1923 Stanley Cup

Lore & Background

In the NHL playoff, the Senators defeated the Montreal Canadiens in a 2-game total-goal series by a close 3–2 score. Billy Coutu charged Cy Denneny and Sprague Cleghorn butt-ended Lionel Hitchman in the first game; Canadiens manager Leo Dandurand suspended both players. Odie Cleghorn and Didier Pitre played in their place, but Ottawa won the series. Ottawa brought Montreal Canadiens right wing Billy Boucher west with them, but Frank Patrick ruled that the undermanned Senators could not use him. The injury-riddled Senators then defeated Vancouver three games to one in the semi-finals.

In Their Own Story

The ice at Dey's Arena shimmered under the gas lights as Cy Denneny skated toward center ice. The crowd roared, a wall of sound that vibrated through the wooden boards. He tapped his stick against the frozen surface, signaling to Punch Broadbent and Eddie Gerard. Tonight was about more than points; it was about legacy. As the puck dropped, the Senators surged forward with practiced precision, leaving no doubt who ruled this rink.

Reader's Guide

In the first game, Edmonton led 1–0 on a goal by Crutchy Morrison before Lionel Hitchman tied it in the third period. Duke Keats of Edmonton was awarded a penalty shot but failed to score. Cy Denneny, despite suffering from a concussion, scored after two minutes of overtime to win the game. In the second game, the Senators got a first-period goal from Harry Broadbent and played six-man defence. Shots: Senators 48, Edmonton 68. Several players could not play the whole game, including Eddie Gerard and Georges Boucher. Lionel Hitchman played with a broken nose in a plaster. Harry Helman played despite a cut to his face from Frank Nighbor's skates. Cy Denneny had been cut in the leg by the skate of Vancouver's Smokey Harris. King Clancy took a turn in all positions, including goal for Clint Benedict for two minutes when Benedict was serving a penalty—the only time a player played all six positions in a Stanley Cup Final game.

Did You Know?

• This was the last Finals series until 1983 to be contested by a team from Edmonton.
• Both games were played in Vancouver, making this the last Finals until 2020 played entirely at a neutral site.
• King Clancy played all six positions in the second game, including goal for two minutes—the only time this has happened in a Stanley Cup Final game.
• The Senators never engraved their name on the Cup for the 1923 championship; it was added to the collar in 1948.