previously undefeated, and won five straight games before Montreal won the championship back by a 1–0 score in the last challenge of the season. Montreal's win in the final challenge was their only win of the season and their only one in four games against Ottawa.

Lord Stanley, who often attended Ottawa HC games, felt the loss of the title after holding it all season was an unsuitable way to determine the championship. In the letter announcing the Stanley Cup, Stanley suggested that the AHAC start a 'round-robin' type regular season format, which the AHAC implemented in the following season of 1892–93.[25] The key match-up in that season for Ottawa was a loss in the opening game of the season against the Montreal Victorias on January 7, 1893, as Ottawa split its season series with eventual winner Montreal HC, both teams otherwise winning all of their games. This loss provided the one game margin in the standings that led to Lord Stanley awarding the initial Cup to Montreal HC.[26]

In 1893–1894, Ottawa HC finished in a four-way tie for first in the AHAC standings. A playoff was arranged in Montreal for the championship between Ottawa, Montreal HC and Montreal Victorias (the other first place club, Quebec, having dropped out of the playoff). These games would be the first Stanley Cup playoff games ever played. As the 'away' team, Ottawa was given a bye to the final game.[27] On March 23, 1894, at the Victoria Rink, Ottawa and Montreal HC played for the championship. Ottawa scored the first goal, but Montreal would score the next three to win the game 3–1. Ottawa captain Weldy Young fainted from exhaustion at the end of the game.[28]

 
The 1901 club, CAHL (left trophy) and Ottawa (right shield) champions.
The club wore the same 'O' logo as the Ottawa Football Club that season.

For the period of 1894 to 1900, the club did not win the league championship, finishing as high as second several times, and fifth (last) once. For the 1896–97 season, the Ottawa club unveiled the first use of the 'barber-pole' style sweaters of horizontal bars of black, red and white. This basic style would be used by the club until 1954 except for the 1900 and 1901 seasons, when the team used a plain sweater with only the letter 'O' on the front, identical in design to the sweaters of the Ottawa Football Club, also an OAAA affiliate.

In 1898, the AHAC dissolved over the admission of the intermediate-level team Ottawa Capitals of the rival Capital Amateur Association to the AHAC by a vote of the league executive. The Capitals had won the intermediate championship of the AHAC and were eligible to join the senior ranks. After they were outvoted by the intermediate-level teams of AHAC which wanted to promote the Capitals to the senior-level, the senior-level Ottawa, Montreal HC, Montreal Victorias and Quebec clubs left the AHAC and formed the Canadian Amateur Hockey League (CAHL), shutting out the Capitals.[29]

The club won the CAHL 1901 season title, its first league championship since winning the OHA in 1893. It wished to challenge the Stanley Cup champion Winnipeg Victorias at first but chose not to after deliberating for a week after the season, although it also had the option to challenge in the 1902 season.[30] According to hockey historian Charles L. Coleman, it was due to the "lateness of the season".[31] The Ottawa Journal openly supported the idea, stating that the players were 'racked' and would be at a serious disadvantage to travel to Winnipeg.[32]

Notable players of this period included Albert Morel and Fred Chittick in goal, leaders of the league several times in goaltending, and future Hall of Famers Harvey Pulford, Alf Smith, Harry Westwick and brothers Bruce Stuart and Hod Stuart. It was during this period that the nickname Senators was first used; however, from 1903 to 1906, the team is better known as the Silver Seven.

Silver Seven era (1903–1906)

 
Group picture of the 1905 Ottawa "Silver Seven", Stanley Cup champions

The first "dynasty" of the Ottawa HC was from 1903 until 1906, when the team was known as the "Silver Seven".[33] The era started with the arrival of Frank McGee for the 1903 season and ended with his retirement after the 1906 season. Having lost an eye in local amateur hockey, he was persuaded, despite the threat of permanent blindness, to join the Senators. The youngest player on the team and standing 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m) tall, he went on to score 135 goals in 45 games. In a 1905 challenge against the Dawson City, he scored 14 goals in a 23–2 win. He retired in 1906 at the age of 23.[34]

In the 1903 CAHL season, Ottawa and the Montreal Victorias both finished in first place with 6–2 records. The top scorers were the Victorias' Russell Bowie, who scored seven goals in one game and six in another, and McGee, whose top performance saw him score five goals in a game. The two clubs faced off in a two-game total goals series to decide the league championship and Stanley Cup. The first game, played in Montreal on slushy ice that made it a desperate struggle to score, ended 1–1. The return match in Ottawa, witnessed by 3,000 fans, was on ice coated with an inch of water. The conditions did not hinder Ottawa, as they won 8–0, with McGee scoring three goals and the other five shared among the three Gilmour brothers, Dave (3), Suddy (1) and Bill (1), to win their first Cup.[35] This started a period in which the team held the Stanley Cup and defeated all challengers until March 1906.

For that Stanley Cup win, each of the team's players was given a silver nugget by team executive Bob Shillington, an Ottawa druggist and mining investor. He gave them nuggets instead of money since the players were still technically amateurs and to give them money would have meant disqualification from the league. In a 1957 interview, Harry Westwick recalled that at the presentation "One of the players said 'We ought to call ourselves the Silver Seven.' and the name caught on right there."[36] (At the time, hockey teams iced seven men—a goaltender, three forwards, two defencemen and a rover).

The Silver Seven moved between three leagues during this time, and for a time were independent of any league. In February 1904, during the CAHL season, Ottawa resigned from the league in a dispute over the replaying of a game. The team had arrived late for a game in Montreal and the game had been called at midnight, with a tied score. The league demanded that the game be replayed. The club agreed to play only if the game mattered in the standings. The impasse led to Ottawa leaving the league. For the rest of that winter, the club played only in Cup challenge series. Quebec went on to win the championship of the league and demanded the Stanley Cup, but the Cup's trustees ruled that Ottawa still retained it. The trustees offered to arrange a challenge between Ottawa and the CAHL champion, but the CAHL refused to consider it.[37] The next season, Ottawa joined the Federal Amateur Hockey League (FAHL), winning the league championship. The club was only in the FAHL for one season, and the Montreal Wanderers became their new rival. For the 1906 season Ottawa, along with the Wanderers and several of the CAHL teams, formed the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA), unifying the top teams into one league.[38]

Style of play

The Silver Seven were well known for the number of injuries that they inflicted on other teams. In a Stanley Cup challenge game in 1904, the Ottawas injured seven of the nine Winnipeg players, and the Winnipeg Free Press called it the "bloodiest game in Ottawa."[39] The next team to challenge the Ottawas, the Toronto Marlboroughs, were treated similarly. According to the Toronto Globe:

The style of hockey seems to be the only one known and people consider it quite proper and legitimate for a team to endeavor to incapacitate their opponents rather than to excel them in skill and speed ... slashing, tripping, the severest kind of cross-checking and a systematic method of hammering Marlboroughs on hand and wrists are the most effective points in Ottawa's style.[39]

According to one player, the "Marlboroughs got off very easily. When Winnipeg Rowing Club played here, most of their players were carried off on stretchers."[39] This style of hockey would continue for years to come.

Dawson City challenge

Further information: 1904–05 FAHL season § Ottawa vs. Dawson City

The Silver Seven participated in perhaps the most famous[40][41][42] Stanley Cup challenge of all, that of Dawson City of the Yukon Territory in 1905. Organized by Joe Boyle, a Toronto-born prospector, who had struck it rich in the Yukon gold rush of 1898,[43] The Dawson City Nuggets had Lorne Hanna, who had played for Brandon against Ottawa in a 1904 challenge and two former elite hockey players: Weldy Young, who had played for Ottawa in the 1890s, and D. R. McLennan, who had played for Queen's College against the Montreal Victorias in an 1895 challenge. The remaining players were selected from other Dawson City clubs. Dawson City's challenge was accepted in the summer of 1904 by the Stanley Cup trustees and scheduled to start on Friday, January 13, 1905. The date of the challenge meant that Young had to travel separately to Ottawa, as he had to work in a federal election that December and would meet the club in Ottawa.[44]

 
Group picture of the Dawson City club, January 14, 1905, posed outside the Dey's Rink

To get to Ottawa, several thousand miles away, the club had to get to Whitehorse by overland sleigh, catch a train from there to Skagway, Alaska, then catch a steamer to Vancouver, B.C. and a train from there to Ottawa. On December 18, 1904, several players set out by dog sled and the rest left the next day by bicycle for a 330-mile trek to Whitehorse. At first the team made good progress, but the weather turned warm enough to thaw the roads, forcing the players to walk several hundred miles. The team spent the nights in police sheds along the road. At Whitehorse, the weather turned bad, causing the trains not to run for three days and the Nuggets to miss their steamer in Skagway. The next one could not dock for three days due to the ice buildup. The club found the sea journey treacherous, and it caused seasickness amongst the team. When the steamer reached Vancouver, the area was too fogged in to dock, and the steamer docked in Seattle. The team from there caught a train to Vancouver, from which it left on January 6, 1905, arriving in Ottawa on January 11.[45]

Despite the difficult journey, the Ottawas refused to change the date of the first game, only two days away. Ottawa arranged hospitable accommodations for the Dawson City team. The Yukoners received a huge welcome at the train station, had a welcoming dinner, and used the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Club's rooms for the duration of their stay. Young did not arrive in time to play for Dawson.[46]

The first game was close at the halfway point, Ottawa leading Dawson three to one. In the second half, the play became violent. Norman Watt of Dawson tripped Ottawa's Art Moore, who retaliated with a stick to the mouth of Watt. Watt promptly knocked Moore out, hitting him on the head with his stick. The game ended 9–2 for Ottawa. The game left a poor taste in the mouth for the Yukoners, who complained that several goals were offside.[47]

After the game, Watt was quoted as saying "[Frank] McGee doesn't look like too much", as he had only scored once in the first game.[48][49] McGee scored four goals in the first half of the second match and 10 in the second half, leading Ottawa to a 23–2 score; his 14 goals remains a record for a single game of major senior hockey.[49] Eight of those 14 goals were scored consecutively in a span of less than nine minutes.[50] Despite this high score, the newspapers claimed that Albert Forrest, the Dawson City goalie, had played a "really fine game", otherwise the score "might have been doubled". Ottawa celebrated by hosting Dawson at a banquet. After this, the players took the Cup and attempted to drop-kick it over the Rideau Canal. The stunt was unsuccessful, as the Cup landed on the frozen ice and had to be retrieved the next day.[47]

Considering the lopsided score of the series, historians such as Paul Kitchen question why Dawson City was even granted a chance at the Cup. Dawson City had won no championships and did not belong to any recognized senior league. While team official Weldy Young knew Stanley Cup trustee P. D. Ross personally through their joint connection with the club, it may have been the political connections that Joe Boyle had with the government Interior Minister of the time, Clifford Sifton, that got Dawson City the series.[51]

Future Ottawa Senators owner Frank Ahearn later stated that Weldy Young had asked Ahearn to ask the Ottawa players to "not rub it in" as Dawson City did not expect to win. Ahearn mentioned this to McGee, who had had a row with Boyle when both were members of the Ottawa Rowing Club, and had not forgotten it.[52]

Stanley Cup Challenge win streak

The Ottawas were the dominant team for three years:

The end of the streak came in March 1906. Ottawa and the Montreal Wanderers tied for the ECAHA league lead in 1906, forcing a playoff series for the league championship and the Cup. Montreal won the first game in Montreal by a score of 9–1. In the return match, Ottawa replaced their goaltender Billy Hague and used goaltender Percy LeSueur, formerly of Smiths Falls. In the return match in Ottawa, Ottawa overcame the eight-goal deficit, getting a 9–1 lead to tie the series by the midway point of the second half. Harry Smith then scored to put Ottawa ahead, only to have the goal ruled offside.[53] It was then that Lester Patrick of the Wanderers took it upon himself, scoring two goals to win the series 12–10. This was Frank McGee's last game and he scored two goals.[54]

The players

Besides McGee, future Hall of Fame players Billy Gilmour, Percy LeSueur, Harvey Pulford, Alf Smith, Bouse Hutton and Harry Westwick played for the Ottawas. Alf Smith was also the coach. Other players of the 'Seven' included Arthur Allen, Dave Finnie, Arthur Fraser, Horace Gaul, Dave Gilmour, Suddy Gilmour, Jim McGee, Art Moore, Percy Sims, Hamby Shore, Charles Spittal, Frank White and Frank Wood.

The club was able to continue the streak despite the death of one of its members. Jim McGee, Frank McGee's brother, died after the 1904 season in a horseback riding accident.[55] He was also the Ottawa Football Club's captain at the time.[56] The funeral cortege was estimated at a half-mile in length, and it included Canadian prime minister Wilfrid Laurier.[57]

Early professional era (1907–1917)

Transition to professional (1907–1910)

Until the 1906–07 season, the players were not paid to play hockey, as the team was abiding by the principles of amateur sports. Ottawa HC had an advantage in attracting top players to its squad. The players could work for the government, and the work allowed the players to play for the team. Meanwhile, in the United States, the International Professional Hockey League (IPHL) was paying players. In response to this, the ECAHA, while still having several purely amateur teams, started to allow professional players. The top teams could, therefore, compete for the top players and the gate attractions that they were. The only restriction was that the status of each and every player had to be publicized.[58]

The period saw the rivalry between the Senators and the Wanderers continue, and at times it was brutally contested. On January 12, 1907, a full-scale "donnybrook" took place between the two teams at a game in Montreal. Charles Spittal of Ottawa was described as "attempting to split Blachford's skull", Alf Smith hit Hod Stuart "across the temple with his stick, laying him out like a corpse" and Harry Smith cracked his stick across Ernie Johnson's face, breaking Johnson's nose.[59][60] Discipline was first attempted by the league at a meeting on January 18, in which the Victorias proposed suspending Spittal and Alf Smith for the season, but this was voted down and the president of the league resigned.[60] The police arrested Spittal, Alf and Harry Smith on their next visit to Montreal,[61] leading to $20 fines for Spittal and Alf Smith and an acquittal for Harry Smith.[60] The tactics did not work on the Wanderers; they won the return match in Ottawa in March and went undefeated for the season, leaving Ottawa in second place.[58] However, it may have affected the Wanderers in another way: they lost the Stanley Cup a week after the donnybrook in a Stanley Cup challenge series to the Kenora Thistles.

 
The 1909 Ottawa Hockey Club Stanley Cup champion

The 1907–08 season was a season of change for Ottawa. Harry Smith and Hamby Shore left to join Winnipeg. Ottawa hired several free agents, including Marty Walsh, Tommy Phillips and Fred 'The Listowel Whirlwind' Taylor.[62] Taylor was hired away from the IPHL for the 1908 season for a $1000 salary and a guaranteed federal civil service job. He was an immediate sensation and earned a new nickname of 'Cyclone' for his fast skating and end-to-end rushes,[63] the nickname attributed to the Canadian governor-general Earl Grey.[64] Phillips was signed from Kenora to an even higher salary of $1,500 for the season, partially paid for by Ottawa sportsmen.[65]

Ottawa moved into their new arena, simply dubbed The Arena, with seating for 4,500 and standing room for 2,500.[66] With the free-agent signings and the new arena, Ottawa started selling season-tickets, the first of their kind, $3.75 for five games, eventually selling 2,400.[65] The capacity was topped with a crowd of 7,100 in the home opener, attending a game against the Wanderers on January 11, which Ottawa won 12–2. However, Ottawa started the season with two losses out of three games and ended in second place behind the Wanderers again.[67] Walsh tied for the scoring lead with 28 goals in 9 games (including seven in one match), while Phillips was close behind at 26 goals in 10 games.

In 1908–09, the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association became completely professional and changed its name to the Eastern Canada Hockey Association (ECHA). This led to the retirement of several stars, including Ottawa's Harvey Pulford and Montreal's Russell Bowie, who insisted on keeping their amateur status.[68] The Montreal Victorias and Montreal HC founded the Interprovincial Amateur Hockey Union, leaving only Ottawa, Quebec, Montreal Wanderers and Montreal Shamrocks in the ECHA. It was another season of player turn-over for Ottawa. Besides Pulford, Ottawa lost Alf Smith, who formed a competing Ottawa Senators professional team in the Federal League, and Tommy Phillips, who joined Edmonton. The club picked up Bruce Stuart from the Wanderers, Fred Lake from Winnipeg and Dubby Kerr from Toronto. This lineup had a successful season, winning 10 out of 12 games. Walsh led all scorers with 38 goals in 12 games, while Stuart had 22 and Kerr had 20. The season was clinched with a win against the Wanderers on March 3 in Ottawa, 8–3, as Ottawa won the league and Stanley Cup.[69]

Notable players of this time period include future Hall of Famers Percy LeSueur in goal, Dubby Kerr, Tommy Phillips, Harvey Pulford, Alf Smith, Bruce Stuart, Fred 'Cyclone' Taylor and Marty Walsh.

National Hockey Association (1910–1917)

The 1909–10 hockey season saw major changes in the hockey world, as the ECHA organization split and created two organizations, the Canadian Hockey Association (CHA) and the National Hockey Association (NHA). The CHA was formed to 'freeze out' the Wanderers, whose ownership change led the team to move to a smaller arena. At the same time, millionaire businessman J. Ambrose O'Brien, who wanted his Renfrew Creamery Kings to challenge for the Stanley Cup, saw his Renfrew application to join the CHA rejected. Together with the Wanderers, O'Brien instead decided to form the NHA, and founded the Montreal Canadiens.[70] The NHA became the fore-runner of today's National Hockey League.

Ottawa was one of the founders of the CHA and one of the teams that had rejected Renfrew. However, after a few poorly attended games showed that fans had no interest in the league, Ottawa and the Montreal Shamrocks abandoned the CHA to join the NHA.[71] Ottawa, the defending Stanley Cup champion and Wanderers' rival, was readily accepted by the NHA. This enabled Ottawa to continue the rivalry with the Wanderers and take in the gate revenues those games provided. The Wanderers won the championship in 1910, and Ottawa won in 1911 and 1915.[72]

It is during the NHA period that the nickname "Ottawa Senators" came into common usage. Although there had been a competing Senators club in 1909, and there had been mention of the Senators nickname as early as 1901, the nickname was not adopted by the club.[6] The official name of the Ottawa Hockey Club remained in place until ownership changes in the 1930s.

