It was a time when small towns could still challenge for the Stanley Cup, the holy grail of Canadian hockey. The O'Briens of Renfrew, Ontario, father M.J. and son Ambrose, formed their own league, the National Hockey Association, owned four of the five teams and founded the Montreal Canadiens. Money appeared to be no object. Top players Lester and Frank Patrick, Fred "Cyclone" Taylor and "Newsy" Lalonde were paid large salaries with the objective...