Pre-NHL Stanley Cup Challenge List

Eric Zweig

Posted November 17, 2015

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In the days before the NHL had a grip on the Stanley Cup, the cherished mug was a challenge trophy to be competed for by amateurs originally, and eventually pro teams as well.

In what is likely one of the most in-depth analysis of cup challenges, author and historian Eric Zweig put together the following list of challenges for the cup leading up to 1913.

Team names in bold indicate that the challenge game was played. Team names highlighted in green indicated successfully winning the challenge from the previous holder.

Date	Team	Credentials	Decision	Reasons/Results
March, 1894	Osgoode Hall	OHA champions	accepted	Series never played because of length/lateness of AHA tiebreaking playoffs.
Feb. 28 1895	Queens University	OHA champions	accepted	Because of 1894 problem and possibility of tie again in 1895, series ordered with Montreal AAA.
Nov./Dec. 1895	Winnipeg Victorias	Manitoba champions	accepted	Challenge accepted in January of 1896. Winnipeg defeated Montreal Vics on Feb. 14, 1896.
Nov. 11 1896	Montreal Victorias	AHA champions	accepted	Series played prior to 1897 season. Defeated Winnipeg Victorias on Dec. 30, 1896.
Mar. 12, 1897	Ottawa Capitals	CCHA champions	accepted	Series played prior to 1898 season. Best-of-three series halted after one-sided Montreal Vics win.
November, 1897	Winnipeg Victorias	Manitoba champions	N/A	Likely never issued a formal challenge for 1898.
January, 1899	Winnipeg Victorias	Manitoba champions	accepted	Montreal Vics won best-of-three series 2-0 in February. (Ended in controversy with referee.)
Feb. 24, 1899	Queens University	OHA champions	accepted	Despite reports they would not challenge, Queens played Montreal Shamrocks on Mar. 14 and lost.
January, 1900	Winnipeg Victorias	Manitoba champions	accepted	Lost best-of-three series 2-1 to Montreal Shamrocks in February.
February, 1900	Halifax Crescents	Maritime champions	accepted	Lost two-game, total-goals series 21-2 to Montreal Shamrocks.
March, 1900	Toronto Wellingtons	OHA champions	N/A	OHA considered challenge on champions behalf, but no formal request ever made.
December, 1900	Winnipeg Victorias	Manitoba champions	accepted	Defeated Montreal Shamrocks 2-0 in best-of-three series in January 1901.
Feb./Mar. 1901	Ottawa Hockey Club	CAHL champions	N/A	Considered challenge, but decided against it. (See four, six lines below.)
Feb./Mar. 1901	Berlin Hockey Club	Western OHA champs	N/A	Hoped to play Winnipeg, Ottawa or OHA champ'n Toronto Wellingtons, but made no formal Stanley Cup challenge.
Feb./Mar. 1901	Toronto Wellingtons	OHA champions	N/A	Winnipeg invited winner of OHA championship to challenge, but didn't happen yet. (See three lines below.)
June 7, 1901	Dawson Civil Service	Yukon champions	accepted	Trustees accepted challenge and asked team to name dates. Received no follow up, so no challenge took place.
Oct. 15, 1901	Ottawa Hockey Club	CAHL champions	N/A	Again considered challenge, but did not follow up. (See four lines above, two lines below.)
Dec. 11, 1901	Toronto Wellingtons	OHA champions	accepted	Lost best-of-three series 2-0 to Winnipeg Victorias in January 1902. (See three lines above.)
February, 1902	Ottawa Hockey Club	CAHL champions (1901)	deferred	Trustees willing to accept challenge. Winnipeg preferred to wait for challenge from 1902 champs.
Mar. 1, 1902	Montreal AAA	CAHL champions (1902)	accepted	Defeated Winnipeg Vics 2-1 in best-of-three series in March.
Nov. 10, 1902	Winnipeg Victorias	Manitoba champions	accepted	Lost best-of-three series 2-1 to Montreal AAA in Jan./Feb. 1903.
Jan. 28, 1903	Toronto Wellingtons	OHA champions	accepted	Challenge accepted by trustees, but Wellingtons could not play due to late scheduling of CAHL playoff.
Feb. 20, 1903	Rat Portage Thistles	Manitoba champions	accepted	Lost best-of-three series 2-0 to Ottawa Hockey Club (Silver Seven) in March.
Summer 1903	Winnipeg Rowing Club	Western Canada champ	accepted	Lost best-of-three series 2-1 to Ottawa Hockey Club (Silver Seven) in Dec./Jan. 1904.
