The Quebec Bulldogs (french: Bulldogs de Québec) were a men's senior-level

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 ...

team based in

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...

. The team was officially known as the Quebec Hockey Club (french: Club de hockey de Québec), and later as the Quebec Athletic Club (french: Club athlétique de Québec). One of the first organized ice hockey clubs, the club debuted in 1878 with the opening of the

Quebec Skating Rink Quebec Skating Rink was the name of several ice rinks in Quebec City, Quebec. The first was built in 1851, and was the world's first covered skating rink, and was located near the St. Lawrence River. The second rink, built in 1864, was situated on ...

. The club continued as an amateur team through various leagues, eventually becoming professional in 1908. The club would play in the National Hockey Association (the forerunner to the NHL) and the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...

. In 1920, the team moved to

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of ...

and became the Hamilton Tigers.

Franchise history

Amateur roots, 1878–1909

The Quebec Hockey Club was founded in 1878, after the construction of the Quebec Skating Rink in 1877. The club consisted of Anglo-Canadian players. Play was by exhibition only, against teams drawn from the club members or visiting teams from Montreal. In 1883, the club played in the Montreal Winter Carnival, and joined the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) in 1888 and were members until 1898. After the AHAC, Quebec played in the Canadian Amateur Hockey League from 1899 to 1905, and the

Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association The Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA) was a men's amateur – later professional – ice hockey league in Canada that played four seasons. It was founded on December 11, 1905 with the top clubs from two other leagues: four ...

from 1906 to 1909. One player that went through the ranks of the Quebec Hockey Club was David Watson (1869–1922), a journalist and newspaper owner who fought as a Major-General in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. Watson played for the Quebec HC as a cover point (an offensive defenceman) in the AHAC through the course of the 1890s. The club came close to winning the Stanley Cup on two occasions. In the 1894 season Quebec tied for the AHAC regular season lead with three other clubs. The AHAC drew up plans to hold the playoff solely in Montreal. Quebec declined to play in Montreal without one game in Quebec and the championship was eventually won by the Montreal Hockey Club. In 1904, Quebec won the CAHL outright. In a dispute, the club did not win 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 ...

or challenge for it. The Ottawa Hockey Club was the defending champions in

1903–04 Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...

, but withdrew from the league. Quebec went on to win the CAHL and expected to receive the Stanley Cup as league champions. The trustees of the Cup instead ruled that the Cup went to Ottawa. Two significant players on the Quebec Hockey Club during the later part of the first decade of the 1900s were Chubby and Joe Power, who would both later serve as politicians in Quebec. A third Power brother, Rockett Power, also represented the club.

National Hockey Association

In late 1909, Quebec became a founding member of the Canadian Hockey Association (CHA) in 1909. The CHA, however, would only last one month before being absorbed into the much more powerful National Hockey Association (NHA). Rejected by the new league, the Bulldogs sat out the inaugural 1910 season. The following season, 1910–11, the Bulldogs took over the defunct Cobalt Silver Kings franchise, but had a rough initiation, finishing dead last with four wins and 12 losses in a 16-game season. On a positive note, and a sign of things to come, Jack McDonald scored 14 goals and Tommy Dunderdale scored 13. For 1911–12, the Bulldogs went from worst to first, with Joe Malone having a spectacular season, to win the

O'Brien Cup The O'Brien Trophy, or O'Brien Cup, as labelled on the trophy itself, is a retired trophy that was awarded in the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) ice hockey leagues of North America from 1910 to 1950. It was ...

as champions of the NHA and the

. The Dogs' record improved to 10 wins and eight losses while Malone scored 21 goals and Jack McDonald scored 18. In a Stanley Cup challenge, they crushed the Moncton Victorias in two games, 9–3 and 8–0, in the best-of-three playoff. In their third season ( 1912–13), Quebec would again finish first overall with a record of 16-4 losses to retain the championship. Joe Malone won the scoring race with an unprecedented 43 goals. His teammate, Tommy Smith, was a close second with 39. In a Stanley Cup challenge after the season the team easily beat the

Sydney Millionaires The Membertou Junior Miners are a Canadian Junior ice hockey club from Membertou, Nova Scotia. They are members of the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League and are 1989 and 1997 Don Johnson Cup Maritime Junior B champions and 1976 and 1977 Eastern ...

in two games by a combined score of 20-5. The Victoria Aristocrats of the

Pacific Coast Hockey Association The Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) was a professional ice hockey league in western Canada and the western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). The PCHA was co ...

next challenged the Bulldogs. The powerhouse Bulldogs expected to bowl over the Aristocrats, but were shocked after splitting the first two games and then losing 6–1 in the decisive third game. However, the Stanley Cup Board of trustees did not recognise the challenge because it should have been played in Quebec. PCHA leader Lester Patrick refused. The Bulldogs were able to keep the Cup. In December 1913, the Bulldogs moved to the new Quebec Arena. The following seasons would see the Bulldogs drop from the top of the league. They would finish third overall in each of the next three seasons and in the last NHA season ( 1916–17) went second overall. After their two Stanley Cup wins, though, they would never again challenge for the Cup.

