1909–10 Montreal Canadiens season

The 1909–1910 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's inaugural season and also the first season of the National Hockey Association (NHA). The 1910 Montreal Canadiens operated as 'Les Canadiens' and were owned by Ambrose O'Brien of Renfrew, Ontario, as one of four franchises he owned in the NHA. After the season, the franchise was suspended and a NHA franchise was sold to George Kennedy. All of the players of 'Les Canadiens' went to Kennedy's organization.

Founding

The first team picture

After the Canadian Hockey Association (CHA) turned down Ambrose O'Brien's Renfrew Creamery Kings application for membership on November 25, 1909, O'Brien, along with Jimmy Gardner of the (also rejected) Montreal Wanderers organized the new National Hockey Association. The Wanderers desired a competitor team based in Montreal and Gardner suggested a team of francophone players to O'Brien to play on the rivalry between francophones and anglophones in Montreal. Gardner suggested that it be named 'Les Canadiens.'^[1]

The new team was founded at the new NHA's meeting on December 4, 1909. O'Brien put up $5000 security for the new franchise^[2] on the "condition that it would be transferred to Montreal French sportsmen as soon as practicable."^[3] Jack Laviolette was hired to organize the new team, its official name Le Club de Hockey Le Canadien.^[2]

Laviolette was given free rein by the NHA owners to sign all francophone players. The others would not sign any until the Canadien team was set. His first signing was his old friend Didier "Cannonball" Pitre. Pitre was working in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, when he received a telegram from Laviolette outlining the team and to come to Montreal. At the train in North Bay, Ontario Pitre was met by an official of the CHA's Montreal Le National, who signed him on the spot for $1100, however Pitre had thought he was signing a contract with Laviolette. When Pitre arrived in Ottawa, Laviolette was there to meet him. Laviolette explained that it was the other French-Canadien team that Laviolette was managing. Pitre signed with Laviolette for a guaranteed $1700. Before the first game, legal action was initiated by the Nationals and an injunction was only lifted on the day of the first Canadien game.^[4] Laviolette's other signings went much easier. Newsy Lalonde signed on December 14 and he reported the next day to complete the roster.

When the CHA folded in January 1910, the franchise was offered by O'Brien to Le National but they declined to purchase the franchise.^[5] The Nationals turned down the offer, not willing to take on the contract to play in the Jubilee Rink, the cost of the player contracts of $6200 and debts of $1400.^[6] Le National, an established organization of some 14 years, instead folded their team.^[7]

Regular season

The team had a record of 2–10–0 to finish last in the league. The team's first game was a win against Cobalt at home 7–6 in overtime, on January 5, 1910. The result was nullified when the NHA absorbed the CHA teams and created a new schedule. Cobalt later defeated Les Canadiens at Montreal 6–4. The team's first official win took place on February 7, 1910, against the Haileybury Hockey Club. The team did not win a game away from its home rink.

Final standings

National Hockey Association
	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA
Montreal Wanderers	12	11	1	0	91	41
Ottawa Hockey Club	12	9	3	0	89	66
Renfrew Creamery Kings	12	8	3	1	96	54
Cobalt Silver Kings	12	4	8	0	79	104
Haileybury Hockey Club	12	4	8	0	77	83
Montreal Shamrocks	12	3	8	1	52	95
Les Canadiens	12	2	10	0	59	100

^[8]

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against

Schedule and results

Month	Day	Visitor	Score	Home	Score
Jan.	5	Cobalt	6	Canadiens	7 (5'35" over.)†
	19	Canadiens	4	Renfrew	9
	22	Canadiens	4	Ottawa	6
	26	Ottawa	8	Canadiens	4
Feb.	2	Canadiens	3	Shamrocks	8
	7	Haileybury	5	Canadiens	9
	12	Wanderers	9	Canadiens	4
	15	Renfrew	8	Canadiens	6
	24	Canadiens	7	Cobalt	11
	26	Canadiens	3	Haileybury	15
Mar.	5	Cobalt	6	Canadiens	4
	9	Canadiens	6	Wanderers	11
	11	Shamrocks	4	Canadiens	5 (12' over.)

† Games played before January 15, which were played before the CHA teams joined were not counted against the final standings.

Source: Coleman, Charles L. (1966). The Trail of the Stanley Cup, vol.1 1893–1926 inc.

Playoffs

The team did not qualify for playoffs.

Roster

Joseph Cattarinich, Teddy Groulx (goaltenders)
Arthur Bernier, Jean Bougie, Ed Chapleau, Lorenzo Chartrand, Didier Pitre, Ed Decarie, Richard Duckett, Newsy Lalonde, Pat Larochelle, Jack Laviolette, Edgar Leduc, Ed Millaire, Evariste Payer, Skinner Poulin, 'Rocket' Power, Patrick Seguin, Henri Trudel

Source:

Coleman, Charles L. (1966). The Trail of the Stanley Cup, vol.1 1893–1926 inc.
Mouton, Claude (1987). The Montreal Canadiens. Key Porter Books. p. 149.

Notes

↑ Jenish, p. 10
1 2 Jenish, p. 11
↑ Coleman, p. 179
↑ Jenish, pp. 15–16
↑ McFarlane(1996), pg. 6
↑ Jenish, p. 19-20
↑ Coleman, p. 180
↑ Standings: Coleman, Charles (1966). Trail of the Stanley Cup, vol. 1, 1893-1926 inc. National Hockey League. p. 190.

References

Coleman, Charles L. (1966). The Trail of the Stanley Cup, vol.1 1893–1926 inc.
Jenish, D'Arcy (2008). The Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years of Glory. Toronto, Ontario: Doubleday Canada. ISBN 978-0-385-66324-3.
McFarlane, Brian (1996). The Habs. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing. ISBN 0-7737-2981-X.
O'Brien, Andy (1971). Les Canadiens: the story of the Montreal Canadiens. Toronto, New York: McGrawHill-Ryerson. ISBN 0-07-092950-5.

External links

Slam report on first game

Montreal Canadiens

Founded in 1909
Based in Montreal, Quebec

Franchise

History

Personnel

Owners: Molson family (Geoff Molson, chairman)
General manager: Marc Bergevin
Head coach: Michel Therrien
Team captain: Max Pacioretty
Current roster

Arenas

Rivalries

Affiliates

AHL: St. John's IceCaps; Laval Rocket (beginning in 2017–18)

ECHL: Brampton Beast

General managers

Head coaches

Media

TV	City (English) Sportsnet East (English) Réseau des sports (French) TVA Sports (French)

Radio	English TSN Radio 690 French 98,5 FM

Culture and lore

Montreal Canadiens seasons

1900s	1909–10

1910s	1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20

1920s	1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30

1930s	1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40

1940s	1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50

1950s	1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60

1960s	1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70

1970s	1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80

1980s	1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90

1990s	1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00

2000s	2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10

2010s	2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17

Highlighted seasons indicate Stanley Cup championship

1910 NHA season

NHA	Cobalt Haileybury Montreal Canadiens Montreal Shamrocks Montreal Wanderers Ottawa Renfrew

See also	Les Canadiens

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