Star player Cyclone Taylor had defected to Renfrew, and despite a salary war with Renfrew, Ottawa managed to re-sign their other top players, Dubby Kerr, Fred Lake and Marty Walsh for the 1909–10 season.[71] On Taylor's first return in February 1910, he made a promise to score a goal while making a rush backwards against Ottawa. This led to incredible interest, with over 7,000 in attendance.[73] A bet of $100 was placed at the King Edward Hotel against him scoring at all.[74] Ottawa won 8–5 (scoring 3 goals in overtime) and kept Taylor off the scoresheet. Later in the season at the return match in Renfrew, Taylor made good on his boast with a goal scored backwards, although it was simply a goal scored on a backhand shot.[75] This was the final game of the season, and Ottawa had no chance at the league title and did not appear to have put in an effort in a 17–2 loss, considered "the worst trimming ever handed to a team wearing the Ottawa colors".[76]

 
Ottawa Hockey Team, NH Association World Champions and Stanley Cup Holders, 1911 (HS85-10-23753)

In 1910–11, the NHA contracted and imposed a salary cap, leading many of the Ottawa players to threaten to form a competing league. However, team owners controlled the rinks and the players accepted the new conditions. For Ottawa players, conditions did not deteriorate much as the club provided bonuses after the season.[77] Ottawa gained revenge for the previous loss to Renfrew by defeating Renfrew 19–5. The team went 13–3 to win the NHA and inherit the Stanley Cup; Marty Walsh and Dubby Kerr led the goal scoring with 37 and 32 goals in 16 games. After the season Ottawa played two challenges, against Galt, winning 7–4, and against Port Arthur, winning 13–4. In the Port Arthur game, Marty Walsh came close to matching Frank McGee's total, scoring ten goals.[78] 1910–11 was the debut season of right wing Jack Darragh who scored 18 goals in 16 games.

The 1911–12 through 1913–14 seasons saw a decline for both Ottawa and the Wanderers. After the withdrawal of O'Brien's Renfrew team in 1911, the two clubs fought over the rights to Cyclone Taylor, who wanted to return to Ottawa, where his fiancé lived and he still had a government job. The NHA had given the Wanderers the rights to Taylor in a dispersal of the Renfrew players. Trade talks were unfruitful. Ottawa, insistent in their claim for Taylor, played him in one game for Ottawa against the Wanderers. The Senators won the game; however, Taylor was ineffectual.[79] The move backfired on the Senators, as the league ruled that the game could not stand and would have to be replayed. The Senators lost the replay and it was the difference in the league championship, as the defending champion Senators placed second by one game behind Quebec.[80] Quebec's Bulldogs won the only two Stanley Cup championships in the club's history that season and the next, and the Toronto Blueshirts won in 1914. Taylor did not play in the NHA again, as he joined Vancouver in the off-season.[81] The Senators finished fifth in 1912–13 and fourth in 1913–14. 1912–13 saw the debut of right wing Punch Broadbent, who scored 20 goals in 18 games.

 
Group photograph of the 1914–15 Ottawa Senators.
Some players' sweaters have a two flags logo for war-time.

In 1914–15, both Ottawa and the Wanderers bounced back to the top of the league, tying each other for the NHA season title. This was also the season that future Hall of Famer Clint Benedict became the Senators' top goaltender, taking over from Percy LeSueur. Former Wanderer Art Ross joined the Senators and helped Ottawa win in a two-game playoff, 4–1. The Senators then played in the first inter-league Stanley Cup final playoff series with the Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast (PCHA) league. Cyclone Taylor, now of the Millionaires, haunted his old team, scoring six goals in three games as Ottawa lost three straight in Vancouver. Future Senator centreman Frank Nighbor played in this series for Vancouver and scored five goals.[82]

In 1915–16, the Senators placed second to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens. Punch Broadbent left the team to fight in World War I, while Frank Nighbor joined the Senators in his place and became the team's leading scorer. Nighbor had been signed away from Vancouver for the salary of $1,500, making him the highest-paid player on the club, ahead of Art Ross and Eddie Gerard.[83] Benedict led the league as the top goaltender for the first time.[84] With the wartime shortage of players, Rat Westwick and Billy Gilmour of 'Silver Seven' days attempted comebacks with the club but both played only two games before retiring for good.[85]

In the off-season, Ottawa's president Llewellyn Bate proposed to suspend the team's operations until the end of the war. Gate receipts had declined 17 percent. The other NHA owners refused to suspend the league. Rather than simply cease operations, Bate and the other directors of the team turned it over to Ted Dey, owner of the Arena. Dey cut player salaries and let players go, including Art Ross to the Wanderers. Dey also fired manager Alf Smith, saving on his $750 salary.[86]

In 1916–17, the last season of the NHA, Ottawa won the second half of the split schedule. An Army team, the Toronto 228th Battalion, composed of enlisted professional players, joined the league before leaving for war after the first half-season. When the Battalion left, the other Toronto team, the Blueshirts was suspended by the league and its players dispersed including Corb Denneny, brother of Cy Denneny, who joined the Senators. Future Hall of Famer Cy had been picked up in a trade with Toronto earlier that season and he would be a member of the Senators until 1928. Benedict was the NHA's top goaltender once again, and Nighbor tied for the scoring lead with 41 goals in 19 games.[87] As second-half winners, the Senators played off in a series with the Canadiens, the first-half winners. The Senators ended their play in the NHA by losing a two-game total goals playoff series to the Canadiens, who eventually lost to Seattle in the Stanley Cup final. This season saw the final decline of Ottawa's old rivals, the Wanderers, who finished at the bottom of the standings. The next year, the Wanderers played only four games in the NHL, winning only one before folding the franchise after their home arena burned down.[88]

While World War I affected all NHA teams, Ottawa was able to retain players and be competitive. The club finished no worse than second during the wartime seasons of 1914–15 to 1917–18.[89]

Stanley Cup champions in 1906 and 1910: Historians' debate

Due to the 'challenge' format of Stanley Cup play before 1915, there is often confusion about how many Stanley Cups the Senators should be given credit for: nine, ten or eleven. The Senators were Stanley Cup champions at the end of nine hockey seasons without dispute. In another two seasons, 1905–06 and 1909–10, the Senators won Stanley Cup challenges but were not champions at the end of the season. The Hockey Hall of Fame and the National Hockey League agree that the Senators of 1906 were champions but disagree on whether the Senators were champions in 1910. In both seasons, the Senators were the undisputed defending champions, and during that year's hockey season, the Senators won Stanley Cup challenges. However, by the end of both hockey seasons, they were no longer holders of the Stanley Cup.

In 1906, Ottawa defeated OHA champions Queen's University and FAHL champions Smiths Falls in Stanley Cup challenges. However, Ottawa tied the Montreal Wanderers for the ECAHA regular season championship. To decide the ECAHA championship and the Stanley Cup, the Senators played a two-game total goals series against the Wanderers in March 1906 and lost. The 1906 hockey season ended with the Wanderers as the Stanley Cup champions. The Hockey Hall of Fame recognizes both Ottawa and the Wanderers as champions for that year,[90] as does the NHL.[91]

In January 1910, Ottawa defeated Galt, champions of the OPHL, during the CHA regular season, as well as Edmonton of the AAHA during the NHA regular season (the Senators switched leagues in-between). At the end of the season, Ottawa gave up the Cup to the Montreal Wanderers, regular-season champions of the new NHA league. Unlike the 1906 case, the Hockey Hall of Fame does not recognize the Senators as champions for January 1910,[90] although the NHL does.[91]

In October 1992, at the first game of the current Ottawa Senators NHL club, banners were raised to commemorate Stanley Cups in nine seasons, excluding 1906 and 1910. In media guides published by the club, they listed the original Senators as nine-time winners.[92] This changed in March 2003, when the team raised banners for the 1906 and 1910 years to join the other nine banners hanging at the Corel Centre. The club and the NHL now list the original Senators as 11-time winners.[91]

NHL years (1917–1934)

 
Clint Benedict was outstanding for Ottawa

After struggling through the war years, the Ottawa Hockey Association put the club up for sale for $5,000 in the fall of 1917. Montreal Canadiens' owner George Kennedy was leading an effort to get rid of Toronto Blueshirts' owner Eddie Livingstone, and he needed the Senators in his corner. He loaned Ottawa Citizen sports editor Tommy Gorman (who also doubled as a press representative for the Canadiens) $2,500 to help buy into the Senators. Gorman, along with Martin Rosenthal and Ted Dey (owner of The Arena), bought the club. At a meeting held at Montreal's Windsor Hotel, the Senators, Canadiens, Wanderers and Bulldogs formed a new league—the National Hockey League—effectively leaving Livingstone in the NHA by himself. Gorman represented the Senators at the meeting. "A great day for hockey", he was quoted as saying, "Without [Livingstone] we can get down to the business of making money."[93] Within a year, Gorman and partner Ted Dey had made enough money to pay back Kennedy. Gorman also attended the following year's meeting of the NHA owners in which the final vote to suspend the league was made.[94]

The Senators first season in the NHL, 1917–18, did not go well. Salary squabbles delayed the home opener (on the league's first night, December 19, 1917[95]) as players protested that their contracts were for 20 games, while the season schedule was for 24. Enough players were appeased that the game started, 15 minutes late, while two players Hamby Shore and Jack Darragh, stayed in the dressing room while negotiations went on.[96] The Senators lost their home opener 7–4. The Senators lost their previous top rival, the Wanderers, after five games. The team struggled and finished in third place after the first half of the season. The club made player changes in the second half, getting Horace Merrill out of retirement and releasing Dave Ritchie. It was Shore's last season as he would die of pneumonia in October 1918. Shore's last career game was in the third-last game of the season and he was sat out for the last two games.[97] In the end, the team placed second in the second half and missed the playoffs. Cy Denneny led the team, coming second overall in scoring in the league with 36 goals in 20 games.[98]

Prior to the 1918–19 season, ownership of the Senators changed. While Ted Dey negotiated with Percy Quinn for a lease for The Arena, Dey was also negotiating with Rosenthal over the lease, causing Rosenthal to seriously consider moving the team from The Arena back to Aberdeen Pavilion. However, it turned out that Dey was engineering a takeover of the club and Rosenthal ended up selling his share of the club to Dey, making Dey the majority owner in both the Arena and the hockey club. Rosenthal, a prominent local jeweller, had been involved with the club since 1903. Dey's machinations also helped the NHL in its continuing fight against Blueshirts owner Livingstone. The Senators instigated an agreement with the other NHL clubs, binding them to the NHL for the next five years and locking out any rival league from their arenas.[99]

In 1918–19, the Senators won the second half of the split schedule. Clint Benedict had the top goalkeeper average, and Cy Denneny and Frank Nighbor placed third and fourth in scoring with 18 and 17 goals in 18 games, respectively. The schedule was abbreviated by the Toronto Arenas club suspending operations, so the Senators and Canadiens played off in the first best-of-seven series. Due to a family bereavement, Ottawa was without star centre Frank Nighbor for the first three games and lost all three.[100] Ottawa asked to use Corb Denneny of Toronto, but the Canadiens turned down the request.[101] Nighbor returned for the fourth game in Ottawa, which Ottawa won 6–3. The series ended in five games, as the Canadiens won the final match 4–2 to win the series.[102] The Stanley Cup final between Montreal and Seattle was left undecided, as an influenza outbreak suspended the final.[103]

The 'Super Six' (1920–1927)

The "Super Six"[104] Senators of the 1920s are considered by the NHL to be its first dynasty.[105] The club won four Stanley Cups and placed first in the regular season seven times.[105] The team's success was based on the timely scoring of several forwards, including Frank Nighbor and Cy Denneny, and a defence-first policy, which led to the NHL changing the rules in 1924 to force defencemen to leave the defensive zone once the puck had left the zone.[106] The talent pool in Ottawa and the Ottawa valley was deep; the Senators traded away two future Hall of Famers (Clint Benedict and Punch Broadbent) in 1924 to make way for two prospects (Alex Connell and Hooley Smith), who would also become Hall of Famers.[107] Benedict and Broadbent led the Montreal Maroons to a playoff defeat of the Senators on the way to a Stanley Cup win in 1926.[108]

In the 1919–20 season, the NHL reactivated the Quebec Bulldogs NHA franchise; with this addition, the NHL played with four teams again. There were no playoffs, as Ottawa won both halves of the schedule, the undisputed NHL championship and the O'Brien Cup. Clint Benedict again led the league in goalkeeper goals-against average and Frank Nighbor came third in the league scoring race with 25 goals in 23 games.[109]

The Senators then played the Seattle Metropolitans of the PCHA for the Stanley Cup. Because Seattle's red-white-green striped uniforms were nearly the same as Ottawa's red-white-black sweaters, the Senators played in simple white sweaters adorned with a large red "O" for this series.[110] The first three games were held in Ottawa (the first Stanley Cup games played in Ottawa since 1911) and ended with scores of 3–2 and 3–0 for Ottawa and 3–1 for Seattle. The first three games had been played on ice covered with water and slush due to warm weather in Ottawa. At this point, NHL president Calder moved the series to the Arena Gardens in Toronto, which had an artificial ice rink, the only one in eastern Canada at that time.[111] Seattle won 5–2 to tie the series, cheered on by the Toronto fans. In the fifth and deciding game, Ottawa won 6–1 on Jack Darragh's three goal performance and won their first Stanley Cup as a member of the NHL.[112] It was after this win that T. P. Gorman dubbed the team the 'Super Six.'[113] See the article 1920 Stanley Cup Finals.

In the 1920–21 season, the league transferred two Senators players to help its competitive balance. Punch Broadbent was transferred to Hamilton while Sprague Cleghorn was transferred to Toronto.[113] Even without the two, the Senators won the first half of the season to qualify for the playoffs. By the end of the playoffs, both players were back with Ottawa. Benedict again led league in goalkeeper average and Cy Denneny came second in scoring with 34 goals in 24 games. The Senators shut out Toronto 7–0 in a two-game total goals playoff and went west to play off against Vancouver for the Stanley Cup. Vancouver still had Cyclone Taylor, though it was near the end of his career and he scored no goals. The best-of-five series was heavily attended, with 11,000 fans attending the first game, the largest crowd in history to see a hockey game up until that time[114] and a total attendance for the five-game series of over 51,000.[115] Ottawa won the series with scores of 1–2, 4–3, 3–2, 2–3 and 2–1, with Jack Darragh scoring the winning goal.[116] See the article 1921 Stanley Cup Finals.

The 1921–22 season saw Sprague Cleghorn leave and Jack Darragh retire, opening spaces for new defencemen Frank Boucher and Frank "King" Clancy.[115] Clancy's first goal came on his first shot, against Hamilton in overtime on February 7, and was noted for having actually come in (illegally) through the side of the net.[117] Broadbent and Cy Denneny, the "Gold Dust Twins", finished one and two in league scoring, together producing 59 of Ottawa's 106 goals.[115] Broadbent scored in 16 consecutive games, an NHL record, that as of 2020, still stands.[118] The Senators won the regular season title but lost to eventual Stanley Cup winner Toronto St. Patricks 5–4 in a two-game total goals series. The series had the Boucher brothers play for Ottawa, while Cy Denneny played for Ottawa and his brother Corbett played for Toronto.[119]

 
The 1922–23 Stanley Cup championship patch worn on their 1923–24 sweaters

In 1922–23, the Senators were led by the league's top goalie Clint Benedict, the goal scoring of Cy Denneny and the return from retirement of Jack Darragh.[120] The season also saw the debut of defenceman Lionel Hitchman. An unsurpassed iron man record was set when Frank Nighbor played in six consecutive games without substitution, averaging a goal a game during the stretch.[121] The Senators won the regular season and took the playoff against the Canadiens 3–2 in a two-game total-goals playoff.[122]

The Cup Final playoff format had changed. There were semi-finals against the PCHA champion, followed by the final against the WCHL champion. In the Cup semi-finals, Ottawa again faced Vancouver (now known as the Maroons) in Vancouver. New attendance records were set during this series, with 9,000 for the first game and 10,000 for the second. Ottawa won the series with scores of 1–0, 1–4, 3–2, and 4–1, with Benedict getting the shutout and Harry Broadbent scoring five goals. The Senators next had to play Edmonton in a best-of-three series and won it in two games with scores of 2–1 and 1–0, with Broadbent scoring the winning goal.[123] The second game of the finals is famous for being the game in which King Clancy (then only a substitute for the team) played all positions, including goal.[124] See the article 1923 Stanley Cup Finals.

That year, club owners Dey and Gorman entered into a partnership with Frank Ahearn. Ahearn's family was well-off, owning the Ottawa Electric Company and the Ottawa Street Railway Company. Ted Dey then sold his share of the club and retired.[125] The first work of the partnership was a new arena, the Ottawa Auditorium, which was a 7,500 seat (10,000 capacity with standing room) arena with artificial ice. The new Ottawa Auditorium's first regular season game came on December 26, 1923. A crowd of 8,300 fans attended a game against the Canadiens, in which rookie Howie Morenz scored his first NHL goal.[126]

The 1923–24 season saw the Senators win the season but lose the playoff to the Canadiens, 0–1 and 2–4, with Georges Vezina getting the shutout and Morenz scoring three goals. Frank Nighbor was the first winner of the Hart Trophy as 'most valuable player' for his play in the regular season.[127] After the disappointing loss in the playoff series, goaltender Clint Benedict became embroiled in a controversy with the club over late nights and drinking. He was traded away, along with Harry Broadbent, to the new Montreal Maroons before the next season, for cash.[128] Ottawa hockey fans got to see a Stanley Cup final game played in Ottawa as the Auditorium hosted the final match of the Stanley Cup finals between the Canadiens and the Calgary Tigers, moved because of poor natural ice at the Canadiens' arena.[129]

 
Frank Nighbor with original Hart Trophy

The 1924–25 season, the first year of NHL expansion to the United States, saw major changes in Ottawa's lineup. Jack Darragh retired and had died from appendicitis months after his final game.[130] Making his debut in goal for Ottawa was Alex Connell, replacing Benedict. Replacing Broadbent was Hooley Smith, who had played for Canada in the 1924 Olympics. Lionel Hitchman was sold to the expansion Boston Bruins and replaced by Ed Gorman. It was also the debut season of Frank Finnigan.[127] Off the ice, Gorman and Ahearn squabbled over ownership. In January 1925, during the season, Gorman sold his share of the Senators to Ahearn and left the Senators organization, later joining the expansion New York Americans.[127]

With all the changes, the Senators slipped to fourth place in the standings. Cy Denneny continued his scoring ways, placing fourth in league scoring with 28 goals in 28 games.[131] Frank Nighbor became the first winner of the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play, donated by Marie Evelyn Moreton (Lady Byng), wife of Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy, who was Governor General of Canada from 1921 to 1926. Nighbor received the trophy personally from Lady Byng during a presentation at Rideau Hall.[127] Nighbor won the trophy in 1925–26 and 1926–27 as well.

The NHL expanded further into the United States in the 1925–26 season with the new New York Americans and Pittsburgh Pirates. Ottawa won the league title, led by Alex Connell in goal, who recorded 15 shutouts in 36 games, and Cy Denneny, who scored 24 goals. The team received a bye to the playoff finals.[108] However, the Montreal Maroons won the two-game total goals series with scores of 1–1 and 1–0; former Senator Clint Benedict got the shutout. The Maroons went on to win the Stanley Cup against Victoria.[132] The season also marked the debut of future Hall of Famer Hec Kilrea.

