Senators at Detroit, February 8, 1931

The Ottawa Senators visited the Detroit Falcons at the Olympia on this date in 1931.

Detroit entered the NHL in 1925 stocked with Victoria Cougars from the defunct WCHL. They played their first season at the Border Cities Arena in Windsor, Ontario while the Olympia was being built. They called themselves the Cougars for the first four seasons, then rebranded as the Falcons in 1930, and the Red Wings in 1932.

Which Victoria Cougars were still with Detroit in 1930-31? Only Winnipegger Frank Frederikson, and he was returning from spells with Boston and Pittsburgh.

There were several Ottawa players on the Falcons roster. Ebbie Goodfellow was a former Montagnard. Bert McInenly had played for the Rideaus, Shamrocks and Gunners. Stan McCabe was a Gunner and a Rideau in the Ottawa city junior league. Hal Hicks played for pretty nearly all the Ottawa teams between 1916 and 1926. John Newman was a junior Shamrock. Harvey Rockburn was a Tiger, a Gunner and a Shamrock.

The Senators’ goalie Bill Beveridge was a Detroit Falcon in 1929-30. He began as an Ottaa Shamrock in 1924-25 and finished off his career as an Ottawa Commando in 1944-45.

First period: goal by Herbie Lewis (Detroit).

Second period: no scoring.

Third period: goal by Goodfellow (Detroit).

Final score: Detroit 2, Ottawa 0.

Montreal Senior Group:
Game 29, February 9: Columbus vs Victoria
Game 30, February 9: Canadiens vs Montreal AAA
These last two games were not played, as the three playoff teams were already decided and because McGill wanted to fit in an exhibition game against Harvard. In pursuit of that potentially huge box office McGill agreed to waive their claim to first place and with it a bye through to the final. So the final standings were: