1922–23 Ottawa Senators season


The 1922–23 Ottawa Senators season was the club's 38th season of play and sixth season in the NHL. They were coming off a disappointing playoff run in 1922, as they lost to the Toronto St. Pats in the NHL finals in a close, hard-fought series. The Senators would finish first in the standings, defeat Montreal in the playoffs, defeat Vancouver in the Stanley Cup semi-finals and defeat Edmonton to win their tenth Stanley Cup title.

Regular season

would once again have a strong season, scoring a team high 21 goals, and finishing 2nd in the NHL with 31 points. On February 7, Denneny would score his 143rd career goal, surpassing Joe Malone as the all-time goal scoring leader in a 3–0 Senators win over the Montreal Canadiens.
Defenceman Buck Boucher would get a career high 24 points, and would lead the club with 44 PIM.
Clint Benedict would once again have a very solid season, leading the league with 14 wins, 4 shutouts and a 2.18 GAA.

December

The Senators opened the 1922-23 season on the road against the Hamilton Tigers on December 16. Ottawa would lose a close game by a score of 4-3 in overtime, as Goldie Prodgers scored the winner for Hamilton. Four nights later, the Senators opened the home portion of their schedule, as they defeated the Toronto St. Patricks 7-2, as Punch Broadbent and Eddie Gerard each scored twice for Ottawa.
The Senators hit the road for a game against the Montreal Canadiens on December 23, as Clint Benedict recorded the shutout and Cy Denneny scored twice in a 3-0 victory. Four nights later, the Canadiens travelled to Ottawa to complete the home-and-home series, as despite two goals by Frank Nighbor, the teams battled to a 2-2 draw.
Ottawa played their final game of December at home against the Hamilton Tigers. Frank Nighbor scored two goals and the team was led by superb goaltending from Clint Benedict, as Ottawa defeated Hamilton 4-1.
The Senators finished with a 3-1-1 record in the month of December, earning seven points. Ottawa was in first place in the NHL standings, two points ahead of the second place Montreal Canadiens.

January

Ottawa opened the new year on the road with a game in Toronto against the Toronto St. Patricks on January 3. The Senators Cy Denneny scored twice, including the tying goal with five minutes remaining in the third, however, Toronto defeated Ottawa on an overtime goal by Babe Dye to win 3-2. The two teams met again three nights later in Ottawa, as the Senators, on a late third period goal by Punch Broadbent, which was his second goal of the game, hung on to defeat the St. Patricks 2-1.
On January 10, the Montreal Canadiens visited Ottawa, as the Senators, led by a three goal game by Punch Broadbent, defeated the Canadiens 6-2. Following this game, Ottawa embarked on a two-game road trip. The first game was played in Hamilton on January 13, as the Senators were blown out by a score of 8-1 to the Hamilton Tigers. The road trip continued with a game played against the Montreal Canadiens, as the Canadiens defeated the Senators 2-1, making it the first time that the Senators lost consecutive games during the season.
Ottawa returned home on January 20, and ended their brief two game losing streak with a solid 2-0 win over the Hamilton Tigers, as Clint Benedict earned the shutout. Ottawa returned to the road for a game in Toronto four nights later, and the Toronto St. Patricks defeated the Senators on an overtime goal by Reg Noble 2-1. The road trip continued on to a game in Hamilton on January 27, as the Tigers broke out to a 4-0 lead after the first period. The Senators fought back, and eventually won the game on an overtime goal by Punch Broadbent, as the final score was 6-5 for Ottawa.
The Senators returned to home ice for their final game of the month against the Toronto St. Patricks on January 31. The Senators hung on to defeat the St. Patricks by a score of 2-1, behind the strong goaltending of Clint Benedict.
The club earned a record of 5-4-0 in nine games played in January. Overall, Ottawa had a win-loss record of 8-5-1 at the end of the month, earning 17 points, and hanging onto first place in the NHL, one point ahead of the second place Montreal Canadiens.

