1898 AHAC Season
| Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Goals For | Goals Against |
| Montreal Victorias | 8 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 33 |
| Montreal HC | 5 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 21 |
| Montreal Shamrocks | 3 | 5 | 0 | 25 | 39 |
| Quebec HC | 2 | 6 | 0 | 29 | 32 |
| Ottawa HC | 2 | 6 | 0 | 28 | 44 |
Skater Stats
| Name | Team | Position | Goals | Assists | Points |
| McKerrow* | Montreal HC | Forward | 11 | 4 | 15 |
| Brown | Shamrocks | Forward | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Hutchison | Ottawa | Forward | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Drinkwater | Victorias | Forward | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| Gillespie | Quebec | Forward | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| R. McDougall | Victorias | Forward | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| C. Davidson | Victorias | Forward | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Howard | Montreal HC | Forward | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| McLea | Victorias | Forward | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Locke | Montreal HC | Forward | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| White | Ottawa | Forward | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Horsfall* | Montreal HC | Forward | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Scanlan | Shamrocks | Forward | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Young | Ottawa | Cover | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Swift | Quebec | Forward | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Living | Ottawa | Forward | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Trihey | Shamrocks | Forward | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Brennan | Shamrocks | Forward | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| A.D. Scott | Quebec | Forward | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| A.E. Scott | Quebec | Forward | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Spittal | Ottawa | Forward | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Fernie | Montreal HC | Forward | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Tansey | Shamrocks | Point/Cover | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Westwick | Ottawa | Forward | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| H. McDougall | Victorias | Point | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Nicholson | Shamrocks | Forward | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Smith | Quebec | Forward | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Baird | Montreal HC | Cover | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| S. Davidson | Victorias | Forward | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Grant | Victorias | Cover | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Norris | Montreal HC | Point | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Wall | Shamrocks | Cover/Point | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Watson | Quebec | Cover | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | | | | |
| C. or S. Davidson | Victorias | N/A | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| H. or R. McDougall | Victorias | N/A | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Horsfall or McKerrow | Montreal HC | N/A | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Howard or Locke | Montreal HC | N/A | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Hutchison or Rosenthal | Ottawa | N/A | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| A.E. or C. Scott | Quebec | N/A | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Spittal or White | Ottawa | N/A | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| H. McDougall or McLea | Victorias | N/A | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | | | | |
| Maybe Horsfall | Montreal HC | Forward | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Maybe McKerrow | Montreal HC | Forward | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| | | | | |
| Possibly R. McDougall | Victorias | Forward | 0 | 2 | |
| | | | | |
| UNK | Victorias | N/A | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| UNK | Quebec | N/A | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| UNK | Montreal HC | N/A | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| UNK | Shamrocks | N/A | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| UNK | Ottawa | N/A | 2 | 0 | 2 |
* Both Horsfall and McKerrow almost certainly had one additional point, as they were each mentioned as having either scored the goal or an assist on the same goal in game #8 on 22 January.
Note 1- What a frustrating season from a stat-collection point of view. I think this season had the most hockey coverage of them all, but several games had either missing or incomplete data. Hopefully there are just some sources I haven’t come across yet, but for now, this is what I have.
Note 2- To continue that thought, the massive amounts of unattributed goals obviously changes what this leaderboard actually looked like. The 22 unattributed goals from the Victorias, for example, is almost as many as the Shamrocks scored the entire season. How this affects any statistical analysis, I will leave that for someone smarter than me to figure out (if there is any follow-on statistical analysis to come, that is).
Goalie Stats
| Name | Team | Games Played | Goals Allowed | GAA |
| Tobin | Shamrocks | 2 | 5 | 2.50 |
| Collins | Montreal HC | 8 | 21 | 2.62 |
| Lewis | Victorias | 3 | 9 | 3.00 |
| Stocking | Quebec HC | 7 | 26 | 3.71 |
| Richardson | Victorias | 5 | 24 | 4.80 |
| Chittick | Ottawa | 4 | 21 | 5.25 |
| Semple | Shamrocks | 6 | 34 | 5.67 |
| Cope | Ottawa | 4 | 23 | 5.75 |
| O’Meara | Quebec | 1 | 6 | 6.00 |
Game #1: Montreal Victorias vs Montreal Shamrocks, 4 January 1898
The Shamrocks draw first blood, Brown scoring after a combination rush and play between Tansey, Wall, and Brown. The Victorias even it up, Davidson acquiring the puck after a lift from Grant and scoring. McLea scores to extend the lead, after some combination play among the forwards and a run by H. McDougall. Drinkwater scores next, and the half ends 3-1 Vics. R. McDougall opens the second half with a goal off a rush, and then he scores another. Davidson adds to the lead. The Shamrocks attempt a comeback, with goals scored by Brown, Trihey, and Tansey, but it was too late to recover.
A Montreal paper reported: “The Victorias defence was weak in one point, but this was more than made up for by the splendid work done by Hartland McDougall and Lewis. The latter’s stops in goal were phenomenal, and the former’s play in front of the posts was such that it would be hard to repeat”
“The Victorias’ forward line sadly missed the services of Shirley Davidson, although at times they put on their old time dash and swept down the rink four abreast in a way as hard to stop as a cavalry charge. Still there was not that old time combination and confidence in each other which marked the team’s play last season”
Final Score: 6-4 Victorias
Rosters
Victorias: Lewis in goal, H. McDougall at point, Grant at cover, Davidson, Drinkwater, R. McDougall, and McLea at forward
Shamrocks: Semple in goal, Wall at point, Tansey at cover, Trihey, Brennan, Scanlan, and Brown at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Shamrocks | Brown | Tansey | Wall |
| Victorias | Davidson | Grant | N/A |
| Victorias | McLea | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | Drinkwater | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | McDougall | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | McDougall | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | Davidson | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Brown | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Trihey | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Tansey | N/A | N/A |
Game #2: Montreal HC vs Quebec HC, 8 January 1898
The teams exchange lifts, but then McKerrow goes on a rush and scores. Montreal starts off on the front foot during the next game, but Watson flips the ice with a rush. The game got physical. Montreal has the edge again, and “shot the puck time and again, while the home team were saved only by the phenomenal stopping of their goalkeeper, Stocking”. Gillespie goes coast-to-coast and passes to Scott, who scores. McKerrow and Smith get into a minor scrap. Scott scores again. Collins was said to have been “playing the game of his life”, with the puck “raining in on him”, and he takes a penalty. James fills in at goal, and reportedly does well, even making a dangerous rush that Stocking is forced to stop. Watson takes a penalty, Swift takes over at cover, and reportedly plays better there than at forward. Lock scores for Montreal. Gillespie scores the final two goals of the game.
