Arena Cup

The Arena Cup was the league championship trophy for the Eastern Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The trophy was first presented when the Montréal Wanderers defeated the Ottawa Hockey Club in a two game play off following the 1906 ECAHA season in which both teams finished tied for the best record in the league with the Wanders winning 12 goals to 10. The Wanderers won the league championship via having the best record during the 1907 ECAHA season and 1907–08 ECAHA season. With the third championship the team won permanent possession of the trophy.
== The Arena Cup ==
A silver championship trophy, designated the 'Arena Cup', was donated by the Montreal Arena Company. It was crafted from of sterling silver and designed by Birk's of Montreal. After the Wanderers won it in 1906 through 1908, they were given the trophy permanently, a condition engraved in the silver of the trophy. The trophy is now on permanent display in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
=== 1906 ECAHA Playoff ===
As the season produced a tie for the season championship, the defending champion Ottawas and Wanderers played a two-game playoff, with the winner being awarded the Stanley Cup. The series took place on March 14 in Montreal and March 17 in Ottawa. The Wanderers would win the series 9–1, 3–9 (12–10) in dramatic fashion..
;Game one
Ottawa was installed as 2–1 betting favourites, but the Wanderers upset the bookies.Whitehead, pg. 31 In the first game in Montreal, the Wanderers dominated Ottawa, as Ernie Russell got four goals, Frank Glass got three and Moose Johnson would get two for a 9–1 victory.
;Game two
After the first game, the Ottawas would replace their goalie Billy Hague with the Smiths Falls goalie Percy LeSueur in to play his first game for the club. Despite being down by eight goals, interest in Ottawa for the return match was high. Rush seats on sale the day of the game produced a throng that caused the ticket seller's glass to break. The venue, Dey's Arena, was modified to hold more spectators, including setting up temporary bleachers, removing the grandstand which had been used as a press box, and the installation of a press box attached to the rafters. Over 5,400 would attend the game and the top $2 tickets were being sold for $10. Betting interest was high, including one $12,000 bet.
After twelve minutes, the first goal was scored by the Wanderers' Moose Johnson to increase the goal lead to nine. Ottawa's Frank McGee, Harry Smith, and McGee again scored before half-time, cutting the deficit to 10–4. Harry Smith would score to open the second half, followed by Rat Westwick. Then Westwick scored again to make it 10–7 before Harry Smith scored three straight goals to make the score 9–1, evening the series with ten minutes to play to tie the series, causing a five-minute standing ovation. With seven minutes to play Smith was sent off for the rest of the game and Lester Patrick would score with ninety seconds to play to put the Wanderers back in the lead. Patrick would ice the game with a goal with a few seconds to play. The Silver Seven reign was over.Whitehead, pg. 34
The Toronto Globe called it the "greatest game of hockey ever played on Canadian ice, or any other." The Sporting News would later dub it the "Greatest Hockey Game in History." Moose Johnson would end up with the Governor-General's top hat. It had been knocked off of the Earl Grey's head, and a fan had snatched it up, giving it to Johnson later in the dressing room.Whitehead, pp. 34–35
Date 	Winning Team 	Score 	Losing Team 	Location
March 14, 1906 	Montreal Wanderers 	9–1 	Ottawa HC 	Montreal Arena
March 17, 1906 	Ottawa HC 	9–3 	Montreal Wanderers 	Dey's Arena
Montreal wins total goals series 12 goals to 10	Montreal wins total goals series 12 goals to 10	Montreal wins total goals series 12 goals to 10	Montreal wins total goals series 12 goals to 10	Montreal wins total goals series 12 goals to 10
 March 14, 1906
Ottawa Hockey Club 1 	Ottawa Hockey Club 1 	 	Montreal Wanderers 9 	Montreal Wanderers 9
Player 	G 	Pos 	Player 	G
Bill Hague 	 	G 	Henri "Doc" Menard 	
Harvey Pulford, Capt. 	 	P 	Billy Strachan 	
Arthur Moore 	 	CP 	Rod Kennedy 	
Harry Westwick 	 	R 	Lester Patrick Capt. 	1
Frank McGee 	 	C 	Frank "Pud" Glass 	3
Alf Smith 	 	RW 	Ernie Russell 	4
Harry Smith 	1 	LW 	Ernie "Moose" Johnson 	1
Referees R. Meldrum, and Brophy	Referees R. Meldrum, and Brophy	Referees R. Meldrum, and Brophy	Referees R. Meldrum, and Brophy	Referees R. Meldrum, and Brophy
* Spares - Montreal Wanderers - Josh Arnold -RW, Cecil Blachford -RW injured-playing Coach,
* Spares - Ottawa - Hamilton "Billy" Gilmour -RW, Tommy Smith -C, "Coo" Dion -F, Jack Ebbs -F.
 March 17, 1906
Montreal Wanderers 3 	Montreal Wanderers 3 	 	Ottawa Hockey Club 9 	Ottawa Hockey Club 9
Player 	G 	Pos 	Player 	G
Henri "Doc" Menard 	 	G 	Percy Lesueur 	
Billy Strachan 	 	P 	Harvey Pulford, Capt. 	
Rod Kennedy 	 	CP 	Arthur Moore 	
Lester Patrick Capt. 	2 	R 	Harry Westwick 	1
Frank "Pud" Glass 	 	C 	Frank McGee 	2
Ernie Russell 	 	RW 	Alf Smith 	1
Ernie "Moose" Johnson 	1 	LW 	Harry Smith 	5
Referees R. Meldrum, and Brophy	Referees R. Meldrum, and Brophy	Referees R. Meldrum, and Brophy	Referees R. Meldrum, and Brophy	Referees R. Meldrum, and Brophy
* Spares - Montreal Wanderers - Josh Arnold -RW, Cecil Blachford -RW injured-playing Coach
* Spares - Ottawa - Billy Hague -G, Hamilton "Billy" Gilmour -RW, Tommy Smith -C, "Coo" Dion -F, Jack Ebbs -F.
Because of the need for the play-off, no challenges were made against western teams until the following winter. Ottawa had won Stanley Cup challenges that season, which meant that the 1906 season would have two Stanley Cup holders: Ottawa until March, and Montreal Wanderers for the balance of the year.
== 1907 ECAHA Season Standings ==
Team 	Games Played	Wins	Losses	Ties	Goals For	Goals Against
Montreal Wanderers 	 	 	 	 	 	
Ottawa Hockey Club 	 	 	 	 	 	
Montreal Victorias 	 	 	 	 	 	
Montreal Hockey Club	 	 	 	 	 	
Quebec Hockey Club 	 	 	 	 	 	
Montreal Shamrocks 	 	 	 	 	 	
The Montreal Maroons retain the championship trophy as league champions.
== 1907-08 ECAHA Season ==
Team 	Games Played	Wins	Losses	Ties	Goals For	Goals Against
Montreal Wanderers 	 	 	 	 	 	
Ottawa Hockey Club 	 	 	 	 	 	
Quebec Hockey Club 	 	 	 	 	 	
Montreal Shamrocks 	 	 	 	 	 	
Montreal Victorias 	 	 	 	 	 	
Montreal Hockey Club	 	 	 	 	 	
The Montreal Maroons are given permanent possession of the Arena Cup, as they were the first team to win it three times, by virtue of winning the 1907-08 ECAHA season championship.
Category:Trophies and awards
Category:Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association