Ottawa Senators ( original ) The Ottawa Senators ( aka . " Ottawa Hockey Club " , " Ottawa Generals " , " Ottawa Silver Seven " ) were an amateur , later professional , ice hockey team based in Ottawa from 1884 to 1934 . They were founding members of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada , from 1886 to 1898 , founding members of the Canadian Amateur Hockey League from 1899 until February 8 , 1904 and were also founding members of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1890 to 1894 . They then were part of the Federal Amateur Hockey League until the formation of Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association . They were members of the ECAHA , which changed names to the ECHA and the CHA , until they joined the National Hockey Association in 1910 . The NHA dissolved in 1917 , and the Senators team became one of the founding four teams of the National Hockey League . They competed in the National Hockey League from the 1917 season until the franchise relocated to St . Louis , Missouri after the 1933 - 34 NHL season . Team History . Generally acknowledged by hockey historians as the greatest team of the early days of the sport , the original Ottawa Senators franchise played in the first season during which the Stanley Cup was challenged in 1893 . According to the Hockey Hall of Fame , the Senators won the Stanley Cup a total of ten times , including defeats of challengers , as the Cup was still a challenge trophy . The Senators won two Stanley Cup challenges in 1910 as well , and are considered to be eleven - time Stanley Cup champions by the NHL . Early Amateur Era 1884 to 1902 . The first organized hockey club in Ottawa was the Ottawa Hockey Club which participated at the 1884 and 1885 Montreal Winter Carnival Ice Hockey Tournaments , considered the Canadian championship at the time . Until 1902 , the club was known as the Ottawa Hockey Club , and was also known as the " Capitals " , and " Generals " and had a junior - league team known as the " Young Capitals . " The club was affiliated with the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Club , and used its colours of red , white and black uniforms . The Amateur Hockey Association of Canada ( AHA or AHAC ) was founded on December 8 , 1886 at a meeting of representatives of several hockey clubs , Ottawa included . Mr . T . D . Greene of Ottawa was named first President of the league . Play was until 1893 held in " series . " Ottawa challenged in 1887 , 1891 and 1892 . The Hockey Club was inactive between 1887 and 1889 until the opening of the Rideau Skating Rink in 1889 . It re - organized with future Stanley Cup trustee Phillip D . Ross on the management committee . The captain was Frank Jenkins and the other players were Halder Kirby , Jack Kerr , Nelson Porter , George Young , Weldy Young , Tom Green , William O ' Dell , Tom Gallagher , Albert Low and Henry Ami . In 1890 , the Ottawa club was a founding member of the Ontario Hockey Association ( OHA ) and would win the championship for its first three years , leaving in 1894 in a dispute with the league over the venue of the championships . In 1892 , Lord Stanley announced his new Dominion Challenge Trophy for the Canadian champions at a dinner for the Ottawa Hockey Club . In 1893 the AHAC changed to a scheduled regular season format , with the league champion to be the first winner of the Trophy . The team ' s first regular season match took place on January 7 , 1893 , when it was defeated by the Montreal Victorias 4 - 3 . The key match - up in that first season was against the Montreal Hockey Club on February 18 , 1893 , when Montreal defeated the Senators 7 - 1 , thus securing the one game margin of victory which led to Lord Stanley awarding the initial Cup to Montreal . The following year , the hockey club would tie for the AHAC league lead , but lost in the final . Notable players of this period included Fred Chittick in goal , Harvey Pulford , Alf Smith , Harry Westwick , Hod Stuart and Weldy Young . Glory years ( 1903 - 1927 ) . Originally known as the Ottawa Hockey Club , they were renamed the Senators in 1902 . However , until 1907 or 1908 ( depending on the source ) , the team was unofficially known as the Silver Seven . " Silver Seven " Era 1903 - 1906 . In March 1903 , the Ottawa Senators would start a period where they would hold the Stanley Cup and defeat all challengers until 1906 . For that first win , the team ' s players were paid " under the table " with silver nuggets , since the players were technically amateurs . After this , the team would