One of the early recognized professional hockey leagues in North America was the National Hockey Association of 1909. This league was the fore runner of today's National Hockey League.
National Hockey Association
(1909-1917)
The National Hockey Association (1909-1917) was a professional ice hockey organization with teams in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It was from this league that the current National Hockey League (NHL) has it's roots.
In 1909, the senior amateur league operating in Central Canada, was the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association, consisting of the Quebec Bulldogs, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Shamrocks and Montreal Wanderers. On November 24, 1909 the league was dissolved with the immediate formation of the Canadian Hockey Association.
A new team, the Montreal Nationals, were admitted but the Montreal Wanderers were not. A meeting of the Montreal Wanderers and Renfrew (previous Federal League) was called for December 2, 1909. From this meeting a new league was formed, namely the National Hockey Association. Franchises were granted to Renfrew, Haileybury, Cobalt and the Montreal Wanderers.
The National Hockey Association played it's first game on January 5, 1910, with the Cobalt Silver Kings playing the Montreal Canadiens in Montreal. On January 18, 1910 the Canadian Hockey Association was disbanded. The National Hockey Association was reorganized with the addition of the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Shamrocks.
In a move designed to attract fans and help the owners make money, the NHA governors decided to change the rules of hockey. The NHA changed the timing of the game. Before 1910, teams played in two 30-minutes halves; the governors introduced the idea of three 20-minute "periods," so fans would have more opportunities to stretch their legs and visit the concession stands at the NHA arenas.
After the completion of the first season, the rulemakers made another major change to the game. Up until 1911, Hockey had always been played seven-a-side. Each team played with a goalie, two defencemen, a centre, a right wing, a left wing and a "rover" who covered as much of the ice as he could. To make the game faster, the league decided less players were needed on the ice, and the rover was eliminated.
At the end of the 1913-14 season an agreement between the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) and the NHA saw the Stanley Cup awarded to the winner of a championship series between the two league winners.
In 1916 the NHA consisted of six teams, was in a wartime situation and faced a shortage of skilled players. The Toronto 228th Battalion team was shipped overseas to the war at mid-season with the resulting meeting of owners leading to the disbanding of the Toronto Blueshirts. The owner of the team Eddie Livingstone along with Percy Quinn (owner of the Quebec franchise in the NHA) attempted to form a new league in the summer of 1917 called the Canadian Hockey Association. In November 1917 the NHA board announce that due to a shortage of players (war) they were suspending the league for that season. Ottawa, Quebec, the two Montreal franchises and the owners of the Toronto Arena Company met separately and discussions about a new league, less Toronto owner Livingstone were discussed. On November 26, 1917 the National Hockey League was announced, including franchises in Quebec, Ottawa, 2 in Montreal and a new Toronto franchise. Although Livingstone and Quinn attempted to block the new league via players and arena contracts they were not successful.
National Hockey Association
(1909-1917) Franchises
The following were the NHA teams and their year of inception:
| Cobalt Silver Kings | 1909-10 |
| Haileybury Hockey Club | 1909-10 |
| Montreal Wanderers | 1909-10 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 1909-10 |
