1910 NHA season

1910 NHA season
League National Hockey Association
Sport Ice hockey
Duration January 5 – March 15, 1910
Number of games 12
Number of teams 7
Regular season
Top scorer Newsy Lalonde (38)
O'Brien Cup
Champions Montreal Wanderers
  Runners-up Ottawa Hockey Club

The 1910 NHA season was the first season of the National Hockey Association men's professional ice hockey league. The season started on January 5, but was suspended immediately and the league then absorbed the Ottawa and Shamrocks teams of the Canadian Hockey Association and the season continued from January 15 to March 15. Seven teams played 12 games each. The Ottawa Hockey Club played two Stanley Cup challenges during the season, but lost the Cup to their rivals the Montreal Wanderers who won the league championship and played a Cup challenge afterwards.

League business

After the Canadian Hockey Association (CHA) turned down the Wanderers' application to join, Wanderers' manager Jimmy Gardner, along with Renfrew's Ambrose O'Brien worked to put together enough teams to form a league. Gardner approached the Ottawa Senators of the Federal League to have an Ottawa entry, but the players decided to fold the team, rather than compete with the Ottawa Hockey Club.[1] Gardner also approached the Mutual Street Rink of Toronto to form a professional team, but was turned down as the rink was fully booked.[2]

The league was founded on December 2, 1909, at a private meeting at 300 St. James Street, the headquarters of the Dominion Office and Store Fitting Limited in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[3] At this meeting four franchises were approved:

Eddie McCafferty acted as secretary, and he also was representative of interests in Toronto. A franchise would be held for a future Toronto team. The NHA discussed organizing a team in Ottawa with the Ottawa Lacrosse Club and getting Montreal Le National to join the NHA.[3] The Wanderers and Renfrew signed a pact not to merge with the CHA unless Cobalt and Haileybury were also admitted.[4] The teams pledged a $1,000 bond to stay together.[5]

Two days later on December 4, the NHA held an organizing meeting at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal. The CHA was meeting at the hotel also, and a message was sent to the Ottawa, Shamrocks and Le National teams to seek a merged seven-team league. This was turned down by the CHA, which would not accept Cobalt and Haileybury.[4] The CHA proposed that Renfrew and Wanderers join the CHA, but the NHA teams turned that proposal down.[5]

An executive was elected:

At the meeting, a franchise for 'Les Canadiens' was granted, to be organized by Jack Laviolette. Mr. Hare of Cobalt put up a security deposit for the franchise on the understanding that it would be transferred to Montreal French sportsmen as soon as possible.[6]

The NHA decided to run the league in a more business-like manner. The league decided to write a standard player's contract. McCafferty, who was also secretary of the Montreal Baseball Club, was to draw up the contract. The NHA also decided to have professional referees. Both of these were innovations in the world of ice hockey.[5]

Regular season

The first Canadiens game ever took place on January 5 under a cloud. Didier Pitre had signed a contract with both the Canadiens and the Nationals. Pitre was risking a $2,000 fine and 60 days's jail time. The Nationals had a legal injunction against Pitre playing for the Canadiens. This contributed to an over-capacity crowd at the Jubilee Rink of about 5,000. Pitre did play (he was guaranteed any fines by Canadiens' management) and court action commenced. Pitre was found to not to have a binding contract with the Nationals by the courts. By this time, the CHA had folded, and no contract was enforceable. Pitre would have a long career with the Canadiens, playing into the 1920s.[7]

On January 15, a meeting was held by the league executive and Ottawa and Montreal Shamrocks were admitted to the NHA. The games played before that date were thrown out, and games from that date forwards counted towards the final standings.[8]

On January 22, at a game between Renfrew and Shamrocks, Shamrock's Joe Hall was ejected for striking the judge-of-play Rod Kennedy. After regulation time, the game was tied. Referee Tom Hodge proposed that Hall return for the overtime, but Renfrew objected and did not play the overtime. Hall was later fined $100 for the incident and suspended until January 30. The game was ordered replayed but wasn't due to ice conditions and the game results were accepted as a tie.[9]

On Cyclone Taylor's first return to Ottawa as a member of the Renfrew team, he made his famous promise to score a goal backwards against Ottawa. This led to incredible interest, with over 7000 in attendance. A bet of $100 was placed at the King Edward Hotel against him scoring at all.[10] The Senators would win 8–5 (3 goals in overtime) and more importantly keep 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. This was the final game of the season, and the Senators had no chance at the league title, and don't appear to have put in an effort, losing 17–2.[11]

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

[12]

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

Stanley Cup challenges

During the season Ottawa as Cup champion played a challenge against Edmonton in addition to their regular schedule. They had played a challenge during the CHA season against Galt.

