Professional ice hockey league season
Sports season
The
1911?12 NHA season
was the third
season
of the
National Hockey Association
(NHA). Four teams played 18 games each. The
Quebec Bulldogs
would win the league championship and take over the
Stanley Cup
.
League business
[
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]
Two NHA franchises would be dormant this season. Because the O'Briens had decided to give up hockey, the
Renfrew Creamery Kings
were disbanded prior to the season, with the players distributed to the other teams by a draw of names. Two new teams based in Toronto intended to operate this season, the 'Torontos' and the 'Tecumsehs', but the new
Arena Gardens
would not be ready for play this season, so neither team played. This left four teams to play 18 games each. The Wanderers were sold to
Sam Lichtenhein
.
Renfrew dispersal
[
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]
- Source:
"Tecumsehs admitted",
The Globe
, p. 13, 1911-11-13
Taylor would refuse to report to the Wanderers, while Don Smith and Bert Lindsay would join the PCHA. Odie Cleghorn refused to report to Quebec and joined the Wanderers as did his brother Sprague.
Executive
[
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]
Board of Directors:
- E. McCafferty, Quebec
- Sam Lichtenhein, Wanderers,
- George Kennedy, Canadiens
- Charles Sparks, Ottawa
- J. Jane, Toronto
- Fred Robertson, Toronto
Rule changes
[
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]
The rule changes implemented for this season introduced the format of play seen today.
For this season, the number of players per side was reduced to six by the elimination of the
rover
position. This was opposed by several teams, including the champion Ottawa team whose 'puck possession' style of play was dependent on the rover. The team would attempt during this season and next to get the league to return to seven-man hockey.
[1]
This season saw the introduction of
major
and
minor
fouls.
Major Fouls:
- throwing a stick to prevent a goal
- cross-checking
- charging
- deliberate tripping and hooking
- foul language
for which the player would be banished for the match and fined $5. Teams could substitute the player.
Minor Fouls:
- kicking, throwing, holding or batting puck with the hand
- raising stick above shoulder except for 'lifting'
- loafing offside
for which the player drew a
caution
. Three cautions and you were out. If your fines reached $25, special discipline might be warranted by the president.
Other Rules:
- number armbands to identify players
[2]
- home club to choose end
- overtime in case of tie
- unlimited substitution, however unless in case of injury, the player could not return
The
O'Brien Cup
was introduced for the NHA league championship winners.
The Canadiens team was to sign only francophone players and the other teams would refrain from doing so.
- Source:
Coleman, "Trail of the Stanley Cup"
Equipment changes
[
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]
The league would adopt the LeSueur goal and the Spalding puck as official equipment. This was the first season that numbers were attached to player jerseys. At first, they were attached by armbands, then eventually stitched onto the front of the jerseys. To identify the players to the fans, a large 'key' sign was hung at the side of the rink.
[3]
NHA ? PCHA relations
[
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]
In a foreshadowing of when the NHL in 1926 would declare the
American Hockey League
an "outlaw league", the NHA declared the
Pacific Coast Hockey Association
(PCHA) an "outlaw league" after it signed several NHA players. The league expelled
Newsy Lalonde
,
Ernie Johnson
and other players who signed with the PCHA 'for life' and barred NHA teams from playing PCHA teams.
[4]
After the season,
Art Ross
arranged an 'all-star' tour of NHA players in
British Columbia
against the PCHA in defiance of the league.
[4]
The NHA granted immunity for the players to play against the PCHA.
[5]
Regular season
[
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]
Prior to the season, on November 2,
Bruce Ridpath
of the Stanley Cup champion
Ottawa Hockey Club
would be seriously injured with a fractured skull after being hit by an automobile on Yonge Street in Toronto. He lived in Toronto and was rumoured to be a possible manager of the future Toronto NHA franchise.
[6]
Fred Taylor went on public record stating that he would not play for Wanderers as he had a good position with the Interior Department in Ottawa, and would not play at all instead of playing for the Wanderers. Ottawa would attempt to secure his rights from Montreal. Ottawa would offer to trade Ronan (who would go on to win the scoring championship) for Taylor but was turned down.
On November 18, the NHA developed a schedule with a provisional opening date of the
Arena Gardens
late in January, and allowed the two new Toronto teams to play only away games at the start of the season. The architects of the Gardens assured them that the arena would be ready in time.
The PCHA raids, while taking players from the NHA, also meant the demise of the OPHL and players from the OPHL signed with NHA clubs, including
Louis Berlinguette
,
Ernie Dubeau
,
Jack Marks
and
George Prodger
.
In this season, the Ottawa Hockey Club became more commonly known as the 'Ottawa Senators'. The organization remained known as the Ottawa Hockey Association.
Highlights
[
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]
Ronan of Ottawa would score 5 goals against the Wanderers on February 9, and follow up with 8 against the Wanderers on February 14.
