Top-60 Pre-Merger Players Of All Time: Round 2, Vote 12

seventieslord · May 24, 2023

Procedure

You will be presented with ~21 players based on their ranking in the Round 1 aggregate list
Players will be listed in alphabetical order to avoid creating bias
You will submit ten names in a ranked order, #1 through #10, without ties via PM to @seventieslord & @rmartin65
Use the same private message thread every week rather than starting a new PM
Results of this vote will be posted after each voting cycle, but the individual ballots themselves will remain secret until the completion of this project
The top-5 players will be added to The List (unless a very large break exists at the spot between 4&5 or 5&6, OR to correct for the previous week's irregular number of added players)
Lists of players eligible for voting will grow as the project continues

Eligible Voters

Ballots from voters who have submitted an approved Round 1 ranking of 80 players (which was used to shape the aggregate list) will have their votes tabulated in the History of Hockey ranking
@seventieslord , @Professor What , @nabby12 , @tarheelhockey , @Black Gold Extractor , @ResilientBeast , @Dr John Carlson , @Dreakmur , @jigglysquishy , @Johnny Engine , @rmartin65 , @TheDevilMadeMe , @overpass , @Habsfan18 , @BenchBrawl , @ImporterExporter

Guidelines

Respect each other. No horseplay or sophistry!
Stay on topic and don't get caught up in talking about non-eligible players
Participate, but retain an open mind throughout the discussion
Do not speculate who cast any particular ballot. Do not make judgments about the mindset of whoever cast that particular ballot. All individual ballots will be revealed at the end of the project.

House Rules

Any attempts to derail a discussion thread with disrespect to old-time hockey (or older-than-old-time hockey) will be met with frontier justice
We encourage interpositional discussion (forward vs. defenseman vs. goaltender) as opposed to the safer and somewhat redundant intrapositional debates
Take a drink when someone mentions the number of hockey registrations in a given era
Finish your drink when someone mentions that goaltenders cannot be compared to skaters

The actual voting period will open up on Friday, June 2nd at midnight and continue through Sunday, June 4th at 8:59pm. Eastern time zone. I will release the results of the vote on Monday, June 5th.

Vote 2 Candidates

Art Gagne
Barney Stanley
Blair Russell
Bobby Rowe
Bouse Hutton
Carson Cooper
Dickie Boon
Dolly Swift
Dubbie Kerr
Eddie Oatman
Graham Drinkwater
Harry Hyland
Harry Smith
Harry Trihey
Harry Westwick
Jack Adams
Jack Darragh
Odie Cleghorn
Riley Hern
Rusty Crawford
Scotty Davidson
Smokey Harris
Tom Paton

seventieslord · May 24, 2023

Seventies' VsX equivalents for this round's forwards

	3y	5y	7y	10y
Carson Cooper	87	79	76	70
Dubbie Kerr	92	83	72	58
Jack Adams	86	81	74	58
Odie Cleghorn	84	77	72	66
Art Gagne	87	76	67	60
Harry Smith	88	77	67	53
Harry Hyland	84	75	68	58
Smokey Harris	82	74	68	61
Eddie Oatman	76	71	66	61
Dolly Swift	85	73	62	44
Barney Stanley	73	68	64	59
Jack Darragh	69	66	63	57
Harry Westwick	70	60	53	46
Blair Russell	65	60	55	45
Harry Trihey	82	53	38	27
Rusty Crawford	61	52	47	40
Graham Drinkwater	59	42	30	21
Scotty Davidson	59	35	25	18

Barney Stanley isn't much for peak, but he had a surprisingly long and consistent career. At the same time, I get the sense he just picked up points by playing on Vancouver for years.

Kerr's peak shocked me.

Gagne showing up this strong was a surprise.

Crawford was a role player. A poor man's Broadbent/Stanley/Russell/Westwick, I think.

Harry Smith's numbers include just about everything he ever did, including TPHL and WPHL, even if those numbers aren't high, by including those years in my calculations, it prevents them from just showing up as zeroes.

However, I have noticed a few things:
1) I have a mistake where the 1908 WPHL is just a repeat of the 1904 league. He tore the 1908 WPHL a new one, and would have had a score of about 80.
2) I haven't yet added the 1912 NOHL. He was the leading scorer and although I won't give a ton of credence to this league, I suspect a score of about 70 would be in order.
3) I have no idea how to account for the fact that he managed to play in 3 leagues in 1909 and amass scores of 77, 42, and 28 in each of them. Should I treat them as separate, since none of them seemed to prevent him from playing in others? Or should I add them up and give him a 147 for that season? Neither seems right.

Ignoring the third piece for now, I expect his scores would be 89, 83, 77, 66 if 1908 and 1912 were added (which I do not have the time to do). These numbers would put him right at the top of the list. Iain Fyffe's numbers love him, too. He is probably the most potent offensive forward in this round. Though, he might be exhibit A for why we shouldn't get too excited about high scoring forwards of this era.

jigglysquishy · May 24, 2023

Swift was my first last round and will be my first again. Not loving that we're bleeding voters.

We've inducted 57 players. Are we only targeting 3 this week? Are we going to 70? 80?

rmartin65 · May 24, 2023

The new target is 70; we will re-address this issue after 2 more rounds (which hopefully has us at 65) to see if there is still enough interest to extend the list to 80. But again- for now, the project is Top-70 Pre-Merger Players.

