William Fairbrother was a Canadian

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 h ...

player who is credited with inventing the ice hockey net in the 1890s. During the 1880s, Fairbrother played for Beamsville, Ontario's Men's Hockey team. At first, two poles or two rocks served as goals, and an official would watch to see if a puck passed through the goal. However, disputes arose over goals and biased officiating. Then, Fairbrother, who played as a goaltender, got a net from a local fisherman and strung it from the poles. Players were immediately more satisfied with the new system. The Ontario Hockey Association soon thereafter credited Fairbrother with the idea. Hockey Hall of Fame records indicate that Fairbrother's idea happened in 1897 or 1898. The Jordan Historical Museum of the Twenty held an exhibit on Fairbrother. In February 1997, the town

Lincoln, Ontario Lincoln is a town on Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. The town's administrative and commercial centre is in the community of Beamsville. Geography Lincoln's location between the southern shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagar ...

designated Fairbrother's home a historical site.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fairbrother, William History of ice hockey Ice hockey people from Ontario Year of birth missing Year of death missing