Duquesne Country and Athletic Club (ice hockey)

Duquesne Country & Athletic Club
CityPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
LeagueWestern Pennsylvania Hockey League
Founded1895; 129 years ago (1895)
Operated1895–1901
Home arenaSchenley Park Casino (1895–1896)
Duquesne Garden (1898–1901)
ColorsRed, Black
   [1]
Championships
Regular season titles0

The Duquesne Country and Athletic Club ice hockey team was a member of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League (WPHL) from 1896 to 1901. The team was based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

History

The Duquesne Country and Athletic Club (DC&AC) first played exhibition games of ice hockey in 1895. The Duquesne team then played in the first season of the WPHL at the Schenley Park Casino, with three other teams, the Pittsburgh Athletic Club, a club from Western University of Pennsylvania (the University of Pittsburgh today) and a team known as Pittsburgh, or the 'Casino' team. The league played twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday nights.[2][3] The DC&AC and the WPHL continued play until December 16, when the Casino rink was destroyed by fire.[4] The Duquesne team finished the shortened season of league play with a 2–3 record.[5]

The league and the DC&AC resumed play in 1898, with its games moved to the new ice rink at the Duquesne Garden, with league members the Pittsburgh Athletic Club and Western University.[6] Many of the team's players came from Canada, with the Pittsburgh-based club owners luring players to the area with the promise of high paying jobs and a living stipend.

By early 1901, the broader DC&AC organization, which had been active in multiple sports and fielded a professional football team of national repute, was in financial ruin and lost its clubhouse to foreclosure.[7] The 1900–01 season was the hockey team's last.

References

  1. ^ "Red and Black Victory". Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette. February 28, 1900. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Miller, Charles S. (November 24, 1901). "Speed is Hockey's Chief Charm". Pittsburgh Press. p. 35.
  3. ^ "Amateur Sports". Pittsburgh Press. December 20, 1896. p. 8.
  4. ^ "Amateur Sports". Pittsburgh Press. December 17, 1896. p. 6.
  5. ^ "Amateur Sports". Pittsburg Press. December 16, 1896. p. 7.
  6. ^ "All The Sporting News". Pittsburgh Press. April 5, 1899. p. 5.
  7. ^ "Duquesne C. and A. Club Sold Out". The New York Times. February 18, 1901. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.

See also