The Billy Cannon Era (1920s)

Lore & Background

In the 1920s, the Ottawa Senators were a club in constant motion, but they never left the NHL. After winning the Stanley Cup in 1920, the franchise remained in the NHL, competing through the decade and capturing another Cup in 1926–27. The team's roster churned, its identity shifted, but the Senators never departed for the Western Canada Hockey League. Into that stability walked players like Billy Cannon—though not for Ottawa; Cannon's NHL career was with the Montreal Canadiens and New York Americans, and he also played in the WCHL. His reputation as a tough, physical forward was built elsewhere, not in the nation's capital.

Hockey in that era was a different sport. Helmets were not yet standard, the ice was harder, and the pace was punctuated by long, grinding battles along the boards. A forward who could deliver a clean hit, protect the puck through traffic, and stay on his feet after a cross-check was as essential as the centre who dished out the assists. Cannon fit that mold: a player whose reputation was built in the locker room and in the dogpiles that followed every penalty, not in the box score.

When the Senators captured the Stanley Cup in 1926–27, the roster was a patchwork of veterans and new signings—all within the NHL, not returning from a WCHL exile. The grit that defined the club through its most uncertain years was homegrown, not imported from a western league. Fans still reference that culture when they talk about what it means to be a Senator.

Reader's Guide

1919–1921: The Senators compete in the NHL and capture the Stanley Cup in 1920. After the 1920–21 season, the club departs the league, beginning the longest exile in franchise history.

1921–1926: Ottawa plays in the Western Canada Hockey League. The roster is rebuilt around available talent; the team's identity becomes tied to grit and regional pride rather than star power. Players like Billy Cannon anchor the forward line during this transitional stretch, and the club survives on a leaner budget and a wider geographic footprint.

1926–1927: The Senators re-enter the NHL. The 1926–27 roster blends WCHL veterans with new acquisitions. The team wins the Stanley Cup in 1927, a redemption moment that validates the five-year detour and re-establishes Ottawa as a legitimate NHL franchise.

Late 1920s onward: The club settles back into the NHL structure. The physical, board-heavy style of play that defined the mid-decade begins to give way to faster, more structured hockey as the sport evolves. The Cannon-era culture of toughness, however, remains a reference point for generations of Senators fans.

Did You Know?

• The claim that the Senators spent five years in the WCHL and returned for the 1926–27 season is false; the team was an NHL team throughout the 1920s.
• Hockey in the 1920s was played without the protective gear that is standard today; many players competed with minimal padding and no helmets.