1887 AHAC season

1887 AHAC season
LeagueAmateur Hockey Association of Canada
SportIce hockey
DurationJanuary 6 – March 11, 1887
Number of teams5
1887
ChampionsMontreal Crystals
AHAC seasons
← (first season)
1888 →

The 1887 AHAC season was the inaugural season of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada. Play was in challenges. The Montreal Crystals defeated the Montreal Victorias to win the final challenge of the season to claim the Canadian championship and the first league championship.

League business

The AHAC was organized on December 8, 1886,[1] when the representatives of various hockey clubs[2] met at the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal at the instigation of the Victoria Hockey Club of Montreal. The first executive was composed of:

  • President: Thomas D. Green, Ottawa.
  • First vice-president: Jack Arnton, Victorias.
  • Second vice-president: Robert Laing, Crystals.
  • Secretary-treasurer: E. Stevenson, Victorias.
  • Council: James Stewart, Crystals; J. G. Monk, Victorias; Hanbury A. Budden, McGill; E. Sheppard, M.A.A.A.: Percy Myles, Ottawa.

Regular season

A.E. Swift from the Quebec HC played four games for the Victorias, being possibly the first hockey player to play for a city other than their home.

The season's final match, held in the Victoria Rink on March 11 ended 3–2 for Montreal Crystals over the Montreal Victorias. The Vics had won the previous two meetings between the clubs. The Crystals changed their lineup, replacing F. Dowd, R. Laing and J. McGoldrick. The Crystals took the early lead on two goals by S. McQuisten. The Vics appeared to score a goal, but it was ruled to be too high and did not count. In the second half, D. Brown, one of the replacements, scored the third for Crystals before two goals by T. Arnton made it close.[3]

Overall record

Team Games played Wins Losses Ties Goals for Goals against
Montreal Victorias
7
6
1
0
27
7
Montreal Crystals†
5
2
3
0
7
12
Montreal HC
1
0
1
0
2
5
Ottawa HC
1
0
1
0
1
5
McGill University
2
0
2
0
1
9

† National Champion

Source: Ultimate Hockey

Schedule and results

Date Team Score Team Score Location
Exhibition
January 6 Montreal Victorias 0 Montreal HC 4 Victoria Rink
Challenge play
January 7 Montreal Crystals 3 McGill 1 Crystal Rink
January 14 Montreal Crystals 0 Montreal Victorias 4 Crystal Rink
January 21 Montreal Victorias 5 Montreal HC 2 Victoria Rink
January 27 Montreal Victorias 5 Ottawa HC 1 Victoria Rink
February 4 Montreal Victorias 3 Montreal Crystals 0 Victoria Rink
February 12 Montreal Victorias 6 McGill 0 Victoria Rink[4]
February 24 Montreal Victorias 2 Montreal Crystals 1 Victoria Rink
March 11 Montreal Victorias 2 Montreal Crystals 3 Victoria Rink

Source: [5]

Montreal Crystals final champions of the season.

Source: Montreal Gazette

Player statistics

Scoring leaders

Note: GP=Games played, G=Goals

Name Club GP G
Albert Swift Victorias 4 8
Billy Hodgson Montreal 4 4
J. Craven Victorias 6 4
Jack Campbell Victorias 7 3
Frank Dowd Crystals 3 2
Sam McQuisten Crystals 3 2
John Findley Montreal 4 2
Jack Arnton Victorias 5 2
Andy Shearer Victorias 7 2

Goaltender averages

Note: GP = Games played, GA = Goals against, SO = Shutouts, GAA = Goals against average

Name Club GP GA SO GAA
Tom Arnton Victorias 7 7 3 1.0
Tom Paton Montreal 1 2 0 2.0
W. Norris Crystals 3 7 0 2.3
George Boon Crystals 2 5 0 2.5
Albert Shanks McGill 1 3 0 3.0
William Hutchinson Montreal 1 3 0 3.0
Albert Low Ottawa 1 5 0 5.0
C.H. McNutt McGill 1 6 0 6.0

Winter Carnival Tournament

In February, the Montreal teams of the AHAC participated in the Montreal Winter Carnival ice hockey tournament. The tournament, which was scheduled to play outdoors on an ice rink at the Ice Palace, was disrupted by two days of storms, and was not completed until February 25. During this time, no AHAC challenges were played.

Date Team Score Team Score Location
Exhibitions
February 7 Montreal Victorias 2 Montreal HC 0 Victoria Rink
February 11 Montreal Crystals 5 Montreal HC (second) 0 Crystal Rink
"Tournament" (second teams)
February 17 Montreal Crystals 6 Montreal HC 3 Crystal Rink
February 23 Montreal Victorias 5 McGill 1 Victoria Rink
February 25 Montreal Victorias 1 Montreal HC 1 Victoria Rink
Tournament
February 21 Montreal Crystals 0 Montreal HC 1 Crystal Rink
February 23 Montreal Victorias 8 McGill 0 Crystal Rink
February 25 Montreal Victorias 0 Montreal HC 1 Crystal Rink

Montreal HC wins Winter Carnival Tournament.

Source: The Montreal Gazette, The Montreal Daily Herald, Montreal Daily Witness, The Montreal Daily Post

References

Bibliography

  • Kitchen, Paul (2000). "Before The Trail of the Stanley Cup". In Diamond, Dan (ed.). Total Hockey. pp. 8–15. ISBN 1-892129-85-X.
  • Weir, Glen (1991). Ultimate Hockey. Stoddart Publishing.

Notes

  1. ^ "Sports and Pastimes, hockey, Formation of a Dominion Hockey Association". The Gazette. December 9, 1886.
  2. ^ * Messrs. J. G. Monk, J. Arnton and J. Muir, Montreal Victorias; Thomas D. Green and Hamilton, Ottawa; C. H. Macnutt, Holden and Wylde, McGill College; E. Sheppard and Wm. Barlow, Montreal AAA; R. Laing and McCaffrey, Crystals
  3. ^ "The Crystals Win". Montreal Gazette. March 12, 1887. p. 8.
  4. ^ "Hockey". Toronto Daily Mail. February 14, 1887. p. 2.
  5. ^ Kitchen 2000, p. 10.
Preceded by
first winners
 Montreal Crystals
AHAC Champions
1887 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
first season
 AHAC seasons
1887 		Succeeded by