- During the 1905 season, the Montreal Wanderers
signed a forward named Charlie Liffiton. Liffiton
was thought to be so valuable that his team once
arranged a special train to transport him to
Ottawa for an important game. Liffiton left his
day job at quitting time, raced to the station
and sat alone in a special car that whisked him
to Ottawa. When he reported to work the following
Monday morning, his employer fired him, possibly
for sneaking away from his desk a few minutes
early.
- When the Montreal Wanderers accepted a challenge
from the Edmonton team in December, 1908 - at the
beginning of a new season - the Wanderers didn't
know they'd be facing a team of
"ringers." Edmonton showed up with a
lineup of stars recruited from other teams; only
one player, Fred Whitcroft at rover, had played
on the Edmonton team during the regular season.
The ringers included Bert Lindsay, Lester
Patrick, Didier Pitre, Tom Phillips, and Harold
McNamara, all future Hall-of-Famers. Even so, the
Wanderers won the two-game, total goals to count
series 13-10.
- In 1908, the Montreal Wanderers were unwilling
participants in a Stanley Cup series against an
Ottawa team, the Vics. Wanderers management
sneered at the poor calibre of the Vics and tried
to avoid the match-up. A Montreal spokesman
stated the games would have to begin at 10:30
p.m. because "the ice was not available any
earlier." It was also suggested that the
games be played behind closed doors. This
infuriated the Cup trustees and the Vics. The
Wanderers were ordered to play the series
"in the normal manner and at a fitting
time." They did and trounced the Vics 9-3
and 13-1. Ernie Russell of the Wanderers scored
four goals in the first game and six in the
second.
- Bad Joe Hall, who died of the flu epidemic that
forced cancellation for the Stanley Cup final
series between the Canadiens and Seattle in 1919,
was once a member of another Montreal club - the
Shamrocks. In 1910, playing against Renfrew, Hall
was banished from the game for attacking
judge-of-play Rod Kennedy. Hall said he'd been
cut over both eyes in a fight against Frank
Patrick and, blinded by the blood, struck Kennedy
thinking it was Patrick. The league refused to
accept his excuse and fined him $100. Hall simply
refused to pay the fine. A month later the league
persuaded the Shamrocks to cover the debt - plus
a sum of $27 to pay for a new suit for Kennedy.
His had been torn in the fracas.
- Prior to its second season of operation, the NHA
established a salary cap of $5,000 per club. With
ten players per team, this meant that the average
salary of the NHA's players was $500. The new cap
was a tremendous shock to the players, many of
whom had earned over $1,000 the previous year.
Art Ross noted that his salary over the past four
seasons had jumped from $1,000 to $2,700. There
was talk that the players would organize a strike
and form a players' association and possibly even
a new league (Art Ross wanted the Montreal
franchise), but these were not taken seriously by
the owners. One by one, the players caved in and
signed with their old clubs.
- In 1911, the manager of the Canadiens launched a
law suit against the Canadian Pacific Railroad
for $1,000. He accused the railroad of negligence
in not getting the team equipment to Renfrew in
time for an important game there.
- For the 1912 season, the position of rover was
eliminated, an idea suggested by a Montrealer, W.
E. Northey. It may also have been Northey who
suggested that players wear distinct numerals on
their jerseys, although the Patrick brothers have
been credited with the proposal. Hockey became
the first of the team sports to adopt this idea.
Initially, the numerals were attached to small
armbands with a blackboard at rinkside listing
the players' names and numbers for identification
purposes. Small printed programs soon followed.
- Prior to the 1912 season, it was agreed that the
Canadiens would sign French-speaking players
only. Other league clubs agreed to abstain from
signing French players.
- In 1914, Didier Pitre of the Canadiens threatened
to sue the Montreal Star for libel after
a sports reporter wrote some uncomplimentary
things about the player and his lifestyle. The
Canadiens promptly delt Pitre to Vancouver as
part of a deal that brought Newsy Lalonde back to
Montreal after a one-season stint with Vancouver
of the PCHL.
- In February 1914, Leo Dandurand refereed a game
between the Canadiens and Wanderers. Even though
the Canadiens won the game 6-5 in overtime,
manager George Kennedy of the Canadiens was irate
over Dandurand's performance. Following the game,
he rushed across the ice and assaulted the
diminutive referee. Dandurand said, "He
caught me with his fists before the fans and the
players. Then he came back and insulted me in the
worst manner in the umpire's room, calling me
vile names before several witnesses." A few
months later, it was decided to lock the game
officials in their dressing room between periods,
to prevent managers, players, and fans from
gaining access to them.
- When the Canadiens met Seattle for the Stanley
Cup in 1917, Newsy Lalonde was the villain in
game two, won by Seattle 6-1. He was penalized
five times and finally, in exasperation, skated
up to the referee and slammed the butt of his
stick into the ref's stomach. Lalonde was given a
match penalty and fined $25, and was fortunate to
escape a long suspension. Seattle won the series
three games to one.
- On November 6, 1917, a few days before the NHL
was formed, a man named E. W. Sheppard, president
of the Arena in Montreal, stated that he was sick
and tired of the "eternal bickering and
squabbling" among member clubs of the NHA.
Sheppard said, "Unless the two Montreal
teams - the Canadiens and the Wanderers - can
both produce teams of decent calibre, I shall bar
professional hockey from my rink and reserve the
ice time for skating purposes only."
- When the NHA disbanded in 1917 and was replaced
by the NHL, franchises were granted to the
Canadiens, the Wanderers, Ottawa, and a new team
in Toronto. Quebec opted out and the Quebec
players were dispersed throughout the league,
with the Wanderers having first choice because of
their lowly position in the previous season's
standings. Incredibly, the Wanderers passed on
Joe Malone, who a few weeks earlier had scored
eight goles against them in a single game and had
finished as top scorer in the NHA with 41 goals
in 19 games. Malone was snapped up by the
Canadiens and promptly set a remarkable NHL
record with 44 goals in 20 games.
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