1916-17 NHA season

The 1916–17 NHA season was the 8th and final season of the National Hockey Association. Teams were to play two half-seasons of 10 games each, though this was disrupted.

The NHA franchise of the dormant Shamrocks was taken back from its owner Eddie Livingstone and used by the Toronto 228th Battalion, which had a number of NHA hockey players who had enlisted for military service. Also known as the Northern Fusiliers, the team played wearing khaki military uniforms and was the league's most popular and highest scoring club until the regiment was ordered overseas in February 1917 and the team was forced to withdraw. A scandal ensued when several stars were subsequently discharged, not having to fight and alleged they had been promised commissions solely to play hockey. The NHA would sue the 228th Battalion club for its withdrawal, though ultimately did not succeed.

A dispute also erupted over the rest of the playing schedule. The Toronto Blueshirts club was suspended for the rest of the season by the league, and some of its players played for other clubs for the rest of the schedule. The league intended for the players to be returned at the end of the season to whomever would own the Toronto club then. As the sale did not take place, the league kept them. The owner of the Blueshirts would file several lawsuits over the league's actions, sparking the events that led to the founding of the NHL.

League Business[]

Emmet Quinn resigned as president on October 18,1916.

The Ottawa club wanted to suspend play for the season due to the war, but was voted down.

Executives[]

Frank Robinson, Montreal (president)
Frank Calder, (secretary-treasurer)

Directors:

S. E. Lichtenhein, Wanderers,
G. W. Kennedy, Canadiens
Martin Rosenthal, Ottawa
E. J. Livingstone, Toronto
Capt. L. W. Reade, 228th
Mike J. Quinn, Quebec

Rule Changes[]

A split-schedule of two halves would be used.

The single-referee system would be reinstated.

Throwing the stick to prevent a goal would mean the award of an automatic goal for the other team.

Regular Season[]

Suspending the Blueshirts[]

On February 10, 1917, the Blueshirts played their final game, losing 4–1 at home to Ottawa. The following day, a meeting of the NHA executive in Montreal was held to deal with the 228th Battalion leaving for overseas. Toronto proposed continuing with a five-team league, but the other owners instead voted to suspend Toronto's team. The players were dispersed by a drawing of names. The following day, President Robinson was quoted as stating that the players would return to the club after the season, but he would not guarantee that the club would be allowed to return to play, stating that would be decided at the NHA annual meeting.

Continuing the season[]

Ottawa, while not unhappy at the suspension of Toronto, nevertheless lost a game for the use of Cy Denneny in a game against the 228th, and saw the Wanderers and Quebec receive wins for games against the 228th. The club threatened to not play for the rest of the season. However, cooler heads prevailed and Ottawa went back to work.

The following weekend, Harry Meeking and Eddie Oatman arrived in Montreal, after being discharged by the 228th after arriving in Saint John, New Brunswick. Oatman charged that the 228th owed him $700 for his commission for his play with the 228th. As Oatman had gotten out of being drafted into the PCHA by being a member of the 228th, this set the Ottawa on again to reverse the game decision, claiming that Oatman was ineligible.

Final standings[]

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

First Half	GP	W	L	GF	GA
Montreal Canadiens	10	7	3	58	38
Ottawa Senators	10	7	3	56	41
Toronto 228th Battalion	10	6	4	70	57
Toronto Blueshirts	10	5	5	50	45
Montreal Wanderers	10	3	7	56	72
Quebec Bulldogs	10	2	8	43	80

Second Half	GP	W	L	GF	GA
Ottawa Senators	10	8	2	63	22
Quebec Bulldogs	10	8	2	54	46
Montreal Canadiens	10	3	7	31	42
Montreal Wanderers	10	2	8	38	65

After the 228th Battalion dropped out, and Toronto suspended, the schedule was revised so that the remaining teams would play a 20 game schedule of two halves containing 10 games each. Some of the games to that point were moved into the second half. The 'second half' therefore included some games that the 228th and Toronto played.

