The Ottawa Senators have won ten Stanley Cups

[c9]

In 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1909, 1911, 1920, 1921, 1923, and 1927, the original Ottawa Senators (a.k.a. the Ottawa Silver Seven) won the Stanley Cup. This ties the Senators with the Detroit Red Wings for number of championships won, with Montréal (24) and Toronto (13) ahead, and Boston (5), NY Rangers (4), and Chicago (3) rounding out the Original Six.

Unfortunately, the current Ottawa Senators, who started playing as an expansion franchise in 1992, don't get to claim this history as their own. While I understand the idea of a franchise remaining in operation for 80+ years being different than a franchise that took sixty years off, it's still a bit annoying. Other teams have changed owners, arenas, logos, and players, but still get to claim they're the same team. Toronto, for example, last won the Cup in 1967, but that 41-year-and-counting* gap is always going to be less significant than the unfortunate Depression bankruptcy of the original Sens.

Oh well. In my heart they've won plenty of championships, and we'll see another one pretty soon**.


* They missed the playoffs this year, so it's already at 41 years. And let's be serious -- it's not going to stop at 41.
** Soon does not necessarily this year, but I can dream.

Comments

[zanate.livejournal.com]

(Pardon me while I hide the true blue for a moment...)

It makes all the difference in the world. If you are a fan of an NHL team, you're not so much a fan of the team (the players) as you are of an idea (maybe the team name, or the home city, or the continuity of the franchise that may move from city to city.) Sometimes people are fans of particular teams (collections of players) but these collections are ephemeral and therefore so is their fanbase.

So, given that: there are no players on the Leafs or the Sens who have been on a Cup-winning Leafs or Sens team. Heck, I'm not sure there's any Habs players left who were in the '93 cup team. (I'll wait for oldgrover to correct me.) From that perspective, there's nothing cup-winning at all about these teams.

Whereas Leafs fans, long (and continuing) cup drought aside, can look back to cups they may have never seen won because "their Leafs" have been there continuously-- same franchise, same city, same name, all three intangibles intact...

... Sens fans who want to lay a team history claim on past cup success know that only the home city and a marketing-enlightened name selection are all they've got to go on.

It's like Quebec Nordiques supporters who still hold a torch for Colorado.

that being said, I've just shown that it's all intangibles, therefore it all has as much value as you decide to place upon it yourself. And if in your heart the Sens have a solid cup-winning history, then good for you-- but my little screed above will probably explain why most people will disagree with you.

In the meantime-- Go Sens Go. I'm seriously cheering for them this year. They've matured wonderfully so that talentless teams like the Leafs can't beat them on sheer personality anymore. But if/when the Sens win, it'll be their first cup ever in my eyes-- and all the more special for it.

And I will continue to hate Leafs management, and hate oldgrover for being such a pain in the ass about his beloved Habs.

And big market southern teams will return to dominating us all next year.

[oldgrover.livejournal.com]

You are correct - there are no current Habs that played on the 1993 team (unless you count the head coach - Guy was a member of the 1993 Stanley Cup winning Habs)

And.. oh, yeah... Go Sens Go!

-OG

[canuckotter.livejournal.com]

I'm really, really excited about the Sens' chances this year. And you know what? Even if they lose, I won't be pissed off the way I have been in previous years. Before, they've always flaked off in the playoffs and just sort of loafed around. This year, they're playing with heart. It's such awesome fun to watch. Especially Comrie... Half the time, he bounces off people when he hits them, but that doesn't stop him from trying. :-D

But yeah, I really think they have a good chance at winning. They thumped the Sabres during the regular season and they've stepped up their game since then... They're one of the most skilled teams in the NHL and they're playing as hard as you could ever hope... I'm predicting another 5-game series for a Sens win. :-D

[skeezix1000.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I agree that the current Sens don't get to claim the history as their own. The 10 Stanley Cup banners all hang in Scotiabank Place. You're right -- the NHL statsbook might differentiate between the two franchises, but frankly, the reality is whatever the current franchise and the fans say it is. Team and local media references to "bringing the Cup back to Ottawa" or to a "80 year dry spell" will trump official dictates any day.

[oldgrover.livejournal.com]

If you can count the previous Sens' cup wins, you need to up the Montreal count to (I think) 34 (my brain is fuzzy and I had trouble counting :)