Ice hockey in Ottawa

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.

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. [Citation|newspaper=Ottawa Evening Journal|date=March 8, 1889]

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.

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.

Early Professional Era

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

* Eastern Canada Hockey Association (1909)
* Canadian Hockey Association (1910)
* National Hockey Association (1910)
* National Hockey League (1917)

The Ottawa HC also played in the Federal Amateur Hockey League, which became professional in 1908. Ottawa HC played in the league before it became professional, but a second Senators professional team composed of former Silver Seven players, played in the then Federal Hockey League along with future NHA founders, the Renfrew Creamery Kings during the 1909 season.

In 1934, the Ottawa Hockey Association, the Senators NHL club owners, would split its hockey operations. The NHL club would relocate to St. Louis, Missouri and become the Eagles. The Eagles would play one season in St. Louis before the NHL bought out the Association and disperse the players. Separately, the Ottawa Senators were continued as a senior amateur team, the '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 in Quebec, including those the original Ottawa HC played before the rise of professionalism in hockey. The club would continue until 1954, dissolving after crowds dwindled, citing the rise of hockey on television. The club would win the Allan Cup in 1949.

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.

Post-War teams

After World War II, Ottawa's RCAF Flyers, a senior amateur team, played in the 1948 Winter Olympics, representing Canada and winning the gold medal. The club had won the Allan Cup in 1942.

The Senior Senators helped to found the Quebec Senior Hockey League in 1945. While unaffiliated with any NHL team, players were often the property of the Montreal Canadiens or former Ottawa-born NHLers. Larry Regan, future GM of the Los Angeles Kings played for the Senators before moving to the American Hockey League. The QSHL became the QHL professional league when the Canadiens bought the league to get Jean Beliveau's contract in 1953. By then, Tommy Gorman, who had owned the club when it was a member of the NHL, was back as owner of the team and the Ottawa Auditorium. In the face of national broadcasts on Saturday nights of the Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs, he suspended the club in December 1954. After the Senior Senators dissolved in 1954, the senior Hull-Ottawa Canadiens were formed, an affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, managed by future hall of famers Scotty Bowman and Sam Pollock. The club started play in the Ontario Hockey Association, and moved to the Eastern Professional Hockey League in 1959, playing four seasons before disbanding in 1963.

Major Junior Hockey

* Ottawa Junior Canadiens, 1956–1963

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.

Today

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.

CHL

* Ottawa 67s, Gatineau Olympiques

Junior 'A'

* Cumberland Grads, Kanata Stallions, Nepean Raiders, Orleans Blues, Ottawa Jr. Senators

Associations

* Ottawa District Minor Hockey Association

Facilities

Major

* Scotiabank Place
* Ottawa Civic Centre
* Robert Guertin Arena

Arenas

* Bell Sensplex
* Jim Durrell Arena
* Nepean Sportsplex
* Sandy Hill Arena
* Tom Brown Arena

References & Notes