The 1926–27 season saw the NHL divided for the first time into two divisions, and they made the playoffs, winning the Canadian Division title. They advanced to the semi-finals and defeated the Canadiens, 4–0, and 1–1, en route to facing the Boston Bruins for the Cup. In the first series for the Stanley Cup with only NHL opponents, Ottawa defeated Boston with scores of 0–0, 3–1, 1–1 and 3–1, with the final game taking place in Ottawa; it would be the Senators' final Stanley Cup championship.[133] Alex Connell led the way in goal, allowing only three goals in the four games. Cy Denneny led the way in scoring with four goals, including the Cup winner. The Senators won three trophies as NHL champions, along with the Stanley Cup, the club also won two other trophies, the O'Brien Cup and the Prince of Wales Trophy, the last time the trophies were given to winners of the NHL championship. They would be given out to divisional winners in the following season. After the series, the Senators players received a parade in Ottawa, a civic banquet and an 18–carat gold ring with 14 small diamonds in the shape of an 'O'.[134] See the article 1927 Stanley Cup Finals.

Decline (1927–1934)

Ottawa had been by far the smallest market in the NHL even before American teams began playing in 1924. The later 1931 census listed only 110,000 people in the city of Ottawa—roughly one-fifth the size of Toronto, which was the league's second-smallest market. The team sought financial relief from the league as early as 1927. Despite winning the Stanley Cup, the Senators were already in financial trouble, having lost $50,000 for the season.[135] The league's expansion to the United States did not benefit the Senators. Attendance was low for games against the expansion teams, which provided a poor gate at home. There were also higher travel costs for away games, although the American arenas were larger. This fact was the basis for attempts to increase revenues, as the team played "home" games in other cities.

In the 1927–28 season, the Senators played two "home" games in Detroit, collecting the bulk of the gate receipts (thus allowing them to actually turn a profit for that season), while Jack Adams retired to become the coach and general manager of the Detroit Cougars.[133] The brightest note from the campaign was goaltender Alex Connell's play, in which he set a NHL record (unsurpassed as of 2021) of six consecutive shutouts, a shutout run of 460 minutes and 49 seconds.[136]

Taking advantage of a spending spree by the Montreal Maroons at the onset of the 1928–29 season,[136] the Senators sold their star right wing Hooley Smith to the Maroons for $22,500 and the return of former star Punch Broadbent.[137] Also for cash, the team sent long-time member Cy Denneny to the Bruins. The club further repeated the scheme of playing two "home" games in Detroit en route to an undistinguished campaign in which they missed the playoffs for only the third time as an NHL team.[137][138]

In the 1929–30 season, with cash still hemorrhaging, the team transferred two scheduled home games to Atlantic City (one each against the New York Rangers and New York Americans), two to Detroit, and one to Boston.[139] The Senators rallied, however, to make the playoffs for what would be the final time, finishing third in the Canadian Division. The Senators faced off against the New York Rangers in a two-game total-goals series. In the last NHL playoff game in Ottawa until 1996, the Senators tied the Rangers 1–1 on March 28, 1930, but lost game two in New York 5–1 to lose the series 6–2.[140] The season also marked the debut of future star Syd Howe with the Senators while long-time star Frank Nighbor was sold to Toronto.

By the 1930–31 season, the team was openly selling players to make ends meet. Star defenceman King Clancy was sold to Toronto for an unprecedented $35,000 and two players on October 11, 1930. The team fell into last place for the first time since 1898.[141] In 1931, a potential deal arose with the owners of Chicago Stadium, including grain magnate James E. Norris, who wanted to move the team to Chicago, However, Chicago Black Hawks owner Frederic McLaughlin did not want another team in his territory and vetoed the deal.[142] Norris bought the bankrupt Detroit Falcons instead and turned them into the Detroit Red Wings.

The Senators and the equally strapped Philadelphia Quakers asked the NHL for permission to suspend operations for the 1931–32 season in order to rebuild their fortunes. The league granted both requests on September 26, 1931. Ottawa received $25,000 for the use of its players, and the NHL co-signed a Bank of Montreal loan of $28,000 to the club.[142] The Senators seriously considered moving to Toronto, as Conn Smythe desired a second tenant for the new Maple Leaf Gardens. However, they balked when Smythe wanted a $100,000 guarantee, with a 40%/60% split of revenues.[142]

While the Quakers never returned, the Senators resumed play after a one-year hiatus. Despite the return of players such as Cooney Weiland, Finnigan, Howe and Kilrea, the Senators finished with the worst record in the league in the two seasons that followed. Attendance was poor, the club only drawing well when the league's other three Canadian teams came to town.[135] Frank Finnigan recalled that they frequently played home games before small crowds of 3,500 to 4,000.[135] 1932–33 saw the return of Cy Denneny to Ottawa as coach. He would last only the one season. In June 1933, former captain Harvey Pulford was given an option to buy the team and move it to Baltimore, but the option was never exercised.[143] In October 1933, Kilrea was sold for $10,000 to Toronto.[144]

In December 1933, rumours surfaced that the Senators would merge with the equally strapped New York Americans; however, this was denied by Ottawa club president Frank Ahearn, who had sought financial help from the league.[145] The team played the full 1933–34 season, transferring one home game to Detroit. Near the end of the season, reports surfaced that the club had entered into a deal with St. Louis "interests" to move the club.[146] The team lost its last home game by a score of 3–2 to the Americans on March 15, 1934, before a crowd of 6,500. The Senators had lent Alex Connell to the Americans when the Americans' goalie Worters was hurt, and he turned in a "sensational performance" for the visitors.[147] The home crowd was in a "throwing mood" and "carrots, parsnips, lemons, oranges and several other unidentified objects were thrown onto the ice continuously for no reason whatsoever."[148] The final game of the season was a 2–2 tie with the Maroons at the Montreal Forum on March 18, 1934.[149]

1934: End of the first NHL era in Ottawa

 
The April 7, 1934, Ottawa Citizen headline

Despite finishing in last place for the second year in a row, the Senators actually improved their attendance over the previous season. Even with the increased gate, they barely survived the season. After the season ended, it was announced by Auditorium president F. D. Burpee that the franchise would not return to Ottawa for the 1934–35 season due to losses of $60,000 over the previous two seasons. The losses were too great to be made up by the sale of players' contracts, and the club needed to be moved to "some very large city which has a large rink, if we are to protect the Auditorium shareholders and pay off our debts."[150] The NHL franchise was moved to St. Louis, Missouri and operated as the St. Louis Eagles. The Eagles played only one season, finishing last again. They suspended operations after the season, never to return.[151] Flash Hollett was the last member of the Senators to play in the NHL, retiring with the Detroit Red Wings in 1946.

The city of Ottawa did not have an NHL franchise again until the new Ottawa Senators franchise was awarded for the 1992–93 season. The NHL presented the Senators with a "certificate of reinstatement" commemorating Ottawa's return to the league, and the current Senators honour the original franchise's 11 Stanley Cups. However, records for the two teams are kept separately. Frank Finnigan, the last surviving member of the original Senators' last Stanley Cup winner, played a key role in the drive to win an expansion franchise for Ottawa. He was slated to drop the puck in a ceremonial face-off for the new franchise's first game but died a year before that game took place. The new Senators honoured Finnigan by retiring his #8 jersey.[152]

After the NHL franchise relocated, the Senators were continued as a senior amateur club in the Montreal Group of the Quebec Amateur Hockey Association (QAHA), beginning in the 1934–35 season.[153] One player, Eddie Finnigan, played for both the Senators and the Eagles in the 1934–35 season. The "Senior Senators" renewed the rivalry with Montreal-area senior amateur teams such as the Montreal Victorias that the old Senators had played in the years prior to turning openly professional. Later, Tommy Gorman bought the team and helped to found the Quebec Senior Hockey League. Winning the Allan Cup in 1949, the senior Senators continued until December 1954, finally ending the Senators' storied 71-year history.[154]

Team information

 
The first logo of Ottawa Hockey Club.
(based on logo of Ottawa Amateur Athletic Association)

Nicknames

The club began in 1883 as the Ottawa Hockey Club and was known by that name officially, even after joining the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Association (OAAA). Reports of the club in early play in the 1890s sometimes refer to the club as the Generals. The club is also referred to as the Capitals, although there was a competing Capital Athletic Association hockey team using that name. Other nicknames included the Silver Seven, a name the players gave themselves after receiving silver nuggets from manager Bob Shillington after the 1903 Stanley Cup win.[36] The Super Six name was given in the 1920s.[104]

The first reference to the nickname of Senators was in a game report ("The Ottawas Made a Good Start") of the Ottawa Journal on January 7, 1901, [155][156] and used in other newspapers around that time.[157] While the nickname was used occasionally, the club continued to be known as the Ottawa Hockey Club. In 1909, a separate Ottawa Senators pro team existed in the Federal League. Ottawa newspapers referred to that club as the Senators, and the Ottawa HC as 'Ottawa', 'Ottawas' or the 'Ottawa Pro Hockey Club'. The Globe newspaper of Toronto first refers to the Ottawa Hockey Club as the Senators in an article entitled 'Quebec defeated Ottawa' on December 30, 1912.[158] Eventually this became the official nickname and was the only name used in descriptions of the club in NHL play.

Logos and sweaters

 
1896–1897 Ottawa Hockey Club.
The team is in their 'barber-pole' sweaters.

For the first two years of their existence, Ottawa used red and black horizontally-striped sweaters.[159] The club then changed to sweaters of gold and blue[12] until it later affiliated with the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Association in 1889. The team then adopted the colours of the OAAA organization: red, white and black. The logo of the team was a simplified version of the 'triskelion' or 'winged legs' logo of the OAAA, which can be described as a "running wheel". The sweaters were solid white with the club logo in red. The players wore knee-length white pants with black stockings,[16] as shown in the 1891 team photo.

In 1896, the club first adopted the "barber-pole" design, with which the team became synonymous. The design was simple: strong horizontal stripes of red, black and white. Players wore white pants and red, white and black striped stockings. The basic design would be used for the rest of the organization's existence, except for one season, 1909–10, where the stripes were vertical and Montreal fans nicknamed the team derisively as 'les suisses', a slang term for chipmunk.[160] The "barber-pole" uniform was later adopted by the Ottawa 67's junior ice hockey team.

No logo was present on the sweater at first, and until 1930 logos were not used for more than a year at a time. During World War I, the club adopted a logo of flags to show allegiance to the war effort, as shown in the 1915 photo. After each Stanley Cup win, the club affixed a badge or logo stating "World Champions". In the 1929–30 season, the club added the "O" logo to the chest of the sweater.[161]

 
Bruce Stuart in 1909–10 sweater

Ownership

From the start, the club was owned and operated by its members and known as the Ottawa Hockey Club, becoming an affiliate of the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Association in 1889. In 1907, according to hockey historian Charles L. Coleman, some of the ownership was transferred to five of the players: Smith, Pulford, Moore, Westwick and LeSueur.[62] In 1911, the club incorporated itself and the organization took on the name of the "Ottawa Hockey Association".[162] In 1917, the club was separated from the Association and sold to Tommy Gorman, Ted Dey and Martin Rosenthal for $5,000 in time to join the National Hockey League.[94]

In 1918, Rosenthal was forced out by Dey in a complex scheme. Dey was negotiating, as owner of The Arena, with both Rosenthal on behalf of the Senators and Percy Quinn (who held an option to purchase the Quebec NHA club) on behalf of a proposed new professional league over exclusive rights to the Arena for professional hockey. In a plan to derail the proposed new league, Dey maintained publicly that he had reserved the Arena for Quinn's proposed league when, in fact, he had not cashed a cheque received from Quinn to reserve an option on the Arena. Rosenthal, believing the club could no longer play at the Arena, attempted to find alternate arrangements for the club, including refurbishing Aberdeen Pavilion, but was unsuccessful. Dey purchased Rosenthal's share of the club on October 28, 1918, and Rosenthal resigned from the club.[163] Quinn filed a lawsuit against Dey for his deception but it was dismissed.[164] Quinn would get further action from the NHL, as the NHL suspended Quinn's franchise and took over its players' contracts.[165]

In 1923, Dey retired after selling his ownership interest to Gorman and new investor Frank Ahearn.[125] Ahearn and Gorman had an uneasy partnership and at one point Gorman was going to buy out Ahearn. By January 1925, the deal was nearly finalized when Gorman backed out of the deal.[166] Instead, Ahearn bought Gorman's interest in the club for $35,000 and a share of the Connaught Park Racetrack[127] and Gorman moved on to New York to manage the New York Americans. In 1929, Ahearn sold the club to the Ottawa Auditorium corporation for $150,000, financed by a share issue. William Foran, the Stanley Cup trustee, became president of the Club. As the Auditorium did not meet its payments, Ahearn resumed a share of the club in 1931.[167]

 
Likeness of 1930s 'barber pole' sweaters with 'O' logo

In 1931, a dispute arose between Foran, in his role as Stanley Cup trustee, and the NHL. The American Hockey League had asked for a Stanley Cup challenge against the champions of the NHL. Foran had agreed to the challenge and ordered the NHL to comply, but the NHL refused to play the challenge. Foran was fired from his position as Senators' president and was replaced by Redmond Quain.[168]

While the Ottawa Auditorium owned the hockey club, it was heavily indebted to Frank Ahearn and his father, and tried to clear its debt. In December 1930, the club was put up for sale for $200,000 under conditions it stay in Ottawa.[169] The best local bid was $100,000,[170] while a bid to move the club to Chicago was made for $300,000, ultimately denied by the Chicago Blackhawks ownership.[171] Later, the Auditorium tried to relocate the team to Baltimore under the ownership of former player Harvey Pulford.[169] A possible relocation to Toronto was also explored,[172] but in the end, no sales occurred.

In 1934, the club's NHL franchise was transferred to St. Louis, although the Association continued its ownership of the franchise and player contracts as well as the senior club. On October 15, 1935, the NHL bought back the franchise and players' contracts for $40,000 and suspended its operations again.[173] Under the agreement, the NHL paid for the players and took back possession of the franchise. If the franchise was resold, the proceeds would go to the Ottawa Hockey Association.[174]

In July 1936, the Auditorium bond-holders foreclosed on the arena and it was put under the control of the Royal Securities Corporation. The senior club was sold in 1937 to James MacCaffery, the owner of the Ottawa Rough Riders football team. Former owner Tommy Gorman returned to Ottawa in 1944, when he purchased the club and the Auditorium.[175] He operated the senior team until December 1954, when he shut down the team over falling attendance, citing the "rise of hockey on television."[154][176]

Fans

When the Ottawa Hockey Club began play, there was no division between the ice surface and the stands like today. The fans became quite wet in the times when the temperature was warm. In the 1903 Stanley Cup Final against the Montreal Victorias, the Governor-General (who had a private box seat at the ice's edge) is recorded as getting wet from the play.[177] On another occasion, in the 1906 Stanley Cup Final against the Wanderers, the Governor-General's top hat was knocked off by the stick of Ernie "Moose" Johnson.[54] The top hat was taken by a fan and given to Johnson.[178]

One custom of the Ottawa fans towards opposition teams was to throw lemons. Cyclone Taylor, on his first visit back to Ottawa after signing with Renfrew, was pelted with lemons as well as a bottle.[179]

Team record

Main article: List of Ottawa Senators (original) seasons

List of Stanley Cup final appearances

 
Stanley Cup banners hanging at the Canadian Tire Centre, honouring the original Senators
Date Opponent Result
March 22, 1894 Montreal Hockey Club Montreal defeats Ottawa 3–1
March 7–8, 1903 Montreal Victorias Ottawa wins series (1–1, 8–0)
March 12–14, 1903 Rat Portage Thistles Ottawa wins series (6–2, 4–2)
December 30, 1903 – January 4, 1904 Winnipeg Rowing Club Ottawa wins series (9–1, 2–6, 2–0)
February 23–25, 1904 Toronto Marlboroughs Ottawa wins series (6–3, 11–2)
March 2, 1904 Montreal Wanderers Ottawa ties Montreal (5–5)[A]
March 9–11, 1904 Brandon Wheat City Ottawa wins series (6–3, 9–3)
January 13–16, 1905 Dawson City Nuggets Ottawa wins series (9–2, 23–2)
March 7–11, 1905 Rat Portage Thistles Ottawa wins series (3–9, 4–2, 5–4)
February 27–28, 1906 Queen's University Ottawa wins series (16–7, 12–7)
March 6–8, 1906 Smiths Falls Ottawa wins series (6–5, 8–2)
March 14–17, 1906 Montreal Wanderers Montreal wins series (9–1, 3–9)
1909 Ottawa goes unchallenged (ECHA champions)
January 5–7, 1910 Galt Ottawa wins series (12–3, 3–1)
January 18–20, 1910 Edmonton Ottawa wins series (8–4, 13–7)
March 13, 1911 Galt Ottawa wins 7–4
March 16, 1911 Port Arthur Ottawa wins 13–4
March 22–26, 1915 Vancouver Millionaires Vancouver wins series (6–2, 8–3, 12–3)
March 22 – April 1, 1920 Seattle Metropolitans Ottawa wins series (3–2, 3–0, 1–3, 2–5, 6–1)
March 21 – April 4, 1921 Vancouver Millionaires Ottawa wins series (1–2, 4–3, 3–2, 2–3, 2–1)
March 16–26, 1923 Vancouver Maroons Ottawa wins series (1–0, 1–4, 3–2, 5–1)
March 29 & 31, 1923 Edmonton Eskimos Ottawa wins series (2–1, 1–0)
April 7–13, 1927 Boston Bruins Ottawa wins series (0–0, 3–1, 1–1, 3–1)
A. ^ Montreal refused to continue the series in Ottawa, thereby losing by default.

Players

Hall of Famers

Source: Ottawa Senators[180]

Team captains

Sources:

  • 1902–1934: Sportsecyclopedia.com.[193]

Team scoring leaders (NHL)

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points

Player Pos GP G A Pts
Cy Denneny LW 302 245 67 312
Frank Nighbor C 326 134 60 194
George Boucher C/D 332 118 50 168
Hec Kilrea RW 293 104 56 160
Frank Finnigan RW 363 96 57 153
King Clancy D 305 85 65 150
Punch Broadbent RW 150 85 27 112
Bill Touhey LW 225 58 36 94
Jack Darragh LW 120 68 21 89
Eddie Gerard LW 128 50 30 80

Source: Total Hockey[194]

See also

 
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Ottawa Hockey Club
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ottawa Senators.

References

Notes
  1. ^ a b c Fischer, Doug (March 2, 2008). "When hockey came to the capital; 125 years ago this week, the Ottawa Hockey Club—the team that became the original Senators—took to the ice for the first time. A new book tells their fascinating story". Ottawa Citizen. pp. D4–D5.
  2. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 110.
  3. ^ Hockey Hall of Fame. Senators won challenges in 1906, tied for season title, lost playoff.
  4. ^ NHL. Senators won challenges in 1910, lost season title.
  5. ^ See Farrell (1899). Mr. Farrell states that "It is the oldest club in Ontario, and was in existence in the days of the challenge system, having played in Montreal during the carnivals." This refers to the Montreal Winter Carnival ice hockey tournaments of 1883 and 1884.
  6. ^ a b The first mention of 'Senators' as a nickname was in 1901, in the Ottawa Journal. The club continued to be known as the Ottawa Hockey Club. In 1909, a separate Ottawa Senators pro team existed in the Federal League. Ottawa newspapers referred to that club as the Senators, and the Ottawa HC as 'Ottawa' or 'Ottawa Pro Hockey Club'. The Globe first mentions the Senators in the article entitled 'Quebec defeated Ottawa' on December 30, 1912."Quebec defeated Ottawa". The Globe. December 30, 1912. p. 9.
  7. ^ McKinley 1998, p. 11.
  8. ^ Houston, William (October 28, 1992). "Frank McGee had an eye for scoring". The Globe and Mail. p. C8.
  9. ^ a b c Kitchen, Paul (April 13, 1998). "It's true: Hockey players can be artistic: Alexei Yashin recently gave $1 million to the arts, while more than 100 years ago another Ottawa great also made a splash in the arts". Ottawa Citizen. p. C3.
  10. ^ "Local News: Hockey". Ottawa Daily Citizen. March 6, 1883. p. 4.
  11. ^ McFarlane 2000, p. 254.
  12. ^ a b Kitchen 2008, p. 28.
  13. ^ a b . The Montreal Gazette. Library and Archives Canada. December 9, 1886. Archived from the original on February 4, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
  14. ^ Kitchen 2006, p. 4.
  15. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 40.
  16. ^ a b Kitchen 2008, p. 44.
  17. ^ a b Finnigan 1992, p. 76.
  18. ^ Finnigan 1992, p. 131.
  19. ^ "A Good Record At The Capital". The Globe. March 23, 1891. p. 3.
  20. ^ Young 1989, pp. 22–23.
  21. ^ "Sports and Pastimes". Toronto Star. February 21, 1894. p. 2.
  22. ^ . Ottawa Journal. Library and Archives Canada. March 19, 1892. Archived from the original on May 19, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
  23. ^ Diamond 1992, p. 14.
  24. ^ "Great Ottawa Names Glitter in Lengthy History of Hockey". Ottawa Citizen. April 28, 1953. p. E02.
  25. ^ a b . Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on March 21, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2007.
  26. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 8.
  27. ^ Coleman 1966, pp. 16–18.
  28. ^ "Montreallers Champions". The Globe. March 23, 1894. p. 6.
  29. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 45.
  30. ^ "Ottawas Won't Challenge". Ottawa Journal. February 27, 1901. p. 9.
  31. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 62.
  32. ^ "The Ottawas Have Done Wisely". Ottawa Journal. February 28, 1901. p. 12.
  33. ^ Poulton 2007, p. 11.
  34. ^ McKinley 2006, p. 31.
  35. ^ . Library and Archives of Canada. Archived from the original on May 19, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
  36. ^ a b Kitchen 2008, p. 117.
  37. ^ Coleman 1966, pp. 88–89.
  38. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 117.
  39. ^ a b c Diamond 1992, p. 31.
  40. ^ described as "the most storied of all Stanley Cup challenges", Holzman and Nieforth (2002), p. 54
  41. ^ "a fantastic legend in Cup history",("The Stanley Cup: Famous Incidents". NHL.com. Retrieved November 3, 2008.
  42. ^ "one of the most memorable feats in Canadian sporting history",Cosentino(1990), p. 143
  43. ^ Frayne 1999, p. 11.
  44. ^ McKinley 2000, pp. 48–49.
  45. ^ McKinley 2000, pp. 50–51.
  46. ^ McKinley 2000, p. 51.
  47. ^ a b McKinley 2000, p. 52.
  48. ^ Fischler 1990, p. 261.
  49. ^ a b McFarlane 1969, p. 11.
  50. ^ "History of McGee's Inn: Frank McGee, the hockey legend". McGee's Inn Bed & Breakfast – Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Website. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  51. ^ Kitchen 2008, pp. 141–142.
  52. ^ "His Happiest Days Were In Hockey". Ottawa Journal. November 8, 1962. p. 21.
  53. ^ Poulton 2007, p. 35.
  54. ^ a b Coleman 1966, p. 129.
  55. ^ "Jas. McGee Dead". The Ottawa Citizen. May 16, 1904. p. 4.
  56. ^ "Argos Condole with Ottawa". The Globe. May 21, 1904. p. 24.
  57. ^ "James McGee Buried". The Globe. May 17, 1904. p. 2.
  58. ^ a b Coleman 1966, p. 137.
  59. ^ "Wanderers and Ottawa In Terrific Match". Ottawa Citizen. January 14, 2017. p. 8.
  60. ^ a b c Coleman 1966, p. 135.
  61. ^ "Ottawa Players Were Arrested". Ottawa Journal. January 28, 1907. p. 2.
  62. ^ a b Coleman 1966, p. 152.
  63. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 166.
  64. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 160.
  65. ^ a b Kitchen 2008, p. 159.
  66. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 151.
  67. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 156.
  68. ^ McFarlane 1969, p. 14.
  69. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 168.
  70. ^ Coleman 1966, pp. 1178–179.
  71. ^ a b Kitchen 2008, p. 166.
  72. ^ Coleman 1966, pp. 178–285.
  73. ^ ""Standing Room Only" Now". Ottawa Citizen. February 11, 1910. p. 8.
  74. ^ "Will Fred Taylor Score?". Ottawa Citizen. February 11, 1910. p. 8.
  75. ^ McFarlane 1969, p. 15.
  76. ^ "Ottawa Team Meet Waterloo: Outclassed by Renfrew 17 to 2". Ottawa Citizen. March 9, 1910. p. 8.
  77. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 168.
  78. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 1216.
  79. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 222.
  80. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 225.
  81. ^ Coleman 1966, pp. 222, 234.
  82. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 284.
  83. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 190.
  84. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 293.
  85. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 345.
  86. ^ Kitchen 2008, pp. 192–193.
  87. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 316.
  88. ^ Coleman 1966, pp. 322–323.
  89. ^ Coleman 1966, pp. 273–316.
  90. ^ a b . Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on December 30, 2007. Retrieved January 23, 2008.
  91. ^ a b c . NHL. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved January 23, 2008.
  92. ^ Ottawa Senators Hockey Club Yearbook 1992–1993 Annuaire. Ottawa Senators. 1992. p. 78.
  93. ^ McFarlane 1969, p. 21.
  94. ^ a b Hunter 1997, p. 20.
  95. ^ Boswell, Randy (April 16, 2017). "Solving the mystery of the NHL's 1st game". CBC News. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  96. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 208.
  97. ^ Kitchen 2008, pp. 209–210.
  98. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 336.
  99. ^ Holzman & Nieforth 2002, pp. 178–85.
  100. ^ McFarlane 1969, p. 23.
  101. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 359.
  102. ^ Coleman 1966, pp. 358–360.
  103. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 363.
  104. ^ a b Coleman 1966, p. 628.
  105. ^ a b . NHL.Com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
  106. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 487.
  107. ^ Coleman 1966, pp. 466–467.
  108. ^ a b Coleman 1966, pp. 504–505.
  109. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 369.
  110. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 259.
  111. ^ McFarlane 1969, p. 24.
  112. ^ Kitchen 2008, pp. 259–262.
  113. ^ a b Kitchen 2008, p. 262.
  114. ^ McFarlane 1969, p. 25.
  115. ^ a b c Hunter 1997, p. 24.
  116. ^ Hunter 1997, pp. 23–24.
  117. ^ McFarlane 1969, p. 26.
  118. ^ Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2009). NHL Official Guide and Record Book 2010. Toronto, Ontario: Dan Diamond and Associates. p. 180. ISBN 978-1-894801-16-4.
  119. ^ Coleman 1966, pp. 410–411.
  120. ^ Coleman 1966, pp. 420–421.
  121. ^ McFarlane 1969, p. 27.
  122. ^ Coleman 1966, pp. 430–432.
  123. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 437.
  124. ^ Fischler & Fischler 2003, p. 68.
  125. ^ a b Hunter 1997, p. 26.
  126. ^ Robinson 1982, p. 52.
  127. ^ a b c d e Hunter 1997, p. 27.
  128. ^ Fischer, Doug (June 23, 2008). "The trials and triumphs of Clint Benedict". The Ottawa Citizen. p. A1.
  129. ^ McFarlane 1969, p. 29.
  130. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 238.
  131. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 472.
  132. ^ Coleman 1966, pp. 505–506.
  133. ^ a b McFarlane 1969, p. 33.
  134. ^ Podnieks 2004, p. 59.
  135. ^ a b c MacKinnon, John (December 24, 1989). "Once upon a time... When Ottawa ruled the hockey world". The Ottawa Citizen. pp. B1.
  136. ^ a b McFarlane 1969, p. 35.
  137. ^ a b Wong 2005, p. 123.
  138. ^ McFarlane 1969, p. 36.
  139. ^ Wong 2005, p. 126.
  140. ^ Coleman 1967, p. 102.
  141. ^ Coleman 1967, p. 119.
  142. ^ a b c Wong 2005, p. 130.
  143. ^ Wong 2005, p. 132.
  144. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 317.
  145. ^ "Ottawa Senators Will Remain Here". The Evening Citizen. December 13, 1933. p. 10.
  146. ^ "Ottawa Will Be Without Team When 1934–35 Campaign Opens". The Evening Citizen. April 9, 1934. p. 11.
  147. ^ Coleman 1967, p. 211.
  148. ^ Boyd, H. M. (March 16, 1934). "Senators lose last NHL season game". The Evening Citizen. p. 6.
  149. ^ Coleman 1967, p. 213.
  150. ^ "No N.H.L. Hockey Team for Ottawa Next Winter". The Evening Citizen. April 7, 1934. p. 1.
  151. ^ NHL (2001). NHL Official Guide and Record Book 2002. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-57243-500-1.
  152. ^ Garrioch, Bruce (December 28, 2016). "Next Senators jersey to retire won't be a simple call". Ottawa Citizen.
  153. ^ "Ottawa Team Is Expected to Join Quebec Amateur Hockey Circuit". The Ottawa Citizen. July 26, 1934. p. 12.
  154. ^ a b Finnigan 1992, pp. 157–189.
  155. ^ Ottawa Senators Media Guide 2007–08. Ottawa Senators Hockey Club. 2007. p. 196.
  156. ^ "The Ottawas Made a Good Start". Ottawa Journal. January 7, 1901. p. 5.
  157. ^ "Shamrocks Were Beaten". Winnipeg Tribune. January 14, 1901. p. 3.
  158. ^ "Quebec defeated Ottawa". The Globe. December 30, 1912. p. 9.
  159. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 24.
  160. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 167.
  161. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 303.
  162. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 169.
  163. ^ Holzman and Nieforth, pp. 178–182
  164. ^ Holzman and Nieforth, p. 186
  165. ^ Holzman and Nieforth, p. 185
  166. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 231.
  167. ^ Wong 2005, p. 128.
  168. ^ Holzman and Nieforth, p. 316
  169. ^ a b Kitchen 2008, p. 307.
  170. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 308.
  171. ^ "Large Offer Is Made For Ottawa Team". The Globe and Mail. September 28, 1931. p. 6.
  172. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 311.
  173. ^ "Ottawa Interests Through;NHL Purchases Franchise". Toronto Star. October 16, 1935.
  174. ^ Coleman 1967, p. 257.
  175. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 332.
  176. ^ "Gorman Removes Ottawa Senators from Quebec HL". The Globe and Mail. December 21, 1954. p. 16.
  177. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 84.
  178. ^ Whitehead 1980, p. 34.
  179. ^ Coleman 1966, p. 187.
  180. ^ Ottawa Senators Media Guide 2007–08. p. 196.
  181. ^ "Ottawa Hockey Club". Ottawa Citizen. December 7, 1886. p. 6.
  182. ^ "Ottawa Hockey Club". Ottawa Citizen. November 20, 1890.
  183. ^ Finnigan 1992, p. 73.
  184. ^ "Sports of all Sorts". The Globe. November 25, 1895. p. 6.
  185. ^ "Sports of all Sorts". The Globe. November 14, 1896. p. 26.
  186. ^ "Ottawa Club's Officers". The Globe. November 13, 1897. p. 22.
  187. ^ "After the Puck". The Globe. December 7, 1899. p. 10.
  188. ^ "After the Puck". The Globe. December 25, 1899. p. 8.
  189. ^ Kitchen 2008, p. 100.
  190. ^ "Watch Tecumsehs says P. Lesueur". Toronto World. January 10, 1913. p. 4.
  191. ^ "Wanderers out in front again" Ottawa Citizen. Dec. 23, 1915 (pg. 8). Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  192. ^ "Horace Merrill turned out with Ottawas on Saturday; Local squad now complete". Ottawa Citizen. Dec. 25, 1916 (pg. 6).
  193. ^ "Ottawa Senators". Sportsecyclopedia.com. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
  194. ^ Diamond, Dan (1998). Total hockey : the official encyclopedia of the National Hockey League. New York: Total Sports. ISBN 978-0-8362-7114-0.
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March 10, 2023
ottawa, senators, original, current, team, ottawa, senators, other, uses, ottawa, senators, disambiguation, ottawa, senators, were, hockey, team, based, ottawa, which, existed, from, 1883, 1954, club, first, hockey, club, ontario, founding, member, national, h. For the current NHL team see Ottawa Senators For other uses see Ottawa Senators disambiguation The Ottawa Senators were an ice hockey team based in Ottawa which existed from 1883 1 to 1954 The club was the first hockey club in Ontario 5 a founding member of the National Hockey League NHL and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934 The club which was officially the Ottawa Hockey Club Ottawa HC was known by several nicknames including the Generals in the 1890s the Silver Seven from 1903 to 1907 and the Senators dating from 1908 6 Ottawa HCFounded1883History1883 1886 independent 1887 AHAC 1888 1889 dormant 1890 OCHL 1890 1894 OHA 1891 1894 AHAC amp OCHL 1895 1898 AHAC 1899 1904 CAHL 1904 independent 1905 FAHL 1906 1909 ECAHA amateur later pro 1910 CHA 1910 1917 NHA 1917 1934 NHL Split in 1934 Senior Senators amateur semi pro 1934 44 QAHA Sr 1944 53 QSHL 1953 54 QHL St Louis Eagles pro 1934 35 NHL Home arenaRoyal Rink 1883 1 Dey s Rink 1884 1887 Rideau Rink 1889 1895 1898 2 Dey s Arena 1896 1897 1898 1903 Aberdeen Pavilion 1904 Dey s Arena 1905 1907 The Arena 1908 1923 Ottawa Auditorium 1923 1954 CityOttawa OntarioColoursBlack red and white Stanley Cups11 1903 1904 1905 1906 3 1909 1910 4 1911 1920 1921 1923 1927 Division championships8 NHL Canadian 1927NHA 1911 1915CAHL 1901AHAC Jan Mar 1892 OHA 1891 1892 1893Generally acknowledged by hockey historians as one of the greatest teams of the early days of the sport the club won numerous championships starting with the 1891 to 1893 Ontario championships Ottawa HC played in the first season during which the Stanley Cup was challenged in 1893 and first won the Cup in 1903 holding the championship until 1906 the Silver Seven years The club repeated its success in the 1920s winning the Stanley Cup in 1920 1921 1923 and 1927 the Super Six years In total the club won the Stanley Cup 11 times including challenges during two years it did not win the Cup for the season In 1950 Canadian sports editors selected the Ottawa HC Senators as Canada s greatest team in the first half of the 20th century 7 8 The club was one of the first organized clubs in the early days of the sport of ice hockey playing in the Montreal Winter Carnival ice hockey tournaments in the early 1880s and founding the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada and the Ontario Hockey Association Along with the rise of professionalism in ice hockey in the first decade of the 1900s the club changed to a professional team and were founding members of the National Hockey Association NHA and its successor the National Hockey League The club competed in the NHL until the 1933 34 season Due to financial difficulties the NHL franchise relocated to St Louis Missouri to become the St Louis Eagles The organization continued the Senators as an amateur and later semi professional team in Quebec senior men s leagues until 1954 The Senior Senators would win three Allan Cup titles Contents 1 Team history 1 1 Early amateur era 1883 1902 1 1 1 Formation of the AHAC 1 1 2 OHA championships 1 1 3 Re entry into the AHAC 1 2 Silver Seven era 1903 1906 1 2 1 Style of play 1 2 2 Dawson City challenge 1 2 3 Stanley Cup Challenge win streak 1 3 Early professional era 1907 1917 1 3 1 Transition to professional 1907 1910 1 3 2 National Hockey Association 1910 1917 1 3 3 Stanley Cup champions in 1906 and 1910 Historians debate 1 4 NHL years 1917 1934 1 4 1 The Super Six 1920 1927 1 4 2 Decline 1927 1934 1 4 3 1934 End of the first NHL era in Ottawa 2 Team information 2 1 Nicknames 2 2 Logos and sweaters 2 3 Ownership 2 4 Fans 3 Team record 3 1 List of Stanley Cup final appearances 4 Players 4 1 Hall of Famers 4 2 Team captains 4 3 Team scoring leaders NHL 5 See also 6 ReferencesTeam history EditEarly amateur era 1883 1902 Edit First photo of Ottawa Hockey Club 1883 84 Back row L to R T D Green T Gallagher N Porter Middle row L to R H Kirby J Kerr F Jenkins Front row L to R G Young A Low E Taylor The Ottawa Hockey Club Ottawa HC was founded by a small group of like minded hockey enthusiasts A month after witnessing games of hockey at the 1883 Montreal Winter Carnival Halder Kirby Jack Kerr and Frank Jenkins met and founded the club 9 Being the first organized ice hockey club in Ottawa and also the first in Ontario the club had no other clubs to play that season The only activities that winter were practices at the Royal Rink starting on March 5 1883 10 The club first participated competitively at the 1884 Montreal Winter Carnival ice hockey tournament considered the Canadian championship at the time 11 wearing red and black uniforms Future Ottawa mayor Nelson Porter is recorded as the scorer of the club s first ever goal at the 1884 Carnival 1 Frank Jenkins was the first captain of the team he later became the president of the hockey club in 1891 and of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada AHA or AHAC in 1892 9 Ottawa Hockey Club 1885 For the 1885 season the club adopted gold and blue as its colours 12 and returned to the Montreal tournament Ottawa earned its first ever victory at the tournament over the Montreal Victorias but lost its final match to the Montreal Hockey Club Montreal HC to place second in the tournament The 1886 Montreal tournament was cancelled due to an outbreak of smallpox and the club would not play an outside match again until 1887 Formation of the AHAC Edit On December 8 1886 the first championship league the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada was founded in Montreal 13 It was composed of several clubs from Montreal plus a Quebec City club and the Ottawa club Ottawa s Thomas D Green was named the first president of the league 13 The league did not have a set schedule and instead games were played in challenge series whereby a team held the championship and entertained challengers until the end of the season a format the league employed until 1893 Under the format Ottawa lost the one challenge it played in that first 1887 season to the Montreal Victorias After that season Ottawa HC became inactive The Royal Rink which had been their primary facility had been converted to a roller skating rink and ice rink facilities were at a shortage This changed with the opening of the Rideau Skating Rink in February 1889 One of the principal organizers in the restarting of the team was Ottawa Journal publisher P D Ross who also played on the team Returning as captain was Frank Jenkins and the other players were Halder Kirby Jack Kerr Nelson Porter Ross George Young Weldy Young Thomas D Green William O Dell Tom Gallagher Albert Low and Henry Ami 14 In 1889 the club played only one match against an outside club an exhibition at the Rideau rink against the Montreal HC second team 15 In November 1889 