Adapted from Chapter 4
The 1890-91 season was by far the most ambitious yet in the short history of the Ottawa Hockey Club, which one year earlier had come under the wing of the new Ottawa Amateur Athletic Club. With this solid organizational base, the Hockey Club inspired the formation of the first Ottawa city league, joined in the move to create an Ontario league, and returned to competition in the challenge series of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada. Organizational stability no doubt helped the team on the ice. The Club won 13 matches and lost only one, outscoring their opponents 56-11.
The players, all amateurs, had jobs or were students; but they found time to commit themselves to a demanding hockey season. Here is a day-by-day reconstruction of the team’s 1890-91 activities beginning with the organizational meeting and concluding with a sitting for the team portrait at season’s end. Note the time dedicated to practicing.
Compiled from Club President P.D. Ross’ diaries, newspaper accounts, and the 1890/91 annual report of Ottawa Hockey Club.
Wed. Nov. 19: annual meeting held at Ottawa Amateur Athletic Club (OAAC)
Tues. Nov. 25: OHC convenes meeting in OAAC rooms to form city league
Thu. Nov. 27: at the founding meeting of Ontario Hockey Association in Toronto
Fri. Nov. 28: at 4th annual meeting of Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC)
Wed. Dec. 3: at meeting in OAAC rooms to draw up city league schedule
Mon. Dec. 8: first practice, 6 p.m. [all practices at Rideau Rink]
Wed. Dec. 10: practice, 6 p.m.; club meeting follows
Fri. Dec. 12: practice, 6 p.m.
Mon. Dec. 15: practice, 6 p.m.
Wed. Dec. 17: practice, 6 p.m.
Thu. Dec. 18: 4-1 win over Ottawa College on outdoor rink
Fri. Dec. 19: practice, 6 p.m.
Mon. Dec. 22: practice, 6 p.m.
Wed. Dec. 24: practice canceled
Thu. Dec. 26: practice, 6 p.m.
Mon. Dec. 29: practice, 6 p.m.
Tues. Dec. 30: 11-1 win versus Ottawa College at Rideau Rink
Wed. Dec. 31: practice, 6 p.m.
Fri. Jan. 2: practice, 6 p.m.
Mon. Jan. 5: practice, 6 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 7: practice, 6 p.m.
Fri. Jan. 9: practice, 6 p.m.
Mon. Jan. 12: practice, 6 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 14: 3-2 win over Ottawa College at Rideau Rink
Fri. Jan. 16: practice, 6 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 17: match versus McGill at Rideau Rink, 2-2 draw
Mon. Jan. 19: practice, 6 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 2: practice, 6 p.m.
Fri. Jan. 23: practice, 6 p.m.
Mon. Jan. 26: practice, 6 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 28: practice, 6 p.m.
Fri. Jan. 30: practice, 6 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 31:1-0 win over Victorias at Rideau Rink
Mon. Feb. 2: practice, 6 p.m.
Wed. Feb. 4: practice, 6 p.m.
Thu. Feb. 5: first match in OHA series; 5-0 win over the Rideaus
Fri. Feb. 6: practice, 6 p.m.
Mon. Feb. 9: 4-0 win, at Rideau Rink versus Rideaus
Wed. Feb. 1: city championship, 3-0 win at Rideau Rink versus Dey’s Rink team
Fri. Feb. 13: practice, 6 p.m.
Mon. Feb. 16: practice, 6 p.m.
Wed. Feb. 18: practice, 6 p.m.
Fri. Feb. 20: no practice, players prepare equipment for the next match
Sat. Feb. 21: AHAC championship game, 3-0 loss to MAAA at Crystal Rink in Montreal
Sun. Feb. 22: return to Ottawa on the train
Mon. Feb. 23: practice, 6 p.m.
Wed. Feb. 25: practice, 6 p.m.
Thu. Feb. 26: versus Ottawa College, 3-2 win at Rideau Rink
Fri. Feb. 27: practice, 6 p.m.
Sat. Feb. 28: OHA match, 4-1 win versus Queen’s at Kingston Rink
Mon. Mar. 2: practice, 6 p.m.
Wed. Mar. 4: practice, 6 p.m.
Fri. Mar. 6: practice, 6 p.m.
Sat. Mar. 7: OHA championship final, 5-0 win, over Toronto St. George’s at Rideau Rink
Mon. Mar. 9: friendly match, 3-1 win, versus Gladstones at Dey’s Rink
Tues. Mar. 10: practice, 10 p.m.
Wed. Mar. 11: friendly match and win versus Ottawa College at Rideau Rink
Fri. Mar. 13: leave by rail for Toronto, 10:45 p.m.
Sat. Mar. 14: friendly match, 4-0 win, versus St. George’s at Mutual Street Rink; Friendly match, 6-0 win, versus Osgoode Hall at Victoria Rink; Entertained at dinner by Victoria Club and presented with Ontario Challenge Cup
Sun. Mar. 15: leave for Ottawa by rail, 10:30 p.m.
Mon. Mar. 16: practice, 6 p.m.
Wed. Mar. 18: practice, 6 p.m.
Thu. Mar. 19: practice, 1 p.m.
Fri. Mar. 20: final city championship game and 4-0 win over Gladstones at Rideau Rink
Fri. Mar. 27: To Topley photographers for team portrait, 12 noon
The on-ice numbers were impressive; the off-ice financial figures were not, showing a deficit of $70 on receipts of $51 and expenditures of $121. The difficulty was the rental agreement with the Rideau Rink. It called for the Club to pay, in addition to a flat twenty dollars for the season, half of the gross proceeds from games. But the Club’s expenses in putting the games on, principally guarantees to visiting teams, resulted in a net loss on matches. Added to the problem was the common practice at that time for rink operators to sell season tickets entitling holders to free entry for skating, hockey and other events held in the premises. This meant lost gate potential for the Hockey Club, since it received no share from the rink’s season ticket revenues. While the team secured $51.00 in grants and subscriptions from the OAAC, it incurred expenses of $121.00.
The Rideau Rink, far right, where the Ottawa Hockey Club played the 1890-91 season. The rental agreement called for the Club to pay the Rideau a flat twenty dollars for the season plus half of the gross proceeds from games. PHOTO: LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA PA42366
Source: Kitchen, Paul. Win, Tie, Or Wrangle: The Inside Story of the Old Ottawa Senators, 1883-1935. Manotick: Penumbra Press, 2008.