1909 ECHA Season Part 2: Games 1-12
Game #1: Quebec HC vs Montreal Shamrocks, 2 January 1909
A Montreal paper wrote: “Their shooting, however, was very bad, and this together with some really good work by Baker in goals, helped the Irishmen to stave off defeat”
“Hyland was developed into a clever scorer, and was useful until he tired, in the second half. Ward, the other centre ice player, is a rapid breaker, and goes in on the nets in good style”
“Marshall made a good job of the cover point position and was really the best player on the team. His worst fault was that in trying to help out the attack he left his defence open, with fatal results a couple of times. Debeau is a nice skater and made a fair impression at point, while Baker did first-class work in the nets”
“Malone with experience should be a useful wing. He skates well and is a fair stickhandler”
Another Montreal paper reported: “The Power brothers and Jordan made several strenuous attacks, but their combination always seemed to split on Jack Marshall, who looked fitter than he has done for a long time”
Final Score: 9-8 Shamrocks
Rosters
Quebec: Moran in goal, Leader at point, J. Power at cover, C. Power at rover, Malone at LW, Jordan at center, and McDonald at RW
Shamrocks: Baker in goal, Debeau at point, Marshall at cover, Hyland at rover, G. McNamara at LW, Ward at center, and Darragh at RW
Game #2: Montreal Shamrocks vs Quebec HC, 6 January 1909
Not much on this one; the Wanderers-Ottawa received the lion’s share of the hockey coverage
Final Score: 12-4 Quebec HC
Rosters
Shamrocks: Baker in goal, Debeau at point, Marshall at cover, Hyland at rover, Ward at center, McNamara at RW, and Darragh at LW
Quebec: Moran in goal, Leader at point, J. Power at cover, C. Power at rover, Jordan at center, Malone at RW, and McDonald at LW
Game #3: Ottawa HC vs Montreal Wanderers, 6 January 1909
An Ottawa paper noted: “Glass of the Wanderers is one of the most consistent checkers in the E.C.H.A.”
“Lesueur in the Ottawa nets covered himself with glory, making stops that he did not seem to have the slightest possibility of blocking. He was back in his 1906 form, being repeatedly cheered to the echo for his stellar work. Fred Lake at point made the hit of the night. Lake’s rushes were second only to those of Taylor, he scoring two of the Ottawas’ goals as the result of clever head work”
“Lake will certainly be a fixture at point. He was one of the greatest surprises of the evening, had more staying power than any man on the ice, and was going like a whirlwind in the overtime when everyone else seemed too tired to move. Taylor at cover was easily one of the stars of the game, doing the work of three or four men”
“Stuart, Dey, Walsh and Gilmour doing phenomenal work. Their combination was excellent, and their checking back was remarkably effective”
“Ross was in dine form on the defence, also Hern and Smaill, while of the forwards Johnston and Smith were the pick. Johnston covered and immense amount of ice”
Another Ottawa paper noted: “Lake and Taylor were the stars of the Ottawa team and their continuous rushing gave the forward line many good chances to shoot on the flags. All the men, however, showed up well and Lesueur stopped all kinds of wicked shots”
“Ross, Smaill and Glass were the strong men on the Cupholders and while Smith did considerable scoring he was not as fast as Glass and Johnston. Gadner was the weak man”
A Montreal paper wrote: “It is a well known fact that in hockey the man who does the real hard work, who schemes and then travels with the puck the entire distance of the rink, escaping a dozen dangers, is shorn of the credit he deserves in favor of the men who happens to be near the net and shoves it in.
But in this particular case that will not be so, and the official credit will be given to Walter Smaill.
“This, because he deserves it and because Leseur is not anxious for the honor.
It was a great duel between two of the finest hockey players in the world, and Smaill won out”
“The two goalkeepers are wonders”
“Perhaps in this case Lesueur deserves more credit, for the fusilade on his net in the first half was the greatest, although in the second the attack was evenly divided, but Riley Hern no doubt would have done just as well had he been in Lesuer’s place”
“Ross and Smaill made an admirable defence for Wanderers, and later on [Johnson went back to cover and Smaill went to LW] Johnson helped stave off defeat”
“Taylor and Lake were fine as defence on the other side. When it comes to forwards there was little to choose. Marty Walsh is very quick but Harry Smith in a more quiet way is quite as effective”
“Gardner, whom the Ottawa people looked upon as a veteran of veterans, was quite as much value as Dey, one of the younger men”
“Glass is quite as good as Bruce Stuart, and was perhaps better last night”
“And Johnson and Gilmour are two men of about the same type and the same ability”
Another Montreal paper reported: “But if Wanderers as a team are lucky it is Walter Smaill who carries the horseshoes for the seven. The goal that Smaill netted in overtime last night was the fourth that he has scored in the last two years saving the day for the champions. It was Smaill who turned the tide for Wanderers each time against Ottawa, against Victoria and against Shamrocks last winter”
“There was bad blood between the Stuarts and Smiths in the old Ottawa days, and the feud is one of long standing”
“...while Lake is a big improvement over Pulford, and the defence is consequently mich stronger, the line is not as good”
“The Ottawa line did not impress, Dey and Gilmour being weaker wings than Alf. Smith and Phillips of last year’s team. In centre ice Walsh and Stuart were fair. Walsh being the better of the pair and perhaps the best of the line. At that, he did not play up to his best form. Stuart was hurt early in the match and was only occasionally conspicuous. He played better hockey here last winter”
“Lesueur had a great deal more work than Hern and did it in his usual good style”
“Taylor and Lake were the stars of the team, and it was their continual rushing that gave the forwards a chance to keep up with Wanderers in the scoring. Taylor did a tremendous amount of work, but, as usual, showed poor judgment when he was close in, shooting wildly as a rule. However, his work in carrying the disc counted for a lot”
“Ross, Smaill, Glass and Johnston were the Wanderer stars of the night’s play. The defence men worked effectively with the forwards, and, in this respect, were better than Taylor and Lake, who seemed at a loss to know where to ind their men. Ross is striking his gait, and in offensive work showed better form than in the up games. He was also strong in defensive work, usually getting Taylor when the latter got close in”
“Hern had less to do than Lesueur, but did it equally well. The little fellow was cool in some stiff scrimmaging around his cage, and he used his head in clearing”
“Glass seemed to be out to play the best game of his career. There was no player on the ice into as many plays as Glass, breaking up rushes by the other side and starting ones for his own. Johnston did his usual spectacular skating and was the great puck carrier of the team. Smith shone through his scoring ability, achieving the remarkable feat of netting for goals in a time that totalled 93 seconds. This is a record that will take some beating this winter. Gardner was off form last night, although he kept Gilmour pretty effectively tied up”
“Smith and Glass bored in on the Ottawa cage with a persistence that told on the evening’s play”
“Taylor, who was becoming conspicuous in the play, made another one of his speedy dashes for an end-to-end run”
“Taylor kept repeating with his quick breaks and fast rushes and while he usually carried the puck the length of the rink, he generally found Ross a stumbling block”
“Ross made one of his spectacular rushes”
Final Score: 7-6 Wanderers
Rosters
Ottawa: Lesueur in goal, Lake at point, Taylor at cover, Stuart at rover, Walsh at center, Gilmour at RW, and Dey at LW
Wanderers: Hern in goal, Ross at point, Smaill at cover, Glass at center, Smith at center, Johnson at RW, Gardner at LW
Game #4: Quebec HC vs Ottawa HC, 9 January 1909
An Ottawa paper wrote: “Lesueur in the nets was all to the good, stopping a score of hard shots”
“Had Lesueur been off form, Quebec would have had a dozen more. Lesueur is playing better hockey than ever and the crowd rewarded his work by prolonged applause on several occasions. Fred Lake at point repeated the hit which he made in the spectacular struggle of Wednesday last. Lake is perhaps the smallest and lightest man that has ever played point for Ottawa, but he is one of the most effective ever seen in the position. Lake used his body with great effect, but checked in a fair, legitimate manner, showing headwork when such was most needed. Lake showed marvelous speed for a little fellow, dashing by the Quebec forwards and defence men time and time again. He played an unselfish game as well, passing the puck whenever a pass was called for. Lake certainly delivered the goods and throughout the game the fans were shouting his name and pleading with him to ‘go down and score another’. Fred Taylor at cover point again displayed his wonderful skating powers, brilliant stick-handling, and steady defensive work. Taylor’s speed is bewildering, his aggressiveness also tickling the spectators”
“Dey fitted in nicely with the others. He has a bad habit of stopping for a second while in possession of the puck and with this remedied should be an all round star”
“Paddy Moran, the veteran goal-keeper of the Quebec team gave what was undoubtedly the greatest performance in the flags ever seen here. Moran had his eye strictly on the rubber throughout and had it not been for his sterling work, the score would have been twice as large. Moran stopped the puck with his hands, feet and body in a remarkable manner. As a goalkeeper Moran is in a class by himself. Last year he was great; this winter he is still greater”
“The Quebec defence was its strongest department, Leader and Capt. Joe Power also showing class. The forwards were weak, Jordan and Chubby Power being the pick. They were weak on the wings, Malone and McDonald being unable to keep pace with the others”
Another Ottawa paper reported: “The Ottawas scored several goals that were not allowed as their opponents’ goal nets had been knocked out of position by Moran falling. He worked this trick several times when the locals looked dangerous. Jordan played a nice game for the visitors as did also Joe Power”
“Lake and Taylor again distinguished themselves by their sensational rushes down the ice and both assisted very materially in the greater part of the scoring. Both men have great speed and the way they went by the Quebec players was pretty to watch. The speed enabled them always to get back on the defence to assist in breaking up a rush or combination by the visiting line. Lesueur in the flags did great work and Marty Walsh at centre played one of the best games of his career”
“Moran save repeatedly what looked like sure scores by great stops”
