The inaugural 1904 Federal Amateur Hockey League (FAHL) season lasted from January 6 until February 24. Four teams played a six game schedule.

The FAHL had been formed on December 5, 1903. Three of the four teams had been rejected for membership by the Canadian Amateur Hockey League (CAHL), while the fourth – the Montreal Wanderers – was a new team composed of disillusioned players from two Montreal-based CAHL teams.

Regular season

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In their first season as a franchise, the Wanderers would dominate the regular season, going undefeated. Due to an unusual twist, the Wanderers would have to share the league championship with the Ottawa Hockey Club (HC) of the CAHL (see below).

Highlights

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Jack Marshall of Wanderers would score six goals against the Capitals on January 20.

Final standing

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Team Games Played Wins Losses Ties Goals For Goals Against
Montreal Wanderers
6
6
0
0
38
18
Montreal Le National
6
3
3
0
27
27
Cornwall HC
6
2
4
0
20
27
Ottawa Capitals
6
1
5
0
28
41

Results

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Month Day Visitor Score Home Score
Jan. 6 Cornwall 3 Le National 5
13 Le National 5 Capitals 8
15 Wanderers 5 Cornwall 1
20 Capitals 6 Wanderers 10
27 Cornwall 5 Capitals 4
27 Le National 2 Wanderers 4
Feb. 3 Capitals 3 Cornwall 7
3 Wanderers 7 Le National 3
10 Capitals 4 Le National 10
18 (†) Cornwall 3 Wanderers 8
20 Wanderers 4 Capitals 3
24 Le National 2 Cornwall 1

† Wanderers lock down League Championship.

Goaltending averages

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Name Club GP GA SO Avg.
Nicholson, Billy Wanderers 6 18 0 3.0
Grenier Capitals 1 4 0 4.0
Hunter, Jack Cornwall 6 27 0 4.5
Henri Menard Le National 6 27 0 4.5
Moffatt Capitals 2 12 0 6.0
Cope, Alex Capitals 2 15 0 7.5
Hurdman Capitals 1 10 0 10.0

Leading scorers

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Name Club GP G
Jack Marshall Wanderers 4 11
Edgar Dey Capitals 6 11
Ken Mallen Wanderers &
Cornwall
6 10
Alphonse Prevost Le National 6 9
Percy Sims Capitals 5 9
Jack Laviolette Nationals 6 8
"Pokey" Leahy Wanderers 5 7
Jimmy Gardner Wanderers 6 5
Ed Decarie Le National 6 5
Fred Strike Wanderers 2 4

League championship and Stanley Cup challenge

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Just days after the FAHL regular season was finished, the reigning Stanley Cup champion Ottawa Hockey Club (HC) left the CAHL and joined the FAHL. The Wanderers, FAHL regular season champions, immediately played Ottawa HC for the combined Stanley Cup/FAHL championship.

Wanderers vs. Ottawa

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A two-game series between the Montreal Wanderers from FAHL and Ottawa Hockey Club from CAHL was arranged, for the Stanley Cup. The teams played the first game in Montreal to a tie of 5–5. Montreal refused to play overtime, demanding that the game be considered a no-contest and proposed that the series start over as a best two-of-three series. The Cup trustees demanded that the series continued as scheduled and the Wanderers abandoned the challenge.[1]

Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Location
March 2, 1904 Ended in a 5–5 tie Montreal Arena
Ottawa wins series; Montreal is disqualified for refusing to play second game in Ottawa.

According to the Gazette, the game saw "the dirtiest game ever seen between two senior teams at the Arena." Thirty-six penalties were called. Leahy was injured and replaced by Mallan. James Strachan, president of the Wanderers was quoted as saying that the Wanderers would not go to Ottawa and play with Dr. Kearns as referee. Ottawa took a 2–0 lead, before the Wanderers scored five in a row. The Ottawas came back with three, the final goal by Frank McGee.[2]

March 2, 1904
Ottawa (5) Montreal (5)
Player G Pos Player G
Hutton G Nicholson
J. McGee P Strachan
A. Smith CP Bellingham
H. Westwick 2 R Leahy,
Mallan
1
1
F. McGee 1 C Marshall 1
W. Gilmour 1 RW Gardner 1
S. Gilmour 1 LW Blatchford 1
Referee - Dr. Kearns
Umpires - Stevens, Baskerville

Source: Montreal Gazette[2]

The Wanderers demanded a replay of the game to be held in Montreal, which Ottawa refused. The series was cancelled, with Ottawa retained the Stanley Cup. championship. Ottawa then joined FAHL in the offseason..[3]

Exhibition

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After the season, the Wanderers travelled to Michigan to play the Portage Lakes Hockey Club pro club. The Wanderers lost to Portage Lakes 8-4 and 9-2 in a series dubbed the "World Championship" locally. The Wanderers next travelled to Pittsburgh to play the Pittsburgh Victorias.[4] Pittsburgh won 4-2,[5] and 6-4.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Kitchen, pg. 140
  2. ^ a b "Game Was A Draw". Montreal Gazette. March 3, 1904. p. 2.
  3. ^ "Ottawa Says No; Others Won't Go". Montreal Gazette. March 5, 1904. p. 2.
  4. ^ "Old Rivals". Pittsburg Press. March 25, 1904. p. 22.
  5. ^ "Victorias Take First Game from Wanderers". Pittsburg Press. March 26, 1904. p. 8.
  6. ^ "Vics Capture Second Game". Pittsburg Press. March 27, 1904. p. 18.
  • Coleman, Charles L. (1966). The Trail of the Stanley Cup, Vol. 1, 1893-1926 inc. NHL.
Preceded by
none
FAHL seasons
1904
Succeeded by