The 1921 Stanley Cup Final was contested by the National Hockey League (NHL) champion Ottawa Senators and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) champion Vancouver Millionaires. The Senators defeated Vancouver three games to two in the best-of-five game series to become 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 Final 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 Final series.
| Game-by-Game | Winning Team | Score | Losing Team | Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 21 | Vancouver Millionaires | 2–1 | Ottawa Senators | Denman Arena, Vancouver | |
| 2 | March 24 | Ottawa Senators | 4–3 | Vancouver Millionaires | ||
| 3 | March 28 | Ottawa Senators | 3–2 | Vancouver Millionaires | ||
| 4 | March 31 | Vancouver Millionaires | 3–2 | Ottawa Senators | ||
| 5 | April 4 | Ottawa Senators | 2–1 | Vancouver Millionaires | ||
| Senators win best-of-five series 3 games to 2 | ||||||
Ottawa Senators 1921 Stanley Cup Champions[]
Roster
- Goaltenders
- Clint Benedict
- Defence
- George Boucher‡
- Morley Bruce
- Sprague Cleghorn
- Eddie Gerard (Captain)
- Jack MacKell
- Wingers
- Punch Broadbent
- Jack Darragh
- Cy Denneny
- Leth Graham
- Centers
- Frank Nighbor
- Non-players
- Ted Dey (President)
- Tommy Gorman (Manager/Secretary)
- Pete Green (Coach)
- Frank Dolan (Trainer)
- Frank Ahearn (Hon. President)&
&-missing from the team picture
‡ 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 position was not necessary anymore. All Stanley Cup Finals games have been played with 6 players on each side since.)
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.
Gallery[]
See Also[]
| Preceded by Ottawa Senators 1920 |
Ottawa Senators Stanley Cup Champions 1921 |
Succeeded by Toronto St. Pats 1922 |
| Ottawa Senators (original) | |
|---|---|
| Franchise • Players • Coaches • Seasons • Records • Dey's Arena • Aberdeen Pavilion • Ottawa Auditorium | |