The Manitoba Hockey Association (MHA) was an early men's senior

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 ...

league playing around 1900 in

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

, Canada. The league started as an elite amateur league in 1892, became professional in 1905, had a professional and an amateur league in 1908–09 and only an amateur league from 1909 until 1923. Two teams from the league won the

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...

, the Winnipeg Victorias and the

Kenora Thistles The Kenora Thistles, officially the Thistles Hockey Club, were a Canadian ice hockey team based in Kenora, Ontario. Founded in 1894, they were originally known as the Rat Portage Thistles. The team competed for the Stanley Cup, the ice hockey ...

. Three other teams from the league challenged for the Stanley Cup: Brandon Wheat City, Winnipeg Maple Leafs, and the Winnipeg Rowing Club. Other teams in the league won the

Allan Cup The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men's ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. The current champions are the ...

Winnipeg Hockey Club The Winnipeg Hockey Club (also known as the Winnipeg Winnipegs) were a former amateur senior-level men's amateur ice hockey team in Winnipeg, Manitoba founded in 1890. After the Winnipegs won the 1931 Allan Cup, they represented the Canada men's ...

Winnipeg Falcons The Winnipeg Falcons were a senior men's amateur ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Winnipeg Falcons won the 1920 Allan Cup. That team went on to represent Canada in the Ice hockey at the 1920 Summer Olympics, 1920 Olympic games he ...

Winnipeg Monarchs Winnipeg Monarchs is a name used by several Canadian ice hockey teams in Winnipeg, Manitoba and may refer to: *Winnipeg Monarchs (senior), a defunct ice hockey team, 1935 World Ice Hockey Champions *Winnipeg Monarchs (MJHL) The Winnipeg Monarch ...

and Winnipeg Victorias. It also was known as the Manitoba Hockey League and Manitoba Professional Hockey League in following years.

History

Founding

The Manitoba Hockey Association was formed on November 11, 1892 to organize ice hockey play in Manitoba.

Manitoba & Northwestern Hockey Association

In 1904, it would absorb the

Manitoba & Northwestern Hockey Association The Manitoba & Northwestern Hockey Association was an early senior-level men's amateur ice hockey league, founded in 1903, and played one season, 1903-1904 before joining the Manitoba Hockey Association. It operated in the provinces of Manitoba and ...

league, and include the Rat Portage/Kenora Thistles team from the province of

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. Kenora, ON was originally named Rat Portage.

Manitoba Professional Hockey League (MPHL)

In 1905, the league started to have professional players, and renamed itself the Manitoba Professional Hockey League (MPHL). This lasted until the end of the 1908–09 season, when several teams folded.

E. A. Gilroy Edward Albert Gilroy (October 10, 1879August 8, 1942) was a Canadian ice hockey administrator. He served as president of the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA) from 1927 to 1934, and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) from ...

served on the league executive and coached the Portage la Prairie team.

Manitoba Hockey League (MHL)

Starting in the 1908–09 season, the Manitoba Hockey League (MHL) was started as an amateur senior-level league. The teams from this league were eligible for the new

Winnipeg Amateur Hockey League

The

led by Fred Marples, made arrangements to play and practice at the Winnipeg Amphitheatre for the 1912–13 season. The decision caused a rift within the league which had an agreement from the previous season to play all games at the Winnipeg Auditorium, which was preferred by the

and the Winnipeg Victorias. Marples and the Monarchs felt that the league did not have the authority to bind any club to any single rink, and that the Amphitheatre had better amenities for the players and spectators. As a compromise to have an outside person settle the disagreement,

W. F. Taylor William Franklin Taylor (May 16, 1877April 12, 1945) was a Canadian ice hockey administrator. He was the founding president of both the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association in 1914, and also s ...

was elected president of the league; and Marples was elected as the secretary-treasurer. Taylor then cast a tie-breaking vote to uphold a decision by the previous executive to play all league games at the Auditorium. '' The Winnipeg Tribune'' wrote that the leadership of Taylor and Marples had brought peace and financial stability to the Winnipeg Amateur Hockey League, and both were re-elected for the 1913–14 season. The league chose to play its games at both the Amphitheatre and the Auditorium; and appointed a board of on-ice officials to avoid in-season arguing over the selection of officials, as suggested by Marples. Allan Cup

