1927 NHL Championship Series

Lore & Background

Generally acknowledged by hockey historians as one of the greatest teams of the early days of the sport, the club won numerous championships, starting with the 1891 to 1893 Ontario championships. Ottawa HC played in the first season during which the Stanley Cup was challenged in 1893, and first won the Cup in 1903, holding the championship until 1906 (the Silver Seven years). The club repeated its success in the 1920s, winning the Stanley Cup in 1920, 1921, 1923 and 1927 (the Super Six years). In total, the club won the Stanley Cup 11 times, including challenges during two years it did not win the Cup for the season. In 1950, Canadian sports editors selected the Ottawa HC/Senators as Canada's greatest team in the first half of the 20th century.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Ottawa Auditorium was thick with anticipation and the sharp scent of pine tar from the freshly laid ice. As the puck dropped for Game One, a hush fell over the crowd, broken only by the rhythmic slap of skates against the frozen surface. Cy Denneny, his face set in determination, skated low to receive a pass, his eyes scanning the Boston defense. In that split second, the history of the city seemed to hang in the balance, waiting for the roar that would follow the next move.

Reader's Guide

The club was one of the first organized clubs in the early days of the sport of ice hockey, playing in the Montreal Winter Carnival ice hockey tournaments in the early 1880s and founding the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada and the Ontario Hockey Association. Along with the rise of professionalism in ice hockey in the first decade of the 1900s, the club changed to a professional team and were founding members of the National Hockey Association (NHA) and its successor, the National Hockey League. The club competed in the NHL until the 1933–34 season. Due to financial difficulties, the NHL franchise relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, to become the St. Louis Eagles. The organization continued the Senators as an amateur, and later semi-professional, team in Quebec senior men's leagues until 1954. The 'Senior Senators' would win two Allan Cup titles: in 1943, and 1949. When the current Ottawa Senators debuted in 1992, they adopted the original team's black, red and white color scheme and nickname.

Did You Know?

• The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, founded in 1883.
• The team was known as the Silver Seven from 1903 to 1907.
• The club won the Stanley Cup in 1920, 1921, 1923 and 1927.
• The original Senators franchise relocated to St. Louis in 1934 to become the St. Louis Eagles.

Foundational Origins

The Ottawa Hockey Club emerged in 1883 as a pioneering force in ice hockey, established by enthusiasts Halder Kirby, Jack Kerr, and Frank Jenkins following their attendance at the Montreal Winter Carnival. As the first organized club not only in Ottawa but across Ontario, they initially lacked opponents, limiting their early winter to practices at the Royal Rink. Green serving as its first president. Despite early challenges like facility shortages and smallpox outbreaks that halted play, the team revitalized under publisher P.D. Ross in the late 1880s. This era saw the adoption of various nicknames, including 'Generals' derived from their insignia, and a transition through different color schemes before solidifying their identity as a cornerstone of Canadian hockey history.

Championship Dominance

Widely recognized by historians as one of the sport's greatest early teams, the Ottawa franchise amassed an impressive collection of titles spanning decades. In total, the club claimed the Stanley Cup eleven times, a figure that includes challenges won during seasons they did not secure the league title.

Organizational Evolution

The club's journey reflects the broader transition of ice hockey from amateur roots to professional organization. Initially participating in the Montreal Winter Carnival tournaments in the 1880s, Ottawa HC was instrumental in founding key bodies like the Ontario Hockey Association. As professionalism gained traction in the early 1900s, the team evolved into a professional entity, becoming a founding member of both the National Hockey Association and its successor, the National Hockey League (NHL). However, financial difficulties eventually forced the NHL franchise to relocate to St. Louis in 1934, becoming the St. Louis Eagles.

Enduring Legacy

When the current Ottawa Senators debuted in 1992 as an expansion team, they deliberately honored their historical predecessors by adopting the classic black, red, and white color scheme along with the iconic nickname. The original team's influence extends beyond mere branding; it represents the genesis of organized hockey in Ontario and the professionalization of the sport through their roles in founding major leagues. Their repeated successes, including multiple Stanley Cup victories and recognition as Canada's greatest team of the era, established a standard of excellence that continues to inspire the franchise's identity today.