League 2nd ECAHA Coach Alf Smith Arena Dey's Arena | 1906–07 record 7–3–0 Captain Harvey Pulford Goals Harry Smith (21) | |
The 1906–07 Ottawa Hockey Club season lasted from January 3 until March 10. Ottawa placed second to the Montreal Wanderers who went through the season undefeated.
Contents
Off-season
Frank McGee of Ottawa retired to pursue his government career.
Highlights
A major battle took place for the game between the Senators and Wanderers on January 12. Stick work was the order of the day as Charles Spittal of Ottawa knocked Cecil Blachford in the head, Alf Smith hit Hod Stuart in the head and Harry Smith broke Ernie Johnson's nose. The Wanderers would still win, 4–2. Blachford, Johnson and Stuart all required hospitalization.
After the game, a special league meeting was called to hand out discipline, with Victorias and Wanderers wanting Spittal and Alf Smith suspended for the season. The players were not suspended, leading the league president Mr. McRobie to resign, leaving D'arcy McGee to take over as president. Ottawa had threatened to leave the league, and, under an agreement between the two teams, the Wanderers would have left the league also.
On the next visit of the Ottawa team to Montreal, to play the Victorias, the three Ottawa players were arrested by Montreal police. Eventually Alf Smith and Spittal were fined $20 for their actions and Harry Smith was found not guilty.
Exhibitions
Prior to the season, Ottawa travelled to Winnipeg for a series of exhibition games against Manitoba league teams including the Kenora Thistles, who then came east to play a challenge in Montreal. On December 31, the Ottawas defeated Kenora 10–5. On January 1, the Ottawas were defeated by the Winnipeg Strathconas 9–6.
After the Kenora Thistles defeated the Wanderers for the Stanley Cup, they played an exhibition game against Ottawa in Ottawa on January 23. Kenora, without defenseman Art Ross, lost to Ottawa 8–3. Harry Smith scored four goals and Harry Westwick scored three for Ottawa. In the game Billy McGimsie suffered a career-ending shoulder injury. At the time, it was not described as serious, only a "badly bruised and slightly dislocated shoulder". He played in the Thistles' next exhibition in Toronto on January 25.
After the season, Harry Westwick and Alf Smith joined the Thistles for the last few games of the MHL season, and the Thistles' unsuccessful Stanley Cup challenge against the Wanderers.