A Montreal paper wrote: “The two games were scored by J. Gillespie, the junior member of the Quebec hockey team, and star of the 14 players. He was by far the fastest man on either team. Stocking, Scott, Smith, and Gillespie played the star game for Quebec, while Collins, McKerrow, McLeod, and Horsfall were the stars for Montreal”
An Ottawa paper reported: “The Quebecs have found a wonder in Gillespie, a junior. Stocking in goal was as invincible as ever”
Another Ottawa paper wrote: “The feature of the first half was Collins’ splendid work in goal”
Final Score: 5-2 Quebec HC
Rosters
Montreal: Collins in goal, Murphy at point, James at cover, Horsfall, Lock, McLeod, and McKerrow at forward
Quebec: Stocking in goal, Stock at point, Watson at cover, A.E. Scott, Swift, Smith, and Gillespie at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Montreal | McKerrow | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | A.E. Scott | Gillespie | N/A |
| Quebec | A.E. Scott | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Smith | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal | Locke | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Gillespie | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Gillespie | N/A | N/A |
Game #3: Ottawa HC vs Montreal Shamrocks, 8 January 1898
Ottawa starts off dangerous, but then the Shamrocks take over. “Young’s excellent play on the defence made the hamrock attack weary for his lifts were always put in in the right time and he never lost his head. He could keep a whole forward line guessing where he was at, and all of the sudden the puck would slip away from his stick and be out of danger. This is what saved the Senators goals several times”. Tansey and Trihey make runs. Ottawa forced Wall and Tansey to do some work defensively. Brennan, Scanlan, and Brown eventually go on a run, Brown scoring on a pass from Scanlan. That was the only goal of the first half, partly due to some good work from Semple. The Shamrocks come out in the second half applying pressure, but “Young and Pulford proved equal to the occasion”. Rosenthal or Hutchison ties the game for Ottawa. The next game has some back and forth action. Young’s play is described positively again here, both offensively and defensively. Chittick makes a desperation stop against Trihey. Brown gets the match winner off of a pass from Scanlon and Brennan. Ottawa tries to even it up, but is unable. Young makes some “gallant runs and Pulford did the same”, but the Shamrocks were able to make the stop time and again.
A Montreal paper reported: “The team that represented Ottawa was hardly as strong on the forward line as last season’s. Spittal, Alf. Smith, and Kirby were off. Spittal is said to be sick; Smith, according to Ottawa reports, has thrown in his lot with the Capitals and it does not look as though he would turn out with the senior aggregation again, but we shall have to wait and see. As for Kirby, he went off in a huff the other day and says he won’t play again. Of course he may be induced to change his mind”
“The match was a good exhibition, and at times some beautiful work was done by both teams, but when the ice got heavy and the pace slackened up, but even then there was plenty of excitement for the spectators by reason of the heavy checking indulged in. Young and Pulford were the leaders in this style of play and were not very particular how they stopped an opposing forward as long as they saved a score”
“It is wonderful how such slight players as Brennan and Brown manage to last through a hard game, and they must be in splendid condition”
“Trihey is a splendid general, and deserves to be successful”
“There is one fault about Scanlon, he attempts to do too much, and ought to be satisfied to look after his own wing”
“The defence is remarkably steady and cool. Tansey worked hard and is going to develop into a star of the first order. Wall fills the position of point with due credit to himself and is sure to make a successful player. Semple lost much of his nervousness on Saturday night and showed himself to be steady and reliable.
“On the Ottawa team the defence was certainly the strongest portion of the lot. The same three, Chittick, Pulford, and Young, that have represented the team previously, are in their old positions, and make things interesting for any enterprising forward that gets in their neighborhood. On the forward line Westwick is the only one of the old four out, and he worked as hard as ever, but he was off without the support of his former comrades. Rosenthal did good work, but the other two were only in the game at stages”
An Ottawa paper reports: “The Ottawas defence put up a great game all the way through. Young and Pulford stopped the rushes well and lifted the puck with a great deal of judgment”
“Living played a strong game but he should try and avoid being forced into the corners. Hutchison played at centre and put up a much better game than against Winnipeg. Westwick although he was not in shape and made a few misses, was easily the best individual forward on the ice. Harry Rosenthal put up a good hard game in the second half, but he was not sure enough at critical times when it came to shooting. He made many good rushes frequently passing a couple of men, but failed when he should have shot”
“For the Shamrocks, the entire forward line is a nicely balanced one, and Trihey, Scanlon, and Brown put up a fine game”
Another Ottawa paper wrote: “For some reason or other, too, the crowd seemed particularly down on Weldie Young. Why, it is difficult to say, unless because, in spite of his being out of condition, he played the star game of the night for Ottawa”
“Weldie’s lifts were particularly puzzling, and more than once only Sempe’s clever stops kept them from scoring”
Final Score: 2-1 Shamrocks
Rosters
Ottawa: Chittick in goal, Pulford at point, Young at cover, Westwick, Hutchison, Rosenthal, and Living at forward
Shamrocks: Semple in goal, Wall at point, Tansey at cover, Trihey, Brennan, Scanlan, and Dessie Brown at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Shamrocks | Brown | Scanlan | Brennan |
| Ottawa | Hutchison or Rosenthal | Living | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Brown | Brennan | N/A |
Game #4: Montreal Victorias vs Montreal HC, 11 January 1898
This was apparently a great game. Davidson went on a rush after the face, but Baird ended it and cleared. Grant makes a lift that Collins is forced to stop. The teams trade rushes, and Grant and Baird each receive praise for their defensive efforts. Collins makes another save, this time on McDougall. Lewis stops McKerrow, but Lock puts in the rebound. Davidson again makes a nice rush at the start of the next game. Howard makes a couple runs, but Grant or H. McDougall are there to stop them. McKerrow sends a couple shots that Lewis prevents from scoring. McLea scores to tie the game. H. McDougall is credited with some fine defensive play. McKerrow makes a run, passes to Lock, who scores. H. McDougall and Grant receive more credit for fine defensive play in the next game. Davidson has a couple chances, and a paper writes that “had Baird not been such a splendid defence man and Collins such a good stop, the games would have been rapidly chalked up to the VIctorias credit”. McKerrow eventually scores, putting Montreal HC up 3-1 at the half. James stops a McLea rush after the half. Bob McDougall stops a Montreal HC run. Grant and Baird exchange lifts. Baird stops a Bob McDougall run, and again shortly after. Baird stops McLea. Davidson makes a run, but has no support. Davidson gets the puck off a face again, skates up ice, and passes to Drinkwater, who scores. Drinkwater scores again, this one off a pass from McLea. Bob McDougall gets the match winner.
