The Tecumseh Hockey Club, also known as the Toronto Tecumsehs and nicknamed the Indians, were a team in the

National Hockey Association The National Hockey Association (NHA), officially the National Hockey Association of Canada Limited, was a professional ice hockey organization with teams in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is the direct predecessor of today's National Hockey Lea ...

in 1912–13. They then became the Toronto Ontarios.

History

The NHA was founded in 1909 without any teams from

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

because there wasn't an arena in the city that was large enough to sustain a franchise. In 1911, a new

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectator ...

was being built in Toronto and a franchise was awarded to the

Toronto Hockey Club The Toronto Hockey Club, known as the Torontos and the Toronto Blueshirts, was a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They were a member of the National Hockey Association (NHA). The club was founded in 1911 and began operations in 19 ...

, and a group affiliated with the Tecumseh Lacrosse Club applied for a second franchise. The Tecumsehs bought a franchise from Ambrose O'Brien, paying 500 cash and promissory notes for 2,000. The Tecumsehs were put on the NHA schedule for the 1911–12 season with no home games scheduled until late in January, when the arena was expected to be completed. Because of construction delays, it soon became clear that the arena would not be ready in time, and both Toronto teams were removed from the schedule, leaving the NHA with only four teams for the season. Before the 1912–13 season started, O'Brien said that he never received the balance of the franchise fee from the Tecumseh backers, so he re-sold the franchise to a group headed by William James "Billy" Bellingham from Montreal, a former defenceman of the

Montreal Victorias 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. ...

. Goaltender Billy Nicholson, formerly with

Montreal Hockey Club 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 Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (MAAA) and used the MAAA 'winged wheel' logo. The team was ...

, was appointed player-manager-captain. The team he put together included future hall-of-famer

George McNamara George Andrew McNamara (August 26, 1886 – March 10, 1952) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was a member of the 1914 Toronto Blueshirts Stanley Cup champions. His brothers Harold and Howard also played professional ice hockey. ...

and his brother,

Howard McNamara Howard Dennis McNamara (November 22, 1891 – September 24, 1940) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played professionally from 1908 to 1920, including two seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, including the 1916 Stanley Cup c ...

. Teddy Oke, who would go on to be one of the founders of the

Canadian Professional Hockey League The Canadian Professional Hockey League, also known as Can-Pro, was a minor professional hockey league founded in 1926. After three seasons, it became the International Hockey League (IHL) in 1929. The Can-Pro name was then given to a new league o ...

in 1926, was also on the team. They played their first game on December 28, 1912 against the

Montreal Wanderers The Montreal Wanderers were an amateur, and later professional, ice hockey team based in Montreal. The team played in the Federal Amateur Hockey League (FAHL), the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA), the National Hockey Association ...

at the arena, which would soon become known as Arena Gardens. The visiting Wanderers won 7-4 in front of 5,000 fans. Paid attendance of 4,339 and gate receipts of 3,040 both set short-lived Toronto hockey records. The Tecumsehs got off to a good start, but at the end of the season were in last place in the six-team NHA in with seven wins and 13 losses."Canadiens lost their final game – N. H. A. Standing – The Finish"
''The Gazette'' (Montreal). Mar. 6, 1913 (pg. 12). Retrieved 2020-10-30. Bellingham sold the bankrupt club to Tom Wall, who renamed the team the Toronto Ontarios.

References

{{reflist 1912–13 in Canadian ice hockey by team Tec Ice hockey clubs established in 1912 Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 1913 Defunct ice hockey teams in Canada 1912 establishments in Ontario 1913 disestablishments in Ontario