1921 Stanley Cup Finals

Infobox Stanley Cup Final
year=1921
format=best-of-five
team1=Ottawa Senators
team1_1=1
team1_2=4
team1_3=3
team1_4=2
team1_5=2
team1_tot=3
team2=Vancouver Millionaires
team2_1=2
team2_2=3
team2_3=2
team2_4=3
team2_5=1
team2_tot=2
coaches=Ottawa: Pete Green
Vancouver: Frank Patrick
dates= March 21 – April 4
location1=Vancouver, BC: Denman Arena (1-5)
series_winner=Jack Darragh (9:40, 2nd)The 1921 Stanley Cup Finals took place between March 21 and April 4. The National Hockey League (NHL) champion Ottawa Senators defeated the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) champion Vancouver Millionaires three games to two in the best-of-five game series. The Senators became the first team to win back-to-back Cup championships since the 1912/1913 Quebec Bulldogs.

Paths to the Final

Ottawa won the first half of the 1920–21 NHL regular season while the Toronto St. Patricks won the second half, setting up a two-game total goals series between the two clubs to determine the NHL title. The Senators recorded 5–0 and 2–0 shutout victories to advance to the Cup finals. Meanwhile, Vancouver finished the 1920–21 PCHA regular season in first place with a 13–11 record, and defeated the second place Seattle Metropolitans in a championship series to win the PCHA title.

The series

The Cup Finals took place at Vancouver's Denman Arena, where the attendance per game during the series averaged over 10,000 people. The attendance for the first game was 11,000 fans, setting a new world record for the largest crowd to see a hockey game.

All of the contests in the series, which went to the full five games, were decided by only one goal. The Millionaires won games one and four with victories of 2–1 and 3–2, respectively. The Senators were victorious in games two and three with 4–3 and 3–2 wins. Then in the fifth game, Jack Darragh scored both of Ottawa's goals in the 2–1 victory to clinch the Cup.

Darragh led the Senators in scoring with five goals during the series, while goaltender Clint Benedict only allowed just 12 goals in the five games, earning a 2.40 goals-against average.

Since all games were played in Vancouver, the three wins by the Senators meant they were the first team to win three road games in a finals series.

Ottawa Senators 1921 Stanley Cup champions

Stanley Cup champion
goaltenders=*Clint Benedict
defence=*George Boucher‡
*Morley Bruce
*Sprague Cleghorn
*Eddie Gerard (Captain)
*Jack MacKell
wingers=*Harry Punch Broadbent
*Jack Darragh
*Cy Denneny
*Leth Graham
centers=*Frank Nighbor
non-players=*Edgar Dey Sr. (President)
*Tommy Gorman (Manager/Secretary)
*Pete Green (Coach)
*Frank Dolan (Trainer)‡ Played Rover a position in the Stanley Cup Finals.
* *-Note-*(This was the last season that rover position was used in the Stanley Cup Finals. WCHL/PCHA agreed to play an interlocking schedule, with PCHA dropping the rover position. The alternating games in the finals with or without the rover positon was not necessary anymore. All Stanley Cup Finals games have been played with 6 players on each side since.)
engraving-notes=Just like the previous season, the Senators never engraved their name on the Cup for their 1921 championship. It was not until the trophy was redesigned in 1948 that the words "1921 Ottawa Senators" was put onto its then-new collar.

References

*cite web | url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SilverwareTrophyWinner.jsp?tro=STC&year=1920–21 | title=1920–21 Stanley Cup Winner: Ottawa Senators | publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame | accessdate=2006-07-04
*cite web | url=http://www.hockeyleaguehistory.com/Pacific_Coast_Hockey_Association%20_1911.htm | title=hockeyleaguehistory.com - Pacific Coast Hockey Association | accessdate=2006-07-04
*cite book | last=Podnieks | first=Andrew | coauthors=Hockey Hall of Fame | title=Lord Stanley's Cup | year=2004 | publisher=Triumph Books| isbn=1551682613 | pages=12, 53
*cite book | editor=Dan Diamond (ed.) | title=The Official National Hockey League Stanley Cup Centennial Book | year=1992 | publisher=Firefly Books| isbn=1895565154 | pages=53–54

ee also

* 1920–21 NHL season
* 1920–21 PCHA season