A Montreal paper reported: “Shirley Davidson, Bob Macdougall, McLea, and Drinkwater worked unceasingly and kept up a continual attack that told in the end. The men were in fine fettle and their victory was well deserved. The defence performed their end just as satisfactorily. Grant played a splendid game and was the cool and dashing ‘Mike’ of old. Hartland Macdougall was not less brilliant and he made some hair-raising plays that deserved the applause they received. Lewis made some beautiful stops and did his little utmost to prevent the puck from going through the poles too often”
“At cover point Hugh Baird put up a grand game. It was but seldom that a man got by him. He blocked wonderfully and lifted in great style. While James played a fairly good game, it is a question if there are not other men who could fill his position at point more acceptably. Collins played a splendid game between the poles and some of the stops he made appeared to be nothing short of miraculous”
Final Score: 4-3 Victorias
Rosters
Victorias: Lewis in goal, H. McDougall at point, Grant at cover, Drinkwater, S. Davidson, R. McDougall, and McLea at forward
Montreal HC: Collins in goal, James at point, Baird at cover, Howard, McKerrow, Horsfall, and Lock at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Montreal HC | Howard or Lock | McKerrow | N/A |
| Victorias | McLea | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal HC | Lock | McKerrow | N/A |
| Montreal HC | McKerrow | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | Drinkwater | S. Davidson | N/A |
| Victorias | Drinkwater | McLea | N/A |
| Victorias | R. McDougall | N/A | N/A |
Game #5: Ottawa HC vs Quebec HC, 15 January 1898
Ottawa takes the initiative early, but Stocking is playing well in goal. Quebec flips the ice, and Gillespie scores. Chittick decides to abandon his post for a run, and makes a pass to Westwick “but the wonderful Gillespie again intervenes”. Hutchison eventually puts Ottawa on the board. Spittal scores to give Ottawa the lead. Spittal makes another fine attempt, but to no avail. Gillespie scores again for Quebec. Quebec dominates the next game, but Chittick, Pulford, and Young refuse to concede a goal. Hutchison scores, giving Ottawa the lead once more. Scott scores for Quebec, but Living scores to give Ottawa the victory.
An Ottawa paper reported: “Hutchison’s game was a particularly satisfactory one and in the second half he seemed able to out skate any of the Quebec forwards”
“The Ottawa defence put up a splendid game”
Final Score: 4-3 Ottawa HC
Rosters
Ottawa: Chittick in goal, Pulford at point, Young at cover, Westwick, Living, Spittal, and Hutchison at forward
Quebec: Stocking in goal, C. Scott at point, Watson at cover, Swift, A.E. Scott, Gillespie, and Smith at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Quebec | Gillespie | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Hutchison | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Spittal | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Gillespie | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Hutchison | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Scott | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Living | N/A | N/A |
Game #6: Montreal HC vs Montreal Shamrocks, 15 January 1898
The Shamrocks start off aggressive, but then the two teams start trading chances. McKerrow is stopped by Scanlan, Scanlan shoots wide, but then McKerrow scores. Brown takes several shots, but is always wide. Montreal is dominating play at this point. McKerrow scores “by a pretty, dodgy run”. A Montreal paper at this point identifies the Shamrocks’ defense players as “weak”. The first half ends 2-0, but the second half gets ugly. Howard takes a pass from McKerrow and scores. McKerrow gets the next one. The Shamrocks force Collins into the action a bit, but he is up to the challenge. Howard scores on a rush. Montreal HC scores three more in a row. The Shamrocks score, then Montreal HC scores another, the Shamrocks score again, and Howard scores the last of the match.
A Montreal paper wrote: “The Shamrocks have the nucleus of a rattling team; the players are all young and fast skaters, particularly the forwards, but they lack combination, and cannot shoot with any degree of accuracy. Time and again the puck would be rushed up the ice, and what seemed to be a sure goal would be spoiled by a shot that went ten feet wide of the mark. The back division was compelled to play in close to the goals most of the time. This was due to Baird’s puzzling and dangerous lifts. As a lifter of the puck he has not a peer. Howard is also a wonder, and Collins in goals is all right. McKerrow is fast, and uses his head at times. Brown was the bright star in the Shamrock aggregation”
Another Montreal paper reported: “The forwards [of the Shamrocks] were certainly off color and did not do any work that counted until the match was lost beyond all hopes of saving. The defence was just as bad, and Semple, the goal-keep, might just as well have taken a seat on the side. As an acrobat Semple may shine, but his goal-keeping needs considerable improvement”
“Hugh Baird did good work at cover. Hames did not have very much work to do. COllins made some nice stops, but the greater majority of the shots fired at him were easy enough, goodness knows”
Final Score: 10-2 Montreal HC
Rosters
Montreal HC: Collins in goal, James at point, Baird at cover, Howard, McKerrow, Horsfall, and Locke at forward
Shamrocks: Semple in goal, Wall at point, Tansey at cover, Trihey, Brennan, Scanlan, and Brown at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Montreal HC | McKerrow | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal HC | McKerrow | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal HC | Howard | McKerrow | N/A |
| Montreal HC | McKerrow | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal HC | Howard | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal HC | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal HC | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal HC | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal HC | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal HC | Howard | N/A | N/A |
Game #7: Montreal Shamrocks vs Montreal Victorias, 19 January 1898
Unfortunately, I haven’t come across much on this one. I have the lineups, score, and a couple words about who played well, but no real details on who scored.
