1896 AHAC season

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The 1896 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season lasted from January 3 until March 7. Each team played 8 games, and Montreal Victorias were first with a 7–1 record. During the season, on February 14th the Victorias hosted a Stanley Cup challenge match with the Winnipeg Victorias club. Winnipeg won 2–0 to win the Cup.

Contents

[edit] Executive

  • W. Jack, Victorias (President)
  • Weldy Young, Ottawa (1st. Vice-Pres.)
  • C. Mussen, Montreal (Sec.-Treasurer)

[edit] Season

The Crystals were allowed to change their name to Shamrocks, which matched their new affiliation with the Shamrock A.A.A.

[edit] Highlights

The Victorias were truly the class of the league and only lost once, 3–2 to Ottawa. Their regular season team goal total was nearly double that of Ottawa.

[edit] Final Standing

Team Games Played Wins Losses Ties Goals For Goals Against
Montreal Victorias
8
7
1
0
41
24
Ottawa HC
8
6
2
0
22
16
Quebec
8
4
4
0
23
23
Montreal HC
8
2
6
0
24
33
Montreal Shamrocks
8
1
7
0
16
30

[edit] Results

Month Day Visitor Score Home Score
Jan. 3 Victorias 7 Montreal 5
4 Ottawa 2 Shamrocks 1
10 Montreal 5 Shamrocks 3
11 Victorias 7 Quebec 5
18 Montreal 1 Ottawa 3
18 Quebec 2 Shamrocks 1
25 Ottawa 2 Quebec 5
25 Shamrocks 1 Victorias 5
Feb. 1 Ottawa 3 Victorias 2
1 Montreal 1 Quebec 3
5 Shamrocks 5 Montreal 3
8 Shamrocks 1 Quebec 4
8 Victorias 3 Ottawa 2
15 Ottawa 3 Montreal 2
22 Quebec 2 Montreal 3
25 Montreal 4 Victorias 7
29 Shamrocks 2 Ottawa 3
29 Quebec 2 Victorias 4
Mar. 4 Victorias 6 Shamrocks 2
7 Quebec 0 Ottawa 4

[edit] Goalkeeper Averages

Name Club GP GA SO Avg.
Chittick, Fred Ottawa 8 16 1 2.0
Stocking, Frank Quebec 8 23 2.9
Jones, Robert Victorias 8 24 3.0
Drysdale, J. Shamrocks 8 30 3.8
Hamilton, G. Montreal 2 8 4.0
Collins, Herbert Montreal 6 25 4.1

[edit] Scoring Leaders

Name Club GP G
McDougall, Robert Victorias 6 10
McKerrow, Clare Montreal 6 8
Davidson, Shirley Victorias 7 8
Swift, Arthur E. Quebec 8 8
Westwick, Harry Ottawa 8 8
Drinkwater, Graham Victorias 8 7
Smith, Alf Ottawa 8 7
Doyle, Pat Quebec 8 6
Gillilan, David Victorias 3 5
Mussen, Adurey Montreal 5 5

[edit] Playoffs

There were no playoffs as Montreal won first place exclusively.

[edit] Exhibitions

After the season, Montreal and Shamrocks played exhibition games in the United States:

Washington, March 7, 1896

Shamrocks 3, Montreal 1

Baltimore, March 9, 1896

Montreal 6, Shamrocks 5

New York, March 10, 1896

Montreal 1, Shamrocks 1 ( completed March 11 with Shamrocks winning 2–1)

Source
  • “Hockeyists in New York”, The Globe and Mail: pg. 8, March 11, 1896 
  • “After the puck”, The Globe and Mail: pg. 10, March 12, 1896 

[edit] Stanley Cup Challenges

[edit] Victorias vs. Winnipeg at Montreal

The first successful challenge to the Cup came in February 1896 by the Winnipeg Victorias, the champions of the Manitoba Hockey Association (MHA). On February 14, Winnipeg beat defending champion Montreal, 2–0, becoming the first team outside the AHAC to win the Cup.

Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Location
February 14, 1896 Winnipeg Victorias 2 – 0 Montreal Victorias Victoria Rink

Winnipeg at Montreal

Winnipeg (2) at Montreal (0)
George Merritt G Robert Jones
Rod Flett P Harold Henderson
Fred Higginbotham CP Mike Grant
Jack Armitage F Robert McDougall
Colin "Tote" Campbell 1 F Shirley Davidson
Dan Bain 1 F Ernest McLea
Attie Howard F Reg Wallace
sub Hartland McDougall

Referee - A. F. Martin

According to the Globe and Mail report on the game:

“The westerners started in with a rush and scored the two games; one in ten minutes and one in nine minutes before the Vics seemed to waken up. For the rest of the first half, the honors were even. In the second half, the Winnipeggers were strictly on the defensive. Shot after shot was fired on their goal but the Vics could not score due to the superb work of Merritt, the visitor's goalkeeper. The match ended 2 to 0 in favour of the visitors. Both sides were dissatisfied with the work of Mr. Alexis Martin of Toronto as referee; claiming he was utterly ignorant of the rules, an opinion which seemed to be shared by the spectators.”[1]

[edit] Winnipeg Victorias 1896 Stanley Cup champions

George Merritt(goal), Rod Flett(point), Fred Higginbotham (coverpoint), Charles Johnston(coverpoint), Dan Bain(center), Jack Armitage(forward- Captain), Colin "Tote" Campbell(forward), Attie Howard(forward) (Non players unknown).

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • Coleman, Charles L. (1966). The Trail of the Stanley Cup, Vol. 1, 1893–1926 inc.. 
  • Podnieks, Andrew Lord Stanley Cup, Fenn Publishing Company, Ltd. 2004
Preceded by
Montreal HC
1894
Winnipeg Victorias
Stanley Cup Champions

1896
Succeeded by
Montreal Victorias
December 1896
Preceded by
1895
AHAC seasons
1896
Succeeded by
1897