Montreal Hockey Club

The Montreal Hockey Club of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was a senior-level men's amateur ice hockey club, organized in 1884.[2] They were affiliated with the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (MAAA) and used the MAAA 'winged wheel' logo. The team was the first to win the Stanley Cup, in 1893, and subsequently refused the cup over a dispute with the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association. The club is variously known as 'Montreals', 'Montreal AAA' and 'Winged wheel'[3] in literature.

Montreal Hockey Club
CityMontreal, Quebec, Canada
LeagueAHAC, CAHL, ECAHA, IPAHU, MCHL, QAHA
Operated1884 (1884) to 1932
Home arenaVictoria Rink (1884–1925),
Montreal Forum (1925–1932)
Colours  Navy Blue[1]
Championships
Playoff championshipsMontreal Carnival: 1885, 1887
AHAC: 1888–1894
Stanley Cup: 1893, 1894, 1902, 1903
Allan Cup: 1930
Members of the Montreal Hockey Club of 1885, posed with the Birks Trophy. From left to right: W. D. Aird, T. L. Paton, D. McIntyre, F. L. Barlow, W. C. Hodgson, F. M. Larmonth, R. F. Smith

The team played in several early ice hockey leagues, including the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada from 1886 until 1898, winning its championship seven times. The team competed in purely amateur leagues until 1906. After two seasons of playing with professionals, the club left its league, the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association to continue playing in amateur competition. It would go on to win the Allan Cup in 1930, the successor of the Stanley Cup as the trophy given to Canadian amateur hockey champions. In 1932, the club would leave the MAAA association and become the Montreal Royals, eventually becoming a 'semi-professional' team in the Quebec Senior Hockey League.

History

Prior to the Club's formal organization, a group of hockey enthusiasts from the 'Montreal Football Club' would play as the 'Montreal Hockey Club', as far back as 1877. The group was captained by James Creighton before he moved to Ottawa, and would play at the Victoria Skating Rink.[4]

The Club was organized formally as an affiliate of the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association on November 28, 1884.[5] The first president of the team was Thomas Fraser and the first team was composed of T. L. Paton in goal, Fred M. Larmonth, point; W. D. Aird, cover point; W. C. Hodgson, D. McIntyre, R. F. Smith and F. W Barlow, forwards. Several of the players were members of the Montreal Lacrosse Club. The team played its first game on January 20, 1885 against McGill University,[5] winning 2–1.[6]

The club would be a founding member of the Montreal-based Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) in 1886. The team held the Amateur Hockey Association title from 1888 until 1894. After the AHAC disbanded in 1898, the club continued in the Canadian Amateur Hockey League, winning the league title in 1902.

Montreal Hockey Club, 1888
Front Row: G.S. Lowe, A.A. Hodgson, J. Virtue, A. Cameron, T.L. Paton
Back Row: W.C. Hodgson, J. Stewart
The Montreal Hockey Club in 1893 as the first Stanley Cup champions

The Club won Stanley Cup challenges in March 1894, March 1902 and February 1903. The 1902 team was known as the "Little Men of Iron"[7] and its players became the core of the very successful Montreal Wanderers which was a professional club.

The team played two seasons with professional players, in 1907 and 1907–08, in the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association, and after that no longer competed for the Stanley Cup, which was for professional teams. The club then joined the Interprovincial Amateur Hockey Union, competing for the Allan Cup, the championship for senior amateur teams in Canada, and winning it in 1930. Between 1913 and 1924 the club played nine seasons in the Montreal City Hockey League.

On October 11, 1932, the directors of the MAAA announced the turning over of the hockey club in its entirety to E.S. Hamilton and Ogilvie at a meeting of the Province of Quebec Hockey Association. The club was to be renamed the Royal Hockey Club or Montreal Royals, independent of the association. The junior club operated by the M.A.A.A was also transferred.[8][9][10]

Season-by-season record

YearLeagueGPWLTPTSGFGAPIMFinishPlayoffs
1885independentWon Montreal Winter Carnival
1886independentWon Burlington Winter Carnival
1887AHAC4310685Won Montreal Winter Carnival
1888AHAC761012239AHAC champions
1888–89AHAC54108217AHAC champions
1890AHAC8800163317AHAC champions
1891AHAC550010184AHAC champions
1892AHAC61402921AHAC co-champions
Lost to Ottawa in first challenge of season; defeated Ottawa (1–0) in final challenge to regain championship
1893AHAC87101438181stAHAC champions
Awarded Stanley Cup
1894AHAC85301025151st (four-way tie)AHAC champions
Won Stanley Cup
Defeated Victorias (3–2), Ottawa(3–1) in playoff.
1895AHAC8440833222nddefeated Queen's University 5–1 in Stanley Cup Challenge game. Following the game the Stanley Cup was the awarded to Montreal Victorias as 1895 AHAC Regular Season Champions. Montreal HC has never been recognized as a Stanley Cup champion in 1895.
1896AHAC8260424334th
1897AHAC85301031263rd
1898AHAC85301034212nd
1899CAHL8350630294th
1900CAHL85301034362nd
1901CAHL8351628374th
1902CAHL86201239151stDefeated Winnipeg Victorias 2–1 in best-of-three challenge. Won Stanley Cup
1903CAHL8430834193rdDefeated Winnipeg Victorias in best-of-three challenge 8–1, 2–2(abandoned), 2–4, 4–1 to win Stanley Cup Challenge.
Lost Stanley Cup by placing third.
1904CAHL8350634493rd
1905CAHL107301454423rd
1906ECAHA10370649635th
1907ECAHA1037658834th
1907–08ECAHA101902532056th
1908–09[11]IPAHU633063rd
1909–10[12]IPAHU615024th

Starting in 1908, the Montreal Hockey Club played in the Quebec Amateur Hockey Association and the Inter-provincial Amateur Hockey Union leagues.

Notable players

See also

References

  1. "Hockey. Formation of the Montreal Hockey Club" The Gazette (Montreal). February 7, 1916 (pg. 8).
  2. Farrell, Arthur (1899). Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Game. p. 51.
  3. The Metropolitan. – Apr 13, 1895
  4. "Hockey Match". Montreal Daily Witness. February 2, 1877. p. 3.
  5. MacDonald, D. A. L. (January 22, 1935). "Turning Back Hockey's Pages". The Gazette. Montreal. p. 12.
  6. "HOCKEY: M. A. A. A vs. McGill". The Gazette. Montreal. January 21, 1885. p. 8.
  7. Legends of Hockey web site description.
  8. "Royal Hockey Club Replaces Wheelers". Ottawa Citizen. October 12, 1932. p. 9.
  9. MacDonald, D. A. L. (October 12, 1932). "M.A.A.A. Is Out Of Hockey And Club Becomes Royals". The Gazette. Montreal, Quebec. p. 14.icon of an open green padlock
  10. "M.A.A.A. Is Out Of Hockey League". The Ottawa Journal. Ottawa, Ontario. October 12, 1932. p. 15.icon of an open green padlock
  11. "Cliffsides Are Champions". The Globe. March 8, 1909. p. 7.
  12. "Interprovincial Standings". Ottawa Citizen. February 21, 1910. p. 8.
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