the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Club OAAC was opened at the corner of today s Elgin and Laurier Streets on the site of today s Lord Elgin Hotel The Club building would also be the Hockey Club s headquarters The OAAC was affiliated with the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Association OAAA and the Hockey Club through the affiliation also became OAAA members When the club began outside competition again in 1889 90 it was with new sweaters of white with black stripes and the OAAA red triskelion logo 16 It was during this period of affiliation with the OAAC that the club would become known by the nickname Generals attributed to the club s insignia 17 The club is also referred to as the Capitals in literature although there was a rival Ottawa Capitals club organized by the Capital Amateur Athletics Association active at the time 17 The 1891 Ottawa Hockey Club Ottawa and Ontario champions Back Row L to R H Kirby Chauncey Kirby Albert Morel H Y Russel F Jenkins W C Young Front Row L to R R Bradley J Kerr 18 The team is posed with the Cosby Cup In the 1889 90 season Ottawa HC played two competitive games but this was to increase greatly the next season The 1890 91 season saw the club play 14 games playing in three leagues Ottawa HC was a founding member of two new leagues the Ottawa City Hockey League OCHL and the Ontario Hockey Association OHA and also rejoined the AHAC Ottawa HC won the Ottawa and Ontario championships and two games against AHAC opponents but lost to the AHAC champion Montreal HC in its one challenge for the championship 19 OHA championships Edit The team was the OHA champion for that league s first three years The first championship was played on March 7 1891 at the Rideau rink and was won 5 0 by Ottawa over Toronto St George s 20 The 1891 championship was the only OHA final played in Ottawa as Ottawa played the 1892 final in Toronto defeating Osgoode Hall 4 2 and in 1893 the Toronto Granites defaulted by not appearing for the championship match scheduled for Ottawa The club resigned from the OHA in February 1894 after the OHA refused the club s demand to have the 1894 final in Ottawa and ordered Ottawa HC to play the final in Toronto 21 The dispute caused a permanent schism between Ottawa area teams competing in the Ottawa City Hockey League OCHL and the Ontario Hockey Association Ottawa and area teams remain unaffiliated with the OHA the official association under Hockey Canada is Hockey Eastern Ontario a descendant of the OCHL It was at a dinner to honour the 1892 OHA champions at the Russell Hotel that the Governor General Lord Stanley announced his new Dominion Challenge Trophy now known as the Stanley Cup for the Canadian champions 22 Former player and president of the club P D Ross was selected by Stanley to be a trustee of the Cup 23 The 1895 Ottawa Hockey Club and executive Standing P D Ross G P Murphy Chauncey Kirby Don Watters Seated Jim Smellie Alf Smith Harvey Pulford Weldy Young Joe McDougal Bottom row Harry Westwick Fred Chittick H Russell 24 Re entry into the AHAC Edit Ottawa HC did not win a game in its return to AHAC challenge play in 1890 91 but in the next season of AHAC play in 1891 92 the club won the league championship and held it for most of the season from January 10 until March 7 1892 The club took the championship from Montreal HC who were previously undefeated and won five straight games before Montreal won the championship back by a 1 0 score in the last challenge of the season Montreal s win in the final challenge was their only win of the season and their only one in four games against Ottawa Lord Stanley who often attended Ottawa HC games felt the loss of the title after holding it all season was an unsuitable way to determine the championship In the letter announcing the Stanley Cup Stanley suggested that the AHAC start a round robin type regular season format which the AHAC implemented in the following season of 1892 93 25 The key match up in that season for Ottawa was a loss in the opening game of the season against the Montreal Victorias on January 7 1893 as Ottawa split its season series with eventual winner Montreal HC both teams otherwise winning all of their games This loss provided the one game margin in the standings that led to Lord Stanley awarding the initial Cup to Montreal HC 26 In 1893 1894 Ottawa HC finished in a four way tie for first in the AHAC standings A playoff was arranged in Montreal for the championship between Ottawa Montreal HC and Montreal Victorias the other first place club Quebec having dropped out of the playoff These games would be the first Stanley Cup playoff games ever played As the away team Ottawa was given a bye to the final game 27 On March 23 1894 at the Victoria Rink Ottawa and Montreal HC played for the championship Ottawa scored the first goal but Montreal would score the next three to win the game 3 1 Ottawa captain Weldy Young fainted from exhaustion at the end of the game 28 The 1901 club CAHL left trophy and Ottawa right shield champions The club wore the same O logo as the Ottawa Football Club that season For the period of 1894 to 1900 the club did not win the league championship finishing as high as second several times and fifth last once For the 1896 97 season the Ottawa club unveiled the first use of the barber pole style sweaters of horizontal bars of black red and white This basic style would be used by the club until 1954 except for the 1900 and 1901 seasons when the team used a plain sweater with only the letter O on the front identical in design to the sweaters of the Ottawa Football Club also an OAAA affiliate In 1898 the AHAC dissolved over the admission of the intermediate level team Ottawa Capitals of the rival Capital Amateur Association to the AHAC by a vote of the league executive The Capitals had won the intermediate championship of the AHAC and were eligible to join the senior ranks After they were outvoted by the intermediate level teams of AHAC which wanted to promote the Capitals to the senior level the senior level Ottawa Montreal HC Montreal Victorias and Quebec clubs left the AHAC and formed the Canadian Amateur Hockey League CAHL shutting out the Capitals 29 The club won the CAHL 1901 season title its first league championship since winning the OHA in 1893 It wished to challenge the Stanley Cup champion Winnipeg Victorias at first but chose not to after deliberating for a week after the season although it also had the option to challenge in the 1902 season 30 According to hockey historian Charles L Coleman it was due to the lateness of the season 31 The Ottawa Journal openly supported the idea stating that the players were racked and would be at a serious disadvantage to travel to Winnipeg 32 Notable players of this period included Albert Morel and Fred Chittick in goal leaders of the league several times in goaltending and future Hall of Famers Harvey Pulford Alf Smith Harry Westwick and brothers Bruce Stuart and Hod Stuart It was during this period that the nickname Senators was first used however from 1903 to 1906 the team is better known as the Silver Seven Silver Seven era 1903 1906 Edit Group picture of the 1905 Ottawa Silver Seven Stanley Cup champions The first dynasty of the Ottawa HC was from 1903 until 1906 when the team was known as the Silver Seven 33 The era started with the arrival of Frank McGee for the 1903 season and ended with his retirement after the 1906 season Having lost an eye in local amateur hockey he was persuaded despite the threat of permanent blindness to join the Senators The youngest player on the team and standing 5 feet 6 inches 1 68 m tall he went on to score 135 goals in 45 games In a 1905 challenge against the Dawson City he scored 14 goals in a 23 2 win He retired in 1906 at the age of 23 34 In the 1903 CAHL season Ottawa and the Montreal Victorias both finished in first place with 6 2 records The top scorers were the Victorias Russell Bowie who scored seven goals in one game and six in another and McGee whose top performance saw him score five goals in a game The two clubs faced off in a two game total goals series to decide the league championship and Stanley Cup The first game played in Montreal on slushy ice that made it a desperate struggle to score ended 1 1 The return match in Ottawa witnessed by 3 000 fans was on ice coated with an inch of water The conditions did not hinder Ottawa as they won 8 0 with McGee scoring three goals and the other five shared among the three Gilmour brothers Dave 3 Suddy 1 and Bill 1 to win their first Cup 35 This started a period in which the team held the Stanley Cup and defeated all challengers until March 1906 For that Stanley Cup win each of the team s players was given a silver nugget by team executive Bob Shillington an Ottawa druggist and mining investor He gave them nuggets instead of money since the players were still technically amateurs and to give them money would have meant disqualification from the league In a 1957 interview Harry Westwick recalled that at the presentation One of the players said We ought to call ourselves the Silver Seven and the name caught on right there 36 At the time hockey teams iced seven men a goaltender three forwards two defencemen and a rover The Silver Seven moved between three leagues during this time and for a time were independent of any league In February 1904 during the CAHL season Ottawa resigned from the league in a dispute over the replaying of a game The team had arrived late for a game in Montreal and the game had been called at midnight with a tied score The league demanded that the game be replayed The club agreed to play only if the game mattered in the standings The impasse led to Ottawa leaving the league For the rest of that winter the club played only in Cup challenge series Quebec went on to win the championship of the league and demanded the Stanley Cup but the Cup s trustees ruled that Ottawa still retained it The trustees offered to arrange a challenge between Ottawa and the CAHL champion but the CAHL refused to consider it 37 The next season Ottawa joined the Federal Amateur Hockey League FAHL winning the league championship The club was only in the FAHL for one season and the Montreal Wanderers became their new rival For the 1906 season Ottawa along with the Wanderers and several of the CAHL teams formed the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association ECAHA unifying the top teams into one league 38 Style of play Edit The Silver Seven were well known for the number of injuries that they inflicted on other teams In a Stanley Cup challenge game in 1904 the Ottawas injured seven of the nine Winnipeg players and the Winnipeg Free Press called it the bloodiest game in Ottawa 39 The next team to challenge the Ottawas the Toronto Marlboroughs were treated similarly According to the Toronto Globe The style of hockey seems to be the only one known and people consider it quite proper and legitimate for a team to endeavor to incapacitate their opponents rather than to excel them in skill and speed slashing tripping the severest kind of cross checking and a systematic method of hammering Marlboroughs on hand and wrists are the most effective points in Ottawa s style 39 According to one player the Marlboroughs got off very easily When Winnipeg Rowing Club played here most of their players were carried off on stretchers 39 This style of hockey would continue for years to come Dawson City challenge Edit Further information 1904 05 FAHL season Ottawa vs Dawson City The Silver Seven participated in perhaps the most famous 40 41 42 Stanley Cup challenge of all that of Dawson City of the Yukon Territory in 1905 Organized by Joe Boyle a Toronto born prospector who had struck it rich in the Yukon gold rush of 1898 43 The Dawson City Nuggets had Lorne Hanna who had played for Brandon against Ottawa in a 1904 challenge and two former elite hockey players Weldy Young who had played for Ottawa in the 1890s and D R McLennan who had played for Queen s College against the Montreal Victorias in an 1895 challenge The remaining players were selected from other Dawson City clubs Dawson City s challenge was accepted in the summer of 1904 by the Stanley Cup trustees and scheduled to start on Friday January 13 1905 The date of the challenge meant that Young had to travel separately to Ottawa as he had to work in a federal election that December and would meet the club in Ottawa 44 Group picture of the Dawson City club January 14 1905 posed outside the Dey s Rink To get to Ottawa several thousand miles away the club had to get to Whitehorse by overland sleigh catch a train from there to Skagway Alaska then catch a steamer to Vancouver B C and a train from there to Ottawa On December 18 1904 several players set out by dog sled and the rest left the next day by bicycle for a 330 mile trek to Whitehorse At first the team made good progress but the weather turned warm enough to thaw the roads forcing the players to walk several hundred miles The team spent the nights in police sheds along the road At Whitehorse the weather turned bad causing the trains not to run for three days and the Nuggets to miss their steamer in Skagway The next one could not dock for three days due to the ice buildup The club found the sea journey treacherous and it caused seasickness amongst the team When the steamer reached Vancouver the area was too fogged in to dock and the steamer docked in Seattle The team from there caught a train to Vancouver from which it left on January 6 1905 arriving in Ottawa on January 11 45 Despite the difficult journey the Ottawas refused to change the date of the first game only two days away Ottawa arranged hospitable accommodations for the Dawson City team The Yukoners received a huge welcome at the train station had a welcoming dinner and used the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Club s rooms for the duration of their stay Young did not arrive in time to play for Dawson 46 The first game was close at the halfway point Ottawa leading Dawson three to one In the second half the play became violent Norman Watt of Dawson tripped Ottawa s Art Moore who retaliated with a stick to the mouth of Watt Watt promptly knocked Moore out hitting him on the head with his stick The game ended 9 2 for Ottawa The game left a poor taste in the mouth for the Yukoners who complained that several goals were offside 47 After the game Watt was quoted as saying Frank McGee doesn t look like too much as he had only scored once in the first game 48 49 McGee scored four goals in the first half of the second match and 10 in the second half leading Ottawa to a 23 2 score his 14 goals remains a record for a single game of major senior hockey 49 Eight of those 14 goals were scored consecutively in a span of less than nine minutes 50 Despite this high score the newspapers claimed that Albert Forrest the Dawson City goalie had played a really fine game otherwise the score might have been doubled Ottawa celebrated by hosting Dawson at a banquet After this the players took the Cup and attempted to drop kick it over the Rideau Canal The stunt was unsuccessful as the Cup landed on the frozen ice and had to be retrieved the next day 47 Considering the lopsided score of the series historians such as Paul Kitchen question why Dawson City was even granted a chance at the Cup Dawson City had won no championships and did not belong to any recognized senior league While team official Weldy Young knew Stanley Cup trustee P D Ross personally through their joint connection with the club it may have been the political connections that Joe Boyle had with the government Interior Minister of the time Clifford Sifton that got Dawson City the series 51 Future Ottawa Senators owner Frank Ahearn later stated that Weldy Young had asked Ahearn to ask the Ottawa players to not rub it in as Dawson City did not expect to win Ahearn mentioned this to McGee who had had a row with Boyle when both were members of the Ottawa Rowing Club and had not forgotten it 52 Stanley Cup Challenge win streak Edit The Ottawas were the dominant team for three years Defeated Montreal Victorias in two game total goals series 1 1 8 0 on March 7 and 10 1903 to win CAHL championship and the Stanley Cup Defeated Rat Portage Thistles in two game total goals series 6 2 4 2 10 4 on March 12 14 1903 Defeated Winnipeg Rowing Club in best of three series 9 1 2 6 2 0 on December 30 1903 and January 1 4 1904 Defeated Toronto Marlboroughs in two game total goals series 6 3 11 2 17 5 on February 23 25 1904 Defeated Montreal Wanderers by forfeit after tying Montreal 5 5 on March 2 1904 The Wanderers refused to continue the series unless the tie was replayed and forfeited as a result Defeated Brandon Manitoba in two game total goals series 6 3 9 3 15 6 on March 9 11 1904 Defeated Dawson City in best of three series 9 2 23 2 2 0 on January 13 16 1905 Won 1905 FAHL championship with record of 7 wins 1 loss Defeated Rat Portage Thistles in best of three series 3 9 4 2 5 4 on March 7 9 and 11 1905 Defeated Queens University in two game total goals series 16 7 12 7 28 14 on February 27 28 1906 Defeated Smiths Falls Ontario in two game total goals series 6 5 8 2 14 7 on March 6 8 1906 The end of the streak came in March 1906 Ottawa and the Montreal Wanderers tied for the ECAHA league lead in 1906 forcing a playoff series for the league championship and the Cup Montreal won the first game in Montreal by a score of 9 1 In the return match Ottawa replaced their goaltender Billy Hague and used goaltender Percy LeSueur formerly of Smiths Falls In the return match in Ottawa Ottawa overcame the eight goal deficit getting a 9 1 lead to tie the series by the midway point of the second half Harry Smith then scored to put Ottawa ahead only to have the goal ruled offside 53 It was then that Lester Patrick of the Wanderers took it upon himself scoring two goals to win the series 12 10 This was Frank McGee s last game and he scored two goals 54 The playersBesides McGee future Hall of Fame players Billy Gilmour Percy LeSueur Harvey Pulford Alf Smith Bouse Hutton and Harry Westwick played for the Ottawas Alf Smith was also the coach Other players of the Seven included Arthur Allen Dave Finnie Arthur Fraser Horace Gaul Dave Gilmour Suddy Gilmour Jim McGee Art Moore Percy Sims Hamby Shore Charles Spittal Frank White and Frank Wood The club was able to continue the streak despite the death of one of its members Jim McGee Frank McGee s brother died after the 1904 season in a horseback riding accident 55 He was also the Ottawa Football Club s captain at the time 56 The funeral cortege was estimated at a half mile in length and it included Canadian prime minister Wilfrid Laurier 57 Early professional era 1907 1917 Edit Transition to professional 1907 1910 Edit Until the 1906 07 season the players were not paid to play hockey as the team was abiding by the principles of amateur sports Ottawa HC had an advantage in attracting top players to its squad The players could work for the government and the work allowed the players to play for the team Meanwhile in the United States the International Professional Hockey League IPHL was paying players In response to this the ECAHA while still having several purely amateur teams started to allow professional players The top teams could therefore compete for the top players and the gate attractions that they were The only restriction was that the status of each and every player had to be publicized 58 The period saw the rivalry between the Senators and the Wanderers continue and at times it was brutally contested On January 12 1907 a full scale donnybrook took place between the two teams at a game in Montreal Charles Spittal of Ottawa was described as attempting to split Blachford s skull Alf Smith hit Hod Stuart across the temple with his stick laying him out like a corpse and Harry Smith cracked his stick across Ernie Johnson s face breaking Johnson s nose 59 60 Discipline was first attempted by the league at a meeting on January 18 