“GIlmour scored but it was not allowed, as the net had been knocked out of position, thanks to Paddy Moran, who has a habit of putting the net out of business when things look dangerous”
A Montreal paper noted: “A feature of the game was Ottawa’s fine defence, Lesueur, Lake and Taylor playing steadily and in good combination. Lesueur stopped numerous hot shots”
“Moran was the star on Quebec’s team, his work in goal being splendid”
Final Score: 13-5 Ottawa HC
Rosters
Quebec: Moran in goal, Leader at point, J. Power at cover, C. Power at rover, Jordan at center, Malone at RW, and McDonald at LW
Ottawa: Lesueur in goal, Lake at point, Taylor at cover, Stuart at center, Walsh at center, Gilmour at RW, and Dey at LW
Game #5: Ottawa HC vs Montreal Shamrocks, 13 January 1909
An Ottawa paper wrote: “All eyes centered on Jack Laviolette, but while the French-Canadian defence man worked hard to sustain his great reputation, there was not much effect to his play”
“He [Laviolette] had the usual program, a swift dash up the ice, a few hurdling leaps, and a shot, but his spectacular energy was all wasted for he never got down as far as Lesueur, the Ottawa forwards checking back and robbing him of the rubber, or Lake and Taylor rushing out and checking him successfully. Laviolette was the gamest of the Shamrocks, nevertheless, working like a beaver when the others had given up the ghost. Baker in the Shamrocks net made fine stops and likewise allowed a few easy ones to glide by. Debeau was fair at point. He is speedy and rushed well, but his shooting was poor. Of the forwards Harold McNamara was the best but he was too tired. Ward was practically a dead one, spending most of his time in trying to trip Taylor and Lake. Marshall tried hard but had not the ability and George McNamara seemed out of his class”
“Gilmour gave many signs of being his old self again, playing one of the most effective games on the line despite the fact that he did not figure largely in the scoring”
“Dey put up the best game that he has yet shown in an Ottawa uniform and Walsh and Stuart were also fine. Taylor, however, was the star of the night, scoring three goals and assisting in the notching of as many more. The Cyclone was slashed time and again, but he took it all good naturdly and was really head and shoulders over his opponents. It was Taylor’s ice and his skating was nothing short of marvellous. ‘Cupid’ Lake was strong, brainy and reliable at point, while Lesueur in the nets was also up to the mark”
Another Ottawa paper reported: “Taylor with one of his sensational bursts of speed…”
“Fred Taylor was the best of the lot and Lesueur the worst. The two goals that the latter let go by him from Marshall should never have been scored for they were from long range and had no particular speed to back them up”
“Jack Marshall, despite his increasing years, showed that he still has lots of good hockey left in him and playing in better company would probably still rank among the stars. In last night’s game he was the only man of the Shamrocks who began to play Taylor at all effectively. Time and again when the speedy cover point came away with his sensational rushes Marshall got to him in time to rob him at the critical moment. It was done without any undue slashing or apparent effort- just a nice easy tipping away of the puck from the big fellow’s stick and it was all over. Fred Lake played a nice effective sort of game, and the forwards showed up in patches, Dey being on the night’s play probably the best of the lot. Gilmour showed a vast deal of improvement over the game he played here a week ago”
“Jack Laviolette was there with the fancy goods again. Along with Pitre, now of Renfrew, but last year of Shamrocks, Laviolette last season shared the honors for performing circus stunts on the ice. He gave another fine display against Ottawa, but what he showed in frills he lacked in effectiveness”
A Montreal paper noted: “The two most spectacular players and the ones who attracted most attention from the spectators, were Laviolette and Taylor”
“Laviolette is as fast and tricky as ever, but his work was, though showy, not very effective against the solid Ottawa bunch”
“Taylor, though not half as rough last night as Pulford used to be, is even more detested in Montreal than the last-named great defence player”
“Dey and Stuart were very effective for Ottawa, and though the Shamrock forwards, and particularly Marshall, all did some good work at times, they faded by turns”
“Baker’s work showed up in a manner that makes it no matter of astonishment that he is not wanted in the intermediate ranks any longer by other intermediate teams, and Leseur had nothing much to do”
Another Montreal paper wrote: “Taylor and Laviolette, the opposing cover points, were the circus performers, and the Ottawa man, faced by a team inferior to Wanderers, was not only spectacular through his terrific speed but also effective”
“Laviolette did not shine as did Taylor, probably because he was playing with the losing side, but the Ottawa player had nothing on him in the fancy skating line”
“Marshall was another player to fight out and interesting duel with the speedy Taylor. Marshall in a quiet way was the most effective player on the Shamrock side both in defence and in attack. He was the only one of the home seven to block Taylor consistently, and this he did most effectively by waiting util Taylor drew even with him, then, springing out, and with a smart poke of the stick, turning the disc away to the right or the left. Marshall in this manner saved Shamrocks several times when scores looked inevitable. The Shamrock rover also did good work in the attack, scoring twice and being easily the best player on the line”
“Ward, after showing form early in the game, played poorly in on the nets, and the McNamaras on the wings were good only at intervals. Laviolette’s game was spectacular, but particularly effective, while Debeau, a nice stick handler and a speedy skater, worked rather listlessly. Baker made a fair job of the goal-minding”
“Dey and Stuart on the line and Taylor on the defence played the most consistent hockey for the Ottawa team”
“Gilmour did some pretty stick handling”
“In centre Walsh and Stuart, while willing to go in on the nets, are away off in their shooting”
Final Score: 11-3 Ottawa HC
Rosters
Ottawa: Lesueur in goal, Lake at point, Taylor at cover, Stuart at rover, Walsh at center, Gilmour at RW, and Dey at LW
Shamrocks: Baker in goal, Debeau at point, Laviolette at cover, Marshall at rover, Ward at center, H. McNamara at RW, and G. McNamara at LW
Game #6: Montreal Wanderers vs Quebec HC, 13 January 1909
A Montreal paper wrote: “Hern was reliable in goals, while Ross and Smaill proved a hard proposition in front of him. Their rushes were as usual of the spectacular and effective style, and Ross tore down the entire length of the ice and one. They showed class and condition. Harry Smith also proved his claims to be one of the scorers of the team by netting three of the goals. Glass, Johnston and Gardner also played useful games, and the whole team as it stands at present is a well-balanced one”
“For Quebec the stars were Paddy Moran, who gave another great exhibition in goals, and H. Jordan. The latter played an exceptionally brilliant game, though he was pretty hardly used up was in the game to the end. Malone, the junior, also showed improvement, and is a comer. Joe Power and Leader did some good rushing, while MacDonald and Chubbie Power were also useful”
Final Score: 7-3 Wanderers
Rosters
Wanderers: Hern in goal, Ross at point, Smaill at cover, Glass at rover, Smith at center, Johnson at RW, and Gardner at LW
Quebec: Moran in goal, Leader at point, J. Power at cover, C. Power at rover, Jordan at center, Malone at RW, and McDonald at LW
Game #7: Montreal Shamrocks vs Ottawa HC, 16 January 1909
An Ottawa paper wrote: “Lesueur’s work was on par with that of Paddy Moran the previous Saturday, the Ottawa man standing a fusilade of shots from Marshall, McNamara, and Hyland”
“Even Mary Walsh could not score”
“Laviolette and Marshall breaking up whatever combination the Ottawas attempted and easily despoiling the individual rushes of Taylor and Lake”
“In the first hald, Lesueur and Kerr were the only players whose work counted. Taylor was suffering from an injury to his back received the previous night and could not bend over to handle his stick, having to do most of his work with one hand. Lake was not as speedy as usual and failed to clear quickly, while Walsh and Gilmour were off color. Dey and Kerr worked like beavers, but Dey was watched closely and Kerr as a rule was all by himself out skating the other forwards. Walsh, who is usually the greatest scorer, missed chance after chance. Gilmour never got going”
“Baker, Laviolette, and Marshall were the best, especially the last named, while the MCNamaras, Hyland and Hill were also fine. Hyland was the choice of the forwards. Laviolette’s speed was immense and Marshall showed all his old time headwork. Baker stopped a number of good shots in the Shamrock nets. Albert Kerr was by all means the most effective of the Ottawa men”
“The Ottawas can thank Kerr that they were not beaten for he was there with the Stanley CUp brand of hockey from beginning to end. Kerr scored no less than four goals, being responsible for two others on passes. His speed was second only to that of Taylor, his stick-handling superb and his shooting great”
“Kerr looked small, boyish and light in comparison with the others, but he had it on them all as far as hockey went. He plays much like Steve Vair of Renfrew and was not penalized once”
“Next to Kerr Dey was the best. Edgar’s work while not conspicuous was effective all the way through. He had hard luck in shooting, but checked back beautifully and did a lot of inside work that told in the end. Walsh was great in the last part of the match and Gilmour although the weakest and roughest man on the team redeemed himself in the [illegible] moments of the match”
“Taylor was under a handicap and Lesueur, although very good in the first half, when he had lots to do allowed at least three easy ones to get by him towards the close. Lesueur again proved that he is without superior when the team is tight pressed, but at the finish the Irishmen were fooling him from all angles”
“Wonder why Shamrocks played such lemons as Debeau and Ward when they have men like Hyland and Hill available”
“Gilmour has no superior at right wing when going right. He has not as yet shown his true form this season”
Another Ottawa paper reported: “He [Kerr] has all kinds of speed, is a pretty stick-handler and goes back nicely to help out the defence. He has a wicked shot and assisted very materially in the scoring”
“Lesueur was at his best on Saturday and stopped all kinds of hard drives. ONly for his work the Shamrocks would have piled up a much larger score in the first half”
A Montreal paper noted: “Kerr was the Ottawa star, while Dey was also good. Laviolette, Marshall and Hyland were the best for the visitors. Laviolette put up a magnificent game until he was injured in the second half”
Final Score: 9-7 Ottawa HC
Rosters
