The offseason prior to the 1916-17 hockey season proved, in retrospect, to be a massively important one. At the time, the bickering that continued among the NAHC's owners was taken for business as usual - everyone knew that the other owners all detested Jack Connolly, who still owned both Toronto and Montreal - the two largest markets in Canada. Connolly's machinations, firebrand personality and refusal to compromise on virtually any issue made him toxic to the other hockey magnates, all of whom believed that their bickering among themselves benefited them not all, instead favoring the players and the rival TCHA.

1916 was "the deadline" year that the NAHC owners had been waiting upon - the year that Connolly would, if he honored his word, have to sell off one of his two clubs. Most onlookers expected this to be the Montreal Valiants. Connolly was less invested in the Montreal club - his Toronto outfit bore the mantle (and nickname) of his original club (the "Silver Skates") and he typically funneled the best talent available to him to the Toronto club. Plus, Connolly was from Ontario and did not have any real ties to Montreal or its Francophone fans for whom he claimed (perhaps honestly) to have started the Valiants in the first place. Complicating matters was the fact that the Valiants had just delivered Connolly a Challenge Cup. Would he really sell a championship club?

So there was a mixture of surprise and knowing nods when Connolly announced that summer that he was offering the Silver Skates for sale. While supposedly fielding offers for the club, Connolly went south to the United States. While in the U.S. Connolly visited the Barrell family in rural Georgia. This family would later become known for the number of quality athletes it produced though at the time they were still relatively unknown. Connolly visited the Barrell farm for the express purpose of signing promising youngster Jack Barrell for his club... his Toronto club. Ultimately Connolly would get Barrell, but that was only part of the reason for his U.S. trip.

After leaving Georgia, Connolly did not return directly to Toronto. He took a route that included stops in Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Chicago and Detroit (in that order). In each city he stopped to visit with prominent businessmen who had either already built an arena, or could presumably afford to do so. Why? Connolly was planning what he would later call a "preemptive coup" - a new league that would exist in several U.S. cities and include his Toronto and Montreal clubs. In Philadelphia he met with Victor Crary, who owned the Philadelphia Sailors baseball club and was wealthy enough to build an ice-plant-equipped arena on land he held in the city of Philadelphia. Receiving a somewhat icy (pun intended) reception, Connolly traveled to New York where he met with Sam Bigsby, who had already built a world-class arena and whose family had deep connections in the city government. Bigsby's reception was decidedly warmer. In Boston, the visit was to Francis (Frank) Denny, an engineer whose construction company was currently building a top-notch arena in downtown, specifically for a hockey club - so Denny was a promising candidate as well. From Boston, Connolly took a train to Chicago, meeting with Wash Whitney (not interested) and baseball's Chicago Cougars owner, Ben Hunter, who made no commitments, but seemed intrigued. Detroit's Eddie Thompson, another baseball owner, was already building an arena, but also had a dim view of Connolly. 

Connolly returned to Toronto, feeling that his old friend Bert Thomas would support him, and thinking he could again put forth Buffalo as a possible team location. While the trip was a mixed bag, he had convinced himself that his idea was feasible: a four-to-six club circuit, based in the U.S. and Canada, and raiding the rosters of the NAHC and TCHA to stock its clubs. Connolly was nearly ready to shock the hockey world again.

At the NAHC league meetings, Connolly - and most of his fellow owners - were shocked when Ottawa president Martin Delaware requested that the league suspend operations for the remainder of the war. The issue was put to a vote and all except Delaware voted in favor of continuing. The shadow the war was casting over the sport was massive, and continuing to grow with over 20% of the league's players now in the military. After the vote failed, Delaware put forth a new motion: the suspension of Jack Connolly for his failure to divest himself of one of his teams. 

Pandemonium ensued - Connolly leaped to his feet and threatened to "throttle" Delaware. NAHC President Percy Hopkins banged his gavel, shouting that voting upon the motion was necessary. Once a measure of calm was restored (Connolly, apoplectic, was red-faced and his jacket had ripped when he was being held back from going after Delaware), Hopkins asked if Delaware had a suggestion as to how the NAHC could continue with only three clubs.

Delaware, smiling, pointed out that with many of the players now wearing military uniforms instead of hockey sweaters, the NAHC could create a fourth club that would be made up entirely of military personnel. The 138th Battalion was composed of professional hockey players, was based in Toronto and the Canadian government had been using the "unit" to entertain the troops before they were shipped off to the meatgrinder in France. The government was willing to allow the 138th to participate in the NAHC provided that a percentage of tickets were made freely available to the military. This would not be an issue and Mr. Albert Thomas was willing to allow his arena to be used for the 138th's home games.

Connolly, fuming during Delaware's speech, tamped down his anger and asked (with a surprising amount of restraint) if he could speak. Given the floor by Hopkins, he then explained that he had a buyer for the Valiants and therefore there would be no need to remove him for failing to sell one of his clubs. Charles LeClerc, who owned a chain of groceries in Montreal, had offered to buy the club. Pressed for proof by the skeptical Delaware, Connolly reached into his attache case and produced an offer for the team, signed by LeClerc. Delaware noticed that the price seemed more than fair (to LeClerc) and asked Connolly if wanted to bring the sale to a vote. Connolly, clenching his teeth, said he did. Bert Thomas, who was in attendance, sent a messenger to get LeClerc, noting that "by coincidence Mr. LeClerc is currently in town and staying here at the Grand" - Connolly's surprise was plainly evident as Thomas said this. Once LeClerc arrived, he was asked if he did want to buy the Valiants and he confirmed that he had made an offer, which Connolly had refused. Connolly now rose and said this was a misunderstanding and he was willing to sell the club to Mr. LeClerc at the offered price. A vote was taken - and passed - and LeClerc joined the NAHC ownership group. With a smirk on his face Delaware then removed his motion for a vote to revoke Connolly's franchise rights and the meetings continued.

Ultimately, the 138th was added as the league's sixth club. To promote excitement, the owners also voted to split the season into two halves with the winners of each half playing each other for the Connolly Cup prior to playing the TCHA champions for the Challenge Cup.

In the West, the TCHA had a relatively simple offseason. The biggest issue was the status of the Victoria club, whose arena was full of soldiers. George Yeadon had no reason - or desire - to suspend his brother's club, and agreed to let the Capitals play in his Vancouver arena for the balance of the war.