1896 AHAC season


The 1896 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season was the tenth season of play of the league. Each team played eight games, and Montreal Victorias were first with a 7–1 record. During the season, on February 14 the Victorias hosted a Stanley Cup challenge match with the Winnipeg Victorias club. Winnipeg won 2–0 to win the Cup.

Executive

  • Watson Jack, Victorias
  • Weldy Young, Ottawa
  • Clarence Mussen, Montreal

Season

The Crystals were allowed to change their name to Shamrocks, which matched their new affiliation with the Shamrock A.A.A.

Highlights

The Victorias were truly the class of the league and only lost once, 3–2 to Ottawa. Their regular season team goal total was nearly double that of Ottawa.

Final Standing

Note GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against
TeamGPWLTGFGA
Montreal Victorias87104124
Ottawa HC86202216
Quebec HC84402323
Montreal HC82602433
Montreal Shamrocks81701630

Results

† Victorias clinch league championship.

Player Stats

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals scored
NameClubGPG
Robert McDougallVictorias610
Clare McKerrowMontreal HC68
Shirley DavidsonVictorias78
Swift, E. AlbertQuebec HC88
Harry WestwickOttawa HC88
Graham DrinkwaterVictorias87
Alf SmithOttawa HC87
Pat DoyleQuebec HC86
David GillilanVictorias35
Aubrey MussenMontreal HC55

Goaltending averages

Note: GP = Games played, GA = Goals against, SO = Shutouts, GAA = Goals against average
NameClubGPGASOGAA
Fred ChittickOttawa HC81612.0
Frank StockingQuebec HC8232.9
Robert JonesVictorias8243.0
James DrysdaleShamrocks8303.8
George HamiltonMontreal HC284.0
Herbert CollinsMontreal HC6254.1

Playoffs

There were no playoffs as Montreal won first place exclusively.

Exhibitions

After the season, Montreal and Shamrocks played an exhibition series of games in the United States:
; Washington, March 7, 1896:
  • Shamrocks 3, Montreal 1
;Baltimore, March 9, 1896:
  • Montreal 6, Shamrocks 5
; New York, March 10, 1896:
  • Montreal 1, Shamrocks 1
The Montreal Victorias travelled to New York City for an exhibition against the New York Athletic Club. The Athletic Club records the date as March 4,, won by the Vics 6–1.

Stanley Cup challenge

Victorias vs. Winnipeg at Montreal

The first successful challenge to the Cup came in February 1896 by the Winnipeg Victorias, the champions of the Manitoba Hockey Association. On February 14, Winnipeg beat defending champion Montreal Victorias, 2–0, becoming the first team outside the AHAC to win the Cup. Winnipeg took a 2–0 lead in the first half of the game on goals by Armytage and Campbell, then played on the defensive in the second half.
DateWinning TeamScoreLosing TeamLocation
February 14, 1896Winnipeg Victorias2–0Montreal VictoriasVictoria Skating Rink

Stanley Cup engraving

† played 1 regular-season game in goal
non-players=
  • E.B. Nixon
  • Able Code
  • J. Carter
engraving-notes=
  • VICTORIAS
  • - OF -
  • WINNIPEG
  • 1895
  • Winnipeg included the year 1895 instead of 1896, because they defeated the 1895 defending Stanley Cup Champions Montreal Victorias before the 1896 season had been completed. This is not an engraving error.
  • 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.
  • Two non-players first names are unknown