Shamrocks: Baker in goal, Laviolette at point, Marshall at cover, Hill at rover, Hyland at center, G. McNamara at RW, and H. McNamara at LW
Ottawa: Lesueur in goal, Lake at point, Taylor at cover, Dey at rover, Walsh at center, Gilmour at RW, and Kerr at LW
Game #8: Quebec HC vs Montreal Wanderers, 16 January 1909
A Montreal paper wrote: “In Quebec’s surprising showing, a big factor was the wonderful work of their goal-keeper, Paddy Moran, who in his long career probably never did better work than against Wanderers Saturday night. Moran stopped them from all angles, and his brilliant work put heart into the players in front of him and sent them after Wanderers in a style that threatened to take the champions off their feet”
“Malone is developing and should soon class up with the other three- Jordan, C. Power, and McDonald- whose work was of very even merit. All four are fine stick=handlers and speedy skaters. Joe Power at cover practically gave them a fifth man on the line when one was needed, and Leader also helped out in the rushing, though with less success than the cover point. Moran was the real star of the team”
“Smith and Glass not playing to recent form, while Johnston and Gardner did a lot of hard, useful work. Johnston solved the Quebec defence better than any of the others, and, scoring four times himself, assisted with the pass that gave Wanderers a fifth”
“The Quebec forwards were very effective in stopping the rushes of the big Wanderer point, C. Power in particular being skillful in getting the disc away from him”
“Hern had much less to do than Moran, but he was under a more deadly fire”
Another Montreal paper reported: “Riley Hern did as usual good work, but had many an unnecessary score as Quebec came flying down”
“P. Moran is the King of Goalkeepers”
“Johnson skated like a streak, and to add to his fast work was more effective than usual around the goals”
“Johnson’s style of skating would never win him any medals in a beauty contest”
“It is horrible to contemplate what the score might have been had not the versatile Mr. Moran been in goals to shoo the puck away”
“Art Ross’s finely chiseled shape was adorned by a red sweater”
“As per usual Smaill delivered the goods in neat packages”
An Ottawa paper noted: “In the second half there were times when Wanderers were all played out and but for the sterling work of Hern in goal and of Smaill and Johnson in the open the chances are that Quebec would have retired victors”
“A vast deal of the credit for the good showing of Quebec goes to Paddy Moran”
“Shots of all sorts came his [Moran’s] way- hard ones, easy ones, low ones, and high ones, but they all looked alike to Patrick”
“Joe Power played a great defence game for the visitors”
“Leader, while a useful man and while showing some clever work in Saturday’s game, especially in getting away the rubber when it rebounded from Paddy Moran’s stalwart form, is scarcely in the top notcher class”
Final Score: 7-6 Wanderers
Rosters
Quebec: Moran in goal, Leader at point, J. Power at cover, C. Power at rover, Jordan at center, Malone at RW, and McDonald at LW
Wanderers: Hern in goal, Ross at point, Smaill at cover, Glass at rover, Smith at center, Johnson at RW, and Gardner at LW
Game #9: Montreal Shamrocks vs Montreal Wanderers, 20 January 1909
A Montreal paper wrote: “Baker did good work for Shamrocks ion goals; steady at all times and brilliant on many occasions. Laviolette and Marshall made a defence that was difficult to work through, though individually the players did not shine as much as Ross and Smaill at the other end. Their checking, however, was marked by excellent judgment, and was most effective”
“The McNamaras, on the wings, are rounding into form and last night played the best hockey they have shown this year. They are big chaps and they used their bodies freely”
“The wing play was the feature of the work of the two lines. Harold McNamara and Gardner fighting out an interesting duel on one side, and George McNamara and Johnston”
“Glass and Smith did not show up as well as in recent matches on the general play. Smith was watched closely”
“Gardner is improving everytime out, and was the hardest worker on the line last night. He dded to hard work in puck carrying by scoring the same number of goals as Glass. Scoring is not Gardner’s strong point, but he was successful at it last night”
“The Shamrock defence kept Ross and Smaill from being effective in their rushing”
An Ottawa paper reported: “Laviolette brought off one of his spectacular rushes”
Another Ottawa paper noted: “The work of Baker in goal, Laviolette at point and the McNamaras on the wings were the features of Shamrocks’ play. The McNamaras used their bodies freely and took a lot o steam out of Wanderers’ forwards”
Final Score: 7-5 Wanderers
Rosters
Shamrocks: Baker in goal, Laviolette at point, Marshall at cover, Darragh at rover, Hyland at center, H. McNamara at RW, and G. McNamara at LW
Wanderers: Hern in goal, Ross at point, Smaill at cover, Glass at rover, Smith at center, Johnson at RW, and Gardner at LW
Game #10: Ottawa HC vs Quebec HC, 23 January 1909
An Ottawa paper wrote: “In the inauguration of the attacks Taylor was a very prominent factor and his cyclonic rushes were a feature”
“Taylor had become a great fan favorite with the Quebec hockey fans and from the time he appeared until he skated off the ice with his team-mates Taylor was the centre of much attention. The partisan crowd hooted the Ottawa cover point when he first made his appearance, but after Taylor had effected six or seven of the most sensational plays imaginable, the audience commenced to appreciate his great work and he was often applauded. Taylor’s speed was something greater than anything ever seen here, he being by far the fastest man on the ice. His speed was indeed bewildering and aggressiveness something that old time defence men could naught but wonder at. Taylor was right in the game from start to finish, several goals resulting from his beautiful work”
“Lake at point also assisted greatly do the downfall of Quebec. Lake rushed with the forwards whenever the occasion required his presence on the line and he too broke into the summary. Lake, in fact, played one of the grandest all round games ever seen here. The efforts of the Quebec men to elude him were at times amusing as the Ottawa point man would deftly poke the puck to one side or check it right out of their sticks and carry it down the ice. Lesueur did valuable work in the nets. Due to the great offensive work of Taylor and Lake, Lesueur was not called upon to block as many shots as Moran, but he was always on the job when needed. Lesueur is a former Quebec player and tonight he had it on Moran in every way”
“Bruce Stuart was the same heady player who used to wear the Quebec colors… Stuart was the most dangerous of the visitors and while not as prominent as Walsh or the other two he got away with bushesls of telling work. Stuart went in alone four or five times, carrying the rubber as far as Moran and then flipping it over to his team-mates. Stuart is regarded as one of the greatest general ever seen here. Walsh lived up to his reputation as the greatest scorer in the East and Kerr playing here for the first time also showed himself to be made of the right stuff. Gilmour was another who sustained his rep. Gilmour played one of the hardest games on the ice, his checking back being responsible for breaking up many rushes by Jordan, Power, Malone or McDonald”
“Paddy Moran, whose work in goal is generally a feature of every match, seemed to have lost his eagle eye for once, and only recovered it as the match progressed to its finish”
“Jordan and MacDonald were the pick of the Quebec forwards, though Chub Power showed up well at times. Joe Power was good until he injured his knee in the first half”
Another Ottawa paper reported: “Taylor’s great speed was possibly the chief feature, and it was also the subject of considerable comment. In the inauguration of much of Ottawa’s combined attacks he was the principal factor. Walsh was the legging goal-getting, being ably seconded by Stuart. Lake’s work was also good, while Lesueur handed most of the few shots that came his way clearly. Kerr was only fair. For Quebec Jordan and McDonald were the pick of the Quebec seven, both working hard, but with little assistance their efforts went for naught. Chub Power was next in line”
A Montreal paper noted: “”These were generally inaugurated by Taylor or Lake, the former in particular being the bright particular star in the evening”
“...Jordan and MacDonald were the pick”
Final Score: 18-4 Ottawa HC
Rosters
Ottawa: LEsueur in goal, Lake at point, Taylor at cover, Stuart at rover, Walsh at center, Kerr at LW, and Gilmour at RW
Quebec: Moran in goal, Leader at point, J. Power at cover, C. Power at rover, Jordan at center, McDonald at LW, and Malone at RW
Game #11: Montreal Shamrocks vs Montreal Wanderers, 27 January 1909
Harry Smith reportedly left the Wanderers to go play for Haileybury, forcing the team to use Dunlop from an intermediate club.
A Montreal paper wrote: “Smith’s work was not as good his last few times out, as when he came to Montreal for the cup series with Edmonton”
“Smaill added much aggressiveness to the line in the second half, and Dunlop, who performed only fairly in the first half, had less to do in the second, and Shamrocks could not take advantage of the weak spot”
“Dunlop did not class up with the other six players on the Wanderers side”
“Johnston and Smaill probably starred for the team, but Hern, Ross, Gardner and Glass all were in the limelight at intervals. Gardner and Johnston helped materially to turn the match so decisively Wanderers’ way by their great work along the boards in the second half”
“Marshall, Laviolette and G. McNamara were the best of the Shamrocks. Marshall continues to play his clean, useful game, and Laviolette did the usual spectacular stunts that the crowd associates with his playing”
Another Montreal paper reported: “Hyland, an intermediate who played with Shamrocks, is a fast skater but proved of small use to his side, as he spent much time with the penalty time-keeper”
“Jack Laviolette’s sensational runs an ducking were much admired. Every man on the Wanderer team appeared to fear him and never missed a chance to bring him down”
“Baker, in goals for Shamrock, proved himself cool and careful and it is due to his calm judgment that the score was not much higher”
“Smaill sent in one of his old-time high shots”
An Ottawa paper noted: “For the winners, Smaill and Johnson played the best hockey, while the only redeeming feature of the Shamrocks’ game was the defence of Jack Marshall and Laviolette. Both of them played good hockey, the latter plus the usual frills as is his wont”
Final Score: 5-1 Wanderers
Rosters
Shamrocks: Baker in goal, Laviolette at point, Marshall at cover, H. McNamara at rover, Hyland at center, Darrage at LW, and G. McNamara at RW
Wanderers: Hern in goal, Ross at point, Dunlop at cover, Smaill at rover, Glass at center, Gardner at LW, and Johnson at RW
Game #12: Montreal Wanderers vs Ottawa HC, 30 January 1909
An estimated crowd of 7500-8000 watched this one.
