1906–07 MPHL season

The 1906–07 Manitoba Professional Hockey League (MPHL) season would see the 1906 MPHL champion Kenora Thistles challenge the Montreal Wanderers in a Stanley Cup challenge in January and win the MPHL championship, only to lose the Cup in a challenge in March.

Playoffs
Kenora would play and win the MPHL playoffs against Brandon Wheat Kings to successfully defend the Cup, winning a best-of-three series 2–0. Kenora added for this series Alf Smith and Rat Westwick of Ottawa, whose season with the ECAHA was already over. At the time of this series, the acting Stanley Cup trustee William Foran had already declared Smith and Westwick ineligible for the challenge series. After the series was over, the Manitoba League registered their disapproval over Mr. Foran's decision to exclude the players.

Wanderers vs. Kenora at Montreal
The Thistles played the Montreal Wanderers in a Stanley Cup challenge during the season, defeating the Wanderers 4–2 and 8–6 on January 17–21. Aided by future Hockey Hall of Famers Tom Hooper, Tommy Phillips, and Art Ross, the Thistles came away with 4–2 and 8–6 victories for a combined score of 12–8 to win a two-game total goals series. A "ringer", Ross was a member of the Brandon Wheat Kings and was borrowed by Kenora for just the challenge games.

Wanderers vs. Kenora at Winnipeg
Kenora went ahead and added Alf Smith and Rat Westwick of Ottawa for the challenge, against the wishes of Mr. Foran. The series was supposed to start on March 21 in Kenora, but Montreal protested the use of Smith and Westwick and wanted to play in Winnipeg. Foran ruled that both players were ineligible. The clubs went ahead and started the series on March 23 in Winnipeg. Mr. Foran was notified by the press (inaccurately) that Montreal had dropped its protest and that the clubs intended to play anyway. Mr. Foran threatened to take the Cup back to Ottawa:

If the two clubs ignore the instructions of the cup trustees by mutually agreeing to play against Westwick and Smith when both were positively informed these men were ineligible to participate in the present cup matches, the series will be treated as void, and the cup will be taken charge of by the trustees. It will remain in their possession till the various hockey leagues can educate themselves up to a standard where decent sport will be the order of the day.”

The teams went ahead and played the series. However, Mr. Foran changed his mind after the Wanderers won the Cup, stating that the Wanderers could keep the Cup, because they had not rescinded their protest.

Kenora Thistles - January-March 1907 Stanley Cup champions
Eddie Geroux(Goal), Art Ross(Point), Silas Griffis(Coverpoint), Tom Hooper(Rover), Billy McGimsie(Center), Tom Phillips(Left Wing- Captain), Roxy Beaudro(Right Wing), Russell Phillips(dressed, but did not play/Forward on team picture), Joe Hall(dressed, but did not play/defense on team picture), Alf Smith(right wing)†, Harry Westwick(rover)†, Fred Whitcroft(rover)†.

Lowrey Johnson (President/missing from the team picture), Fred A. Hudson (Manager), James A. Link (Coach/Trainer), G.F McGillvary (Secretary/Treasurer).
 * Non-players

† Not part of team when Kenora when they won the Stanley Cup in January 1907. However, joined the team in March 1907 to play against the Brandon Wheat Kings in 2 playoff games.

Stanley Cup engraving
Kenora engraved their name inside the bowl of the Stanley Cup.