The United States Amateur Hockey Association (USAHA) was an

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 ...

governing body in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

from 1920 to 1925, which operated at an amateur level. The league was filled with predominantly Canadian-born players, but struggled to achieve consistent attendance figures in the days before large arenas with artificial ice. The association disbanded in 1925, with some teams eventually joining the American Hockey Association, and one team joining the

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

History

The United States Amateur Hockey Association (USAHA) was founded on October 25, 1920 in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. The

International Skating Union of America International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

which had governed ice hockey until then, resolved to turn over control of the sport with the approval of the

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It has ...

(AAU). The USAHA also inherited the existing affiliation agreement with 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), which allowed teams from the USAHA to play against teams in either the AAU or the CAHA. William Samuel Haddock from Pittsburgh was elected the first president of the USAHA. The original eight teams in the USAHA included the

Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets was the name of three separate ice hockey teams based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The original team was part of the United States Amateur Hockey Association (USAHA) from 1920 to 1925 and developed from predecessors dating ...

, and teams from

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, Philadelphia, and three from

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

including

Duluth , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

Eveleth Eveleth is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,718 at the 2010 census. U.S. Highway 53 and State Highway 37 (MN 37) are two of the main routes in Eveleth. Eveleth was the site of the conflict that resu ...

, and

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

. Later additions were the

Boston Athletic Association The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) is a non-profit, running-focused, organized sports association for the Greater Boston area. The B.A.A. hosts such events as the Boston Marathon, the B.A.A. 5K, the B.A.A. 10K, the B.A.A. Half Marathon, the ...

, the Fort Pitt Hornets,

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, and three transfers from the

American Amateur Hockey Association American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

which included teams from

Calumet Calumet may refer to: Places United States *Calumet Region, in northern Illinois and Indiana **Calumet River **Calumet Trail, Indiana ** Calumet (East Chicago) * Calumet, Colorado *Calumet, Iowa * Calumet, Michigan *Calumet, Minnesota * Calumet ...

Houghton Houghton may refer to: Places Australia * Houghton, South Australia, a town near Adelaide * Houghton Highway, the longest bridge in Australia, between Redcliffe and Brisbane in Queensland * Houghton Island (Queensland) Canada *Houghton Township, ...

and

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Sault Ste. Marie ( ') is the only city in, and county seat of, Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. With a population of 13,337 at the 2020 census, it is the second-most populated city in the Upper Peninsula after Marquette. It i ...

. The USAHA divided its team into three divisions for the first two seasons, with teams grouped in the east, the mid-west and northwest. From 1922 onward, the association was grouped into eastern and western divisions. In 1922, an annual post-season series was arranged for the USAHA champion to play the senior hockey champion of the CAHA for the Hamilton B. Wills Trophy, but no such series was played for various reasons. In 1923, the USAHA and the CAHA negotiated an agreement to govern the migration of senior hockey players between the associations. Persistent disagreements on player movements between the USAHA and the CAHA, led to CAHA president Silver Quilty cancelling the agreement in 1925. The USAHA disbanded after the 1924–25 season. The Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets joined the

, and the western teams were reorganized as the Central Hockey League in 1925, which later became the American Hockey Association in 1926. The association had faced difficulties with consistent refereeing, and the lack of suitable ice for the whole season since most teams played on natural outdoor ice surfaces instead of arenas. The

Minneapolis Arena The Minneapolis Arena was an indoor ice rink in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, that hosted the various Minneapolis Millers teams from 1925 until 1963 and the Minneapolis Bruins of the Central Hockey League from 1963 until 1965. It held 5,500 people a ...

, and the

Duquesne Gardens The Duquesne Gardens (officially Duquesne Garden until 1940 and The Gardens afterward) was the main sports arena located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the first half of the 20th century. Built in 1890, the building originally served as a tr ...

in Pittsburgh were the largest rinks at the time. The association also struggled with attendance figures due to the varying arena capacities.

Teams

* Boston A.A. (1920–1925) *Boston Hockey Club (1922–1925) *Boston Maples (1923–1925) *Boston Pere Marquette Knights of Columbus (1921–22) *Boston Shoe Trades (1920–21) *Boston Victorias (1922–23) *Boston Westminsters (1921–22) **New Haven Westminsters (1922–1924) *Calumet H/C (1920–1922) *Canadian Soo Greyhounds (1920–1922) * Cleveland Hockey Club (a.k.a. "Indians" or "Blues") (1920–1925) *Duluth Hornets (1920–1925) * Eveleth Reds (1920–1924) ** Eveleth Arrowheads (1924–25) * Fort Pitt Hornets (1924–25) *Michigan Soo Wildcats (1920–1922) *Milwaukee AC (1922–23) *Minneapolis Millers (1923–24) **Minneapolis Rockets (1924–25) *New York Canadian Club (1922–23) * New York St. Nicholas (1920–1923) *Philadelphia Quaker City (1920–1922) * Pittsburgh Yellowjackets (1921–1925) *Portage Lakes H/C (1920–1922) * St. Paul Athletic Club/Saints (1920–1925)

Players

USAHA players were predominantly

Canadians Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

, with the St. Paul and Duluth teams being the exceptions. Rosters were typically small and ranged from nine to twelve players, and teams did not usually have an alternate goaltender. Notable players from the USAHA include: *

Taffy Abel Clarence John "Taffy" Abel (May 28, 1900 – August 1, 1964) was an American professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers and Chicago Black Hawks between 1926 and 1934. Born in 1900 in Sault ...