National Hockey League and the move to Hamilton 1917–1925

The Bulldogs, along with the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

Montreal Wanderers The Montreal Wanderers were an amateur, and later professional, ice hockey team based in Montreal. The team played in the Federal Amateur Hockey League (FAHL), the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA), the National Hockey Association ...

and

Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member ...

, were frustrated with

Toronto Blueshirts The Toronto Hockey Club, known as the Torontos and the Toronto Blueshirts, was a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They were a member of the National Hockey Association (NHA). The club was founded in 1911 and began operations in 19 ...

owner

Eddie Livingstone Edward James Livingstone (September 12, 1884 – September 11, 1945) was a Canadian sports team owner and manager. He was the principal owner of the Toronto Shamrocks and the Toronto Blueshirts professional ice hockey clubs of the National Hockey ...

's acrimonious dealings. However, they discovered that the league constitution did not allow them to simply vote Livingstone out. Instead, the four clubs joined in founding the

in 1917, and did not invite Livingstone to join them. Quebec's long-time manager Mike Quinn had retired due to ill health. The other directors of the Bulldogs were unable to get enough financing to make the move to the NHL—no small consideration given that Quebec City was by far the smallest market in the league. They opted to suspend operations for the league's inaugural season. To balance out the schedule, the remaining three clubs granted a temporary franchise to the Toronto Arena Company; the direct ancestors of today's

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

. In 1918, the franchise was sold in principle to

Percy Quinn John Purcell Quinn (January 9, 1876 – October 28, 1944) was a Canadian athlete, businessman, sports executive and politician. He was an owner and president of the Toronto Blueshirts, winners of the Stanley Cup in 1914. He was a member of the wor ...

. Quinn's actual intent was to use the Bulldogs to help resurrect the NHA. However, the other owners called Quinn's bluff by demanding a firm commitment to ice a team in the NHL for the 1918–19 season. When Quinn refused to do so, the NHL canceled the franchise. When no other Quebec-based group came forward, the Bulldogs sat out the 1918–19 season as well. In May 1919, NHL president Calder and Mike Quinn made efforts to return Quebec to the league. Calder suggested that Quinn apply to the league for a new franchise. On December 2, 1919, the NHL approved the application of the Quebec Athletic Club for an NHL franchise. Newspapers at the time now referred to the team as the ''Quebec Athletics'' rather than ''Bulldogs''. While the team had been suspended, their star player, Joe Malone, played for the Canadiens. Malone rejoined the franchise, and won the scoring championship that year with 39 goals. Despite Malone's scoring and the presence of players like Harry Mummery, Quebec had a dismal season, finishing last, with 4 wins and 20 losses. Before the 1920–21 season, the NHL took back the franchise, and sold it to new owners who moved the team to Hamilton, where it became the Tigers. This helped to head off a potential competing league organized by Livingstone from setting up in Hamilton. The Tigers played in the NHL from

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

to 1925. Due in large part to a team players' strike in the 1925 NHL playoffs, the franchise was revoked a second time that summer, this time for good. The entire Tigers roster was then sold to Bill Dwyer, owner of the expansion

New York Americans The New York Americans, colloquially known as the Amerks, were a professional ice hockey team based in New York City from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the second to play ...

franchise. However, the NHL does not reckon the Americans as a continuation of the Bulldogs/Tigers franchise. The Americans would play in the NHL from 1925 to 1942. The last active Bulldogs player in major-league hockey was

Dave Ritchie David Ritchie or Dave Ritchie may refer to: * David Ritchie (cricketer) (1892–1974), English cricketer * David Ritchie (diplomat), Australian diplomat * David Ritchie (footballer) (born 1971), former English footballer * David Ritchie (moderator) ...

