Montreal Crystals
Montreal Crystals were an ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada that existed from 1886 to 1895. The Club was a member of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC). The team won the Canadian championship twice. In 1895, the team became the Montreal Shamrocks. Under that incarnation the club was a two-time winner of the Stanley Cup.
The Montreal Crystals won the Canadian championship in 1886, defeating Quebec, which withdrew due to numerous injuries in the final game. That year the Crystals helped to found the AHAC, playing in the first four seasons of challenges. The club won the Canadian again in 1887, defeating the Montreal Victorias in the last challenge of the season. The team played further challenges for the championship in 1888, 1889 and 1890. For 1890, the club was known as the 'Dominion Hockey Club.'
The club was known as the 'Montreal Crescent' in 1891, but did not play in AHAC challenges. The club did not play in 1892 at all and returned to the league when it started play in a round-robin format in 1893.
In 1895, the Crystals became affiliated with the Shamrocks Amateur Athletic Association, and renamed itself the Montreal Shamrocks.
The Crystals club was named after the rink it played in, the Crystal Palace Skating Rink of Montreal. The Dominion name change occurred when the Crystals played one season at the Dominion Rink. Their affiliate team were the 'Young Crystals'.
Season-by-season record
| Year | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1893 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 25 | 34 | -- | 3rd in AHAC | -- |
| 1894 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 43 | -- | 5th in AHAC | -- |
| 1895 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 21 | 39 | -- | 4th in AHAC | -- |
References
- Coleman, Charles (1966). The Trail of the Stanley Cup.
- Farrell, Arthur (1899). Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Game.