gain the nickname of the " Silver Seven " . ( In those days , hockey teams iced seven men - - a goaltender , three forwards , two defencemen and a rover ) . This era started with the arrival of Frank McGee and ended with his retirement . Having lost an eye in local amateur hockey , he was persuaded , despite the threat of permanent blindness to join the Senators . Only 5 ' 6 " tall , and the youngest player on the team , he would go on to score 135 goals in 45 games . In the 1905 challenge against the Dawson City Nuggets , he would famously score 14 goals in a 23 - 2 shellacking . He retired in 1906 at the age of 23 . Notable players of this era also included Percy LeSueur , Harvey Pulford , Rat Westwick and Alf Smith . The streak would start with the 1903 CAHL season , where Ottawa and Montreal Victorias would dominate , both finishing with 6 - 2 records . The top scorer was the Victorias ' Russell Bowie who scored 7 goals in one game and 6 in another , and McGee who would have 5 goals as his top performance . The two would then face off in a two - game total goals series to decide the league championship and inherit the Stanley Cup . In the first game , played in Montreal on slushy ice making it a desperate struggle to score and ended 1 - 1 . The return match in Ottawa , witnessed by 3000 fans , was on ice coated with an inch of water . The conditions did not hinder Ottawa as they won 8 - 0 with McGee scoring 3 and the other 5 shared among the three Gilmours Dave ( 2 ) , Suddy ( 2 ) and Bill ( 1 ) to win their first Cup . Stanley Cup Challenge Win Streak . Ottawa and the Wanderers would tie for the league lead in 1906 , and played a two - game total goals series for the league championship and the Cup . Montreal won the first game in Montreal 9 - 1 . Ottawa would storm back in the return match in Ottawa , get a 9 - 1 lead only to have the Wanderers score the next two to win the series . Frank McGee would score two goals in his final game . Early Professional Era 1906 - 1910 . Until the 1906 season , the team was classified as ' amateur ' . The Ottawa HC was successful prior to this time because the players could work for the government and play for the team as well . Meanwhile , in the United States , the International Hockey League was paying players . The ECAHA , while having amateur association teams , started to allow professional players , so that the top teams could compete for the top players and the gate attractions that they were . In 1907 , the Senators opened the third Dey ' s Arena , with seating for 4 , 500 and 2 , 500 standing room . This was located on Laurier Avenue in Ottawa , near the site of today ' s Ottawa City Hall . To replace Frank McGee , the Senators would hire a top free agent , Fred ' The Listowel Whirlwind ' Taylor , away from the IHL for the 1908 season at $ 1000 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 . The period of 1907 - 1909 would see the rivalry between the Senators and the Wanderers continue , with Ottawa placing second twice in 1907 and 1908 , and winning in 1909 , the last full season Mr . Taylor would play for the Senators . By that year , all of the teams in the ECAHA , now the ECHA , would be professional . Notable players of this time period included Percy LeSueur in goal , Marty Walsh , Bruce Stuart and Dubby Kerr . Champions in 1906 and 1910 ? Debatable . There is often confusion about how many Stanley Cups the Senators should be given credit for . In the days of the Stanley Cup challenges , multiple winners per year were possible . Hockey historians disagree on two years as to whether the Senators were champions for those years . Entering these two years , 1906 and 1910 , the Senators were the undisputed defending champions , however , by the end of the hockey seasons in both years they were no longer holders of the Stanley Cup . In 1906 the Senators defeated Queen ' s , champions of the OHA and Smiths Falls , champions of the FAHL in Stanley Cup challenges . However , the Sens tied the Montreal Wanderers for the ECAHA regular season championship . To decide the ECAHA championship and the Stanley Cup , the Sens played a two game total goals series against the Wanderers in March of 1906 and lost . The 1906 year ended with the Montreal Wanderers as the Stanley Cup champions . The Hockey Hall of Fame recognizes both the Senators and Wanderers as champions for that year . In 1910 , a similar situation arose . The Senators defeated Galt , champions of the OPHL , during the CHA regular season and Edmonton of the Alberta Hockey League during the NHA regular season . ( The Senators switched leagues in - between . ) However , they would give up the Cup to the Montreal Wanderers , regular - season champions of the new NHA league . Inconsistently , the Hockey Hall of Fame does not recognize the Senators as champions for January 1910 , although the NHL does . Indisputably , two teams won Stanley Cup challenge series that year . NHA 1910 - 1917 . 1910 would see the hockey world turn over again , as the remnants of the ECHA organization would fold and give way to the NHA , controlled by business interests . The Senators at first would resist joining the NHA , and instead , join the CHA , but would join the NHA to continue the rivalry with the Wanderers and the gate revenues those games provided . The Wanderers would win the league in 1910 , and the Senators would win in 1911 and 1915 . The 1910 NHA season was one of transition as Mr . Taylor defected to Renfrew . On his first return in February 1910 , 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 . 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 , Mr . 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 . In 1911 , the Senators would return the favour , defeating Renfrew 19 - 5 . The team went 13 - 3 to win the Cup , with Marty Walsh and Dubby Kerr leading the goal scoring with 37 and 32 goals in 16 games . After the season the Senators played two challenges , against Galt , winning 7 - 4 , and against Port Arthur , winning 13 - 4 . In 1914 - 15 , the Senators would tie the Wanderers for the NHA season title . Art Ross was added to the team this year from the Wanderers after a dispute and would help the Sens win in a two - game playoff 4 - 1 . This led to a series with the Vancouver Millionaires , with Cyclone Taylor haunting his old team , scoring 6 goals in 3 games as the Senators lost three straight in Vancouver . Future Senator Frank Nighbor would play in this series for Vancouver and score 5 goals . In 1916 - 17 , the last season of the NHA , the Senators won the second - half of the split schedule , notable because an Army team , the 228th Battalion , and Eddie Livingstone ' s Toronto Blueshirts ] would both play in the first half and withdraw after the first half . Clint Benedict would top Georges Vezina in goal , and Mr . Nighbor tied for the scoring lead , scoring 41 goals in 19 games . The Sens would end their play in the NHA losing a two - game total goals playoff series to the Canadiens , who would lose eventually to Seattle in the Stanley Cup final . This season would see the final decline of the Senators ' old rivals the Wanderers who would finish at the bottom of the standings . The next year , the Wanderers would play only four games in the NHL , winning only one and folding the franchise after their home arena burned down . While World War I affected all the NHA teams , the Senators , after acquiring Mr . Nighbor from the PCHA never finished worse than second during the war years . The NHL ' s First Dynasty . The Senators won the Stanley Cup four times in the NHL , three against western league teams . Up until the win in 1926 - 27 , against the Boston Bruins , they had won more championships , more games , and had more Hall of Famers than any team to date in organized hockey . Birth of the NHL In the fall of 1917 , Montreal Canadiens ' owner George Kennedy 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 . Kennedy was leading an effort to get rid of Toronto Blueshirts ' owner Eddie Livingstone , and felt that with Gorman running the Senators , he could pull it off . As it turned out , Gorman attended the famous meeting at Montreal ' s Windsor Hotel where the NHL was formed . Within a year , Gorman and partner Ted Dey had made enough money to pay back Kennedy . In 1917 - 18 , they lost their previous top rival , the Wanderers after 5 games . The Senators also would not qualify for the playoffs , coming in third in the first half , and second in the second half . Cy Denneny would lead the team , coming second overall in the league with 36 goals in 20 games . In 1918 - 1919 , the Senators would again win a split schedule . Clint Benedict had the top goalkeeper average , and Cy Denneny and Frank Nighbor would come third and fourth for scoring with 18 and 17 goals in 18 games . The Senators and Canadiens would play off in the first best - of - seven series . The Canadiens would win the first three , Ottawa without Frank Nighbor . Mr . Nighbor would return for the fourth game in Ottawa , won by Ottawa 6 - 3 . Unfortunately , the Sens would lose the fifth game in Montreal 4 - 2 . The Stanley Cup Final between Montreal would be left undecided as an influenza outbreak killed Joe Hall of the Canadiens . 