1887 AHAC season

Last updated
1887 AHAC season
League Amateur Hockey Association of Canada
Sport Ice hockey
DurationJanuary 6 – March 11, 1887
Number of teams5
1887
Champions Montreal 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.

Contents

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:

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

Note GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against

TeamGPWLTGFGA
Montreal Victorias 86202711
Montreal Crystals 5230712
Montreal HC 211065
Ottawa HC 101015
McGill University 202019

† National Champion

Source: Ultimate Hockey

Results

DateTeamScoreTeamScoreLocation
Challenge play
Jan. 6Victorias0Montreal HC4Victoria Rink
Jan. 7Crystals3McGill1Crystal Rink
Jan. 14Crystals0Victorias4Crystal Rink
Jan. 21 Victorias5Montreal HC2Victoria Rink
Jan. 27Victorias5Ottawa HC1Victoria Rink
Feb. 4Victorias3Crystals0Victoria Rink
Feb. 12Victorias6McGill0Victoria Rink [4]
Feb. 24Victorias2Crystals1Victoria Rink
Mar. 11Victorias2Crystals3Victoria Rink

Source: [5]

Montreal Crystals final champions of the season.

Source: Montreal Gazette

Player Stats

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals scored

NameClubGPG
Albert Swift Victorias48
Billy HodgsonMontreal HC44
J. CravenVictorias64
Jack CampbellVictorias73
Frank DowdCrystals32
Sam McQuistenCrystals32
John FindleyMontreal HC42
Jack ArntonVictorias52
Andy Shearer Victorias72

Goaltender averages

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

NameClubGPGASOGAA
Tom ArntonVictorias7731.0
Tom PatonMontreal HC1202.0
W. NorrisCrystals3702.3
George BoonCrystals2502.5
Albert ShanksMcGill1303.0
William HutchinsonMontreal HC1303.0
Albert LowOttawa HC1505.0
C.H. McNuttMcGill1606.0

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.

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

Montreal HC wins Winter Carnival Tournament.

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

References

Bibliography

Notes

  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.
Preceded by
first winners
Montreal Crystals
AHAC Champions

1887
Succeeded by
Preceded by
first season
AHAC seasons
1887
Succeeded by