The first game of the season, and in league history, featured the visiting Montreal Canadiens defeat the Ottawa Senators 7-4, with Joe Malone scoring five of Montreal's seven goals. On the same night a game featured the unnamed Toronto team versus the Montreal Wanderers. Montreal's Dave Ritchie scored the first goal in NHL history and Harry Hyland had five goals (the league's first hat trick) in the Wanderers' 10–9 victory, which would be their only one in the NHL; Player-coach Art Ross earned the league's first penalty. The game in Montreal was played in front of only 700 fans.