An Ottawa paper noted: “Wall and Brennan [the refs] are both experienced hockeyists, the former having been one of the greatest defence men that ever chased a puck”
“The ice was ideal for hockey and some of the fastest skating ever seen here was witnessed, Taylor of the Ottawas and Johnston of Wanderers scintillating in this respect”
Fortunately the Ottawas worked a two man combination that was effective and once in a while Lake and Taylor tore off a rush together that brought the spectators to their feet. Stuart and Walsh did beautiful work together in mid-ice but Wanderers watched Stuart closely and the Ottawa man as the result was soon carrying a number of bruises. Walsh too was given close attention but the pair worked on with unfaltering determination, the stick-handling and dodging of the Ottawa captain blocking innumerable rushes by Ross and Smaill with a timely poke of his stick. Stuart carried the puck more than any other player, with the possible exception of Taylor, and his shooting was fine. Bruce was back with every rush of the Wanderers”
“Walsh and Stuart excelled both Vair and Glass in mid-ice, but on the wings the Wanderers were the equals of their covers, despite the fact that both Kerr and Gilmour played first rate hockey. They were covering two dangerous men in Gardner and Johnstone and Kerr was instructed to stick to Johnstone regardless of the puck. The Brockville boy had few chances to shone on account of the attention Johnstone merited, but he held the Wanderer man down well and managed to distinguish himself in the bargain. Kerr again demonstrated that he is worthy of the left wing position. Gilmour did a heap of useful checking and following back. The work of the Ottawa defence came in for considerable criticism, but when one takes into consideration the fact that Lesueur, Lake and Taylor were up against a crack scoring machine in Glass, Johnstone, Gardner and Vair, they must get credit for holding them down to four goals. Taylor’s work was spectacular at all stages, but he gave the Ottawa supporters several fits of nervousness by bringing the rubber too near the Ottawa net. His blocking, however, was superb, and two of the Ottawa goals resulted from his rushes”
“Lake at point was steady and reliable, seldom leaving his position. His body-checking was effective at all times. Lesueur played a great game throughout the first half and in the opening part of the second, but Percy’s usual hard luck turned up at the close of the match”
“Hern had more to do than Lesueur in the nets and he did his share in good style, some of his rushes being of the sensational order. Art Ross was a tower of strength at point, blocking scores of Ottawa rushes in addition to attacking himself every minute or so in the second half. Smaill was not conspicuous at cover point in the first half, but in the second his work was immense, Smaill intercepting pass after pass from Ottawa forwards when scores seemed inevitable.Smaill was probably the most aggressive man on the Wanderer team in the second half. Glass did a lot of good checking and helped out Ross and Hern greatly”
“Steve Vair at centre was not the scorer that Harry Smith was, but his work was equally as valuable for he was always on hand to take a pass and in addition to scoring one goal he did a lot of other useful work. On the wings Wanderers were strongest, Johnston and Gardner putting up gilt-edged hockey. Gardner was much better than at the beginning of the season and Johnstone covered himself with glory. The big fair-haired wing man had speed to burn, with stick-handling and aggressiveness to go with it”
“Art Ross said after the match that Vair was a more valuable man than Smith, although Harry would probably have increased the Wanderer chances fifty per cent when the score was tied”
“Bruce Stuart displayed great grit”
“Lake showed his class when the crisis came”
“Smaill is looming up as one of the greatest cover-points in the game”
“Marty Walsh again showed himself Johnny-on-the-spot when a goal was needed”
Another Ottawa paper reported: “Despite reports to the contrary, Steve Vair of the Renfrew team lined up at centre for the Cup holder, and he played nice hockey all the way, but he lost some good opportunities to score through poor shooting. He did remarkably well considering that he has never even had a practice with the visitors. If he has a few work-outs with the team he will be a decidedly dangerous man. Wanderers missed the shooting of Smith very much”
“Lesueur played a great game in the flags for the Ottawas, and saved many times by brilliant stops when the visitors looked sure to score”
“Taylor worked in some nice rushes, but he left his defence position too oten and gave the visitors many good openings in this way. Then he had a habit of taking the rubber across in front of his own flags and lost it on a number of occasions a few feet from the nets”
“Lake played a strong game, but his rushes were not very effective, as he was checked too closely. On the line Marty Walsh and Stuart were the most effective, and they played good hockey all the way”
“Gilmour was the weak man on the line, and he should either cut out his rough work or be dropped. He can play good hockey, but on Saturday spent a good part of the match on the bench with the penalty timers. There was no occasion for this. Kerr showed up well, but was inclined to use his stick pretty freely for tripping and hooking”
“Hern, Ross and Smaill on the visiting defence, all played great hockey, and both the latter men made some pretty rushesdown the ice and they were always back in time to relieve an attack. On the line Johnston was perhaps the best man, and he played a beautiful game, always being on the rubber and bodying and checking in great shape. His speedy skating was a feature of the match. Glass, Gardner and Vair worked in many nice plates and every man did his share of the work. The Ottawas paid a good deal of attention to Ross and Smaill, and whenever they started down the ice would usually find two men covering them closely”
“Walter Smaill who has developed into one of the greatest defence men in the game”
A Montreal paper noted: “Vair was under a big handicap tonight. For one thing he had played in the federal League match the night before, scoring something like fourteen goals for Renfrew against Smith’s Falls”
“He [Vair] is speedy, a good stick handler, and has everything to make him useful to a first class team. He is a better mid-ice player than Smith, although not as good as Smith, when the latter is going right, at taking advantage of chances in front of a goal net”
“Bruce Stuart played his best game of the year and was really the star of the Ottawa team in the night’s play. He worked without a let up, although evidently suffering from his bad knee in the second half. He was the best puck carrier for Ottawa and bored in more successfully than any forward on the ice. Walsh and stuart made a dangerous pair in mid-ice. Gilmour also showed improved form in the first half, but then faded badly in the second and was a weakness to his team in being ruled off five times for a total of fifteen minutes. Gardner came out on top in what was for a while an interesting battle between the two”
“Kerr, the new player on the other wing, is a promising youngster, and when Gilmour is working right the Ottawa line was almost irresistible”
“Glass and Gardner did the bulk of the work for Wanderers, and did it well. Johnstone’s play was not as telling as usual, and he lost some good chances for his team by shooting wide and from too far out. Smaill, Ross, and Hern played pretty much to their best form”
“Stuart, Lake and Kerr probably played Ottawa’s best game. Lesueur did a lot of stopping in goals, but in the first half chiefly from long range shots. Taylor was ineffective through his wildness. His tremendous speed was in evidence, but he did not use it to the advantage it should be to his team”
“Smaill’s reputation as a ‘pinch’ scorer is known in Ottawa. ‘Watch Smaill’ was the cry in the closing minutes of the match, whenever the Wanderer cover would touch the puck”
Final Score: 5-4 Ottawa HC
Rosters
Wanderers: Hern in goal, Ross at point, Smaill at cover, Glass at rover, Vair at center, Johnson at RW, and Gardner at LW
Ottawa: Lesueur in goal, Lake at point, Taylor at cover, Stuart at rover, Walsh at center, Gilmour at RW, and Kerr at LW
A Montreal paper wrote: “Their shooting, however, was very bad, and this together with some really good work by Baker in goals, helped the Irishmen to stave off defeat”
“Hyland was developed into a clever scorer, and was useful until he tired, in the second half. Ward, the other centre ice player, is a rapid breaker, and goes in on the nets in good style”
“Marshall made a good job of the cover point position and was really the best player on the team. His worst fault was that in trying to help out the attack he left his defence open, with fatal results a couple of times. Debeau is a nice skater and made a fair impression at point, while Baker did first-class work in the nets”
“Malone with experience should be a useful wing. He skates well and is a fair stickhandler”
Another Montreal paper reported: “The Power brothers and Jordan made several strenuous attacks, but their combination always seemed to split on Jack Marshall, who looked fitter than he has done for a long time”
Final Score: 9-8 Shamrocks
Rosters
Quebec: Moran in goal, Leader at point, J. Power at cover, C. Power at rover, Malone at LW, Jordan at center, and McDonald at RW
Shamrocks: Baker in goal, Debeau at point, Marshall at cover, Hyland at rover, G. McNamara at LW, Ward at center, and Darragh at RW
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Shamrocks | Ward | Hyland | Marshall |
| Shamrocks | Ward | Darragh | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Hyland | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Ward | G. McNamara | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Hyland | Marshall | N/A |
| Quebec | C. Power | McDonald | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Debeau | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | C. Power | Jordan | McDonald |
| Quebec | Jordan | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Marshall | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Ward | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | McDonald or Jordan | Malone | N/A |
| Quebec | Malone | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Jordan | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Marshall or Ward | G. McNamara | N/A |
| Quebec | J. Power | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | C. Power | N/A | N/A |
Game #2: Montreal Shamrocks vs Quebec HC, 6 January 1909
Not much on this one; the Wanderers-Ottawa received the lion’s share of the hockey coverage
Final Score: 12-4 Quebec HC
Rosters
Shamrocks: Baker in goal, Debeau at point, Marshall at cover, Hyland at rover, Ward at center, McNamara at RW, and Darragh at LW
Quebec: Moran in goal, Leader at point, J. Power at cover, C. Power at rover, Jordan at center, Malone at RW, and McDonald at LW
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Quebec | C. Power | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Jordan | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Hyland | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Leader | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Jordan | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Ward | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | C. Power | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | C. Power | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Jordan | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | C. Power | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | C. Power | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Ward | McNamara | N/A |
| Quebec | Jordan | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Jordan | McDonald | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Darragh | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Jordan | N/A | N/A |
Game #3: Ottawa HC vs Montreal Wanderers, 6 January 1909
An Ottawa paper noted: “Glass of the Wanderers is one of the most consistent checkers in the E.C.H.A.”
