1920-21 NHL season
Encyclopedia
The 1920–21 NHL season was the fourth season of the National Hockey League
(NHL). Four teams each played 24 games in a split season. The Quebec franchise was transferred to Hamilton, Ontario
to become the Hamilton Tigers. The Ottawa Senators
won the league championship in a playoff with the Toronto St. Patricks
. The Senators went on to win the Stanley Cup
by defeating the Vancouver Millionaires
of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association
three games to two in a best-of-five series. This would be the last split season before the NHL changed its regular season and playoff formats.
as a city in his league. To head this off, league president Frank Calder
got the owners of the league to admit a Hamilton franchise. As Abso-Pure had built an arena, all owners agreed that it would be wise to
have a franchise in Hamilton. Because Quebec had done so badly the previous season, Calder said that Quebec's players would be given to Hamilton. Although Mike Quinn was non-committal at first, he finally sold the team to Hamilton and it became the Hamilton Tigers.
The Tigers stung the Canadiens 5–0 in its first game with Babe Dye
starring. The Toronto St. Patricks
lost Corbett Denneny
to injuries and recalled Dye from Hamilton, giving them Mickey Roach in his place.
Corbett Denneny
scored six goals in a game January 26th as the Toronto St. Patricks
walloped the Hamilton Tigers 10–3.
Cy Denneny
wasn't about to let his brother steal the thunder and he scored six goals
himself in a March 7 game as the Ottawa Senators hammered the Hamilton Tigers 12–5.
For the first time, a brother combination had scored six goals in a game the same season.
The Ottawa Senators
won the first half of the split season while the Toronto St. Patricks
won the second half.
and go on to compete for the Stanley Cup. Ottawa easily won by shutting out the St. Pats in both games. Ottawa then went onto play the Vancouver Millionaires
of the PCHA.
Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto St. Patricks
Ottawa wins total goals series 7 goals to 0
Ottawa wins best-of-five series 3 games to 2 for the Stanley Cup
s, GAA = Goals Against Average
Note:
The O'Brien Cup, still considered the championship of the NHA, was not awarded to Ottawa until November 1921. It had remained under the care of the Canadiens who had won it in 1917, until the death of their owner, George Kennedy in October 1921, when the NHL made arrangements to re-use the trophy.
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). Four teams each played 24 games in a split season. The Quebec franchise was transferred to Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
to become the Hamilton Tigers. The Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators (original)
The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934...
won the league championship in a playoff with the Toronto St. Patricks
Toronto St. Patricks
The Toronto St. Patricks professional men's ice hockey team started as an amateur ice hockey organization. In 1919, the club purchased the Toronto National Hockey League franchise from the NHL. The club renamed the franchise the Toronto St. Patricks club and operated the franchise until 1927, when...
. The Senators went on to win the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
by defeating the Vancouver Millionaires
Vancouver Millionaires
The Vancouver Millionaires were a professional ice hockey team that competed in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the Western Canada Hockey League between 1911 and 1926...
of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association
Pacific Coast Hockey Association
The Pacific Coast Hockey Association was a professional men's ice hockey league in western Canada and the western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League...
three games to two in a best-of-five series. This would be the last split season before the NHL changed its regular season and playoff formats.
League Business
Eddie Livingstone was again talking of creating a rival league and mentioned Hamiltonas a city in his league. To head this off, league president Frank Calder
Frank Calder
-External links:*...
got the owners of the league to admit a Hamilton franchise. As Abso-Pure had built an arena, all owners agreed that it would be wise to
have a franchise in Hamilton. Because Quebec had done so badly the previous season, Calder said that Quebec's players would be given to Hamilton. Although Mike Quinn was non-committal at first, he finally sold the team to Hamilton and it became the Hamilton Tigers.
Regular season
The Tigers had some trouble signing Joe Malone from the Quebec days, but he finally did sign.The Tigers stung the Canadiens 5–0 in its first game with Babe Dye
Babe Dye
Cecil Henry "Babe" Dye was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto St. Pats, Chicago Black Hawks, New York Americans and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was the NHL's top goal scorer of the 1920s and is a member of the Hockey Hall of...
starring. The Toronto St. Patricks
Toronto St. Patricks
The Toronto St. Patricks professional men's ice hockey team started as an amateur ice hockey organization. In 1919, the club purchased the Toronto National Hockey League franchise from the NHL. The club renamed the franchise the Toronto St. Patricks club and operated the franchise until 1927, when...
lost Corbett Denneny
Corbett Denneny
Charles Corbett "Corb" Denneny was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played professionally from 1912 to 1931, including nine seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Arenas, Toronto St. Pats, Hamilton Tigers and Chicago Black Hawks. Corbett also played for the Vancouver...
to injuries and recalled Dye from Hamilton, giving them Mickey Roach in his place.
