The Montreal Canadiens hockey club was formed in 1909, making it the oldest professional hockey franchise in the world. It was founded by J. Ambrose O’Brien as a team especially for the francophone community of Montreal in the National Hockey Association, which preceded the National Hockey League (NHL). The team came dead last in their first season, but their fortunes started to improve after management was switched in 1910, and in the 1915-1916 season they deserved to rent out a party bus service, because they won their first Stanley Cup.