1903 CAHL season

1903 CAHL season
League Canadian Amateur Hockey League
Sport ice hockey
Duration January 3 – February 28, 1903
Number of teams 5
1903
Champion Ottawa Hockey Club
Top scorer Russell Bowie (22 goals)

The 1903 Canadian Amateur Hockey League (CAHL) season was the fifth season of the league. Teams played an eight game schedule. Ottawa and Montreal Victorias tied for the league championship with records of six wins and two losses. Ottawa defeated the Victorias in a two-game playoff to win the season and their first Stanley Cup championship, the first of "Silver Seven" era.

League business

Executive

It was decided that league champions would not play for the Stanley Cup until after the season. If a challenge was ordered by the Cup trustees Montreal would default the Cup. A challenge was ordered by the Trustees and Montreal eventually agreed to play Winnipeg in January during regular season play.

This season saw the loss of several players to Hockey Leagues in the U.S., including Charlie Liffiton, Hod Stuart, Bruce Stuart, Eddie Hogan and George McCarron.

Season

Highlights

This season saw several impressive rookies including Frank McGee and Art Moore for Ottawa.

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 playoff, won by Ottawa to win their first Stanley Cup. At the other end of the standing, Shamrocks did not win any games.

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

Playoffs

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

March 7
Ottawa HC 1 at Victorias 1
John "Bouse" Hutton G Archie Lockerby
Harvey Pulford, Capt P Billy Strachan
Arthur Moore CP George Fairbank
Harry Westwick RO Russell Bowie, Capt
Frank McGee C Bert Strachan 1
Billy Gilmour RW Charles Allan
Suddy Gilmour 1 LW Blair Russell
Dave Gilmour C-Sub
Referee – Harry Trihey
March 10
Victorias 0 at Ottawa HC 8
Archie Lockerby G John "Bouse" Hutton
Billy Strachan P Harvey Pulford, Capt
George Fairbank CP Arthur Moore
Bert Strachan RO Frank McGee 3
Russell Bowie, Capt C Dave Gilmour 2
Blair Russell LW Billy Gilmour 1
Charles Allan RW Suddy Gilmour 2
Referee – Percy Quinn

Stanley Cup challenges

Winnipeg vs. Montreal

Another Montreal HC vs. Winnipeg Victorias best-of-three challenge series was held in early 1903. In game one, defending champion Montreal defeated Winnipeg, 8–1. game two was the first Stanley Cup challenge match to be replayed. Both teams skated to a 2–2 tie before the game had to be suspended at 27:00 of overtime because of a midnight curfew. It was then decided to discard the result and replay the game two days later. In the rescheduled contest, the Victorias won, 4–2, to even the series. However, Montreal won the decisive game three, 4–1, to retain the Cup.

Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Location
January 29, 1903Montreal HC8–1Winnipeg VictoriasMontreal Arena
January 31, 1903Suspended at 27:00 of overtime due to curfew and the 2–2 tie was discarded
February 2, 1903Winnipeg Victorias4–2Montreal HC
February 4, 1903Montreal HC4–1Winnipeg Victorias
Montreal wins best-of-three series 2 games to 1

Rat Portage vs. Ottawa HC

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. However, poor soft ice conditions in Ottawa played a major factor as Ottawa swept the series with scores of 6–2 and 4–2.

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

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.

Schedule and results

Month Day Visitor Score Home Score
Jan. 3 Victorias 4 Ottawa 3
3 Shamrocks 0 Montreal 10
10 Ottawa 6 Shamrocks 1
10 Victorias 11 Quebec 5
17 Montreal 1 Ottawa 7
17 Quebec 5 Shamrocks 3
21 Montreal 5 Victorias 2
24 Ottawa 6 Quebec 8
24 Victorias 12 Shamrocks 7
31† Quebec Montreal
Feb. 4 Shamrocks 2 Ottawa 5
7 Montreal 9 Quebec 3
7 Ottawa 7 Victorias 6
11 Victorias 7 Shamrocks 3
14 Quebec 3 Ottawa 10
14 Montreal 6 Shamrocks 1
21 Ottawa 3 Montreal 1
21 Shamrocks 4 Quebec 5
25 Montreal 2 Victorias 3
28 Quebec 1 Victorias 3

[1]

† Postponed and not played.

Player statistics

Goaltending averages

Note: GP = Games played, GA = Goals against, SO = Shutouts, GAA = Goals against average

Name Club GP GA SO GAA
Archie Lockerby Victorias 3 6 2.0
Billy Nicholson Montreal 7 19 1 2.7
Bouse Hutton Ottawa 8 26 2 3.3
Jim Nichol Victorias 5 27 5.4
Paddy Moran Quebec 7 46 6.6
Patrick O'Reilly Shamrocks 8 56 7.0

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals scored

Name Club GP G
Russell Bowie Victorias 7 22
Frank McGee Ottawa 6 14
Herb Jordan Quebec 7 12
Billy Gilmour Ottawa 7 10
Archie Hooper Montreal 6 9
Jack Marshall Montreal 7 8
Blair Russell Victorias 8 7
Dave Gilmour Ottawa 4 7
Suddy Gilmour Ottawa 7 7
Harry Bright Shamrocks 8 7

Montreal Hockey Club February 1903 Stanley Cup champions

Roster

  Forwards
  Defencemen
  • Billy Bellingham (point)
  • Dickie Boon (coverpoint-captain)
  • Tom Hodge (point-coverpoint)
  Goaltenders


  Coaching and administrative staff
  • C. G. Chitty (President)†, Clarence McKerrow (Manager), D. Browne (Coach)†
  • H. C. Dewitt (Hon. Secretary/Treasurer)†, Frank Bicherdike (Director),
  • George James (Director), Paul Lefbvre (Trainer)†
  • † 3 non-players first names remain unknown.

Ottawa Hockey Club March 1903 Stanley Cup champions

Roster

  Forwards
  Defencemen
  Goaltenders


  Coaching and administrative staff
  • Placy Mituttler (President), Robert Shillington (Manager)
  • Alf Smith (Coach), A. Mutchamor (Treasurer)†
  • W. Halton (Secretary)†, Halder Kirby (Club Doctor), Jack Smith (Director)
  • 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.

† Two executives first name remain unknown

See also

References

  1. ↑ Coleman 1966, p. 79.
Preceded by
Montreal Hockey Club
1902		 Montreal Hockey Club
Stanley Cup Champions
January 1903 		Succeeded by
Ottawa HC
1903
Preceded by
Montreal Hockey Club
January 1903		 Ottawa Hockey Club
1903 Stanley Cup Champions
1903 		Succeeded by
Ottawa Hockey Club
1904
Preceded by
1902		 CAHL seasons
1903 		Succeeded by
1904
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, April 04, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.