Ottawa Senators (original)

The **Ottawa Senators** (also known as the Ottawa Hockey Club) were an ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954.

The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the league from 1917 until 1934.

## NHL History

After struggling through the war years, the Ottawa Hockey Association put the Club up for sale for $5,000 in the fall of 1917. Montreal Canadiens' owner George Kennedy was leading an effort to get rid of Toronto Blueshirts' owner Eddie Livingstone, and he needed the Senators in his corner.

He 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. Gorman, along with Martin Rosenthal and Ted Dey (owner of The Arena), bought the club.

At a meeting held at Montreal's Windsor Hotel, the Senators, Canadiens, Wanderers and Bulldogs formed a new league—the National Hockey League; effectively leaving Livingstone in the NHA by himself.

Gorman represented the Senators at the meeting. "*A great day for hockey*," he was quoted as saying, "*Without [Livingstone] we can get down to the business of making money*."

Within a year, Gorman and partner Ted Dey had made enough money to pay back Kennedy. Gorman also attended the following year's meeting of the NHA owners in which the final vote to suspend the league was made.

The Senators first season in the NHL in 1917–18, did not go well.

Salary squabbles delayed the home opener on December 19, 1917 as players protested that their contracts were for 20 games while the season schedule was for 24.

Enough players were appeased that the game started, 15 minutes late while two players Hamby Shore and Jack Darragh, stayed in the dressing room while negotiations went on.

The Senators lost their home opener 7–4. The Senators lost their previous top rival, the Wanderers, after five games. The team struggled and finished in third place after the first half of the season.

The club made player changes in the second half, getting Horace Merrill out of retirement and releasing Dave Ritchie. It was Shore's last season as he would die of pneumonia in October of 1918. Shore's last career game was in the third-last game of the season and he was sat out for the last two games.

In the end, the team placed second in the second half and missed the playoffs. Cy Denneny led the team, coming second overall in scoring in the league with 36 goals in 20 games.

Prior to the 1918–19 season, the ownership of the Senators changed.

While Ted Dey negotiated with Percy Quinn for a lease for The Arena, Dey was also negotiating with Rosenthal over the lease, causing Rosenthal to seriously consider moving the team from The Arena back to Aberdeen Pavilion.

However, it turned out that Dey was engineering a takeover of the club and Rosenthal ended up selling his share of the club to Dey, making Dey the majority owner in both the Arena and the hockey club. Rosenthal, a prominent local jeweller, had been involved with the club since 1903.

Dey's machinations also helped the NHL in its continuing fight against Blueshirts owner Livingstone. The Senators instigated an agreement with the other NHL clubs, binding them to the NHL for the next five years and locking out any rival league from their arenas.

In the 1918–19 season, the Senators won the second half of the split schedule.

Clint Benedict had the top goalkeeper average while Cy Denneny and Frank Nighbor placed third and fourth in scoring with 18 and 17 goals in 18 games, respectively.

The schedule was abbreviated by the Toronto Arenas club suspending operations, so the Senators and Canadiens played off in the first best-of-seven series. Due to a family bereavement, Ottawa was without star centre Frank Nighbor for the first three games and lost all three of them.

Ottawa asked to use Corb Denneny of Toronto, but the Canadiens turned down the request.
Nighbor returned for the fourth game in Ottawa, which Ottawa won 6–3. The series ended in five games, as the Canadiens won the final match 4–2 to win the series.

The Stanley Cup final between Montreal and Seattle was left undecided, as an influenza outbreak suspended the final.

### The 'Super Six' (1920–1927)

The "Super Six" Senators of the 1920s are considered by the NHL to be its first dynasty. They won four Stanley Cups and placed first in the regular season seven times.

The team's success was based on the timely scoring of several forwards, including Frank Nighbor and Cy Denneny, and a defence-first policy, which led to the NHL changing the rules in 1924 to force defensemen to leave the defensive zone once the puck had left the zone.

The talent pool in Ottawa and the Ottawa valley was deep; the Senators traded away two future Hall of Famers (Clint Benedict and Harry Broadbent) in 1924 to make way for two prospects (Alex Connell and Hooley Smith), who would also become Hall of Famers.

Benedict and Broadbent led the Montreal Maroons to a playoff defeat of the Senators on the way to a Stanley Cup win in 1926.

In the 1919–20 season, the NHL reactivated the Quebec Bulldogs NHA franchise; with this addition, the NHL played with four teams again.

