Manitoba Hockey Association
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1892 |
| Inaugural season | 1893 |
| Ceased | 1923 |
| Country |  Canada |
| Last champion(s) | Brandon Wheat City Hockey Club |
| Most titles | Winnipeg Victorias |
The Manitoba Hockey Association (MHA) was an early men's senior ice hockey league playing around 1900 in Manitoba, Canada. The league started as an elite amateur league in 1892, became professional in 1905, had a professional and an amateur league in 1908–09 and only an amateur league from 1909 until 1923. Two teams from the league won the Stanley Cup, the Winnipeg Victorias and the Kenora Thistles. Three other teams from the league challenged for the Stanley Cup: Brandon Wheat City, Winnipeg Maple Leafs, and the Winnipeg Rowing Club. Other teams in the league won the Allan Cup: Winnipeg Hockey Club, Winnipeg Falcons, Winnipeg Monarchs and Winnipeg Victorias.
It also was known as the Manitoba Hockey League and Manitoba Professional Hockey League in following years.
History[]
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Founding[]
The Manitoba Hockey Association was formed on November 11, 1892 to organize ice hockey play in Manitoba.[1]
Manitoba & Northwestern Hockey Association[]
In 1904, it would absorb the Manitoba & Northwestern Hockey Association league, and include the Rat Portage/Kenora Thistles team from the province of Ontario. Kenora, ON was originally named Rat Portage.
Manitoba Professional Hockey League (MPHL)[]
In 1905, the league started to have professional players, and renamed itself the Manitoba Professional Hockey League (MPHL). This lasted until the end of the 1908–09 season, when several teams folded. E. A. Gilroy served on the league executive and coached the Portage la Prairie team.[2][3]
Manitoba Hockey League (MHL)[]
Starting in the 1908–09 season, the Manitoba Hockey League (MHL) was started as an amateur senior-level league. The teams from this league were eligible for the new Allan Cup.
Winnipeg Amateur Hockey League[]
The Winnipeg Monarchs led by Fred Marples, made arrangements to play and practice at the Winnipeg Amphitheatre for the 1912–13 season. The decision caused a rift within the league which had an agreement from the previous season to play all games at the Winnipeg Auditorium, which was preferred by the Winnipeg Hockey Club and the Winnipeg Victorias. Marples and the Monarchs felt that the league did not have the authority to bind any club to any single rink, and that the Amphitheatre had better amenities for the players and spectators. As a compromise to have an outside person settle the disagreement, W. F. Taylor was elected president of the league; and Marples was elected as the secretary-treasurer.[4] Taylor then cast a tie-breaking vote to uphold a decision by the previous executive to play all league games at the Auditorium.[5]
The Winnipeg Tribune wrote that the leadership of Taylor and Marples had brought peace and financial stability to the Winnipeg Amateur Hockey League, and both were re-elected for the 1913–14 season.[6] The league chose to play its games at both the Amphitheatre and the Auditorium; and appointed a board of on-ice officials to avoid in-season arguing over the selection of officials, as suggested by Marples.[7]
In January 1914, the league debated whether players from leagues from elsewhere in Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario were eligible to be a reserve player. Debate focused on whether these leagues were an equal level of senior hockey, or a lower level of intermediate hockey. The issue was temporarily resolved by asking permission from the other league for the player to be a reserve in another league.[8] The issue resurfaced again in the national playoffs for the Allan Cup. Trustees for the cup struggled to determine player eligibility since there was no authoritative national body to classify leagues by the level of play, and determine who was a senior level player compared to an intermediate level player.[9] The Monarchs won the regular season title and were chosen to defend the first challenge for the 1914 Allan Cup on behalf of the league.[10] When Allan Cup trustee William Northey ruled that Dick Irvin of the Winnipeg Strathconas was ineligible to compete, the Monarchs refused to defend the Allan Cup. Marples considered the Strathconas to be a reserve team for the Monarchs and that the decision was unfair to his team.[11] After three days of negotiating, the Monarchs agreed to play without Irvin in a one-game Allan Cup challenge versus the , instead of the customary two-game series decided on total goals scored.[12] The Monarchs won versus the Kenora Thistles, then lost the second Allan Cup challenge in a one-game final to the Regina Victorias.[13]
Allan Cup trustee Claude C. Robinson, suggested that a governing body be formed for hockey in Canada, which was echoed by similar calls from The Winnipeg Tribune and the Winnipeg Free Press. The league met on June 23, 1914, to form a governing body to oversee hockey in Manitoba. Taylor was appointed chairman and Marples was appointed secretary of a provisional commission which later became the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA), and sought to merge into a national commission when such a body became established.[14] The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) was founded on December 4, 1914, with Taylor elected as its first president.[15][16]
