1902–03 Ottawa Hockey Club season

1902–03 Ottawa Hockey Club
Stanley Cup champions
League1st CAHL
1902–03 record6–2–0
Team information
General managerBob Shillington
CoachAlf Smith
CaptainHarvey Pulford
ArenaDey's Arena
Team leaders
GoalsFrank McGee (14)
Goals against averageBouse Hutton (3.80)

The 1902–03 Ottawa Hockey Club season was the club's 18th season of play. The club would win the CAHL championship in a playoff with the Montreal Victorias to win the Club's first Stanley Cup. For their win, the players would each be given a silver nugget. From that day forward, the club was nicknamed the Silver Seven.

Off-season

Defenceman and former captain Peg Duval left the team to sign with the Pittsburgh Victorias as a professional in the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League.

Regular season

Highlights

This season was the first season for Frank McGee and Art Moore. McGee would place second in the league scoring race with 14 goals in six games.

The season would be a two team race between Montreal Victorias and Ottawa, splitting their matches between each other. The season ended in a tie, which necessitated a two-game playoff, won by Ottawa to win their first Stanley Cup.

Final standing

Team Games Played Wins Losses Ties Goals For Goals Against
Ottawa Hockey Club
8
6
2
0
47
26
Montreal Victorias
8
6
2
0
48
33
Montreal Hockey Club
7
4
3
0
34
19
Quebec Hockey Club
7
3
4
0
30
46
Montreal Shamrocks
8
0
8
0
21
56

Schedule and results

Month Day Visitor Score Home Score
Jan. 3 Victorias 4 Ottawa 3
10 Ottawa 6 Shamrocks 1
17 Montreal 1 Ottawa 7
24 Ottawa 6 Quebec 8
Feb. 4 Shamrocks 2 Ottawa 5
7 Ottawa 9 Victorias 3
14 Quebec 6 Ottawa 1
21 Ottawa 4 Montreal 5

Goaltending averages

Name Club GP GA SO Avg.
Hutton, John Bouse Ottawa 8 30 0 3.80

Scoring Leaders

Name GP G
McGee, Frank 6 14
Gilmour, Billy 7 10
Gilmour, Dave 4 7
Gilmour, Suddy 7 7

Playoffs

Ottawa and Victorias played a two-game total-goals series.

Game one
March 7
Ottawa 1 at Victorias 1
John Hutton G Archie Lockerby
Harvey Pulford P Billy Strachan
Arthur Moore CP George Fairbank
Harry Westwick R Russell Bowie
Frank McGee C Bert Strachan 1
Billy Gilmour RW Charles Allan
Suddy Gilmour 1 LW Blair Russell
Dave Gilmour C-Sub
Referee – Harry Trihey
Game two
March 10
Victorias 0 at Ottawa 8
Archie Lockerby G John Hutton
Billy Strachan P Harvey Pulford
George Fairbank CP Arthur Moore
Bert Strachan C Frank McGee 3
Russell Bowie R Dave Gilmour 2
Blair Russell LW Billy Gilmour 1
Charles Allan RW Suddy Gilmour 2
Referee – Percy Quinn
Source: Ottawa Citizen[1]

The game was played at Dey's Arena on ice that was covered in water.

Stanley Cup challenges

Rat Portage vs. Ottawa

Ottawa defeated the Rat Portage Thistles 6–2, 4–2 (10–4) in a two-game, total goals series in Ottawa, March 12–14, 1903.

As the new CAHL and Cup champions, the Ottawas accepted a challenge from the Rat Portage Thistles of the Manitoba & Northwestern Hockey Association (MNWHA). Entering the best-of-three challenge series, the Thistles were younger and quicker than Ottawa; only one player on the Thistles was over the age of 20. Any chance that those factors could have helped the team was negated by soft ice conditions. Ottawa swept the series with scores of 6–2 and 4–2.

Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Location
March 12, 1903 Ottawa 6–2 Rat Portage Thistles Dey's Arena
March 14, 1903 Ottawa 4–2 Rat Portage Thistles
Ottawa wins best-of-three series 2 games to 0
Game one
March 12
Rat Portage 2 at Ottawa 6
Fred Dulmage G John Hutton
Mat Brown P Harvey Pulford
Tom Hooper CP Arthur Moore
Si Griffis R Dave Gilmour 1
Billy McGimsie 2 C Frank McGee 2
Bill Martin LW Billy Gilmour 3
Roxy Beaudro RW Suddy Gilmour
Referee- Harry Trihey

Source: Ottawa Citizen[2]

All of the goals were scored in the first half. Fred Westwick did not play due to his wife's illness.[2]

March 14
Rat Portage 2 at Ottawa 4
Fred Dulmage G John Hutton
Mat Brown P Harvey Pulford
Tom Hooper CP Dave Gilmour 1
Si Griffis R Frank McGee 2
Billy McGimsie 1 C Percy Sims 1
Bill Martin RW Billy Gilmour
Roxy Beaudro 1 LW Suddy Gilmour
Referee- Chauncy Kirby

Source: Ottawa Citizen[3]

For their win, the Ottawa players would each receive a silver nugget. From that point on the team would also be known as the Silver Seven.

Ottawa Hockey Club March 1903 Stanley Cup champions

Players

  Forwards
  Defencemen

Coaching and administrative staff

  • Placy Mituttler (President), Robert Shillington (manager)
  • Alf Smith (coach), A. Mutchamor (treasurer)
  • W. Halton (Secretary), Halder Kirby (club doctor)
  • Llewellyn Bates, Chauncy Kirby, Martin Rosenthal, Charles Sparks (directors),
  • Mac McGilton (Ass't Trainer), Pete Green (trainer)
  • Alf Smith did not play for Ottawa in 1903. However he was playing-coach for Ottawa Silver Sevens next 3 Stanley Cup winning seasons.


See also

References

  • Coleman, Charles L. (1966). The Trail of the Stanley Cup, Vol. 1, 1893–1926 inc.
  • Podnieks, Andrew (2004). Lord Stanley's Cup. Triumph Books. ISBN 1-55168-261-3.
  1. ^ "Champions Again Are The Ottawas". Ottawa Citizen. March 11, 1903. p. 6.
  2. ^ a b "Thistles Defeated in the First Match". Ottawa Citizen. March 13, 1903. p. 6.
  3. ^ "The Stanley Cup Remains In Ottawa". Ottawa Citizen. March 16, 1903. p. 6.
Preceded by Ottawa Hockey Club
1903 Stanley Cup Champions
1903 		Succeeded by