1907 ECAHA season

The 1907 ECAHA season was the second season of the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA). Teams played a ten-game schedule. The Montreal Wanderers lost the Stanley Cup to the Kenora Thistles of the Manitoba Hockey Association mid-season, but went undefeated in the regular season to win the league championship. They proceeded to defeat Kenora in a two-game total goals series to win back the Cup.

1907 ECAHA season
LeagueEastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association
SportIce hockey
DurationJanuary 3, 1907 – March 10, 1907
Number of teams6
1907
ChampionsMontreal Wanderers
Top scorerErnie Russell (42 goals)

League business

Executive

  • Fred McRobie (President)
  • Thomas D'Arcy McGee, Ottawa (1st Vice-President)
  • Gordon Blair, Quebec (2nd Vice-President)
  • Emmett Quinn, Shamrocks (Secretary-Treasurer)

Nationals and Grand Trunk applied for franchises but did not get three-fourths approval.

Rule changes

  • Teams could have professionals as well as amateurs
  • After a puck strikes a goalie, the rebound could now be played by the defending team without it being called offside
  • A player injured in the first half can sit for ten minutes and the other team has to take off a player.

Regular season

Frank McGee of Ottawa retired to pursue his government career. The Wanderers added two professionals, Riley Hern from the Portage Lake-Houghton pros and Hod Stuart from the Pittsburgh pros.

Prior to the season, Ottawa travelled to Winnipeg for a series of exhibition games against Manitoba league teams including the Kenora Thistles, who then came east to play a challenge in Montreal.[1] The Montreal Victorias hosted the St. Nicholas Hockey Club from New York in an exhibition on December 22, 1906, defeating them 16–3.[2]

Highlights

A major battle took place for the game between the Senators and Wanderers on January 12. Stick work was the order of the day as Charles Spittal of Ottawa knocked Cecil Blachford in the head, Alf Smith hit Hod Stuart in the head and Harry Smith broke Ernie Johnson's nose. The Wanderers would still win, 4–2.

After the game, a special league meeting was called to hand out discipline, with Victorias and Wanderers wanting Spittal and Alf Smith suspended for the season. The players were not suspended, leading the league president Mr. McRobie to resign, leaving Darcy McGee to take over as president.

On the next visit of the Ottawa team to Montreal, to play the Victorias, the three Ottawa players were arrested by Montreal police. Eventually Alf Smith and Spittal were fined $20 for their actions and Harry Smith was found not guilty.

The scoring championship was close, with Ernie Russell of the Wanderers placing first with 42 goals in 9 games, and Russell Bowie scoring 38 in 10 games.

Final standings

Team Games Played Wins Losses Ties Goals For Goals Against
Montreal Wanderers
10
10
0
0
105
39
Ottawa Hockey Club
10
7
3
0
76
54
Montreal Victorias
10
6
4
0
101
70
Montreal Hockey Club
10
3
7
0
58
83
Quebec Hockey Club
10
2
8
0
62
88
Montreal Shamrocks
10
2
8
0
52
120

Stanley Cup challenges

The 1907 season had two Stanley Cup champions, Montreal Wanderers and Kenora Thistles.

Wanderers vs. New Glasgow at Montreal

The Wanderers played one Stanley Cup challenge before the season, defeating the New Glasgow Cubs in a two-game series 10–3, 7–2, December 27–29, 1906. This was the first series in which professional players played for the Stanley Cup, as the Wanderers and other teams in the ECAHA were starting to mix amateurs with pros in their squads.

Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Location
December 27, 1906Montreal Wanderers10–3New Glasgow CubsMontreal Arena
December 29, 1906Montreal Wanderers7–2New Glasgow Cubs
Montreal wins total goals series 17 goals to 5.
December 27, 1906
New Glasgow Cubs 3 at Montreal Wanderers 10
Frank MorrisonGWilliam "Riley" Hern
James MusickPBilly Strachan
Evan MacMillanCPRod Kennedy
Jack Marks2ROLester Patrick2
Jack McDonald1CFrank "Pud" Glass4
Jimmy WilliamsLWErnie "Moose' Johnson
Bill LannonRWErnie Russell3
Percy MacDonaldSpareCecil Blachford, Capt
James MurphySpareHod Stuart
Referees Howard, Russell Bowie
December 29, 1906
New Glasgow Cubs 2 at Montreal Wanderers 7
Frank MorrisonGWilliam "Riley" Hern
Jack McDonald1PBilly Strachan
Percy McDonaldCPRod Kennedy1
Bill LannonROLester Patrick3
Jimmy WilliamsCFrank "Pud" Glass1
James Murphy1LWErnie "Moose" Johnson2
James MusickRWCecil Blachford, Capt
Evan MacMillanSpareHod Stuart
Jack MarksSpareErnie Russell
Referees Howard, Russell Bowie

Wanderers vs. Kenora at Montreal

The Wanderers played one Stanley Cup challenge during the season, losing to the Kenora Thistles 2–4, 6–8 on January 17–21. Aided by future Hockey Hall of Famers Joe Hall, Tom Hooper, Tommy Phillips, and Art Ross, the Thistles came away with 4–2 and 8–6 victories for a combined score of 12–8 to win a two-game total goals series. Hall and Ross were borrowed from the Brandon Wheat City team.

For Montreal, these were their first games after their donnybrook with Ottawa on January 12. Centre Cecil Blachford, who had been knocked out in the Ottawa game, did not play. Johnson and Stuart, who had required hospitalization, did play. Ernie Russell substituted for Blachford.

Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Location
January 17, 1907Kenora Thistles4–2Montreal WanderersMontreal Arena
January 21, 1907Kenora Thistles8–6Montreal Wanderers
Kenora wins total goals series 12 goals to 8
January 17, 1907
Montreal Wanderers 2 vs Kenora Thistles 4
William "Riley" HernGEddie Giroux
Billy StrachanPArt Ross
Hod StuartCPSi Griffis
Lester Patrick, Capt.2ROTom Hooper
Ernie RussellCBilly McGimsie
Frank "Pud" GlassRWRoxy Beaudro
Ernie "Moose" JohnsonLWTommy Phillips, Capt.4
Jack Marshall1sub
Rod KennedyspareJoe Hall
Bill ChipcasespareRussell Phillips
Referees Bob Meldrum, Russell Bowie

Source: Ottawa Citizen[3]

January 21, 1907
Montreal Wanderers 6 vs Kenora Thistles 8
William "Riley" HernGEddie Giroux
Rod KennedyPArt Ross
Hod StuartCPSi Griffis
Lester Patrick, Capt3ROTom Hooper3
Ernie Russell2CBilly McGimsie1
Frank "Pud" GlassRWRoxy Beaudro1
Ernie "Moose" JohnsonLWTommy Phillips, Capt.3
Jack Marshall1sub
Billy StrachanspareJoe Hall
Bill ChipcasespareRussell Phillips
Referees Chittick, Shea

Source: Ottawa Citizen[4]

After the series, the Thistles played an exhibition game in Ottawa on January 23. The Thistles lost 8–3 to Ottawa. Harry Smith scored four goals and Harry Westwick scored three for Ottawa.[5] In this game Billy McGimsie suffered a career-ending shoulder injury.[6]

Brandon Wheat City vs. Kenora Thistles at Winnipeg

After returning home, Kenora had played the balance of the MPHL season. Montreal Wanderers won the ECAHA regular-season champions and challenged to regain the Stanley Cup. Challenge was excepted. However Brandon and Kenora finished tied for first in the Manitoba League. So a best of three game series was upset to see who the Manitoba League Champion and who defended the cup again the Montreal Wanderers. After losing McGimsie, Si Griffis and Tom Hooper also went down to injury. Kenora signed three players to bolster its team: Alf Smith and Rat Westwick of Ottawa, and Fred Whitcroft of Peterborough to finish the season. (All three were future Hall of Fame inductees.) By the time of the MPHL playoff, Stanley Cup trustee William Foran notified Kenora that Smith and Westwick were ineligible for the challenge.

