1887 AHAC season

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

1887 AHAC season
LeagueAmateur Hockey Association of Canada
Sportice hockey
DurationJanuary 6 1887 – March 11, 1887
Number of teams5
1887
ChampionMontreal Crystals

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 6Montreal Victorias0Montreal HC4Victoria Rink
Challenge play
January 7Montreal Crystals3McGill1Crystal Rink
January 14Montreal Crystals0Montreal Victorias4Crystal Rink
January 21Montreal Victorias5Montreal HC2Victoria Rink
January 27Montreal Victorias5Ottawa HC1Victoria Rink
February 4Montreal Victorias3Montreal Crystals0Victoria Rink
February 12Montreal Victorias6McGill0Victoria Rink[4]
February 24Montreal Victorias2Montreal Crystals1Victoria Rink
March 11Montreal Victorias2Montreal Crystals3Victoria 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 Victorias48
Billy Hodgson Montreal44
J. Craven Victorias64
Jack Campbell Victorias73
Frank Dowd Crystals32
Sam McQuisten Crystals32
John Findley Montreal42
Jack Arnton Victorias52
Andy Shearer Victorias72

Goaltender averages

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

Name Club GP GA SO GAA
T.S. Arnton Victorias7731.0
T.L. Paton Montreal1202.0
W. Norris Crystals3702.3
G. Boon Crystals2502.5
A. Shanks McGill1303.0
W. Hutchinson Montreal1303.0
A. Lowe Ottawa1505.0
C.H. McNutt McGill1606.0

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 7Montreal Victorias2Montreal HC0Victoria Rink
February 11Montreal Crystals5Montreal HC (second)0Crystal Rink
"Tournament" (second teams)
February 17Montreal Crystals6Montreal HC3Crystal Rink
February 23Montreal Victorias5McGill1Victoria Rink
February 25Montreal Victorias1Montreal HC1Victoria Rink
Tournament
February 21Montreal Crystals0Montreal HC1Crystal Rink
February 23Montreal Victorias8McGill0Crystal Rink
February 25Montreal Victorias0Montreal HC1Crystal Rink

Montreal HC wins Winter Carnival Tournament.

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

References

  1. "Sports and Pastimes, hockey, Formation of a Dominion Hockey Association". The Gazette. December 9, 1886.
    • 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
  2. "The Crystals Win". Montreal Gazette. March 12, 1887. p. 8.
  3. "Hockey". Toronto Daily Mail. February 14, 1887. p. 2.
  4. Kitchen 2000, p. 10.
  • Kitchen, Paul (2000). "Before The Trail of the Stanley Cup". In Diamond, Dan (ed.). Total Hockey. pp. 8–15. ISBN 1-892129-85-X.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Weir, Glen (1991). Ultimate Hockey. Stoddart Publishing.
Preceded by
first
season
AHAC seasons
1887
Succeeded by
1888
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