The J. Ross Robertson Cup was a Canadian

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 ...

trophy. It was awarded annually to the champion of the intermediate division in the

Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) is the governing body for the majority of junior and senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey As ...

from the 1898–99 season until the 1933–34 season. It was the second of three similarly named trophies donated by

John Ross Robertson John Ross Robertson (December 28, 1841 – May 31, 1918) was a Canadian newspaper publisher, politician, and philanthropist in Toronto, Ontario. Career Born in 1841, in Toronto, the son of John Robertson, a Scottish wholesale merchant, and ...

, which included the

J. Ross Robertson Cup The J. Ross Robertson Cup is a Canadian ice hockey trophy. It is awarded annually in junior ice hockey to the champion of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. It was donated by John Ross Robertson to the Ontario Hockey Association in 1910, and ...

for the annual champions of the junior division, and the

for the annual champions of senior division.

History

The J. Ross Robertson Cup was donated by

in 1899, to be awarded annually to the champion of the intermediate division in the

(OHA). Robertson served as president of the OHA from 1899 to 1905, had founded the ''

Toronto Evening Telegram ''The Toronto Evening Telegram'' was a conservative, broadsheet afternoon newspaper published in Toronto from 1876 to 1971. It had a reputation for supporting the Conservative Party at the federal and the provincial levels. The paper competed with ...

'', helped establish

The Hospital for Sick Children ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

, and served as a member of the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...

for

Toronto East Toronto East (called East Toronto until 1903) was a federal electoral district (Canada), electoral district represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1935. It was located in the city of Toronto in the provinces and territories of ...

. He was against professionalism in sports, and felt that "sport should be pursued for its own sake, for when professionalism begins, true sport ends". The OHA began the intermediate division for the 1896–97 season. Intermediate division players were rated between the senior and junior divisions. The

Kingston Frontenacs The Kingston Frontenacs are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The Frontenacs play home games at Leon's Centre, which opened in 2008. Team history predates the OHA, back to 1945, to a te ...

team coached by

James T. Sutherland James Thomas Sutherland (October 10, 1870 – September 16, 1955) was a Canadian ice hockey administrator, and founding father of the game in Canada. Sutherland was a pioneer of hockey's early years, helping to develop amateur hockey, and sprea ...

won the first J. Ross Robertson Cup awarded to the intermediate hockey division in 1899. The J. Ross Robertson Cup continued to be awarded the OHA intermediate champion until the division was discontinued in 1934. The J. Ross Robertson Cup was the second of three similarly named trophies Robertson donated to the OHA, which included the

for the annual champions of the junior division, and the

for the annual champions of senior division.

List of cup winners

1898-99 Kingston Frontenacs intermediates and the J

List of cup winners:

References

{{Reflist 1898 establishments in Ontario 1934 disestablishments in Ontario Awards established in 1898 Awards disestablished in the 1930s Canadian ice hockey trophies and awards Ontario Hockey Association