Gordon Roberts
of the Wanderers would score 6 against the Canadiens on February 21.
On January 24,
Fred 'Cyclone' Taylor
played for Ottawa against the Wanderers, despite his rights being held by the Wanderers, for which he refused to play for. Ottawa would win the game, but it was protested and ordered replayed if necessary. This was Taylor's final game in the NHA, as he would join Vancouver the next year.
On March 2, Quebec defeated Ottawa 6?5 in a game decided after 23 minutes of overtime. With seven seconds to play,
Joe Malone
scored to tie the game.
[7]
Joe Hall
scored the winning goal. Ottawa would now have to play the replay game against the Wanderers in Montreal. On March 6, Ottawa lost the replay, and the loss would cost them a tie of the league championship, as Quebec finished 10?8 and Ottawa would finish 9?9.
Final standings
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]
[8]
Note:
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against
Post-season
[
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]
Stanley Cup challenges
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]
After the season, Quebec played one challenge against the
Moncton Victorias
. The Moncton team was essentially the same Galt team that had challenged Ottawa in 1911. This was the first series playing six to a side.
Moncton vs. Quebec
[
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]
Quebec wins best-of-three series 2?0
Unplayed challenges
[
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]
The
Port Arthur Bearcats
, who had previously challenged Ottawa in a Cup challenge in 1911, issued a challenge in February 1912. They were ordered by the Stanley Cup trustees to play off against Saskatoon in a two-game total-goals series to qualify. Port Arthur defeated Saskatoon 12?6.
[9]
The club chose not to play a series against Quebec.
In February 1912, prior to the end of the PCHA season, the PCHA issued a challenge to play against the NHA champions. However, their season ended in March and it was considered too late for the PCHA champions (in this case the New Westminster Royals) to travel to the east to face Quebec. The challenge was postponed until December 1912.
[10]
The challenge was never played.
Exhibitions
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]
On March 10, the Wanderers and Canadiens played for the Montreal city hockey championship. Wanderers would win 10?2, despite an outstanding display by
Georges Vezina
.
[11]
Ottawa intended to hold a benefit game for
Bruce Ridpath
who had been injured in an automobile accident, intending to play a team composed of all-stars from the other NHA teams. After changing dates several times, the All-Star benefit game was set for March 16. The All-Star team would have
Art Ross
,
Ernie Russell
and
Gordon Roberts
of the Wanderers;
Paddy Moran
,
Joe Malone
and
Joe Hall
of Quebec;
Didier Pitre
Jack Laviolette
and Ernie Dubeau of the Canadiens.
[12]
Additionally, Cyclone Tayler had permission to play. However, two days before the event was to occur, the NHA president Emmett Quinn, while in New York city, booked the Wanderers and Canadiens for an exhibition game in Boston, and Ottawa was unable to make alternate arrangements, cancelling the NHA benefit.
[13]
The Ottawa New Edinburghs, champions of the amateur Inter-Provincial Amateur Hockey Union (IPAHU) held their own benefit for Ridpath on March 23 against other IPAHU players. Future professional stars
Clint Benedict
,
Harry Broadbent
and
Eddie Gerard
played for Ottawa, which raised $300 for Ridpath, while Cyclone Taylor was the referee.
[14]
All four NHA teams played an exhibition series in New York and Boston from March 16 ? March 23.
Art Ross All-Stars
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]
A group of players, dubbed the 'Art Ross All-Stars' played three games against a PCHA all-star team in British Columbia from April 2 ? April 6, losing two out of three games, 4?10, 2?8, 6?5.
[15]
[16]
Hughie Lehman
,
Frank Patrick
,
Ernie Johnson
,
Newsy Lalonde
,
Tom Dunderdale
,
Ran McDonald
and
Harry Hyland
played for the Western stars, and
Paddy Moran
,
Art Ross
,
Hamby Shore
,
Skene Ronan
,
Joe Malone
,
Odie Cleghorn
and
Jack McDonald
played for the East with
Cyclone Taylor
substituting for Malone.
[15]
Schedule and results
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]
Month
|
Day
|
Visitor
|
Score
|
Home
|
Score
|
Dec.
|
30
|
Wanderers
|
9
|
Quebec
|
5
|
Jan.
|
3
|
Quebec
|
4
|
Ottawa
|
5
|
3
|
Wanderers
|
5
|
Canadiens
|
0
|
6
|
Ottawa
|
5
|
Wanderers
|
9
|
6
|
Canadiens
|
5
|
Quebec
|
4
|
10
|
Ottawa
|
4
|
Quebec
|
6
|
10
|
Wanderers
|
1
|
Canadiens
|
6
|
13
|
Ottawa
|
4
|
Canadiens
|
3
|
17
|
Canadiens
|
5
|
Ottawa
|
4
|
17
|
Quebec
|
5
|
Wanderers
|
4
|
20
|
Quebec
|
2
|
Ottawa
|
5
|
20
|
Canadiens
|
6
|
Wanderers
|
3
|
24†
|
Ottawa
|
10
|
Wanderers
|
6
|
24
|
Canadiens
|
2
|
Quebec
|
4
|
27
|
Wanderers
|
9
|
Ottawa
|
6
|
27
|
Quebec
|
3
|
Canadiens
|
5
|
31
|
Ottawa
|
4
|
Quebec
|
5
|
31
|
Wanderers
|
2
|
Canadiens
|
1
|
Feb.
