Stanley Cup

The Ottawa Senators had now joined the Federal Amateur Hockey League and were forced to accept a challenge of a club from Dawson City, Yukon partway through the regular schedule in mid-January. The Nuggets left the Yukon on December 19, 1904, arriving in Ottawa to play the first game on January 13, 1905. It quickly became apparent that they were no match for the champions, fighting hard, but going down to defeat 9-2. Three days later, Ottawa thoroughly dominated the second game and skated off to 23-2 victory. The only notable occurrence was Frank McGee’s new Stanley Cup record of 14 goals in game two. Ottawa edged out the Montreal Wanderers for the FAHL title, retaining their hold on the Stanley Cup with a challenge imminent from the Rat Portage Thistles, who they had faced two years earlier. Wearing the new McCullough tube skates and with goal scoring star Frank McGee out of the Ottawa line-up, Rat Portage was paced by Tom Phillips five goals, upsetting the champs 9-3 in the opening game. Game two saw extremely poor and soft ice conditions and the Thistles with their new thinner blades had difficulty, often sinking into the surface. In a much slower game and with McGee back in the lineup, the Senators skated to a 4-2 victory. Game three lived up to its billing as the deciding match-up and was a fast, hard-hitting contest. Tom Phillips would tie the score at four with his third goal for the Thistles, before Frank McGee also scored his third to defend the Stanley Cup with a 5-4 victory. On the same day as game three versus Rat Portage, the CAHL wrapped up with the Montreal Victorias winning the title. Their challenge was accepted and was to be played after the Rat Portage series. The Trustees accepted a best-of-three series, however, the Victorias wanted a single game sudden-death game and the challenge never occurred.