Tommy Phillips
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Thomas Neil Phillips (May 22, 1883 – November 30, 1923) was a Canadian professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
left winger In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
. Like other players of his era, Phillips played for several different teams and leagues. Most notable for his time with the
Kenora Thistles The Kenora Thistles, officially the Thistles Hockey Club, were a Canadian ice hockey team based in Kenora, Ontario. Founded in 1894, they were originally known as the Rat Portage Thistles. The team competed for the Stanley Cup, the ice hockey ...
, Phillips also played with the
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 the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (MAAA) and used the MAAA 'winged wheel' logo. The team ...
, the
Ottawa Hockey Club Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core of the Ottawa–Gatinea ...
, the
Toronto Marlboros The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was an ice hockey franchise in Toronto, Canada. Founded in 1903, it operated junior ice hockey and senior ice hockey teams in the Ontario Hockey Association and la ...
and the
Vancouver Millionaires The Vancouver Millionaires (later known as the Vancouver Maroons) were a professional ice hockey team that competed in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the Western Canada Hockey League between 1911 and 1926. Based in Vancouver, British Co ...
. Over the course of his career Phillips participated in six challenges for the
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () 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, and the International Ic ...
, the championship trophy of hockey, winning twice: with the Montreal Hockey Club in
1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 10 – The Aceh Sultanate was fully annexed by the Dutch forces, deposing the last sultan, marking the end of the Aceh War that have lasted for al ...
and with the Kenora Thistles, which he captained, in January 1907. Following his playing career, Phillips worked in the
lumber industry The wood industry or timber industry (sometimes lumber industry – when referring mainly to sawed boards) is the industry concerned with forestry, logging, timber trade, and the production of primary forest products and wood products (e.g. fu ...
until his death in 1923. One of the best defensive forwards of his era, Phillips was also known for his all-around skill, particularly his strong shot and endurance, and was considered, alongside Frank McGee, one of the two best players in all of hockey. His younger brother, Russell, also played for the Thistles and was a member of the team when they won the Stanley Cup. When the
Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le ...
was founded in 1945, Phillips was one of the original nine inductees.


Life and playing career


Early life

Phillips was born in Rat Portage, Ontario, on May 22, 1883, the youngest of three children, to James and Marcelline Phillips. James Phillips, who was born in Fifeshire, Scotland, on October 14, 1822, had trained as a stonemason and immigrated to Canada to help build railways. He had a son and two daughters from a previous marriage. On April 30, 1877, he married Marcelline (née Bourassa), a native of Buckingham, Quebec. Their first child, a son named Robert, was born in 1878, followed by a daughter, Margaret, in 1879; both were born in Ottawa. In 1882 James accepted a job in Western Ontario as superintendent of construction for the
Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...
transcontinental rail line, and the family moved to Rat Portage, near the Ontario border with
Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...
. Here a fourth child, Russell, was born in 1888. Russell would also play hockey, winning the
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () 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, and the International Ic ...
with Phillips in 1907. As a young child Phillips learned to play hockey, and by 1895 he had joined the Rat Portage Thistles junior club, a team of players mostly aged 12 to 16. Phillips helped the team win the 1895–96 intermediate level championship of the Manitoba and Northwest Hockey Association. By 1899–1900 Phillips had joined the senior Thistles team, and would be named
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
the following season, when they won the senior league championship. Phillips immediately earned praise for his endurance: in an era when players played the entire match and would often coast to conserve energy, Phillips could play at a fast pace the entire game, with a posthumous newspaper report stating that he "could play for an entire 60 inutesat full speed and be as fresh at the end as he was at the start." With a height of and weight of he was of average size for a hockey player of the era. His skill was already evident at the time, with the '' Rat Portage Miner'' praising him as one "of the best cover-points in the west, being a swift shot, a high lifter and a heavy check." A forward when he joined the senior Thistles, Phillips played cover-point for the 1900–01 season, before moving to left wing in 1901–02; he largely remained in that position for the rest of his career. Regarded as one of the best players in Northwestern Ontario, Phillips moved east to Montreal in September 1902 to study electrical engineering at
McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
. He joined the university's hockey team, which had just moved to a new Canadian university league, and was immediately named captain. Phillips only played one match for McGill, on January 23, 1903, against Queen's University; McGill lost 7–0. Days after the game the
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 the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (MAAA) and used the MAAA 'winged wheel' logo. The team ...
asked Phillips to join them for their Stanley Cup challenge series against the
Winnipeg Victorias The Winnipeg Victorias were an amateur senior-level men's amateur ice hockey team in Winnipeg, Manitoba, organized in 1889. They played in the Manitoba Hockey Association (MHA) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Victorias won the ...
. This required the approval of the other university clubs, which agreed on the condition that Phillips end his McGill career, which he did. Montreal won the series; Phillips finished third on the team in scoring with six goals in four games. Phillips also earned praise for his defensive play, particularly his ability to stop Tony Gingras, one of the top players on the Victorias. Later in 1902 Phillips moved to Toronto to attend the Central Business School. He joined the
Toronto Marlboros The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was an ice hockey franchise in Toronto, Canada. Founded in 1903, it operated junior ice hockey and senior ice hockey teams in the Ontario Hockey Association and la ...
and, after changing positions to
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, was regarded as the team's best player. The Marlboros won both the Toronto city and 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. Founded in 1890, the OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern ...
senior championships, and felt confident enough with Phillips on the roster to challenge the
Ottawa Hockey Club Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core of the Ottawa–Gatinea ...
for the Stanley Cup. The Marlboros lost the series; Phillips had the most assists, though also the most penalty minutes of any player in the series, with eight and fifteen, respectively. He was also regarded by Ottawa reporters to be by far the best player on the Marlboros, with one saying he was "much too fast a man for the company in which he is travelling."