|
3
|
Ottawa
|
3
|
Canadiens
|
9
|
3
|
Wanderers
|
2
|
Quebec
|
7
|
7
|
Canadiens
|
2
|
Ottawa
|
4
|
7
|
Quebec
|
6
|
Wanderers
|
7
|
9
|
Canadiens
|
2
|
Quebec
|
5
|
9
|
Ottawa
|
13
|
Wanderers
|
10
|
14
|
Wanderers
|
5
|
Ottawa
|
17
|
14
|
Quebec
|
2
|
Canadiens
|
1
|
18
|
Canadiens
|
1
|
Ottawa
|
6
|
18
|
Quebec
|
6
|
Wanderers
|
9
|
21
|
Ottawa
|
3
|
Quebec
|
6
|
21
|
Canadiens
|
1
|
Wanderers
|
9
|
25
|
Wanderers
|
1
|
Quebec
|
2
|
25
|
Ottawa
|
3
|
Canadiens
|
2 (22' overtime)
|
28
|
Wanderers
|
4
|
Ottawa
|
6
|
28
|
Quebec
|
3
|
Canadiens
|
6
|
Mar.
|
2
|
Quebec
|
6
|
Ottawa
|
5 (23'50" overtime)
|
2
|
Canadiens
|
2
|
Wanderers
|
1 (6'36" overtime)
|
6‡
|
Wanderers
|
5
|
Ottawa
|
2
|
† Protested by Wanderers, replayed on March 6. Often mistaken as March 5th.
‡ Replay of protested game.
Player statistics
[
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]
Goaltending averages
[
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]
Scoring leaders
[
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]
Stanley Cup engraving
[
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]
The 1912 Stanley Cup was presented by the trophy's trustee
William Foran
.
The following Bulldogs players and staff were members of the Stanley Cup winning team.
1911?12 Quebec Bulldogs
Players
† missing from team picture.
Coaching and administrative staff
- Philippe-Auguste Choquette
(President/Owner),
Mike Quinn
(Vice President/Manager)
- Charlie Nolan
(Coach), Dave Beland (Trainer)
- J. Eugene Matte (Treasurer), Barney J. Kaine (Secretary)
- Louis A. Lagueux, Charles Fremont, Thomas B. O'Neil (Directors)
- Camelien Joseph Lockwell, Fred Hill, Arthur Demore (Directors)
See also
[
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]
References
[
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]
Bibliography
[
edit
]
- Coleman, Charles (1966),
The Trail of the Stanley Cup, Vol. 1, 1893?1926 inc.
, NHL
- Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame (2004).
Lord Stanley's Cup
. Bolton, Ont.: Fenn Pub. pp 12, 50.
ISBN
978-1-55168-261-7
Notes
[
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]
- ^
Chi-Kit Wong, p. 63
- ^
DeLaere, Matt (17 August 2017).
"What's in a Number?"
. Impressions
. Retrieved
2 March
2018
.
- ^
Coleman, p. 223
- ^
a
b
"No NHA in 1913?",
The Globe
, p. 12, 1912-03-15
- ^
"The Unstable NHA?",
The Globe
, p. 12, 1912-03-22
- ^
"Bruce Ridpath Badly Hurt",
The Globe
, p. 12, 1911-11-03
- ^
"Quebec Won at Ottawa",
The Globe
, p. 12, 1912-02-04
- ^
Standings:
Coleman, Charles (1966).
Trail of the Stanley Cup, vol. 1, 1893-1926 inc
. National Hockey League. p. 226.
- ^
"Saskatoon Won the Game".
The Globe
. March 5, 1912. p. 12.
- ^
"Coast Champions Not Coming".
The Globe
. March 5, 1912. p. 12.
- ^
"Wanderers 10; Canadiens 2",
The Globe
, p. 12, 1912-03-10
- ^
"Ridpath's Benefit Saturday",
The Globe
, p. 12, 1912-03-12
- ^
"Ridpath Benefit is Off",
The Globe
, p. 12, 1912-03-13
- ^
"The Ridpath Benefit",
The Globe
, p. 12, 1912-03-25
- ^
a
b
"Western All-Stars Win",
The Globe
, p. 14, 1912-04-04
- ^
"Belated Hockey Games",
The Globe
, p. 14, 1912-04-08