The first recorded ice hockey game was played at the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal on March 3, 1875. The game was advertised in the Montreal Gazette and a description stated that the game would be played "with a flat, circular piece of wood."
In the mid-1870s, a group of students from McGill University in Montreal began to play a new sport dubbed ice hockey. Although J. G. A. Creighton is credited with bringing the game from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to McGill, three other students-W. L. Murray, W E Robertson, and R. E Smith-are recognized as the men who established a set of rules. Basing their preliminary guidelines for hockey play on English rugby and field hockey, they formulated a set of rules that could be transposed to the ice surface.
These guidelines proved to be a great aid when it came to organizing the McGill University Hockey Club, which is believed to have been the first organized hockey team in Canada. Soon, a league was formed in Kingston, Ontario, featuring four teams from that city playing a schedule of games during the winter of 1885-86. By 1890, many of the leagues that had formed over the ensuing years merged to become the first Ontario Hockey Association.
It wasn't long before interest in the game spread to Europe and the United States. Canadians studying at Cambridge and Oxford Universities, organized club teams and the first Cambridge-Oxford ice hockey match was played at St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1885. Each year since then, except for the war years, these two storied colleges have met for a "friendly," the British term for an exhibition match.
Stateside, the game flourished as well. By the turn of the century, artificial ice rinks were being built in the United States, many Ivy League colleges and universities were playing the game, and they were becoming quite adept at it. In 1904, the first pro loop was established in the iron ore belt of Northern Michigan, and the Yankees were off and running. The driving force behind the evolution of hockey, first in Canada and then elsewhere, was the competition for the Stanley Cup.
Team Trophies
The National Hockey League presents numerous trophies per year. The most prestigious team award is the Stanley Cup, which is awarded to the league champion at the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The team that has the most points in the regular season is awarded the Presidents' Trophy. There are also numerous trophies that are awarded to players based on their statistics during the regular season.
The O'Brien Trophy was a National Hockey League trophy, retired following the 1949-50 NHL season. It was named after Canadian senator J. O'Brien for his son, John Ambrose O'Brien, who was credited with the formation of the National Hockey Association, the forerunner to the NHL. Donated by Senator O'Brien to the NHA in 1910, it represented the trophy of the NHA championship, and later, the NHL championship. The winner of this trophy would move on to face the winners of other leagues for the Stanley Cup. From 1924 to 1927, the O'Brien Trophy was retired in favour of the Prince of Wales Trophy, but was reintroduced in the 1927-28 NHL season as the equivalent to the Prince of Wales Trophy for the Canadian Division. The 1938-39 NHL season saw the NHL move back to a single division, and from that point to its second and final retirement after the 1949-50 season it was awarded to the Stanley Cup runner-up.
Beginning with the 1993-94 season, the club which advances to the Stanley Cup Finals as the winner of the Eastern Conference Championship is presented with the Prince of Wales Trophy. His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, donated the trophy to the National Hockey League in 1924. From 1927-28 through 1937-38, the award was presented to the team finishing first in the American Division of the NHL. (The team finishing first in the Canadian Division received the O'Brien Trophy during these years.) From 1938-39, when the NHL reverted to one section, to 1966-67, it was presented to the team winning the NHL regular-season championship. With expansion in 1967-68, it again became a divisional trophy, awarded to the regular-season champions of the East Division through to the end of the 1973-74 season. Beginning in 1974-75, it was awarded to the regular-season winner of the conference bearing the name of the trophy. From 1981-82 to 1992-93 the trophy was presented to the playoff champion in the Wales Conference. Since 1993-94, the trophy has been presented to the playoff champion in the Eastern Conference.
Beginning with the 1993-94 season, the club which advances to the Stanley Cup Finals as the winner of the Western Conference Championship is presented with the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl. Presented by the member clubs in 1968 for perpetual competition by the National Hockey League in recognition of the services of Clarence S. Campbell, President of the NHL from 1946 to 1977. From 1967-68 through 1973-74, the trophy was awarded to the regular-season champions of the West Division. Beginning in 1974-75, it was awarded to the regular-season winner of the conference bearing the name of the trophy. From 1981-82 to 1992-93 the trophy was presented to the playoff champion in the Campbell Conference. Since 1993-94, the trophy has been presented to the playoff champion in the Western Conference. The trophy itself is a hallmark piece made of sterling silver and was crafted by a British silversmith in 1878.