February

The Senators opened February with a road game against the Montreal Canadiens on February 3, as the Canadiens defeated Ottawa 4-1, dropping the Senators into second place in the NHL standings. Four nights later, the two clubs met again, this time in Ottawa, as the Senators regained first place with a 3-0 victory, as Georges Boucher scored twice and Clint Benedict earned the shutout.
On February 10, the Hamilton Tigers visited Ottawa, and the Senators, led by two goal games by Eddie Gerard and Georges Boucher, defeated the Tigers 8-3. Four nights later, on Valentine's Day, the Senators travelled to Toronto to play against the Toronto St. Patricks, as the St. Patricks defeated the Senators 6-4. History was made in this game, as the third period of play was broadcast on radio by CFCA, which was the first radio broadcast of an NHL game.
The Senators returned for a two game home stand beginning on February 17, as Ottawa shutout the Montreal Canadiens 2-0, with Clint Benedict earning the shutout. In the second game of the home stand, the Senators defeated the Toronto St. Patricks 6-1, as Cy Denneny led the team with four goals in the win.
Ottawa briefly returned on the road for a game in Hamilton on February 24, as the Senators, led by another four goal game by Cy Denneny, defeated the Hamilton Tigers 5-1. The month concluded with the Senators and Tigers meeting in Ottawa on February 28, as the Senators, led by a three goal game by Georges Boucher defeated Hamilton 6-3.
Ottawa finished February with a 6-2-0 record during eight games. Overall, the Senators record was 14-7-1, earning 29 points, as the club had clinched first place in the NHL standings, earning a berth in the NHL finals.

March

Ottawa concluded the season with a two game road trip. On March 3, the Senators were shutout by the Montreal Canadiens 1-0, as Georges Vezina earned the shutout for the Canadiens. Two nights later, the Senators ended the regular season with a 2-0 loss to the Toronto St. Patricks, as Toronto goaltender John Ross Roach earned the shutout.
Ottawa had a 0-2-0 record in two games in March. Overall, the Senators finished the season 14-9-1, earning 29 points and finishing in first place in the NHL standings.

Final standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

#DateVisitorScoreHomeRecordPts
1December 16Ottawa Senators3–4Hamilton Tigers0–1–00
2December 20Toronto St. Pats2–7Ottawa Senators1–1–02
3December 23Ottawa Senators3–0Montreal Canadiens2–1–04
4December 27Montreal Canadiens2–2Ottawa Senators2–1–15
5December 30Hamilton Tigers1–4Ottawa Senators3–1–17
6January 3Ottawa Senators2–3Toronto St. Pats3–2–17
7January 6Toronto St. Pats1–2Ottawa Senators4–2–19
8January 10Montreal Canadiens2–6Ottawa Senators5–2–111
9January 13Ottawa Senators1–8Hamilton Tigers5–3–111
10January 17Ottawa Senators1–2Montreal Canadiens5–4–111
11January 20Hamilton Tigers0–2Ottawa Senators6–4–113
12January 24Ottawa Senators1–2Toronto St. Pats6–5–113
13January 27Ottawa Senators6–5Hamilton Tigers7–5–115
14January 31Toronto St. Pats1–2Ottawa Senators8–5–117
15February 3Ottawa Senators1–4Montreal Canadiens8–6–117
16February 7Montreal Canadiens0–3Ottawa Senators9–6–119
17February 10Hamilton Tigers3–8Ottawa Senators10–6–121
18February 14Ottawa Senators4–6Toronto St. Pats10–7–121
19February 17Montreal Canadiens0–2Ottawa Senators11–7–123
20February 21Toronto St. Pats1–6Ottawa Senators12–7–125
21February 24Ottawa Senators5–1Hamilton Tigers13–7–127
22February 28Hamilton Tigers3–6Ottawa Senators14–7–129
23March 3Ottawa Senators0–1Montreal Canadiens14–8–129
24March 5Ottawa Senators0–2Toronto St. Pats14–9–129

Playoffs

In the NHL finals, the Senators would face the Montreal Canadiens in a two-game total-goals series to determine the O'Brien Cup winner.
The Senators opened the series on the road at the Mount Royal Arena in Montreal on March 7. After a goalless first period, the Senators Cy Denneny opened the scoring in the second period on the powerplay, giving Ottawa a 1-0 lead after two periods. In the third period, Jack Darragh put Ottawa up 2-0 on another powerplay goal, as Clint Benedict stopped every shot that he faced, as Ottawa shutout the Canadiens 2-0.
The series concluded two nights later in Ottawa, with the Senators leading the total-goals series 2-0. Montreal came out firing in the first period, as Aurel Joliat and Billy Boucher each scored for the Canadiens, as they took a 2-0 lead after the first period. After no scoring in the second period, it was the Senators Cy Denneny scoring midway through the third period, as despite the 2-1 loss in the second game, the Senators won the total-goals series 3-2.
;Ottawa Senators 3, Montreal Canadiens 2
#DateVisitorScoreHomeRecord
1March 7Ottawa Senators2–0Montreal Canadiens1–0
2March 9Montreal Canadiens2–1Ottawa Senators1–1