in which the Victorias proposed suspending Spittal and Alf Smith for the season but this was voted down and the president of the league resigned 60 The police arrested Spittal Alf and Harry Smith on their next visit to Montreal 61 leading to 20 fines for Spittal and Alf Smith and an acquittal for Harry Smith 60 The tactics did not work on the Wanderers they won the return match in Ottawa in March and went undefeated for the season leaving Ottawa in second place 58 However it may have affected the Wanderers in another way they lost the Stanley Cup a week after the donnybrook in a Stanley Cup challenge series to the Kenora Thistles The 1909 Ottawa Hockey Club Stanley Cup champion The 1907 08 season was a season of change for Ottawa Harry Smith and Hamby Shore left to join Winnipeg Ottawa hired several free agents including Marty Walsh Tommy Phillips and Fred The Listowel Whirlwind Taylor 62 Taylor was hired away from the IPHL for the 1908 season for a 1000 salary and a guaranteed federal civil service job He was an immediate sensation and earned a new nickname of Cyclone for his fast skating and end to end rushes 63 the nickname attributed to the Canadian governor general Earl Grey 64 Phillips was signed from Kenora to an even higher salary of 1 500 for the season partially paid for by Ottawa sportsmen 65 Ottawa moved into their new arena simply dubbed The Arena with seating for 4 500 and standing room for 2 500 66 With the free agent signings and the new arena Ottawa started selling season tickets the first of their kind 3 75 for five games eventually selling 2 400 65 The capacity was topped with a crowd of 7 100 in the home opener attending a game against the Wanderers on January 11 which Ottawa won 12 2 However Ottawa started the season with two losses out of three games and ended in second place behind the Wanderers again 67 Walsh tied for the scoring lead with 28 goals in 9 games including seven in one match while Phillips was close behind at 26 goals in 10 games In 1908 09 the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association became completely professional and changed its name to the Eastern Canada Hockey Association ECHA This led to the retirement of several stars including Ottawa s Harvey Pulford and Montreal s Russell Bowie who insisted on keeping their amateur status 68 The Montreal Victorias and Montreal HC founded the Interprovincial Amateur Hockey Union leaving only Ottawa Quebec Montreal Wanderers and Montreal Shamrocks in the ECHA It was another season of player turn over for Ottawa Besides Pulford Ottawa lost Alf Smith who formed a competing Ottawa Senators professional team in the Federal League and Tommy Phillips who joined Edmonton The club picked up Bruce Stuart from the Wanderers Fred Lake from Winnipeg and Dubby Kerr from Toronto This lineup had a successful season winning 10 out of 12 games Walsh led all scorers with 38 goals in 12 games while Stuart had 22 and Kerr had 20 The season was clinched with a win against the Wanderers on March 3 in Ottawa 8 3 as Ottawa won the league and Stanley Cup 69 Notable players of this time period include future Hall of Famers Percy LeSueur in goal Dubby Kerr Tommy Phillips Harvey Pulford Alf Smith Bruce Stuart Fred Cyclone Taylor and Marty Walsh National Hockey Association 1910 1917 Edit The 1909 10 hockey season saw major changes in the hockey world as the ECHA organization split and created two organizations the Canadian Hockey Association CHA and the National Hockey Association NHA The CHA was formed to freeze out the Wanderers whose ownership change led the team to move to a smaller arena At the same time millionaire businessman J Ambrose O Brien who wanted his Renfrew Creamery Kings to challenge for the Stanley Cup saw his Renfrew application to join the CHA rejected Together with the Wanderers O Brien instead decided to form the NHA and founded the Montreal Canadiens 70 The NHA became the fore runner of today s National Hockey League Ottawa was one of the founders of the CHA and one of the teams that had rejected Renfrew However after a few poorly attended games showed that fans had no interest in the league Ottawa and the Montreal Shamrocks abandoned the CHA to join the NHA 71 Ottawa the defending Stanley Cup champion and Wanderers rival was readily accepted by the NHA This enabled Ottawa to continue the rivalry with the Wanderers and take in the gate revenues those games provided The Wanderers won the championship in 1910 and Ottawa won in 1911 and 1915 72 It is during the NHA period that the nickname Ottawa Senators came into common usage Although there had been a competing Senators club in 1909 and there had been mention of the Senators nickname as early as 1901 the nickname was not adopted by the club 6 The official name of the Ottawa Hockey Club remained in place until ownership changes in the 1930s Star player Cyclone Taylor had defected to Renfrew and despite a salary war with Renfrew Ottawa managed to re sign their other top players Dubby Kerr Fred Lake and Marty Walsh for the 1909 10 season 71 On Taylor s first return in February 1910 he made a promise to score a goal while making a rush backwards against Ottawa This led to incredible interest with over 7 000 in attendance 73 A bet of 100 was placed at the King Edward Hotel against him scoring at all 74 Ottawa won 8 5 scoring 3 goals in overtime and kept Taylor off the scoresheet Later in the season at the return match in Renfrew Taylor made good on his boast with a goal scored backwards although it was simply a goal scored on a backhand shot 75 This was the final game of the season and Ottawa had no chance at the league title and did not appear to have put in an effort in a 17 2 loss considered the worst trimming ever handed to a team wearing the Ottawa colors 76 Ottawa Hockey Team NH Association World Champions and Stanley Cup Holders 1911 HS85 10 23753 In 1910 11 the NHA contracted and imposed a salary cap leading many of the Ottawa players to threaten to form a competing league However team owners controlled the rinks and the players accepted the new conditions For Ottawa players conditions did not deteriorate much as the club provided bonuses after the season 77 Ottawa gained revenge for the previous loss to Renfrew by defeating Renfrew 19 5 The team went 13 3 to win the NHA and inherit the Stanley Cup Marty Walsh and Dubby Kerr led the goal scoring with 37 and 32 goals in 16 games After the season Ottawa played two challenges against Galt winning 7 4 and against Port Arthur winning 13 4 In the Port Arthur game Marty Walsh came close to matching Frank McGee s total scoring ten goals 78 1910 11 was the debut season of right wing Jack Darragh who scored 18 goals in 16 games The 1911 12 through 1913 14 seasons saw a decline for both Ottawa and the Wanderers After the withdrawal of O Brien s Renfrew team in 1911 the two clubs fought over the rights to Cyclone Taylor who wanted to return to Ottawa where his fiance lived and he still had a government job The NHA had given the Wanderers the rights to Taylor in a dispersal of the Renfrew players Trade talks were unfruitful Ottawa insistent in their claim for Taylor played him in one game for Ottawa against the Wanderers The Senators won the game however Taylor was ineffectual 79 The move backfired on the Senators as the league ruled that the game could not stand and would have to be replayed The Senators lost the replay and it was the difference in the league championship as the defending champion Senators placed second by one game behind Quebec 80 Quebec s Bulldogs won the only two Stanley Cup championships in the club s history that season and the next and the Toronto Blueshirts won in 1914 Taylor did not play in the NHA again as he joined Vancouver in the off season 81 The Senators finished fifth in 1912 13 and fourth in 1913 14 1912 13 saw the debut of right wing Punch Broadbent who scored 20 goals in 18 games Group photograph of the 1914 15 Ottawa Senators Some players sweaters have a two flags logo for war time In 1914 15 both Ottawa and the Wanderers bounced back to the top of the league tying each other for the NHA season title This was also the season that future Hall of Famer Clint Benedict became the Senators top goaltender taking over from Percy LeSueur Former Wanderer Art Ross joined the Senators and helped Ottawa win in a two game playoff 4 1 The Senators then played in the first inter league Stanley Cup final playoff series with the Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast PCHA league Cyclone Taylor now of the Millionaires haunted his old team scoring six goals in three games as Ottawa lost three straight in Vancouver Future Senator centreman Frank Nighbor played in this series for Vancouver and scored five goals 82 In 1915 16 the Senators placed second to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens Punch Broadbent left the team to fight in World War I while Frank Nighbor joined the Senators in his place and became the team s leading scorer Nighbor had been signed away from Vancouver for the salary of 1 500 making him the highest paid player on the club ahead of Art Ross and Eddie Gerard 83 Benedict led the league as the top goaltender for the first time 84 With the wartime shortage of players Rat Westwick and Billy Gilmour of Silver Seven days attempted comebacks with the club but both played only two games before retiring for good 85 In the off season Ottawa s president Llewellyn Bate proposed to suspend the team s operations until the end of the war Gate receipts had declined 17 percent The other NHA owners refused to suspend the league Rather than simply cease operations Bate and the other directors of the team turned it over to Ted Dey owner of the Arena Dey cut player salaries and let players go including Art Ross to the Wanderers Dey also fired manager Alf Smith saving on his 750 salary 86 In 1916 17 the last season of the NHA Ottawa won the second half of the split schedule An Army team the Toronto 228th Battalion composed of enlisted professional players joined the league before leaving for war after the first half season When the Battalion left the other Toronto team the Blueshirts was suspended by the league and its players dispersed including Corb Denneny brother of Cy Denneny who joined the Senators Future Hall of Famer Cy had been picked up in a trade with Toronto earlier that season and he would be a member of the Senators until 1928 Benedict was the NHA s top goaltender once again and Nighbor tied for the scoring lead with 41 goals in 19 games 87 As second half winners the Senators played off in a series with the Canadiens the first half winners The Senators ended their play in the NHA by losing a two game total goals playoff series to the Canadiens who eventually lost to Seattle in the Stanley Cup final This season saw the final decline of Ottawa s old rivals the Wanderers who finished at the bottom of the standings The next year the Wanderers played only four games in the NHL winning only one before folding the franchise after their home arena burned down 88 While World War I affected all NHA teams Ottawa was able to retain players and be competitive The club finished no worse than second during the wartime seasons of 1914 15 to 1917 18 89 Stanley Cup champions in 1906 and 1910 Historians debate Edit Due to the challenge format of Stanley Cup play before 1915 there is often confusion about how many Stanley Cups the Senators should be given credit for nine ten or eleven The Senators were Stanley Cup champions at the end of nine hockey seasons without dispute In another two seasons 1905 06 and 1909 10 the Senators won Stanley Cup challenges but were not champions at the end of the season The Hockey Hall of Fame and the National Hockey League agree that the Senators of 1906 were champions but disagree on whether the Senators were champions in 1910 In both seasons the Senators were the undisputed defending champions and during that year s hockey season the Senators won Stanley Cup challenges However by the end of both hockey seasons they were no longer holders of the Stanley Cup In 1906 Ottawa defeated OHA champions Queen s University and FAHL champions Smiths Falls in Stanley Cup challenges However Ottawa tied the Montreal Wanderers for the ECAHA regular season championship To decide the ECAHA championship and the Stanley Cup the Senators played a two game total goals series against the Wanderers in March 1906 and lost The 1906 hockey season ended with the Wanderers as the Stanley Cup champions The Hockey Hall of Fame recognizes both Ottawa and the Wanderers as champions for that year 90 as does the NHL 91 In January 1910 Ottawa defeated Galt champions of the OPHL during the CHA regular season as well as Edmonton of the AAHA during the NHA regular season the Senators switched leagues in between At the end of the season Ottawa gave up the Cup to the Montreal Wanderers regular season champions of the new NHA league Unlike the 1906 case the Hockey Hall of Fame does not recognize the Senators as champions for January 1910 90 although the NHL does 91 In October 1992 at the first game of the current Ottawa Senators NHL club banners were raised to commemorate Stanley Cups in nine seasons excluding 1906 and 1910 In media guides published by the club they listed the original Senators as nine time winners 92 This changed in March 2003 when the team raised banners for the 1906 and 1910 years to join the other nine banners hanging at the Corel Centre The club and the NHL now list the original Senators as 11 time winners 91 NHL years 1917 1934 Edit Clint Benedict was outstanding for Ottawa After struggling through the war years the Ottawa Hockey Association put the club up for sale for 5 000 in the fall of 1917 Montreal Canadiens owner George Kennedy was leading an effort to get rid of Toronto Blueshirts owner Eddie Livingstone and he needed the Senators in his corner He loaned Ottawa Citizen sports editor Tommy Gorman who also doubled as a press representative for the Canadiens 2 500 to help buy into the Senators Gorman along with Martin Rosenthal and Ted Dey owner of The Arena bought the club At a meeting held at Montreal s Windsor Hotel the Senators Canadiens Wanderers and Bulldogs formed a new league the National Hockey League effectively leaving Livingstone in the NHA by himself Gorman represented the Senators at the meeting A great day for hockey he was quoted as saying Without Livingstone we can get down to the business of making money 93 Within a year Gorman and partner Ted Dey had made enough money to pay back Kennedy Gorman also attended the following year s meeting of the NHA owners in which the final vote to suspend the league was made 94 The Senators first season in the NHL 1917 18 did not go well Salary squabbles delayed the home opener on the league s first night December 19 1917 95 as players protested that their contracts were for 20 games while the season schedule was for 24 Enough players were appeased that the game started 15 minutes late while two players Hamby Shore and Jack Darragh stayed in the dressing room while negotiations went on 96 The Senators lost their home opener 7 4 The Senators lost their previous top rival the Wanderers after five games The team struggled and finished in third place after the first half of the season The club made player changes in the second half getting Horace Merrill out of retirement and releasing Dave Ritchie It was Shore s last season as he would die of pneumonia in October 1918 Shore s last career game was in the third last game of the season and he was sat out for the last two games 97 In the end the team placed second in the second half and missed the playoffs Cy Denneny led the team coming second overall in scoring in the league with 36 goals in 20 games 98 Prior to the 1918 19 season ownership of the Senators changed While Ted Dey negotiated with Percy Quinn for a lease for The Arena Dey was also negotiating with Rosenthal over the lease causing Rosenthal to seriously consider moving the team from The Arena back to Aberdeen Pavilion However it turned out that Dey was engineering a takeover of the club and Rosenthal ended up selling his share of the club to Dey making Dey the majority owner in both the Arena and the hockey club Rosenthal a prominent local jeweller had been involved with the club since 1903 Dey s machinations also helped the NHL in its continuing fight against Blueshirts owner Livingstone The Senators instigated an agreement with the other NHL clubs binding them to the NHL for the next five years and locking out any rival league from their arenas 99 In 1918 19 the Senators won the second half of the split schedule Clint Benedict had the top goalkeeper average and Cy Denneny and Frank Nighbor placed third and fourth in scoring with 18 and 17 goals in 18 games respectively The schedule was abbreviated by the Toronto Arenas club suspending operations so the Senators and Canadiens played off in the first best of seven series Due to a family bereavement Ottawa was without star centre Frank Nighbor for the first three games and lost all three 100 Ottawa asked to use Corb Denneny of Toronto but the Canadiens turned down the request 101 Nighbor returned for the fourth game in Ottawa which Ottawa won 6 3 The series ended in five games as the Canadiens won the final match 4 2 to win the series 102 The Stanley Cup final between Montreal and Seattle was left undecided as an influenza outbreak suspended the final 103 The Super Six 1920 1927 Edit The Super Six 104 Senators of the 1920s are considered by the NHL to be its first dynasty 105 The club won four Stanley Cups and placed first in the regular season seven times 105 The team s success was based on the timely scoring of several forwards including Frank Nighbor and Cy Denneny and a defence first policy which led to the NHL changing the rules in 1924 to force defencemen to leave the defensive zone once the puck had left the zone 106 The talent pool in Ottawa and the Ottawa valley was deep the Senators traded away two future Hall of Famers Clint Benedict and Punch Broadbent in 1924 to make way for two prospects Alex Connell and Hooley Smith who would also become Hall of Famers 107 Benedict and Broadbent led the Montreal Maroons to a playoff defeat of the Senators on the way to a Stanley Cup win in 1926 108 In the 1919 20 season the NHL reactivated the Quebec Bulldogs NHA franchise with this addition the NHL played with four teams again There were no playoffs as Ottawa won both halves of the schedule the undisputed NHL championship and the O Brien Cup Clint Benedict again led the league in goalkeeper goals against average and Frank Nighbor came third in the league scoring race with 25 goals in 23 games 109 The Senators then played the Seattle Metropolitans of the PCHA for the Stanley Cup Because Seattle s red white green striped uniforms were nearly the same as Ottawa s red white black sweaters the Senators played in simple white sweaters adorned with a large red O for this series 110 The first three games were held in Ottawa the first Stanley Cup games played in Ottawa since 1911 and ended with scores of 3 2 and 3 0 for Ottawa and 3 1 for Seattle The first three games had been played on ice covered with water and slush due to warm weather in Ottawa At this point NHL president Calder moved the series to the Arena Gardens in Toronto which had an artificial ice rink the only one in eastern Canada at that time 111 Seattle won 5 2 to tie the series cheered on by the Toronto fans In the fifth and deciding game Ottawa won 6 1 on Jack Darragh s three goal performance and won their first Stanley Cup as a member of the NHL 112 It was after this win that T P Gorman dubbed the team the Super Six 113 See the article 1920 Stanley Cup Finals In the 1920 21 season the league transferred two Senators players to help its competitive balance Punch Broadbent was transferred to Hamilton while Sprague Cleghorn was transferred to Toronto 113 Even without the two the Senators won the first half of the season