This Day in Hockey History
1911 - Ottawa Senators defend Stanley Cup against Port Arthur Bearcats' challenge
On this day 103 years ago, the National Hockey Association's Ottawa Senators would defend the Stanley Cup for the final time amid professional hockey's "challenge era," capturing their 17th title with a 14-4 win over the New Ontario Hockey League Champion Port Arthur Bearcats.
The Senators, who won the NHA title that year with a 13-3 regular season record, would initially capture the Stanley Cup by downing the Eastern Professional Hockey League champions from Galt 7-4. Three days later, Port Arthur, champions of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association, was awarded its first and only opportunity to contest for hockey's holy grail in 70 years of hockey tradition.
Despite their failure, the Bearcats had nothing to be ashamed of, in retrospect; they were just another victim of the early 20th-century hockey juggernaut that was Ottawa. In 21 seasons of the Stanley Cup being fought over via issued challenge, the Senators kissed the mug 17 times under the winner-take-all format, losing just twice.
1996 - The Canadiens officially put the Montreal Forum to rest, beat the New York Rangers 4-2 to open the Molson Centre
Vincent Damphousse scored two goals and Jocelyn Thibault made 24 saves as the Montreal Canadiens successfully unveiled the Molson Centre (now known as the Bell Centre) with a 4-2 win over the New York Rangers on this date in 1996.
Holding a capacity of more than 21,000 fans for a hockey game, the Molson Centre presented a significant upgrade over the old Montreal Forum, an old barn that spent years disintegrating from within. The Canadiens were tenants of the storied arena for 72 years before the Molson partnership group built the most successful NHL franchise in hockey history a new home.
Today, popular opinion suggests the Bell Centre presents the sport's greatest home-ice advantage.
1995 - Dale Hunter leapfrogs Chris Nilan, becomes second-most penalised NHL player in league history
In a 5-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Washington Capitals tough guy Dale Hunter did his part, amassing seven penalty minutes to reach the 3,044-mark, leapfrogging Chris Nilan into second-place all-time.
The former Capitals' bench boss would eclipse Nilan in fitting major-penalty fashion, dropping the mitts with Brian Skrudland in the first period.
Committing infractions with the Capitals, Quebec Nordiques, and Colorado Avalanche, Hunter would spend 3,565 minutes in the sin bin over his 19-year NHL career. While that number appears staggering, consider this: Hunter finished 401 penalty minutes short of Tiger Williams' mark set in five fewer seasons.
Birthdays
1962 - Brian Mullen
1976 - Kim Johnsson
1984 - Brandon Prust
1988 - Jiri Tlusty