Feb. 4, 1904	Toronto Marlboros	OHA champions	accepted	Lost best-of-three series 2-0 to Ottawa Hockey Club (Silver Seven) in February.
Feb. 10, 1904	Montreal Wanderers	FAHL champions	accepted	Series abandoned after one tie game. Ottawa still champions.
Feb. 10, 1904	Brandon Hockey Club	Manitoba champions	accepted	Lost best-of-three series 2-0 to Ottawa Hockey Club (Silver Seven) in March.
Feb. 16, 1904	Quebec Hockey Club	CAHL Champions	N/A	CAHL stated Cup should go to their champion (following Ottawa’s withdraw). Trustees disagreed. No challenge entered.
Feb. 22, 1904	Berlin Hockey Club	Western OHA champs	rejected	Lateness of season. Too many challenges ahead of them. (Western OHA considered minor league.)
Feb. 24, 1904	Queens University	Intercollegiate champs	accepted	Never played. Dates arranged for second week in March conflicted with medical exams. (Possible rejected.)
Mar. 4, 1904	Amherst Ramblers	Maritime champions	rejected	Lateness of season. Too many challenges head of them. (Questionable calibre of league.)
Sept. 9, 1904	Dawson City	Yukon champions	accepted	Lost best-of-three series 2-0 to Ottawa Hockey Club (Silver Seven) in January 1905.
Feb. 6, 1905	Rat Portage Thistles	Manitoba champions	accepted	Lost best-of-three series 2-1 to Ottawa Hockey Club (Silver Seven) in March 1905.
February, 1905	Amherst Ramblers	Maritime champions	accepted	Not played due to lateness of season. (Maritime playoffs not over until mid March.) Never rescheduled for 1906.
Feb. 18, 1905	McGill University	Intercollegiate champs	N/A	Marty Walsh of Queen's suggest McGill should challenge. No challenge was issued.
Feb. 25, 1905	Smith's Falls	OHA contenders	N/A	Smith's Falls won disputed OHA final vs. Marlboros and challenged for Cup. OHA final then replayed, Marlies won.
March, 1905	Montreal Victorias	CAHL champions	accepted	Not played due to lateness of season. Put off to 1906. Never played. (No need after formation of ECAHA.)
Mar. 9, 1905	Toronto Marlboros	OHA champions	deferred	Lateness of season. Challenge put over until 1906. Ottawa declined to play Cup games prior to start of new season.
Feb. 12, 1906	Queens University	Intercollegiate champs	accepted	Lost two-game, total-goals series 28-14 to Ottawa Hockey Club (Silver Seven) in February.
February, 1906	Smith's Falls	FAHL champions	accepted	Lost two-game, total-goals series 14-7 to Ottawa Hockey Club (Silver Seven) in March.
Mar. 14, 1906	Kenora Thistles	Manitoba champions	accepted	Delayed due to lateness of season. Defeated Wanderers 2-0 in best-of-three series in January 1907.
March, 1906	New Glasgow Cubs	Maritime champions	accepted	Delayed due to lateness of season. Lost best-of-three series to Wanderers in December 1906.
Feb. 13, 1907	Montreal Montagnards	FAHL contenders	N/A	Announced plans to challenge if FAHL champs, but resigned from league (while in first place) in dispute.
February, 1907	Pittsburgh Pros	IPHL contenders	N/A	Pittsburgh wanted challenge if champs. Trustees say American teams unacceptable. Canadian Soo OK. (Houghton won.)
Mar. 4, 1907	Montreal Wanderers	ECAHA champions	accepted	Defeated Kenora Thistles 12-8 in two-game, total-goals series in March.
Mar. 4, 1907	Winnipeg HC (Winnipegs)	Western Canada champ	N/A	Did not press for challenge after Wanderers defeated Thistles. (See three lines below.)
Mar. 13, 1907	Renfrew Creamery Kings	Ottawa Valley champs	accepted	Ordered to playoff against Ottawa Vics in December 1907 to determine Cup challenger. Defeated.
Offseason 1907	Ottawa Victorias	FAHL champions	accepted	Defeated Renfrew to determine challenger. Lost total-goal series 22-4 to Wanderers in January 1908.
Nov. 15, 1907	Winnipeg HC (Winnipegs)	Western Canada champ	rejected	(?) Announced plans to go east if challenge accepted. Never went east. (Challenge rejected?) (See three lines above.)
Feb./Mar. 1908	Winnipeg Maple Leafs	Manitoba pro champs	accepted	Lost two-game, total-goals series 20-8 to Montreal Wanderers in March.
Feb. 28, 1908	Toronto Professionals	OPHL champions	accepted	Lost one-game challenge to Montreal Wanderers on March 14.
Mar. 10, 1908	Renfrew Creamery Kings	Ottawa Valley champs	rejected	First put over to next year, then rejected on September 10, 1908. League of insufficient calibre.