The Maroons lost to the Edmonton Eskimos in the WCHL Finals, so they would have to face Ottawa, with the winner of this series playing Edmonton for the Stanley Cup. The series was played at Denman Arena in Vancouver.
The series opened on March 16 in Vancouver. The Senators and Maroons played a tightly defensive game, as the game remained tied 0-0 after two periods. In the third period, the Senators Punch Broadbent broke the scoreless tie, as Ottawa held on to win the game 1-0 and take the series opener. Goaltender Clint Benedict recorded the shutout for the Senators.
In the second game played on March 19, the Maroons broke out of their scoring slump, scoring three goals in the first period to take a 3-0 lead, as Frank Boucher scored twice for Vancouver, while Art Duncan scored the other goal. Duncan scored his second goal of the game in the second period, extending Vancouver's lead to 4-0. In the third period, Ottawa's Georges Boucher broke the shutout, however, Vancouver won the game 4-1 and evened the series up at one game each.
The third game of the series was played on March 23. Vancouver opened the scoring on a goal by Alf Skinner, however, the Senators Punch Broadbent scored twice, as Ottawa took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Mickey MacKay of the Maroons tied the game with a goal late in the second period, as Ottawa and Vancouver were tied 2-2 after two periods. In the third period, the Senators Frank Nighbor scored a goal 2:13 into the period, as Ottawa hung on to defeat the Maroons 3-2 and re-take the series lead.
The fourth game was played on March 26 and was a must-win for the Maroons. The Senators struck first, as Georges Boucher and Eddie Gerard scored to give Ottawa a 2-0 lead after the first period. Ottawa's Punch Broadbent scored the lone goal of the second period, extending the Senators lead to 3-0 after two periods. The Senators King Clancy scored midway through the third period, as Ottawa took a 4-0 lead. The Maroons were finally able to beat Clint Benedict with just over three minutes remaining in the game on a goal by Smokey Harris. Ottawa's Punch Broadbent scored his second goal of the game with just four seconds remaining, as the Senators won the game 5-1 and won the series.
;Ottawa Senators 3, Vancouver Maroons 1
#DateVisitorScoreHomeRecord
1March 16Ottawa Senators1–0Vancouver Maroons1–0
2March 19Ottawa Senators1–4Vancouver Maroons1–1
3March 23Ottawa Senators3–2Vancouver Maroons2–1
4March 26Ottawa Senators5–1Vancouver Maroons3–1

;Ottawa Senators 2, Edmonton Eskimos 0
The 1923 Stanley Cup Finals would be a best of three series between Ottawa and Edmonton. The series was played at Denman Arena in Vancouver.
The series opened on March 29, as the two clubs skated to a scoreless first period. The Eskimos opened the scoring in the second period, as Crutchy Morrison scored midway through the period, giving Edmonton a 1-0 lead. In the third period, the Senators Lionel Hitchman tied the game 13:04 into the period, sending the game into overtime. In the extra period, the Senators Cy Denneny scored just 2:08 into overtime, giving the Senators a 2-1 victory and taking the first game of the series.
The second game of the series was played two nights later, on March 31. Ottawa's Punch Broadbent scored a powerplay goal midway through the first period to give Ottawa a 1-0 lead. In the second period, Senators goaltender Clint Benedict took a two minute penalty, as King Clancy took his spot in goal for the two minutes. The Eskimos were unable to score on the powerplay. In the third period, the Eskimos were unable to beat Benedict, as Ottawa won the game 1-0 and won the 1923 Stanley Cup by sweeping Edmonton in two games.
#DateVisitorScoreHomeRecord
1March 29Ottawa Senators2–1Edmonton Eskimos1–0
2March 31Ottawa Senators1–0Edmonton Eskimos2–0

The Senators returned home on Friday, April 6, 1923, from Vancouver. Greeted by Ottawa Mayor Plant, and accompanied by the Governor-Generals Foot Guards and the Ottawa Silver Band, the team paraded through Ottawa's downtown streets. A banquet was held for the team on Monday, April 19, where each of the ten team members received a gold watch. According to Mayor Plant, "this is a citizens' banquet, not a civic one, as the citizens believe you have given Ottawa the best advertising it has ever had."

Player statistics

Regular season

;Scoring
PlayerGPGAPtsPIM
Cy Denneny2423113428
Georges Boucher241492358
Eddie Gerard236131912
Frank Nighbor221171814
Punch Broadbent241411534
Jack Darragh24691510
King Clancy2432520
Lionel Hitchman301112
Clint Benedict240002
Harry Helman240005

;Goaltending
PlayerMINGPWLTGAGAASASVSV%SO
Clint Benedict1486241491542.184
Team:1486241491542.184

Awards and records

Transactions

Ottawa Senators 1923 Stanley Cup champions