The Winnipeg Victorias were a former

amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, self-taught, user-generated, DIY, and hobbyist. History ...

senior-level men's amateur

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...

team in

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,60 ...

, organized in 1889. They played in the

Manitoba Hockey Association 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 leagu ...

(MHA) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Victorias won the

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...

in February 1896, 1901 and January 1902 while losing the Cup in December 1896, February 1899, February 1900, March 1902, and February 1903. After the Stanley Cup became the professional championship, the Victorias continued in senior-level amateur play, winning the

Allan Cup The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men's ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. The current champions are th ...

in 1911 and 1912. Victoria Hockey Club, Winnipeg, 1899

History

1899 to 1902

The Victoria Hockey Club, and the first rink they played in, took their name from the then-reigning

monarch of Canada The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is at the core of Canada's constitutional federal structure and Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. The monarchy is the f ...

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

. From 1889 until 1892, the Victorias played exhibitions and played against other Winnipeg teams. The Victorias played in the first match in Western Canada between organized hockey clubs on December 20, 1890 against the Winnipeg Hockey Club at the Street Railway Rink in Winnipeg. The players were: Source: The Victorias helped to found the

in 1893. In February 1893, players from the Victorias joined players from the Winnipeg Dragoons and the Winnipeg Hockey Club on a tour of Eastern Canada to demonstrate the quality of ice hockey in Western Canada. Tour schedule * February 9 vs. Toronto Victorias at

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 ...

(W 8–2) * February 10 vs. Toronto Osgoode Hall at Toronto (W 11–5) * February 11 vs. Queen's College at

Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between Tor ...

(W 4–3) * February 13 vs.

Ottawa Hockey Club Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

(L 1–4) * February 15 vs.

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 ...

Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...

(L 4–7) * February 17 vs. Peterborough at

Peterborough, Ontario Peterborough ( ) is a city on the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada, about 125 kilometres (78 miles) northeast of Toronto. According to the 2021 Census, the population of the City of Peterborough was 83,651. The population of the Peterborough ...

(W 9–3) * February 20 vs. Toronto Granites at Toronto (W 11–3) * February 21 vs. London at

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximat ...

(W 7–1) * February 22 vs. Niagara Falls at

Niagara Falls, Ontario Niagara Falls is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is on the western bank of the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario, with a population of 88,071 at the Canada 2016 Census, 2016 census. It is part of the List of census ...

(W 10–4) * February 23 vs. Hamilton Thistles at

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of ...

(cancelled) * February 24 vs. Combined Ontario/Osgoode Hall at Toronto (L 3–4) Source: ''Montreal Gazette'' The Victorias first won the

in 1896, defeated the Montreal Victorias in a single-game challenge 2-0 on February 14, 1896 in Montreal. In the rematch, Winnipeg lost to Montreal in a single-game challenge 5-6 on December 30, 1896 in Winnipeg. In 1898, the team moved to the new Winnipeg Auditorium, built to hold 2000 spectators for hockey. In February 1899, the Victorias would lose a two-game total goals series 5-3 against Montreal. In their next chance, the Victorias defeated

Montreal Shamrocks The Montreal Shamrocks were an amateur, later professional, and then amateur again men's ice hockey club in existence from 1886 to 1924, based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They were spun off from the Montreal Shamrocks lacrosse club. Starting off ...

in a two-game, total goals series 4-3, 2-1 (6-4) on January 29 and 31, 1901 in Montreal. The Victorias held the trophy, winning the Manitoba championship, and successfully defended the Stanley Cup against the

Toronto Wellingtons The Toronto Wellingtons were one of the first amateur men's ice hockey teams in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They were active around 1900, and are notable for challenging for the Stanley Cup as Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) senior champions of ...

in a two-game, total goals series 5-3, 5-3 (10-6) on January 21 and 23, 1902 in Winnipeg at the Auditorium. The Victorias run as champion ended in a loss to

in a best two-of-three 1-0, 0-5 and 1-2 on March 13, 15 and 17, 1902 in Winnipeg.

1904 to 1912

The Victorias subsequently operated teams at the

senior ice hockey Senior hockey refers to amateur or semi-professional ice hockey competition. There are no age restrictions for Senior players, who typically consist of those whose Junior eligibility has expired. Senior hockey leagues operate under the jurisd ...

and intermediate levels. The Victorias won the intermediate league during the 1904–05 season, with

Claude C. Robinson Claude Copeland Robinson (December 17, 1881June 27, 1976) was a Canadian ice hockey and sports executive. After winning an intermediate-level championship as captain of the Winnipeg Victorias in 1905, he served as secretary-treasurer and as vi ...

as the captain. After 1906, the Victorias no longer challenged for the Stanley Cup, and remained an amateur team, playing in the Manitoba Association. Robinson coached the Victorias to a Manitoba Hockey League senior championship for the 1908–09 season, and felt that his team could have competed for the newly-established

,; although challenges from senior teams were accepted only from Eastern Canada at the time. Allan Cup trustees accepted the challenge from Robinson and the Victorias, to play the

Toronto St. Michael's Majors The Toronto St. Michael's Majors were a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The most recent franchise was revived on August 15, 1996. In 2007, the team relocated to Mississauga, Ontario a ...

for the trophy, in Winnipeg from February 20–25, 1911. When the Majors refused to play by the deadline given, trustees awarded the 1911 Allan Cup to the Victorias by default.; '' The Winnipeg Tribune'' wrote that the Majors had refused since the

Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) is the governing body for the majority of junior and senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey As ...