* Nobby Clark *

Lionel Conacher Lionel Pretoria Conacher, MP (; May 24, 1900 – May 26, 1954), nicknamed "The Big Train", was a Canadian athlete and politician. Voted the country's top athlete of the first half of the 20th century, he won championships in numerous sports. ...

Anthony Conroy Anthony Joseph "Tony" Conroy (October 19, 1895 – January 11, 1978) was an American ice hockey player. He played as a forward on the United States hockey teams. The team competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics, winning the silver medal. He moved i ...

Vic Desjardins Victor Arthur Desjardins (July 4, 1898 – November 22, 1988) was an American ice hockey player. He played 87 games in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Black Hawks and New York Rangers during the 1930–31 and 1931–32 seasons. The re ...

Herb Drury Herbert Joseph Drury (March 2, 1896 – July 30, 1965) was a Canadian-born American ice hockey defenseman who played six seasons in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Quakers. Internationally he played fo ...

Percy Galbraith Percival Walter "Perk" Galbraith (December 5, 1898 – June 19, 1961) was a Canadian ice hockey forward. He was born in Toronto, Ontario. He played in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators between 1926 and 1934. ...

* Moose Goheen *

Magnus Goodman Magnus "Mike" Goodman (18 March 1898 – 18 July 1991) was an Icelandic-Canadian athlete. He was a member of the Winnipeg Falcons ice hockey team, who represented Canada at the 1920 Summer Olympics and won the gold medal. Life Goodman was born ...

Ching Johnson Ivan Wilfred "Ching" Johnson (December 7, 1897 – June 17, 1979) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the New York Rangers and New York Americans in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1926 and 1938. He was an or ...

Herbie Lewis Herbie Lewis (February 17, 1941 – May 18, 2007) was an American jazz double bassist. He played or recorded with Cannonball Adderley, Stanley Turrentine, Bobby Hutcherson, Freddie Hubbard, Harold Land, Jackie McLean, Archie Shepp, Tete Mont ...

* Joseph McCormick *

Lawrence McCormick Lawrence James McCormick (July 12, 1888 – December 30, 1961) was a Canadian-born American ice hockey player who became a naturalized citizen of the United States on March 17, 1920, and competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics for the American ice ...

* Mickey McGuire * Hib Milks * Muzz Murray *

Herb Rhéaume Herbert Elbert Rhéaume (January 12, 1900 – January 1, 1953) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 31 games in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens as an emergency replacement following Georges Vézina's ...

Eddie Rodden Edmund Anthony Rodden (March 22, 1901 in Mattawa, Ontario — October 9, 1986) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 97 games in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Black Hawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and N ...

Jim Seaborn Thomas James Seaborn (March 6, 1890 – January 15, 1964) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association for the Vancouver Millionaires. Playing career Seaborn was a defenceman who played for the ...

* Raymie Skilton *

Art Somers Arthur Ernest James Somers (January 19, 1902 – January 29, 1992) was a Canadian ice hockey player who played 222 games in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Black Hawks and New York Rangers from 1929 to 1935. With the Rangers he won th ...

Nels Stewart Robert Nelson "Old Poison" Stewart (December 29, 1899 – August 21, 1957) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Maroons, New York Americans and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League. He is an Honoure ...

Tiny Thompson Cecil Ralph "Tiny" Thompson (May 31, 1903 – February 9, 1981) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), first for the Boston Bruins, and later for the Detroit Red Wings. ...

* Vern Turner *

Flat Walsh James Patrick "Flat" Walsh (March 23, 1897 — December 2, 1959) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Maroons and New York Americans between 1927 and 1933. Much of his ca ...

Cooney Weiland Ralph "Cooney" Weiland (November 5, 1904 – July 3, 1985) was a Canadian ice hockey forward who played for the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, and Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Weiland was part of the Bruins' 1928 "Dy ...

* Frank Winters *

Roy Worters Roy Thomas "Shrimp" Worters (October 19, 1900 November 7, 1957) was a Canadian professional Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Canadiens and New York American ...

Player gallery

File:Raymie Skilton Boston Shoe Trades.jpg, Raymie Skilton with the Boston Shoe Trades (1920–21) File:Jim Cree Cleveland HC.jpg, Jim Cree with the Cleveland Hockey Club (1920–21) File:Herb Rheaume Boston Westminsters.jpg,

with the Boston Westminsters (1921–22) File:Nels Stewart Cleveland HC.jpg,

with the Cleveland Hockey Club (1922–23) File:Shorty & Wilfred Veno Boston Westminsters.jpg, Shorty & Wilfred Veno with the Boston Westminsters (1921–22) File:Irving Small.jpg, Irving Small with the Boston Westminsters (1921–22)

Champions

United States Amateur Hockey Association regular season and playoff champions. Canadian Soo was ineligible to compete for the U.S. championship, so group runner-up Eveleth entered the playoffs instead.

References

{{reflist

External links

United States Amateur Hockey Association and statistics
Defunct ice hockey leagues in the United States 1920 establishments in the United States 1925 disestablishments in the United States Sports leagues established in 1920 Sports leagues disestablished in 1925