NHA

1911-12 Season

The 1911–12 season marked the third year for the National Hockey Association (NHA) and introduced foundational changes to the modern game, most notably the elimination of the rover position, reducing the number of players per side to six. This move was strongly opposed by the previous champion, the Ottawa Hockey Club, whose style of play was heavily dependent on the rover. Additionally, the league saw the demise of the Renfrew Creamery Kings, whose players were distributed to the remaining teams through a dispersal draft—though some top players like “Cyclone” Taylor refused to report to their assigned clubs. Other key business included the sale of the Montreal Wanderers to Sam Lichtenhein and the NHA’s declaration of the new Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) as an “outlaw league” after it signed away several NHA players.

In the standings, the Quebec Hockey Club won the league championship and the new O’Brien Cup with a 10–8–0 record, narrowly edging out the Ottawa Hockey Club, who finished 9–8–0. Ottawa’s record was marred by a protested game in which they had initially won against the Wanderers but was later replayed and lost, costing them a tie for the championship. The season’s top scorer was Skene Ronan of Ottawa with 35 goals. As league champions, the Quebec Bulldogs took control of the Stanley Cup and successfully defended it in a best-of-three challenge against the Moncton Victorias, winning the series 2–0. This challenge was also notable as the first Stanley Cup series played with the new six-man format. The Quebec roster featured future Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Malone, who captained the team and scored three goals in the first challenge game.