1909–10 Montreal Canadiens season

1909–10 Montreal Canadiens
1909–10 Montreal Canadiens
League	7th NHA
1909–10 record	2–10–0
Home record	2–4–0
Road record	0–6–0
Goals for	59
Goals against	100
Team information
General manager	Jack Laviolette
Coach	Joseph Cattarinich and Jack Laviolette
Captain	Newsy Lalonde
Arena	Jubilee Rink
Team leaders
Goals	Newsy Lalonde (38)
Goals against average	Joseph Cattarinich (7.7)
	← 1910–11 →

The 1909–10 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's inaugural season and also the first season of the National Hockey Association (NHA). The 1910 Montreal Canadiens operated as 'Les Canadiens' and were owned by Ambrose O'Brien of Renfrew, Ontario, as one of four franchises he owned in the NHA. After the season, the franchise was suspended and a NHA franchise was sold to George Kennedy. All of the players of 'Les Canadiens' went to Kennedy's organization.

Founding

After the Canadian Hockey Association (CHA) turned down Ambrose O'Brien's Renfrew Creamery Kings application for membership on November 25, 1909, O'Brien, along with Jimmy Gardner of the (also rejected) Montreal Wanderers organized the new National Hockey Association. The Wanderers desired a competitor team based in Montreal and Gardner suggested a team of francophone players to O'Brien to play on the rivalry between francophones and anglophones in Montreal. Gardner suggested that it be named 'Les Canadiens.'^[1]

The new team was founded at the new NHA's meeting on December 4, 1909. O'Brien put up $5000 security for the new franchise^[2] on the "condition that it would be transferred to Montreal French sportsmen as soon as practicable."^[3] Jack Laviolette was hired to organize the new team, its official name Le Club de Hockey Le Canadien.^[2]

Laviolette was given free rein by the NHA owners to sign all francophone players. The others would not sign any until the Canadien team was set. His first signing was his old friend Didier "Cannonball" Pitre. Pitre was working in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, when he received a telegram from Laviolette outlining the team and to come to Montreal. At the train in North Bay, Ontario, Pitre was met by an official of the CHA's Montreal Le National, who signed him on the spot for $1100, however Pitre had thought he was signing a contract with Laviolette. When Pitre arrived in Ottawa, Laviolette was there to meet him. Laviolette explained that it was the other French-Canadian team that Laviolette was managing. Pitre signed with Laviolette for a guaranteed $1700. Before the first game, legal action was initiated by the Nationals and an injunction was only lifted on the day of the first Canadien game.^[4] Laviolette's other signings went much more easily. Newsy Lalonde signed on December 14 and he reported the next day to complete the roster.

When the CHA folded in January 1910, the franchise was offered by O'Brien to Le National but they declined to purchase the franchise.^[5] The Nationals turned down the offer, not willing to take on the contract to play in the Jubilee Rink, the cost of the player contracts of $6200 and debts of $1400.^[6] Le National, an established organization of some 14 years, instead folded their team.^[7]

Regular season

The team had a record of 2–10–0 to finish last in the league. The team's first game was a win against Cobalt at home 7–6 in overtime, on January 5, 1910. The result was nullified when the NHA absorbed the CHA teams and created a new schedule. Cobalt later defeated Les Canadiens at Montreal 6–4. The team's first official win took place on February 7, 1910, against the Haileybury Hockey Club. The team did not win a game away from its home rink.

Final standings

National Hockey Association
	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA
Montreal Wanderers	12	11	1	0	91	41
Ottawa Hockey Club	12	9	3	0	89	66
Renfrew Creamery Kings	12	8	3	1	96	54
Cobalt Silver Kings	12	4	8	0	79	104
Haileybury Hockey Club	12	4	8	0	77	83
Montreal Shamrocks	12	3	8	1	52	95
Les Canadiens	12	2	10	0	59	100

^[8]

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against

Schedule and results

Month	Day	Visitor	Score	Home	Score
Jan.	5	Cobalt	6	Canadiens	7 (5'35" over.)†
	19	Canadiens	4	Renfrew	9
	22	Canadiens	4	Ottawa	6
	26	Ottawa	8	Canadiens	4
Feb.	2	Canadiens	3	Shamrocks	8
	7	Haileybury	5	Canadiens	9
	12	Wanderers	9	Canadiens	4
	15	Renfrew	8	Canadiens	6
	24	Canadiens	7	Cobalt	11
	26	Canadiens	3	Haileybury	15
Mar.	5	Cobalt	6	Canadiens	4
	9	Canadiens	6	Wanderers	11
	11	Shamrocks	4	Canadiens	5 (12' over.)

† Games played before January 15, which were played before the CHA teams joined were not counted against the final standings.

Playoffs

The team did not qualify for playoffs.

Notes

^ Jenish, p. 10
^ ^a ^b Jenish, p. 11
^ Coleman, p. 179
^ Jenish, pp. 15–16
^ McFarlane(1996), pg. 6
^ Jenish, p. 19-20
^ Coleman, p. 180
^ Standings: Coleman, Charles (1966). Trail of the Stanley Cup, vol. 1, 1893-1926 inc. National Hockey League. p. 190.

References

Coleman, Charles L. (1966). The Trail of the Stanley Cup, vol.1 1893–1926 inc.
Jenish, D'Arcy (2008). The Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years of Glory. Toronto, Ontario: Doubleday Canada. ISBN 978-0-385-66324-3.
McFarlane, Brian (1996). The Habs. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing. ISBN 0-7737-2981-X.
O'Brien, Andy (1971). Les Canadiens: the story of the Montreal Canadiens. Toronto, New York: McGraw Hill Ryerson. ISBN 0-07-092950-5.

External links

Slam report on first game^[usurped]

[1] Jenish, p. 10

[jenish11-2] Jenish, p. 11

[3] Coleman, p. 179

[4] Jenish, pp. 15–16

[5] McFarlane(1996), pg. 6

[6] Jenish, p. 19-20

[7] Coleman, p. 180

[8] Standings: Coleman, Charles (1966). Trail of the Stanley Cup, vol. 1, 1893-1926 inc. National Hockey League. p. 190.

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v t e Montreal Canadiens
Founded in 1909 Based in Montreal, Quebec
Franchise	Team General managers Coaches Players Captains Draft picks Seasons Current season
History	History Original Six Centennial Records Award winners Retired numbers Broadcasters
Personnel	Owner(s) Molson family (Geoff Molson, chairman) General manager Kent Hughes Head coach Martin St. Louis Team captain Nick Suzuki Current roster
Arenas	Jubilee Arena Montreal Arena Mount Royal Arena Montreal Forum Bell Centre
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Affiliates	AHL Laval Rocket ECHL Trois-Rivières Lions
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Culture and lore	Youppi! The Hockey Sweater Pour toujours, les Canadiens! Ginette Reno Tour des Canadiens The Punch Line Richard Riot 1938 European tour "Fix You" Good Friday Massacre 2003 Heritage Classic 2011 Heritage Classic 2016 Winter Classic NHL 100 Classic Bell Sports Complex
Category Commons

v t e Montreal Canadiens seasons
1900s	1909–10
1910s	1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20
1920s	1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30
1930s	1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40
1940s	1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50
1950s	1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60
1960s	1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70
1970s	1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80
1980s	1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90
1990s	1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00
2000s	2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10
2010s	2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20
2020s	2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
Highlighted seasons indicate Stanley Cup championship

v t e 1910 NHA season
NHA	Cobalt Haileybury Mtl Canadiens Mtl Shamrocks Mtl Wanderers Ottawa Renfrew
See also	Les Canadiens