Playoff

Kenora would play and win the MPHL playoff against Brandon to successfully defend the Cup, winning a best-of-three series 2–0. Hall and Ross played for Brandon in the series, while Smith, Westwick and Whitcroft played for the Thistles. At the time of the series, the acting Stanley Cup trustee William Foran had already declared Smith and Westwick ineligible for the challenge series. After the series was over, the Manitoba League registered their disapproval over Mr. Foran's decision to exclude the players.[7]

Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Location
March 16, 1907Kenora Thistles8–6Brandon Wheat CityWinnipeg Auditorium
March 18, 1907Kenora Thistles4–1Brandon Wheat City
Kenora wins series 2–0
March 16, 1907
Brandon Wheat City 6 vs Kenora Thistles 8
Bobby MercerGEddie Geroux
Art LeaderPRoxy Beaudro
Art RossCPSi Griffis
George SmithROHarry Westwick
Joe Hall Capt.CFred Whitcroft
Walter BellamyRWAlf Smith
Jack FraserLWTommy Phillips, Capt.
Art Serviss -RWspareTom Hopper -R0/D
Roy Amrstrong -DspareRussell Philllips -RW/LW
March 18, 1907
Brandon Wheat City 1 vs Kenora Thistles 4
Bobby MercerGEddie Geroux
Art LeaderPRoxy Beaudro
Art RossCPSi Griffis
George SmithROHarry Westwick
Joe Hall Capt.CFred Whitecorft
Walter BellamyRWAlf Smith
Jack FraserLWTommy Phillips, Capt.
Art Serviss -RWspareTom Hopper -R0/D
Roy Armstrong -DspareRussell Phillips -RW/LW

- Goal scorers in both games are unknown.

Montreal Wanderers vs. Kenora Thistles at Winnipeg

Several rows of men, some wearing hockey uniforms, the others in overcoats and top hats.
Wanderers players and team officials in Winnipeg for challenge

Kenora dressed Smith and Westwick for the challenge anyway and Montreal filed a protest with Foran. Foran ruled that both players were ineligible. The series was supposed to start on March 20 in Kenora but did not. One report was that the ice in the rink was too poor to play on and the rink was closed.[8] The clubs went ahead and started the series on March 23 in Winnipeg instead, with Smith and Westwick playing. Foran was notified by the press (inaccurately) that Montreal had dropped its protest and that the clubs intended to play anyway. Foran threatened to take the Cup back to Ottawa:

If the two clubs ignore the instructions of the cup trustees by mutually agreeing to play against Westwick and Smith when both were positively informed these men were ineligible to participate in the present cup matches, the series will be treated as void, and the cup will be taken charge of by the trustees. It will remain in their possession till the various hockey leagues can educate themselves up to a standard where decent sport will be the order of the day.”[9]

The teams went ahead and played the series. However, Foran changed his mind after the Wanderers won the Cup, stating that the Wanderers could keep the Cup, because they had not rescinded their protest.[10]

After the series, the Wanderers returned to Montreal with the Stanley Cup. The Cup was stolen from Montreal photographer Jimmy Rice's home and held for ransom. No ransom was paid, and the Cup was returned to Rice. It was used as a geranium planter until the fall.[11]

Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Location
March 23, 1907Montreal Wanderers7–2Kenora ThistlesWinnipeg Auditorium
March 25, 1907Kenora Thistles6–5Montreal Wanderers
Montreal wins total goals series 12 goals to 8
March 23, 1907
Montreal Wanderers 7 at Kenora Thistles 2
William "Riley" HernGEddie Giroux
Lester Patrick, Capt.PTom Hooper
Hod StuartCPSi Griffis
Frank "Pud" Glass2ROHarry Westwick
Ernie Russell4CFred Whitecroft
Cecil BlachfordRWAlf Smith1
Ernie "Moose" Johnson1LWTommy Phillips, Capt.1
Bill ChipcasespareRoxy Beaudro
Rod KennedyspareRussell Phillips
Referee- W. MacFarlane
Referee W. Kean
March 25, 1907
Montreal Wanderers 5 at Kenora Thistles 6
William "Riley" HernGEddie Giroux
Lester Patrick, Capt.1PRoxy Beaudro1
Hod StuartCPSi Griffis1
Frank "Pud" Glass1ROHarry Westwick
Ernie Russell1CFred Whitecroft2
Cecil BlachfordRWAlf Smith1
Ernie "Moose' Johnson2LWTommy Phillips, Capt.1
Rod KennedyspareRussell Phillips
Bill ChipcasespareTom Hooper
Referee- W. MacFarlane
Referee W. Kean

Schedule and results

Month Day Visitor Score Home Score
Jan. 2Wanderers6Victorias5 (10' overtime)
5Montreal5Shamrocks3
5Quebec1Ottawa6
9Wanderers6Montreal3
12Ottawa2Wanderers4
12Victorias10Quebec1
16Victorias16Shamrocks3
19Shamrocks2Ottawa6
19Quebec8Montreal15
23Victorias12Montreal6
26Ottawa12Victorias10
26Wanderers11Quebec3
30Shamrocks5Montreal3
Feb. 2Montreal2Ottawa5
2Quebec8Shamrocks11
6Wanderers5Victorias2
9Ottawa5Quebec4 (2' overtime)
9Montreal3Wanderers16
13Shamrocks7Victorias19
16Victorias7Ottawa16
16Quebec5Wanderers13
19Shamrocks5Wanderers18
23Ottawa12Shamrocks6
23Montreal5Quebec9
27Montreal8Victorias13
Mar. 2†Wanderers10Ottawa6
2Quebec6Victorias7
6Shamrocks5Wanderers16
9Ottawa6Montreal8
9Shamrocks5Quebec17

† Wanderers clinch league championship.

Player statistics

Goaltending averages

Note: GP = Games played, GA = goals against, SO = Shutouts, GAA = Goals against average

Name Club GP GA SO GAA
Riley Hern Wanderers10393.9
Percy LeSueur Ottawa10545.4
Nathan Frye Victorias10707.0
Charles Doddridge Quebec4307.5
George White Montreal10838.3
Paddy Moran Quebec6589.7
Neil Currie Shamrocks1012012.0

Leading scorers

Name Club GP G
Russell, Ernie Wanderers942
Bowie, Russell Victorias1038
Russell, Blair Victorias1025
Smith, Harry Ottawa921
Sargent, Grover Montreal1020
Hale, Chandler Victorias718
Smith, Alf Ottawa917
Shore, Hamby Ottawa1017
Johnson, Ernie Montreal1015
Constantine, Charles Quebec715

Stanley Cup engravings

The 1907 Stanley Cup was presented twice by the trophy's trustee William Foran: first to the Kenora Thistles, and then to the Montreal Wanderers.

While the Wanderers followed the tradition of having the names of all of their players engraved on the outside of the Cup, the Thistles only had their team name engraved on the inside of the bowl.

The following Thistles players and staff were members of the winning team.

Players

  Centres
  Wingers
  Defencemen

Coaching and administrative staff

  • Fred Hudson (Manager), James Link (Coach/Trainer)
  • John McGillvary (Secretary/Treasurer), Lowrey Johnson (President)&
  • † Not part of the team when Kenora won the Stanley Cup in January 1907. Harry Westwick, Fred Whitcroft, and Alf Smith joined the team in March 1907 to play against the Brandon Wheat City in two playoff games. They also played in Stanley Cup loss to the Montreal Wanderers.
  • †† Left the team after winning the Stanley Cup, Art Ross, and Joe Hall and returned to play for Brandon. Kenora defeated Brandon in 2 game playoff for the Manitoba League Title/Stanley Cup. Ross & Hall played for Brandon in that series.
  • &-Missing from the team picture.