During World War I, the league donated a portion of profits towards patriotic funds to support the war effort.[17] The Monarchs repeated as league champions in the 1914–15 season and defeated the Melville Millionaires to win the 1915 Allan Cup.[18] Robert McKay succeeded Taylor as league president in 1915, as registration of players decreased due to enlistments during the war.[19] The league renamed itself the Patriotic Hockey League as of the 1915–16 season,[20] which saw the Winnipeg 61st Battalion win the 1916 Allan Cup.[21] The Winnipeg Patriotic Hockey League became the Winnipeg Military Hockey League during the 1917–18 season, and its teams were temporarily renamed for battles fought during the war.[22]
Teams[]
| Season | Teams | Champion |
|---|---|---|
| , Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Victorias | |
| Winnipeg Dragoons, Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Victorias | |
| Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Victorias | |
| 1895–96 | Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Victorias† |
| Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Victorias | |
| Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Victorias | |
| Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Victorias | |
| Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Victorias | |
| 1900–01 | Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Victorias† |
| 1901–02 | Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Victorias |
| 1902–03 | Winnipeg Rowing Club, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Rowing Club |
| Winnipeg Rowing Club, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Rowing Club | |
| 1904–05 | Brandon Wheat City, , Rat Portage Thistles, Winnipeg Rowing Club, Winnipeg Victorias | Rat Portage Thistles |
| 1905–06 | Brandon Wheat City, Kenora Thistles, Portage la Prairie City, Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Victorias | Kenora Thistles |
† Stanley Cup winner.
Manitoba Professional Hockey League[]
| Season | Teams | Champion |
|---|---|---|
| 1906–07 | Brandon Wheat City, Kenora Thistles, Portage la Prairie Cities, | Kenora Thistles‡ |
| Brandon Wheat City†, Kenora Thistles†, Portage la Prairie Cities, Winnipeg Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Strathconas | Winnipeg Maple Leafs | |
| Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Maple Leafs, | Winnipeg Shamrocks |
‡ Stanley Cup winner.
† Brandon and Kenora only played one game in 1907–08 season before ceasing play.
Manitoba Hockey League[]
In parallel with the MPHL, the MHA started the MHL amateur senior league in 1908–09. The Winnipeg Falcons, which entered the league in 1915, would win the 1920 championship, then win the Allan Cup national championship. As Allan Cup winners, the Falcons were selected to represent Canada at the 1920 Olympics, where the team would win the first Olympic gold medal for ice hockey.
Notes:
WAHL = Winnipeg Amateur Hockey League, MMHL = Manitoba Military Hockey League
| Season | Teams | Champion |
|---|---|---|
| 1908–09 | , Winnipeg Varsity, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Victorias |
| 1909–10 | Winnipeg Capitals, Winnipeg Varsity, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Varsity |
| 1910–11 | Winnipeg Monarchs, Winnipeg Varsity, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Victorias‡ |
| 1911–12 | Winnipeg Monarchs, Winnipeg Varsity, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Victorias‡ |
| 1912–13 | Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Varsity, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg HC‡ |
| 1913–14 WAHL | Winnipeg Monarchs, Winnipeg Victorias, Winnipeg HC | Winnipeg Monarchs |
| 1914–15 | Winnipeg Monarchs, Winnipeg Varsity, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Monarchs‡ |
| 1915–16 A | Winnipeg 61st Battalion, Winnipeg Monarchs, | Winnipeg 61st Battalion‡ |
| 1915–16 B | Winnipeg Falcons, Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Monarchs |
| 1916–17 WAHL | Winnipeg Victorias, Winnipeg 223rd Battalion, Winnipeg Monarchs | Winnipeg Victorias |
| 1917–18 MMHL | Winnipeg Ypres, Winnipeg Vimy, Winnipeg Somme | Winnipeg Ypres |
| 1918–19 | Brandon Wheat City, Selkirk Fishermen, , Winnipeg Monarchs | Selkirk Fishermen |
| 1919–20 Manitoba | Brandon Wheat City, Selkirk Fishermen, Winnipeg Falcons | Winnipeg Falcons‡ † |
| 1919–20 Winnipeg | Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Monarchs, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg HC |
| 1920–21 | Brandon Wheat City, Winnipeg Falcons, Winnipeg HC | Brandon Wheat City |
| 1921–22 Manitoba | Brandon Wheat City, Selkirk Fishermen, Winnipeg Falcons, Winnipeg HC | Brandon Wheat City |
| 1921–22 Winnipeg | Winnipeg Monarchs, Winnipeg Tigers, Winnipeg Varsity, Winnipeg Victorias | Winnipeg Victorias |
| 1922–23 | Brandon Wheat City, , Port Arthur Bearcats, Selkirk Fishermen, Winnipeg Falcons, Winnipeg HC | Brandon Wheat City |
‡ Allan Cup winners. † Olympic champions.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ McKinley, Michael (2000). Putting a Roof on Winter. Greystone Books. p. 32.
