driveforfive*
Guest
I have been doing a tonne of research on the early cup years with over
1000 pages compiled through the first 10 years of Stanley Cup history
(1893-1903). In obtaining info from old newspapers I accumulated about
50 typed pages from 1893 and 1894. Up until 1894 elite hockey was
merely a Montreal thing. Ottawa and Quebec City came close a couple
times but that was it.
Hockey was not that passionate -even in Montreal it never won any
more acclaim than say toboggoning or snow-shoe races. The Stanley Cup
was won in 1893 and 1894 by the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association.
The MAAA had won the AHA for 6 years straight and the Stanley Cup
never meant much as they already had a trophy for the championship of
that league. There was hardly any talk of Winnipeg even coming to play
for the Stanley Cup on February 14th 1896 but what a shock Montrealers
had when they were beaten 2-0 by a team from the "Wooly West". Old
Whitey Merritt shut them out.
The City of Winnipeg went wild and the city gave a parade and
champagne was drank from the cup. That was the day that PASSION
began - That was the day that the STANLEY CUP was GOLD. Winnipeg
had a big mug that symbolized they were the best hockey team in the
world. As I stated before I had an average of 25 pages from 1893 and
1894. There was more press in that one game when Montreal travelled to
Winnipeg to re-claim that cup on December 30th, 1895 than there was for
the entire 1894 season. From that point on hockey boomed in leaps and
bounds - the passion for the game spread across the Canada and into the
USA. Winnipeg had failed attempts in 1899 and 1900. Prior to the 1901
season talks were made in Montreal of getting rid of the Stanley Cup
because challenges made in the middle of the season were making people
disinterested in league play - All fans were interested in was the Stanley
Cup. In 1901 Winnipeg won the Stanley Cup again and Montreal won it
back 14 months later.
It is plain and simple. You need a rivalry to instill passion and if it had
not of been for Winnipeg hockey may not have got off the ground.
Through the first 10 years of the Stanley Cup it was in Montreal for 8
years and Winnipeg in 2. Winnipeg residents were almost at an equal level
in passion for the game.
In the 11th year (1903) Ottawa took Winnipeg's place as all the
Winnipeg stars like Dan Bain hung up their skates and for the next 9 years
the cup only took the hour trip between Montreal and Ottawa (aside from
2 months that Kenora had it). So for the first 19 years (aside from
Kenora's 2 month stint) only 3 cities had the cup. Ottawa #3 in the
development of the passion.
Hockey needed rivalries - Winnipeg provided Montreal with that rivalry in
the first decade and Ottawa provided it in the 2nd.
I write this because Winnipeg has not obtained the credit due in
history. Most writers are from Ontario and history to them starts with the
Ottawa Silver Seven. Many may even say Toronto holds a part in the
early years of hockey history but Toronto was more interested in Skating
Carnivals and were never a threat in this era. I am from Maritime Canada
so I do not have a bias for Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, or Winnipeg - Just
stating the facts.
1000 pages compiled through the first 10 years of Stanley Cup history
(1893-1903). In obtaining info from old newspapers I accumulated about
50 typed pages from 1893 and 1894. Up until 1894 elite hockey was
merely a Montreal thing. Ottawa and Quebec City came close a couple
times but that was it.
Hockey was not that passionate -even in Montreal it never won any
more acclaim than say toboggoning or snow-shoe races. The Stanley Cup
was won in 1893 and 1894 by the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association.
The MAAA had won the AHA for 6 years straight and the Stanley Cup
never meant much as they already had a trophy for the championship of
that league. There was hardly any talk of Winnipeg even coming to play
for the Stanley Cup on February 14th 1896 but what a shock Montrealers
had when they were beaten 2-0 by a team from the "Wooly West". Old
Whitey Merritt shut them out.
The City of Winnipeg went wild and the city gave a parade and
champagne was drank from the cup. That was the day that PASSION
began - That was the day that the STANLEY CUP was GOLD. Winnipeg
had a big mug that symbolized they were the best hockey team in the
world. As I stated before I had an average of 25 pages from 1893 and
1894. There was more press in that one game when Montreal travelled to
Winnipeg to re-claim that cup on December 30th, 1895 than there was for
the entire 1894 season. From that point on hockey boomed in leaps and
bounds - the passion for the game spread across the Canada and into the
USA. Winnipeg had failed attempts in 1899 and 1900. Prior to the 1901
season talks were made in Montreal of getting rid of the Stanley Cup
because challenges made in the middle of the season were making people
disinterested in league play - All fans were interested in was the Stanley
Cup. In 1901 Winnipeg won the Stanley Cup again and Montreal won it
back 14 months later.
It is plain and simple. You need a rivalry to instill passion and if it had
not of been for Winnipeg hockey may not have got off the ground.
Through the first 10 years of the Stanley Cup it was in Montreal for 8
years and Winnipeg in 2. Winnipeg residents were almost at an equal level
in passion for the game.
In the 11th year (1903) Ottawa took Winnipeg's place as all the
Winnipeg stars like Dan Bain hung up their skates and for the next 9 years
the cup only took the hour trip between Montreal and Ottawa (aside from
2 months that Kenora had it). So for the first 19 years (aside from
Kenora's 2 month stint) only 3 cities had the cup. Ottawa #3 in the
development of the passion.
Hockey needed rivalries - Winnipeg provided Montreal with that rivalry in
the first decade and Ottawa provided it in the 2nd.
I write this because Winnipeg has not obtained the credit due in
history. Most writers are from Ontario and history to them starts with the
Ottawa Silver Seven. Many may even say Toronto holds a part in the
early years of hockey history but Toronto was more interested in Skating
Carnivals and were never a threat in this era. I am from Maritime Canada
so I do not have a bias for Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, or Winnipeg - Just
stating the facts.
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