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL) to the team which finishes with the best record in the league during the regular season. The trophy was introduced at the start of the 1985-86 NHL season by the league's Board of Governors. Prior to 1986, the best team in the league during the regular season was allowed to hang a banner stating "NHL League Champions", even though all Stanley Cup winners since 1947 were technically the NHL champions. The winning team is also awarded 350,000 Canadian dollars, to be shared between the team and its players. In the Original Six era, the same criterion now observed for winning the Presidents' Trophy was used to award the Prince of Wales Trophy. From 1967-68 through 1980-81, separate trophies were presented to the top regular-season finishers in each division (conference from the 1974-75 season onward) — the Prince of Wales Trophy for the first-place team in the Eastern Division (Wales Conference after 1974) and the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl for the corresponding team in the Western Division (Campbell Conference after 1974). However, no trophy was awarded to the team that finished with the best overall record in the entire league during this period, and no trophy at all was awarded based on the results of the regular season from the 1981-82 season through the 1984-85 season; the Wales and Campbell trophies were transferred to the playoff champions of those conferences in 1981-82. A cash bonus was given to each player on the team with the league's best regular-season record during these years, to which the Presidents' Trophy was added in 1985-86.
Toronto Blueshirts; 1916-1917
When the Quebec Bulldogs were unable to take the ice Toronto was allowed back into the league. In one of sports greatest injustices the Arena officially owned the team, and even though most of their team were the players from Livingstone's Blue Shirts, it was considered a separate team, prompting several lawsuits which threatened the future of professional hockey. The "new" Toronto franchise would develop into one of the NHL's cornerstone franchise later taking the familiar nickname Maple Leafs.
Montreal Wanderers; 1917-1918
Fire destroyed their home at the Westmount Arena. The fire, which started in the Wanderers locker room, destroyed all the Wanderers equipment. The Montreal Canadiens who were also using the Westmount Arena that season returned to the Jubilee Rink with an offer to share the building with the Wanderers. Another offer came from the city of Hamilton; however, owner Sam Lichtenhein chose to fold citing he had already lost $30,000. Despite the suspicious nature of the fire there would be no official investigation for arson as the Wanderers only NHL season ended with a 1-5 record.
Ottawa Senators; 1917-1934; St. Louis Eagles
The Senators were sold to interests in St. Louis. The NHL didn't want the move to occur because of St. Louis's travel distance being too far. However, they initially granted the sale and transfer because they didn't want to lose a franchise like they lost the earlier Pittsburgh/Philadelphia franchise. Although after just 1 season in St. Louis the team would fold.
Quebec Bulldogs; 1919-1920; Hamilton Tigers
After a 2-year hiatus the Quebec returns to play in the NHL as the Athletics. The Athletics who were still called Bulldogs by their fans would win just 4 games finishing in last place with an awful record of 4-20. Following the season they would be sold and relocated to Hamilton, Ontario.
Toronto Arenas; 1919-1920; Toronto St. Patricks
Hamilton Tigers; 1920-1925; Americans
With the NHL expanding to the United States for the first time by placing a team in Boston, "Big Bill" Dwyer, New York's most-celebrated prohibition bootlegger purchased the Tigers from Percy Thompson for $75,000 and swiftly relocated them to New York's newly completed 18,000-seat Madison Square Garden, now known as the Americans, all of the Tigers players received raises, with many players salaries jumping almost 200%.
Montreal Maroons; 1924-1938
Attempts were made a few times to relocate the franchise to St. Louis, where a team named the Eagles proved they could draw fans. However because of the travel cost associated by train travel to the Midwest, the board of governors voted not to allow the move. The Maroons officially folded May 13 1939.
New York Americans; 1925-1942
Owner Red Dutton renamed his team the Brooklyn Americans. Dutton moved out to Brooklyn himself and encouraged his players to do so. However without an adequate arena the team only practiced in Brooklyn. The arrangement alienated what was left of their fan base in Manhattan, while the potential fans in Brooklyn refused to come into Manhattan to support the struggling Americans, who barely survived the season.