1920 Stanley Cup Win In 1919 - 20 , the Quebec Bulldogs would return and the NHL would play with four teams . Ottawa this time won both halves of the schedule and won the undisputed NHL championship . Mr . Benedict again led the goalkeeper averages and Frank Nighbor came third in the scoring race with 25 goals in 23 games . The Senators would then play Seattle for the Cup . The Senators played in simple white sweaters for this series , as Seattle ' s uniforms were nearly the same as Ottawa ' s . The first three games were held in Ottawa 3 - 2 and 3 - 0 for Ottawa and 3 - 1 for Seattle . At this point the series was moved to the Mutual St . Arena in Toronto , which had artificial ice . Seattle won 5 - 2 to tie the series . 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 . 1921 Stanley Cup Win In 1920 - 21 , the Quebec Bulldogs moved to Hamilton . The Senators would win the first half of the season to qualify for the playoffs . Benedict again led the goalkeeper averages and Cy Denneny came second in scoring , with 34 goals in 24 games . The Senators would go on to 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 the end of his career and he made no difference , scoring no goals . Ottawa would win a best - of - five series 1 - 2 , 4 - 3 , 3 - 2 , 2 - 3 and 2 - 1 , with Jack Darragh scoring the winning goal . 1921 - 22 would see the debut of Frank " King " Clancy for Ottawa and the retirement of Jack Darragh . The Senators would win the season , but lose to Toronto 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 . The St . Patricks would go on to win the Cup against Vancouver . 1923 Stanley Cup Win In 1922 - 23 , the Senators won the season and took the playoff against the Canadiens 3 - 2 in a two - game playoff . Jack Darragh returned from retirement . The Cup Final playoff format had changed . There would be semi - finals against the PCHA champion , followed by the final against the WCHL champion . In the Cup semi - finals , Ottawa would again face Vancouver ( now known as the Maroons ) in Vancouver . New attendance records were set for this series , with 9000 for the first game and 10 , 000 for the second . Ottawa won the series 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 and won it 2 - 1 , and 1 - 0 with Broadbent scoring the winning goal . The second game of the finals is famous for being the game in which King Clancy played all positions , including goal . 1923 - 24 would see the Senators again win the season , this time losing the playoff to the Canadiens 0 - 1 and 2 - 4 , with Georges Vezina getting the shutout , and Howie Morenz scoring 3 goals . This was the first season in the new Ottawa Auditorium . The Auditorium was the site of Morenz ' s first NHL goal . Frank Nighbor would be the first winner of the Hart Trophy as ' most valuable player ' in the regular season . 1924 - 25 was the first year of expansion to the U . S . , starting with the Boston Bruins . Making his debut in goal was Alex Connell , and Clint Benedict would be traded , along with Harry Broadbent , to the new [ Montreal Maroons ] . Cy Denneny would place fourth in scoring with 28 goals in 28 games . Frank Nighbor would be the first winner of the Lady Byng Trophy , donated by Marie Evelyn Moreton ( Lady Byng ) , wife of Viscount Byng of Vimy , who was Governor General of Canada from 1921 to 1926 . Mr . Nighbor received the trophy personally at a presentation at Rideau Hall . Mr . Nighbor would win in 1925 - 26 also . 1925 - 26 would see the new New York Americans and Pittsburgh Pirates join the NHL . Ottawa would run away with the league title led by the stellar play of Alex Connell in net , getting 15 shutouts in 36 games , and Cy Denneny scoring 24 goals , and receive a bye to the playoff finals . However , the Montreal Maroons would win the series 2 - 2 and 1 - 0 , with Benedict getting the shutout . They would go on to win the Stanley Cup . 