Mar. 21, 1908	Edmonton Hockey Club	Interprovincial champs	deferred	Put over to next year. Lost two-game, total goal series to Montreal Wanderers 13-10 in December 1908.
Sept./Oct. 1908	Nelson Hockey Club	B.C. champions	N/A	May never have issued a formal challenge. Indication from trustees they would not accept.
January, 1909	Renfrew Federals	FHL champions	rejected	Rejected for possible roster violations. To be re-considered for early 1909-10 dates. Rejected again on Nov. 24, 1909.
February, 1909	Galt Professionals	OPHL champions	accepted	Delayed for 1909 due to ineligible players. Accepted again on Nov. 24, 1909. Lost to Ottawa in January 1910.
Feb. 15, 1909	Cobalt Silver Kings	Temiskaming champs	rejected	Rejected due to ineligible players. To be re-considered for early 1909-10 dates. Rejected again on Nov. 24, 1909.
February, 1909	Winnipeg Shamrocks	Manitoba pro champs	accepted	Delayed for 1909 by own choice. Accepted again on Nov. 24, 1909. Team disbanded in January. Never played for Cup.
October, 1909	Edmonton Hockey Club	Alberta/West champs	accepted	Originally rejected for early 1909 in favor of Galt, Winnipeg, but later accepted. Lost to Ottawa in January 1910.
Oct./Nov. 1909	Nelson Hockey Club	B.C. champions	N/A	May never have issued a formal challenge. Dates indicated by trustees unfavorable to Nelson.
Feb. 24, 1910	Berlin Dutchmen	OPHL champions	accepted	Lost one-game challenge to Montreal Wanderers on March 12.
Mar. 12, 1910	Moosomin	Saskatchewan contender	N/A	Declared intention to challenge if league champions, but final with Saskatoon halted by warm weather with no winner.
Feb. 11, 1911	Prince Albert Mintos	Saskatchewan champs	accepted	Ordered to playoff against Port Arthur in March. Lost two-game, total-goals series 12-8. Eliminated from Cup play.
February, 1911	Port Arthur	NOHL champions	accepted	Ordered to face PA in March. Won two-game, total goals series 12-8. Lost one-game Cup challenge to Ottawa.
Feb. 21, 1911	Galt Professionals	OPHL champions	accepted	Ordered to face Port Hope in March. Won two-game, total goals series 12-8. Lost one-game Cup challenge to Ottawa.
February, 1911	Phoenix Hockey Club	B.C. champions	deferred	Put over to next year. Never played.
February, 1911	Moncton Victorias	Maritime pro champs	deferred	Put over to next year. (May not have issued a formal challenge at this time.)
Feb. /Mar. 1911	Port Hope	EOPHL champions	accepted	Ordered to face Galt in March. Lost two-game, total-goals series 12-8. Eliminated from Cup play.
February, 1912	Port Arthur	NOHL champions	accepted	Ordered to face Saskatoon. Won two-game, total-goals playoff 12-6, but chose not to face NHA champion for Cup.
Feb. 13, 1912	Saskatoon	Saskatchewan champs	accepted	Ordered to playoff against Port Arthur in March. Lost two-game, total-goals series 12-6. Eliminated from Cup play.
Feb. 22, 1912	New Westminster Royals	PCHA champions	deferred	PCHA season to end too late for champion to play in East. Challenge put over to December, but not acted upon.
Feb. 28, 1912	Moncton Victorias	Maritime pro champs	accepted	Lost Stanley Cup series to Quebec Bulldogs in March.
February, 1913	Victoria Aristocrats	PCHA champions	N/A	Would not play in Quebec (rink too small to defray costs). Invited Quebec to Victoria. NOT intended as a Cup challenge.
Feb./Mar. 1913	Sydney Millionaires	Maritime pro champs	accepted	Lost Stanley Cup series to Quebec Bulldogs in March.

Note: In many cases, challenges were issued by league presidents before a league champion had been determined.

League Abbreviations
OHA = Ontario Hockey Assocation.
AHA = Amateur Hockey Association of Canada.
CAHL = Canadian Amateur Hockey League.
CCHA = Central Canadian Hockey Association.
FAHL = Federal Amateur Hockey League.
IPHL = International Professional Hockey League.
ECAHA = Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Assocation.
OPHL = Ontario Professional Hockey League.
FHL = Federal Hockey League.
NOHL = New (Northern) Ontario Hockey League.
EOPHL = Eastern Ontario Professional Hockey League.
PCHA = Pacific Coast Hockey Association.

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