In January 1914, the league debated whether players from leagues from elsewhere in Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario were eligible to be a reserve player. Debate focused on whether these leagues were an equal level of senior hockey, or a lower level of intermediate hockey. The issue was temporarily resolved by asking permission from the other league for the player to be a reserve in another league. The issue resurfaced again in the national playoffs for the

. Trustees for the cup struggled to determine player eligibility since there was no authoritative national body to classify leagues by the level of play, and determine who was a senior level player compared to an intermediate level player. The Monarchs won the regular season title and were chosen to defend the first challenge for the

1914 Allan Cup The 1914 Allan Cup was the Canadian national senior ice hockey championship for the 1913–14 Senior season. The final challenge was hosted by the Regina Victorias in Regina, Saskatchewan. The 1914 playoff marked the seventh time the Allan Cu ...

on behalf of the league. When Allan Cup trustee William Northey ruled that

Dick Irvin James Dickinson "Dick" Irvin Jr. (or II) (July 19, 1892 – May 16, 1957) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He played for professional teams in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, the Western Canada Hockey League, and th ...

of the Winnipeg Strathconas was ineligible to compete, the Monarchs refused to defend the Allan Cup. Marples considered the Strathconas to be a reserve team for the Monarchs and that the decision was unfair to his team. After three days of negotiating, the Monarchs agreed to play without Irvin in a one-game Allan Cup challenge versus the

, instead of the customary two-game series decided on total goals scored. The Monarchs won versus the Kenora Thistles, then lost the second Allan Cup challenge in a one-game final to the Regina Victorias. Allan Cup trustee

Claude C. Robinson Claude Copeland Robinson (December 17, 1881June 27, 1976) was a Canadian ice hockey and sports executive. After winning an intermediate-level championship as captain of the Winnipeg Victorias in 1905, he served as secretary-treasurer and as vi ...

, suggested that a governing body be formed for hockey in Canada, which was echoed by similar calls from '' The Winnipeg Tribune'' and the ''

Winnipeg Free Press The ''Winnipeg Free Press'' (or WFP; founded as the ''Manitoba Free Press'') is a daily (excluding Sunday) broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It provides coverage of local, provincial, national, and international news, as well as ...

''. The league met on June 23, 1914, to form a governing body to oversee hockey in Manitoba. Taylor was appointed chairman and Marples was appointed secretary of a provisional commission which later became the

Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association ''"Glorious and free"'' , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital ...

(MAHA), and sought to merge into a national commission when such a body became established. The

Canadian Amateur Hockey Association The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA; french: Association canadienne de hockey amateur) was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey in Canada from 1914 until 1994, when it merged with Hockey Canada. Its jurisdiction include ...

(CAHA) was founded on December 4, 1914, with Taylor elected as its first president. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the league donated a portion of profits towards

patriotic funds World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

to support the war effort. The Monarchs repeated as league champions in the 1914–15 season and defeated the Melville Millionaires to win the

1915 Allan Cup The 1915 Allan Cup was the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) championship for senior ice hockey in the 1914–15 season. The title was first held by the Melville Millionaires as champions of their league and two challenge wins. The Mill ...

. Robert McKay succeeded Taylor as league president in 1915, as registration of players decreased due to enlistments during the war. The league renamed itself the Patriotic Hockey League as of the 1915–16 season, which saw the

Winnipeg 61st Battalion Winnipeg 61st Battalion was a Canadian ice hockey team. Composed of players from the 61st Battalion (Winnipeg), CEF, 61st Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force created to participate in World War I, the team won the Pattison Trophy in 1 ...

win the

1916 Allan Cup The 1916 Allan Cup was the Canadian senior ice hockey championship for the 1915–16 season. The final challenge was hosted by the Winnipeg 61st Battalion and Winnipeg, Manitoba. The 1916 playoff marked the 9th time the Allan Cup had a champi ...

. The Winnipeg Patriotic Hockey League became the Winnipeg Military Hockey League during the 1917–18 season, and its teams were temporarily renamed for battles fought during the war.

Teams

† Stanley Cup winner.

