![Toronto-tecumsehs1912-13](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Toronto-tecumsehs1912-13.jpg)
The Tecumseh Hockey Club, also known as the Toronto Tecumsehs and nicknamed the Indians, were a team in the
National Hockey Association
The National Hockey Association (NHA), officially the National Hockey Association of Canada Limited, was a professional ice hockey organization with teams in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is the direct predecessor of today's National Hockey Lea ...
in
1912–13. They then became the
Toronto Ontarios
The Toronto Ontarios were a professional men's ice hockey team in the National Hockey Association from 1912 to 1915 based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They were first named the Tecumseh Hockey Club, renamed the Ontarios in 1913 and renamed the Toro ...
.
History
The NHA was founded in 1909 without any teams from
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
because there wasn't an arena in the city that was large enough to sustain a franchise. In 1911, a new
arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
was being built in Toronto and a franchise was awarded to the
Toronto Hockey Club
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 1912 ...
, and a group affiliated with the Tecumseh Lacrosse Club applied for a second franchise. The Tecumsehs bought a franchise from
Ambrose O'Brien
John Ambrose O'Brien (May 27, 1885 – April 24, 1968) was a Canadian industrialist and sports team owner. He was a founder of the National Hockey Association (NHA), owner of the Renfrew Millionaires and the founding owner of the Montreal Canad ...
, paying 500 cash and promissory notes for 2,000.
The Tecumsehs were put on the NHA schedule for the
1911–12 season with no home games scheduled until late in January, when the arena was expected to be completed. Because of construction delays, it soon became clear that the arena would not be ready in time, and both Toronto teams were removed from the schedule, leaving the NHA with only four teams for the season.
Before the 1912–13 season started, O'Brien said that he never received the balance of the franchise fee from the Tecumseh backers, so he re-sold the franchise to a group headed by William James "Billy" Bellingham from Montreal, a former defenceman of the
Montreal Victorias
The Victoria Hockey Club of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was an early men's amateur ice hockey club. Its date of origin is ascribed to either 1874, 1877 or 1881, making it either the first or second organized ice hockey club after McGill University. ...
. Goaltender
Billy Nicholson, formerly with
Montreal Hockey Club
The Montreal Hockey Club of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was a senior-level men's amateur ice hockey club, organized in 1884. They were affiliated with Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (MAAA) and used the MAAA 'winged wheel' logo. The team was t ...
, was appointed player-manager-captain. The team he put together included future hall-of-famer
George McNamara and his brother,
Howard McNamara
Howard Dennis McNamara (November 22, 1891 – September 24, 1940) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played professionally from 1908 to 1920, including two seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, including the 1916 Stanley Cup champ ...
. Teddy Oke, who would go on to be one of the founders of the
Canadian Professional Hockey League
The Canadian Professional Hockey League, also known as Can-Pro, was a minor professional hockey league founded in 1926. After three seasons, it became the International Hockey League (IHL) in 1929. The Can-Pro name was then given to a new league o ...
in 1926, was also on the team.
They played their first game on December 28, 1912 against the
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 ...
at the arena, which would soon become known as Arena Gardens. The visiting Wanderers won 7-4 in front of 5,000 fans. Paid attendance of 4,339 and gate receipts of 3,040 both set short-lived Toronto hockey records. The Tecumsehs got off to a good start, but at the end of the season were in last place in the six-team NHA in with seven wins and 13 losses.
"Canadiens lost their final game – N. H. A. Standing – The Finish"
''The Gazette'' (Montreal). Mar. 6, 1913 (pg. 12). Retrieved 2020-10-30. Bellingham sold the bankrupt club to Tom Wall, who renamed the team the Toronto Ontarios
The Toronto Ontarios were a professional men's ice hockey team in the National Hockey Association from 1912 to 1915 based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They were first named the Tecumseh Hockey Club, renamed the Ontarios in 1913 and renamed the Toro ...
.
References
{{reflist
1912–13 in Canadian ice hockey by team
Tec
Ice hockey clubs established in 1912
Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 1913
Defunct ice hockey teams in Canada
1912 establishments in Ontario
1913 disestablishments in Ontario