“Lesueur in the Ottawa nets covered himself with glory, making stops that he did not seem to have the slightest possibility of blocking. He was back in his 1906 form, being repeatedly cheered to the echo for his stellar work. Fred Lake at point made the hit of the night. Lake’s rushes were second only to those of Taylor, he scoring two of the Ottawas’ goals as the result of clever head work”
“Lake will certainly be a fixture at point. He was one of the greatest surprises of the evening, had more staying power than any man on the ice, and was going like a whirlwind in the overtime when everyone else seemed too tired to move. Taylor at cover was easily one of the stars of the game, doing the work of three or four men”
“Stuart, Dey, Walsh and Gilmour doing phenomenal work. Their combination was excellent, and their checking back was remarkably effective”
“Ross was in dine form on the defence, also Hern and Smaill, while of the forwards Johnston and Smith were the pick. Johnston covered and immense amount of ice”
Another Ottawa paper noted: “Lake and Taylor were the stars of the Ottawa team and their continuous rushing gave the forward line many good chances to shoot on the flags. All the men, however, showed up well and Lesueur stopped all kinds of wicked shots”
“Ross, Smaill and Glass were the strong men on the Cupholders and while Smith did considerable scoring he was not as fast as Glass and Johnston. Gadner was the weak man”
A Montreal paper wrote: “It is a well known fact that in hockey the man who does the real hard work, who schemes and then travels with the puck the entire distance of the rink, escaping a dozen dangers, is shorn of the credit he deserves in favor of the men who happens to be near the net and shoves it in.
But in this particular case that will not be so, and the official credit will be given to Walter Smaill.
“This, because he deserves it and because Leseur is not anxious for the honor.
It was a great duel between two of the finest hockey players in the world, and Smaill won out”
“The two goalkeepers are wonders”
“Perhaps in this case Lesueur deserves more credit, for the fusilade on his net in the first half was the greatest, although in the second the attack was evenly divided, but Riley Hern no doubt would have done just as well had he been in Lesuer’s place”
“Ross and Smaill made an admirable defence for Wanderers, and later on [Johnson went back to cover and Smaill went to LW] Johnson helped stave off defeat”
“Taylor and Lake were fine as defence on the other side. When it comes to forwards there was little to choose. Marty Walsh is very quick but Harry Smith in a more quiet way is quite as effective”
“Gardner, whom the Ottawa people looked upon as a veteran of veterans, was quite as much value as Dey, one of the younger men”
“Glass is quite as good as Bruce Stuart, and was perhaps better last night”
“And Johnson and Gilmour are two men of about the same type and the same ability”
Another Montreal paper reported: “But if Wanderers as a team are lucky it is Walter Smaill who carries the horseshoes for the seven. The goal that Smaill netted in overtime last night was the fourth that he has scored in the last two years saving the day for the champions. It was Smaill who turned the tide for Wanderers each time against Ottawa, against Victoria and against Shamrocks last winter”
“There was bad blood between the Stuarts and Smiths in the old Ottawa days, and the feud is one of long standing”
“...while Lake is a big improvement over Pulford, and the defence is consequently mich stronger, the line is not as good”
“The Ottawa line did not impress, Dey and Gilmour being weaker wings than Alf. Smith and Phillips of last year’s team. In centre ice Walsh and Stuart were fair. Walsh being the better of the pair and perhaps the best of the line. At that, he did not play up to his best form. Stuart was hurt early in the match and was only occasionally conspicuous. He played better hockey here last winter”
“Lesueur had a great deal more work than Hern and did it in his usual good style”
“Taylor and Lake were the stars of the team, and it was their continual rushing that gave the forwards a chance to keep up with Wanderers in the scoring. Taylor did a tremendous amount of work, but, as usual, showed poor judgment when he was close in, shooting wildly as a rule. However, his work in carrying the disc counted for a lot”
“Ross, Smaill, Glass and Johnston were the Wanderer stars of the night’s play. The defence men worked effectively with the forwards, and, in this respect, were better than Taylor and Lake, who seemed at a loss to know where to ind their men. Ross is striking his gait, and in offensive work showed better form than in the up games. He was also strong in defensive work, usually getting Taylor when the latter got close in”
“Hern had less to do than Lesueur, but did it equally well. The little fellow was cool in some stiff scrimmaging around his cage, and he used his head in clearing”
“Glass seemed to be out to play the best game of his career. There was no player on the ice into as many plays as Glass, breaking up rushes by the other side and starting ones for his own. Johnston did his usual spectacular skating and was the great puck carrier of the team. Smith shone through his scoring ability, achieving the remarkable feat of netting for goals in a time that totalled 93 seconds. This is a record that will take some beating this winter. Gardner was off form last night, although he kept Gilmour pretty effectively tied up”
“Smith and Glass bored in on the Ottawa cage with a persistence that told on the evening’s play”
“Taylor, who was becoming conspicuous in the play, made another one of his speedy dashes for an end-to-end run”
“Taylor kept repeating with his quick breaks and fast rushes and while he usually carried the puck the length of the rink, he generally found Ross a stumbling block”
“Ross made one of his spectacular rushes”
Final Score: 7-6 Wanderers
Rosters
Ottawa: Lesueur in goal, Lake at point, Taylor at cover, Stuart at rover, Walsh at center, Gilmour at RW, and Dey at LW
Wanderers: Hern in goal, Ross at point, Smaill at cover, Glass at center, Smith at center, Johnson at RW, Gardner at LW
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Wanderers | Glass or Smith | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Smith | Smaill | N/A |
| Wanderers | Smith | Johnson or Ross or Glass | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | Dey or Stuart | N/A |
| Ottawa | Lake | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Smith | Johnson | N/A |
| Ottawa | Gilmour or Walsh | Maybe Walsh | N/A |
| Ottawa | Stuart or Gilmour | Dey | N/A |
| Wanderers | Smaill or Smith | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Lake | Taylor | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | Dey or Taylor | N/A |
| Wanderers | Glass | Smith | N/A |
| Wanderers | Smaill | N/A | N/A |
Game #4: Quebec HC vs Ottawa HC, 9 January 1909
An Ottawa paper wrote: “Lesueur in the nets was all to the good, stopping a score of hard shots”
“Had Lesueur been off form, Quebec would have had a dozen more. Lesueur is playing better hockey than ever and the crowd rewarded his work by prolonged applause on several occasions. Fred Lake at point repeated the hit which he made in the spectacular struggle of Wednesday last. Lake is perhaps the smallest and lightest man that has ever played point for Ottawa, but he is one of the most effective ever seen in the position. Lake used his body with great effect, but checked in a fair, legitimate manner, showing headwork when such was most needed. Lake showed marvelous speed for a little fellow, dashing by the Quebec forwards and defence men time and time again. He played an unselfish game as well, passing the puck whenever a pass was called for. Lake certainly delivered the goods and throughout the game the fans were shouting his name and pleading with him to ‘go down and score another’. Fred Taylor at cover point again displayed his wonderful skating powers, brilliant stick-handling, and steady defensive work. Taylor’s speed is bewildering, his aggressiveness also tickling the spectators”
“Dey fitted in nicely with the others. He has a bad habit of stopping for a second while in possession of the puck and with this remedied should be an all round star”
“Paddy Moran, the veteran goal-keeper of the Quebec team gave what was undoubtedly the greatest performance in the flags ever seen here. Moran had his eye strictly on the rubber throughout and had it not been for his sterling work, the score would have been twice as large. Moran stopped the puck with his hands, feet and body in a remarkable manner. As a goalkeeper Moran is in a class by himself. Last year he was great; this winter he is still greater”
“The Quebec defence was its strongest department, Leader and Capt. Joe Power also showing class. The forwards were weak, Jordan and Chubby Power being the pick. They were weak on the wings, Malone and McDonald being unable to keep pace with the others”
Another Ottawa paper reported: “The Ottawas scored several goals that were not allowed as their opponents’ goal nets had been knocked out of position by Moran falling. He worked this trick several times when the locals looked dangerous. Jordan played a nice game for the visitors as did also Joe Power”
“Lake and Taylor again distinguished themselves by their sensational rushes down the ice and both assisted very materially in the greater part of the scoring. Both men have great speed and the way they went by the Quebec players was pretty to watch. The speed enabled them always to get back on the defence to assist in breaking up a rush or combination by the visiting line. Lesueur in the flags did great work and Marty Walsh at centre played one of the best games of his career”
“Moran save repeatedly what looked like sure scores by great stops”
“GIlmour scored but it was not allowed, as the net had been knocked out of position, thanks to Paddy Moran, who has a habit of putting the net out of business when things look dangerous”
A Montreal paper noted: “A feature of the game was Ottawa’s fine defence, Lesueur, Lake and Taylor playing steadily and in good combination. Lesueur stopped numerous hot shots”
“Moran was the star on Quebec’s team, his work in goal being splendid”
Final Score: 13-5 Ottawa HC
Rosters
Quebec: Moran in goal, Leader at point, J. Power at cover, C. Power at rover, Jordan at center, Malone at RW, and McDonald at LW
Ottawa: Lesueur in goal, Lake at point, Taylor at cover, Stuart at center, Walsh at center, Gilmour at RW, and Dey at LW
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Ottawa | Walsh | Lake or Taylor | Stuart |
| Ottawa | Lake | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Stuart | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Jordan | C. or J. Power | N/A |
| Quebec | Jordan | J. Power | N/A |
| Quebec | C. Power | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh or Dey | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | C. Power | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Taylor or Lake | Maybe Taylor | N/A |
| Quebec | Malone or Jordan | J. Power | N/A |
| Ottawa | Dey | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Stuart | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Stuart | Walsh | N/A |
| Ottawa | Dey | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Stuart | N/A | N/A |
Game #5: Ottawa HC vs Montreal Shamrocks, 13 January 1909
An Ottawa paper wrote: “All eyes centered on Jack Laviolette, but while the French-Canadian defence man worked hard to sustain his great reputation, there was not much effect to his play”
