1897 AHAC season
The 1897 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season was the eleventh season of play of the ice hockey league. Each team played 8 games, and Montreal Victorias were again first with a 7–1 record, retaining the Stanley Cup. The club won the Stanley Cup back from the Winnipeg Victorias prior to the season. This was their third-straight league championship.
League business
Executive
- J.A. Findlay, Montreal
- J. H. Dunbar, Quebec
- Weldy Young, Ottawa
Rule Changes
- No more than a 15-minute delay during a game
- No raising the stick above the shoulder except for 'lifting.'
- Executives were given the power to suspend club or player for foul play.
- Protests of games had to be made within two days.
Season
Clare McKerrow of Montreal HC set a new record with six goals in the opening game against Quebec on January 9.The Ottawa club moved to new Dey's Arena.
Final standing
Note GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against| Team | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA |
| Montreal Victorias | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 26 |
| Ottawa Hockey Club | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 25 | 18 |
| Montreal Hockey Club | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 26 |
| Quebec Hockey Club | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 22 | 46 |
| Montreal Shamrocks | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 27 | 37 |
Results
† Protested by Ottawa who scored the tying goal in last few seconds but the goal was disallowed by the referee. The protest was upheld and the game replayed.‡ Replay of January 30 protested game.
₳ Victorias clinch league championship.
Exhibitions
Montreal played the Halifax Wanderers in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on February 25, 1897. The Wanderers defeated Montreal 4–3 on a second-half goal after the teams were tied 3–3 at half-time.Player Stats
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals scored| Name | Club | GP | G |
| Clare McKerrow | Montreal HC | 8 | 12 |
| Alf Smith | Ottawa HC | 8 | 12 |
| Billy Barlow | Montreal HC | 8 | 10 |
| Ernie McLea | Victorias | 8 | 8 |
| Bill Dobby | Shamrocks | 8 | 7 |
| Albert E. Swift | Quebec HC | 8 | 6 |
| Harry Westwick | Ottawa HC | 8 | 6 |
| Cam Davidson | Victorias | 6 | 5 |
| Pat Doyle | Quebec HC | 8 | 5 |
| Herbert Horsfall | Montreal HC | 8 | 5 |
Goaltending averages
Note: GP = Games played, GA = Goals against, SO = Shutouts, GAA = Goals against average| Name | Club | GP | GA | SO | GAA |
| Fred Chittick | Ottawa HC | 8 | 18 | 1 | 2.3 |
| Gordon Lewis | Victorias | 8 | 26 | 3.3 | |
| Herb Collins | Montreal HC | 8 | 26 | 3.3 | |
| Ernest Pagnuelo | Shamrocks | 8 | 37 | 4.6 | |
| Frank Stocking | Quebec HC | 6 | 25 | 5.8 |
Stanley Cup challenge
Prior to the season, Victorias would defeat the Winnipeg Victorias of the 6–5, on December 30, 1896, to reclaim the Cup they had lost in the previous season to Winnipeg.Victorias vs. Winnipeg at Winnipeg
The Montreal Victorias submitted their challenge on November 11, 1896, and they arrived in Winnipeg on December 27 for the one-game playoff on December 30. The challenge, the first outside of Montreal attracted national interest. Excitement for the game in Winnipeg sent the price of $1 tickets to $5, with reports of tickets being sold for over $10. The Montreal Vics' practice in the McIntyre Rink itself drew a crowd of 700. The game was reported back to Montreal by telegraph, with the score available at train stations or telegraph offices throughout Canada. Hundreds of standing-room tickets were sold on the night of the game.| Date | Winning Team | Score | Losing Team | Location |
| Dec. 30, 1896 | Montreal Victorias | 6–5 | Winnipeg Victorias | Granite Rink, Winnipeg |
;Game description
The game itself was very exciting. Ernie McLea scored a hat-trick, including the game and Stanley Cup winning goal. The game started at 8:22 pm local time. Dan Bain scored at 6:30 to put Winnipeg ahead. Winnipeg opened up a 3–0 lead before Montreal scored twice to close the gap while Toat Campbell served a penalty. Attie Howard scored just before the half to put Winnipeg ahead 4–2 at the half. In the second half, Montreal's Davidson scored his second goal, then McLea tied the score at four with his second goal of the match. Robert MacDougall, on an end-to-end rush, put Montreal ahead, but Bain tied it at five with four minutes to play. With two minutes to play, Graham Drinkwater passed to McLea, who beat George Merritt on a breakaway to put Montreal ahead 6–5 and win the game. The goal is considered one of the greatest ice hockey goals of all time.
;Game summary
| Montreal | 6 | Winnipeg | 5 | |
| Gordon Lewis | G | George Merritt | ||
| Howard Henderson | P | Rod Flett | ||
| Mike Grant | CP | Charles Johnstone | ||
| Robert MacDougall | 1 | F | Colin "Toat" Campbell | |
| Graham Drinkwater | F | Jack Armytage | 1 | |
| Shirley Davidson | 2 | F | Attie Howard | 2 |
| Ernie McLea | 3 | F | Dan Bain | 2 |
Referee – Weldy Young, Ottawa
Umpires – A. Shearer, Montreal; D. Clark, Winnipeg, Shaw, Ottawa
Source: ''Montreal Gazette''
Stanley Cup engravings
- & Unknown first name
- ^ Unknown who played Center, Right Wing and Left Wing, so the players are listed as forwards
- @ Missing from the team picture
- Watson Jack
- Fred Meredith
- Frank Howard Wilson
- P.M. Desterneak
- William Grant
- 1896 MONTREAL VICTORIAS
It is unknown what Feb 20th stood for. Winnipeg Victorias or the Montreal Victorias never played a Stanley Cup challenge game that day in any season.
- & First names are unknown
- ^ Unknown who played Center, Right Wing and Left Wing, so the players are listed as forwards
- @ Missing from the team picture
- Watson Jack
- Fred Meredith
- William Grant
- Fred Howard Wilson
- P.M. Desterneck