Manitoba Professional Hockey League

‡ Stanley Cup winner.
† Brandon and Kenora only played one game in 1907–08 season before ceasing play.

Manitoba Hockey League

1915 Winnipeg Monarchs team photo collage

In parallel with the MPHL, the MHA started the MHL amateur senior league in 1908–09. The

, which entered the league in 1915, would win the 1920 championship, then win the

national championship. As Allan Cup winners, the Falcons were selected to represent Canada at the

1920 Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...

, where the team would win the first Olympic gold medal for ice hockey. Notes:
WAHL = Winnipeg Amateur Hockey League, MMHL = Manitoba Military Hockey League {, class=wikitable , - !Season !Teams !Champion , - , align=center, 1908–09, , Winnipeg Capitals, Winnipeg Varsity, Winnipeg Victorias , , Winnipeg Victorias , - , align=center, 1909–10, , Winnipeg Capitals, Winnipeg Varsity, Winnipeg Victorias , , Winnipeg Varsity , - , align=center, 1910–11, ,

, Winnipeg Varsity, Winnipeg Victorias , , Winnipeg Victorias‡ , - , align=center, 1911–12, , Winnipeg Monarchs, Winnipeg Varsity, Winnipeg Victorias , , Winnipeg Victorias‡ , - , align=center, 1912–13, , Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Varsity, Winnipeg Victorias , , Winnipeg HC‡ , - , align=center, 1913–14 WAHL , , Winnipeg Monarchs, Winnipeg Victorias, Winnipeg HC , , Winnipeg Monarchs , - , align=center, 1914–15, , Winnipeg Monarchs, Winnipeg Varsity, Winnipeg Victorias , , Winnipeg Monarchs‡ , - , align=center, 1915–16 A, ,

, Winnipeg Monarchs,

Winnipeg Soldiers Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers, near the Longitude, longitudinal centre of Nort ...

, , Winnipeg 61st Battalion‡ , - , align=center, 1915–16 B, ,

, Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Victorias , , Winnipeg Monarchs , - , align=center, 1916–17 WAHL , , Winnipeg Victorias, Winnipeg 223rd Battalion, Winnipeg Monarchs , , Winnipeg Victorias , - , align=center, 1917–18 MMHL , , Winnipeg Ypres, Winnipeg Vimy, Winnipeg Somme , , Winnipeg Ypres , - , align=center, 1918–19, , Brandon Wheat City,

Selkirk Fishermen The Selkirk Fishermen are a junior "B" ice hockey team based in Selkirk, Manitoba. They are members of the Capital Region Junior Hockey League (CRJHL). The franchise was founded in 1917. They are the longest running junior hockey team in Canada. ...

, Winnipeg Argonauts, Winnipeg Monarchs , , Selkirk Fishermen , - , align=center, 1919–20 Manitoba, , Brandon Wheat City,

, Winnipeg Falcons , , Winnipeg Falcons‡ † , - , align=center, 1919–20 Winnipeg, , Winnipeg HC, Winnipeg Monarchs, Winnipeg Victorias , , Winnipeg HC , - , align=center, 1920–21 , , Brandon Wheat City, Winnipeg Falcons, Winnipeg HC , , Brandon Wheat City , - , align=center, 1921–22 Manitoba, , Brandon Wheat City, Selkirk Fishermen, Winnipeg Falcons, Winnipeg HC , , Brandon Wheat City , - , align=center, 1921–22 Winnipeg, , Winnipeg Monarchs, Winnipeg Tigers, Winnipeg Varsity, Winnipeg Victorias , , Winnipeg Victorias , - , align=center, 1922–23 , , Brandon Wheat City,

Fort William Beavers A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

Port Arthur Bearcats The Port Arthur Bearcats (Bear Cats) were a senior amateur ice hockey team based in Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada – now part of the city of Thunder Bay – from the early 1900s until 1970. Before settling on the nickname of Bearca ...

, Selkirk Fishermen, Winnipeg Falcons, Winnipeg HC , , Brandon Wheat City , - ‡ Allan Cup winners. † Olympic champions.

References

External links

Kenora Thistles stats

Sports leagues established in 1892 1892 establishments in Manitoba Sports leagues disestablished in 1923 1923 disestablishments in Manitoba