“He [Laviolette] had the usual program, a swift dash up the ice, a few hurdling leaps, and a shot, but his spectacular energy was all wasted for he never got down as far as Lesueur, the Ottawa forwards checking back and robbing him of the rubber, or Lake and Taylor rushing out and checking him successfully. Laviolette was the gamest of the Shamrocks, nevertheless, working like a beaver when the others had given up the ghost. Baker in the Shamrocks net made fine stops and likewise allowed a few easy ones to glide by. Debeau was fair at point. He is speedy and rushed well, but his shooting was poor. Of the forwards Harold McNamara was the best but he was too tired. Ward was practically a dead one, spending most of his time in trying to trip Taylor and Lake. Marshall tried hard but had not the ability and George McNamara seemed out of his class”
“Gilmour gave many signs of being his old self again, playing one of the most effective games on the line despite the fact that he did not figure largely in the scoring”
“Dey put up the best game that he has yet shown in an Ottawa uniform and Walsh and Stuart were also fine. Taylor, however, was the star of the night, scoring three goals and assisting in the notching of as many more. The Cyclone was slashed time and again, but he took it all good naturdly and was really head and shoulders over his opponents. It was Taylor’s ice and his skating was nothing short of marvellous. ‘Cupid’ Lake was strong, brainy and reliable at point, while Lesueur in the nets was also up to the mark”
Another Ottawa paper reported: “Taylor with one of his sensational bursts of speed…”
“Fred Taylor was the best of the lot and Lesueur the worst. The two goals that the latter let go by him from Marshall should never have been scored for they were from long range and had no particular speed to back them up”
“Jack Marshall, despite his increasing years, showed that he still has lots of good hockey left in him and playing in better company would probably still rank among the stars. In last night’s game he was the only man of the Shamrocks who began to play Taylor at all effectively. Time and again when the speedy cover point came away with his sensational rushes Marshall got to him in time to rob him at the critical moment. It was done without any undue slashing or apparent effort- just a nice easy tipping away of the puck from the big fellow’s stick and it was all over. Fred Lake played a nice effective sort of game, and the forwards showed up in patches, Dey being on the night’s play probably the best of the lot. Gilmour showed a vast deal of improvement over the game he played here a week ago”
“Jack Laviolette was there with the fancy goods again. Along with Pitre, now of Renfrew, but last year of Shamrocks, Laviolette last season shared the honors for performing circus stunts on the ice. He gave another fine display against Ottawa, but what he showed in frills he lacked in effectiveness”
A Montreal paper noted: “The two most spectacular players and the ones who attracted most attention from the spectators, were Laviolette and Taylor”
“Laviolette is as fast and tricky as ever, but his work was, though showy, not very effective against the solid Ottawa bunch”
“Taylor, though not half as rough last night as Pulford used to be, is even more detested in Montreal than the last-named great defence player”
“Dey and Stuart were very effective for Ottawa, and though the Shamrock forwards, and particularly Marshall, all did some good work at times, they faded by turns”
“Baker’s work showed up in a manner that makes it no matter of astonishment that he is not wanted in the intermediate ranks any longer by other intermediate teams, and Leseur had nothing much to do”
Another Montreal paper wrote: “Taylor and Laviolette, the opposing cover points, were the circus performers, and the Ottawa man, faced by a team inferior to Wanderers, was not only spectacular through his terrific speed but also effective”
“Laviolette did not shine as did Taylor, probably because he was playing with the losing side, but the Ottawa player had nothing on him in the fancy skating line”
“Marshall was another player to fight out and interesting duel with the speedy Taylor. Marshall in a quiet way was the most effective player on the Shamrock side both in defence and in attack. He was the only one of the home seven to block Taylor consistently, and this he did most effectively by waiting util Taylor drew even with him, then, springing out, and with a smart poke of the stick, turning the disc away to the right or the left. Marshall in this manner saved Shamrocks several times when scores looked inevitable. The Shamrock rover also did good work in the attack, scoring twice and being easily the best player on the line”
“Ward, after showing form early in the game, played poorly in on the nets, and the McNamaras on the wings were good only at intervals. Laviolette’s game was spectacular, but particularly effective, while Debeau, a nice stick handler and a speedy skater, worked rather listlessly. Baker made a fair job of the goal-minding”
“Dey and Stuart on the line and Taylor on the defence played the most consistent hockey for the Ottawa team”
“Gilmour did some pretty stick handling”
“In centre Walsh and Stuart, while willing to go in on the nets, are away off in their shooting”
Final Score: 11-3 Ottawa HC
Rosters
Ottawa: Lesueur in goal, Lake at point, Taylor at cover, Stuart at rover, Walsh at center, Gilmour at RW, and Dey at LW
Shamrocks: Baker in goal, Debeau at point, Laviolette at cover, Marshall at rover, Ward at center, H. McNamara at RW, and G. McNamara at LW
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Shamrocks | Ward | H. McNamara or Marshall | N/A |
| Ottawa | Dey | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Marshall or H. McNamara | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Taylor | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Gilmour | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Taylor | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Marshall | Laviolette | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | Lake | N/A |
| Ottawa | Stuart | Gilmour | Taylor |
| Ottawa | Taylor | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | Taylor | N/A |
| Ottawa | Stuart | Gilmour | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh or Dey | N/A | N/A |
Game #6: Montreal Wanderers vs Quebec HC, 13 January 1909
A Montreal paper wrote: “Hern was reliable in goals, while Ross and Smaill proved a hard proposition in front of him. Their rushes were as usual of the spectacular and effective style, and Ross tore down the entire length of the ice and one. They showed class and condition. Harry Smith also proved his claims to be one of the scorers of the team by netting three of the goals. Glass, Johnston and Gardner also played useful games, and the whole team as it stands at present is a well-balanced one”
“For Quebec the stars were Paddy Moran, who gave another great exhibition in goals, and H. Jordan. The latter played an exceptionally brilliant game, though he was pretty hardly used up was in the game to the end. Malone, the junior, also showed improvement, and is a comer. Joe Power and Leader did some good rushing, while MacDonald and Chubbie Power were also useful”
Final Score: 7-3 Wanderers
Rosters
Wanderers: Hern in goal, Ross at point, Smaill at cover, Glass at rover, Smith at center, Johnson at RW, and Gardner at LW
Quebec: Moran in goal, Leader at point, J. Power at cover, C. Power at rover, Jordan at center, Malone at RW, and McDonald at LW
| Team | Goal Scoring | Assist | Assist |
| Wanderers | Ross | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Glass | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Smith | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Smith | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Smith | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | McDonald | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Ross | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Jordan | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Glass | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Malone | N/A | N/A |
Game #7: Montreal Shamrocks vs Ottawa HC, 16 January 1909
An Ottawa paper wrote: “Lesueur’s work was on par with that of Paddy Moran the previous Saturday, the Ottawa man standing a fusilade of shots from Marshall, McNamara, and Hyland”
“Even Mary Walsh could not score”
“Laviolette and Marshall breaking up whatever combination the Ottawas attempted and easily despoiling the individual rushes of Taylor and Lake”
“In the first hald, Lesueur and Kerr were the only players whose work counted. Taylor was suffering from an injury to his back received the previous night and could not bend over to handle his stick, having to do most of his work with one hand. Lake was not as speedy as usual and failed to clear quickly, while Walsh and Gilmour were off color. Dey and Kerr worked like beavers, but Dey was watched closely and Kerr as a rule was all by himself out skating the other forwards. Walsh, who is usually the greatest scorer, missed chance after chance. Gilmour never got going”
“Baker, Laviolette, and Marshall were the best, especially the last named, while the MCNamaras, Hyland and Hill were also fine. Hyland was the choice of the forwards. Laviolette’s speed was immense and Marshall showed all his old time headwork. Baker stopped a number of good shots in the Shamrock nets. Albert Kerr was by all means the most effective of the Ottawa men”
“The Ottawas can thank Kerr that they were not beaten for he was there with the Stanley CUp brand of hockey from beginning to end. Kerr scored no less than four goals, being responsible for two others on passes. His speed was second only to that of Taylor, his stick-handling superb and his shooting great”
“Kerr looked small, boyish and light in comparison with the others, but he had it on them all as far as hockey went. He plays much like Steve Vair of Renfrew and was not penalized once”
“Next to Kerr Dey was the best. Edgar’s work while not conspicuous was effective all the way through. He had hard luck in shooting, but checked back beautifully and did a lot of inside work that told in the end. Walsh was great in the last part of the match and Gilmour although the weakest and roughest man on the team redeemed himself in the [illegible] moments of the match”
“Taylor was under a handicap and Lesueur, although very good in the first half, when he had lots to do allowed at least three easy ones to get by him towards the close. Lesueur again proved that he is without superior when the team is tight pressed, but at the finish the Irishmen were fooling him from all angles”
“Wonder why Shamrocks played such lemons as Debeau and Ward when they have men like Hyland and Hill available”
“Gilmour has no superior at right wing when going right. He has not as yet shown his true form this season”
Another Ottawa paper reported: “He [Kerr] has all kinds of speed, is a pretty stick-handler and goes back nicely to help out the defence. He has a wicked shot and assisted very materially in the scoring”
“Lesueur was at his best on Saturday and stopped all kinds of hard drives. ONly for his work the Shamrocks would have piled up a much larger score in the first half”
A Montreal paper noted: “Kerr was the Ottawa star, while Dey was also good. Laviolette, Marshall and Hyland were the best for the visitors. Laviolette put up a magnificent game until he was injured in the second half”
Final Score: 9-7 Ottawa HC
Rosters
Shamrocks: Baker in goal, Laviolette at point, Marshall at cover, Hill at rover, Hyland at center, G. McNamara at RW, and H. McNamara at LW
Ottawa: Lesueur in goal, Lake at point, Taylor at cover, Dey at rover, Walsh at center, Gilmour at RW, and Kerr at LW
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Shamrocks | Marshall | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Kerr | Walsh or Lake | MaybeLake |
| Shamrocks | G. McNamara | Marshall | N/A |
| Ottawa | Dey | Kerr | Taylor |
