The Buffalo Majors were a professional

ice hockey 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 ...

team in the city of Buffalo,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. The team played two seasons in the American Hockey Association. The team was organized in 1930 by Lawrence F. Welch, owner of the Buffalo Amusement Company. He put together a team of Canadian hockey players and arranged for an artificial ice rink to be built in the

Broadway Auditorium Broadway Auditorium is a former multipurpose arena in Buffalo, New York. It was part of a complex that first opened as Broadway Arsenal in 1858 to accommodate the 65th and 74th Regiments of the New York National Guard. The facility was expanded i ...

. The original name of the team was Buffalo Buffaloes but was changed before the start of the first season. The team changed its name again, from Americans to Majors, sometime in January 1931. The team's first coach was George Sears, a 25-year veteran of ice hockey. The Majors marketed themselves largely as a rougher, tougher alternative to their ostensibly crosstown rivals, the International Hockey League's

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

, who played across the border at

Peace Bridge Arena Peace Bridge Arena was the main sports arena located in Fort Erie, Ontario. Built in 1928, it held 5,000 people. It was located near the Peace Bridge connecting Fort Erie with Buffalo, New York. Both the Chicago Black Hawks and Pittsburgh Pirate ...

Fort Erie, Ontario Fort Erie is a town on the Niagara River in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. It is directly across the river from Buffalo, New York, and is the site of Old Fort Erie which played a prominent role in the War of 1812. Fort Erie is one of N ...

. The first season was plagued by problems. Financial backing for the artificial ice plant was withdrawn but Welch found other backers. The first game in Chicago had to be delayed due to immigration problems for some of his players. The team started its season on the road, in a 3–2 loss in Tulsa to the Tulsa Oilers. The team had to vacate the Auditorium for an American Bowling Congress tournament. From the time of their first game at the Auditorium, until their last at the Auditorium, the team went undefeated at home. The team played its final twelve home games in the Bisons' arena, Peace Bridge Arena. Despite the difficulties of their first season, the team nearly qualified for a playoff spot, losing out in the final game of the season. The second season saw the Majors struggle to escape the basement of the league standings. The team fell behind in payroll and its payments to the league, a likely byproduct of the extremely poor economy of the time. The AHA decided to disband the team on February 2, 1932, citing the financial difficulties of the team and efforts to reduce travel costs. (Not only were the Majors losing money, but the team was also the easternmost team in a league primarily centered in the Great Plains, and having to travel to and from Buffalo added significant expense to all of the teams' budgets.)

Notable players

Moose Goheen Francis Xavier "Moose" Goheen (February 8, 1894 – November 13, 1979) was an American amateur ice hockey forward. While enrolled at the Valparaiso University, Goheen was a skilled, three-sport athlete competing in football and baseball, in a ...

* Henry Harris *

Eddie Oatman Edward Cole Oatman (June 10, 1889 – November 5, 1973) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was among the elite goal scorers of his era. Among his 32 years (1907–39) playing professional ice hockey, Oatman was named an all-star fo ...

Edmond Bouchard Joseph Adelard ''Edmond'' Bouchard (May 24, 1892 in Saint-Étienne-des-Grès, Quebec, Saint-Étienne-des-Grès, Quebec – July 18, 1953) was a Canadian ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), left winger who sometimes doubled as a defenceman (ice hockey) ...

Fred Lowrey Frederick John "Frock" Lowrey (August 12, 1902 – January 24, 1968) was a Canadians, Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman (ice hockey), defenceman who played 54 games in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Pirates (NHL), Pittsbur ...

Amby Moran Ambrose Joseph Jason Moran (August 27, 1896 – April 8, 1958) was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played 35 games in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Black Hawks between 1926 and 1928. Prior to that he played ...

References

* American Hockey Association (1926–1942) teams Ice hockey clubs established in 1930 Sports clubs disestablished in 1932 Sports in Buffalo, New York 1930 establishments in New York (state) 1932 disestablishments in New York (state) {{BuffaloNY-stub