1914 Stanley Cup Finals

Summary

The 1914 Stanley Cup Finals was a series between the Victoria Aristocrats, champions of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA), and the Toronto Hockey Club (a.k.a., in media of the day, the Torontos or the Blueshirts), champions of the National Hockey Association (NHA). The Torontos defeated the Aristocrats in three games to win the best-of-five series. It was the first officially sanctioned series for the Stanley Cup between the two leagues, starting the "World's Series" era where the NHL champion played off against a PCHA or Western league champion annually for the Stanley Cup. It was also the final series of the "challenge" era, where inter-league series for the Stanley Cup were sanctioned by the Stanley Cup trustees. An anticipated follow-on challenge series between Toronto and Sydney, champions of the Maritime League did not take place as Sydney abandoned their challenge for the Cup.[1]

1914 Stanley Cup Finals
123 Total
Toronto HC (NHA) 56*2 3
Victoria Aristocrats (PCHA) 251 0
PCHA rules: 2 NHA: 1,3
* – Denotes overtime period(s)
Location(s)Toronto: Arena Gardens
Formatbest-of-five
CoachesToronto: Dick Carroll
Victoria: Lester Patrick (mgr.)
DatesMarch 14–19, 1914
Series-winning goalHarry Cameron (7:00, third)
Hall of FamersToronto HC:
Harry Cameron (1963)
Scotty Davidson (1950)
Frank Foyston (1958)
Hap Holmes (1972)
Jack Marshall (1965)
George McNamara (1958)
Jack Walker (1960)
Aristocrats:
Tommy Dunderdale (1974)
Lester Patrick (1947)
Coaches:
Lester Patrick (1947, player)
Stanley Cup Finals 1915 →

Paths to the Finals edit

Nearing the end of the season, the NHA made arrangements for the NHA champion to receive a challenge from the Sydney Millionaires, Maritime champions, ordered by the Stanley Cup trustees.[2] As arranged by the NHA, the series would have taken place on March 9–11. After that, the winner would face off in a series with the PCHA champions in Toronto.[3] NHA Season ended in a tie. So a 2-game series was set for March 7 & March 11 to declare the NHA Champion and Stanley Cup Champion. Montreal and Toronto each to host a game.

Toronto Blueshirts vs. Montreal Canadiens edit

Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Location
March 7, 1914 Montreal Canadiens 2–0 Toronto HC Montreal Arena
March 11, 1914 Toronto HC 6–0 Montreal Canadiens Arena Gardens
Toronto wins total goals series 6–2. Toronto HC wins the O'Brien Cup and the Stanley Cup.
March 7, 1914
Toronto Blueshirts 2 at Montreal Canadiens 0
Harry "Happy" Holmes G George Vezina
Jack Marshall P Ernest Dubeau
Harry Cameron CP Jack Laviolette
Frank Foyston C Donald Smith 1
Allan "Scotty" Davidson, Capt. RW Edouard "Newsy" Lalonde
Jack Walker LW Harry Scott 1
Roy McGiffen -RO sub Eugene Payan -C
Carol “Cully” Wilson -RW sub Louis Berlinguette -LW
  • Spares Toronto - Con Corbeau -P George McNamara -CP, Claude Wilson -G
  • Spares Montreal - Hector Dallaire -RW, Jimmy Gardner LW-Captain, Alponse Jette -RW
March 11, 1914
Montreal Canadiens 0 at Toronto Blueshirts 6
George Vezina G Harry "Happy" Holmes
Ernest Dubeau P Jack Marshall
Jack Laviolette CP Harry Cameron
Donald Smith C Frank Foyston 1
Edouard "Newsy" Lalonde RW Allan "Scotty" Davidson, Capt. 2
Harry Scott LW Jack Walker 3
Eugene Payan -C sub Roy McGiffen -RO
Louis Berlinguette -LW sub Carol “Cully” Wilson -RW
  • Spares Toronto - Con Corbeau -P George McNamara -CP, Claude Wilson -G
  • Spares Montreal - Hector Dallaire -RW, Jimmy Gardner LW-Captain, Alponse Jette -RW