There were no playoffs, as Ottawa won both halves of the schedule, the undisputed NHL championship and the O'Brien Cup. Clint Benedict again led league in goalkeeper goals-against average and Frank Nighbor came third in the league scoring race with 25 goals in 23 games.

The Senators then played the Seattle Metropolitans of the PCHA for the Stanley Cup. Because Seattle's red-white-green striped uniforms were nearly the same as Ottawa's red-white-black sweaters, the Senators played in simple white sweaters adorned with a large red "O" for this series.

The first three games were held in Ottawa (the first Stanley Cup games played in Ottawa since 1911) and ended with scores of 3–2 and 3–0 for Ottawa and 3–1 for Seattle.

The first three games had been played on ice covered with water and slush due to warm weather in Ottawa.

At this point, NHL president Calder moved the series to the Arena Gardens in Toronto, which had an artificial ice rink, the only one in eastern Canada at that time. Seattle won 5–2 to tie the series, cheered on by the Toronto fans.

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. It was after this win that T. P. Gorman dubbed the team the 'Super Six.'

In the 1920–21 season, the league transferred two Senators players to help its competitive balance. Punch Broadbent was transferred to Hamilton while Sprague Cleghorn was transferred to Toronto.

Even without the two, the Senators won the first half of the season to qualify for the playoffs. By the end of the playoffs, both players were back with Ottawa. Benedict again led league in goalkeeper average and Cy Denneny came second in scoring with 34 goals in 24 games.

The Senators 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 near the end of his career and he scored no goals.

The best-of-five series was heavily attended, with 11,000 fans attending the first game, the largest crowd in history to see a hockey game up until that time and a total attendance for the five-game series of over 51,000.

Ottawa won the series with scores of 1–2, 4–3, 3–2, 2–3 and 2–1, with Jack Darragh scoring the winning goal.

The 1921–22 season saw Sprague Cleghorn leave and Jack Darragh retire, opening spaces for new defensemen Frank Boucher and Frank "King" Clancy.

Clancy's first goal came on his first shot, against Hamilton in overtime on February 7, and was noted for having actually come in (illegally) through the side of the net.

Broadbent and Cy Denneny, the "Gold Dust Twins", finished one and two in league scoring, together producing 59 of Ottawa's 106 goals. Broadbent scored in 16 consecutive games, an NHL record, that as of 2009, still stands.

The Senators won the regular season title but lost to eventual Stanley Cup winner Toronto St. Patricks 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.

In 1922–23, the Senators were led by the league's top goalie Clint Benedict, the goal scoring of Cy Denneny and the return from retirement of Jack Darragh.

The season also saw the debut of defenceman Lionel Hitchman. An unsurpassed iron man record was set when Frank Nighbor played in six consecutive games without substitution, averaging a goal a game during the stretch.

The Senators won the regular season and took the playoff against the Canadiens 3–2 in a two-game total-goals playoff.

The Cup Final playoff format had changed. There were semi-finals against the PCHA champion, followed by the final against the WCHL champion. In the Cup semi-finals, Ottawa again faced Vancouver (now known as the Maroons) in Vancouver.

New attendance records were set during this series, with 9,000 for the first game and 10,000 for the second.

Ottawa won the series with scores of 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 series and won it in two games with scores of 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 (then only a substitute for the team) played all positions, including goal.

That year, club owners Dey and Gorman entered into a partnership with Frank Ahearn. Ahearn's family was well-off, owning the Ottawa Electric Company and the Ottawa Street Railway Company. Ted Dey then sold his share of the club and retired.

The first work of the partnership was a new arena, the Ottawa Auditorium, which was a 7,500 seat (10,000 capacity with standing room) arena with artificial ice.

The new Ottawa Auditorium's first regular season game came on December 26, 1923. A crowd of 8,300 fans attended a game against the Canadiens, in which rookie Howie Morenz scored his first NHL goal.

The 1923–24 season saw the Senators win the season but lose the playoff to the Canadiens, 0–1 and 2–4, with Georges Vezina getting the shutout and Morenz scoring 3 goals. Frank Nighbor was the first winner of the Hart Trophy as 'most valuable player' for his play in the regular season.

After the disappointing loss in the playoff series, goaltender Clint Benedict became embroiled in a controversy with the club over late nights and drinking. He was traded away, along with Harry Broadbent, to the new Montreal Maroons before the next season, for cash.

Ottawa hockey fans got to see a Stanley Cup final game played in Ottawa as the Auditorium hosted the final match of the Stanley Cup finals between the Canadiens and the Calgary Tigers, moved because of poor natural ice at the Canadiens' arena.

