The 1906 ECAHA season was the inaugural season of the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA). Six teams played a 10-game schedule. The Ottawa HC and Montreal Wanderers tied for the league championship with a record of 9–1, while the Montreal Shamrocks failed to win a single game. The Senators and the Wanderers then played a two-game playoff for the league championship and the Stanley Cup, and the Wanderers won 9–1, 3–9 (12–10) on goals.
League business
Executive Initial:
Howard Wilson, Montreal (President) George P. Murphy, Ottawa (1st Vice-President) Dr. Cameron (2nd Vice-President) James Strachan, Wanderers (Secretary-Treasurer)
After December 20: Howard Wilson, Montreal (President) William Northey, Montreal Arena Corp. (Secretary-Treasurer)
Rule Changes
Teams must appoint game timers for each game, a two referee system was adopted, new Arena Trophy would be awarded to the regular season winner, three-quarters vote would be needed to admit new teams, if a team resigns, all of its played games would be considered cancelled, $25 fine for delay of start of game, and $50 charge to make a protest, non-refundable.
Regular season
The Ottawas played two Cup challenges during the regular season, defeating Queen's College of Kingston, the OHA champion, and defeating Smiths Falls, the FAHL champion.
Highlights
This season saw many new players. Wanderers brought in Lester Patrick, Ernie Johnson and Ernie Russell and Ottawa brought in Harry and Tommy Smith.
Fred Brophy, of Montreal HC, repeated his goal-scoring performance from the goaltender position in a game against Montreal Victorias on March 7.
Again, the league was high scoring, with Harry Smith scoring 31 goals in 8 games, Russell Bowie scoring 30 goals in 9 games, and Frank McGee scoring 28 goals in 7 games. Mr. Smith scored 6 in one game, 5 in another, topped by 8 against the Shamrocks on February 17. Mr. McGee would equal the 8 goals in a game feat against Montreal HC on March 3. Seven players scored at least 5 goals in a single game.
Final standing
Playoff qualifiers in bold.
Note GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against Team GP W L T GF GA Ottawa Hockey Club 10 9 1 0 90 42 Montreal Wanderers 10 9 1 0 74 38 Montreal Victorias 10 6 4 0 76 73 Quebec Hockey Club 10 3 7 0 57 70 Montreal Hockey Club 10 3 7 0 49 63 Montreal Shamrocks 10 0 10 0 30 90
Results Month Day Visitor Score Home Score Jan. 3 Montreal HC 9 Shamrocks 3 6 Quebec HC 3 Ottawa HC 6 6 Wanderers 11 Victorias 5 10 Victorias 9 Shamrocks 7 13 Quebec HC 10 Victorias 11 (OT) 13 Wanderers 4 Ottawa HC 8 17 Shamrocks 2 Wanderers 3 (OT) 20 Wanderers 6 Quebec HC 5 20 Ottawa HC 4 Montreal HC 1 24 Victorias 11 Shamrocks 2 27 Quebec HC 3 Shamrocks 1 27 Victorias 6 Ottawa HC 11 31 Wanderers 6 Montreal HC 2 Feb. 3 Victorias 6 Quebec HC 2 3 Ottawa HC 3 Wanderers 5 7 Montreal HC 4 Shamrocks 1 10 Shamrocks 8 Quebec HC 14 10 Ottawa HC 10 Victorias 4 14 Wanderers 6 Montreal HC 2 17 Shamrocks 2 Ottawa HC 13 17 Quebec HC 7 Montreal HC 6 (OT 15'20") 21 Wanderers 9 Victorias 4 25 Ottawa HC 9 Shamrocks 3 25 Montreal HC 5 Quebec HC 2 28 Victorias 6 Montreal HC 5 Mar. 3 Montreal HC 9 Ottawa HC 14 3 Quebec HC 6 Wanderers 9 7 Montreal HC 6 Victorias 14 10 Ottawa HC 12 Quebec HC 5 10 Wanderers 15 Shamrocks 1
Player statistics
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals scored Name Club GP G Harry Smith Ottawa HC 8 31Russell Bowie Victorias 9 30Frank McGee Ottawa HC 7 28Joe Power Quebec HC 10 21Ernie Russell Wanderers 6 21Walter Smaill Montreal HC 10 17Lester Patrick Wanderers 9 17Herb Jordan Quebec HC 8 16Alf Smith Ottawa HC 10 13Ernie Johnson Montreal HC 10 12
Goaltending averages
Note: GP = Games played, GA = Goals against, SO = Shutouts, GAA = Goals against average Name Club GP GA SO GAA Henri Menard Wanderers 10 38 3.8 Billy Hague Ottawa HC 10 42 4.2 Fred Brophy Montreal HC 10 63 6.3 Nathan Frye Victorias 8 52 6.5 Paddy Moran Quebec HC 10 70 7.0 Mike Kenny Shamrocks 8 64 8.0 Oliver Waugh Victorias 2 21 10.5 Jack Brennan Shamrocks 2 26 13.0
Playoffs
Stanley Cup challenges The Ottawas played two Cup challenges during the regular season, defeating Queen's College of Kingston, the OHA champion, and defeating Smiths Falls, the FAHL champion.