Because of the NHA playoff game, the series with Sydney Millionaires was postponed. After dispatching the Canadiens, the Blue Shirts series with Sydeny was cancelled. Toronto agreed to play a best of 5 series against the Victoria Aristocrats of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. A controversy erupted when a letter arrived from the Stanley Cup trustees on March 17, stating that the trustees would not let the Stanley Cup travel west, as they did not consider Victoria a proper challenger because they had not formally notified the trustees.[4] However, on March 18, Trustee William Foran stated that it was a misunderstanding. PCHA president Frank Patrick had not filed a challenge, because he had expected Emmett Quinn of the NHA to make all of the arrangements in his role as hockey commissioner, whereas the trustees thought they were being deliberately ignored. In any case, all arrangements had been ironed out and the series was accepted.[5][6]

Several days later, Foran wrote to Quinn that the trustees are "perfectly satisfied to allow the representatives of the three pro leagues (NHA, PCHA and Maritime) to make all arrangements each season as to the series of matches to be played for the Cup."[7]

Game summaries edit

The first game, the first Stanley Cup game in Toronto, was played under NHA rules. Toronto won 5–2 as the "Coast Champions Did Not Show Expected Form" according to the Toronto Globe. Victoria had too much individual play and not enough "team play and combination work."[8]

Scotty Davidson, Toronto's captain, sat out the second game due to the flu. The second game was seven-man hockey, played under PCHA rules, which also meant dividing up the ice into three zones, with the centre zone open to "off-side" passing. Toronto led 3–2 after the first period. Lester Patrick scored twice and Tommy Dunderdale scored in the second to give Victoria a 5–3 lead after two periods. Frank Foyston scored twice in the third to tie the score, sending it to overtime. McGiffin scored the winning goal after 18 minutes of overtime.[9]

Davidson returned for the third game as a substitute for Cully Wilson. The Victoria forwards back-checked well and reduced the shooting opportunities of Toronto. The game had a lot of rough play, and "the man with the puck was generally sent sprawling before he had a chance to shoot," according to The Globe. The Victoria forwards played a good game bringing many shots against Toronto's Harry Holmes in net. Victoria's Patrick injured his wrist in the second period and could not shoot after that. Davidson and Bobby Genge started a fight at 15 minutes of the third period, clearing the benches. Foyston scored for Toronto in the second period, and Cameron scored in the third to score the winning goal. Victoria's Dubby Kerr scored with seven minutes to go, but Victoria was not able to get an equalizer.[10]

Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Rules Notes
March 14 Toronto 5–2 Victoria Aristocrats NHA
March 17 Toronto 6–5 Victoria Aristocrats PCHA 18:00, OT
March 19 Toronto 2–1 Victoria Aristocrats NHA
Toronto wins best-of-five series 3–0

All games played at Arena Gardens.

Total attendance for the series was 14,260 for an average of 4,753 in the 7,500 capacity Arena. At the time, professional hockey was less of a draw than Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) senior hockey. Two games between local OHA senior teams had combined to exceed 14,000 total attendance.[11] The Torontos players and staff received $297 each as their share of the gate receipts.[12]

Game summaries edit

Game one
Period one Player Time Score
Toronto McNamara 11:00 Toronto 1–0
Period two Player Time Score
Victoria Dunderdale 6:00 1–1
Toronto McNamara 10:00 Toronto 2–1
Period three Player Time Score
Toronto Walker 4:00 Toronto 3–1
Toronto Davidson 9:00 Toronto 4–1
Toronto McNamara 11:00 Toronto 5–1
Victoria Dunderdale 17:00 Toronto 5–2

Toronto: Harry "Happy" Holmes goal; George McNamara, point; Jack Marshall, cover point; Frank Foyston, centre; Allan "Scotty" Davidson, Capt., right wing; Jack Walker, left wing; Spares -Con Corbeau -P, Roy "Minnie" McGiffin -RW, Carol "Cully" Wilson -LW, Claude Wilson -G.

Victorias: Bert Lindsay, goal; Bob Genge, point; Lester Patrick, cover point; Tommy Dunderdale, centre; George "Sinner" Poulin, right wing; Albert "Dubbie" Kerr, left wing; Bobby Rowe -RW, Walter Smaill -LW, Jack Ulrich -RW.

Officials: Russel Bowie, referee, Jack Brennan, judge of play.