A Montreal paper wrote: “There were a couple of changes on the VIctoria team. ‘Geordie’ Lewis was off, he said last week that he had played his last game, and so was McLea. Richardson replaced Lewis, and played a good game between the flags. Eqing took McLea’s position. It was said that SHirley Davidson would not figure on the team, but he was out and played in his usual good style. Bob Macdougall did all the hard work of the line, and when he went down toward the enemy’s goal it was always safe to prophesy trouble for the other people. Grant fell into the bad graces of a portion of the spectators, and they made it rather lively for him. Hartland Macdougall played point and did excellent work”
“Semple did better work than in the Montreal game, but he is continually fidgeting, and gives on the impression that he wished he was somewhere else. After the game had been in progress for a while, Tansey, who was playing at cover, went to point, and Frank Wall went to cover. The change was beneficial, and both men did better work in their new places. Brown was the shining light of the forward line, and did some rattling good work”
Final Score: 7-5 Victorias
Rosters
Shamrocks: Semple in goal, Wall at point, Tansey at cover, Trihey, Brennan, Scanlon, and Brown at forward
Victorias: Richardson in goal, H. McDougall at point, Grant at cover, Davidson, B. McDougall, Ewing, and Drinkwater at forward
Game #8: Quebec HC vs Montreal HC, 22 January 1898
Swift makes a rush, then Locke makes a rush. Baird and Watson exchange lifts. Watson makes a run, passes to Gillespie who shoots, but Collins stops it. Baird makes a run. McKerrow makes a shot, Stocking makes the save, but Montreal scores before the puck could be cleared. McKerrow scores the second game. Horsfall and McKerrow have “some pretty combination play” and score. Gillespie passes the puck to Swift, who scores.
A Montreal paper wrote: “Gillespie is fondly called by the Quebeckers the little wonder, and his play would seem to justify the name. His work at times was indeed brilliant; he is a very fast skater and dodges well. He was watched particularly close Saturday night and he needed to be (1) Montreal knew well what a dangerous player he was, and gave him particular attention, so that he did not show up so brilliantly as he otherwise would have done. Stocking is a rattling fine goal-keper, and it was partly due to his great work that saved Quebec from a worse defeat. Shot after shot was rained in upon him and he cleverly turned them aside. Collins had on the other hand a comparatively easy time. Baird and Murphy played a faultless game and the Quebec forwards could do nothing with them”
An Ottawa paper wrote: “Stocking, the Quebec goal-keeper, was a wonder. Twenty times he was threatened and every time he cleared”
Final Score: 3-1 Montreal HC
Rosters
Quebec: Stocking in goal, C. Scott at point, Watson at cover, A.D. Scott, Swift, Smith, and Gillespie at forward
Montreal: Collins in goal, Murphy at point, Baird at cover, McKerrow, Horsfall, Locke, and Howard at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Montreal HC | UNK | McKerrow | N/A |
| Montreal HC | McKerrow | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal HC | Horsfall or McKerrow | Maybe McKerrow
Maybe Horsfall | N/A |
| Quebec | Swift | Gillespie | N/A |
Game #9: Montreal HC vs Ottawa HC, 29 January 1898
Montreal dominated the first game, McKerrow doing the needful on a pass from Locke, but Hutchison evened the score just twenty seconds later. Hutchison scores again, taking a 2-1 lead into the half. Ottawa opens the scoring in the second half. Collins keeps his team in the game, and they score two more to even it up. Horsfall scores the winner.
An Ottawa paper reported: “White, Living, and Hutchison played well on the forward line, White particularly putting up a splendid game. Spittal on the whole did not play as well as usual. Collins, Baird, Horsfall, and Howard played well for Montreal”
Final Score: 4-3 Montreal HC
Rosters
Montreal: Collins in goal, James at point, Baird at cover, Horsfall, McKerrow, Locke, and Howard at forward
Ottawa: Chittick in goal, Pulford at point, Young at cover, Living, Hutchison, Spittal, and White at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Montreal | McKerrow | Locke | N/A |
| Ottawa | Hutchison | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Hutchison | Young | N/A |
| Ottawa | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal | Horsfall | N/A | N/A |
Game #10: Quebec HC vs Montreal Victorias, 29 January 1898
H. McDougall makes a big defensive play. Swift and Watson are playing well defensively, but R. McDougall eventually scores. Davidson scores the next game, and Drinkwater the third. Swift gets Quebec on the board after a pass from Gillespie. A.D. Scott scores next on a pass from Watson. Swift scores, tying the game. A.D. Scott gives Quebec the lead. The Vics make some attempts at goal, but Stocking is up to the task. C. Davidson finally scores, then McLea gives the Vics the victory.
A Montreal paper wrote: “The superiority of the Vics was demonstrated by their ability in concerted play at times, although Richardson, the new goalkeeper for the Vics, was not by any means equal to Stocking of Quebec. The other members of Quebec deserving praise are the Scotts and Watson, their play was faultless”
“Cam Davidson has had the cloak of his brother fall upon him, and in a very short time he will probably have a bigger name in the hockey world, although this is saying a great deal, for there are few the equal of Shirley. Graham Drinkwater played his old-time steady and brilliant game. This is enough, for hockey people know what kind of a game this is”
Final Score: 5-4 Victorias
Rosters
Quebec: Stocking in goal, C. Scott at point, D. Watson at cover, A.D. Scott, Swift, Smith, and GIllespie at forward
Victorias: Richardson in goal, H. McDougall at point, Grant at cover, Drinkwater, C. Davidson, R. McDougall, and McLea at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Victorias | R. McDougall | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | C. Davidson | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | Drinkwater | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Swift | Gillespie | N/A |
| Quebec | A.D. Scott | Watson | N/A |
| Quebec | Swift | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | A.D. Scott | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | C. Davidson | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | McLea | N/A | N/A |
Game #11: Montreal Shamrocks vs Quebec HC, 5 February 1898
Not a lot on this one. It was physical and the game took forever to complete. Swift got the match winner via a “lift from about forty feet in front of the poles”.
A Montreal paper wrote: “Semple, Brown, Scanlan, and Trihey put up a great game. Swift and Gillespie played the best of the Quebec forwards”
Another Montreal paper reported: “Brown’s fast following up was very much admired. Semple in goals made some fine stops, repeatedly saving his goal”.