| Shamrocks | Marshall | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Hyland | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Kerr | Dey or Walsh | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Hyland | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | Kerr | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Kerr | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | Dey | N/A |
| Ottawa | Kerr | Walsh | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Hill or Hyland | Marshall | Laviolette |
| Ottawa | Gilmour | Kerr | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Marshall | N/A | N/A |
Game #8: Quebec HC vs Montreal Wanderers, 16 January 1909
A Montreal paper wrote: “In Quebec’s surprising showing, a big factor was the wonderful work of their goal-keeper, Paddy Moran, who in his long career probably never did better work than against Wanderers Saturday night. Moran stopped them from all angles, and his brilliant work put heart into the players in front of him and sent them after Wanderers in a style that threatened to take the champions off their feet”
“Malone is developing and should soon class up with the other three- Jordan, C. Power, and McDonald- whose work was of very even merit. All four are fine stick=handlers and speedy skaters. Joe Power at cover practically gave them a fifth man on the line when one was needed, and Leader also helped out in the rushing, though with less success than the cover point. Moran was the real star of the team”
“Smith and Glass not playing to recent form, while Johnston and Gardner did a lot of hard, useful work. Johnston solved the Quebec defence better than any of the others, and, scoring four times himself, assisted with the pass that gave Wanderers a fifth”
“The Quebec forwards were very effective in stopping the rushes of the big Wanderer point, C. Power in particular being skillful in getting the disc away from him”
“Hern had much less to do than Moran, but he was under a more deadly fire”
Another Montreal paper reported: “Riley Hern did as usual good work, but had many an unnecessary score as Quebec came flying down”
“P. Moran is the King of Goalkeepers”
“Johnson skated like a streak, and to add to his fast work was more effective than usual around the goals”
“Johnson’s style of skating would never win him any medals in a beauty contest”
“It is horrible to contemplate what the score might have been had not the versatile Mr. Moran been in goals to shoo the puck away”
“Art Ross’s finely chiseled shape was adorned by a red sweater”
“As per usual Smaill delivered the goods in neat packages”
An Ottawa paper noted: “In the second half there were times when Wanderers were all played out and but for the sterling work of Hern in goal and of Smaill and Johnson in the open the chances are that Quebec would have retired victors”
“A vast deal of the credit for the good showing of Quebec goes to Paddy Moran”
“Shots of all sorts came his [Moran’s] way- hard ones, easy ones, low ones, and high ones, but they all looked alike to Patrick”
“Joe Power played a great defence game for the visitors”
“Leader, while a useful man and while showing some clever work in Saturday’s game, especially in getting away the rubber when it rebounded from Paddy Moran’s stalwart form, is scarcely in the top notcher class”
Final Score: 7-6 Wanderers
Rosters
Quebec: Moran in goal, Leader at point, J. Power at cover, C. Power at rover, Jordan at center, Malone at RW, and McDonald at LW
Wanderers: Hern in goal, Ross at point, Smaill at cover, Glass at rover, Smith at center, Johnson at RW, and Gardner at LW
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Wanderers | Smith | Johnson | N/A |
| Wanderers | Johnson | Smaill | N/A |
| Quebec | C. Power | Jordan | N/A |
| Wanderers | Smaill | Gardner | N/A |
| Quebec | J. Power | C. Power | Jordan |
| Quebec | McDonald | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Jordan | J. Power | N/A |
| Wanderers | Johnson | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Johnson | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Jordan | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Johnson | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Smaill | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | C. Power or Jordan | Maybe Jordan | N/A |
Game #9: Montreal Shamrocks vs Montreal Wanderers, 20 January 1909
A Montreal paper wrote: “Baker did good work for Shamrocks ion goals; steady at all times and brilliant on many occasions. Laviolette and Marshall made a defence that was difficult to work through, though individually the players did not shine as much as Ross and Smaill at the other end. Their checking, however, was marked by excellent judgment, and was most effective”
“The McNamaras, on the wings, are rounding into form and last night played the best hockey they have shown this year. They are big chaps and they used their bodies freely”
“The wing play was the feature of the work of the two lines. Harold McNamara and Gardner fighting out an interesting duel on one side, and George McNamara and Johnston”
“Glass and Smith did not show up as well as in recent matches on the general play. Smith was watched closely”
“Gardner is improving everytime out, and was the hardest worker on the line last night. He dded to hard work in puck carrying by scoring the same number of goals as Glass. Scoring is not Gardner’s strong point, but he was successful at it last night”
“The Shamrock defence kept Ross and Smaill from being effective in their rushing”
An Ottawa paper reported: “Laviolette brought off one of his spectacular rushes”
Another Ottawa paper noted: “The work of Baker in goal, Laviolette at point and the McNamaras on the wings were the features of Shamrocks’ play. The McNamaras used their bodies freely and took a lot o steam out of Wanderers’ forwards”
Final Score: 7-5 Wanderers
Rosters
Shamrocks: Baker in goal, Laviolette at point, Marshall at cover, Darragh at rover, Hyland at center, H. McNamara at RW, and G. McNamara at LW
Wanderers: Hern in goal, Ross at point, Smaill at cover, Glass at rover, Smith at center, Johnson at RW, and Gardner at LW
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Wanderers | Glass | Johnson | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Hyland | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Hyland | Laviolette | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Darragh | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Glass | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Glass | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Gardner | Smith | N/A |
| Wanderers | Smith | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Gardner | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Laviolette | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Gardner | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Darragh | N/A | N/A |
Game #10: Ottawa HC vs Quebec HC, 23 January 1909
An Ottawa paper wrote: “In the inauguration of the attacks Taylor was a very prominent factor and his cyclonic rushes were a feature”
“Taylor had become a great fan favorite with the Quebec hockey fans and from the time he appeared until he skated off the ice with his team-mates Taylor was the centre of much attention. The partisan crowd hooted the Ottawa cover point when he first made his appearance, but after Taylor had effected six or seven of the most sensational plays imaginable, the audience commenced to appreciate his great work and he was often applauded. Taylor’s speed was something greater than anything ever seen here, he being by far the fastest man on the ice. His speed was indeed bewildering and aggressiveness something that old time defence men could naught but wonder at. Taylor was right in the game from start to finish, several goals resulting from his beautiful work”
“Lake at point also assisted greatly do the downfall of Quebec. Lake rushed with the forwards whenever the occasion required his presence on the line and he too broke into the summary. Lake, in fact, played one of the grandest all round games ever seen here. The efforts of the Quebec men to elude him were at times amusing as the Ottawa point man would deftly poke the puck to one side or check it right out of their sticks and carry it down the ice. Lesueur did valuable work in the nets. Due to the great offensive work of Taylor and Lake, Lesueur was not called upon to block as many shots as Moran, but he was always on the job when needed. Lesueur is a former Quebec player and tonight he had it on Moran in every way”
“Bruce Stuart was the same heady player who used to wear the Quebec colors… Stuart was the most dangerous of the visitors and while not as prominent as Walsh or the other two he got away with bushesls of telling work. Stuart went in alone four or five times, carrying the rubber as far as Moran and then flipping it over to his team-mates. Stuart is regarded as one of the greatest general ever seen here. Walsh lived up to his reputation as the greatest scorer in the East and Kerr playing here for the first time also showed himself to be made of the right stuff. Gilmour was another who sustained his rep. Gilmour played one of the hardest games on the ice, his checking back being responsible for breaking up many rushes by Jordan, Power, Malone or McDonald”
“Paddy Moran, whose work in goal is generally a feature of every match, seemed to have lost his eagle eye for once, and only recovered it as the match progressed to its finish”
“Jordan and MacDonald were the pick of the Quebec forwards, though Chub Power showed up well at times. Joe Power was good until he injured his knee in the first half”
Another Ottawa paper reported: “Taylor’s great speed was possibly the chief feature, and it was also the subject of considerable comment. In the inauguration of much of Ottawa’s combined attacks he was the principal factor. Walsh was the legging goal-getting, being ably seconded by Stuart. Lake’s work was also good, while Lesueur handed most of the few shots that came his way clearly. Kerr was only fair. For Quebec Jordan and McDonald were the pick of the Quebec seven, both working hard, but with little assistance their efforts went for naught. Chub Power was next in line”
A Montreal paper noted: “”These were generally inaugurated by Taylor or Lake, the former in particular being the bright particular star in the evening”
“...Jordan and MacDonald were the pick”
Final Score: 18-4 Ottawa HC
Rosters
Ottawa: LEsueur in goal, Lake at point, Taylor at cover, Stuart at rover, Walsh at center, Kerr at LW, and Gilmour at RW
Quebec: Moran in goal, Leader at point, J. Power at cover, C. Power at rover, Jordan at center, McDonald at LW, and Malone at RW
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Ottawa | Walsh | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | McDonald or Jordan | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Stuart | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Gilmour | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Gilmour | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Stuart | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Gilmour | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Kerr | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Stuart | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Jordan | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Stuart | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Stuart | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Lake | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Taylor | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Jordan | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Stuart | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | McDonald | N/A | N/A |
Game #11: Montreal Shamrocks vs Montreal Wanderers, 27 January 1909
Harry Smith reportedly left the Wanderers to go play for Haileybury, forcing the team to use Dunlop from an intermediate club.
