The Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) was an amateur men's ice hockey league founded on 8 December 1886, in existence until 1898. It was the second ice hockey league organized in Canada, after one in Kingston, Ontario started in 1883. It was organized to provide a longer season to determine the Canadian champion. Prior to its founding, the Canadian championship was determined in a tournament in Montreal. It is the first championship ice hockey league.
The Canadian Amateur Hockey League (CAHL) was an early men's amateur hockey league founded in 1898, replacing the organization that was formerly the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) before the 1898–99 season. The league existed for seven seasons, folding in 1905 and was itself replaced by the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA). Formed because of a dispute between teams of the AHAC, it further developed the sport in its transition to professional, with a growing focus on revenues. The CAHL itself would fold over a dispute, leading to the new ECAHA league.
Montreal Amateur Athletic Association is Canada's oldest athletic association, located in Montreal, Quebec. It was renamed as the Club Sportif MAA or just MAA in 1999 after a brush with bankruptcy, but is still widely known as the MAAA. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the MAA was one of the most important sporting institutions in Canada, and North America, with affiliated teams winning ice hockey's Stanley Cup and Canadian football's Grey Cup.
The Montreal Crystals were an ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada that existed from 1884 to 1895. One of the first established ice hockey teams, the Crystals played various challenges against other clubs in the early days of ice hockey competition. They won the Canadian championship in 1886, defeating Quebec, which withdrew due to numerous injuries in the final game. Later that year the Crystals helped to found the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada where they played the first five seasons. The club won the championship in 1887, defeating the Montreal Victorias in the last challenge of the season. The team played further challenges for the championship from 1888 to 1891. For the 1890 season, the club became known as the Montreal Dominions. In 1891 they became known as the Montreal Crescents. The team sat out the 1892 season. In 1893 they returned to the league and returned to their original name of Montreal Crystals.
The Victoria Hockey Club of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was an early men's amateur ice hockey club. Its date of origin is ascribed to either 1874, 1877 or 1881, making it either the first or second organized ice hockey club after McGill University. The club played at its own rink, the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal. The club was winners of the Stanley Cup in 1895 and held it until 1899, except for a period in 1896. The club remained amateur, splitting from the ranks of teams turned professional in 1908. The club was the first winner of the Allan Cup and continued to play until 1939, when it folded after its 65th season. The club often also fielded junior and intermediate teams.
Arthur "Art" Farrell was a Canadian ice hockey player, author and businessman. Farrell played for St. Mary's College in the 1890s and later the Montreal Shamrocks in the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) and Canadian Amateur Hockey League (CAHL). Born in Montreal, Quebec, Farrell helped lead the Shamrocks to Stanley Cup victories in 1899 and 1900.
Michael Grant was a Canadian ice hockey player. He played nine seasons of senior amateur hockey between 1894 and 1902 for the Montreal Victorias and Montreal Shamrocks. Grant was a member of the Victorias squad that won or retained possession of the Stanley Cup five times between 1895 and 1899 during the trophy's challenge era. Grant played cover-point and was known for his speed and skating ability. He is regarded as one of the first defenceman to rush forward and with the puck. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1950.
Henry Judah "Flip" Trihey was a Canadian amateur ice hockey player and executive in the era before professional ice hockey. Trihey played the centre forward position for the Montreal Shamrocks from 1897 to 1901, and was regarded as the best forward of his day during his playing years.
Harry "Rat" Westwick was a Canadian athlete in ice hockey and lacrosse. Westwick – nicknamed the Rat for his small size – is most noted for his play with the Ottawa Hockey Club, nicknamed the Silver Seven during his day, which won and defended the Stanley Cup from 1903 until 1906. He was a member of the Ottawa Capitals lacrosse team from 1896 until 1904, winning three championships. At the time of his final retirement, he was the last professional hockey player active in the 19th century. He was the brother of Thomas Westwick, the father of journalist Bill Westwick, and was inducted into both the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame and the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Sebastian John "Sibby" Nichols was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 110 games in various amateur and professional leagues, including the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association and Pacific Coast Hockey Association. Amongst the teams he played with were the Montreal Shamrocks, Vancouver Millionaires, Victoria Aristocrats, Spokane Canaries, and Seattle Metropolitans. He also played lacrosse with the Vancouver Lacrosse Club.
The 1895 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season lasted from January 3 until March 8. Each team played 8 games, and Montreal Victorias were first with a 6–2–0 record. After a required Stanley Cup challenge played between the 1894 winners, Montreal HC and Queen's, champion of the Ontario Hockey Association, the Victorias inherited the Stanley Cup as league champions.
The 1896 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season was the tenth season of play of the league. Each team played eight games, and Montreal Victorias were first with a 7–1 record. During the season, on February 14 the Victorias hosted a Stanley Cup challenge match with the Winnipeg Victorias club. Winnipeg won 2–0 to win the Cup.
The 1899 CAHL season was the inaugural season of the Canadian Amateur Hockey League. Teams played an eight-game schedule. The Montreal Shamrocks were the league champion with a record of seven wins and one loss. Both the Shamrocks and the Montreal Victorias won Stanley Cup challenges to retain the Stanley Cup for the league.
The Montreal Hockey Club of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was a senior-level men's amateur ice hockey club, organized in 1884. They were affiliated with the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (MAAA) and used the MAAA 'winged wheel' logo. The team was the first to win the Stanley Cup, in 1893, and subsequently refused the cup over a dispute with the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association. The club is variously known as 'Montreals', 'Montreal AAA' and 'Winged wheel' in literature.
The Ottawa City Hockey League (OCHL) was an amateur ice hockey league with junior, intermediate and senior level men's teams in Ottawa, Canada. Founded in 1890 by the local Ottawa Hockey Association, the OCHL was created to organize play within the city of Ottawa. It is considered the second ice hockey league to form in Canada.
The Ottawa Capitals were the competing clubs of the Capital Amateur Athletic Association (CAAA) of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The Association competed in ice hockey, lacrosse and other athletics.
William McKenzie Barlow was a Canadian amateur ice hockey player in the late 19th century. He played for the Montreal Hockey Club, champions of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) from 1888 to 1897, and first winners of the Stanley Cup in 1893. Barlow is credited with scoring the first Stanley Cup-winning goal in history in the final playoff match of 1894.
The 1898–99 Ottawa Hockey Club season was the club's 14th season of play. Ottawa placed third in the league.
William Cecil Christmas was an amateur ice hockey, lacrosse and football player for the Montreal Hockey Club, the Montreal Lacrosse Club, and the Britannia Football Club respectively. As a lightweight, he also won a gold medal in boxing in 1899.