An Ottawa paper noted: “Both teams were in fair condition, although the hamrocks claim that Captain Trihey and F. Wall were sick and not up to the mark. For the visitors, Brown, Scanlon, and Tansey certainly put up the best game. Brennan played well also but he missed several opportunities to score. He seemed a little nervous. Stocking, Charlie Scott, and Gillespie did some fine work for their team. Gillespie had one fault only, that of making too many off sides. Yet he was the star forward of the Quebecs”
Final Score: 6-5 Quebec HC
Rosters
Shamrocks: Semple in goal, Tansey at point, F. Wall at cover, Brown, Brennan, Trihey, and Scanlan at forward
Quebec: Stocking in goal, C. Scott at point, Watson at cover, Smith, A.D. Scott, Swift, and Gillespie at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Quebec | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Trihey | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Scanlan | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Scanlan | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Brown | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Brown | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Swift | N/A | N/A |
Game #12: Ottawa HC vs Montreal Victorias, 5 February 1898
This one was ugly. Not much written, but we have lineups and goal scorers. Apparently a turning point in the game was when Young was ruled off for a bit, and the Vics scored four before he was allowed to return to the ice. Young was also knocked unconscious at one point, though he returned. He also had a fight with C. Davidson, so it was apparently a busy evening.
A Montreal paper wrote: “Chittick was a weak spot on the Ottawa defence, for he seemed not to be able to stop with his usual accuracy, and then when Spittal was hurt he had to be moved back from front and play in a position he is not used to”
Final Score: 12-6 Victorias
Rosters
Ottawa: Chittick in goal, Pulford at point, Young at cover, Living, Hutchison, Spittal, and White at forward
Victorias: Richardson in goal, H. McDougall at point, Grant at cover, Drinkwater, C. Davidson, R. McDougall, and McLea at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Victorias | R. McDougall | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Spittal | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | R. McDougall | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | White | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | McLea | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | R. McDougall | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | Drinkwater | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | H. McDougall | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Living | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Hutchison | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | Drinkwater | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | R. McDougall | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | C. Davidson | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | C. Davidson | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Living | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | C. Davidson | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Hutchison | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | Drinkwater | N/A | N/A |
Game #13: Montreal Shamrocks vs Montreal HC, 9 February 1898
Trihey made an attempt at goal, but shot wide. Horsfall stopped Trihey’s next attempt. Locke makes a run that Tansey ends. Play was very individualistic at this point. Finally McKerrow goes coast-to-coast and scores the only goal of the half. Tansey and Wall are forced to play some defense, Tansey’s lifts getting particular credit. Brown is doing the most work for the Shamrock forwards. For Montreal, Fernie and Locke are busy. Collins makes a couple shots. Fernie scores. Fernie later goes on a rush, and Locke scores. Trihey and Brown make some nice runs, but to no avail. Locke passes to Horsfall, who scores.
A Montreal paper wrote: “On the Montreal end there was a change, Norris playing point. The result was a decided improvement at that position. Baird was, as usual, at cover and made things interesting for everybody”
“Collins made some good stops and blocked Wall’s lifts neatly”
“Wall was very effective, and his lifts were well judged. Tansey was in good trim, and did his little utmost to keep the puck out. Semple has steadied down remarkably, and his work last night was superior to his previous efforts”
“McKerrow got a few hard knocks, but that did not appear to bother him very much, and he did his share of the work. Locke and Fernie were responsible for some nice work. On the Shamrock line Hack Brennan and Scanlan did a lot of solid, hard work, but they were unable to get the puck by Collins. Brown was in good shape. Trihey played a fast, steady game, but near the end of the match he was struck in the eye by the puck and had to go off”
Another Montreal paper reported: “Triehy and Brown, for the Shamrocks, were immense. The former shot well, and the latter is a swift skater”
Final Score: 4-0 Montreal HC
Rosters
Shamrocks: Semple in goal, Tansey at point, Wall at cover, Brown, Trihey, Scanlan, and Brennan at forward
Montreal HC: Collins in goal, Norris at point, Baird at cover, McKerrow, Horsfall, Fernie, and Locke at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Montreal HC | McKerrow | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal HC | Fernie | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal HC | Locke | Fernie | N/A |
| Montreal HC | Horsfall | Locke | N/A |
Game #14: Montreal Victorias vs Ottawa HC, 12 February 1898
First, let’s get the fun stuff out of the way- Chittick refused to play due to a “dispute with the team over tickets”. Cope, the Aberdeen goalie (I believe that was an Intermediate league team) filled in, and wasn’t quite up to this level of hockey. As the blowout continued, a Victorias’ fan allegedly insulted Young, who decided the best course of action would be to jump “off the ice and over the wire cage to get an apology”. Pandemonium ensued. The game in general was quite physical and marred by dirty/rough play. Living’s nose was broken at one point, and 15 year-old Davie Gilmour had to play. It sounds like he did well. A big advantage for the Vics’ was apparently the skating ability of their forwards.
The Vics scored first, McLea doing the needful, but Ottawa tied it on a goal from Hutchison. H. McDougall went on a rink-long run and scored (or McLea took a pass from R. McDougall), but Hutchison scores again to tie it. The Vics scored the next two, White for Ottawa scored one, then the Vics the next three, making it 7-3 at the half. Each team scored two in the second half. The Vics reportedly dropped Grant and H. McDougall close to their own goal, so much so that it was described as being “practically three goal keepers”.
A Montreal paper wrote: “Alex Cope, of the Aberdeens, replaced [Chittick] in the flags and put up a good game”
“Fred. White was the only man on the Ottawas who showed up to any advantage. Davidson and Hartland McDougall put up the best games for the Victorias, while Grant seemed off color”
Another Montreal paper wrote: “‘Davie’ Gilmour, a fifteen year old youngster, belonging to the Aberdeen seconds took [Livingston’s] place, and the boy put up an excellent game, and is certainly a coming player.