A Montreal paper wrote: “Smith’s work was not as good his last few times out, as when he came to Montreal for the cup series with Edmonton”
“Smaill added much aggressiveness to the line in the second half, and Dunlop, who performed only fairly in the first half, had less to do in the second, and Shamrocks could not take advantage of the weak spot”
“Dunlop did not class up with the other six players on the Wanderers side”
“Johnston and Smaill probably starred for the team, but Hern, Ross, Gardner and Glass all were in the limelight at intervals. Gardner and Johnston helped materially to turn the match so decisively Wanderers’ way by their great work along the boards in the second half”
“Marshall, Laviolette and G. McNamara were the best of the Shamrocks. Marshall continues to play his clean, useful game, and Laviolette did the usual spectacular stunts that the crowd associates with his playing”
Another Montreal paper reported: “Hyland, an intermediate who played with Shamrocks, is a fast skater but proved of small use to his side, as he spent much time with the penalty time-keeper”
“Jack Laviolette’s sensational runs an ducking were much admired. Every man on the Wanderer team appeared to fear him and never missed a chance to bring him down”
“Baker, in goals for Shamrock, proved himself cool and careful and it is due to his calm judgment that the score was not much higher”
“Smaill sent in one of his old-time high shots”
An Ottawa paper noted: “For the winners, Smaill and Johnson played the best hockey, while the only redeeming feature of the Shamrocks’ game was the defence of Jack Marshall and Laviolette. Both of them played good hockey, the latter plus the usual frills as is his wont”
Final Score: 5-1 Wanderers
Rosters
Shamrocks: Baker in goal, Laviolette at point, Marshall at cover, H. McNamara at rover, Hyland at center, Darrage at LW, and G. McNamara at RW
Wanderers: Hern in goal, Ross at point, Dunlop at cover, Smaill at rover, Glass at center, Gardner at LW, and Johnson at RW
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Shamrocks | Darragh | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Johnson | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Johnson | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Gardner | Johnson | N/A |
| Wanderers | Smaill | N/A | N/A |
| Wanderers | Smaill | Glass | N/A |
Game #12: Montreal Wanderers vs Ottawa HC, 30 January 1909
An estimated crowd of 7500-8000 watched this one.
An Ottawa paper noted: “Wall and Brennan [the refs] are both experienced hockeyists, the former having been one of the greatest defence men that ever chased a puck”
“The ice was ideal for hockey and some of the fastest skating ever seen here was witnessed, Taylor of the Ottawas and Johnston of Wanderers scintillating in this respect”
Fortunately the Ottawas worked a two man combination that was effective and once in a while Lake and Taylor tore off a rush together that brought the spectators to their feet. Stuart and Walsh did beautiful work together in mid-ice but Wanderers watched Stuart closely and the Ottawa man as the result was soon carrying a number of bruises. Walsh too was given close attention but the pair worked on with unfaltering determination, the stick-handling and dodging of the Ottawa captain blocking innumerable rushes by Ross and Smaill with a timely poke of his stick. Stuart carried the puck more than any other player, with the possible exception of Taylor, and his shooting was fine. Bruce was back with every rush of the Wanderers”
“Walsh and Stuart excelled both Vair and Glass in mid-ice, but on the wings the Wanderers were the equals of their covers, despite the fact that both Kerr and Gilmour played first rate hockey. They were covering two dangerous men in Gardner and Johnstone and Kerr was instructed to stick to Johnstone regardless of the puck. The Brockville boy had few chances to shone on account of the attention Johnstone merited, but he held the Wanderer man down well and managed to distinguish himself in the bargain. Kerr again demonstrated that he is worthy of the left wing position. Gilmour did a heap of useful checking and following back. The work of the Ottawa defence came in for considerable criticism, but when one takes into consideration the fact that Lesueur, Lake and Taylor were up against a crack scoring machine in Glass, Johnstone, Gardner and Vair, they must get credit for holding them down to four goals. Taylor’s work was spectacular at all stages, but he gave the Ottawa supporters several fits of nervousness by bringing the rubber too near the Ottawa net. His blocking, however, was superb, and two of the Ottawa goals resulted from his rushes”
“Lake at point was steady and reliable, seldom leaving his position. His body-checking was effective at all times. Lesueur played a great game throughout the first half and in the opening part of the second, but Percy’s usual hard luck turned up at the close of the match”
“Hern had more to do than Lesueur in the nets and he did his share in good style, some of his rushes being of the sensational order. Art Ross was a tower of strength at point, blocking scores of Ottawa rushes in addition to attacking himself every minute or so in the second half. Smaill was not conspicuous at cover point in the first half, but in the second his work was immense, Smaill intercepting pass after pass from Ottawa forwards when scores seemed inevitable.Smaill was probably the most aggressive man on the Wanderer team in the second half. Glass did a lot of good checking and helped out Ross and Hern greatly”
“Steve Vair at centre was not the scorer that Harry Smith was, but his work was equally as valuable for he was always on hand to take a pass and in addition to scoring one goal he did a lot of other useful work. On the wings Wanderers were strongest, Johnston and Gardner putting up gilt-edged hockey. Gardner was much better than at the beginning of the season and Johnstone covered himself with glory. The big fair-haired wing man had speed to burn, with stick-handling and aggressiveness to go with it”
“Art Ross said after the match that Vair was a more valuable man than Smith, although Harry would probably have increased the Wanderer chances fifty per cent when the score was tied”
“Bruce Stuart displayed great grit”
“Lake showed his class when the crisis came”
“Smaill is looming up as one of the greatest cover-points in the game”
“Marty Walsh again showed himself Johnny-on-the-spot when a goal was needed”
Another Ottawa paper reported: “Despite reports to the contrary, Steve Vair of the Renfrew team lined up at centre for the Cup holder, and he played nice hockey all the way, but he lost some good opportunities to score through poor shooting. He did remarkably well considering that he has never even had a practice with the visitors. If he has a few work-outs with the team he will be a decidedly dangerous man. Wanderers missed the shooting of Smith very much”
“Lesueur played a great game in the flags for the Ottawas, and saved many times by brilliant stops when the visitors looked sure to score”
“Taylor worked in some nice rushes, but he left his defence position too oten and gave the visitors many good openings in this way. Then he had a habit of taking the rubber across in front of his own flags and lost it on a number of occasions a few feet from the nets”
“Lake played a strong game, but his rushes were not very effective, as he was checked too closely. On the line Marty Walsh and Stuart were the most effective, and they played good hockey all the way”
“Gilmour was the weak man on the line, and he should either cut out his rough work or be dropped. He can play good hockey, but on Saturday spent a good part of the match on the bench with the penalty timers. There was no occasion for this. Kerr showed up well, but was inclined to use his stick pretty freely for tripping and hooking”
“Hern, Ross and Smaill on the visiting defence, all played great hockey, and both the latter men made some pretty rushesdown the ice and they were always back in time to relieve an attack. On the line Johnston was perhaps the best man, and he played a beautiful game, always being on the rubber and bodying and checking in great shape. His speedy skating was a feature of the match. Glass, Gardner and Vair worked in many nice plates and every man did his share of the work. The Ottawas paid a good deal of attention to Ross and Smaill, and whenever they started down the ice would usually find two men covering them closely”
“Walter Smaill who has developed into one of the greatest defence men in the game”
A Montreal paper noted: “Vair was under a big handicap tonight. For one thing he had played in the federal League match the night before, scoring something like fourteen goals for Renfrew against Smith’s Falls”
“He [Vair] is speedy, a good stick handler, and has everything to make him useful to a first class team. He is a better mid-ice player than Smith, although not as good as Smith, when the latter is going right, at taking advantage of chances in front of a goal net”
“Bruce Stuart played his best game of the year and was really the star of the Ottawa team in the night’s play. He worked without a let up, although evidently suffering from his bad knee in the second half. He was the best puck carrier for Ottawa and bored in more successfully than any forward on the ice. Walsh and stuart made a dangerous pair in mid-ice. Gilmour also showed improved form in the first half, but then faded badly in the second and was a weakness to his team in being ruled off five times for a total of fifteen minutes. Gardner came out on top in what was for a while an interesting battle between the two”
“Kerr, the new player on the other wing, is a promising youngster, and when Gilmour is working right the Ottawa line was almost irresistible”
“Glass and Gardner did the bulk of the work for Wanderers, and did it well. Johnstone’s play was not as telling as usual, and he lost some good chances for his team by shooting wide and from too far out. Smaill, Ross, and Hern played pretty much to their best form”
“Stuart, Lake and Kerr probably played Ottawa’s best game. Lesueur did a lot of stopping in goals, but in the first half chiefly from long range shots. Taylor was ineffective through his wildness. His tremendous speed was in evidence, but he did not use it to the advantage it should be to his team”
“Smaill’s reputation as a ‘pinch’ scorer is known in Ottawa. ‘Watch Smaill’ was the cry in the closing minutes of the match, whenever the Wanderer cover would touch the puck”
Final Score: 5-4 Ottawa HC
Rosters
Wanderers: Hern in goal, Ross at point, Smaill at cover, Glass at rover, Vair at center, Johnson at RW, and Gardner at LW
Ottawa: Lesueur in goal, Lake at point, Taylor at cover, Stuart at rover, Walsh at center, Gilmour at RW, and Kerr at LW
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Ottawa | Stuart | Walsh | N/A |
| Ottawa | Stuart | Kerr | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Kerr | Taylor | N/A |
| Wanderers | Glass | Smaill | N/A |
| Wanderers | Gardner | Smaill | N/A |
| Wanderers | Vair | Johnson | N/A |
| Wanderers | Johnson | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Walsh | Stuart or Lake | N/A |
