1916–17 Ottawa Senators season

The 1916–17 Ottawa Senators season was the Ottawa Hockey Club's 32nd season of play. This was the 8th and final season of the National Hockey Association. Teams were to play two half-seasons of 10 games each, though this was disrupted. Ottawa won the second half and played off against first-half winner Montreal Canadiens for the NHA title, but lost.
==Team business==
The Ottawa club wanted to suspend play for the season due to the war, but was voted down. 
==Regular season==
===Suspending the Blueshirts===
On February 10, 1917, the Blueshirts played their final game, losing 4–1 at home to Ottawa. The following day, a meeting of the NHA executive in Montreal was held to deal with the 228th Battalion leaving for overseas. Toronto proposed continuing with a five-team league, but the other owners instead voted to suspend Toronto's team. The players were dispersed by a drawing of names. The following day, President Robinson was quoted as stating that the players would return to the club after the season, but he would not guarantee that the club would be allowed to return to play, stating that would be decided at the NHA annual meeting.
===Continuing the season===
Ottawa, while not unhappy at the suspension of Toronto, nevertheless lost a game for the use of Cy Denneny in a game against the 228th, and saw the Wanderers and Quebec receive wins for games against the 228th. The club threatened to not play for the rest of the season. However, cooler heads prevailed and Ottawa went back to work.
===Final standings===
===Results===
;First half
Month	Day	Visitor 	Score	Home 	Score
Dec. 	27 	Ottawa 	7 	228th 	10
Dec. 	30 	Canadiens	1 	Ottawa 	7
Jan. 	3 	Ottawa 	10 	Wanderers	5
Jan. 	6 	Toronto 	2 	Ottawa 	3
Jan. 	10 	Ottawa 	4 	Quebec 	5
Jan. 	13 	228th 	1 	Ottawa 	1
Jan. 	17 	Ottawa 	3 	Canadiens	2
Jan. 	20 	Wanderers	5 	Ottawa 	8
Jan. 	24 	Ottawa 	5 	Toronto 	8
Jan. 	27 	Quebec 	2 	Ottawa 	7
;Second half
Month	Day	Visitor 	Score	Home 	Score
Jan. 	31 	228th 	0 	Ottawa‡ 	8
Feb. 	3 	Ottawa 	2 	Canadiens	1
Feb. 	7 	Wanderers	5 	Ottawa 	8
Feb. 	10 	Ottawa 	4 	Toronto 	1
Feb. 	14 	Canadiens	1 	Ottawa 	4
Feb. 	17 	Ottawa 	2 	Quebec 	3 (16' OT)
Feb. 	21 	Ottawa 	5 	Wanderers	3
Feb. 	24 	Wanderers	6 	Ottawa 	11
Feb. 	28 	Ottawa 	3 	Canadiens	1
Mar. 	3 	Quebec 	1 	Ottawa 	16
‡ Ottawa lost game on use of ineligible Cy Denneny.
† Wanderers given win for this game in revised second half.
* 228th was ordered overseas. Toronto club was suspended by league.
===Scoring===
Player 	Team 	GP	G
Frank Nighbor 	Ottawa 	19	41
Jack Darragh 	Ottawa 	20	26
Corb Denneny 	Toronto / Ottawa	20	19
Eddie Gerard 	Ottawa 	19	17
Hamby Shore 	Ottawa 	19	11
George Boucher 	Ottawa 	18	10
Ed Lowrey 	Ottawa 	19	3
Cy Denneny 	Ottawa 	10	3
Horace Merrill 	Ottawa 	18	1
Ernie Staveneau	Ottawa 	3 	0
Jack Fournier 	Ottawa 	8 	0
===Leading Goaltenders===
Name 	Club 	GP	GA	SO	Avg.
Clint Benedict	Ottawa 	18	50	1 	2.8
Ossie Lang 	Ottawa 	1 	5 	 	5.0
Sammy Hebert 	Quebec/Ottawa	15	84	 	5.6
==Playoffs==
Game-by-Game 	Game-by-Game 	Winning Team 	Score 	Losing Team 	Location 	
1 	March 7 	Montreal Canadiens 	5–2 	Ottawa Senators 	Montreal Arena 	
2 	March 10 	Ottawa Senators 	4–2 	Montreal Canadiens 	The Arena, Ottawa 	
Canadiens win two-game playoff 7–6	Canadiens win two-game playoff 7–6	Canadiens win two-game playoff 7–6	Canadiens win two-game playoff 7–6	Canadiens win two-game playoff 7–6	Canadiens win two-game playoff 7–6	Canadiens win two-game playoff 7–6
The Montreal Canadiens won the O'Brien Cup, but lost to the Seattle Metropolitans of the PCHA in the Stanley Cup Finals.
==See also==
*1916–17 NHA season
==References==
* 
Category:Ottawa Senators (original) seasons
Category:1916–17 in ice hockey
Category:1916–17 in Canadian ice hockey by team