Montreal Hockey Club

Summary

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 edit

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 edit

Year League GP W L T PTS GF GA PIM Finish Playoffs
1885 independent Won Montreal Winter Carnival
1886 independent Won Burlington Winter Carnival
1887 AHAC 4 3 1 0 6 8 5 Won Montreal Winter Carnival
1888 AHAC 7 6 1 0 12 23 9 AHAC champions
1888–89 AHAC 5 4 1 0 8 21 7 AHAC champions
1890 AHAC 8 8 0 0 16 33 17 AHAC champions
1891 AHAC 5 5 0 0 10 18 4 AHAC champions
1892 AHAC 6 1 4 0 2 9 21 AHAC co-champions
Lost to Ottawa in first challenge of season; defeated Ottawa (1–0) in final challenge to regain championship
1893 AHAC 8 7 1 0 14 38 18 1st AHAC champions
Awarded Stanley Cup
1894 AHAC 8 5 3 0 10 25 15 1st (four-way tie) AHAC champions
Won Stanley Cup
Defeated Victorias (3–2), Ottawa(3–1) in playoff.
1895 AHAC 8 4 4 0 8 33 22 2nd defeated 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.
1896 AHAC 8 2 6 0 4 24 33 4th
1897 AHAC 8 5 3 0 10 31 26 3rd
1898 AHAC 8 5 3 0 10 34 21 2nd
1899 CAHL 8 3 5 0 6 30 29 4th
1900 CAHL 8 5 3 0 10 34 36 2nd
1901 CAHL 8 3 5 1 6 28 37 4th
1902 CAHL 8 6 2 0 12 39 15 1st Defeated Winnipeg Victorias 2–1 in best-of-three challenge. Won Stanley Cup
1903 CAHL 8 4 3 0 8 34 19 3rd Defeated 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.
1904 CAHL 8 3 5 0 6 34 49 3rd
1905 CAHL 10 7 3 0 14 54 42 3rd
1906 ECAHA 10 3 7 0 6 49 63 5th
1907 ECAHA 10 3 7 6 58 83 4th
1907–08 ECAHA 10 1 9 0 2 53 205 6th
1908–09[11] IPAHU 6 3 3 0 6 3rd
1909–10[12] IPAHU 6 1 5 0 2 4th

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

Notable players edit

See also edit

References edit

  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. ^ a b 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. 
  10. ^ "M.A.A.A. Is Out Of Hockey League". The Ottawa Journal. Ottawa, Ontario. October 12, 1932. p. 15. 
  11. ^ "Cliffsides Are Champions". The Globe. March 8, 1909. p. 7.
  12. ^ "Interprovincial Standings". Ottawa Citizen. February 21, 1910. p. 8.