, who retired in 1926. The last active Bulldog player was Eddie Oatman, who played pro hockey until 1939 and played against the CAHL Quebec Beavers in 1929. Over time, various hockey teams played in Quebec, including the minor-pro Quebec Castors and Quebec Aces. Big-league hockey would not return to Quebec City until the Quebec Nordiques were founded in 1972 as part of the new

World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association (french: Association mondiale de hockey) was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (NHL) ...

. They joined the NHL in 1979. However, as with the Bulldogs, they found the going difficult playing in the league's smallest market. They moved to

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

in 1995 as the

Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (N ...

. A

potential National Hockey League expansion The National Hockey League (NHL) has undergone several rounds of expansion and other organizational changes during its history to reach its current thirty-two teams: twenty-five in the United States, and seven in Canada. The newest additions to th ...

bid for Quebec City has been tabled by the league's board of governors since 2015.

Season-by-season record

* 1888–1898 – Amateur Hockey Association of Canada * 1899–1905 – Canadian Amateur Hockey League * 1906–1909 –

* Jan. 1910 – Canadian Hockey Association * 1910–1917 – National Hockey Association * 1919–1920 –

''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against'' Note: 1 = first half of season, 2 = second half of season

Head coaches

Charles Nolan Charles Nolan (June 5, 1957 – January 30, 2011) was an American fashion designer. He was the fifth in a family of nine children and was raised in the New York City borough of Brooklyn and the New York City suburb of Massapequa, Long Island. ...

(1910–12) * Mike Quinn (1912–20)

Notable players

Hall of Famers

Rusty Crawford Samuel Russell Crawford (November 7, 1885 – December 19, 1971) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Quebec Bulldogs of the National Hockey Association (NHA), Ottawa Senators and Toronto Arenas of the National Hocke ...

* Thomas Dunderdale *

Joe Hall Joseph Hall may refer to: Sports * Joe Hall (American football) (born 1979), American football player * Joe Hall (baseball) (born 1966), American baseball player * Joe Hall (ice hockey) (1881–1919), Canadian ice hockey player * Joe B. Hall (19 ...

* Joe Malone * Paddy Moran * Tommy Smith *

Bruce Stuart Charles Bruce Stuart (November 30, 1881 – October 28, 1961) was a Canadian amateur and professional ice hockey forward who played for the Quebec Bulldogs, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Wanderers, Portage Lakes Hockey Club, Pittsburgh Victorias ...

* Hod Stuart

Team captains

This list is incomplete. * Hod Stuart (1901) *

Herb Jordan Herbert Arthur Jordan (October 23, 1884 – June 2, 1973) was a Canadian amateur and later professional ice hockey player, most notably for the Quebec Bulldogs and the Renfrew Millionaires. Playing career Born in Quebec City, Quebec, Jordan made ...

(1905) * Joe Malone (1910–17, 1919–20)

1912 Stanley Cup Champions

* Paddy Moran – goal *

Goldie Prodgers Samuel George "Goldie" Prodgers (often misspelled Prodger) (February 18, 1891 – October 25, 1935) was a Canadian ice hockey player. During his career he played for the Waterloo Colts, Quebec Bulldogs, Victoria Aristocrats, Montreal Wanderers, M ...

– point *

– cover point * Joe Malone – centre * Eddie Oatman – right wing * Jack McDonald – left wing * Jack Marks – sub * Walter Rooney – centre sub *

George Leonard George Burr Leonard (August 9, 1923 – January 6, 2010) was an American writer, editor, and educator who wrote extensively about education and human potential. He served as President Emeritus of the Esalen Institute, past-president of the ...

– sub * Joe Savard – sub goalie

1913 Stanley Cup Champions

* Paddy Moran goal *

– point * Harry Mummery – cover point * Joe Malone – centre * Tommy Smith – right wing * Jack Marks – left wing * Russell Crawford – sub * Billy Creighton – sub *

Jeff Malone Jeffrey Nigel Malone (born June 28, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Mississippi State, and is mostly known for his time with the Washington Bullets (1983–1990) of the National Basket ...

– sub * James "Rockett" Power – sub * Walter Rooney – sub * Joe Savard – sub goalie

References

* * ;Notes

External links

Quebec Bulldogs at Sportsecyclopedia.com

Unofficial website
{{Authority control Amateur Hockey Association of Canada teams Canadian Amateur Hockey League teams Defunct National Hockey League teams National Hockey Association teams National Hockey League in Quebec National Hockey League teams based in Canada Ice hockey teams in Quebec City Ice hockey clubs established in 1878 Sports clubs disestablished in 1920 1878 establishments in Quebec 1920 disestablishments in Quebec