Corbett Denneny
Corbett Denneny
Charles Corbett "Corb" Denneny was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played professionally from 1912 to 1931, including nine seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Arenas, Toronto St. Pats, Hamilton Tigers and Chicago Black Hawks. Corbett also played for the Vancouver...
scored six goals in a game January 26th as the Toronto St. Patricks
walloped the Hamilton Tigers 10–3.
Cy Denneny
Cy Denneny
Cyril Joseph Denneny was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League and the Toronto Blueshirts of the National Hockey Association. His brother Corbett Denneny also played in the NHL.-Early life:Cy Denneny was born...
wasn't about to let his brother steal the thunder and he scored six goals
himself in a March 7 game as the Ottawa Senators hammered the Hamilton Tigers 12–5.
For the first time, a brother combination had scored six goals in a game the same season.
The Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators (original)
The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934...
won the first half of the split season while the Toronto St. Patricks
Toronto St. Patricks
The Toronto St. Patricks professional men's ice hockey team started as an amateur ice hockey organization. In 1919, the club purchased the Toronto National Hockey League franchise from the NHL. The club renamed the franchise the Toronto St. Patricks club and operated the franchise until 1927, when...
won the second half.
NHL Championship
After the regular season, Toronto and Ottawa played in a total goals series to see who would win the O'Brien CupO'Brien Trophy
The O'Brien Trophy, or O'Brien Cup, as labelled on the trophy itself, is a retired trophy that was awarded in the National Hockey Association and the National Hockey League ice hockey leagues of North America from 1910 to 1950. It was originally donated to the NHA by Canadian Senator M.J....
and go on to compete for the Stanley Cup. Ottawa easily won by shutting out the St. Pats in both games. Ottawa then went onto play the Vancouver Millionaires
Vancouver Millionaires
The Vancouver Millionaires were a professional ice hockey team that competed in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the Western Canada Hockey League between 1911 and 1926...
of the PCHA.
Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto St. Patricks
| Date | Team | Score | Team | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 10 | Ottawa Senators | 5 | Toronto St. Patricks | 0 | |
| March 14 | Ottawa Senators | 2 | Toronto St. Patricks | 0 |
Ottawa wins total goals series 7 goals to 0
Stanley Cup Finals
Ottawa Senators vs. Vancouver Millionaires| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 21 | Ottawa Senators | 1 | Vancouver Millionaires | 2 | |
| March 24 | Vancouver Millionaires | 3 | Ottawa Senators | 4 | |
| March 28 | Vancouver Millionaires | 2 | Ottawa Senators | 3 | |
| March 31 | Ottawa Senators | 2 | Vancouver Millionaires | 3 | |
| April 4 | Vancouver Millionaires | 1 | Ottawa Senators | 2 |
Ottawa wins best-of-five series 3 games to 2 for the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newsy Lalonde Newsy Lalonde Édouard Cyrille "Newsy" Lalonde was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward in the National Hockey League and a professional lacrosse player, regarded as one of hockey's and lacrosse's greatest players of the first half of the 20th century and one of sport's most colourful characters... |
Montreal Canadiens | 24 | 33 | 10 | 43 |
| Cecil "Babe" Dye Babe Dye Cecil Henry "Babe" Dye was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto St. Pats, Chicago Black Hawks, New York Americans and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was the NHL's top goal scorer of the 1920s and is a member of the Hockey Hall of... |
Hamilton Tigers / Toronto St. Pats | 24 | 35 | 5 | 40 |
| Cy Denneny Cy Denneny Cyril Joseph Denneny was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League and the Toronto Blueshirts of the National Hockey Association. His brother Corbett Denneny also played in the NHL.-Early life:Cy Denneny was born... |
Ottawa Senators | 24 | 34 | 5 | 39 |
| Joe Malone | Hamilton Tigers | 20 | 28 | 9 | 37 |
| Frank Nighbor Frank Nighbor Julius Francis "Pembroke Peach" Nighbor was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League and National Hockey Association and Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL, Toronto Blueshirts of the NHA and Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific... |
Ottawa Senators | 24 | 19 | 10 | 29 |
| Reg Noble Reg Noble Edward Reginald Noble of Collingwood, Ontario) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and defenceman who played 17 professional seasons in the National Hockey Association and National Hockey League for the Toronto Blueshirts, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto St. Pats, Montreal Maroons,... |
Toronto St. Patricks | 24 | 19 | 8 | 27 |
| Harry Cameron Harry Cameron Harold Hugh "Cammie" Cameron was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played professionally for the Toronto Blueshirts, Toronto Arenas, Ottawa Senators, Toronto St. Pats and Montreal Canadiens. Cameron won three Stanley Cups in his career... |
