| Montreal Hockey Club | |
|---|---|
| City | Montreal,Quebec, Canada |
| League | AHAC,CAHL,ECAHA,IPAHU,MCHL,QAHA |
| Operated | 1884 (1884) to 1932 |
| Home arena | Victoria Rink (1884–1925), Montreal Forum (1925–1932) |
| Colours | Navy Blue[1] |
| Championships | |
| Playoff championships | Montreal Carnival:1885,1887 AHAC: 1888–1894 Stanley Cup:1893,1894,1902,1903 Allan Cup: 1930 |
TheMontreal Hockey Club ofMontreal, Quebec, Canada was a senior-level men's amateurice hockey club, organized in 1884.[2] They were affiliated with theMontreal Amateur Athletic Association (MAAA) and used the MAAA 'winged wheel' logo. The team was the first to win theStanley 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.
The team played in several early ice hockey leagues, including theAmateur 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, theEastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association to continue playing in amateur competition. It would go on to win theAllan 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 theMontreal Royals, eventually becoming a 'semi-professional' team in theQuebec Senior Hockey League.
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 byJames Creighton before he moved toOttawa, and would play at theVictoria 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 ofT. 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 theMontreal Lacrosse Club. The team played its first game on January 20, 1885 againstMcGill University,[5] winning 2–1.[6]
The club would be a founding member of the Montreal-basedAmateur 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 theCanadian Amateur Hockey League, winning the league title in 1902.
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 successfulMontreal Wanderers which was a professional club.
The team played two seasons with professional players, in 1907 and 1907–08, in theEastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association, and after that no longer competed for the Stanley Cup, which was for professional teams. The club then joined theInterprovincial Amateur Hockey Union, competing for theAllan Cup, the championship for senior amateur teams in Canada, and winning it in 1930. Between 1913 and 1924 the club played nine seasons in theMontreal 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 orMontreal Royals, independent of the association. The junior club operated by the M.A.A.A was also transferred.[8][9][10]
| Year | League | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1885 | independent | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | WonMontreal Winter Carnival |
| 1886 | independent | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | WonBurlington Winter Carnival |
| 1887 | AHAC | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 5 | – | – | WonMontreal 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 | DefeatedWinnipeg 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 winStanley 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.