“The entire Victoria team played well, while Fred. White was the best player among the Ottawa forwards; Spittal played excellently until he was changed to wing when Living was hurt. He seemed to lose a great deal of his usefulness. Hutchison played poorly in the first half, and excellently in the second”
An Ottawa paper reported: “Spittal played excellently until he was changed to the wing, when Living was hurt, and he seemed to lose a great deal of his usefulness. Wing is certainly not his position”
“Young and Pulford on the defence put up their usually strong games. Young played particularly well in the second half, and his rushes to help the forward line were always good”
“Cope made some good stops in the second half, but was not very effective in the first half. Cope claimed, and a great many consider with considerable reason, that Pulford played too close in on him in the first half and that he did not get a proper show”
“In the case of Drinkwater, who gave Hutchison the ‘elbow’ in the stomach, it was no doubt a case of forgetfulness, for he is generally a most gentlemanly player”
“Not so with the other Victoria man, however, McLea, the offending man, played a very ‘dirty’ game throughout. He slashed, tripped, and cross-checked frequently”
“Fred White was the star of the forward line”
“Dave Gilmour is a splendid little player and filled Living’s place well”
“Pulford is playing better this year than ever before”
Final Score: 9-5 Victorias
Rosters
Victorias: Richardson in goal, H. McDougall at point, Grant at cover, McLea, Davidson, R. McDougall, and Drinkwater at forward
Ottawa: Cope in goal, Pulford at point, Young at cover, Irving, Spittal, Hutchison, and White at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Victorias | McLea | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Hutchison | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | H. McDougall or McLea | Possibly R. McDougall | N/A |
| Ottawa | Hutchison | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | White | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | UNK | N/A | N/A |
Game #15: Quebec HC vs Montreal Shamrocks, 12 February 1898
Brown makes a run, Stocking stops it. Watson makes “one of his dashes down the side of the rink”, but he had no support, and Tansey sends the puck back. Brown scores on “one of his hot shots”. Trihey makes a nice rush, and passes to Brennan, who takes a shot that Stocking saves. Tobin isn’t very busy. Wall stopped a Watson shot. Brennan and Scanlan get the puck to Brown, who scores. Brown scored the third as well. Gillespie finally gets Quebec on the board. Brown scores the last of the match.
A Montreal paper wrote: “Watson, the cover point, was conspicuous for several rattling good rushes, but each time he got little or no support, and the advantage gained by the dash would soon be lost with one of Tansey’s fine drives”
“Scott and Swift did not appear to play with their usual vim or judgment. In Gillespie Quebec has the markings of a clever player. When he has had a little more experience playing on senior teams he will be an invaluable man”
“Tobin was in goals and played admirably. His only fault is a tendency to leave his goals unprotected at times. Wall was in particularly good form and rarely missed anything that came his way. Tansey, too, was strong and his long lifts were most effective. Brown was brilliant all though the game, and shot every chance he got. It was he who scored the Shamrocks’ four goals. Trihey is another of the forwards that deserves special mention. He and Brown are to be ranked amongst the fastest forwards playing hockey today”
Another Montreal paper reported: “The Quebec defence put up a good game and worked hard to stave off defeat, but the little puck has an aggravating way of slipping in between skates and over sticks and through goals, in spite of all a defence can do. On the forward line Quebec was out of the game altogether. The only man to do any effective work was Gillespie and he got tired running all over the ice”
“Tansey and Wall played well”
“The forwards played a dashing game, but Scanlan appeared to be a little out. He was generally missing when the puck was in the vicinity of the Quebec poles. Brown, Brennan, and Trihey made up for any deficiency on Scanlan’s part and did excellent work. Brown succeeded in scoring the four goals for the Shamrocks. Brennan and Trihey were in good trim and appeared to be having a very pleasant time on the ice”
“For Quebec, Stocking in goal did well, and so did Scott and Watson, but the rest of the team would have done just as well if they had taken seats with the audience”
An Ottawa paper wrote: “Quebec’s play was poor. Their defence crowded in upon the goals until Stocking had barely a chance to see the puck before it was between his feet. Watson was the most effective, and every now and then he would make a dangerous rush”
“Tobin made some clever stops, although he is too easily lured out of his poles. Tansey is somewhat stiff, but was usually effective. Wall played an excellent game and the forwards were all good. Dessie Brown, who scored all four games, was a star”
Final Score: 4-1 Shamrocks
Rosters
Quebec: Stocking in goal, C. Scott at point, Watson at cover, A.D. Scott, Swift, Smith, and Gillespie at forward
Shamrocks: Tobin in goal, Wall at point, Tansey at cover, Brown, Trihey, Scanlan, and Brennan at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Shamrocks | Brown | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Brown | Scanlan | Brennan |
| Shamrocks | Brown | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Gillespie | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Brown | N/A | N/A |
Game #16: Ottawa HC vs Montreal HC, 19 February 1898
Pulford makes a rush, Norris returned it. Young makes a long rush, but Howard blocked the shot. Pulford and Baird trade lifts. McKerrow almost scores. Young takes the puck from Howard, and Ottawa almost scores. Howard scores after passes from Locke and Horsfall. Copp makes a couple saves. White makes a run, but his shot is wide. Baird and Young trade lifts. Horsfall passes to Norris, who passes to Howard, who scores. Horsfall takes a pass from Baird and scores. McKerrow scored the final goal of the first half. Howard scores the first goal of the second half. White takes a pass from Young and scores. Young then scores on a long lift. McKerrow scores the final goal of the match.