Toronto St. Patricks | 24 | 18 | 9 | 27 |
| George "Goldie" Prodgers | Hamilton Tigers | 24 | 18 | 9 | 27 |
| Corbett Denneny Corbett Denneny Charles Corbett "Corb" Denneny was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played professionally from 1912 to 1931, including nine seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Arenas, Toronto St. Pats, Hamilton Tigers and Chicago Black Hawks. Corbett also played for the Vancouver... |
Toronto St. Patricks | 20 | 19 | 7 | 26 |
| Jack Darragh Jack Darragh John Proctor "Jack" Darragh was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Ottawa Senators in the National Hockey League and its predecessor the National Hockey Association.-Playing career:Darragh played his entire professional career with the Ottawa Senators... |
Ottawa Senators | 24 | 11 | 15 | 26 |
Leading goaltenders
GP = Games Played, GA = Goals Against, SO = ShutoutShutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s, GAA = Goals Against Average
Goals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
| Player | Team | GP | GA | SO | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clint Benedict Clint Benedict Clinton Stevenson "Praying Bennie" Benedict was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Maroons. He played on four Stanley Cup-winning squads. He was the first goaltender in the National Hockey League to wear a face mask... |
Ottawa Senators | 24 | 75 | 2 | 3.1 |
| Jake Forbes Jake Forbes Vernor Vivian "Jake, Jumpin' Jackie" Forbes , was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played thirteen seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto St... |
Toronto St. Patricks | 20 | 78 | 0 | 3.9 |
| Georges Vezina Georges Vézina Joseph-Georges-Gonzague Vézina was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played seven seasons in the National Hockey Association and nine in the National Hockey League , all with the Montreal Canadiens... |
Montreal Canadiens | 24 | 99 | 1 | 4.1 |
| Howie Lockhart Howie Lockhart Howard Bond Lockhart was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 5 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto St... |
Hamilton Tigers | 24 | 132 | 1 | 5.5 |
| Ivan Mitchell Ivan Mitchell Ivan Gladstone "Mike" Mitchell was a professional ice hockey Goaltender who played 3 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto St. Pats. In 1922 Mitchell was injured during the second game of season, and missed the rest of season. He is still credited with winning the Stanley Cup that... |
Toronto St. Patricks | 4 | 22 | 0 | 5.5 |
NHL Playoff scoring leader
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cy Denneny Cy Denneny Cyril Joseph Denneny was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League and the Toronto Blueshirts of the National Hockey Association. His brother Corbett Denneny also played in the NHL.-Early life:Cy Denneny was born... |
Ottawa Senators Ottawa Senators (original) The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934... |
7 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
NHL awards
- O'Brien CupO'Brien TrophyThe O'Brien Trophy, or O'Brien Cup, as labelled on the trophy itself, is a retired trophy that was awarded in the National Hockey Association and the National Hockey League ice hockey leagues of North America from 1910 to 1950. It was originally donated to the NHA by Canadian Senator M.J....
— Ottawa SenatorsOttawa Senators (original)The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934...
Note:
The O'Brien Cup, still considered the championship of the NHA, was not awarded to Ottawa until November 1921. It had remained under the care of the Canadiens who had won it in 1917, until the death of their owner, George Kennedy in October 1921, when the NHL made arrangements to re-use the trophy.
Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1920–21 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1920–21 (listed with their last team):See also
- List of Stanley Cup champions
- Pacific Coast Hockey AssociationPacific Coast Hockey AssociationThe Pacific Coast Hockey Association was a professional men's ice hockey league in western Canada and the western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League...
- Ice hockey at the 1920 Summer OlympicsIce hockey at the 1920 Summer OlympicsIce hockey was introduced to the Olympic Games at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp. The matches were played between April 23 and April 29, 1920. All matches took place in the Palais de Glace d'Anvers . The rink measured 56 to 18 meters . All games were played with seven players on each side,...
- List of pre-NHL seasons
- 1920 in sports1920 in sports-American football:NFL championship* 17 September — the National Football League is founded as the American Professional Football Association at Canton, Ohio; it is a coalition of teams primarily from the Ohio League, New York Pro Football League, the Chicago football circuit, and other teams in...
- 1921 in sports1921 in sports-American football:NFL championship* Chicago Staleys win the 1921 American Professional Football Association title, albeit not without dispute...