- ^ Goldsborough, Gordon (July 31, 2019). "Edward Albert Gilroy". Memorable Manitobans. Manitoba Historical Society. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- ^ "E. A. Gilroy Former Hockey Official Dies". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. August 10, 1942. p. 2.
- ^ "Monarchs Cause Commotion In Winnipeg Hockey League". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. November 14, 1912. p. 6.; "Monarchs Cause Commotion In Winnipeg Hockey (Continued From Page Six)". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. November 14, 1912. p. 7.
- ^ "Winnipeg Hockey League Stands by Auditorium Rink". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. November 21, 1912. p. 6.
- ^ "Winnipeg Hockey League Re-elects The Old Officers". Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Manitoba. November 10, 1913. p. 12.
- ^ "Board Of Referees To Be Advocated By Secretary Marples". Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Manitoba. November 7, 1913. p. 15.; "Senior Hockey Season to Open Here December 18". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. November 14, 1913. p. 6.
- ^ "Questions That Are Giving Big League Food For Thought". Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Manitoba. January 12, 1914. p. 8.
- ^ "Fate of Allan Cup Will Not Be Known Until This Morning". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. March 9, 1914. p. 6.
- ^ "Defenders of the Allan Cup". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. February 28, 1914. p. 22.
- ^ "Allan Cup Games Off; Dick Irvin Is Barred; Kenora May Get Trophy". Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Manitoba. March 7, 1914. p. 15.
- ^ "Sudden Death Game To Decide Allan Cup". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. March 10, 1914. p. 6.
- ^ "Allan Cup archives". Allan Cup. Archived from the original on May 15, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
- ^ "Winnipeg Takes Initial Step Toward Hockey Commission". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. June 23, 1914. p. 6.; "Another Step Nearer Hockey Commission". Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Manitoba. June 23, 1914. p. 22.
- ^ "Dominion Amateur Hockey Commission Is Now A Reality". Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Manitoba. December 5, 1914. p. 28.
- ^ "Amateur Hockey Body Formed At Great Ottawa Conference". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. December 5, 1914. p. 6.; "Amateur Hockey Body Formed At Great Ottawa Conference (Continued From Page Six)". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. December 5, 1914. p. 7.
- ^ "Winnipeg Hockey League Plan Successful Season". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. November 11, 1914. p. 6.
- ^ "Honoured Members Database: 1915 Winnipeg Monarchs". Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. 2004. Retrieved May 8, 2021.; Finlay, W. J. (March 13, 1915). "Allan Cup Redeemed By Champion Monarchs". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. p. 6.
- ^ "Local Hockey League Favours Suspension of Allan Cup Contests". Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Manitoba. November 15, 1915. p. 10.
- ^ "League Will Probe Penalty Box Scrap". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. February 8, 1916. p. 7.; "Dispute Over Monarch-Sixty-First Contest to Be Settled Today". Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Manitoba. March 1, 1916. p. 10.
- ^ "Allan Cup Team Highly Honored". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. March 20, 1916. p. 6.
- ^ "Military Hockey League To Open Season Dec. 27". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. December 11, 1917. p. 6.
External links[]
- Manitoba Hockey Association
- Sports leagues established in 1892
- 1892 establishments in Manitoba
- Sports leagues disestablished in 1923
- 1923 disestablishments in Manitoba