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1914–15 NHA season

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1914–15 NHA season
LeagueNational Hockey Association
SportIce hockey
DurationDecember 26, 1914 – March 13, 1915
Number of games20
Number of teams6
Regular season
Top scorerTommy Smith (40)
O'Brien Cup
ChampionsOttawa Senators
  Runners-upMontreal Wanderers
NHA seasons
Portrait of the Ottawa Senators

The 1914–15 NHA season was the sixth season of the National Hockey Association and played from December 26, 1914, until March 3, 1915. Each team played 20 games. The Ottawa Senators won the NHA championship in a two-game, total goal playoff against the Montreal Wanderers. The Senators, however fell to the Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association in the Stanley Cup championship. It was the second 'World's Series' between the NHA and the PCHA for the Stanley Cup.

League business

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Directors

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Rule changes

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At a meeting on March 30, 1914, held with the PCHA executives, the league decided:

  • adopt the lines separating the three zones for off-side purposes
  • to continue in six-man hockey, while the PCHA will continue in seven-man hockey
  • to drop fines in general for infractions and use minutes off
  • no player to come within five feet of players facing off
  • no face-offs closer than 10 feet from the goaltender
  • puck played after rebounding from goalkeeper no longer is offside

Source: Toronto Globe[1]

At the November meeting of the league, the NHA decided:

  • charging a player into the boards is a major foul,
  • match foul penalized by 10 minutes off and $15 fine.

Pre-season

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Along with Montreal Nationals president A. L. Caron, player Art Ross attempted to organize a new hockey league with teams in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Boston. The arena owners in all of the cities turned down the new league and killed the idea. Ross was suspended by the NHA, but by January 7, Mr. Ross was reinstated. He signed with Ottawa.

Teams

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1914-15 National Hockey Association
Team City Arena Capacity
Montreal Canadiens Montreal, Quebec Montreal Arena 4,300
Montreal Wanderers Montreal, Quebec Montreal Arena 4,300
Ottawa Senators Ottawa, Ontario The Arena 4,500
Quebec Bulldogs Quebec, Quebec Quebec Arena 6,000
Toronto Blueshirts Toronto, Ontario Arena Gardens 7,500
Toronto Ontarios-Shamrocks Toronto, Ontario Arena Gardens 7,500

Map of teams

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NHA Teams

Regular season

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The Ontarios changed their team name to Shamrocks from the February 3 game forward.

Ottawa traded Percy LeSueur to the Ontarios for Fred Lake.

Highlights

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A record long overtime game was played in Quebec on January 13 between Quebec and the Canadiens. Quebec defeated Montreal 3–2 after 50 minutes and 28 seconds of overtime, on a goal by Jack McDonald. Coach Jack Laviolette had to take over for Georges Vezina after Vezina was penalized.[2]

The Ontarios had to forfeit their February 3 game with the Wanderers after the McNamara brothers took a personal leave to attend their fathers' funeral. Owner Eddie Livingstone of the Ontarios asked for a postponement but the Wanderers refused.[2]

A game on February 17 between Toronto and Ottawa turned into a brawl before Toronto police arrested Art Ross and Roy McGiffen to calm the proceedings.[2]

Final standings

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National Hockey Association
GP W L T GF GA
Ottawa Senators 20 14 6 0 74 65
Montreal Wanderers 20 14 6 0 127 82
Quebec Bulldogs 20 11 9 0 85 85
Toronto Hockey Club 20 8 12 0 66 84
Toronto Ontarios-Shamrocks 20 7 13 0 76 96
Montreal Canadiens 20 6 14 0 65 81

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Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against


Playoffs

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League championship

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Montreal and Ottawa played a two-game total-goals series to determine the league championship. In the first game, Ottawa's Art Ross scored in the first period to give the Senators the lead which they would not relinquish. In the second, Angus Duford scored to push the lead to 2–0 after two periods, and Horace Merrill and Jack Darragh scored to make it 4–0.[4] In the second game, the Wanderers' Donald Smith scored in the second period, but the Senators held the Wanderers off with tight checking to win the series 4–1 on goals.[5]

Game-by-Game Winning Team Score Losing Team Location
1 March 10 Ottawa Senators 4–0 Montreal Wanderers The Arena, Ottawa
2 March 13 Montreal Wanderers 1–0 Ottawa Senators Montreal Arena, Montreal
Senators win series 4–1.

For the win, Ottawa was awarded the O'Brien Cup. Since the NHA champion of 1914 was the defending champion of the Stanley Cup, Ottawa now took possession and defence of the Stanley Cup as well.[6] The Senators engraved their series win over the Wanderers on the Stanley Cup and travelled to Vancouver for the world championship series against the Vancouver Millionaires.

Exhibition series

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The Wanderers, Canadiens and Bulldogs played an exhibition series in New York and Boston. The Ontarios and Torontos played an exhibitions series in Cleveland, Ohio.[7]

Stanley Cup Finals

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As the 1914 Final was held in Toronto, all three games in this series were played at the arena of the PCHA's champion in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Millionaires swept the best-of-five series in three games.