Queen's University vs. Ottawa Hockey Club Silver Sevens
Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Location February 27, 1906 Ottawa HC 16–7 Queen's University Dey's Arena February 28, 1906 Ottawa HC 12–7 Queen's UniversityOttawa wins best-of-three series 2 games to 0
+ Feb 27, 1906 Queen's University 7 Ottawa Hockey Club Silver Sevens 16 Dick Mills G Billy Hague Hugh McDonnell P Harvey Pulford, Capt. Eric Sutherland CP Arthur Moore Marty Walsh 2 R Harry Westwick 4 Vernon Crawford 1 C Frank McGee 4 George Richardson 2 RW Alf Smith 5 William Dobson 2 LW Harry Smith 3 Referees R. Meldrum, Frank Patrick Spare - Queens University - B. Sutherland -C Spares - Ottawa - Hamilton "Billy" Gilmour -RW, Tommy Smith -C, Stephen "Coo" Dion -F, Jack Ebbs -F.
+ Feb 28, 1906 Queen's University 7 Ottawa Hockey Club Silver Sevens 12 Dick Mills G Billy Hague Hugh McDonnell P Harvey Pulford, Capt. 1 Eric Sutherland 1 CP Arthur Moore 2 Marty Walsh 2 R Harry Westwick 2 Bruce Sutherland 1 C Frank McGee 2 George Richardson 1 RW Alf Smith 2 William Dobson 1 LW Harry Smith 5 Referees R. Meldrum, Frank Patrick Spare - Queen's University - V.W. Crawford -C Spares - Ottawa - Hamilton "Billy" Gilmour -RW, Tommy Smith -C, Stephen "Coo" Dion -F, Jack Ebbs -F. The lopsided score of the first game gave indications that the series would be quickly over. One interesting emergence was that of Marty Walsh. Walsh would help hold Ottawa to a 5–3 lead, scoring two goals. In the game's second half, Ottawa broke away after the score was made 5–4 with nine unanswered goals.Queen's Swamped The Montreal Gazette. February 28, 1906. Ottawa would win game one by a score of 16–7. The game featured many multiple-goal scorers Westwick, McGee, and A. Smith. H Smith for the Senators, and Richardson, Dobbson, and Walsh would each score two for Queen's.
Smiths Falls vs. Ottawa
Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Location March 6, 1906 Ottawa Hockey Club 6–5 Smiths Falls Hockey Club Dey's Arena March 8, 1906 Ottawa Hockey Club 8–2 Smiths Falls Hockey ClubOttawa wins best-of-three series 2 games to 0
+ March 6, 1906 Smith Falls Hockey Club 5 Ottawa Hockey Club 6 Percy Lesueur, Capt. G Billy Hague Harry Brown 1 P Harvey Pulford, Capt. Harold Armstrong 1 CP Arthur Moore Hugh Ross R Harry Westwick Art Serviss 2 C Frank McGee 5 Bob May RW Alf Smith 1 Jack Fraser 1 LW Harry Smith Referees R. Meldrum, Frank Patrick Spares - Smith Falls - Unknown Spares - Ottawa - Hamilton "Billy" Gilmour -RW, Tommy Smith -C, "Coo" Dion -F, Jack Ebbs -F.
+ March 8, 1906 Smith Falls Hockey Club 2 Ottawa Hockey Club 8 Percy Lesueur, Capt. G Billy Hague Harry Brown P Harvey Pulford, Capt. Harold Armstrong CP Arthur Moore Hugh Ross 1 R Harry Westwick 2 Art Serviss C Frank McGee 4 Bob May RW Alf Smith 1 Jack Fraser 1 LW Harry Smith 1 Referees R. Meldrum, Frank Patrick Spares - Smith Falls - Unknown Spares - Ottawa - Hamilton "Billy" Gilmour -RW, Tommy Smith -C, "Coo" Dion -F, Jack Ebbs -F.
ECAHA Playoff
As the season produced a tie for the season championship, the defending champion Ottawas and Wanderers played a two-game playoff, with the winner being awarded the Stanley Cup. The series took place on March 14 in Montreal and March 17 in Ottawa. The Wanderers would win the series 9–1, 3–9 (12–10) in dramatic fashion..