A Montreal paper wrote: “Westwick, having been reinstated by the Association, was on the team, and played a great game; but he was not supported as he should have been, although Young and Pulford at times gave any amount of aid, and the play was pretty. But this combination did not last all through the game; in fact, the play was loose most of the time. The same is true of the Montreal forwards, but they were faster and played more unselfishly. Baird, McKerrow, and Horsfall played a swift game. They are a trio hard to beat. Collins, in goal, was able to take care of most of the things that came his way. Young was in his best form, and never played a better game. Pulford had the misfortune to collide with McKerrow at the beginning of the game, which told against him greatly, especially in the first half. Montreal scored four straight goals in the first half”
Another Montreal paper reported: “Harry Westwick added a lot of life to the Ottawa forward line, and they played a rattling good game, but they generally came to grief when they wound up in the Montreal defence. Baird and Norris were in great trim and did excellent work in their respective positions at cover and point. Collins did not have a great deal of work to do, but what he had to do was done well”
“While Ottawa was strong and aggressive on the forward line, the defence was particularly off color. Weldy Young played with a dash and vim for a while, but he looked as if he had been gathering flesh lately and was rather weak by the time the match ended. Pulford was strong and reliable until McKerrow ran him into the side; then his hip was hurt and he did not play the same game afterwards. The goalkeeper, Cope, worked well enough, but he had too much to do and did not have good support”
An Ottawa paper wrote: “The defence as usual was a strong feature of Ottawa’s play. Young and Pulford doing particularly good work, while the forwards with the exception of White and Westwick were somewhat indifferent”
“Westwick was the star of the Ottawa forwards, and White also showed up well. Spittal was not as effective as usual. Young’s lifts were puzzling”
“Cope for Ottawa and Collins for Montreal made many excellent stops”
Another Ottawa paper reported: “The play of both teams was characterized by a looseness and want of combination on the forward line. This was especially noticeable on the part of the visitors, who, though well served by Pulford and Young, were unable to do much with the puck when they did get it. Westwick played the star game for the visitors. He was untiring, but unfortunately could not get Hutchison to play up to him strong enough to score. He was ably supported by White, between whom there were a number of pretty plays, but Baird and Collins were too clever for their unsupported attacks”
“Montreal played an evenly balanced team, Horsfall and McKerrow working together like Trojans, they gave Cope more work than he wanted. Howard also got his share of the puck, playing the game as it should be right through, following the combination of McKerrow and Horsfall, and scoring on every opportunity”
“For Ottawa, White, Westwick, Cope, Young, and Pulford played the best game, while for the Montreal team McKerrow, Howard, Baird, and Collins were conspicuous. Norris, though only the second time on the team, played a steady defence game and kept his place well, not attempting any runs, leaving this to Baird. He also ably supported the goal keeper”
Final Score: 6-2 Montreal HC
Rosters
Ottawa: Cope in goal, Pulford at point, Young at cover, Hutchison, Spittal, White, and Westwick at forward
Montreal: Collins in goal, Norris at point, Baird at cover, McKerrow, Howard, Locke, and Horsfall at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Montreal | Howard | Locke | Horsfall |
| Montreal | Howard | Norris | Horsfall |
| Montreal | Horsfall | Baird | N/A |
| Montreal | McKerrow | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal | Howard | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | White | Young | N/A |
| Ottawa | Young | N/A | N/A |
| Montreal | McKerrow | N/A | N/A |
Game #17: Montreal Victorias vs Quebec HC, 19 February 1898
Stocking and Swift were unable to play in this one, though their replacements apparently did well. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find a list of goal scorers or any description of play.
A Montreal paper wrote: “A good deal of loafing off-side was indulged in by Gillespie, and two or three of the Victoria men, and Drinkwater did a good deal of tripping and other foul work. A.D. Scott was warned for a cross-check, but on the whole the match was clean. Drinkwater being the worst offender. At the same time, he played the star game for the Victorias.
Another Montreal paper reported: “Drinkwater, Davidson, and Grant played the star games for the visitors, the former doing most of the scoring”
Final Score: 6-4 Victorias
Rosters
Victorias: Richardson in goal, H. McDougall at point, Grant at cover, Drinkwater, C. Davidson, McLea, and R. McDougall at forward
Quebec: O’Meara in goal, C. Scott at point, Watson at cover, Gillespie, Moran, A.D. Scott, and Smith at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Quebec | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | UNK | N/A | N/A |
Game #18: Quebec HC vs Ottawa HC, 26 February 1898
More extracurricular activity from Ottawa- and Weldy Young in particular, again- Ottawa disagreed with a goal that was called in favor of Quebec. Young reportedly poked the umpire with his stick, and a scuffle followed.
Anyway, there isn’t a ton out there on this game. Quebec scored early, then Ottawa tied it via a goal from Hutchison after a rush with Young and Westwick. Young scored the next goal as well, then Westwick scored. Quebec scored before the half to make it 3-2. Gillespie opens the scoring in the second half, then Quebec scored again to take the lead. “It was then, however, that White and Westwick, assisted by Young and Pulford, played with all their skill and strength. THey turned the tide of the game, and although the Quebec defence struggled mandully, at the end of five minutes their fortress was taken”. Quebec then scores the goal that drew Ottawa’s ire. Stocking is playing well, but White manages to score to tie the game. Spittal or White get the match winner on a pass from Westwick.
A Montreal paper wrote: “Gillespie and Moran did most of the forward work for the QUebecs, while Watson and Stocking were brilliant on the defence. All the Ottawas put up good games, with the exception of Hutchison”
An Ottawa paper wrote: “Westwick and Young played the strongest games for the Ottawas, but the others also played well. Cope made some excellent stops. Stocking for Quebec was as usual good in goal, while Gillespie was by far the best of the forwards”
Another Ottawa paper reported: “Young played better than ever before this season. Westwick and White were the stars of the forward line, the former doing especially fine work. Hutchison was decidedly off color”
Final Score: 6-5 Ottawa HC
Rosters
Quebec: Stocking in goal, C. Scott at point, Watson at cover, Cahill, Smith, Moran, and Gillespie at forward
Ottawa: Cope in goal, Pulford at point, Young at cover, Westwick, White, Spittal, and Hutchison at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Quebec | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Hutchison | Young | N/A |
| Ottawa | Young | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Westwick | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | Gillespie | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Quebec | UNK | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | White | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | Spittal or White | Westwick | N/A |
Game #19: Montreal HC vs Montreal Victorias, 26 February 1898
This was reportedly a great game. One paper refused to write much description of play because it would be impossible to do it justice. Another wrote basically an entire newspaper page on it, and was full of praise for just about everyone involved.
McKerrow and Locke start on a rush, but nothing comes of it. Grant and Charleton trade lifts. McKerrow gets the puck, passes to Howard, but Drinkwater stops him and goes on a run of his own. Charleton stops him, in turn. Lewis makes some nice saves. Davidson goes on a run, but Charleton is there again. Lewis stops a shot from McKerrow. Charleton stops an H. McDougall run. Davidson goes on another run, this time stopped by McKerrow. Howard takes a shot that is stopped by Lewis. Bob McDougall makes a run, but shoots wide. Howard and Horsfall make a run that ends in a missed shot, McKerrow misses as well. B. McDougall has another failed attempt. Davidson and Drinkwater are stopped by Collins. Back and forth action continues, both in terms of rushes and lifts, until McKerrow finally scores. Collins makes the “stop of the evening” against Davidson. Bob McDougall makes “a rattling run down the ice”, gets the puck to Davidson, who scores. Drinkwater makes a rush that Davidson finishes for a goal. Now McLea makes a run, passes to R. McDougall, who scores. Now Montreal HC presses. Howard makes a nice rush, but Lewis stops it. Howard takes another shot that H. McDougall blocks. Collins makes some nice saves. Bob McDougall is noted for some good rushes. Howard shoots, Lewis makes the save, but Howard gets the rebound and scores. Both Collins and Lewis are praised for their play. Drinkwater scores the next one.
A Montreal paper wrote: “Everybody played well- well is hardly the name for it, for all the boys played good hockey. The defence on both sides was as good as could be looked for, and the vigor of the attacking party was such as is seldom seen in a hockey match. Such a man in front as Shirley Davidson would naturally be missed; but even that loss was not altogether forgotten, for there were telegrams coming from about the region where there is a tropic of Capricorn and they wished the boys at home good luck”
Another Montreal paper reported: “Any difference that lay between the men was in favor of the Victoria quartette on account of their superior shooting qualities. In this respect they had a noticeable point in their favor, and had not Collins been a goal keeper of more than ordinary ability there is no knowing where the scoring would have stopped. Bob Macdougall was in fine fettle, and played a superb game, and was ably assisted by ‘Cam’ Davidson, McLea, and Drinkwater. It would be difficult to single out any of the four for special mention; they all did their best, they won, what more could they do. Grant was cool, and did his work thoroughly, while Hartland Macdougall played a magnificent game at point. Lewis’ bulky figure was again seen in goals, and there were some difficult shots that Lewis stopped in fine style”
“Montreal lost, but their defeat was an honorable one, and they deserve as much praise as the victors; they did their best, that is sufficient. Clarrie McKerrow did splendid work, and he was well supported by Howard, Horsfall, and Locke. Charleton put up a surprising game at cover, and Norris was equally strong at point. Collins made some great stops, and did splendid work i goals”
“On the whole, Montreal was playing in hard luck through the absence of Baird. True, one man is not the whole team, and Montreal’s defeat cannot be ascribed to this, for the Victorias were virtually invincible, but it cannot be denied that he was the keystone of the arch, and Charleton, try as he might, and he did play well, did not fit in rightly as his substitute. “
“The two goalkeepers in appearance and get up were entirely different, and for the benefit of those who do not know the game any too well, this is not a bad thing, for it tells them at once the respective positions of the teams. Collins was without the nose guard which he was once compelled to wear on account of injuries received, while Lewis, who, like his fellows played magnificently, had his left knee adorned with a sort of yellow leather buffer, which gave him a [strange] appearance, but was necessary on account of his having hurt his left leg seriously some time ago”
Final Score: 4-2 Victorias
Rosters
Montreal HC: Collins in goal, Norris at point, Charlatan at cover, Howard, Locke, Horsfall, and McKerrow at forward
Victorias: Lewis in goal, H. McDougall at point, Grant at cover, Drinkwater, Davidson, R. McDougall, and McLea at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Montreal HC | McKerrow | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | C. Davidson | R. McDougall | N/A |
| Victorias | C. Davidson | Drinkwater | N/A |
| Victorias | R. McDougall | McLea | N/A |
| Montreal HC | Howard | N/A | N/A |
| Victorias | Drinkwater | N/A | N/A |
Game #20: Montreal Shamrocks vs Ottawa HC, 5 March 1898
Not much on this one. Scanlan scored the first goal, Trihey the second, and Nicholson the third. White and Westwick go on a rush near the end that ends with White scoring for Ottawa. Young reportedly “took a hand in shooting”. Tobin was said to have made some nice stops.
A Montreal paper wrote: “Cptain Pulford was absent in New York. Baserville, of the Aberdeens, replaced him and played hockey of an inferior kind. In fact nearly all the players put up an article of an inferior quality, for the match was a painfully slow one”
Another Montreal paper reported: “The team with the exception of Young and Westwick seemed to be suffering from a very bad dose of tired feeling”
An Ottawa paper wrote: “Alf. Tobin of Cornwall played in goal for the visitors and should have been ruled off every time he left his flags, as he is a very dirty player”
“Young, Westwick, and White put up good game for the Ottawas, but the others were decidedly off color”
“Brown and Trihey of the Shamrocks played excellently”
Another Ottawa paper reported: “Young was the only one who played well. True, Westwick and White showed up prominently in the second half, but it was not until it was too late”
Final Score: 3-1 Shamrocks
Rosters
Shamrocks: Tobin in goal, Tansey at point, Wall at cover, Trihey, Scanlan, Nicholson, and Brown at forward
Ottawa: Cope in goal, Baskerville at point, Young at cover, Spittal, Hutchison, Westwick, and White at forward
| Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| Shamrocks | Scanlan | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Trihey | N/A | N/A |
| Shamrocks | Nicholson | N/A | N/A |
| Ottawa | White | N/A | N/A |
Retro All-Star Team
As mentioned above, the unattributed goals make it a little harder to use the stats as a barometer of who was the most dominant offensively. However, I think we can take a pretty decent guess at who the top players were at each position if we combine the stats we do have with what was written during the game reports. Looking back, I should probably have more players from the Victorias on this list, considering they dominated the league. H. McDougall was an easy choice for point (he probably had the best season from a point in the entire history of the league, he was mentioned a lot for his defensive play), and Drinkwater was a pretty easy choice for one of the forward spots. It feels weird to leave Grant off the team, and it certainly flies in the face of canon, but he just wasn’t written about the same way Young was. Is this a case of Young standing out more as the best player on a bad team, while Grant was surrounded by more talent and thus didn’t stand out as much? Maybe, I’m definitely open to that idea. I also think there is probably a Vics’ forward that should be on the team, but for the life of me, I can’t decide whether it would/should be R. McDougall or C. Davidson. Even McLea gets a lot of positive press.
Anyway, as always, these are not meant to be the final word on who was best- it is merely my opinion after going through the season. There is certainly plenty of room for debate for most of these positions.
Goal: Collins, Montreal HC
Point: H. McDougall, Montreal Victorias
Cover: Young, Ottawa HC
Forward: McKerrow, Montreal HC
Forward: Drinkwater, Montreal Victorias
Forward: Brown, Montreal Shamrocks
Forward: Gillespie, Quebec HC
This was the final season of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada, although the same five teams would continue playing in the same league the following six seasons in the Canadian Amateur Hockey League (CAHL). As it is the same five teams (and only those five teams for those six seasons- the CAHL had a seventh season (1905) that saw some change in terms of the makeup of the league), I’m going to continue these unless I hear pleas for me to stop spamming the thread. The pace will almost certainly slow, however, not least of all because I need to get working on my actual list for submission.
