1903–04 Ottawa Hockey Club season

The season started out with Ottawa winning their first four games. A home game with Quebec was postponed when Quebec could not travel due to a severe snowstorm.

In their third game against the Victorias at Westmount's arena, the Ottawa team arrived 1½ hours late due to a loss of their baggage. The game was called at midnight due to a curfew, with Ottawa ahead 4–1, with 16 minutes left to play. Ottawa and the Victorias had disagreed on substitution for injured players instead of 'recuperation time' and the Victorias used 43 minutes of injury time, which the Ottawa club complained was a stalling tactic to get the game canceled as Ottawa was ahead.[2]

One week later, the League met to reschedule the Quebec-Ottawa game. At the meeting, the League levied a $10 fine against Ottawa for its lateness to the Victorias game, and a fine to the Montreal Shamrocks for lateness to a game in Ottawa. The League then discussed the Ottawa-Victoria match and ordered it to be rescheduled. J. P. Dickson, Ottawa's representative to the meeting, had proposed that it only be played if the match mattered in the standings and threatened to take Ottawa out of the league if the league went ahead and forced the game to be played.[2]

The threat failed, and Dickson called a meeting of the Club back in Ottawa to discuss the situation. The Club executive, against Bob Shillington's wishes agreed to pull the Club out of the league. The team executive was concerned about losing its status as Stanley Cup champions over the matter and consulted with P. D. Ross who agreed that the Cup would stay with Ottawa. The Federal Amateur Hockey League (FAHL) was consulted and Ottawa would join the FAHL for the next season. The Club then submitted its resignation from the CAHL.[2]

After leaving the CAHL, the Ottawas played only one game other than a Cup challenge, an 18—1 exhibition win over the Ottawa Capitals of the FAHL.[3]

† Ordered to be replayed but never replayed as Ottawa resigned from league.

Before the CAHL season started, Ottawa defended the Cup against the Winnipeg Rowing Club in a best two-of-three series played in Ottawa 9–1,2–6,2–0 (2–1).

The first game was filled with rough play, with Alf Smith knocking out Joe Hall with a stick hit to the head and knocking out Nick Bawlf. Hall returned to the game and Hall and Smith fought, leaving Hall with a five stitch cut and Smith a four stitch cut. Westwick scored four goals, Frank McGee three. The Ottawa fans booed Ottawa for their rough play. After the game, Winnipeg captain Billy Breen said it was the 'dirtiest game of hockey he had ever played.'[4]

The second game was tame by comparison. Because of the injuries of the first game, Winnipeg needed replacements and added Tammy Hamber of the Toronto Argonaut Rowing Club. Ottawa did not play a rough game and Winnipeg won by a 6–2 score. There was speculation that Ottawa had let up to ensure a lucrative third game.[5]

In the third game, Winnipeg showed that it was capable of keeping up with Ottawa. Smith missed the game to be replaced by Billy Gilmour. The game was scoreless after the first half. Frank McGee scored the winning goal and Suddy Gilmour scored a second goal to clinch the game with seven minutes to play during a power play.[3] Hamber was protested by Ottawa, although he was allowed to play. Referee Trihey was confronted by rough play in the first half, which he countered with ever-increasing penalties to players. According to the Gazette report on the game, at one point only three Ottawa players were on and four Winnipeg players, meaning seven were sent off. During the break between the first and second halves, the ice was not cleaned. The audience numbers were down and this was attributed to the Ottawa Post Office being on fire.[6]

Source: Montreal Gazette[7]

Source: Montreal Gazette[8]

Source: Montreal Gazette[6]

Next, Ottawa would defeat the Ontario Hockey Association champion Toronto Marlboros in a two-game total-goals series, played in Ottawa, 6–3,11–2 (17–5).

In the first game, the Marlboros led the Ottawas 3–1 after the first half before the Ottawas scored five in the second half to win the game.

Source: Montreal Gazette[9]

In the second game, Ottawa led by 6–0 at the half, leaving the result not in doubt. The crowd was estimated at 1500.[10]

Source: Montreal Gazette[10]

A two-game series between the Montreal Wanderers and Ottawa Hockey Club was arranged, for the Stanley Cup and the FAHL championship. The teams played the first game in Montreal to a tie of 5–5. Montreal refused to play overtime, demanding that the game be considered a no-contest and proposed that the series start over as a best two-of-three series. The Cup trustees demanded that the series continued as scheduled and the Wanderers abandoned the challenge.[11]

According to the Gazette, the game saw "the dirtiest game ever seen between two senior teams at the Arena." Thirty-six penalties were called. Leahy was injured and replaced by Mallan. James Strachan, president of the Wanderers was quoted as saying that the Wanderers would not go to Ottawa and play with Dr. Kearns as referee. Ottawa took a 2–0 lead, before the Wanderers scored five in a row. The Ottawas came back with three, the final goal by Frank McGee.[12]

Source: Montreal Gazette[12]

The Wanderers demanded a replay of the game to be held in Montreal, which Ottawa refused. The series was cancelled, with Ottawa claiming the FAHL championship.[13]

To finish the season, Ottawa played a series with Brandon Wheat City, champions of the Manitoba & Northwestern Hockey Association. Ottawa would win the two-game series 6–3, 9–3 (15–6), held in Ottawa on March 9–11. Brandon wanted to add Clint Bennest and Joe Hall of Winnipeg for the series, but the Cup trustees disallowed the additions as the players had already played for Winnipeg in a challenge against Ottawa.[11] Lester Patrick, in a foreshadowing of the 1928 Stanley Cup Finals, took over for a few minutes when goaltender Dugald Morrison was penalized in game one.[14]

Source: Ottawa Journal[15]

Source: Ottawa Journal[16]

• Spare - Brandon - Robert Cross (Captain), William Hopper, S.G Lowe, H. Breton, F. Wheelan
• Spares - Ottawa - Billy Gilmore - RW, Arthur Moore - D
• Spares - Ottawa - Billy Gilmore - RW, Arthur Moore - D. Colleman Page 98-99.
• Refeeree F. Chittick - Umpirers Senator Watson, William Foran

Cyclone Taylor scratched 'Fred W. Taylor' over the official engraving of '1904 Ottawa'.[17]