The Ottawa Senators won the Stanley Cup 11 times, but not these Ottawa Senators.
You read that correctly: the original Ottawa Senators were dominant from 1903-1923, winning the Stanley Cup 11 times. Originally the Ottawa Hockey Club, the first-generation Sens were founded in 1883 and competed for the first Stanley Cup in 1893. Ottawa HC took on many nicknames, including the Generals, Silver Seven, and Senators.
Ottawa’s Stanley Cup runs included a three-peat from 1903-06 and three cups (1920, 1921, 1923) in four years. Hockey historians widely regard Ottawa HC as professional ice hockey’s first dynasty.
Ottawa HC joined the National Hockey Association in 1910 and remained a member when the NHA disbanded, and its remaining teams moved to the National Hockey League in 1917. Ottawa competed in the NHL until 1934 when financial difficulties caused by a small market and poor arena attendance led to the franchise suspending operations. What was left of the club moved to St. Louis and competed for a season before altogether ceasing operations after one season.
The 2nd generation Ottawa Senators remain Stanley Cup-less.
Ottawa was without a professional hockey team until the current Ottawa Senators were founded ahead of the 1992-93 NHL season. Although the NHL awarded Ottawa a “certificate of reinstatement,” the current Senators do not own the history and records of the original Senators. Thus, the Stanley Cup case in Ottawa remains empty.
The current Senators have struggled to mimic the success of their predecessors, only competing for the Stanley Cup in 2006-07.
The 2006-07 Sens made an incredible playoff run, upsetting the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres, winning both series 4-1. The Anaheim Ducks then crushed Ottawa hockey fan’s dreams by crushing the Senators in the Stanley Cup Finals 4-1.
What’s worse is that the Senators have not competed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the 2016-17 season, when they lost to the New York Rangers in Round 2.
Hopefully, a new era led by general manager Steve Staios and head coach Travis Green will reverse the Ottawa Senators’ fortunes in the coming seasons.