| Montreal Shamrocks | 1909-10 |
| Ottawa Senators | 1909-10 |
| Quebec Bulldogs | 1910-11 |
| Renfrew Creamery Kings | 1909-10 |
| Toronto Ontarios | 1913-14 |
| Toronto Tecumsehs | 1912-13 |
| Toronto 228th Battalion | 1916-17 |
| Toronto Blueshirts | 1912-13 |
| Toronto Ontario Shamrocks | 1914-15 |
National Hockey Association
(1909-1917) Season Standings
| 1910 Season | |||||||
GP |
W |
L |
T |
GF |
GA |
PTs |
|
| Montreal Wanderers | 12 |
11 |
1 |
0 |
91 |
41 |
22 |
| Ottawa Senators | 12 |
9 |
3 |
0 |
89 |
66 |
18 |
| Renfrew Creamery Kings | 12 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
96 |
54 |
17 |
| Cobalt Silver Kings | 12 |
4 |
8 |
0 |
79 |
104 |
8 |
| Halleybury HC | 12 |
4 |
8 |
0 |
77 |
83 |
8 |
| Montreal Shamrocks | 12 |
3 |
8 |
1 |
52 |
95 |
7 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 12 |
2 |
10 |
0 |
59 |
100 |
4 |
| 1911 Season | |||||||
| Ottawa Senators | 16 |
13 |
3 |
0
|
122 |
69 |
26 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 16 |
8 |
8 |
0
|
66 |
62 |
16 |
| Renfrew Creamery Kings | 16 |
8 |
8 |
0
|
91 |
101 |
16 |
| Montreal Wanderers | 16 |
7 |
9 |
0
|
73 |
88 |
14 |
| Quebec Bulldogs | 16 |
4 |
12 |
0
|
65 |
97 |
8 |
| 1912 Season | |||||||
| Quebec Bulldogs | 18 |
10 |
8 |
0
|
81 |
79 |
20 |
| Ottawa Senators | 18 |
9 |
9 |
0
|
99 |
93 |
18 |
| Montreal Wanderers | 18 |
9 |
9 |
0
|
95 |
96 |
18 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 18 |
8 |
10 |
0
|
59 |
66 |
16 |
| 1913 Season | |||||||
| Quebec Bulldogs | 20 |
16 |
4 |
0
|
112 |
75 |
32 |
| Montreal Wanderers | 20 |
10 |
10 |
0
|
93 |
90 |
20 |
| Ottawa Senators | 20 |
9 |
11 |
0
|
87 |
81 |
18 |
| Toronto Blueshirts | 20 |
9 |
11 |
0
|
86 |
95 |
18 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 20 |
9 |
11 |
0
|
83 |
81 |
18 |
| Toronto Tecumsehs | 20 |
7 |
13 |
0
|
59 |
98 |
14 |
| 1914 Season | |||||||
| Toronto Blueshirts | 20 |
13 |
7 |
0
|
93 |
65 |
26 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 20 |
13 |
7 |
0
|
85 |
65 |
26 |
| Quebec Bulldogs | 20 |
12 |
8 |
0
|
111 |
73 |
24 |
| Ottawa Senators | 20 |
11 |
9 |
0
|
65 |
71 |
22 |
| Montreal Wanderers | 20 |
7 |
13 |
0
|
102 |
125 |
14 |
| Toronto Ontarios | 20 |
4 |
16 |
0
|
61 |
108 |
8 |
| 1915 Season | |||||||
| Ottawa Senators | 20 |
14 |
6 |
0 |
74
|
65 |
28 |
| Montreal Wanderers | 20 |
14 |
6 |
0 |
127
|
82 |
28 |
| Quebec Bulldogs | 20 |
11 |
9 |
0 |
85
|
85 |
22 |
| Toronto Blueshirts | 20 |
8 |
12 |
0 |
66
|
84 |
16 |
| Toronto Ontarios | 20 |
7 |
13 |
0 |
76
|
86 |
14 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 20 |
6 |
14 |
0 |
65
|
81 |
12 |
| 1916 Season | |||||||
| Montreal Canadiens | 24 |
16 |
7 |
1 |
104 |
76 |
33 |
| Ottawa Senators | 24 |
13 |
11 |
0 |
78 |
72 |
26 |
| Quebec Bulldogs | 24 |
10 |
12 |
2 |
91 |
98 |
22 |
| Montreal Wanderers | 24 |
10 |
14 |
0 |
90 |
116 |
20 |
| Toronto Blueshirts | 24 |
9 |
14 |
1 |
97 |
98 |
19 |
National Hockey Association
(1909-1917) Champions
| Year | Champion | Coach | Finalist |
| 1909-10 | Montreal Wanderers | Dickie Boon | No Playoff |
| 1910-11 | Ottawa Senators | Bruce Stuart | No Playoff |
| 1911-12 | Quebec Bulldogs | Charles Nolan | No Playoff |
| 1912-13 | Quebec Bulldogs | Mike Quinn | No Playoff |
| 1913-14 | Toronto Blueshirts | Jack Marshall | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1914-15 | Ottawa Senators | Alf Smith | Montreal Wanderers |
| 1915-16 | Montreal Canadiens | George Kennedy | No Playoff |
| 1916-17 | Montreal Canadiens | George Kennedy | Ottawa Senators |
During the time of the National Hockey Association the Stanley Cup was determined in different ways. Up to 1914 the old challenge system was employed where one team could challenge the holders of the cup to a series in an attempt to take the Cup. After the 1914 season the PCHA and NHA agreed that the season champions of each league would play for the Cup.