(OHA) executive wanted the games to be played in March, and that the OHA initially refused to surrender the trophy despite instructions from the trustees. 1911 Allan Cup champions Winnipeg Victorias

1911 Allan Cup champions Winnipeg Victorias

Robinson was asked by Allan Cup trustee William Northey, to schedule dates and referees to defend a challenge by the Kenora Thistles. The Victorias defeated Kenora by a combined score of 16–10 in a two-game series. The series profited approximately , which were donated by cup trustees to charities in Winnipeg chosen by Robinson. No further Allan Cup challenges were arranged for the season, despite proposals to play the Calgary Athletic Club and the Ottawa New Edinburghs. The Victorias won the 1911–12 Manitoba Hockey League regular season, then defended the Allan Cup in three challenges. Robinson's team defeated the Calgary Athletic Club by 11–0 and 8–6 scores in a two-game series, defeated Toronto Eaton's by 8–4 and 16–1 scores in a two-game series, and the Regina Capitals by a 9–3 score in a one-game challenge. In 1942, Robinson described the victory versus Toronto Eaton's as redemption for winning the trophy by default from the OHA.

Honours

The 1896 and 1901 Stanley Cup champions, and the 1911 and 1912 Allan Cup champions Winnipeg Victorias are inducted into the

Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum is a hall of fame and museum for ice hockey in Manitoba, located on the main level of the Canada Life Centre in downtown Winnipeg. It was established in 1985, when the first honoured members were named ...

and the

Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is a Canadian museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, dedicated to honoring the history and achievements of sports in Manitoba. The organization began in 1980, and then opened a museum in The Forks in 1993. Afte ...

in the team category.

Notable players

Hall of Fame members

* Dan Bain * Herb Gardiner *

Jack Marshall Sir John Ross Marshall New Zealand Army Orders 1952/405 (5 March 1912 – 30 August 1988) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He entered Parliament in 1946 and was first promoted to Cabinet in 1951. After spending twelve years ...

* Fred Scanlon *

Bullet Joe Simpson Harold Edward Joseph "Bullet Joe" Simpson (August 13, 1893 – December 26, 1973) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Edmonton Eskimos (ice hockey), Edmonton Eskimos and New York Americans between 1920 and 1931. He ...

NHL alumni

Percy Galbraith Percival Walter "Perk" Galbraith (December 5, 1898 – June 19, 1961) was a Canadian ice hockey forward. He was born in Toronto, Ontario. He played in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators between 1926 and 19 ...

* Herb Gardiner * George McNaughton * Charley McVeigh * Joe Simpson *

Art Somers Arthur Ernest James Somers (January 19, 1902 – January 29, 1992) was a Canadian ice hockey player who played 222 games in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Black Hawks and New York Rangers from 1929 to 1935. With the Rangers he won ...

Winnipeg Victorias 1896 Stanley Cup champions

February 14, 1896 Stanley Cup winners George Merritt (goal),

Rod Flett Roderick McLeod Flett (January 26, 1873 – June 30, 1927) was a Canadian Métis ice hockey player. He was a member of the three-time Stanley Cup Champion Winnipeg Victorias. He played the point position, now known as left defence. His youn ...

(point), Fred Higginbotham (cover point), Charles Johnstone (cover point), Dan Bain (center),

Jack Armytage John Crichton "Jack" Green-Armytage (February 11, 1872 – August 7, 1943) was a Canadian ice hockey rover. Born in Fergus, Ontario, Canada, he is best remembered as the man who first organized a hockey club in the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, ...

(rover - Captain), Colin "Tote" Campbell (left wing), Tom "Attie" Howard (right wing), Bobby R Benson (Spare-left-right wing), Jack Sheppard (goal-played 1 regular season game), E.B. Nixon (President), Able Code (Vice President/Manager), J. Carter (Mascot/Trainer). An interesting factoid for this 2-0 win over the similarly named Montreal Victorias is that the very first Stanley Cup Parade was held in Winnipeg on Main Street celebrating this victory.

Winnipeg Victorias 1901 Stanley Cup champions

January 31, 1901 Stanley Cup winners Art Brown (goal), Rod Flett (point),

(point), Magnus Flett (cover point), Burke Wood (rover), Dan Bain (center - Captain), Fred Cadham (center), Charles Johnstone (left wing), Tony Gingras (right wing), George A. Carruthers (right wing), Jack Armytage (President), Mark Hooper (Trainer), Ted Robinson (Secretary-treasurer), Walter Pratt (Director).

Winnipeg Victorias 1902 Stanley Cup champions

January 23, 1902 Stanley Cup winners Art Brown (goal), Dan Bain (center - Captain), Fred Cadham (Center), Rod Flett (point), Magnus Flett (cover point), Tony Gingras (right wing), Charles Johnstone (left wing/rover), Fred Scanlan (left wing), Burke Wood (rover), Jack Armytage (President), Mark Hooper (Trainer), Ted Robinson (Secretary-treasurer), Walter Pratt (Director).

References

;General * Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame (2004). Lord Stanley's Cup. Triumph Books, 12, 50. .

External links

Games of the 1895 Quebec-Winnipeg series
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