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

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

Directors

Rule changes

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

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.

Regular season

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

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

National Hockey Association
GP W L T GF GA
Ottawa Senators2014607465
Montreal Wanderers20146012782
Quebec Bulldogs2011908585
Toronto Hockey Club2081206684
Toronto Ontarios-Shamrocks2071307696
Montreal Canadiens2061406581

[3]

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

Playoffs

League championship

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
1March 10Ottawa Senators4–0Montreal WanderersThe Arena, Ottawa
2March 13Montreal Wanderers1–0Ottawa SenatorsMontreal 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

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

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
1March 22Vancouver Millionaires6–2Ottawa SenatorsPCHADenman Arena, Vancouver
2March 24Vancouver Millionaires8–3Ottawa SenatorsNHA
3March 26Vancouver Millionaires12–3Ottawa SenatorsPCHA
Millionaires win best-of-five series 3 games to 0

Awards

Schedule and results

Month Day Visitor Score Home Score
Dec. 26Ottawa4Quebec1
26Wanderers11Ontarios6
26Toronto4Canadiens3
30Ontarios1Ottawa4
30Wanderers5Toronto2
30Quebec8Canadiens7
Jan. 2Ottawa6Wanderers15
2Canadiens1Ontarios4
2Toronto2Quebec6
6Ottawa4Canadiens2
6Ontarios3Toronto4
6Wanderers5Quebec6
9Toronto1Ottawa2 (18' OT)
9Quebec2Ontarios3 (5' OT)
9Canadiens4Wanderers5 (6'45" OT)
13Ottawa3Ontarios5
13Toronto3Wanderers11
13Canadiens3Quebec4 (50'20" OT)
16Wanderers3Ottawa4
16Quebec1Toronto3
16Ontarios7Canadiens1
20Canadiens1Ottawa3
20Toronto4Ontarios3
20Quebec2Wanderers5
23Canadiens7Wanderers2
23Ontarios1Quebec4
23Ottawa2Toronto4
27Quebec2Ottawa7
27Canadiens1Toronto2
27Ontarios4Wanderers14
30Ottawa3Quebec1
30Wanderers2Toronto8
30Ontarios3Canadiens4
Feb. 3Toronto2Ottawa7
3WanderersOntarios
3Quebec2Canadiens5
6Ottawa1Wanderers8
6Ontarios5Quebec9
6Canadiens4Toronto3
10Ottawa6Ontarios2
10Toronto5Quebec7
10Canadiens3Wanderers6
13Canadiens3Ottawa5
13Quebec6Wanderers4
13Toronto3Ontarios6
17Ottawa3Toronto1
17Ontarios7Wanderers10
17Canadiens2Quebec6
20Wanderers5Ottawa1
20Toronto2Canadiens7
20Quebec6Ontarios10
24Ottawa2Canadiens3
24Wanderers4Quebec5 (2' OT)
24Ontarios1Toronto5
27Ontarios2Ottawa3
27Quebec5Toronto4
27Wanderers7Canadiens3
Mar. 3Quebec3Ottawa4 (25" OT)
3Toronto4Wanderers5
3Canadiens2Ontarios3

† Defaulted to Wanderers.

Source: Coleman, pp. 272–273.

Player statistics

Scoring leaders

Player Team GP G A Pts PIM
Tommy SmithToronto Shamrocks
Quebec Bulldogs
194044443
Didier PitreMontreal Canadiens203043415
Gordon RobertsMontreal Wanderers192953474
Sprague CleghornMontreal Wanderers1921123351
Harry HylandMontreal Wanderers192362949
Punch BroadbentOttawa Senators2024327115
Cully WilsonToronto Blueshirts2022527138
Odie CleghornMontreal Wanderers152152639
Rusty CrawfordQuebec Bulldogs201882630
Skene RonanToronto Shamrocks182142555

Goaltending averages

Name Club GP GA SO Avg.
Benedict, Clint Ottawa20653.3
Vezina, Georges Canadiens20814.1
Holmes, Harry Toronto20844.2
Moran, Paddy Quebec20854.3
McCarthy, Charlie Wanderers19824.3
LeSueur, Percy Ontarios-Shamrocks19965.1
Boyce, Art Wanderers267.20

See also

References

Bibliography

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

Notes

  1. "Pro Hockey Leagues Do Away With Fines". The Globe. Toronto. April 1, 1914. p. 12.
  2. 1 2 3 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.
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