Year |
Stanley Cup Champion |
How Claimed |
Challenge or Playoff |
|
|
|
|
1909-10 |
Montreal Wanderers |
Champion of NHA |
March 12, 1910: |
1910-11 |
Ottawa Senators |
Champion of NHA |
March 13, 1911: |
1911-12 |
Quebec Bulldogs |
Champion of NHA |
March 11, 13, 1912: |
1912-13 |
Quebec Bulldogs |
Champion of NHA |
March 8, 19, 1913: |
1913-14 |
Toronto Blueshirts |
Played PCHA Champion |
Defeated Victoria Cougars of the PCHA. |
1914-15 |
Vancouver Millionaires |
Played NHA Champion |
Ottawa Senators (NHA) lost playoff. |
1915-16 |
Montreal Canadiens |
Played PCHA Champion |
Defeated Portland Rosebuds of the PCHA. |
1916-17 |
Seattle Metropolitans |
Played NHA Champion |
Montreal Canadiens (NHA) lost playoff. |
National Hockey
Association
(1909-1917) All Time Leaders
Games Played (Career)
| Player | Games Played |
| Hamby Shore | 141 |
| Georges Vezina | 138 |
| Jack Laviolette | 138 |
| Joe Hall | 136 |
| Paddy Moran | 133 |
| Art Ross | 131 |
| Jack Darragh | 131 |
| Didier Pitre | 127 |
| Joe Malone | 124 |
Leading Points (Career)
Player |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
| Joe Malone | 124 |
179 |
26 |
205 |
| Newsy Lalonde | 108 |
163 |
19 |
182 |
| Didier Pitre | 127 |
156 |
21 |
177 |
| Harry Hyland | 120 |
140 |
20 |
160 |
| Tommy Smith | 95 |
143 |
16 |
159 |
| Odie Cleghorn | 120 |
134 |
23 |
157 |
| Jack Darragh | 131 |
124 |
17 |
141 |
| Gord Roberts | 108 |
114 |
25 |
139 |
| Skene Ronan | 117 |
104 |
16 |
120 |
| Jack McDonald | 110 |
91 |
28 |
119 |
Goal Scorers (Career)
Player
|
GP
|
Goals
|
| Joe Malone | 124
|
179
|
| Newsy Lalonde | 108
|
163
|
| Didier Pitre | 127
|
156
|
| Tommy Smith | 95
|
143
|
| Harry Hyland | 120
|
140
|
| Odie Cleghorn | 120
|
134
|
| Jack Darragh | 131
|
124
|
| Gord Roberts | 108
|
114
|
| Skene Ronan | 117
|
104
|
| Donald Smith | 109
|
96
|
Assist Leaders (Career)
Player
|
GP
|
Assists
|
| Eddie Gerard | 74 |
31 |
| Rusty Crawford | 99 |
29 |
| Jack McDonald | 110 |
28 |
| Sprague Cleghorn | 115 |
27 |
| Joe Malone | 124 |
26 |
| Gord Roberts | 108 |
25 |
| Jack Walker | 40 |
23 |
| Odie Cleghorn | 120 |
23 |
| Harry Cameron | 100 |
21 |
| Didier Pitre | 127 |
21 |
Leading Scorer by Year
| Year | Player
|
GP
|
G
|
A
|
Pts
|
|
| 1909-10 | Newsy Lalonde | Montreal Canadiens | 11 |
38 |
0 |
38 |
| 1910-11 | Marty Walsh | Ottawa Senators | 16 |
37 |
0 |
37 |
| 1911-12 | Skene Ronan | Ottawa Senators | 18 |
35 |
0 |
35 |
| 1912-13 | Joe Malone | Quebec Bulldogs | 20 |
43 |
0 |
43 |
| 1913-14 | Tommy Smith | Quebec Bulldogs | 20 |
39 |
6 |
45 |
| 1914-15 | Tommy Smith | Quebec Bulldogs | 19 |
40 |
4 |
44 |
| 1915-16 | Didier Pitre | Montreal Canadiens | 24 |
24 |
15 |
39 |
| 1916-17 | Joe Malone | Quebec Bulldogs | 19 |
41 |
7 |
48 |