Game one Ottawa was installed as 2–1 betting favourites, but the Wanderers upset the bookies.Whitehead, pg. 31 In the first game in Montreal, the Wanderers dominated Ottawa, as Ernie Russell got four goals, Frank Glass got three and Moose Johnson would get two for a 9–1 victory.
Game two
After the first game, the Ottawas would replace their goalie Billy Hague with the Smiths Falls goalie Percy LeSueur in to play his first game for the club. Despite being down by eight goals, interest in Ottawa for the return match was high. Rush seats on sale the day of the game produced a throng that caused the ticket seller's glass to break. The venue, Dey's Arena, was modified to hold more spectators, including setting up temporary bleachers, removing the grandstand which had been used as a press box, and the installation of a press box attached to the rafters. Over 5,400 would attend the game and the top $2 tickets were being sold for $10. Betting interest was high, including one $12,000 bet.
After twelve minutes, the first goal was scored by the Wanderers' Moose Johnson to increase the goal lead to nine. Ottawa's Frank McGee, Harry Smith, and McGee again scored before half-time, cutting the deficit to 10–4. Harry Smith would score to open the second half, followed by Rat Westwick. Then Westwick scored again to make it 10–7 before Harry Smith scored three straight goals to make the score 9–1, evening the series with ten minutes to play to tie the series, causing a five-minute standing ovation. With seven minutes to play Smith was sent off for the rest of the game and Lester Patrick would score with ninety seconds to play to put the Wanderers back in the lead. Patrick would ice the game with a goal with a few seconds to play. The Silver Seven reign was over.Whitehead, pg. 34
The Toronto Globe called it the "greatest game of hockey ever played on Canadian ice, or any other." The Sporting News would later dub it the "Greatest Hockey Game in History." Moose Johnson would end up with the Governor-General's top hat. It had been knocked off of the Earl Grey's head, and a fan had snatched it up, giving it to Johnson later in the dressing room.Whitehead, pp. 34–35
Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Location March 14, 1906 Montreal Wanderers 9–1 Ottawa HC Montreal Arena March 17, 1906 Ottawa HC 9–3 Montreal Wanderers Dey's ArenaMontreal wins total goals series 12 goals to 10 + March 14, 1906 Ottawa Hockey Club 1 Montreal Wanderers 9 Player G Pos Player G Bill Hague G Henri "Doc" Menard Harvey Pulford, Capt. P Billy Strachan Arthur Moore CP Rod Kennedy Harry Westwick R Lester Patrick Capt. 1 Frank McGee C Frank "Pud" Glass 3 Alf Smith RW Ernie Russell 4 Harry Smith 1 LW Ernie "Moose" Johnson 1 Referees R. Meldrum, and Brophy Spares - Montreal Wanderers - Josh Arnold -RW, Cecil Blachford -RW injured-playing Coach, Spares - Ottawa - Hamilton "Billy" Gilmour -RW, Tommy Smith -C, "Coo" Dion -F, Jack Ebbs -F.
+ March 17, 1906 Montreal Wanderers 3 Ottawa Hockey Club 9 Player G Pos Player G Henri "Doc" Menard G Percy Lesueur Billy Strachan P Harvey Pulford, Capt. Rod Kennedy CP Arthur Moore Lester Patrick Capt. 2 R Harry Westwick 1 Frank "Pud" Glass C Frank McGee 2 Ernie Russell RW Alf Smith 1 Ernie "Moose" Johnson 1 LW Harry Smith 5 Referees R. Meldrum, and Brophy Spares - Montreal Wanderers - Josh Arnold -RW, Cecil Blachford -RW injured-playing Coach Spares - Ottawa - Billy Hague -G, Hamilton "Billy" Gilmour -RW, Tommy Smith -C, "Coo" Dion -F, Jack Ebbs -F.
Because of the need for the play-off, no challenges were made against western teams until the following winter. Ottawa had won Stanley Cup challenges that season, which meant that the 1906 season would have two Stanley Cup holders: Ottawa until March, and Montreal Wanderers for the balance of the year.
Stanley Cup engravings
The 1906 Stanley Cup was presented twice by the trophy's trustee William Foran.
+ 1906 Ottawa Hockey Club Players Forwards Tommy Smith (centre) Frank McGee (rover) Billy Gilmour (right wing) Harry Smith (left wing) Harry Westwick (also played Rover) Jack Ebbs Stephen Coo Dion Alf Smith (right wing-playing-Coach) Defencemen Harvey Pulford (point-Captain) Arthur Moore (cover point) Goaltender Billy Hague
non-players = George P. Murphy (President) & Robert T. "Bob" Shillington (manager)