1923 Stanley Cup Final
Ottawa Senators defeated Edmonton Eskimos in two games.
The 1923 Stanley Cup Final was played between the NHL champion Ottawa Senators and the WCHL champion Edmonton Eskimos. The previous playoff format, which had the WCHL champion face the PCHA champion before meeting the NHL champion, was dropped. Instead, the Senators first had to defeat the PCHA champion Vancouver Maroons in a best-of-three semifinal series, then take on the Eskimos in the final. Both games of the final were held in Vancouver, making it the last Finals series played entirely at a neutral site until 2020. It was also the last Finals until 1983 to feature a team from Edmonton.
In the NHL playoffs, Ottawa beat the Montreal Canadiens in a two-game, total-goal series by a narrow 3–2 margin. During the first game, Billy Coutu charged Cy Denneny, and Sprague Cleghorn butt-ended Lionel Hitchman. Montreal manager Leo Dandurand suspended both players for their actions. Odie Cleghorn and Didier Pitre filled in well, but Ottawa won the series. The Senators brought Montreal right wing Billy Boucher west with them, hoping to use him, but Frank Patrick ruled that the undermanned team could not. Ottawa then faced Vancouver in the semifinals. Despite being injury-riddled, the Senators won the best-of-three series three games to one.
In the first game of the final, Edmonton led 1–0 on a goal by Crutchy Morrison. The ailing Lionel Hitchman tied the game in the third period. Edmonton’s Duke Keats was awarded a penalty shot but failed to score. Cy Denneny, playing with a concussion, scored after two minutes of overtime to win the game for Ottawa. In the second game, the Senators got a first-period goal from Harry Broadbent and held on for the win by playing six-man defence. Shot totals were 48 for Ottawa and 68 for Edmonton. Several players could not play the full game, including Eddie Gerard and Georges Boucher. Lionel Hitchman played with a broken nose in a plaster cast. Harry Helman played despite a cut to his face from Frank Nighbor’s skate, suffered in practice. Cy Denneny had been cut in the leg by Vancouver’s Smokey Harris. King Clancy, serving as a super-sub, played all six positions, including goal for two minutes in the third period while Clint Benedict served a penalty—at the time, goalies had to serve their own penalties. This remains the only time a player has played every position in a Stanley Cup Final game.
Quick Facts
- Year
- 1923
- Dates
- March 29–31, 1923
- Format
- best-of-three
- Table-Note
- – Denotes overtime period(s)
- Series Winner
- Punch Broadbent (11:23, first)
- Coaches
- Ottawa: Pete Green / Edmonton: Ken McKenzie
- Captains
- Ottawa: Eddie Gerard / Edmonton: Duke Keats
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The previous playoff format, in which the PCHA champion met the WCHL champion before facing the NHL champion, was abandoned. Instead, the PCHA champion Vancouver Maroons played the NHL champion Ottawa Senators in a best-of-three semi-final, which the injury-riddled Senators won three games to one. Ottawa then faced the WCHL champion Edmonton Eskimos in the Finals. Both games were played in Vancouver, making this the last Finals until 2020 held entirely at a neutral site.
In Game 1, Edmonton led 1–0 on a goal by Crutchy Morrison before Lionel Hitchman tied the game in the third period. Duke Keats of Edmonton was awarded a penalty shot but failed to score. Cy Denneny, playing with a concussion, scored after two minutes of overtime to win the game. In Game 2, Harry Broadbent scored a first-period goal and the Senators played six-man defence to preserve the 1–0 win. Shots on goal totaled 48 for Ottawa and 68 for Edmonton. Several players were injured: Eddie Gerard and Georges Boucher could not play the whole game; Lionel Hitchman played with a broken nose in a plaster; Harry Helman played with a cut face from Frank Nighbor's skates; Cy Denneny had a cut leg from Vancouver's Smokey Harris. King Clancy played all six positions, including goal for two minutes while Clint Benedict served a penalty—the only time a player has done so in a Stanley Cup Final game.
Reader's Guide
The 1923 Stanley Cup Final marked the end of an era in several ways. It was the last Finals series until 1983 to feature a team from Edmonton, and the last until 2020 to be played entirely at a neutral site. The series also highlighted the physical toll of early professional hockey: multiple Senators players competed with significant injuries, and the use of a 'super-sub' like King Clancy, who played every position including goal, underscored the roster limitations of the time. The Ottawa Senators did not engrave their name on the Cup for this championship; the words '1923 Ottawa Senators' were not added until the trophy was redesigned in 1948. The series also saw the first penalty shot awarded in a Stanley Cup Final, though Duke Keats failed to convert. The two-game sweep by Ottawa, despite being outshot 68–48 in the second game, demonstrated the team's defensive resilience and the importance of goaltending in the era before forward passing was fully allowed.
Did You Know?
- This was the last Stanley Cup Final until 1983 to be contested by a team from Edmonton.
- King Clancy played all six positions in Game 2, including goal for two minutes, the only time a player has done so in a Stanley Cup Final game.
- The Ottawa Senators never engraved their name on the Cup for the 1923 championship; it was added only in 1948 when the trophy was redesigned.
More in Defunct Ice Hockey Teams, Part 5 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced