1917 Stanley Cup Finals

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1917 Stanley Cup Finals
1234Total
Seattle Metropolitans (PCHA)46493
Montreal Canadiens (NHA)81111
* – Denotes overtime period(s)
Location(s) Seattle: Seattle Ice Arena
Formatbest-of-five
CoachesSeattle: Pete Muldoon
Montreal: George Kennedy
DatesMarch 17–26, 1917
Series-winning goal Bernie Morris (7:55, first, G4)
Hall of Famers Metropolitans:
Frank Foyston (1958)
Hap Holmes (1972)
Jack Walker (1960)
Canadiens:
Newsy Lalonde (1950)
Jack Laviolette (1963)
Reg Noble (1962)
Didier Pitre (1963)
Tommy Smith (1973)
Georges Vezina (1945)
Coaches:
Newsy Lalonde (1950, player)
  1916 Stanley Cup Finals 1918  

The 1917 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) champion Seattle Metropolitans and the National Hockey Association (NHA) and Stanley Cup defending champion Montreal Canadiens. Seattle defeated Montreal three games to one in a best-of-five game series to become the first team from the United States to win the Cup. The series was also the first Stanley Cup Finals to be played in the United States, [1] and the last Stanley Cup Finals to not feature a National Hockey League team, as the NHA rebranded as the NHL in November 1917. [2]

Contents

Paths to the Finals

Seattle won the PCHA title after finishing the 1916–17 regular season in first place with a 16–8 record. Meanwhile, Montreal, who was the champion of the first half of the NHA season, advanced to the final series after narrowly defeating the Ottawa Senators, 7–6, in a two-game total-goals playoff series to end the 1916–17 NHA season.

Bracket

NHA ChampionshipStanley Cup Finals
PCSeattle Metropolitans46493
N1Montreal Canadiens527NCMontreal Canadiens81111
N2Ottawa Senators246

Game summaries

Bernie Morris Bernie Morris.jpg
Bernie Morris

The games of the Finals were played at the Seattle Ice Arena. Games one and three were played under PCHA seven-man rules; games two and four were played under NHA six-man rules. Bernie Morris scored 14 of Seattle's 23 total goals for the series, including six in their 9–1 victory in game four. [3] Future Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Hap Holmes recorded a 2.90 goals-against average for the Mets.

Montreal Canadiens NHA champion roster - George Vezina goalie, Bert Corbeau defence, Harry Mummery defence, Edouard "Newsy" Lalonde (Captain) Center-Rover Tommy Smith center, Didier Pitre right wing, Reginald "Reg" Noble left wing, Jack Laviolette left wing, Louis Berlinguette left wing, Wilfred "Billy" Coutu defence spares - Sarsfield "Steve" Malone center, George "Skinner" Poulin center, Jules Rochon - defence Harold "Hal" McNamara defence Dave Majors defence, Arthur Brooks defence, Joe Maltais right wing, U.P. Boulder (President), George "Kennedy" Kendall (Owner/Manager-Coach),

Seattle Metropolitans PCHA champion roster - Harry "Happy" Holmes goalie, Roy Rickey defence, Everard "Ed" Carpenter defence, Jack Walker rover-right wing, Bernie Morris center, Frank Foyston (Captain) left wings, Jim Riley left wing, Bobby "Stubby" Rowe defence, Carol "Cully" Wilson right wing, Pete Muldoon (Owner/Manager-Coach).

Game one

In game one, Didier Pitre scored four goals as he led the Canadiens to an 8–4 victory. Pitre opened the scoring in the third minute before Morris tied it four minutes later. Jack Laviolette scored twenty seconds later to put the Canadiens ahead, followed by Pitre to put the Canadiens ahead 3–1 after one period. Con Corbeau and Newsy Lalonde scored in the second to put the Canadiens ahead 5–1 after two periods. In the third, Morris and Frank Foyston scored to bring Seattle within two goals, before Pitre scored again. Morris scored to make it 6–4 before Pitre and Corbeau scored to make the final score 8–4. [4]

Game two

Seattle tied the series with a convincing win played under NHA hockey rules. Morris opened the scoring at nine minutes of the first period. Wilson scored to make it 2–0 for Seattle after the first period. Morris and Foyston scored in the second to put Seattle up 4–0 after two periods. Frank Foyston then scored twice in the third period to complete his hat trick and give Seattle a lead of 6–0. Seattle then played defensively but Tommy Smith scored in the final minutes for the Canadiens to spoil the shutout. Frustration boiled over at the start of the third period with a fight between Roy Rickey and Billy Coutu before Harry Mummery jumped into the fray. [5]

Game three

The game was played at a fast clip with no goals before Morris scored after ten minutes. Montreal's goaltender Georges Vézina made several big saves in the second to hold Seattle off from scoring. Coutu and Rickey had their third fight of the series and Coutu was given a twenty-minute penalty and Rickey a ten-minute period. The Canadiens held off Seattle in an ensuing power play to end the second with Seattle holding a one-goal lead. In the third, Foyston scored after five minutes and Morris scored a quick pair of goals to give Seattle a 4–0 lead. [6]

Game four

In an individual rush, Morris put the Mets ahead early in the first period. The Canadiens tried to fight back, but were stymied by the defences of Seattle. Seattle scored three times in the second period to put the game out of reach. In the third, the onslaught continued, as the Mets led 7–0 before Laviolette scored to break the shut out. [7]

Game-by-gameWinning teamScoreLosing teamRules usedLocation
1March 17Montreal Canadiens8–4Seattle MetropolitansPCHA Seattle Ice Arena
2March 20Seattle Metropolitans6–1Montreal CanadiensNHA
3March 23Seattle Metropolitans4–1Montreal CanadiensPCHA
4March 26Seattle Metropolitans9–1Montreal CanadiensNHA
Metropolitans win best-of-five series 3 games to 1

Stanley Cup engraving

The 1917 Stanley Cup was presented by the trophy's trustee William Foran. The Metropolitans never did engrave their name on the Cup for their championship season.

It was not until the trophy was redesigned in 1948 that the words "1917 Seattle Metropolitans" was put onto its then-new collar.

The following Metropolitans players and staff were members of the Stanley Cup winning team.

Seattle Metropolitans team in 1917. Seametro.jpg
Seattle Metropolitans team in 1917.

1916–17 Seattle Metropolitans

Players

   Centres
   Wingers
   Defencemen
   Goaltenders

Coaching and administrative staff

‡ Played rover, a position between both defences and behind the centre.

Stanley Cup engraving

Metropolitans Stanley Cup Banner raised in Climate Pledge Arena MetropolitansStanleyCupBanner.jpg
Metropolitans Stanley Cup Banner raised in Climate Pledge Arena

The Seattle Kraken revealed and hung a banner in honor of their forerunners' achievement on October 27, 2021, the night they hosted the Canadiens for the first time; if one does not include a 1961 exhibition game against the Seattle Totems, the Canadiens had not played a game of professional hockey in Seattle in 102 years – since the 1919 Stanley Cup Finals that was never completed due to the Spanish flu pandemic. [10]


See also

Related Research Articles

The Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) was a professional ice hockey league in western Canada and the western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). The PCHA was considered to be a major league of ice hockey and was important in the development of the sport of professional ice hockey through its innovations.

The 1917–18 NHL season was the first season of the National Hockey League (NHL) professional ice hockey league. The league was formed after the suspension of the National Hockey Association (NHA). Play was held in two halves, December 19 to February 4, and February 6 to March 6. The Canadiens won the first half, and Toronto the second half. The season was contested by four teams, down from six in the previous season, finishing with only three, in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. The Montreal Wanderers withdrew early in January 1918 after their rink, the Westmount Arena, burned down. Toronto won the NHL playoff and then won the Stanley Cup, by defeating the PCHA's Vancouver Millionaires three games to two in a best-of-five series.

The Seattle Metropolitans were a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) from 1915 to 1924. During their nine seasons, the Metropolitans were the PCHA's most successful franchise, as they went 112–96–2 in their nine years as a franchise. The Metropolitans also won the most regular season PCHA championships, winning five times, with Seattle finishing second on three other occasions. The Metropolitans played their home games at the 2,500 seat Seattle Ice Arena located downtown at 5th and University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernie Morris</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Bernard Patrick Morris was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played for the Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) from 1915 to 1923. When the Metropolitans became the first U.S.-based team to win the Stanley Cup in 1917, Morris scored 14 of Seattle's goals. Morris also played for the Calgary Tigers, Boston Bruins, and various minor league teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Laviolette</span> Canadian ice hockey player (1879–1960)

Jean-Baptiste "Jack" Laviolette was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Laviolette played nine seasons for the Montreal Canadiens hockey club and was their first captain, coach, and general manager.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Didier Pitre</span> Ice hockey player

Joseph George Didier "Cannonball" Pitre was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Nicknamed "Cannonball," he was renowned for having one of the hardest shots during his playing career. One of the first players to join the Montreal Canadiens, Pitre and his teammates' French-Canadian heritage led to the team being nicknamed The Flying Frenchmen. His teammates on the Canadiens included Jack Laviolette and Newsy Lalonde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Foyston</span> Ice hockey player

Frank Corbett "Flash" Foyston was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Foyston was a member of Stanley Cup championship teams three times: with the Toronto Blueshirts in 1914, the Seattle Metropolitans in 1917, and the Victoria Cougars in 1925. While with the Metropolitans, he twice led the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) in goals. After his retirement from playing, Foyston became a minor league head coach. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Roberts (ice hockey)</span> Canadian professional ice hockey player

Gordon William "Doc" Roberts was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Ottawa Hockey Club and Montreal Wanderers of the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the Vancouver Millionaires and Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA). He was a member of the Ottawa team that defended the Stanley Cup in a 1910 challenge; Roberts scored seven goals in two games in his team's victory over the Edmonton Hockey Club. He moved to Montreal in 1910 where he was consistently among the NHA's leading scorers with the Wanderers while also studying medicine at McGill University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Walker (ice hockey)</span> Ice hockey player

John Phillip "Jack" Walker was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Toronto Blueshirts, Seattle Metropolitans, Victoria Cougars, and Detroit Cougars. He played in all the big professional leagues at the time: the National Hockey Association (NHA), Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA), Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), and National Hockey League (NHL).

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The 1919 Stanley Cup Finals was the ice hockey playoff series to determine the 1919 Stanley Cup champions. The series was cancelled due to an outbreak of Spanish flu after five games had been played, and no champion was declared. It was the only time in the history of the Stanley Cup that it was not awarded due to a no-decision after playoffs were held.

The 1920 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the National Hockey League (NHL) champion Ottawa Senators and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) champion Seattle Metropolitans. The Senators won the series by three games to two in the best-of-five game series. Although all of the games for the series were scheduled to be played at The Arena in Ottawa, unseasonably warm weather and poor ice conditions forced the last two contests to be played on the artificial ice at Toronto's Arena Gardens.

The 1916–17 NHA season was the eighth and final season of the National Hockey Association. Six teams were to play two half-seasons of ten games each, but this was disrupted and only four teams finished the season. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Ottawa Senators in a playoff to win the NHA championship.

The 1914–15 NHA season was the sixth season of the National Hockey Association and played from December 26, 1914, until March 3, 1915. Each team played 20 games. The Ottawa Senators won the NHA championship in a two-game, total goal playoff against the Montreal Wanderers. The Senators, however fell to the Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association in the Stanley Cup championship. It was the second 'World's Series' between the NHA and the PCHA for the Stanley Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1913–14 NHA season</span> National Hockey Association season

The 1913–14 NHA season was the fifth season of the National Hockey Association (NHA). At the end of the regular season, a tie for first place necessitated a playoff to determine the championship. The Toronto Hockey Club defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6–2 in a two-game, total-goals playoff. The Torontos then played the Victoria Aristocrats of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) in the first Stanley Cup 'World's Series' between the leagues.

The 1915–16 PCHA season was the fifth season of the professional men's ice hockey Pacific Coast Hockey Association league. Season play ran from December 7, 1915, until February 25, 1916. Each team would play 18 games. The Portland Rosebuds club would be PCHA champions. After the season the club would play the Stanley Cup Finals series against the Montreal Canadiens, NHA champions. Montreal would win the best-of-five series 3–2 to win the Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1919 PCHA season</span> Can-Am pro ice hockey league season

The 1919 PCHA season was the eighth season of the professional men's ice hockey Pacific Coast Hockey Association league. Season play ran from January 1 to March 10. The season was increased to 20 games per team.

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The 1917–18 Montreal Wanderers season was the 15th and final season of play of the Montreal Wanderers ice hockey club. Along with the Canadiens, Ottawa and Quebec, the club voted to suspend the National Hockey Association (NHA) and form the National Hockey League (NHL) to freeze out the Toronto NHA franchise owner. On the ice club still had difficulties fielding a competitive club, and when the Montreal Arena burned down, owner Sam Lichtenhein elected to suspend the club. The team is officially credited with having played six games, though they only actually played the first four; the other two were declared forfeit.

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, 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.

References

Notes
  1. Ticen, Kevin (January 28, 2020). "Seattle Metropolitans win the Stanley Cup on March 26, 1917". HistoryLink.org.
  2. Holzman & Nieforth 2002 , p. 159
  3. Ticen, Kevin (April 2019). When It Mattered Most. Seattle, WA: Clyde Hill Publishing. ISBN   978-1798208496.
  4. "Canadiens Won By Good Margin From Seattle". Montreal Gazette. March 19, 1917. p. 16.
  5. "Seattle Outplayed the Canadiens in Game Last Night". Montreal Daily Mail. March 21, 1917. p. 8.
  6. "Mets Take Lead In Struggle for Old Stanley Cup". Montreal Daily Mail. March 21, 1917. p. 8.
  7. "Seattle Wrest the Stanley Cup from Flying Frenchmen". Montreal Daily Mail. March 27, 1917. p. 8.
  8. Harper 2013, p. 272.
  9. Ticen, Kevin (April 2019). When It Mattered Most. Seattle, WA: Clyde Hill Publishing. ISBN   978-1798208496.
  10. "Kraken raise Metropolitans Stanley Cup banner at Climate Pledge Arena". NHL.com. October 27, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
Preceded by Seattle Metropolitans
Stanley Cup Champions

1917
Succeeded by