to qualify for the playoffs By the end of the playoffs both players were back with Ottawa Benedict again led league in goalkeeper average and Cy Denneny came second in scoring with 34 goals in 24 games The Senators shut out Toronto 7 0 in a two game total goals playoff and went west to play off against Vancouver for the Stanley Cup Vancouver still had Cyclone Taylor though it was near the end of his career and he scored no goals The best of five series was heavily attended with 11 000 fans attending the first game the largest crowd in history to see a hockey game up until that time 114 and a total attendance for the five game series of over 51 000 115 Ottawa won the series with scores of 1 2 4 3 3 2 2 3 and 2 1 with Jack Darragh scoring the winning goal 116 See the article 1921 Stanley Cup Finals The 1921 22 season saw Sprague Cleghorn leave and Jack Darragh retire opening spaces for new defencemen Frank Boucher and Frank King Clancy 115 Clancy s first goal came on his first shot against Hamilton in overtime on February 7 and was noted for having actually come in illegally through the side of the net 117 Broadbent and Cy Denneny the Gold Dust Twins finished one and two in league scoring together producing 59 of Ottawa s 106 goals 115 Broadbent scored in 16 consecutive games an NHL record that as of 2020 still stands 118 The Senators won the regular season title but lost to eventual Stanley Cup winner Toronto St Patricks 5 4 in a two game total goals series The series had the Boucher brothers play for Ottawa while Cy Denneny played for Ottawa and his brother Corbett played for Toronto 119 The 1922 23 Stanley Cup championship patch worn on their 1923 24 sweaters In 1922 23 the Senators were led by the league s top goalie Clint Benedict the goal scoring of Cy Denneny and the return from retirement of Jack Darragh 120 The season also saw the debut of defenceman Lionel Hitchman An unsurpassed iron man record was set when Frank Nighbor played in six consecutive games without substitution averaging a goal a game during the stretch 121 The Senators won the regular season and took the playoff against the Canadiens 3 2 in a two game total goals playoff 122 The Cup Final playoff format had changed There were semi finals against the PCHA champion followed by the final against the WCHL champion In the Cup semi finals Ottawa again faced Vancouver now known as the Maroons in Vancouver New attendance records were set during this series with 9 000 for the first game and 10 000 for the second Ottawa won the series with scores of 1 0 1 4 3 2 and 4 1 with Benedict getting the shutout and Harry Broadbent scoring five goals The Senators next had to play Edmonton in a best of three series and won it in two games with scores of 2 1 and 1 0 with Broadbent scoring the winning goal 123 The second game of the finals is famous for being the game in which King Clancy then only a substitute for the team played all positions including goal 124 See the article 1923 Stanley Cup Finals That year club owners Dey and Gorman entered into a partnership with Frank Ahearn Ahearn s family was well off owning the Ottawa Electric Company and the Ottawa Street Railway Company Ted Dey then sold his share of the club and retired 125 The first work of the partnership was a new arena the Ottawa Auditorium which was a 7 500 seat 10 000 capacity with standing room arena with artificial ice The new Ottawa Auditorium s first regular season game came on December 26 1923 A crowd of 8 300 fans attended a game against the Canadiens in which rookie Howie Morenz scored his first NHL goal 126 The 1923 24 season saw the Senators win the season but lose the playoff to the Canadiens 0 1 and 2 4 with Georges Vezina getting the shutout and Morenz scoring three goals Frank Nighbor was the first winner of the Hart Trophy as most valuable player for his play in the regular season 127 After the disappointing loss in the playoff series goaltender Clint Benedict became embroiled in a controversy with the club over late nights and drinking He was traded away along with Harry Broadbent to the new Montreal Maroons before the next season for cash 128 Ottawa hockey fans got to see a Stanley Cup final game played in Ottawa as the Auditorium hosted the final match of the Stanley Cup finals between the Canadiens and the Calgary Tigers moved because of poor natural ice at the Canadiens arena 129 Frank Nighbor with original Hart Trophy The 1924 25 season the first year of NHL expansion to the United States saw major changes in Ottawa s lineup Jack Darragh retired and had died from appendicitis months after his final game 130 Making his debut in goal for Ottawa was Alex Connell replacing Benedict Replacing Broadbent was Hooley Smith who had played for Canada in the 1924 Olympics Lionel Hitchman was sold to the expansion Boston Bruins and replaced by Ed Gorman It was also the debut season of Frank Finnigan 127 Off the ice Gorman and Ahearn squabbled over ownership In January 1925 during the season Gorman sold his share of the Senators to Ahearn and left the Senators organization later joining the expansion New York Americans 127 With all the changes the Senators slipped to fourth place in the standings Cy Denneny continued his scoring ways placing fourth in league scoring with 28 goals in 28 games 131 Frank Nighbor became the first winner of the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play donated by Marie Evelyn Moreton Lady Byng wife of Julian Byng 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy who was Governor General of Canada from 1921 to 1926 Nighbor received the trophy personally from Lady Byng during a presentation at Rideau Hall 127 Nighbor won the trophy in 1925 26 and 1926 27 as well The NHL expanded further into the United States in the 1925 26 season with the new New York Americans and Pittsburgh Pirates Ottawa won the league title led by Alex Connell in goal who recorded 15 shutouts in 36 games and Cy Denneny who scored 24 goals The team received a bye to the playoff finals 108 However the Montreal Maroons won the two game total goals series with scores of 1 1 and 1 0 former Senator Clint Benedict got the shutout The Maroons went on to win the Stanley Cup against Victoria 132 The season also marked the debut of future Hall of Famer Hec Kilrea The 1926 27 season saw the NHL divided for the first time into two divisions and they made the playoffs winning the Canadian Division title They advanced to the semi finals and defeated the Canadiens 4 0 and 1 1 en route to facing the Boston Bruins for the Cup In the first series for the Stanley Cup with only NHL opponents Ottawa defeated Boston with scores of 0 0 3 1 1 1 and 3 1 with the final game taking place in Ottawa it would be the Senators final Stanley Cup championship 133 Alex Connell led the way in goal allowing only three goals in the four games Cy Denneny led the way in scoring with four goals including the Cup winner The Senators won three trophies as NHL champions along with the Stanley Cup the club also won two other trophies the O Brien Cup and the Prince of Wales Trophy the last time the trophies were given to winners of the NHL championship They would be given out to divisional winners in the following season After the series the Senators players received a parade in Ottawa a civic banquet and an 18 carat gold ring with 14 small diamonds in the shape of an O 134 See the article 1927 Stanley Cup Finals Decline 1927 1934 Edit Ottawa had been by far the smallest market in the NHL even before American teams began playing in 1924 The later 1931 census listed only 110 000 people in the city of Ottawa roughly one fifth the size of Toronto which was the league s second smallest market The team sought financial relief from the league as early as 1927 Despite winning the Stanley Cup the Senators were already in financial trouble having lost 50 000 for the season 135 The league s expansion to the United States did not benefit the Senators Attendance was low for games against the expansion teams which provided a poor gate at home There were also higher travel costs for away games although the American arenas were larger This fact was the basis for attempts to increase revenues as the team played home games in other cities In the 1927 28 season the Senators played two home games in Detroit collecting the bulk of the gate receipts thus allowing them to actually turn a profit for that season while Jack Adams retired to become the coach and general manager of the Detroit Cougars 133 The brightest note from the campaign was goaltender Alex Connell s play in which he set a NHL record unsurpassed as of 2021 of six consecutive shutouts a shutout run of 460 minutes and 49 seconds 136 Taking advantage of a spending spree by the Montreal Maroons at the onset of the 1928 29 season 136 the Senators sold their star right wing Hooley Smith to the Maroons for 22 500 and the return of former star Punch Broadbent 137 Also for cash the team sent long time member Cy Denneny to the Bruins The club further repeated the scheme of playing two home games in Detroit en route to an undistinguished campaign in which they missed the playoffs for only the third time as an NHL team 137 138 In the 1929 30 season with cash still hemorrhaging the team transferred two scheduled home games to Atlantic City one each against the New York Rangers and New York Americans two to Detroit and one to Boston 139 The Senators rallied however to make the playoffs for what would be the final time finishing third in the Canadian Division The Senators faced off against the New York Rangers in a two game total goals series In the last NHL playoff game in Ottawa until 1996 the Senators tied the Rangers 1 1 on March 28 1930 but lost game two in New York 5 1 to lose the series 6 2 140 The season also marked the debut of future star Syd Howe with the Senators while long time star Frank Nighbor was sold to Toronto By the 1930 31 season the team was openly selling players to make ends meet Star defenceman King Clancy was sold to Toronto for an unprecedented 35 000 and two players on October 11 1930 The team fell into last place for the first time since 1898 141 In 1931 a potential deal arose with the owners of Chicago Stadium including grain magnate James E Norris who wanted to move the team to Chicago However Chicago Black Hawks owner Frederic McLaughlin did not want another team in his territory and vetoed the deal 142 Norris bought the bankrupt Detroit Falcons instead and turned them into the Detroit Red Wings The Senators and the equally strapped Philadelphia Quakers asked the NHL for permission to suspend operations for the 1931 32 season in order to rebuild their fortunes The league granted both requests on September 26 1931 Ottawa received 25 000 for the use of its players and the NHL co signed a Bank of Montreal loan of 28 000 to the club 142 The Senators seriously considered moving to Toronto as Conn Smythe desired a second tenant for the new Maple Leaf Gardens However they balked when Smythe wanted a 100 000 guarantee with a 40 60 split of revenues 142 While the Quakers never returned the Senators resumed play after a one year hiatus Despite the return of players such as Cooney Weiland Finnigan Howe and Kilrea the Senators finished with the worst record in the league in the two seasons that followed Attendance was poor the club only drawing well when the league s other three Canadian teams came to town 135 Frank Finnigan recalled that they frequently played home games before small crowds of 3 500 to 4 000 135 1932 33 saw the return of Cy Denneny to Ottawa as coach He would last only the one season In June 1933 former captain Harvey Pulford was given an option to buy the team and move it to Baltimore but the option was never exercised 143 In October 1933 Kilrea was sold for 10 000 to Toronto 144 In December 1933 rumours surfaced that the Senators would merge with the equally strapped New York Americans however this was denied by Ottawa club president Frank Ahearn who had sought financial help from the league 145 The team played the full 1933 34 season transferring one home game to Detroit Near the end of the season reports surfaced that the club had entered into a deal with St Louis interests to move the club 146 The team lost its last home game by a score of 3 2 to the Americans on March 15 1934 before a crowd of 6 500 The Senators had lent Alex Connell to the Americans when the Americans goalie Worters was hurt and he turned in a sensational performance for the visitors 147 The home crowd was in a throwing mood and carrots parsnips lemons oranges and several other unidentified objects were thrown onto the ice continuously for no reason whatsoever 148 The final game of the season was a 2 2 tie with the Maroons at the Montreal Forum on March 18 1934 149 1934 End of the first NHL era in Ottawa Edit The April 7 1934 Ottawa Citizen headline Despite finishing in last place for the second year in a row the Senators actually improved their attendance over the previous season Even with the increased gate they barely survived the season After the season ended it was announced by Auditorium president F D Burpee that the franchise would not return to Ottawa for the 1934 35 season due to losses of 60 000 over the previous two seasons The losses were too great to be made up by the sale of players contracts and the club needed to be moved to some very large city which has a large rink if we are to protect the Auditorium shareholders and pay off our debts 150 The NHL franchise was moved to St Louis Missouri and operated as the St Louis Eagles The Eagles played only one season finishing last again They suspended operations after the season never to return 151 Flash Hollett was the last member of the Senators to play in the NHL retiring with the Detroit Red Wings in 1946 The city of Ottawa did not have an NHL franchise again until the new Ottawa Senators franchise was awarded for the 1992 93 season The NHL presented the Senators with a certificate of reinstatement commemorating Ottawa s return to the league and the current Senators honour the original franchise s 11 Stanley Cups However records for the two teams are kept separately Frank Finnigan the last surviving member of the original Senators last Stanley Cup winner played a key role in the drive to win an expansion franchise for Ottawa He was slated to drop the puck in a ceremonial face off for the new franchise s first game but died a year before that game took place The new Senators honoured Finnigan by retiring his 8 jersey 152 After the NHL franchise relocated the Senators were continued as a senior amateur club in the Montreal Group of the Quebec Amateur Hockey Association QAHA beginning in the 1934 35 season 153 One player Eddie Finnigan played for both the Senators and the Eagles in the 1934 35 season The Senior Senators renewed the rivalry with Montreal area senior amateur teams such as the Montreal Victorias that the old Senators had played in the years prior to turning openly professional Later Tommy Gorman bought the team and helped to found the Quebec Senior Hockey League Winning the Allan Cup in 1949 the senior Senators continued until December 1954 finally ending the Senators storied 71 year history 154 Team information Edit The first logo of Ottawa Hockey Club based on logo of Ottawa Amateur Athletic Association Nicknames Edit The club began in 1883 as the Ottawa Hockey Club and was known by that name officially even after joining the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Association OAAA Reports of the club in early play in the 1890s sometimes refer to the club as the Generals The club is also referred to as the Capitals although there was a competing Capital Athletic Association hockey team using that name Other nicknames included the Silver Seven a name the players gave themselves after receiving silver nuggets from manager Bob Shillington after the 1903 Stanley Cup win 36 The Super Six name was given in the 1920s 104 The first reference to the nickname of Senators was in a game report The Ottawas Made a Good Start of the Ottawa Journal on January 7 1901 155 156 and used in other newspapers around that time 157 While the nickname was used occasionally the club continued to be known as the Ottawa Hockey Club In 1909 a separate Ottawa Senators pro team existed in the Federal League Ottawa newspapers referred to that club as the Senators and the Ottawa HC as Ottawa Ottawas or the Ottawa Pro Hockey Club The Globe newspaper of Toronto first refers to the Ottawa Hockey Club as the Senators in an article entitled Quebec defeated Ottawa on December 30 1912 158 Eventually this became the official nickname and was the only name used in descriptions of the club in NHL play Logos and sweaters Edit 1896 1897 Ottawa Hockey Club The team is in their barber pole sweaters For the first two years of their existence Ottawa used red and black horizontally striped sweaters 159 The club then changed to sweaters of gold and blue 12 until it later affiliated with the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Association in 1889 The team then adopted the colours of the OAAA organization red white and black The logo of the team was a simplified version of the triskelion or winged legs logo of the OAAA which can be described as a running wheel The sweaters were solid white with the club logo in red The players wore knee length white pants with black stockings 16 as shown in the 1891 team photo In 1896 the club first adopted the barber pole design with which the team became synonymous The design was simple strong horizontal stripes of red black and white Players wore white pants and red white and black striped stockings The basic design would be used for the rest of the organization s existence except for one season 1909 10 where the stripes were vertical and Montreal fans nicknamed the team derisively as les suisses a slang term for chipmunk 160 The barber pole uniform was later adopted by the Ottawa 67 s junior ice hockey team No logo was present on the sweater at first and until 1930 logos were not used for more than a year at a time During World War I the club adopted a logo of flags to show allegiance to the war effort as shown in the 1915 photo After each Stanley Cup win the club affixed a badge or logo stating World Champions In the 1929 30 season the club added the O logo to the chest of the sweater 161 Bruce Stuart in 1909 10 sweater Ownership Edit From the start the club was owned and operated by its members and known as the Ottawa Hockey Club becoming an affiliate of the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Association in 1889 In 1907 according to hockey historian Charles L Coleman some of the ownership was transferred to five of the players Smith Pulford Moore Westwick and LeSueur 62 In 1911 the club incorporated itself and the organization took on the name of the Ottawa Hockey Association 162 In 1917 the club was separated from the Association and sold to Tommy Gorman Ted Dey and Martin Rosenthal for 5 000 in time to join the National Hockey League 94 In 1918 Rosenthal was forced out by Dey in a complex scheme Dey was negotiating as owner of The Arena with both Rosenthal on behalf of the Senators and Percy Quinn who held an option to purchase the Quebec NHA club on behalf of a proposed new professional league over exclusive rights to the Arena for professional hockey In a plan to derail the proposed new league Dey maintained publicly that he had reserved the Arena for Quinn s proposed league when in fact he had not cashed a cheque received from Quinn to reserve an option on the Arena Rosenthal believing the club could no longer play at the Arena attempted to find alternate arrangements for the club including refurbishing Aberdeen Pavilion but was unsuccessful Dey purchased Rosenthal s share of the club on October 28 1918 and Rosenthal resigned from the club 163 Quinn filed a lawsuit against Dey for his deception but it was dismissed 164 Quinn would get further action from the NHL as the NHL