Ice hockey in Ottawa

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Ottawa ice hockey clubs date back to the first decade of recorded organized ice hockey play. The men's senior-level Ottawa Hockey Club is known to have played in a Canadian championship in 1884. Today, Ottawa hockey clubs are represented in all age brackets, in both men's and women's, in amateur and professional.

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[edit] Early Amateur Era

James Creighton, the organizer of the first recorded organized game in 1875 moved to Ottawa and helped develop the game. He worked as a law clerk for the Senate chamber of the Parliament of Canada. Another important figure in the development of the game in Ottawa was P. D. Ross, the publisher of the Ottawa Journal, and later trustee of the Stanley Cup.

The Ottawa Hockey Club played in Montreal tournament in 1884, and helped form the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada in 1886. The team went into hiatus from 1887 until 1889, when the new Rideau Skating Rink opened, and P. D. Ross helped to rebuild the hockey club. They would re-enter play in 1890, in the Ontario Hockey Association. Ottawa HC were the first winners in the OHA, from 1890-1893. They left the OHA after that season in a dispute over the location of playoffs for the Cosby Cup. This schism lead to today's organization of hockey in Ontario where the ODMHA is responsible for eastern Ontario rather than the OHA.

When Lord Stanley was named Governor-General to Canada, he and his sons and daughter shown a keen interest in hockey, and games were played on a natural rink at Rideau Hall. His sons played on a team called the "Rideau Rebels".

On March 8, 1889, the first recorded organized women's ice hockey match took place at Rideau Skating Rink.[1]

In 1892, at an end-of-season banquet honouring the Ottawa Hockey Club, Lord Stanley announced his donation of the "Challenge Cup", later to be known simply as the Stanley Cup.

In 1894, Ottawa HC played in the first Stanley Cup playoffs against the Montreal Victorias, played in Montreal.

In 1897 Ottawa HC rival Ottawa Capitals would play in Stanley Cup challenge against Montreal Victorias.

In 1902, the Ottawa Hockey Club first used the nickname 'Senators'.

In 1903, the Ottawa Senators won their first Stanley Cup at the Dey's Arena. The individual players each received a silver nugget, and the team picked up the nickname of the "Silver Seven".

From 1903–1906, the Silver Seven would defeat all challengers in Stanley Cup play, losing in March 1906 to rival Montreal Wanderers in the 1906 ECAHA championship.

In 1908, the Ottawa Victorias would challenge the Montreal Wanderers for the Stanley Cup. Losing a two-game playoff, they were the last amateur team from Ottawa to challenge for the Cup.

[edit] Ottawa City Hockey League

The Ottawa City Hockey League was one of the first developmental competitive leagues. Teams played in junior and senior age groups. The league was formed in 1890 with senior teams only and continued until 1945.

[edit] Early Professional Era

The Ottawa Senators helped found or were inaugural season members of several professional leagues in Canada:

In 1934, the Senators NHL club would relocate to St. Louis, Missouri and become the Eagles. The Eagles' owner would remain the Ottawa Hockey Association. The Eagles would play one season and the NHL would buy out the Ottawa Hockey Association before the following season and disperse the players.

Starting in 1934, the Ottawa Hockey Association operated a second Ottawa Senators or 'Senior Senators', taking the NHL club's place in the Ottawa Auditorium, using the same striped sweaters and 'O' logo, but play senior amateur clubs. The club would continue until 1955.

[edit] World War II Years

During the World War II years, NHL players enlisted in the war effort. A large number of them were posted to Ottawa base. This included the complete Boston Bruins 'Kraut Line'. The clubs played in the Ottawa City Hockey League, and a number of them won the Allan Cup senior men's Canadian ice hockey championship.

[edit] Post-War Semi-Professional Teams

[edit] Major Junior Hockey

[edit] World Hockey Association

The Ottawa Nationals played in the WHA's inaugural season 1972-73. They would relocate the following season to Toronto, Ontario, as the Toronto Toros; which in turn, would relocate in 1976-77 to Birmingham, Alabama, as the Birmingham Bulls.

[edit] Today

[edit] NHL

  • Ottawa's second NHL franchise, the Ottawa Senators, began play in the 1992-93 NHL season. For the first three seasons, the played in the Ottawa Civic Centre, before their new arena the "Palladium" (now called Scotiabank Place) in January 1996. For their first four seasons, they were unsuccessful, finishing last in the league. The next season, the team has qualified for the playoffs, and have qualified for the playoffs ever since. They made their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2007, losing to the Anaheim Ducks in five games. It had been 80 years since an Ottawa team had appeared in the Finals.

[edit] CHL

[edit] Junior 'A'

[edit] Associations

[edit] Facilities

[edit] Major

[edit] Arenas

[edit] References & Notes

  1. ^ Ottawa Evening Journal, March 8, 1889