1923–24 Ottawa Senators season
Encyclopedia
The 1923–24 Ottawa Senators
season was the club's 39th season of play and seventh season in the NHL. Coming off a Stanley Cup
Championship in 1923, they had won three cups in the previous four seasons. The Senators moved into the brand new Ottawa Auditorium prior to the season. The club had an outstanding regular season, but lost in the NHL playoffs to the Montreal Canadiens
.
. Ted Dey gave up his half-interest in the Senators first for an investment in the Association and the Auditorium, then sold his share to Ahearn and Gorman.
led the NHL in scoring with 22 goals and 23 points, while Frank Nighbor
became the first player to win the Hart Trophy, awarded to the MVP of the league. The Sens defense were led by Buck Boucher
and King Clancy
, who both finished among the league leaders in points.
Clint Benedict
had another very solid season, as his 15 wins and 3 shutouts led the NHL, and he had a personal best GAA of 1.99.
In a game in late February, the Senators were late for a game against the Montreal Canadiens
in Montreal due to their train being snowbound in Hawkesbury, Ontario
for the night. While out to try to get some food for his teammates Cy Denneny fell down a well, but sustained no injuries from the fall.
. Ottawa was defending champion and had the top record for the regular season. In an upset Montreal defeated Ottawa 5–2 in a two-game total goal series. Benedict's play came under criticism, with the Senators management publicly stating he was under the weather, and privately were withholding pay from Benedict on account of drinking affecting his play. The dispute ended up in court and Benedict would be traded to the Montreal Maroons
before the next season.
On March 25, the Canadiens and Calgary Tigers
Stanley Cup Final game was played at the Ottawa Auditorium, due to the Mount Royal Arena
in Montreal not having artificial ice. Montreal won the game and the 1924 Stanley Cup.
Goaltending
Goaltending
Source: hockey-reference.com
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...
season was the club's 39th season of play and seventh season in the NHL. Coming off a 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...
Championship in 1923, they had won three cups in the previous four seasons. The Senators moved into the brand new Ottawa Auditorium prior to the season. The club had an outstanding regular season, but lost in the NHL playoffs to the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
.
Team business
The five-year partnership of the Ottawa Arena Club expired in 1923. The team's ownership was unified with the parent Ottawa Hockey Association which was to be owned by Frank Ahearn and Tommy GormanTommy Gorman
Thomas Patrick "T. P." Gorman was a founder of the National Hockey League , a winner of seven Stanley Cups as a general manager with four teams, and an Olympic gold medal-winning lacrosse player for Canada....
. Ted Dey gave up his half-interest in the Senators first for an investment in the Association and the Auditorium, then sold his share to Ahearn and Gorman.
Regular season
Cy DennenyCy 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...
led the NHL in scoring with 22 goals and 23 points, while 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...
became the first player to win the Hart Trophy, awarded to the MVP of the league. The Sens defense were led by Buck Boucher
Buck Boucher
Georges "Buck" Boucher was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Maroons, and Chicago Black Hawks in the National Hockey League. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Buck was one of six brothers. His brothers Frank, Bobby and Billy all played in the NHL...
and King Clancy
King Clancy
Francis Michael "King" Clancy was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, referee, coach and executive. Clancy played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was a member of three Stanley Cup championship teams and won All-Star honours...
, who both finished among the league leaders in points.
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...
had another very solid season, as his 15 wins and 3 shutouts led the NHL, and he had a personal best GAA of 1.99.
In a game in late February, the Senators were late for a game against the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
in Montreal due to their train being snowbound in Hawkesbury, Ontario
Hawkesbury, Ontario
Hawkesbury is a town in the Eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada, on the Ottawa River, near the Quebec-Ontario border.It lies on the south shore of the Ottawa River about halfway between Downtown Ottawa and Downtown Montreal in Prescott and Russell Counties. The Long-Sault Bridge links it...
for the night. While out to try to get some food for his teammates Cy Denneny fell down a well, but sustained no injuries from the fall.
