1910–11 NHA season


The 1910–11 NHA season was the second season of the now defunct National Hockey Association. The Ottawa Hockey Club won the league championship. Ottawa took over the Stanley Cup from the Montreal Wanderers and defended it against teams from Galt, Ontario, and Port Arthur, Ontario.

League business

The annual meeting was held November 12, 1910, electing the following executive:
Directors:
The Shamrocks resigned from the league and were not replaced. The Club Athletique-Canadien and the Quebec Hockey Club were granted franchises. Haileybury and Cobalt left the league. Club-Athletique-Canadien had made a claim on the Canadiens name and threatened a lawsuit if they were not granted a franchise. There are three written descriptions of this transaction. Coleman writes that George Kennedy, president of the CAC bought the Haileybury franchise. In Andy O'Brien's book, Ambrose O'Brien is quoted as saying that he sold the Canadiens to Kennedy. In Holzman's book, the franchise was given to Kennedy, but Kennedy had to pay O'Brien for the rights to Newsy Lalonde. In The Globe of March 7, 1911, it is claimed that Lalonde's sale was the first ever sale of a player.
The NHA decided to impose a $5,000 per team salary cap.
A second meeting, on November 26, 1910, updated the Board of Directors to:
The salary cap, while opposed by the players was upheld at the meeting.
Source: Coleman, p. 201–203.

Salary cap

The salary cap of $5000 per club caused a situation where Bruce Stuart of Ottawa threatened a mass defection to a new league. However, the players found that the Arena Company, owners of the Montreal Arena would not rent to the players. There was no other suitable arena in Montreal available for a new league and the players had no choice but to abandon the effort. 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.

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.

Regular season

Final standings

Stanley Cup challenges

Ottawa played two challenges after the season at The Arena in Ottawa.

Galt vs. Ottawa

Port Arthur vs. Ottawa

Marty Walsh was a "one-man wrecking crew", scoring ten goals against Port Arthur.

Post-season exhibition series

After the season a series was arranged between Renfrew and Montreal Wanderers and Ottawa to play in New York. Renfrew and Montreal played first, with the winner to play-off against Ottawa. After the Wanderers defeated Renfrew 18–5, Ottawa won a $2,500 prize for the two-game series winning 12–7.
Ottawa and Montreal then played a two-game series in Boston on March 22 and March 25, 1911. Ottawa won a $2,500 purse by a total score of 13–11. Ottawa had picked up Cyclone Taylor from Renfrew to play in the Boston exhibition games.
DateWinning TeamScoreLosing TeamLocation
March 17, 1911Montreal Wanderers14–4RenfrewSt. Nicholas Rink, New York
March 18, 1911Montreal Wanderers4–1RenfrewSt. Nicholas Rink, New York
March 20, 1911Ottawa7–2Montreal WanderersSt. Nicholas Rink, New York
March 21, 1911Montreal Wanderers8–5OttawaSt. Nicholas Rink, New York
March 22, 1911Montreal Wanderers7–5OttawaBoston Arena, Massachusetts
March 25, 1911Ottawa8–4Montreal WanderersBoston Arena, Massachusetts
----Boston Arena, Massachusetts
----Boston Arena, Massachusetts

; Sources:
† Protested by Renfrew.
‡ Replay of protested game.

Player statistics

Goaltending averages

Scoring leaders

PlayerTeam
Ottawa Senators163551
Ottawa Senators163345
Renfrew Creamery Kings162649
Ottawa Senators162351
Renfrew Creamery Kings162066
Montreal Canadiens161963
Montreal Canadiens161922
Montreal Wanderers111826
Ottawa Senators161836
Montreal Wanderers161731

Ottawa Hockey Club 1911 Stanley Cup Champions