1888 AHAC season

Last updated
1888 AHAC season
League Amateur Hockey Association of Canada
Sport Ice hockey
DurationJanuary 13 – March 12, 1888
Number of teams4
1888
Champions Montreal Hockey Club
AHAC seasons
  1887
1888–89  

The 1888 AHAC season was the second season of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada. Play was in a series format. The Montreal Hockey Club would win a playoff game against the Montreal Victorias 2-1 to win the Canadian championship for the first time.

Contents

League business

The league at its annual meeting of November 9, 1887, decided to change the method of play for the season to a 'series' between the teams of the AHAC. Each team would play every other team twice. Ottawa did not attend and did not participate in the season. [1]

Executive

Source: Kitchen 2000, p. 11

Regular season

Montreal Victorias in 1888. Montreal Victorias 1888.jpg
Montreal Victorias in 1888.

Ottawa would not return this season to challenge.

Overall record

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

TeamGPWLTGFGA
Montreal Hockey Club6510236
Montreal Victorias 6510249
Montreal Crystals 62401814
McGill University 6060440

† National Champion

Results

DateVisitorScoreHomeScoreLocation
AHAC Challenge play
Jan. 13 Montreal HC 4 Crystals 1Crystal Rink
Jan. 18 Victorias 8 McGill 1Victoria Rink
Jan. 23Montreal HC5McGill0Crystal Rink
Jan. 27Victorias3Crystals1Crystal Rink
Feb. 3Victorias3Montreal HC1Victoria Rink
Feb. 10Crystals4McGill1Crystal Rink
Feb. 15Montreal HC3Crystals1Crystal Rink
Feb. 22Victorias6McGill2Crystal Rink
Feb. 27Montreal HC2Victorias1Crystal Rink
Mar. 2Montreal HC8McGill0Crystal Rink
Mar. 7Victorias3Crystals2Victoria Rink
Mar. 12Crystals9McGill0Crystal Rink
AHAC Playoff Game
Mar. 15Victorias1Montreal HC2Crystal Rink

Source: "Before the Trail of the Stanley Cup" [1]

Player Stats

Scoring leaders

Note - GP = Games played, G = Goals scored

NameClubGPG
D.A. ElliotCrystals68
Jack CampbellVictorias78
James VirtueMontreal HC78
Fred AsheVictorias55
James KinghornVictorias75
Sam LeeCrystals44
Archie HodgsonMontreal HC54
Andy Shearer Victorias74

Goaltender averages

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

NameClubGPGASOGAA
Robert ScanlanCrystals1101.0
Tom Paton Montreal HC7721.00
J.C. CrathernVictorias5601.2
Tom ArntonVictorias2412.0
A.G. HigginsonMontreal HC1202.0
William VirtueCrystals4902.2
Jack NorrisCrystals1404.0
Shanks, AlbertMcGill52905.8
McCaffrey, EdMcGill1606.0

Playoffs

DateWinning TeamScoreLosing TeamLocation
March 15, 1888Montreal HC2–1Montreal VictoriasCrystal Rink

[2]

The playing of the game was tarnished with some scandal. The AHAC council convened to set the date of the playoff. Two players for the Victorias, Ashe and J. J. Arnton Jr. were injured, and the council set the date for the playoff before the players were recovered. The deciding vote for the date was cast by J. Stewart, who played for the Montreal HC team. [1] Hodgson of Montreal scored the first goal at 4½ minutes, followed two minutes by a goal of Campbell for the Vics. 5½ minutes later Hodgson lifted a shot past Arnton in the Vic's goal to put Montreal ahead to stay. The Vics protested that the goal was off-side to no avail. There was no more scoring in the match. The Montreal Daily Herald reporter praised referee Hamilton of the McGill Club, noting that both side broke the off-side rule often. [2]

Montreal HC 1888 AHAC champions

Montreal HC in 1888. MHC team photo 1888.jpg
Montreal HC in 1888.
Players
Forwards
Jack Findlay
Archie Hodgson, (also played cover point)
Billy Hodgson
George S. Low
James Virtue
Defence
Allan Cameron
Archie McNaughton
James A. Stewart
Goaltender
Thomas L. Paton

Source: Kitchen 2000, p. 11

References

Bibliography

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Kitchen 2000, p. 11.
  2. 1 2 "Sporting Intelligence". Montreal Daily Herald. March 16, 1888. p. 8.
Preceded by Montreal Hockey Club
AHAC Champions

1888
Succeeded by
Montreal HC
1888–89
Preceded by AHAC seasons
1888
Succeeded by