Pittsburgh Pirates; 1925-1930; Philadelphia Quakers
Hit hard by the October stock market crash, the Pirates who were now wearing Orange and Black uniforms would win just 5 games on the season as they finished in last place with a league worst 5-36-3. With the Steel industry struggling, the Pirates owners were $400,000 in debt as they sought permission to move to Philadelphia with the possibility of returning to Pittsburgh if a new arena was built.
Toronto St. Patricks; 1926-1927; Toronto Maple Leafs
Philadelphia Quakers; 1930-1931
Cash strapped, the Quakers would receive permission from the NHL to temporally cease operations as they sought a permanent arena in either Pittsburgh or Philadelphia. On May 7, 1936 after 5 seasons on hiatus the Pittsburgh/Philadelphia franchise would officially fold, as hopes for a new arena in ether Philadelphia or Pittsburgh were gone.
St. Louis Eagles; 1934-1935
It became apparent the team was doomed to failure as they finished dead last with an awful record of 11-31-6, as escalating travel cost wiped out what little money the team had left from Ottawa as long costly train rides from the American Midwest to the Canada and Boston destroyed any chances the team had of survival, as they folded after just one season.
California Golden Seals; 1967-1976; Cleveland Barons
The Seals found new ownership as Mel Swig, owner of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco and former co-owner of the WHL Seals purchased the club. The biggest defeat would come following the season as the proposal of a new Arena in San Francisco was defeated. Once the arena proposal was defeated, Swig and minority owner George Gund decided to move the team to Cleveland where they became the Cleveland Barons.
Kansas City Scouts; 1974-1976; Colorado Rockies
Not surprisingly the Scouts struggled to draw fans forcing their 37 inventors who were almost a million dollars in debt to initiate a ticket drive. However, when the Scouts sold only 2,000 of their 8,000 season tickets sold goal they were forced to conclude that hockey would not work in Kansas City so the team was moved to Denver after just 2 seasons in Kansas City.
Cleveland Barons; 1976-1978
On June 14th at the league meetings in Montreal, the Cleveland Barons were laid to rest, when it was announced that the Barons were merging with the Minnesota North Stars. The team would be owned by the Gunds, but would play as the Minnesota North Stars, as they secured a sweetheart lease deal for the Met Center in Bloomington, MN.
Atlanta Flames; 1972-1980; Calgary Flames
Off the ice the Flames situation was more tenuous as owner Tom Cousins saw his real estate empire crumbling. In order to save himself from bankruptcy he had to sell the Flames. With mediocre fan support and the lack of due to a lack of major television contract, their were few offers from local interest so Cousins turned to Canadian Nelson Skalania, who had the intention of moving the team to Calgary. In a late bid to keep the team in Atlanta actor Glenn Ford offer Cousins $8 million dollars, but it would not be close to the $16 million offered by Skalania who moved the team north of the border.
Colorado Rockies; 1976-1982; New Jersey Devils
Following the season the long speculated move would become a reality as the Rockies are sold to John McMullen on May 27th as NHL owners finally approve their move to the New Jersey Meadowlands.
Minnesota North Stars; 1967-1993; Dallas Stars
When Norm Green first purchased the North Stars he was thought of as the savior of Minnesota hockey. As the season wound down the worst fear of North Stars fans would come through as it was announced the team would move to Dallas.
Quebec Nordiques; 1979-1995; Colorado Avalanche
Once in Colorado the team would change its name to Avalanche and would go on to win the Stanley Cup in their first season in the Rocky Mountains. Gone but not forgotten fans in Quebec celebrated almost as if they were still the Nordiques.
Winnipeg Jets; 1979-1996; Phoenix Coyotes
Words sung by Glenn Campbell must have been a punch in the heart to the fans of the Jets as they entered their final lame duck season in Winnipeg, as a group headed by Richard Burke and Steven Gluckstern announces they would be moving the Jets to Phoenix following the season.
Hartford Whalers; 1979-1997; Carolina Hurricanes
On April 13th the Whalers would bid farewell to Hartford with a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lighting as Captain Kevin Dineen scores the final goal. However, the Whalers 32-39-11 record would fall just 2 points short of a playoff spot. Less then a month later the Whalers would announce Carolina as their new home.