Game log
| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record | Pts |
| 1 | December 15 | Ottawa Senators | 3–2 | Hamilton Tigers | 1–0–0 | 2 |
| 2 | December 19 | Toronto St. Pats | 2–5 | Ottawa Senators | 2–0–0 | 4 |
| 3 | December 26 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
2–3 | Ottawa Senators | 3–0–0 | 6 |
| 4 | December 29 | Hamilton Tigers | 3–2 | Ottawa Senators | 3–1–0 | 6 |
| 5 | January 2 | Ottawa Senators | 4–3 | Toronto St. Pats | 4–1–0 | 8 |
| 6 | January 5 | Toronto St. Pats | 3–7 | Ottawa Senators | 5–1–0 | 10 |
| 7 | January 9 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
1–2 | Ottawa Senators | 6–1–0 | 12 |
| 8 | January 12 | Ottawa Senators | 3–2 | Hamilton Tigers | 7–1–0 | 14 |
| 9 | January 16 | Ottawa Senators | 1–2 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
7–2–0 | 14 |
| 10 | January 19 | Hamilton Tigers | 1–2 | Ottawa Senators | 8–2–0 | 16 |
| 11 | January 21 | Ottawa Senators | 3–2 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
9–2–0 | 18 |
| 12 | January 23 | Ottawa Senators | 5–1 | Toronto St. Pats | 10–2–0 | 20 |
| 13 | January 26 | Ottawa Senators | 1–5 | Hamilton Tigers | 10–3–0 | 20 |
| 14 | January 30 | Toronto St. Pats | 2–7 | Ottawa Senators | 11–3–0 | 22 |
| 15 | February 2 | Ottawa Senators | 0–1 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
11–4–0 | 22 |
| 16 | February 6 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
0–4 | Ottawa Senators | 12–4–0 | 24 |
| 17 | February 9 | Hamilton Tigers | 0–1 | Ottawa Senators | 13–4–0 | 26 |
| 18 | February 13 | Ottawa Senators | 2–4 | Toronto St. Pats | 13–5–0 | 26 |
| 19 | February 16 | Toronto St. Pats | 2–1 | Ottawa Senators | 13–6–0 | 26 |
| 20 | February 21 | Ottawa Senators | 0–3 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
13–7–0 | 26 |
| 21 | February 23 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
0–1 | Ottawa Senators | 14–7–0 | 28 |
| 22 | February 27 | Hamilton Tigers | 4–7 | Ottawa Senators | 15–7–0 | 30 |
| 23 | March 1 | Ottawa Senators | 2–5 | Hamilton Tigers | 15–8–0 | 30 |
| 24 | March 5 | Ottawa Senators | 8–4 | Toronto St. Pats | 16–8–0 | 32 |
Playoffs
The Senators again qualified for the playoffs and faced the Canadiens for the brand new Prince of Wales TrophyPrince of Wales Trophy
The Prince of Wales Trophy, also known as the Wales Trophy, is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the Eastern Conference playoff champions, prior to the final series of games for the Stanley Cup...
. Ottawa was defending champion and had the top record for the regular season. In an upset Montreal defeated Ottawa 5–2 in a two-game total goal series. Benedict's play came under criticism, with the Senators management publicly stating he was under the weather, and privately were withholding pay from Benedict on account of drinking affecting his play. The dispute ended up in court and Benedict would be traded to the Montreal Maroons
Montreal Maroons
The Montreal Maroons was a professional men's ice hockey team in the National Hockey League . They played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938, winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 1935...
before the next season.
On March 25, the Canadiens and Calgary Tigers
Calgary Tigers
The Calgary Tigers, often nicknamed the Bengals, were an ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 1920 until 1927 as members of the Big Four League, Western Canada Hockey League and Prairie Hockey League. The Tigers were revived in 1932, playing for a short-lived four years in the...
Stanley Cup Final game was played at the Ottawa Auditorium, due to the Mount Royal Arena
Mount Royal Arena
The Mount Royal Arena was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada at the corner of Mount Royal and St. Urbain Street. It was home of the National Hockey League Montreal Canadiens from 1920 to 1926, before moving to the then two year old Montreal Forum. It had a capacity of 6,000...
in Montreal not having artificial ice. Montreal won the game and the 1924 Stanley Cup.
Montreal Canadiens 5, Ottawa Senators 2
| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record |
| 1 | March 8 | Ottawa Senators | 0–1 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
0–1 |
| 2 | March 11 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
4–2 | Ottawa Senators | 0–2 |
Regular season
Scoring| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LW | 22 | 22 | 2 | 24 | 10 | |
| D | 21 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 38 | |
| C | 20 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 16 | |
| D | 24 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 26 | |
| RW | 22 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 44 | |
| D | 18 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 8 | |
| D | 24 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 24 | |
| RW | 18 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| W | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |
| RW | 19 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| G | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| LW | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goaltending
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1356 | 22 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 45 | 1.99 | 3 | |
| 120 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4.50 | 0 | |
| Team: | 1476 | 24 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 54 | 2.20 | 3 |
Playoffs
Scoring| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LW | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| D | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| C | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| G | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| D | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| D | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| RW | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| RW | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| D | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Goaltending
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | GA | GAA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2.50 | 0 | |
| Team: | 120 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2.50 | 0 |
Roster
- Benedict, Clint (G)
- Boucher, Georges (D)
- Broadbent, Punch (R)
- Campbell, Earl (D)
- Clancy, King (D)
- Darragh, Jack (R)
- Denneny, Cy (L)
- Finnigan, Frank (R)
- Graham, Leth (L)
- Hebert, Sammy (G)
- Helman, Harry (R)
- Hitchman, Lionel (D)
- Nighbor, Frank (C)
- Smylie, Rod (L)
Source: hockey-reference.com