suspended Quinn s franchise and took over its players contracts 165 In 1923 Dey retired after selling his ownership interest to Gorman and new investor Frank Ahearn 125 Ahearn and Gorman had an uneasy partnership and at one point Gorman was going to buy out Ahearn By January 1925 the deal was nearly finalized when Gorman backed out of the deal 166 Instead Ahearn bought Gorman s interest in the club for 35 000 and a share of the Connaught Park Racetrack 127 and Gorman moved on to New York to manage the New York Americans In 1929 Ahearn sold the club to the Ottawa Auditorium corporation for 150 000 financed by a share issue William Foran the Stanley Cup trustee became president of the Club As the Auditorium did not meet its payments Ahearn resumed a share of the club in 1931 167 Likeness of 1930s barber pole sweaters with O logo In 1931 a dispute arose between Foran in his role as Stanley Cup trustee and the NHL The American Hockey League had asked for a Stanley Cup challenge against the champions of the NHL Foran had agreed to the challenge and ordered the NHL to comply but the NHL refused to play the challenge Foran was fired from his position as Senators president and was replaced by Redmond Quain 168 While the Ottawa Auditorium owned the hockey club it was heavily indebted to Frank Ahearn and his father and tried to clear its debt In December 1930 the club was put up for sale for 200 000 under conditions it stay in Ottawa 169 The best local bid was 100 000 170 while a bid to move the club to Chicago was made for 300 000 ultimately denied by the Chicago Blackhawks ownership 171 Later the Auditorium tried to relocate the team to Baltimore under the ownership of former player Harvey Pulford 169 A possible relocation to Toronto was also explored 172 but in the end no sales occurred In 1934 the club s NHL franchise was transferred to St Louis although the Association continued its ownership of the franchise and player contracts as well as the senior club On October 15 1935 the NHL bought back the franchise and players contracts for 40 000 and suspended its operations again 173 Under the agreement the NHL paid for the players and took back possession of the franchise If the franchise was resold the proceeds would go to the Ottawa Hockey Association 174 In July 1936 the Auditorium bond holders foreclosed on the arena and it was put under the control of the Royal Securities Corporation The senior club was sold in 1937 to James MacCaffery the owner of the Ottawa Rough Riders football team Former owner Tommy Gorman returned to Ottawa in 1944 when he purchased the club and the Auditorium 175 He operated the senior team until December 1954 when he shut down the team over falling attendance citing the rise of hockey on television 154 176 Fans Edit When the Ottawa Hockey Club began play there was no division between the ice surface and the stands like today The fans became quite wet in the times when the temperature was warm In the 1903 Stanley Cup Final against the Montreal Victorias the Governor General who had a private box seat at the ice s edge is recorded as getting wet from the play 177 On another occasion in the 1906 Stanley Cup Final against the Wanderers the Governor General s top hat was knocked off by the stick of Ernie Moose Johnson 54 The top hat was taken by a fan and given to Johnson 178 One custom of the Ottawa fans towards opposition teams was to throw lemons Cyclone Taylor on his first visit back to Ottawa after signing with Renfrew was pelted with lemons as well as a bottle 179 Team record EditMain article List of Ottawa Senators original seasons List of Stanley Cup final appearances Edit Stanley Cup banners hanging at the Canadian Tire Centre honouring the original Senators Date Opponent ResultMarch 22 1894 Montreal Hockey Club Montreal defeats Ottawa 3 1March 7 8 1903 Montreal Victorias Ottawa wins series 1 1 8 0 March 12 14 1903 Rat Portage Thistles Ottawa wins series 6 2 4 2 December 30 1903 January 4 1904 Winnipeg Rowing Club Ottawa wins series 9 1 2 6 2 0 February 23 25 1904 Toronto Marlboroughs Ottawa wins series 6 3 11 2 March 2 1904 Montreal Wanderers Ottawa ties Montreal 5 5 A March 9 11 1904 Brandon Wheat City Ottawa wins series 6 3 9 3 January 13 16 1905 Dawson City Nuggets Ottawa wins series 9 2 23 2 March 7 11 1905 Rat Portage Thistles Ottawa wins series 3 9 4 2 5 4 February 27 28 1906 Queen s University Ottawa wins series 16 7 12 7 March 6 8 1906 Smiths Falls Ottawa wins series 6 5 8 2 March 14 17 1906 Montreal Wanderers Montreal wins series 9 1 3 9 1909 Ottawa goes unchallenged ECHA champions January 5 7 1910 Galt Ottawa wins series 12 3 3 1 January 18 20 1910 Edmonton Ottawa wins series 8 4 13 7 March 13 1911 Galt Ottawa wins 7 4March 16 1911 Port Arthur Ottawa wins 13 4March 22 26 1915 Vancouver Millionaires Vancouver wins series 6 2 8 3 12 3 March 22 April 1 1920 Seattle Metropolitans Ottawa wins series 3 2 3 0 1 3 2 5 6 1 March 21 April 4 1921 Vancouver Millionaires Ottawa wins series 1 2 4 3 3 2 2 3 2 1 March 16 26 1923 Vancouver Maroons Ottawa wins series 1 0 1 4 3 2 5 1 March 29 amp 31 1923 Edmonton Eskimos Ottawa wins series 2 1 1 0 April 7 13 1927 Boston Bruins Ottawa wins series 0 0 3 1 1 1 3 1 A Montreal refused to continue the series in Ottawa thereby losing by default Players EditHall of Famers Edit Jack Adams Thomas Franklin Ahearn builder Clint Benedict Frank Boucher George Boucher Punch Broadbent Harry Cameron King Clancy Sprague Cleghorn Alec Connell Bill Cowley Rusty Crawford Jack Darragh Cy Denneny Eddie Gerard Billy Gilmour Syd Howe Bouse Hutton Percy LeSueur Frank McGee Frank Nighbor Tommy Phillips Harvey Pulford Gordon Roberts Art Ross P D Ross builder Alf Smith Hooley Smith Tommy Smith Bruce Stuart Hod Stuart Fred Cyclone Taylor Carl Voss Marty Walsh Cooney Weiland Harry Westwick Source Ottawa Senators 180 Team captains Edit Frank Jenkins 1883 86 1889 90 9 Thomas D Green 1886 87 181 P D Ross 1890 91 182 Bert Russel 1891 93 25 183 Weldy Young 1893 95 Chauncey Kirby 1895 96 184 Fred Chittick 1896 97 185 Harvey Pulford 1897 98 186 Chauncey Kirby 1898 99 187 Hod Stuart 1899 1900 188 Harvey Pulford 1900 01 William Duval 1902 189 Harvey Pulford 1902 06 Bruce Stuart 1908 11 Marty Walsh 1911 12 Percy LeSueur 1912 13 190 Jack Darragh 1914 15 191 Horace Merrill 1915 16 192 Eddie Gerard 1916 23 Cy Denneny 1923 26 George Boucher 1926 28 King Clancy 1928 30 Frank Finnigan 1930 31 1932 33 Syd Howe 1933 34 Sources 1902 1934 Sportsecyclopedia com 193 Team scoring leaders NHL Edit Note Pos Position GP Games played G Goals A Assists Pts Points Player Pos GP G A PtsCy Denneny LW 302 245 67 312Frank Nighbor C 326 134 60 194George Boucher C D 332 118 50 168Hec Kilrea RW 293 104 56 160Frank Finnigan RW 363 96 57 153King Clancy D 305 85 65 150Punch Broadbent RW 150 85 27 112Bill Touhey LW 225 58 36 94Jack Darragh LW 120 68 21 89Eddie Gerard LW 128 50 30 80Games Frank Finnigan 363 Penalty Minutes George Boucher 604 Goaltending Games Alex Connell 293 Goaltending Wins Connell 158 Shutouts Connell 70Source Total Hockey 194 See also Edit Wikisource has original text related to this article Ottawa Hockey Club Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ottawa Senators History of the National Hockey League Ice hockey in Ottawa List of Stanley Cup champions List of ice hockey teams in Ontario Ottawa City Hockey League Ottawa Senators FHL Ottawa Senators senior hockey Ottawa Senators St Louis EaglesReferences EditNotes a b c Fischer Doug March 2 2008 When hockey came to the capital 125 years ago this week the Ottawa Hockey Club the team that became the original Senators took to the ice for the first time A new book tells their fascinating story Ottawa Citizen pp D4 D5 Kitchen 2008 p 110 Hockey Hall of Fame Senators won challenges in 1906 tied for season title lost playoff NHL Senators won challenges in 1910 lost season title See Farrell 1899 Mr Farrell states that It is the oldest club in Ontario and was in existence in the days of the challenge system having played in Montreal during the carnivals This refers to the Montreal Winter Carnival ice hockey tournaments of 1883 and 1884 a b The first mention of Senators as a nickname was in 1901 in the Ottawa Journal The club continued to be known as the Ottawa Hockey Club In 1909 a separate Ottawa Senators pro team existed in the Federal League Ottawa newspapers referred to that club as the Senators and the Ottawa HC as Ottawa or Ottawa Pro Hockey Club The Globe first mentions the Senators in the article entitled Quebec defeated Ottawa on December 30 1912 Quebec defeated Ottawa The Globe December 30 1912 p 9 McKinley 1998 p 11 Houston William October 28 1992 Frank McGee had an eye for scoring The Globe and Mail p C8 a b c Kitchen Paul April 13 1998 It s true Hockey players can be artistic Alexei Yashin recently gave 1 million to the arts while more than 100 years ago another Ottawa great also made a splash in the arts Ottawa Citizen p C3 Local News Hockey Ottawa Daily Citizen March 6 1883 p 4 McFarlane 2000 p 254 a b Kitchen 2008 p 28 a b Sports and Pastimes hockey Formation of a Dominion Hockey Association The Montreal Gazette Library and Archives Canada December 9 1886 Archived from the original on February 4 2011 Retrieved February 1 2010 Kitchen 2006 p 4 Kitchen 2008 p 40 a b Kitchen 2008 p 44 a b Finnigan 1992 p 76 Finnigan 1992 p 131 A Good Record At The Capital The Globe March 23 1891 p 3 Young 1989 pp 22 23 Sports and Pastimes Toronto Star February 21 1894 p 2 Stars on the Ice The Dinner to the Ottawa Hockey Team Ottawa Journal Library and Archives Canada March 19 1892 Archived from the original on May 19 2011 Retrieved October 30 2008 Diamond 1992 p 14 Great Ottawa Names Glitter in Lengthy History of Hockey Ottawa Citizen April 28 1953 p E02 a b Ottawa Journalarticle of dinner atBackcheckweb site Library and Archives Canada Archived from the original on March 21 2016 Retrieved November 3 2007 Coleman 1966 p 8 Coleman 1966 pp 16 18 Montreallers Champions The Globe March 23 1894 p 6 Coleman 1966 p 45 Ottawas Won t Challenge Ottawa Journal February 27 1901 p 9 Coleman 1966 p 62 The Ottawas Have Done Wisely Ottawa Journal February 28 1901 p 12 Poulton 2007 p 11 McKinley 2006 p 31 Hockey Championship belongs to Ottawa Library and Archives of Canada Archived from the original on May 19 2011 Retrieved October 30 2008 a b Kitchen 2008 p 117 Coleman 1966 pp 88 89 Coleman 1966 p 117 a b c Diamond 1992 p 31 described as the most storied of all Stanley Cup challenges Holzman and Nieforth 2002 p 54 a fantastic legend in Cup history The Stanley Cup Famous Incidents NHL com Retrieved November 3 2008 one of the most memorable feats in Canadian sporting history Cosentino 1990 p 143 Frayne 1999 p 11 McKinley 2000 pp 48 49 sfn error no target CITEREFMcKinley2000 help McKinley 2000 pp 50 51 sfn error no target CITEREFMcKinley2000 help McKinley 2000 p 51 sfn error no target CITEREFMcKinley2000 help a b McKinley 2000 p 52 sfn error no target CITEREFMcKinley2000 help Fischler 1990 p 261 a b McFarlane 1969 p 11 History of McGee s Inn Frank McGee the hockey legend McGee s Inn Bed amp Breakfast Ottawa Ontario Canada Website Retrieved May 16 2011 Kitchen 2008 pp 141 142 His Happiest Days Were In Hockey Ottawa Journal November 8 1962 p 21 Poulton 2007 p 35 a b Coleman 1966 p 129 Jas McGee Dead The Ottawa Citizen May 16 1904 p 4 Argos Condole with Ottawa The Globe May 21 1904 p 24 James McGee Buried The Globe May 17 1904 p 2 a b Coleman 1966 p 137 Wanderers and Ottawa In Terrific Match Ottawa Citizen January 14 2017 p 8 a b c Coleman 1966 p 135 Ottawa Players Were Arrested Ottawa Journal January 28 1907 p 2 a b Coleman 1966 p 152 Coleman 1966 p 166 Kitchen 2008 p 160 a b Kitchen 2008 p 159 Coleman 1966 p 151 Coleman 1966 p 156 McFarlane 1969 p 14 Coleman 1966 p 168 Coleman 1966 pp 1178 179 a b Kitchen 2008 p 166 Coleman 1966 pp 178 285 Standing Room Only Now Ottawa Citizen February 11 1910 p 8 Will Fred Taylor Score Ottawa Citizen February 11 1910 p 8 McFarlane 1969 p 15 Ottawa Team Meet Waterloo Outclassed by Renfrew 17 to 2 Ottawa Citizen March 9 1910 p 8 Kitchen 2008 p 168 Coleman 1966 p 1216 Coleman 1966 p 222 Coleman 1966 p 225 Coleman 1966 pp 222 234 Coleman 1966 p 284 Kitchen 2008 p 190 Coleman 1966 p 293 Kitchen 2008 p 345 Kitchen 2008 pp 192 193 Coleman 1966 p 316 Coleman 1966 pp 322 323 Coleman 1966 pp 273 316 a b Stanley Cup Winners Hockey Hall of Fame Archived from the original on December 30 2007 Retrieved January 23 2008 a b c The Stanley Cup NHL Archived from the original on June 29 2009 Retrieved January 23 2008 Ottawa Senators Hockey Club Yearbook 1992 1993 Annuaire Ottawa Senators 1992 p 78 McFarlane 1969 p 21 a b Hunter 1997 p 20 Boswell Randy April 16 2017 Solving the mystery of the NHL s 1st game CBC News Retrieved April 16 2017 Kitchen 2008 p 208 Kitchen 2008 pp 209 210 Coleman 1966 p 336 Holzman amp Nieforth 2002 pp 178 85 McFarlane 1969 p 23 Coleman 1966 p 359 Coleman 1966 pp 358 360 Coleman 1966 p 363 a b Coleman 1966 p 628 a b Stanley Cup Dynasties NHL Com Archived from the original on October 26 2010 Retrieved February 14 2008 Coleman 1966 p 487 Coleman 1966 pp 466 467 a b Coleman 1966 pp 504 505 Coleman 1966 p 369 Kitchen 2008 p 259 McFarlane 1969 p 24 Kitchen 2008 pp 259 262 a b Kitchen 2008 p 262 McFarlane 1969 p 25 a b c Hunter 1997 p 24 Hunter 1997 pp 23 24 McFarlane 1969 p 26 Dinger Ralph ed 2009 NHL Official Guide and Record Book 2010 Toronto Ontario Dan Diamond and Associates p 180 ISBN 978 1 894801 16 4 Coleman 1966 pp 410 411 Coleman 1966 pp 420 421 McFarlane 1969 p 27 Coleman 1966 pp 430 432 Coleman 1966 p 437 Fischler amp Fischler 2003 p 68 a b Hunter 1997 p 26 Robinson 1982 p 52 a b c d e Hunter 1997 p 27 Fischer Doug June 23 2008 The trials and triumphs of Clint Benedict The Ottawa Citizen p A1 McFarlane 1969 p 29 Kitchen 2008 p 238 Coleman 1966 p 472 Coleman 1966 pp 505 506 a b McFarlane 1969 p 33 Podnieks 2004 p 59 a b c MacKinnon John December 24 1989 Once upon a time When Ottawa ruled the hockey world The Ottawa Citizen pp B1 a b McFarlane 1969 p 35 a b Wong 2005 p 123 McFarlane 1969 p 36 Wong 2005 p 126 Coleman 1967 p 102 Coleman 1967 p 119 a b c Wong 2005 p 130 Wong 2005 p 132 Kitchen 2008 p 317 Ottawa Senators Will Remain Here The Evening Citizen December 13 1933 p 10 Ottawa Will Be Without Team When 1934 35 Campaign Opens The Evening Citizen April 9 1934 p 11 Coleman 1967 p 211 Boyd H M March 16 1934 Senators lose last NHL season game The Evening Citizen p 6 Coleman 1967 p 213 No N H L Hockey Team for Ottawa Next Winter The Evening Citizen April 7 1934 p 1 NHL 2001 NHL Official Guide and Record Book 2002 p 9 ISBN 978 1 57243 500 1 Garrioch Bruce December 28 2016 Next Senators jersey to retire won t be a simple call Ottawa Citizen Ottawa Team Is Expected to Join Quebec Amateur Hockey Circuit The Ottawa Citizen July 26 1934 p 12 a b Finnigan 1992 pp 157 189 Ottawa Senators Media Guide 2007 08 Ottawa Senators Hockey Club 2007 p 196 The Ottawas Made a Good Start Ottawa Journal January 7 1901 p 5 Shamrocks Were Beaten Winnipeg Tribune January 14 1901 p 3 Quebec defeated Ottawa The Globe December 30 1912 p 9 Kitchen 2008 p 24 Kitchen 2008 p 167 Kitchen 2008 p 303 Kitchen 2008 p 169 Holzman and Nieforth pp 178 182 Holzman and Nieforth p 186 Holzman and Nieforth p 185 Kitchen 2008 p 231 Wong 2005 p 128 Holzman and Nieforth p 316 a b Kitchen 2008 p 307 Kitchen 2008 p 308 Large Offer Is Made For Ottawa Team The Globe and Mail September 28 1931 p 6 Kitchen 2008 p 311 Ottawa Interests Through NHL Purchases Franchise Toronto Star October 16 1935 Coleman 1967 p 257 Kitchen 2008 p 332 Gorman Removes Ottawa Senators from Quebec HL The Globe and Mail December 21 1954 p 16 Coleman 1966 p 84 Whitehead 1980 p 34 Coleman 1966 p 187 Ottawa Senators Media Guide 2007 08 p 196 Ottawa Hockey Club Ottawa Citizen December 7 1886 p 6 Ottawa Hockey Club Ottawa Citizen November 20 1890 Finnigan 1992 p 73 Sports of all Sorts The Globe November 25 1895 p 6 Sports of all Sorts The Globe November 14 1896 p 26 Ottawa Club s Officers The Globe November 13 1897 p 22 After the Puck The Globe December 7 1899 p 10 After the Puck The Globe December 25 1899 p 8 Kitchen 2008 p 100 Watch Tecumsehs says P Lesueur Toronto World January 10 1913 p 4 Wanderers out in front again Ottawa Citizen Dec 23 1915 pg 8 Retrieved 2021 05 30 Horace Merrill turned out with Ottawas on Saturday Local squad now complete Ottawa Citizen Dec 25 1916 pg 6 Ottawa Senators Sportsecyclopedia com Retrieved October 30 2008 Diamond Dan 1998 Total hockey the official encyclopedia of the National Hockey League New York Total Sports ISBN 978 0 8362 7114 0 BibliographyColeman Charles L 1966 The Trail of the Stanley Cup Vol 1 1893 1926 inc Montreal Quebec National Hockey League Coleman Charles L 1967 The Trail of the Stanley Cup Vol 2 1927 1946 inc Montreal Quebec National Hockey League Cosentino Frank 1990 Not Bad Eh Burnstown Ontario General Store Publishing House ISBN 978 0 919431 29 4 Diamond Dan 1992 The Official National Hockey League Stanley Cup Centennial book Toronto Ontario NHL ISBN 978 0 7710 2803 8 Diamond Dan 2000 Total Stanley Cup Kingston New York Total Sports Publishing Inc ISBN 978 1 892129 07 9 Farrell Arthur 1899 Hockey Canada s Royal Winter Game Montreal Quebec C R Corneil Frayne Trent 1999 The Early Years 100 years of hockey Toronto Ontario Key Porter Books ISBN 978 1 55263 055 6 Finnigan Joan 1988 Tell Me Another Story Toronto Ontario McGraw Hill Ryerson ISBN 978 0 07 549682 3 Finnigan Joan 1992 Old Scores New Goals The Story of the Ottawa Senators Kingston Ontario Quarry Press ISBN 978 1 55082 041 6 Fischler Stan 1990 Golden ice the greatest teams in hockey history Toronto Ontario McGraw Hill Ryerson ISBN 978 0 07 549963 3 Fischler Stan Fischler Shirley 2003 Who s Who In Hockey Kansas City Missouri Andrews McMeel Publishing ISBN 978 0 7407 1904 2 Holzman Morey Nieforth Joseph 2002 Deceptions and Doublecross How the NHL conquered hockey Toronto Ontario Dundurn Press ISBN 978 1 55002 413 5 Hunter Douglas 1997 Champions the illustrated history of hockey s greatest dynasties Toronto Ontario Penguin Books ISBN 978 0 670 86894 0 Kitchen Paul 2006 P D Ross How He Came To Be a Stanley Cup Trustee The Hockey Research Journal 2006 4 6 Kitchen Paul 2008 Win Tie or Wrangle Manotick Ontario Penumbra Press ISBN 978 1 897323 46 5 McFarlane Brian 1969 50 Years of Hockey Winnipeg Manitoba Greywood Publishing Limited McFarlane Brian 2000 Ottawa Senators 1917 18 to 1933 34 In Diamond Dan ed Total Hockey 2nd ed Kingston New York Total Sports Publishing pp 254 255 ISBN 978 1 892129 85 7 McKinley Michael 1998 Etched In Ice Vancouver British Columbia Greystone Books ISBN 978 1 55054 654 5 McKinley Michael 2002 Putting a roof on winter hockey s rise from sport to spectacle Vancouver British Columbia Greystone Books ISBN 978 1 55054 798 6 McKinley Michael 2006 Hockey a people s history Toronto Ontario McClelland amp Stewart Ltd ISBN 978 0 7710 5769 4 Podnieks Andrew 2004 Lord Stanley s Cup Bolton Ontario Fenn Publishing ISBN 978 1 55168 261 7 Poulton J Alexander 2007 The Ottawa Senators Montreal Quebec OverTime Books ISBN 978 1 897277 17 1 Robinson Chris 2004 Ottawa Senators Great Stories From The NHL s First Dynasty Canmore Alberta Altitude Publishing ISBN 978 1 55153 790 0 Robinson Dean 1982 Howie Morenz Hockey s First Superstar Erin Ontario Boston Mills Press ISBN 978 0 919822 69 6 Weir Glen 1991 Ultimate Hockey Toronto Ontario Stoddart Publishing ISBN 978 0 7737 6057 8 Whitehead Eric 1980 The Patricks Hockey s Royal Family Toronto Ontario Doubleday Canada ISBN 978 0 385 15662 2 Wong John Chi Kit 2005 Lords of the Rinks The Emergence of the National Hockey League 1875 1936 Toronto Ontario University of Toronto Press ISBN 978 0 8020 8520 7 Young Scott 1989 100 years of dropping the puck The history of the Ontario Hockey Association Toronto Ontario McClelland amp Stewart ISBN 978 0 7710 9093 6 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ottawa Senators 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