Kenora and Ottawa

Phillips moved back to Rat Portage in 1904 when he learned his father was dying (James Phillips died in May 1904). Offered a job with a lumber company, and a C$1,000 bonus to play hockey for the Thistles, he stayed in the city, much to the disappointment of the Marlboros, who had wanted him to stay in Toronto. Rat Portage was amalgamated with neighbouring towns in 1905 and was renamed Kenora. Due to their proximity to Manitoba, the Thistles played in the Manitoba Hockey League. In the 1904–05 season Phillips had the second-most goals on the team and in the league, with twenty-six, two fewer than Billy McGimsie. The Thistles won the Manitoba league championship, allowing them to challenge for the Stanley, held at the time by the
Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...
. By this time Phillips was regarded as one of the best players in Canada, equal to Frank McGee of the Senators. The '' Montreal Herald'' reported that "nine out of ten people will reply that either Frank McGee or Tom Phillips is" the best player in the country. In the first game of the challenge series against Ottawa, Phillips scored the first two goals, then added another three in the second half of the game as the Thistles won by a score of 9–3. Ottawa won the second game, 4–2, while Phillips was held pointless. In the third and deciding game of the series, Phillips scored a
hat trick A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mechan ...
, including the first of the game, although Ottawa won the game 5–4 to retain the Cup. The Thistles won the Stirling Cup as champions of the Manitoba league in the 1905–06 season, which allowed them the right to challenge for the Cup again, since won by 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 ...
; Philipps tied with Billy Breen of the Winnipeg Hockey Club for the most goals with 24 each. There was an early spring that year, and with natural ice used at the time, the series had to wait until the following winter. In the 1906–07 season, Phillips led the league in goals, with eighteen. In the first game of the Thistles' successful two-game, total-goal Stanley Cup challenge against the Wanderers in January 1907, Phillips scored all four goals in the Thistles' 4–2 victory; he followed that up with three goals in the second game, an 8–6 victory, giving the Thistles a 12–6 win. A two-game rematch two months later saw the team lose; Phillips' nine goals, and sixteen penalty minutes led both categories. Prior to the start of the 1907–08 season, he was offered between $1,500 and $1,800 to play for the Wanderers, but instead signed with the Ottawa Senators for a salary of $1,500. Phillips explained that he was ready to sign with the Wanderers, but the contract he received did not include everything promised. In signing with Ottawa, Philips rejoined Harry Westwick and Alf Smith, who had both joined the Thistles for their Stanley Cup defence in March 1907. It also likely made him the highest paid hockey player in Canada. He finished the season with twenty-six goals, two behind the scoring leaders, his teammate
Marty Walsh Martin Joseph Walsh (born April 10, 1967) is an American politician and trade union official who served as the 58th mayor of Boston from 2014 to 2021 and as the 29th United States Secretary of Labor from 2021 to 2023. A member of the Democr ...
and Russell Bowie of the
Victorias Victorias, officially the City of Victorias (; ), is a component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 90,101 people. Victorias is notable for the St. Joseph the Worker ...
.


Western Canada and later life

Though offered a high salary to stay in Ottawa, reportedly up to $2000 for the season, Phillips decided to retire from hockey. He moved to Vancouver to take up a job in the lumber industry. However during the 1908–09 season he accepted an offer from Fred Whitcroft, a former teammate in Kenora who was now managing and playing for the
Edmonton Hockey Club The Edmonton Hockey Club was a Canadian amateur men's ice hockey club first organized in 1894 and formally established in 1896. The club consisted of two teams, the Thistles who were the elite players, and the Stars who were young prospects. The ...
of the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association to join them for their upcoming Cup challenge. The team had signed several high-profile players from Eastern Canada to play for the team in the challenge; only two players on the team were from Edmonton, with the rest coming from the east. Phillips and Lester Patrick, an eastern-based player, never even reached Edmonton; they met their team in
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
on its way east for the Cup challenge. Phillips, who was paid $600 for the two-game series, played in the first game against the Montreal Wanderers, which Edmonton lost 7–3, but broke his ankle and was forced to miss the second game, a 7–6 Edmonton win. Philipps returned Vancouver and his work in the lumber business after the series, eventually establishing his own company. Over the summer Phillips was invited by Patrick to move to
Nelson, British Columbia Nelson is a city located in the Selkirk Mountains on the West Arm of Kootenay Lake in the British Columbia Interior, Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The city is known for its collection of restored heritage buildings that date ba ...
, where the latter was putting together a club of star players to challenge for the Cup. He played in 1909–10 with the local team, retiring after the season and taking a position as a manager of a lumber company in
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
. When Patrick and his brother Frank formed the
Pacific Coast Hockey Association The Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) was a professional ice hockey league in Western Canada and the Western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). The PCHA was cons ...
(PCHA) in 1911, Phillips was convinced to come out of retirement and join one of the teams in the new league, the
Vancouver Millionaires The Vancouver Millionaires (later known as the Vancouver Maroons) were a professional ice hockey team that competed in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the Western Canada Hockey League between 1911 and 1926. Based in Vancouver, British Co ...
. Phillips finished the 1912 season fourth on Vancouver in goals, and seventh overall in the league, with seventeen in fourteen games. Phillips, who realized that his skills had diminished, retired for a second time at the end of the season. A close friend of the Patricks, he remained close to the league, and occasionally officiated matches after his retirement. After retiring from hockey Phillips ran his own lumber company Timms, Phillips and Company and later moved to Toronto in 1920. Phillips died of blood poisoning at the age of 40 in his residence at 19 Edgewood Crescent in Toronto, five days after having an ulcerated tooth removed. He had married Ella Gerturde Kilgour in Hamilton on January 4, 1911, and they had three children: Margery, Mary and James. Phillips was a member of Rosedale Community Church and a Freemason. When the
Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le ...
was founded in 1945, Phillips was inducted as one of the first nine inductees. He was also inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.


Career statistics


Notes


References

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Tommy 1883 births 1923 deaths Canadian ice hockey left wingers Canadian people of Scottish descent Deaths from sepsis Hockey Hall of Fame inductees Infectious disease deaths in Ontario Kenora Thistles players McGill Redbirds and Martlets ice hockey players Montreal Hockey Club players Ottawa Senators (original) players Ice hockey people from Kenora Stanley Cup champions Vancouver Millionaires players 20th-century Canadian sportsmen