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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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