Results[]

First half

Month	Day	Visitor	Score	Home	Score
Dec.	27	Ottawa	7	228th	10
	27	Wanderers	2	Quebec	6
	27	Toronto	7	Canadiens	1
	30	Canadiens	1	Ottawa	7
	30	Quebec	5	Toronto	8
	30	228th	10	Wanderers	4
Jan.	3	Ottawa	10	Wanderers	5
	3	Canadiens	4	Quebec	2
	3	228th	4	Toronto	0
	6	Toronto	2	Ottawa	3
	6	Wanderers	4	Canadiens	9
	6	Quebec	9	228th	16
	10	Ottawa	4	Quebec	5
	10	228th	1	Canadiens	6
	10	Wanderers	4	Toronto	9
	13	228th	1	Ottawa	1
	13	Canadiens	6	Toronto	2
	13	Quebec	3	Wanderers	12
	17	Ottawa	3	Canadiens	2
	17	Wanderers	10	228th	4
	17	Toronto	5	Quebec	1
	20	Wanderers	5	Ottawa	8
	20	Toronto	6	228th	8
	20	Quebec	6	Canadiens	10
	24	Ottawa	5	Toronto	8
	24	228th	12	Quebec	4
	24	Canadiens	10	Wanderers	2
	27	Quebec	2	Ottawa	7
	27	Toronto	3	Wanderers	8
	27	Canadiens	9	228th	4

Second half

Month	Day	Visitor	Score	Home	Score
Jan.	31	228th	0	Ottawa‡	8
	31	Quebec	4	Wanderers	3 (3' OT)
	31	Canadiens	2	Toronto	6
Feb.	3	Ottawa	2	Canadiens	1
	3	Toronto	3	Quebec	7 (2' to play)
	3	Wanderers†		228th	(postponed)
	7	Wanderers	5	Ottawa	8
	7	Toronto	4	228th	3
	7	Quebec	3	Canadiens	6
	10	Ottawa	4	Toronto	1
	10	Canadiens	6	Wanderers	3
	12	228th*		Quebec&	(cancelled)
	14	Canadiens	1	Ottawa	4
	14	Quebec	7	Wanderers	3
	17	Wanderers	3	Canadiens	4
	17	Ottawa	2	Quebec	3 (16' OT)
	21	Canadiens	1	Quebec	5
	21	Ottawa	5	Wanderers	3
	24	Quebec	7	Canadiens	6
	24	Wanderers	6	Ottawa	11
	28	Ottawa	3	Canadiens	1
	28	Wanderers	6	Quebec	17
Mar.	3	Quebec	1	Ottawa	16
Mar.	3	Canadiens	3	Wanderers	6

‡ Ottawa lost game on use of ineligible Cy Denneny.
† Wanderers given win for this game in revised second half.
& Quebec given win for this game in revised second half.
* 228th was ordered overseas. Toronto club was suspended by league.

Scoring leaders[]

Player	Team	GP	G
Joe Malone	Quebec Bulldogs	19	41
Frank Nighbor	Ottawa Senators	19	41
Odie Cleghorn	Montreal Wanderers	18	28
Newsy Lalonde	Montreal Canadiens	18	27
Jack Darragh	Ottawa Senators	20	26
Didier Pitre	Montreal Canadiens	20	22
Dave Ritchie	Quebec Bulldogs	19	17
Corb Denneny	Toronto / Ottawa	20	19
Eddie Gerard	Ottawa Senators	19	17
Eddie Oatman	228th Battalion	12	17 †

Leading Goaltenders[]

Name	Club	GP	GA	SO	Avg.
Gordon Keats	Toronto	2	5		2.5
Clint Benedict	Ottawa	18	50	1	2.8
Georges Vezina	Canadiens	20	80		4.0
Brock	Toronto	4	16	1	4.0
Billy Nicholson	Toronto	10	40	1	4.0
Ossie Lang	Ottawa	1	5		5.0
Sam Hebert	Quebec/Ottawa	15	84		5.6
Lockhart	228th Battalion	12	69	1	5.8 †
Bert Lindsay	Wanderers	15	96		6.4
Paddy Moran	Quebec	6	50		8.3
Billy Hague	Wanderers	4	41		10.3

† Totals includes two 228th Battalion games played in second half, not counted in standings.

Playoffs[]

Game-by-Game		Winning Team	Score	Losing Team	Location
1	March 7	Montreal Canadiens	5–2	Ottawa Senators	Montreal Arena
2	March 10	Ottawa Senators	4–2	Montreal Canadiens	The Arena, Ottawa
Canadiens win two-game playoff 7–6