Stanley Cup engraving

Kenora engraved their team name inside the bowl lip of the Stanley Cup. 1907 Thistles of Kenora.[12]

Close-up of bowl portion of Stanley Cup featuring Wanderers' names

The following Wanderers players and staff were eligible to have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup

1907 Montreal Wanderers

Players

  Centres
  Wingers
  Defencemen
  Goaltenders
  • William "Riley" Hern
    • -Cecil Blachford served as Coach when he missed part of season due to a head injury. Lester Patrick filled as Captain.

Coaching and administrative staff

  • James Strachan (President), Clarence McKerrow (Hon. President)
  • Dickie Boon (Manager), George Guile (Secretary/Treasurer)
  • Tom Hodge (Hon. Secretary), William Jennings (Vice President)
  • Robert "Bob" Stephanson (Hon. Treasurer), Robert "Bob" Ahern (Hon. Vice President)
  • Bert Strachan (Director), Filbert Strachan† (Director). H. Watson (Director)†. Paul Lefebvre (Trainer)†

Stanley Cup engraving

  • Montreal Wanderers engraved Wanderers defeated Kenora 12 to 8 March 25th, 1907. This was followed by 20 members' names inside the bowl of the Stanley Cup. This is first time that winning members were engraved on the Stanley Cup officially. The City of Montreal was included in 1906 engraving.
  • Team picture included 9 players in uniform, 15 men in suites. Not all members are known.
  • †-On the team picture, but missing from the Stanley Cup.
  • After the season, the Stanley Cup was stolen from Montreal photographer Jimmy Rice's home after a team picture. When no one would pay a ransom for it, the Cup was left on Rice's doorstep, and his wife used it as a window-sill geranium planter until the fall.
  • †† Who was MR. Chipcase?. He was William "Bill" Chipcase. W was stamped upside down looking like a Mr. Chipcase. He was first player who had his name spelt wrong on the Stanley Cup. Chipcase and Erskine were spares who did not play for Montreal in 1907. William Chipcase's name was included on the Stanley Cup, but not Thomas Erskine. Chipchase did play one game for the Stanley Cup winning Wanderers in 1910.
  • Two names, that of S. Van Sickle and H. L. Linall were ratched onto the Cup that season.[13]

See also

References

Citations

  1. "Kenora Didn't Stay". The Globe. January 1, 1907. p. 11.
  2. "Vics Showed Class". Montreal Gazette. p. 2.
  3. "Kenora Triumphed Over Wanderers". Ottawa Citizen. January 18, 1907. p. 8.
  4. "Kenora Thistles Defeat Wanderers And Stanley Cup Goes West Again". Ottawa Citizen. January 22, 1907. p. 8.
  5. "Ottawas Won From Thistles". Ottawa Journal. January 24, 1907. p. 2.
  6. "Billy McGimsie biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
  7. "The Protest From Kenora", The Globe, p. 9, March 19, 1907
  8. "No Stanley Cup Game At Kenora Last Night". Ottawa Citizen. March 21, 1907. p. 5.
  9. "Never Too Late to Mend". The Globe. March 25, 1907. p. 9.
  10. "The News of Sport". The Globe. March 26, 1907. p. 9.
  11. "It was butchery, not sport, in Westmount". Montreal Gazette. Canada.com. January 12, 2007. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  12. [Podnieks]
  13. Shea and Wilson(2006), pg. 429

Sources

  • Coleman, Charles L. (1966). The Trail of the Stanley Cup, Vol. 1, 1893–1926 inc. NHL.
  • Podnieks, Andrew: Lord Stanley Cup, Fenn Publishing Company, 2004
  • Shea, Kevin; Wilson, John Jason (2006). Lord Stanley: The Man Behind the Cup. Fenn Publishing Company, Ltd. ISBN 1-55168-281-8.
  • Adams, Trevor J.: Long Shots, Nimbus Publishing, 2012
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