The 1924–25 season, the first year of NHL expansion to the United States, saw major changes in Ottawa's lineup. Jack Darragh retired and had died from appendicitis months after his final game.

Making his debut in goal for Ottawa was Alex Connell, replacing Benedict. Replacing Broadbent was Hooley Smith, who had played for Canada in the 1924 Olympics. Lionel Hitchman was sold to the expansion Boston Bruins and replaced by Ed Gorman. It was also the debut season of Frank Finnigan.

Off the ice, Gorman and Ahearn squabbled over ownership. In January of 1925, during the season, Gorman sold his share of the Senators to Ahearn and left the Senators organization, later joining the expansion New York Americans.

With all the changes, the Senators slipped to fourth place in the standings. Cy Denneny continued his scoring ways, placing fourth in league scoring with 28 goals in 28 games.

Frank Nighbor became the first winner of the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play, donated by Marie Evelyn Moreton (Lady Byng), the wife of Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy, who was Governor General of Canada from 1921 to 1926.

Nighbor received the trophy personally from Lady Byng during a presentation at Rideau Hall. He won the trophy in 1925–26 and 1926–27 as well.

The NHL expanded further into the United States in the 1925–26 season with the new New York Americans and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Ottawa won the league title, led by Alex Connell in goal, who recorded 15 shutouts in 36 games and Cy Denneny, who scored 24 goals. The team received a bye to the playoff finals.

However, the Montreal Maroons won the two-game total goals series with scores of 1–1 and 1–0; former Senator Clint Benedict got the shutout. The Maroons went on to win the Stanley Cup against Victoria.

The season also marked the debut of future Hall of Famer Hec Kilrea.

The 1926–27 season saw the NHL divided for the first time into two divisions, and they made the playoffs, winning the Canadian Division title. They advanced to the semi-finals and defeated the Canadiens, 4–0, and 1–1, en route to facing the Boston Bruins for the Cup.

In the first series for the Stanley Cup with only NHL opponents, Ottawa defeated Boston with scores of 0–0, 3–1, 1–1 and 3–1, with the final game taking place in Ottawa; it would be the Senators' final Stanley Cup championship.

Alex Connell led the way in goal, allowing only three goals in the four games. Cy Denneny led the way in scoring with four goals, including the Cup winner.

The Senators won three trophies as NHL champions, along with the Stanley Cup, the club also won two other trophies, the O'Brien Cup and the Prince of Wales Trophy, the last time the trophies were given to winners of the NHL championship. They would be given out to divisional winners in the following season.

After the series, the Senators players received a parade in Ottawa, a civic banquet and an 18–carat gold ring with fourteen small diamonds in the shape of an 'O'.

### Team Decline (1927–1934)

Ottawa had been by far the smallest market in the NHL even before American teams began playing in 1924.

The later 1931 census listed only 110,000 people in the city of Ottawa—roughly 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.

Despite winning the Stanley Cup, the Senators were already in financial trouble, having lost $50,000 for the season.

The league's expansion to the United States did not benefit the Senators. Attendance was low for games against the expansion teams, which provided a poor gate at home. There were also higher travel costs for away games, although the American arenas were larger. This fact was the basis for attempts to increase revenues, as the team played "home" games in other cities.

In the 1927–28 season, the Senators played two "home" games in Detroit, collecting the bulk of the gate receipts (thus allowing them to actually turn a profit for that season), while Jack Adams retired to become the coach and general manager of the Detroit Cougars.

The brightest note from the campaign was goaltender Alex Connell's play, in which he set a NHL record (unsurpassed as of 2016) of six consecutive shutouts, a shutout run of 460 minutes and 49 seconds.

Taking advantage of a spending spree by the Montreal Maroons at the onset of the 1928–29 season, the Senators sold their star right wing Hooley Smith to the Maroons for $22,500 and the return of former star Punch Broadbent.

Also for cash, the team sent long-time member Cy Denneny to the Bruins.

The club further repeated the scheme of playing two "home" games in Detroit en route to an undistinguished campaign in which they missed the playoffs for only the third time in the NHL's history.

In the 1929–30 season, with cash still hemorrhaging, 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.

The Senators rallied, however, to make the playoffs for a final time, finishing third in the Canadian Division. The Senators faced off against the New York Rangers in a two-game total-goals series.

In the last NHL playoff game in Ottawa until 1996, the Senators tied the Rangers 1–1 on March 28, 1930, but lost game two in New York 5–1 to lose the series 6 goals to 2.[140] The season also marked the debut of future star Syd Howe with the Senators while long-time star Frank Nighbor was sold to Toronto.

