The 1896–97 WPHL season was the first season of championship hockey of
Pittsburgh's
Western Pennsylvania Hockey League. The season opened on November 17, 1896, and was well underway when brought to an end by the destruction of fire of the league's facility, the
Schenley Park Casino ice rink on December 17, 1896.
League business
The Casino had installed an artificial ice-making plant in 1895 and the 1895-96 winter season saw the first introduction of hockey at the rink. Challenge exhibition matches of
ice polo
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
between the Canadian
Queen's University Queen's or Queens University may refer to:
*Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario, Canada
*Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
**Queen's University of Belfast (UK Parliament constituency) (1918–1950)
**Queen's University of Belfast ...
of
Kingston, Ontario, and
Western University of Pennsylvania were held at the rink, and Queen's demonstrated the game of
ice hockey. Between then and November 1896, the Casino management decided to organize two leagues at the rink; an inter-scholastic league for high schools, and a senior league. Both leagues were amateur. The senior league was named the Western Pennsylvania League.
The first league members were
Pittsburgh Athletic Club,
Duquesne Country and Athletic Club, Western University and a team to represent the Casino, or the "Pittsburgh" team. The league played twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday nights.
Rules
The rules of the league were published in the ''Pittsburg Press'' on December 20, 1896:
Source:
Season
Play continued until December 16, when the Casino rink was destroyed by fire. The Pittsburghs, PAC and Western University teams, and all of the inter-scholastic teams lost their hockey equipment in the fire. The Pittsburghs loss was estimated at $300.
Results
Final standings
Regular season results
Play was suspended after fire destroyed the Casino rink. No championship was declared.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:1896-97 WPHL season
Western Pennsylvania Hockey League seasons
WPHL