Att: 5,100 [13]

Game two
Period one Player Time Score
Toronto Foyston 3:00 Toronto 1–0
Toronto Wilson 5:30 Toronto 2–0
Victoria Smaill 7:00 Toronto 2–1
Victoria Poulin 11:00 2–2
Toronto Wilson 14:00 Toronto 3–2
Period two Player Time Score
Victoria Patrick 5:30 3–3
Victoria Patrick 9:00 Victoria 4–3
Victoria Dunderdale 11:00 Victoria 5–3
Period three Player Time Score
Toronto Foyston 2:00 Victoria 5–4
Toronto Foyston 7:00 5–5
Overtime Player Time Score
Toronto McGiffin 18:00 Toronto 6–5

Toronto: Holmes, Harry 'Happy" Holmes goal; George McNamara, point; Jack Marshall, cover point; Jack Walker, Rover; Frank Foyston, centre; Allan "Scotty" Davidson, Capt., right wing; Carol "Cully" Wilson, left wing; Spares - Carol "Cully" Wilson - LW, Con Corbeau -P, Roy "Minnie" McGiffin -RW, Claude Wilson -G.

Victorias: Bert Lindsay, goal; Bob Genge, point; Lester Patrick, cover point; George "Sinner" Poulin Rover; Tommy Dunderdale, centre; Albert "Dubbie" Kerr, right wing; Walter Smaill-LW, left wing; Bobby Rowe -RW, Jack Ulrich -RW. Officials: Russell Bowie, referee, Tommy Phillips, judge of play.

Attendance, 4,600. (est.)[14]

Game three
Period one Player Time Score
no score
Period two Player Time Score
Toronto Foyston 6:00 Toronto 1–0
Period three Player Time Score
Toronto Cameron 7:00 Toronto 2–0
Victoria Kerr 12:00 Toronto 2–1

Toronto: Harry "Happy" Holmes goal; George McNamara, point; Jack Marshall, cover point; Frank Foyston, centre; Allan "Scotty" Davidson, Capt., right wing; Jack Walker, left wing; Spares -Con Corbeau -P, Roy "Minnie" McGiffin RW, Carol "Cully" Wilson -LW, Claude Wilson -G.

Victorias: Bert Lindsay, goal; Bob Genge, point; Lester Patrick, cover point; Tommy Dunderdale, centre; George "Sinner" Poulin, right wing; Albert "Dubbie" Kerr, left wing; Bobby Rowe -RW, Walter Smaill-LW, Jack Ulrich-RW.

Officials: Russell Bowie, referee, Jack Brennan, judge of play.

Att: 4,835 [15]

Stanley Cup engraving edit

 
The 1913–14 Torontos, winners of the 1914 Stanley Cup

The 1914 Stanley Cup was presented by the trophy's trustee William Foran.

The following Toronto Hockey Club players and staff were eligible to have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup

1913–14 Toronto Hockey Club

Players

  Defencemen

Coaching and administrative staff

Stanley Cup engraving

"1914 Toronto H.C." is engraved on the 1947 ring connecting the upper trophy to the barrel

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Championship Hockey Over In Toronto For Year". Toronto World. March 21, 1914. p. 8.
  2. ^ "Dates for Big Hockey Matches Uncertain". Saskatoon Phoenix. February 28, 1914. p. 8.
  3. ^ "All Stanley Cup Games in Arena". Toronto World. February 25, 1914. p. 8.
  4. ^ "Stanley Cup Contest May Not Be for the Mug, After All is Said". Saskatoon Phoenix. March 18, 1914. p. 8.
  5. ^ "A Tempest In a Teapot". Montreal Daily Mail. March 19, 1914. p. 9.
  6. ^ "Stanley Cup Muddle Cleared Up". Toronto Globe and Mail. March 19, 1914.
  7. ^ "Three Pro Leagues as to Stanley Cup". Toronto World. March 25, 1914. p. 8.
  8. ^ "First Stanley Cup Game for Torontos". The Globe. March 16, 1914. p. 12.
  9. ^ "Victoria Beaten at Their Own Style". The Globe. March 18, 1914. p. 14.
  10. ^ "Stanley Cup Will Come To Toronto". The Globe. March 20, 1914. p. 12.
  11. ^ "Puckerings". Toronto Globe. March 21, 1914. p. 22.
  12. ^ "Toronto Players Receive $297 Each". Toronto Globe. March 21, 1914. p. 22.
  13. ^ "Toronto Team More Than Double Score on Victorias". Toronto World. March 16, 1914. p. 8.
  14. ^ "Minnie M'Giffin Scores Winning Goal At The Arena". Toronto World. March 18, 1914. p. 8.
  15. ^ "Blue Shirts Make It Three Straight From Westerners Win Last Game By One Goal". Toronto World. March 20, 1914. p. 8.
Preceded by Toronto Hockey Club (Blueshirts)
Stanley Cup Champions

1914
Succeeded by