1910–11 NHA season

The 1910–11 NHA season was the second season of the now defunct National Hockey Association. Five teams played 16 games each, starting on December 31, 1910 and ending on March 10, 1911. The Ottawa Senators won the league championship and took over the Stanley Cup from the Montreal Wanderers.

League Business

The annual meeting was held November 12, 1910 electing the following executive:

* Emmett Quinn (president and secretary)

Directors:

* Eddie McCafferty, Wanderers
* John Ambrose O'Brien, Renfrew
* W. P. Humphrey, Shamrocks
* George Kennedy, Canadiens
* Joe Power, Quebec

The Shamrocks resigned from the league and were not replaced. The Club Athletique-Canadien and the Quebec Hockey Club were granted franchises. The Canadiens to take over the Haileybury franchise and any assets. Quebec to take over the Cobalt franchise and any assets. The former Canadiens franchise was suspended and its players signed with George Kennedy.

The NHA decided to impose a $5,000 per team salary cap. [cite news|work=The Globe|date=1910-11-19 |title=Salaries Cut From $1,200 to $500 |page29]

A second meeting, on November 26, 1910 updated the Board of Directors to:

* D'Arcy McGee, Ottawa
* James A. Barnett, Renfrew
* Adolphe Lecours, Canadiens
* Joe Power, Quebec
* Eddie McCafferty, Wanderers

The salary cap, while opposed by the players was upheld at the meeting.

Source: Coleman, p. 201–203.

alary Cap

The salary cap of $5000 per club caused a situation where Bruce Stuart of the Senators threatened a mass defection to a new league. [cite news |work=The Globe |date=1910-11-24 |page=10 |title=Bomb in Ottawa Camp] However, the players found that the Arena Company, owners of the Montreal Arena would not rent to the players. [cite news |work=The Globe |date=1910-12-13|page=10 |title=Still in the air] There was no other suitable arena in Montreal available for a new league and the players had no choice but to abandon the effort. [cite news |work=The Globe |date=1910-12-14|page=10 |title=Outlaws Hurrying to Cover] Some players took a large cut in salary: Marty Walsh, Fred Lake and Dubby Kerr were paid $600 each where they had been paid $1200 each in 1910. The dispute caused the cancellation of a pre-season exhibition series in New York for the Ottawas and Wanderers. [cite news |work=The Globe |date=1910-12-05 |title=No New York Trip |page=10]

Rule Changes

Games were changed from two periods of 30 minutes, to three periods of twenty minutes, with ten minute rest periods. The Spalding hockey puck was adopted as the standard puck. [Coleman, p. 202]

Regular season

Final standings

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

Leading scorers

Ottawa Senators 1911 Stanley Cup Champions

Stanley Cup champion
defence=*Alex Currie
*Hamby Shore
*Fred Lake
centers=*Jack Darragh(rover)
*Bruce Stuart(rover-Captain)
*Marty Walsh
goaltenders=*Percy LeSueur
wingers=*Bruce Ridpath
*Albert "Dubbie" Kerr
*Horace Gaul†
non-players=
*Thomas D'Arcy McGee† (President), Llewellyn Bates† (Vice President)
*Pete Green† (Coach), Patrick Baskerville† (Treasurer)
*Martin Rosenthal† (Secretary), Mac McGilton† (Trainer)
*George Bryson†, Fred Carling†, Charles Irvin† (Directors)
*Dave Mulligan†, Charles Sparks† (Directors)
all-notes=† Missing from the team picture. The only team picture found of the Ottawa Senators in 1911 includes 9 of the 10 players, and no non-playing members.

engraving-notes=Ottawa put their names on the cup in 1909 and 1910 but did not in 1911. It was not until the trophy was redesigned in 1948 that the words "1911 Ottawa Senators" was put onto its then-new collar.

ee also

*National Hockey Association
*List of pre-NHL seasons
*List of Stanley Cup champions
*1910 in sports
*1911 in sports

References

* Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame (2004). Lord Stanley's Cup. Triumph Books, 12, 50. ISBN 1-55168-261-3.
* cite book
last=Coleman
first=Charles
title=The Trail of the Stanley Cup, Vol. 1, 1893–1926 inc.
year=1966
publisher=NHL

ee also

* [http://www.oilersheritage.com/history/early_leagues_NHA.html Oilers Heritage: The NHA]