1927 Stanley Cup Win 1926 - 27 would see the Senators win the Cup again . The NHL was now composed of two divisions and the Senators would win the Canadian division and the Prince of Wales Trophy . They advanced to the semi - finals and defeated the Canadiens 4 - 0 , and 1 - 1 and faced Boston for the Cup . In the first series for the Stanley Cup with only NHL opponents , Ottawa defeated Boston 0 - 0 , 3 - 1 , 1 - 1 and 3 - 1 . Decline ( 1927 - 34 ) . Despite winning the Stanley Cup , the Senators were already in financial trouble . They sold their star right wing Hooley Smith to the Montreal Maroons for $ 22 , 500 and the return of former star Punch Broadbent . Ottawa had been by far the smallest market in the NHL even before American teams began playing in 1924 . It was about 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 . Expansion to the U . S . did not benefit the Senators . Attendance was low for games against U . S . expansion teams , providing a poor gate at home , and higher travel costs for away games . In attempts to increase revenues , the team played " home " games in other cities . In 1927 - 28 , the team played two " home " games in Detroit , collecting the bulk of the gate receipts ( thus allowing them to actually finish in the black for that season ) . They repeated the Detroit plan the following season , and in 1929 - 30 , 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 . With the onset of the Great Depression , the team would sell its stars to other clubs . On January 31 , 1930 , Frank Nighbor was sold to Toronto . Another of the deals was the famous King Clancy transfer that saw the star defenceman sent to the rival Toronto Maple Leafs for an unprecedented $ 35 , 000 , on October 11 , 1930 . After the deal , Clancy was mad and stated he ' ll be in the ground for 20 years before the Senators win the Stanley Cup again ( co - incidently enough , Clancy died on November 10 , 1986 , and it would not be until 2007 that the Senators would advance to the finals , however they would lose to the Anaheim Ducks . ) The team fell into last place for the first time in their history . In 1931 , there was a potential deal involving the Chicago Stadium ' s owners ( including James Norris Sr . ) to move the team to Chicago , but the Black Hawks owner did not want another team in his territory . ( The owners would buy the bankrupt Detroit Falcons instead and turn them into the Detroit Red Wings ) On September 26 , 1931 , the NHL suspended the franchises of Ottawa and Pittsburgh for one year . 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 . In Toronto , Conn Smythe desired a second tenant for the new Maple Leaf Gardens , but agreeable terms were not found . Mr . Smythe wanted a $ 100 , 000 guarantee , with a 40 % / 60 % split of revenues . Returning after a one - year hiatus , but depleted of talent , the Senators finished last in the two seasons that followed . They usually only saw large crowds for games against the Montreal Canadiens , Toronto Maple Leafs , and Montreal Maroons . Frank Finnigan , one of the stars of the Senators ' last Cup - winning season , recalled that they frequently played home games before crowds of 2 , 500 or fewer . 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 . The once - proud franchise barely survived the 1933 - 34 season , with the team losing its last home game 3 - 2 to the equally strapped New York Americans . The final game of the season was a 2 - 2 tie with the Maroons at the Montreal Forum on March 18 , 1934 . 1934 : End of the first NHL era in Ottawa . The Senators then proposed to merge with the New York Americans . However , the league was not willing to lose another team a year after the Philadelphia Quakers suspended operations . It persuaded the Senators ' backers to move the franchise to St . Louis , where they formed the St . Louis Eagles . The franchise played only one season in St . Louis ( 1934 - 35 ) before the NHL bought it out . With the relocation of the Senators , the city of Ottawa would not have an NHL franchise again until the 1992 - 93 season . " See the article Ottawa Senators . " The last active player of the ( 1917 - 1934 ) Senators was William Hollett , who played his last NHL playoff game in 1946 . Teammate Syd Howe also played for Ottawa , but didn ' t play in the 1946 playoffs . Starting in the 1934 - 35 season , the same season that the NHL franchise played in St . Louis , an Ottawa Senators senior amateur team , with the same owners , logo , and sweaters started play in the Auditorium . It was nicknamed the ' Senior Senators . ' One player , Eddie Finnigan , played for both the Senators and the Eagles . This team played against Montreal area teams much like the earlier amateur Senators club did . The club would last until 1955 , winning the Allan Cup in 1949 . " See the article Ottawa Senators ( senior ) . " Career Leaders . Season - by - season record . " QF = Quarter Final , CD = Canadian Division " For senior hockey Senators seasons from 1934 to 1955 , see Ottawa Senators ( senior hockey ) . Notable players . Hall of Famers . < br clear = " all " > Team Captains . < br clear = " all " > References . < br >