Ottawa vs. Edmonton

Edmonton was champion of the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association.

January 18
Edmonton 4 at Ottawa 8
Jack Winchester G Percy LeSueur
William Field P Fred Lake
Hugh Ross CP Hamby Shore
Fred Whitcroft 2 RO Bruce Stuart, Capt. 2
Harold Deeton 1 C Marty Walsh 1
Hay Millar 1 RW Gordon Roberts 4
Bert Boulton LW Bruce Ridpath 1
Referees – Bowie & Campbell
January 20
Edmonton 7 at Ottawa 13
Jack Winchester G Percy LeSueur
William Field P Fred Lake
Hugh Ross CP Hamby Shore 1
Fred Whitcroft 3 RO Bruce Stuart, Capt. 5
Harold Deeton 2 C Marty Walsh 1
Hay Millar RW Gordon Roberts 3
Bert Boulton 2 LW Bruce Ridpath 3
Referees – Bowie & Campbell

NHA league champions take over Stanley Cup

The Wanderers having won the O'Brien trophy won regular season championship of the NHA and took possession of the Cup from Ottawa. They had a challenge from Berlin, champions of the Ontario Professional Hockey League and easily defeated them. For 1910, there would be two Stanley Cup holders, Ottawa until March, and Montreal for the rest of the year.

Wanderers vs. Berlin

March 12
Berlin 3 at Wanderers 7
Hugh Lehman, Capt. G William "Riley" Hern
Albert Seibert 1 P Jack Marshall
Harvey Corbeau 1 CP Ernie Johnson
E. "Toad" Edmunds RO Frank "Pud" Glass, Capt.
Roy Anderson C Harry Hyland 3
Ezra Dumart RW Ernie Russell 4
Oren Frood 1 LW Jimmy Gardner
Referees – Bowie & Kirby

NHA Exhibitions at New York

After the season, the NHA arranged an 'international championship' at New York's St. Nicholas Rink. Like the previous spring, Ottawa and Wanderers played a two-game series in New York for a purse of $1,500. Wanderers won both games 4–3. Renfrew next travelled to New York and defeated the Wanderers in a single game for $1,000.

Date Winning Team Score Losing Team
March 15, 1910Montreal Wanderers 4–3Ottawa HC
March 16, 1910Montreal Wanderers 4–3Ottawa HC
March 19, 1910Renfrew Millionaires 9–4Montreal Wanderers
Source

Schedule and results

Month Day Visitor Score Home Score
Jan. 5 Cobalt 6 Canadiens 7 (5'35" over.)†
8 Cobalt 6 Wanderers 10 †
12 Cobalt 11 Renfrew 9 †
15 Renfrew 2 Wanderers 7
15 Shamrocks 3 Ottawa 15
18 Cobalt 7 Haileybury 6 (4'30" over.)
19 Canadiens 4 Renfrew 9
22 Canadiens 4 Ottawa 6
22‡ Renfrew 1 Shamrocks 1
22 Wanderers 2 Haileybury 4
25 Wanderers 11 Cobalt 6
25 Haileybury 2 Shamrocks 3 (30" over.)
26 Ottawa 8 Canadiens 4
28 Shamrocks 2 Renfrew 10
29 Haileybury 4 Ottawa 11
Feb. 1 Haileybury 3 Wanderers 8
2 Canadiens 3 Shamrocks 8
4 Haileybury 3 Renfrew 6
5 Shamrocks 1 Wanderers 10
5 Ottawa 5 Cobalt 4
7 Haileybury 5 Canadiens 9
9 Wanderers 11 Shamrocks 6
9 Ottawa 8 Haileybury 4
12 Shamrocks 6 Haileybury 12
12 Renfrew 5 Ottawa 8 (10' over.)
12 Wanderers 9 Canadiens 4
15 Shamrocks 4 Cobalt 11
15 Renfrew 8 Canadiens 6
19 Ottawa 5 Wanderers 7
19 Renfrew 12 Cobalt 7
22 Renfrew 11 Haileybury 5
23 Ottawa 9 Shamrocks 6
24 Canadiens 7 Cobalt 11
25 Wanderers 5 Renfrew 0
26 Cobalt 5 Ottawa 11
26 Canadiens 3 Haileybury 15
Mar. 2 Cobalt 3 Wanderers 7
5 Wanderers 3 Ottawa 1
5 Cobalt 6 Canadiens 4
8 Cobalt 6 Shamrocks 8
8 Ottawa 2 Renfrew 17
9 Canadiens 6 Wanderers 11
11 Shamrocks 4 Canadiens 5 (12' over.)
11 Cobalt 4 Renfrew 15
15 Haileybury 14 Cobalt 9

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

‡ The January 22 game was abandoned due to an on-ice incident. It was ordered replayed on March 2 in Ottawa, but wasn't played due to soft ice in Ottawa.

Player statistics

Goaltending averages

Note: GP = Games played, GA = Goals against, SO = Shutouts, GAA = Goals against average

Name Club GP GA SO GAA
Nicholson, Billy Haileybury 1 3 3.0
Hern, Riley Wanderers 12 41 1 3.4
Lindsay, Bert Renfrew 12 54 4.5
Winchester, Jack Shamrocks 5 26 5.2
LeSueur, Percy Ottawa 12 66 1 5.5
Moran, Paddy Haileybury 11 80 7.3
Broughton, George Shamrocks 5 43 8.6
Cattarinich, Joe Canadiens 3 23 7.7
Groulx, Teddy Canadiens 9 77 8.6
Jones, Chief Cobalt 12 104 8.7
Baker, Bill Shamrocks 2 26 13.0

Scoring leaders

Player Team GP G PIM
Lalonde, NewsyNewsy Lalonde Montreal Canadiens
Renfrew Creamery Kings 		11 38 56
Russell, ErnieErnie Russell Montreal Wanderers 12 32 51
Smith, HarryHarry Smith Cobalt Silver Kings
Haileybury Hockey Club 		12 32 26
Patrick, LesterLester Patrick Renfrew Creamery Kings 12 24 25
Hyland, HarryHarry Hyland Montreal Wanderers 11 20 23
Clarke, HerbHerb Clarke Cobalt Silver Kings 12 20 27
Gaul, HoraceHorace Gaul Haileybury Hockey Club 12 20 53
Walsh, MartyMarty Walsh Ottawa Senators 11 19 44
Vair, SteveSteve Vair Cobalt Silver Kings 12 17 8
Ridpath, BruceBruce Ridpath Ottawa Senators 12 16 32

Montreal Wanderers March 1910 Stanley Cup Champions

Roster

  Centres
  Wingers
  Defencemen
  Goaltenders


  Coaching and administrative staff
  • Filbert Strachan (President)
  • Dickie Boon (Manager)
  • Robert "Bob" Stephanson (Vice President)
  • Dr. Walter Dorion (Director)
  • Paul Lefebvre (Trainer)

Stanley Cup engraving

Montreal Wanderers did not put their name on the Stanley Cup. When the trophy was redesigned in 1948 the words "1910 Montreal Wanderers" was put onto its then-new collar.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Senators Won't Have a Team". The Ottawa Citizen. December 2, 1909. p. 8.
  2. ↑ "Toronto Will Not Enter Team". Ottawa Citizen. December 2, 1909. p. 8.
  3. 1 2 "Big New Professional League Was Launched at Montreal". Ottawa Citizen. December 3, 1909. p. 6.
  4. 1 2 "Peace Overtures Rejected". The Globe. December 6, 1909. p. 8.
  5. 1 2 3 "Seven Club Hockey League Likely Solution of Difficulty". Ottawa Citizen. December 6, 1909. p. 8.
  6. ↑ Coleman(1966), pg. 179
  7. ↑ O'Brien(1971), pp. 4–9
  8. ↑ Coleman(1966), pg. 182
  9. ↑ Coleman(1966), pp. 185–186
  10. ↑ "none". Ottawa Citizen. February 11, 1910.
  11. ↑ Coleman(1966), pg. 189
  12. ↑ Standings: Coleman, Charles (1966). Trail of the Stanley Cup, vol. 1, 1893-1926 inc. National Hockey League. p. 190.

External links

Preceded by
Ottawa
January 1910		 Montreal Wanderers
Stanley Cup Champions
March 1910 		Succeeded by
Ottawa
1911
Preceded by
1909–10 CHA season
1909 ECAHA season		 NHA seasons
1910 		Succeeded by
1910–11 NHA season
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