1915–16 Montreal Canadiens season

IcehockeyTeamSeason
Season=1915–1916
League=NHA
LeagueRank=1st
Record=16–7–1
GeneralManager=Jack Laviolette
Coach=George Kennedy
Captain=Newsy Lalonde
Arena=Jubilee Rink
GAALeader=Georges Vezina (3.2)
GoalsLeader=Newsy Lalonde (31)
GoalsFor=104
GoalsAgainst=76
Team=Montreal Canadiens
Championship=O'Brien Cup,Stanley Cup

The 1915–1916 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's seventh season and seventh of the National Hockey Association (NHA). After finishing last in 1914–15, the club rebounded to win the league championship and win the Stanley Cup for the first time.

Regular season

The Canadiens revised their lineup after finishing last. Ernie Dubeau, Jimmy Gardner and Harry Scott retired. The Canadiens added Howard McNamara and Goldie Prodger on defence. Jack Laviolette moved to forward from defence. Lalonde would have an outstanding season, leading the league in scoring with 31 goals and Georges Vezina would improve his GAA to 3.2, second in the league to Clint Benedict. The team would win all of its last seven games (and eleven of the last twelve) of the season to take the league championship.

Results

Playoffs

The club won the league outright to proceed to the Stanley Cup championship.

tanley Cup Finals

The series was held in Montreal, it being the turn of the NHA champion to host the series.The games were held at the larger Westmount Arena.

Montreal Canadiens 1916 Stanley Cup champions

Stanley Cup champion
centers=*Newsy Lalonde‡ (coach)
*Didier Pitre‡
*Georges Poulin
*Skene Ronan
wingers=*Amos Arbour
*Louis Berlinquette
*Jack Fournier
*Jack Laviolette
defence=*Bert Corbeau
*Harold McNamara†
*Howard McNamara (Captain)
*Goldie Prodger
goaltenders=Georges Vezina
player-notes=‡ also played rover † missing from team picture
non-players=
*U. P. Boucher (President)
*George Kennedy (Manager/Treasurer)
*Napolean Dorval (Secretary)
*S. Newsworthy (Trainer), Aldrie Guiment (Ass't Trainer).
engraving-notes=Even though they officially did not win the Cup during this season, the Rosebuds had the words "Portland Ore./PCHA Champions/1915–16" engraved on the Cup after obtaining the trophy from the previous year's champions, the Vancouver Millionaires. This was similar to the practice prior to 1915 when the trophy was officially passed on to the winner of the league championship of the previous Cup champion's league.

After the finals, "Canadian/NHA & World's Champions/Defeated Portland/1915–16" was added to the Cup (Note that the anglicized, singular form of "Canadiens" was engraved).

References

*cite book |title=The Trail of the Stanley Cup, vol. 1 1893–1926 inc. |last=Coleman |first=Charles L. |year=1966 |publisher=National Hockey League |pages=pp. 286–304
*cite book |title=The Habs |last=McFarlane |first=Brian |year=1996 |publisher=Stoddart Publishing |location=Toronto |isbn=077372981X
*cite book|title=Les Canadiens: the story of the Montreal Canadiens |last=O'Brien |first=Andy |year=1971 |publisher=McGrawHill-Ryerson |isbn=0070929509 |location=Toronto, New York

ee also

* 1915–16 NHA season
* List of Stanley Cup champions