Established
1918
City
Montreal
League History
1918 / National Hockey League
Team History
1918 / Montreal Wanderers
Nickname
Wanderers – The Montreal Wanderers are one of the most iconic teams in NHL history, and their nickname has a fascinating origin story. The team was founded by five friends who were passionate about hockey, and they wanted to create a club that would represent their city. As they brainstormed ideas for what to call the team, one of them suggested “Wanderers” – an homage to how they had all traveled around Canada playing various forms of hockey before settling in Montreal.
The name resonated with everyone involved, and it stuck as the official moniker for the team when it joined National Hockey League (NHL) in 1917. The Wanderers went on to have some success during its brief existence, winning two Stanley Cups championships within three years before disbanding due to financial difficulties brought on by World War I-related travel restrictions that prevented away games from being played.
Fans today still fondly remember this original Canadian franchise which laid down roots nearly a century ago – proving once again just how powerful sports can bring people together!
Championship
Stanley Cup 0
Arena
1918 / Montreal Arena
Owner
1918 / P. J. Doran
Retired Number
*Blue is this team’s history
- 1918
- 1919
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Wonderers One Season in NHL
The Wanderers would win only 15 of their next 44 games in two seasons before the NHA was reorganized as the National Hockey League (NHL). The Wanderers played only four games in the NHL’s inaugural season and lost all but one before their home rink, the Montreal Arena, burned down on January 2, 1918. At the time, they had lost ... -
Wanderers Disband
Another offer came from the city of Hamilton; however, owner Sam Lichtenhein chose to fold citing he had already lost $30,000. Despite the suspicious nature of the fire, there would be no official investigation for arson as the Wanderers only NHL season ended with a 1-5 record, as the Wanderers players would be distributed around. The team defaulted its next ...
History of the Wanderers
The Montreal Wanderers were one of the original six teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). The team was founded in 1903 and played its first game on December 26, 1907. They were part of a group that included the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Arenas, Quebec Bulldogs, and Montreal Canadiens. The Wanderers had an impressive start to their NHL career as they won both Stanley Cups during their first two seasons - 1908 and 1909 respectively.
The Wanderers' success continued throughout 1910-1912 with another three appearances in Stanley Cup Finals which resulted in two wins for them - 1910 & 1912. However, after this period things began to decline for them as they failed to make it past second-round playoffs from 1913 onwards until 1917 when they disbanded due to financial issues caused by World War I. This marked an end of a very successful era for the club where it became clear that without proper funding such achievements would not be possible again anytime soon.
Despite being short-lived, The Montreal wanders left behind some great memories thanks largely due to its star players like Sprague Cleghorn who helped carry them through many victories during his time there between 1915-17 before he retired from hockey altogether. In addition, the team also made history by becoming one of only four clubs ever inducted into the Hockey Hall Of Fame despite playing just 14 seasons together; making it a truly remarkable feat given how competitive modern-day hockey has become!
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