Renfrew Creamery Kings

Lore & Background

The team was founded by Ambrose O'Brien, who had played varsity hockey at the University of Toronto and was financed by his father, mining magnate Senator M. J. O'Brien. In 1909, O'Brien's application to join the Canadian Hockey Association with his Renfrew team was rejected. Along with the Montreal Wanderers, he founded the NHA, adding franchises in Cobalt, Haileybury, and Montreal. The team was nicknamed the Creamery Kings after the town's best-known creamery, and later the Millionaires due to the over-the-top salaries paid to players. In its first season, Renfrew signed Frank Patrick and Lester Patrick for $3,000 each, and Cyclone Taylor for a record $5,250 for a two-month season. Midseason, O'Brien acquired Newsy Lalonde from the Canadiens, who became the NHA's first scoring champion. Coached by Alf Smith, the team finished third with an 8-3-1 record. Despite being a Stanley Cup favorite, Ottawa Senators player Bruce Stuart attributed the missed opportunity to a lack of confidence. In its second and final season, Renfrew lost Lalonde to the Canadiens and finished 8-8, with Don Smith and Odie Cleghorn as leading scorers. The team's last major professional game was a 7-6 win over the Wanderers on March 7, 1911. O'Brien folded the franchise because small towns like Renfrew could not support major senior hockey.

Reader's Guide

The Renfrew Creamery Kings represent a brief but extravagant chapter in early professional hockey, illustrating the impact of mining wealth on the sport. As a founding NHA franchise, the team helped establish the league that would evolve into the NHL. Its willingness to pay unprecedented salaries—most notably Cyclone Taylor's $5,250 for a two-month season—set a precedent for player compensation and attracted top talent, including multiple future Hall of Famers. The team's failure to win the Stanley Cup despite high expectations, attributed by a contemporary player to a lack of confidence, underscores the unpredictability of early hockey. The franchise's demise after only two seasons, due to the economic limitations of a small town, highlights the challenges faced by early professional teams in non-urban markets. The team's legacy is preserved through its Hall of Fame players and its role in the NHA's formation.

Did You Know?

• The team was also known as the Creamery Kings and the Millionaires.
• Cyclone Taylor received a record-setting salary of $5,250 for a two-month season.
• Newsy Lalonde, acquired midseason, became the NHA's first scoring champion.
• The team's only home arena was destroyed by fire in the late 1920s.