Game-by-Game Winning Team Score Losing Team Rules Used Location
1 March 22 Vancouver Millionaires 6–2 Ottawa Senators PCHA Denman Arena, Vancouver
2 March 24 Vancouver Millionaires 8–3 Ottawa Senators NHA
3 March 26 Vancouver Millionaires 12–3 Ottawa Senators PCHA
Millionaires win best-of-five series 3 games to 0

Awards

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Schedule and results

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Month Day Visitor Score Home Score
Dec. 26 Ottawa 4 Quebec 1
26 Wanderers 11 Ontarios 6
26 Toronto 4 Canadiens 3
30 Ontarios 1 Ottawa 4
30 Wanderers 5 Toronto 2
30 Quebec 8 Canadiens 7
Jan. 2 Ottawa 6 Wanderers 15
2 Canadiens 1 Ontarios 4
2 Toronto 2 Quebec 6
6 Ottawa 4 Canadiens 2
6 Ontarios 3 Toronto 4
6 Wanderers 5 Quebec 6
9 Toronto 1 Ottawa 2 (18' OT)
9 Quebec 2 Ontarios 3 (5' OT)
9 Canadiens 4 Wanderers 5 (6'45" OT)
13 Ottawa 3 Ontarios 5
13 Toronto 3 Wanderers 11
13 Canadiens 3 Quebec 4 (50'20" OT)
16 Wanderers 3 Ottawa 4
16 Quebec 1 Toronto 3
16 Ontarios 7 Canadiens 1
20 Canadiens 1 Ottawa 3
20 Toronto 4 Ontarios 3
20 Quebec 2 Wanderers 5
23 Canadiens 7 Wanderers 2
23 Ontarios 1 Quebec 4
23 Ottawa 2 Toronto 4
27 Quebec 2 Ottawa 7
27 Canadiens 1 Toronto 2
27 Ontarios 4 Wanderers 14
30 Ottawa 3 Quebec 1
30 Wanderers 2 Toronto 8
30 Ontarios 3 Canadiens 4
Feb. 3 Toronto 2 Ottawa 7
3 Wanderers Ontarios
3 Quebec 2 Canadiens 5
6 Ottawa 1 Wanderers 8
6 Ontarios 5 Quebec 9
6 Canadiens 4 Toronto 3
10 Ottawa 6 Ontarios 2
10 Toronto 5 Quebec 7
10 Canadiens 3 Wanderers 6
13 Canadiens 3 Ottawa 5
13 Quebec 6 Wanderers 4
13 Toronto 3 Ontarios 6
17 Ottawa 3 Toronto 1
17 Ontarios 7 Wanderers 10
17 Canadiens 2 Quebec 6
20 Wanderers 5 Ottawa 1
20 Toronto 2 Canadiens 7
20 Quebec 6 Ontarios 10
24 Ottawa 2 Canadiens 3
24 Wanderers 4 Quebec 5 (2' OT)
24 Ontarios 1 Toronto 5
27 Ontarios 2 Ottawa 3
27 Quebec 5 Toronto 4
27 Wanderers 7 Canadiens 3
Mar. 3 Quebec 3 Ottawa 4 (25" OT)
3 Toronto 4 Wanderers 5
3 Canadiens 2 Ontarios 3

† Defaulted to Wanderers.

Source: Coleman, pp. 272–273.

Player statistics

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Scoring leaders

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Player Team GP G A Pts PIM
Tommy Smith Toronto Shamrocks
Quebec Bulldogs
19 40 4 44 43
Didier Pitre Montreal Canadiens 20 30 4 34 15
Gordon Roberts Montreal Wanderers 19 29 5 34 74
Sprague Cleghorn Montreal Wanderers 19 21 12 33 51
Harry Hyland Montreal Wanderers 19 23 6 29 49
Punch Broadbent Ottawa Senators 20 24 3 27 115
Cully Wilson Toronto Blueshirts 20 22 5 27 138
Odie Cleghorn Montreal Wanderers 15 21 5 26 39
Rusty Crawford Quebec Bulldogs 20 18 8 26 30
Skene Ronan Toronto Shamrocks 18 21 4 25 55

Goaltending averages

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Name Club GP GA SO Avg.
Benedict, Clint Ottawa 20 65 3.3
Vezina, Georges Canadiens 20 81 4.1
Holmes, Harry Toronto 20 84 4.2
Moran, Paddy Quebec 20 85 4.3
McCarthy, Charlie Wanderers 19 82 4.3
LeSueur, Percy Ontarios-Shamrocks 19 96 5.1
Boyce, Art Wanderers 2 6 7.20

See also

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References

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Bibliography

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  • Coleman, Charles (1966). The Trail of the Stanley Cup, Vol. 1, 1893–1926 inc. NHL.

Notes

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  1. ^ "Pro Hockey Leagues Do Away With Fines". The Globe. Toronto. April 1, 1914. p. 12.
  2. ^ a b c Coleman(1966), pg. 271
  3. ^ Standings: Coleman, Charles (1966). Trail of the Stanley Cup, vol. 1, 1893-1926 inc. National Hockey League. p. 273.
  4. ^ "Ottawas Win Four Goal Lead Over Wanderers". Montreal Gazette. March 11, 1915. p. 12.
  5. ^ "Ottawa On Defensive To Win Championship". Montreal Gazette. March 14, 1915. p. 14.
  6. ^ "Play Was Rough". Montreal Gazette. March 14, 1915. p. 14.
  7. ^ "Wanderers Win First on New York Series". The Globe. March 19, 1915. p. 9.
Preceded by NHA seasons
1914–15
Succeeded by