By the 1930–31 season, the team was openly selling players to make ends meet. Star defenceman King Clancy was sold to Toronto for an unprecedented $35,000 and two players on October 11, 1930.

The team fell into last place for the first time since 1898.

In 1931, a potential deal arose with the owners of Chicago Stadium, including grain magnate James E. Norris, who wanted to move the team to Chicago, but the deal was vetoed by Chicago Black Hawks owner Frederic McLaughlin who did not want another team in his territory.

Norris bought the bankrupt Detroit Falcons instead and turned them into the Detroit Red Wings.

The Senators and the equally strapped Philadelphia Quakers asked the NHL for permission to suspend operations for the 1931–32 season in order to rebuild their fortunes.

The league granted both requests on September 26, 1931. 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.

The Senators seriously considered moving to Toronto, as Conn Smythe desired a second tenant for the new Maple Leaf Gardens. However, they balked when Smythe wanted a $100,000 guarantee, with a 40%/60% split of revenues.

Returning after a one-year hiatus and despite the return of players such as Cooney Weiland, Finnigan, Howe and Kilrea, the Senators finished with the worst record in the league in the two seasons that followed.

Attendance was poor, the club only drawing well when the league's other three Canadian teams came to town. Frank Finnigan recalled that they frequently played home games before small crowds of 3,500 to 4,000.

The 1932–33 season saw the return of Cy Denneny to Ottawa as coach, but he would last only the one season.

In June of 1933, former captain Harvey Pulford was given an option to buy the team and move it to Baltimore, but the option was never exercised. In October of 1933, Kilrea was sold for $10,000 to Toronto.

In December of 1933, rumours surfaced that the Senators would merge with the equally strapped New York Americans; however, this was denied by Ottawa club president Frank Ahearn, who had sought financial help from the league.

The team played the full 1933–34 season, transferring one home game to Detroit. Near the end of the season, reports surfaced that the club had entered into a deal with St. Louis "interests" to move the club.

The team lost its last home game by a score of 3–2 to the Americans on March 15, 1934, before a crowd of 6,500.

The Senators had lent Alex Connell to the Americans when the Americans' goalie Worters was hurt, and he turned in a "sensational performance" for the visitors.

The home crowd was in a "throwing mood" and "carrots, parsnips, lemons, oranges and several other unidentified objects were thrown onto the ice continuously for no reason whatsoever."

The final game of the season was a 2–2 tie with the Maroons at the Montreal Forum on March 18, 1934.

### End of the first NHL era in Ottawa

Despite finishing in last place for the second year in a row, the Senators actually improved their attendance over the previous season. Even with the increased gate, they barely survived the season.

After the season ended, it was announced by Auditorium president F. D. Burpee that the franchise would not return to Ottawa for the 1934–35 season due to losses of $60,000 over the previous two seasons.

The losses were too great to be made up by the sale of players' contracts, and the club needed to be moved to "*some very large city which has a large rink, if we are to protect the Auditorium shareholders and pay off our debts*."

The NHL franchise was moved to St. Louis, Missouri and operated as the St. Louis Eagles. The Eagles played only one season, finishing last again. They suspended operations after the season, never to return.

Flash Hollett was the last member of the Senators to play in the NHL, retiring with the Detroit Red Wings in 1946.

The city of Ottawa did not have an NHL franchise again until the new Ottawa Senators franchise was awarded for the 1992–93 season.

The NHL presented the Senators with a "certificate of reinstatement" commemorating Ottawa's return to the league, and the current Senators honour the original franchise's 11 Stanley Cups. However, records for the two teams are kept separately.

Frank Finnigan, the last surviving member of the original Senators' last Stanley Cup winner, played a key role in the drive to win an expansion franchise for Ottawa. He was slated to drop the puck in a ceremonial face-off for the new franchise's first game, but died a year before that game took place.

The new Ottawa Senators honoured Finnigan by retiring his #8 jersey.

After the NHL franchise relocated, the Senators continued as a senior amateur club in the Montreal Group of the Quebec Amateur Hockey Association (QAHA), beginning in the 1934–35 season.

One player, Eddie Finnigan, played for both the Senators and the Eagles in the 1934–35 season. The "Senior Senators" renewed the rivalry with Montreal-area senior amateur teams such as the Montreal Victorias that the old Senators had played in the years prior to turning openly professional.

Later, Tommy Gorman bought the team and helped to found the Quebec Senior Hockey League. Winning the Allan Cup in 1949, the senior Senators continued until December of 1954, finally ending the Senators' storied 71-year history.