The current Ottawa Senators franchise actually has never won a Stanley Cup. However, the original franchise, founded in 1883, was able to find much success in their short time as a franchise. It may seem a little confusing, but the NHL has a long history of franchises moving that can be a lot for an outsider to follow.
For the sake of this article, the original Ottawa Senators are the focus of how many Stanley Cups they’ve won. With that being said, how many Stanley Cups did the original Ottawa Senators win?
The Ottawa Senators won 11 Stanley Cups between the years of 1903 and 1927. They were able to capture their first league title in 1903. Their continued success went into the 1920s before they eventually fell into financial hardship.
The Early Years: 1903-1911
In their early years, the Ottawa franchise was actually known as the “Silver Seven” until about 1908. During their time as the Silver Seven, Ottawa was able to win 4 Cups between 1903-1906. At this time, there was no actual series to win the championship, but rather, the league title was awarded to the best team in the regular season.
After 1908, the now Senators went on to win 3 more titles before the formation of the NHL as we know it in 1917. Those championships came from 1909-1911. While it could be debated that these titles do not count as Stanley Cups, it’s important to respect the history of one of the oldest sports leagues in the world.
The Post-NHL Formation Years: 1917-1934
The Senators were one of the original teams to join the NHL, and it did not take long for them to win their first Stanley Cup as a part of the league. There was still no official series to win the championship, but the Senators were the best team in the league in 1920, earning them their first Cup in the NHL. They were able to repeat this success the very next year in 1921 and again in 1923, bringing them up to 10 league championships at this point.
Their last championship came in 1927. These teams were headlined by the likes of hockey greats Frank Clancy, Cy Denneny, Eddie Girard, Frank Nighbor and Art Ross. Unfortunately, the franchise was riddled with financial problems despite their success. After a failed attempt to move to St. Louis, the franchise officially ended in 1934 after winning 11 championships in about 20 years.
The Return: 1992-Current
Ottawa was able to regain a franchise in 1992 due to the NHL becoming more popular. There was a public push for there to be more teams in Canada, as hockey is a Canadian sport. Ottawa was an obvious choice to gain a franchise after their success in the formative years of the league.
Sticking with the Senators moniker, Ottawa was once again a member of the NHL. However, they have been unable to capture their former glory, failing to win a Stanley Cup in their modern era.
Regardless of Cup success, the Senators have been a consistently good team and a perennial playoff threat. They were able to make it to their first modern Stanley Cup Finals in 2007. In a matchup against the Anaheim Ducks, the Senators were futile in winning the Cup, losing the series 4-1.
Jamie is the founder of Hockey Response and he is the chief writer/ lead editor. Jamie has been playing hockey for over 20 years. He was the defenseman of the year in NL and has played Jr A level hockey. Jamie has coached several kids hockey camps and he was the assistant coach of the Western Kings.
