| Renfrew Creamery Kings | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Renfrew, Ontario |
| League | National Hockey Association |
| Founded | 1909 |
| Folded | 1911 |
| Home arena | Renfrew Hockey Arena |
| Colours | Red and white |
| Head coach | Alf Smith |
TheRenfrew Hockey Club, also known as theCreamery Kings and theMillionaires, was a founding franchise in 1909 of theNational Hockey Association, the precursor to theNational Hockey League. The team was based in the founderAmbrose O'Brien's hometown ofRenfrew, Ontario.
The team's founder,Ambrose O'Brien had played varsity hockey at theUniversity of Toronto, then continued his interest as a team founder and owner, financed by his father's amassed great wealth during theCobalt silver rush –mining magnate SenatorM. J. O'Brien.[1]
In 1909, when O'Brien sought to join the newCanadian Hockey Association with his existing Renfrew team in the semi-proFederal Hockey League, the application was rejected. With fellow rejecteeMontreal Wanderers, O'Brien founded the NHA, along with franchises inCobalt,Haileybury andMontreal.
With O'Brien Silver Mine money backing the Creamery Kings, named after the creamery the town was best known for, Renfrew iced a powerful team during its first season, with playersFrank Patrick andLester Patrick commanding salaries of $3,000 each, andCyclone Taylor receiving a record-setting $5,250 for a two-month season.
In consequence, the team became widely nicknamed the "Millionaires" for the over-the-top salaries. O'Brien also secured the services ofNewsy Lalonde midseason from theCanadiens franchise, and Lalonde would wind up the season as NHA's first scoring champion. Coached byOttawa Senators legend and futureHall of Famer,Alf Smith, Renfrew finished in third place in the1910 season with an 8-3-1 record. The team had been held as a favorite to win theStanley Cup at the onset of the season, and at the end of the season Ottawa Senators playerBruce Stuart claimed lack of confidence played a role in the missed opportunity:
"Renfrew should have won the cup this winter. Why they had positively the greatest collection of players that I have ever seen together. Why did they lose? Simply because the team lacked confidence in itself and because it was not-properly handled until Alf Smith took charge. Those men didn't know the extent of their hockey abilities. They became discouraged too easily and again did not appear to take things with sufficient seriousness."
Its second and finalseason, Renfrew lost Lalonde to the Montreal Canadiens, and finished with a less than stellar 8-8 record, withDon Smith andOdie Cleghorn being the leading scorers. Renfrew's final major professional game was a 7-6 victory on March 7, 1911, against the Wanderers.
Thereafter, with it being apparent that the small towns such as Renfrew, Cobalt and Haileybury could not support major senior hockey, O'Brien folded the franchise for good.
The team's first arena was their only home and lasted until a fire in the late 1920s destroyed it. A second arena called simplyRenfrew Arena orOld Barn was completed in 1929.[3]