Participants have the option to provide an updated list of 40 names (including players eligible this round, as we won't know who will still be eligible after this one) if they so choose. This is completely voluntary- if you don't have enough time to submit an update or simply don't want to, your round 1 list of 80 players will still be used.

rmartin65 · May 24, 2023

As usual, don't read anything into the order these are (re)posted in-

rmartin65 said:
Harry Trihey
Like Routh, I have a hard time with Trihey. Wikipedia has him with one game played in 1897, but I am unable to confirm this; it was either Trihey or Willard (possibly one started the game and was replaced by the other, but I can’t be certain at the moment). In any case, I’m not worrying about a one game season here- I’m going to start with 1898 and run through 1901, a season that looks to have been significantly hampered by injury. In other words, we really have 4 seasons to look at with Trihey- one where he was still getting used to Senior level play (1898), two high-peak seasons (1899 and 1900) and one where he was clearly no longer at the top of his powers (1901). The retrospective star power is there- he’s easily the best known of those Shamrock teams today, and I think the contemporary reports support this, as he gets a lot more positive press than Farrell, Scanlan, or Wall. But his peak is just so short, and the stats I have from those first-hand sources don’t give me a scorer who blew the doors of the league (outside of 1899, of course). I have him leading the league in scoring once; we aren’t adding other one (or more)-time scoring champs (such as McKerrow, McNaughton, Virtue, or Bradley, from the AHAC years), so this feels off to me. Of course, we have added and will add guys who never led the league in scoring, so there is that counter-point. I’d argue that they had far greater longevity, though, and most of those guys had something besides scoring to rest their hat on.

Selection of Quotes:

1898 (AHAC)
“Trihey is a splendid general, and deserves to be successful”

“Semple, Brown, Scanlan, and Trihey put up a great game”

“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”

“Trihey is another of the forwards that deserves special mention. He and Brown are to be ranked amongst the fastest forwards playing hockey today”

“Brown and Trihey of the Shamrocks played excellently”

1899 (CAHL)
“Had Trihey, their star been in his place, victory might have gone to the boys in green”

“Harry Trihey played a star game”

“Harry Trihey and his three assistants came out of the crowd time and again”

“Harry Trihey’s shots were features of the match”

“One of the features of the game was the ease with which Trihey scored. He captured ten goals without turning one of his football like hairs”

Harry Trihey was the dangerous man of the Shamrock team, and he was attended to as no player was ever looked after before. Every time he came in front of the goals he was as often off his feet as otherwise. The result was that Trihey did not get many opportunities in the way of scoring”

“Brannen and Trihey were the star men of the Shamrocks, and their runs and general playing were phenomenal”

“Harry Trihey made great efforts to score, but he was pretty closely watched and every time that he got near the Quebec goals his covers dropped on him”

“The playing of their forwards, especially Trihey and Brennan, was exceptionally brilliant”

1900 (CAHL)
“The Shamrock forward line is a very evenly balanced one and when the team ran behind in the score Trihey and Farrell did a great amount to pull the game out of the fire”

“Arthur Farrell and Harry Trihey were the stars of the Shamrock team and did a lot of good passing”

“Trihey did some great skating”

“Captain Trihey and Brannan found it difficult to get going and without the centres, Farrell and Scanlan were to the bad”

“Apart from this the brilliant stick work of Trihey, Tansey, Farrell, and Scanlan, and the rushes of Brannan were notable. Wall’s lifting was more than ordinary”

“Tansey and Wall broke through Brown at centre, time after time, giving Trihey the desired open ice. Christmas had a hard time watching Farrell”

“Trihey was slow at following up, but his work was excellent. He did some great stick handling, and his scoring from side shots was a feature of the match”

“Captain Trihey’s stick handling is simply superb”

“Liffiton’s speed kept Shamrock’s wing guessing, while Brown and Smith waged a persistent warfare against Trihey and Brannen in centre. Montreal’s defence was lucky too. Boone’s breaking up of Trihey’s runs within shooting range saved Montreal many times”

Trihey was the Sharock star, while Montreal’s forwards all did well, with Liffiton and Smith showing slightly in front”

“Just who played the best game among the Shamrock forwards’ line is hard to say, but Trihey was certainly a star, and so, too, was Scanlaw, while Brannen’s work was excellent”

1901 (CAHL)
“When the Shamrocks get to shooting they are very dangerous, particularly Trihey; but they seldom got the opportunity on Saturday. When they did, it was very hot work for the goal keeper”

“One player on the Shamrock line played up to his usual good form, and that was Trihey”

“Some excuse may be made for Trihey. The genial captain on Friday completed successfully a severe series of examinations for admission to practice law, and he was in anything but tip-top shape”

“Harry Trihey was on the only one of the forwards who showed up in his old-time form. He played a hard, fast and effective game, and his beautiful stick-handling won one game and was largely responsible for the other”

“Trihey and Brennan, for Shamrocks, and Westwick for Ottawas, were certainly the stars of the evening”

“Trihey and Brannen were the stars of the Shamrock forward line, and the former’s condition must have been perfection, for he covered more territory than any other man on the ice. He had a good second in Brannen, who made many nice rushes into Ottawa territory”

“Brannen, of the Shamrocks, and Trihey are two gems”

“Capt. Trihey was also in splendid trim, reminding the onlookers of his best days”

Scoring Tables (not counting the points that are disputed):

1898 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 11 4 15
2 Desse Brown Shamrocks 10 0 10
T-3 Howard Hutchison Ottawa HC 9 0 9
T-3 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 8 1 9
T-3 James GIllespie Quebec HC 6 3 9
T-17 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 3 0 3

1899 (CAHL)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 16 0 16
T-2 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 10 0 10
T-2 Cam Davidson Victorias 5 5 10
T-4 Robert MacDougall Victorias 8 1 9
T-4 Chauncey Kirby Ottawa HC 5 4 9

1900 (CAHL)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 16 0 16
2 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 12 1 13
3 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 11 1 12
4 James Gillespie Quebec HC 9 2 11
T-5 Billy Christmas Montreal HC 9 0 9
T-5 Bruce Stuart Ottawa HC 8 1 9

1901 (CAHL)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 15 1 16
2 Lorne Campbell Montreal HC 8 3 11
3 Harold Henry Ottawa HC 5 2 8
T-4 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 6 1 7
T-4 Bruce Stuart Quebec HC 6 1 7
T-6 Charlie Liffiton Montreal HC 6 0 6
T-6 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 5 1 6
T-6 James Gillespie Quebec HC 4 2 6

Scoring Tables (counting disputed points; split points worth .5 (or .33) points, maybe points given full credit but not added to goals or assists):

1898 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 11 4 16
T-2 Desse Brown Shamrocks 10 0 10
T-2 Robert MacDougall Victorias 8 2 10
4 Howard Hutchison Ottawa HC 9.5 0 9.5
5 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 8 1 9

1899 (CAHL)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 17.5 0 18.5
2 Cam Davidson Victorias 7 5 13
3 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 11 0 11
4 Russell Bowie Victorias 10.5 0 10.5
5 Robert MacDougall Victorias 8 1 9

1900 (CAHL)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 16.5 0 16.5
T-2 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 12.33 1 13.33
T-2 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 12.33 1 13.33
4 Bruce Stuart Ottawa HC 11.5 1 12.5
5 Billy Christmas Montreal HC 12 0 12

1901 (CAHL)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 21.5 1 22.5
2 Lorne Campbell Montreal HC 9 3 12
3 Blair Russell Victorias 9 1 10
4 Harold Henry Ottawa HC 7 2 9
5 Charlie Liffiton Montreal HC 7 .5 8.5
9 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 5.83 1 6.83

Scoring tables, if we assign players a proportional percentage of the unknown goals, rounded to the hundredth (first table for each year is without the split credit points, the second table includes them):

1898 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 13.85 4 17.85
2 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 13.68 1 14.68
3 Desse Brown Shamrocks 13.89 0 13.89
4 James Gillespie Quebec HC 10.88 3 13.88
5 Robert MacDougall Victorias 11.97 1 12.97
15 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 4.17 0 4.17

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 13.85 4 18.85
2 Robert MacDougall Victorias 13.68 2 15.68
3 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 13.68 1 14.68
4 Desse Brown Shamrocks 13.89 0 13.89
5 James Gillespie Quebec HC 10.88 3 13.88
15 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 4.17 0 4.17

1899 (CAHL)
No significant changes- there are only 3 UNK goals this season, 2 for Ottawa, 1 for Montreal HC.

1900 (CAHL)
The Shamrocks had 10 UNK goals, the Victorias 8. No other UNK goals recorded.

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 19.56 0 19.56
2 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 15.08 1 16.08
3 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 13.82 1 14.82
4 James Gillespie Quebec HC 9 2 11
T-5 Billy Christmas Montreal HC 9 0 9
T-5 Bruce Stuart Ottawa HC 8 1 9

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 20.17 0 20.17
T-2 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 15.49 1 16.49
T-2 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 15.49 1 16.49
4 Bruce Stuart Ottawa HC 11.5 1 12.5
5 Billy Christmas Montreal HC 12 0 12

1901 (CAHL)
The Shamrocks had 7 UNK goals, the Victorias 2, Ottawa HC 1, and Quebec HC 1.

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 15.7 1 16.7
2 Lorne Campbell Montreal HC 8 3 11
3 Harold Henry Ottawa HC 5.15 2 8.15
4 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 6.83 1 7.83
5 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 6.52 1 7.52
T-4 Bruce Stuart Quebec HC 6.3 1 7.3
T-6 Charlie Liffiton Montreal HC 6 0 6
T-6 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 6.52 1 7.52
T-6 James Gillespie Quebec HC 4 2 6

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 21.5 1 22.5
2 Lorne Campbell Montreal HC 9 3 12
3 Blair Russell Victorias 9 1 10
4 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 8.91 1 9.91
5 Harold Henry Ottawa HC 7.22 2 9.22
6 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 7.6 1 8.6

And because I've made it through Trihey's career in terms of SC challenge games:

Queen’s University vs Montreal Shamrocks, 14 March 1899
A Montreal paper wrote: “Harriss, the ‘Kid’, did some great work on the wing, and frequently was very dangerous”

Another Montreal paper reported: “Queen’s has two superior men, one is Harris, the other is Hiscock. Harris is a big, brawny wing man, and played on Fred Scanlan. Hiscock is the goal keeper, and he made some really fine stops”

“‘Jock’ Harty was a disappointment to many who expected a great deal more from the doctor, but he was attended to by a member of the legal fraternity in close style, and his chances to distinguish himself were but rare. Dalton showed himself to be a good man, but Jack Brannen was altogether too much for the Granite man”

Final Score: 6-2 Shamrocks

Rosters
Queen’s: Hiscock in goal, Curtis at point, Merrill at cover, Harty, Dalton, Harriss, and Walkem at forward

Shamrocks: McKenna in goal, Tansey at cover, Wall at cover, Trihey, Farrell, Scanlan, and Brannen

Team Goal Scorer Assist Assist
Queen’s Harty or Harriss N/A N/A
Shamrocks Trihey Farrell N/A
Shamrocks Trihey N/A N/A
Shamrocks Trihey N/A N/A
Queen’s Dalton Harty N/A
Shamrocks Farrell N/A N/A
Shamrocks Scanlan Brannen N/A
Shamrocks Farrell N/A N/A

Sources: The Gazette, 15 March 1899 page 2 and The Montreal Star, 15 March 1899 page 2

Winnipeg Victorias vs Montreal Shamrocks, 12 February 1900
A Winnipeg paper wrote: “The Shamrocks also got in some fast play and had it at the Winnipeg end when Bain got possession and went down the ice as only Bain can, and scored”

“Bain, who seems to be everywhere, relieved…”

Quoting the Montreal Herald- “Wall, at cover point, cool and collected, lifted the puck the length of the rink as if in a practice game where nothing was at stake. Tansey ably seconded him. McKenna, on the poles, at first had little to do, but that little he did well. Trihey, Brennen, Scnalan, and Farrell worked together almost as if they were parts of one machine”

“Charley Johnstone, at cover point, was a match for any forward, and kept feeding the puck to his forwards with a regularity and sureness which could not help but inspire the greatest confidence in the forwards”

Quoting The Mail: “Gingras’ play was the star feature of the match”

A Montreal paper reported: “And, on the other hand, the work of the Winnipeg forwards was so good that it would be a difficult matter to choose any of them out for special mentino. True, Bain was the king-pin of the lot, but there was not much to choose between him and Gingras, who played a game that will stand out prominently in the annals of this great game of ours”

“McKenna stopped some wonderful shots and saved some sure scores in remarkable style. Tansey and Wall played a splendid game and though both of them were sent to the fence for offences committed it was hardly surprising that in the great heat of the game either of them should have forgotten himself”

“Jack Brannan is easily Bain’s peer in speed, though he is not the same effective combination, where Bain will be yards in the rear and Brannen’s spurts last night were wonderful to behold. The Winnipeg men have a splendid stick handler in Gingras, but they have to deal with Trihey and there is Farrell to be taken into account. Arrell did some work on the ice last night that was wonderful”

“Dan Bain speedily became the favorite of the audience and his work all through was loudly applauded”

“Johnstone’s work at cover was good and the husky Winnipeg man created uite an impression by his style of play”

Final Score: 4-3 Winnipeg

Rosters
Winnipeg: Merritt in goal, Flett at cover, Johnstone at cover, Bain (center), Gingras (RW), Roxburgh (rover), and Campbell (LW) at forward

Shamrocks: McKenna in goal, Tansey at point, Wall at cover, Trihey, Scanlan, Farrell, and Brennan at forward

Team Goal Scorer Assist Assist
Shamrocks Scanlan N/A N/A
Winnipeg Bain N/A N/A
Shamrocks Trihey Farrell N/A
Winnipeg Campbell or Bain Roxburgh N/A
Winnipeg Gingras N/A N/A
Winnipeg Bain Campbell N/A
Winnipeg Trihey N/A N/A

Sources: The Winnipeg Tribune, 13 February 1900 page 1 and 4, The Gazette, 13 February 1900 page 2, and The Montreal Star, 13 February 1900 page 3

Winnipeg Victorias vs Montreal Shamrocks, 14 February 1900
There is a play by play provided by the Winnipeg paper, and Bain is all over it. He sounds like a force in this one.

A Winnipeg paper reported: “Trihey was the star of the Shams, and on the other side Johnstone made a hero of himself, and his feat of scoring two goals from center ice is an unprecedented one in the annals of hockey, and will make his name in a household word among lovers of the game. Flett is also a marvel, and was time and again applauded for his neat, clean lifts and cool-headed work. The Winnipeg forward line did magnificent individual work, and the checking was close and desperately swift. The indefatigable Bain was several times on the point of scoring, and the impetuosity of his rushes was a feature of the play. Gingras did not make the sensational hits of the previous match but no man could do that twice. Roxburgh was more than once prevented from registering a score by the nearest margin, and Campbell got in a number of hot shots in his usual cool style”

“McKenna in goal and Tansey at point cover the net with surprising agility”

“At it again and in exactly one minute the greatest cover point in the world [referring to Johnstone] had the puck on centre ice and shot again with the same result. Another goal for the Pegs”

A Montreal paper wrote: “Captain Trihey out generaled Captain Bain”

“Then Shamrock appeared stronger. This was especially so with Farrell and Scanlan. The work these men performed, finishing strong and willing at that, would have prostrated ordinary men. Their pluck and gameness went a long way in the Shamrock’s success. At the outset Gingras’ speed and quick recovery bothered Scanlan, but later the gritty Shamrock wing, standing up under a continuous run of the hardest body work and checking any defence can administer to an overly aggressive forward, got his man in limbo. With the trying finish poor Gingras absolutely wilted and done was no match for the great little Irishman”

“Farrell’s work came early in the first half. Farrell cut a merry pace that made Campbell stand to right from the initial whistle. Unlike Scanlan Farrell had his man well in hand at all stages. He was the Shamrock’s wing work that counted last night, and Farrell and Scanlan did the work. In centre ice Captain Trihey’s superb stick handling will scarcely ever be equalled in championship again. His generalship though was the key note. In hard straight hockey Bain and Roxburgh last night lost nothing by contrast with Trihey’s and Brannen’s game- Brannen, perhaps, had a shafe the better of Roxburgh, and certainly gained territory on Wall’s lifts through his speed than did the Winnipeg man in following Johnstone’s and Flett’s relief pucks up the ice”

“Winnipeg’s defence in close, confined, haphazard work are unbeatable. Johnstone and Flett are the strongest and hardest pair ever standing before a hockey goal. It is different, though, in breaking up a forward system such as the Shamrock’s possess”

“Flett was tough and strong”

“Johnstone’s lifting was always off, Wall distancing him in this respect. Johnstone’s and lett’s excessive predilection for lifting was decidedly trying on the quartett in the line ahead. Wall’s lifting, on the other hand, was of the right king, judiciously employed, generally with his men hanged about Merritt’s flags”

“Tansey’s point game was a fin exhibition of brainy hockey. Both he and Wall brought the gypsum out time and again centering to their forwards with an [unclear] gain. Tansey’s blocking of Campbell’s surface pucks was a feature of the work behind either the Shamrock or Victoria lines”

Another Montreal paper noted: “Both Campbell and GIngras played a strong, effective game, but they had not the same opportunities as on Monday night, and there were not the same wide openings for them to go through. Both Scanlan and Farrell played a far superior game and Scan’s work was particularly good. He carried the puck out time after time, and went down the ice in great style, and had he been fortunate in his shooting there ought to have been some goals to his credit. Farrell did well, and when it is understood that he was suffering from a peculiar indisposition, the excellence of his work will be better appreciated. Jack Brannen’s speed was a great factor in the game, and his work was a vast improvement over his previous form. Harry Trihey showed cool generalship, and his work was in every way worthy of the leader of such a splendid team”

“Wall’s lifts and rushes and Tansey’s stops and rushes were features”

“McKenna’s work was just right”

“Their defence was good, and Johnston played a particularly good game. Flett seemed to have fallen off a bit, but ‘Whitey’ Merritt exhibited his usual skill”

Final Score: 3-2 Shamrocks

Rosters
Winnipeg: Merritt in goal, Flett at point, Johnstone at cover, Blain (rover), Campbell, Roxburgh (center), and Gingras at forward

Shamrocks: McKenna in goal, Tansey at point, Wall at cover, Farrell, Scanlan, Trihey, and Brannen at forward

Team Goal Scorer Assist Assist
Shamrocks Trihey Scanlan Brannen
Winnipeg Johnstone or Campbell N/A N/A
Winnipeg Johnstone or Bain Maybe Johnstone N/A
Shamrocks Brannen or Trihey Farrell N/A
Shamrocks Trihey Scanlan N/A

Sources: The Winnipeg Tribune, 15 February 1900 page 1 and 4, The Gazette, 15 February 1900 page 2, and The Montreal Star, 15 February 1900 page 3

Winnipeg Victorias vs Montreal Shamrocks, 16 February 1900
A Winnipeg paper reported: “...the puck was faced at 8:32 between the sticks of the cyclonic Trihey and irrepressible Roxburgh”

“Bain is the greatest player on the ice, for he is doubly guarded, and keeps two of the Shamrocks humping to hold him down. Gingras makes his Napoleonic rushes with marvellous effect, while Roxburgh and Campbell simply set their teeth and keep going with the tireless pertinacity of devils”

A Montreal paper noted: “Johnstone and Flett are a splendid pair to have in front of a goal, and they stood off the Shamrock attacks as no other team has done”

Final Score: 5-4 Shamrocks

Rosters
Winnipeg: Merritt in goal, Flett at point, Johnstone at cover, Bain, Gingras, Campbell, and Roxburgh at forward

Shamrocks: McKenna in goal, Tansey at point, Wall at cover, Trihey, Farrell, Scanlan, and Brannen at forward

Team Goal Scorer Assist Assist
Shamrocks Trihey Wall N/A
Winnipeg Gingras or Bain N/A N/A
Winnipeg Bain N/A N/A
Shamrocks Trihey Farrell N/A
Shamrocks Farrell N/A N/A
Shamrocks Farrell or Brannen or Scanlan N/A N/A
Winnipeg Gingras N/A N/A
Winnipeg Roxburgh or Bain or Gingras N/A N/A
Shamrocks Trihey Brannen N/A

Sources: The Winnipeg Tribune, 17 February 1900 page 1 and 4, The Gazette, 17 February 1900 page 2, and The Montreal Star, 17 February 1900 page 19

Series Scoring Table:

Name Team Goals Assists Points
Trihey Shamrocks 7 0 7
Farrell Shamrocks 1 3 4
Bain Winnipeg 3 0 3
Scanlan Shamrocks 1 2 3
Gingras Winnipeg 2 0 2
Brannen Shamrocks 0 2 2
Campell Winnipeg 0 1 1
Roxburgh Winnipeg 0 1 1
Wall Shamrocks 0 1 1
Maybe Johnstone Winnipeg 0 1 1
Bain or Campbell Winnipeg 1 0 1
Bain or Gingras Winnipeg 1 0 1
Bain, Gingras, or Roxburgh Winnipeg 1 0 1
Baine or Johnstone Winnipeg 1 0 1
Brannen or Farrell or Scanlan Shamrocks 1 0 1
Brannen or Trihey Shamrocks 1 0 1
Campbell or Johnstone Winnipeg 1 0 1

Halifax Crescents vs Montreal Shamrocks, 5 March 1900
A Montreal paper wrote: “Maher and McInnes are the Crescent stars. Maher kept Scanlan guessing more than once. He has speed, strength and a beautiful changeover puck from the side that made McKenna blink. McInnes found a Tartar in Farrell. The visitors left wing tenaciously hung on though, fighting gamely every inch. Crockett, in centre, shows a nice turn of speed. He is the general of the forwards, playing fast, unselfish hockey. Kane at point evinces a strong tendency for roughing it. Otherwise he is the right little man in the proper place. Captain Mullane’s run from ten yards out from Bishop’s position clean through Shamrock centre, and over Wall and Tansey, centering a timely pass out from the corner to Crockett for the second Halifax goal, was a bright scintillating dash in the Crescent hockey display. Bishop in the goals is decidedly good”

“Farrell was the bright particular star last night. His skating, stick work and judgment in the position on the right boards has seldom been qualled. Trihey’s stick dexterity was again a revelation”

Another Montreal paper reported: “Maher is the effective man of the Crescents, but he had but little opportunity to show to any advantage last night, though the one opportunity that was given him was attended to in good order. Scanlan was able to take care of Maher, and did it, too. McInnes on the other wing is a husky individual, but he was no match for Arthur Farrell. The two centre men did better work, as they had more room to play in, but their style of game had little effect against Trihey’s brilliant stick handling and Brannen’s swift dashes. Brannen was a surprise to the Halifax men, and his method of getting over the ice was an eye opener to the visitors”

Final Score: 10-2 Shamrocks

Rosters
Crescents: Bishop in goal, Kane at point, Mullane at cover, Crockett, Ryan, Maher, and McInnes at forward

Shamrocks: McKenna in goal, Tansey at point, Wall at cover, Trihey, Farrell, Scanlan, and Brannen at forward

Team Goal Scorer Assist Assist
Shamrocks Trihey Farrell Tansey or McKenna
Shamrocks Farrell Brannen or Trihey Maybe Trihey
Shamrocks Farrell or Trihey Maybe Trihey N/A
Crescents Maher N/A N/A
Shamrocks Farrell N/A N/A
Shamrocks Brannen or Farrell N/A N/A
Shamrocks Trihey or Farrell N/A N/A
Crescents Crockett Mullane N/A
Shamrocks Farrell or Wall N/A N/A
Shamrocks Wall or Tansey N/A N/A
Shamrocks Wall N/A N/A
Shamrocks Wall or Brannen N/A N/A

Sources: The Gazette, 6 March 1900 page 2, and The Montreal Star, 6 March 1900 page 19

Halifax Crescents vs Montreal Shamrocks, 7 March 1900
This is pretty amazing- I looked at two sources- both from Montreal - and neither can agree on the goalscorer for a single goal.

A Montreal paper wrote: “Bishop’s goal work was a feature. Farrell again proved Shamrock’s strong number, with Trihey, Brannen and Tansey in close order”

Another Montreal paper reported: “There are many weaknesses on the Crescent team, and one of them is their failure to shoot. Time after time they brought the puck into favorable positions, but they appeared to lack confidence in their abilities and passed the puck to the wing to give Mahar a chance, but Scanlan was altogether too much for the young man, and a pass to Mahar generally landed at Scanlan’s stick”

“During the whole period of the match McKenna never touched the puck while it was in play”

“Arthur Farrell appeared at his best and his backhand pass and side carom were altogether too much for McInnes, who was at a standstill whenever Farrell began to move. Brannen’s flight was almost meteoric and he could almost beat out a lift to the other goal. Scanlan made a runaway race of it with Mahar, though the latter showed up to better advantage than any one on the Crescent forward line, Scanlan could bring the puck to the goal every time, but to save his life he could not score”

“The only man on the Crescent team who really showed up to our standard last night was Bishop, the goal tend. He played a magnificent game and his work in the second half was almost marvelous”

Final Score: 11-0 Shamrocks

Rosters
Crescents: Bishop in goal, Kane at point, Mullane at cover, Crockett, Ryan, Maher, and McInnes at forward

Shamrocks: McKenna in goal, Tansey at point, Wall at cover, Farrell, Scanlan, Trihey, and Brannen at forward

Team Goal Scorer Assist Assist
Shamrocks Trihey or Farrell N/A N/A
Shamrocks Farrell or Wall N/A N/A
Shamrocks Farrell or Trihey N/A N/A
Shamrocks Farrell or Trihey N/A N/A
Shamrocks Trihey or Farrell N/A N/A
Shamrocks Brannen or Trihey N/A N/A
Shamrocks Scanlan or Trihey N/A N/A
Shamrocks Farrell or Trihey N/A N/A
Shamrocks Wall or Farrell N/A N/A
Shamrocks Brannen or Wall N/A N/A
Shamrocks Trihey or Farrell N/A N/A

Sources: The Gazette, 8 March 1900 page 2, and The Montreal Star, 8 March 1900 page 19

Series Scoring Table:

Name Team Goals Assists Points
Farrell Shamrocks 2 1 3
Crockett Halifax 1 0 1
Maher Halifax 1 0 1
Trihey Shamrocks 1 0 1
Wall Shamrocks 1 0 1
Mullane Halifax 0 1 1
Maybe Trihey Shamrocks 0 1 2
Farrell or Trihey Shamrocks 8 0 8
Farrell or Wall Shamrocks 3 0 3
Brannen or Wall Shamrocks 2 0 2
Brannen or Trihey Shamrocks 1 1 2
Brannen or Farrell Shamrocks 1 0 1
Scanlan or Trihey Shamrocks 1 0 1
Tansey or Wall Shamrocks 1 0 1
McKenna or Tansey Shamrocks 0 1 1

Winnipeg Victorias vs Montreal Shamrocks, 29 January 1901
A Winnipeg paper reported: “The Victorias were first to appear, and were greeted with great applause, the audience recognizing Bain, Gingras, Johnstone and Rod Flett at once, while a great deal of interest was awakened by the beautiful skating of Wood, who as a young player, caused considerable conjecture and speculation. ‘Whitey’ Merritt was missed, and his successor, Brown, came in for a large amount of close scrutiny, which he fully warrants, for his work was beautiful. Magnus Flett, too, came in for his share of interest”

“Bain was hounded by two men without stop and so closely checked that he could not shoot. He passed frequently to Wood or GIngras and they sent in dozens of hot shots on McKenna, who certainly played a star game”

“Johnstone scored one. He’ll do better than that yet. He is only getting warmed up”

“The Winnipeg defence is breaking up the Shamrocks’ combination work. More power to them”

“Bain and Burke Wood are doing the trick of scoring between them. They are a hard team to beat”

“Gingras generally seems to score when the most need is. As a benedict he is not a whit less great”

“Brown felt bad about that high lift. Not at all, Art. It was not your fault; no one but an owl could see it among the rafters”

A Montreal paper wrote: “Wood was a hard man to figure on, and nobody knew exactly what Gingras was going to do, so that the Shamrock defence were kept very busy, indeed. Wall and Grant were both trying the lifting game, but the visitors gauged the drops well”

“Incidentally, Bain is a peach”

“Wall made one of his dangerous lifts which should have scored”

Final Score: 4-3 Winnipeg

Rosters
Winnipeg: Brown in goal, R. Flett at point, M. Flett at cover, Johnson, Bain, Gingras, and Wood at forward

Shamrocks: McKenna in goal, Wall at point, Grant at cover, Scanlan, Brannen, Trihey, and Farrell at forward

Team Goal Scorer Assist Assist
Shamrocks Farrell or Trihey N/A N/A
Winnipeg Johnstone or Bain or Gingras N/A N/A
Winnipeg Bain or Gingras Maybe Gingras N/A
Winnipeg Wood or Johnstone N/A N/A
Shamrocks Farrell or Brannen N/A N/A
Shamrocks Wall N/A N/A
Winnipeg Wood Gingras N/A

Sources: The Winnipeg Tribune, 30 January 1901 page 2 and 5, The Gazette, 30 January 1901 page 2, and The Montreal Star, 30 January 1901 page 2

Winnipeg Victorias vs Montreal Shamrocks, 31 January 1901
A Winnipeg paper reported: “Bain scored both goals last night and is probably the greatest player the world ever saw, but Gingras, Johnstone, Wood and the others also played mighty games. The defence was equally as strong. The Flett Brothers’ combination was a happy hit of Armytage, and worked ot perfection. By all reports Rod put up the greatest point game in a superlatively great career while Brown, in goal, well deserves the name ‘wizard’.

“Bain scored both goals and played from the first like a man whose very soul was at stake for he possibly knew it was ‘now or never’. His pluck, speed and endurance were magnificent for he was watched a pounded in a special manner”

“On the left Burke Wood played against Farrell and not only ‘held him down’ but occasionally took a turn in centre ice. Farrell put up the game of his life but couldn’t score, which is saying a whole lot for Wood”

“On the right Gingras played Scanlan, and here was a battle royal. Gingras rushed his man and got in dozens of hot shots on McKenna, who put up a brilliant game throughout and saved a big score. Gingras as usual wa a hot favorite with the audience owing to his desperate spirits”

“In centre ice were Johnstone, Bain, Trihey and Brennan- and where will you ind another such a quartette? Johnstone is a veritable western cycling and whirls all over the ice coming at the puck and the man who has it from all directions, like a regular old-time norwester. He plays the position of ‘rover’ much more effectively than he ever did that of cover-[point. He is an ideal rover and never tires using either his body or his stick. He plays as if it was the greatest fun in the world after he got well warmed up. He is a steam engine at breaking up a combination. As for the Winnipeg defence, it was magical. Brown is the equal of anything ever seen here. The two Fletts work well together. Magnus takes care of the men and Rod handles the puck. They checked the ‘Green’ men so closely that it was impossible to score. They never lifted very far or made any of those startling shots on goal which used to distinguish Charlie Johnstone at cover and which Wall and Grant still practice. The day for long lifting seems to be over. It does no good and simply wearies the team for nothing”

“Brennan, Trihey and Farrell put up their greatest game, but Scanlan seemed afraid of his weak ankle-bone. On the defence Mike Grant was strong. He is far ahead of Tansey of last year, though not so pretty a player. Wall saved his goal scores of times and McKenna simply out-did himself”

“Trihey played like a demon and retrieved his fame until he was laid out in a hard body check from Mag. Flett. He went down and off the ice with a very sore wrist. Wood, who played brilliantly and seemed fresh, was laid off for the rest of the time the game went on”

“Carruthers at key says Bain, Gingras and Johnstone played the game of their lives. Bain was very roughly handled in the second part. Never could move unless he was heavily bodychecked. Brown saved the game for the Winnipegs”

“Flett brothers played a great game together”

A Montreal paper wrote: “The Shamrocks were weak in the defence, insofar as both Wall and Grant seemed to be duplicates in their own particular defence play. A little more dangerous man than Wall with his lifting ability would be difficult to find on hockey ice today. Grant is likewise a goodlifter, i no quite so accurate as Wall, with the added advantage of being able to rush well and use the body to good effect. But when Grant rushes and gets to the other side of the rink he does not get back in time enough to play his position, and stop the dash of a man like Gingras or Bain or Wood”

“ALthough McKenna made some sensational stops the men in front of him did not seem to have the necessary confidence, the result of which was that point and cover seemed to use up each other’s ground, and therefore lost ground”

“The work of Johnson and Gingras for the visitors was particularly worthy of note”

“What looked to be a fine run of Grant’s which nearly resulted in a score ended unexpectedly. He did not get back to place in time and Gingras came along like a ghost, and had the puck with him. He scored the game, the match was over, and Winnipeg had captured the Stanley Cup”

Final Score: 2-1 Victorias

Rosters
Winnipeg: Brown in goal, R. Flett at point, M. Flett at cover, Johnstone at rover, Bain at center, Wood at LW, Gingras at RW

Shamrocks: McKenna in goal, Grant at point, Wall at cover, Trihey at rover, Brennan at center, Scanlan at LW, and Farrell at RW

Team Goal Scorer Assist Assist
Winnipeg Bain or Gingras Maybe Gingras
Maybe Bain Johnstone
Shamrocks Trihey Scanlan or Brannen N/A
Winnipeg Bain or Gingras N/A N/A

Sources: The Winnipeg Tribune, 1 February 1901 page 5 and 7, The Gazette, 1 February 1901 page 2, and The Montreal Star, 1 February 1901 page 2

Series Scoring Table

Name Team Goals Assists Points
Trihey Shamrocks 1 0 1
Wall Shamrocks 1 0 1
Wood Winnipeg 1 0 1
Gingras Winnipeg 0 1 1
Johnstone Winnipeg 0 1 1
Maybe Gingras Winnipeg 0 2 2
Maybe Bain Winnipeg 0 1 1
Bain or GIngras Winnipeg 3 0 3
Bain, Gingras, or Johnstone Winnipeg 1 0 1
Brannen or Farrell Shamrocks 1 0 1
Farrell or Trihey Shamrocks 1 0 1
Johnstone or Wood Winnipeg 1 0 1
Brannen or Scanlan Shamrocks 0 1 1

Total Shamrocks SC Challenge Stats 1899-1901

Name Goals Assists Points
Trihey 12 0 12
Farrell 5 5 10
Scanlan 2 2 4
Wall 2 1 3
Brannen 0 3 3
Maybe Trihey 0 2 2
Farrell or Trihey 9 0 9
Farrell or Wall 3 0 3
Brannen or Trihey 2 1 3
Brannen or Farrell 2 0 2
Brannen or Wall 2 0 2
Brannen or Farrell or Scanlan 1 0 1
Scanlan or Trihey 1 0 1
Tansey or Wall 1 0 1
Brannen or Scanlan 0 1 1
McKenna or Tansey 0 1 1

rmartin65 said:
Tom Paton
Right off the bat, I’m going to say it- I’m not doing stats for goaltenders. Wins and GAA are team stats, and I don’t think they are worth anything for this project, especially when one considers that goaltends served their own penalties back then, so other players were potentially in net for goals here and there.

Now, on to the player- Tom Paton. As you all probably know, he was the goalie for Montreal HC (also known as Montreal AAA) from 1885 (pre-AHAC) through the 1893 AHAC season. I don’t have anything good on his pre-AHAC time, so I’ll be providing quotes and my own opinions from 1887-1893. Actually, scratch that, I have an 1894 (post retirement) quote: “The Montrealers have a first-class goalkeeper [Herbert Collins] still, but he is not Paton”. Collins would play Senior hockey through the 1899 CAHL season, so he couldn’t have been too bad himself. I value praise like this pretty highly, as I didn’t come across things like that very often for many players. On the flip side, when Paton died in 1909, I don’t recall them talking about his playing career (which only ended 16 years prior, so plenty of people should have remembered it) in his obituaries. I didn’t chase that rabbit too far, so maybe I was just reading the wrong sources for that, but it is something I wanted to mention.

Montreal HC was, in my opinion, the first real dynasty in hockey. They were mostly the team to beat (Ottawa HC was screwed by the challenge system in 1892, which actually ended up re-introducing the type of schedule we are more familiar with today, where every team plays the same amount of games) until the Montreal Victorias took over in the mid-1890s. So why is Paton the first player from that team eligible? As I’ve noted before, the Silver Seven have 4 players inducted. The Nighbor Senators have 6 (all in the top 20!). I think the issue is that game reports just weren’t detailed enough to give any real insight into the players. What the solution to this is, I don’t know. I’d love to see a good discussion into those Montreal HC teams, but it’s a difficult one to have. Anyway, I’ve pontificated enough; here are the quotes (actually, a lot of it consists of notes I took during my readings):

1888
For M.A.A.A, one paper lists Cameron, Hodgson, Virtue, and Lowe are listed as having good games, another singles out Paton, Virtue, Lowe, and Hodgson

For Montreal HC, Paton, Lowe, Hodgson, Cameron, and Virtue were mentioned for fine play.

T. Paton is noted as having a strong game for M.A.A.A

“Very little escaped Cameron’s attention, and what little did escape was promptly handled by Stewart. Paton between the flags was the same reliable stop he always is”

1889
Again, not a lot on this one. Just the rosters, the score, and a note that Norris and Paton played well.

Paton is described as better than a stone wall

1890
Quebec had several nice runs, forcing Paton (Tom; the J in the roster is a typo) to play “a wonderful game” and to make stops that ‘brought down the house’

Cameron, Stewart, and Paton were said to have done “some remarkable work” on several occasions

Paton is apparently a very tough goalie to score on, with a report saying the strategy to beat him is to push the M.A.A.A. defense back so he can’t see the puck

1891
Paton appears to have been the difference maker in this match

This one was close, and one report noted that it was Paton who made the difference.

1892
The Shamrocks apparently dominated the first half, with Paton allowing “two shots out of a hundred or so”

Paton, Lowe, Lee, and Stewart reportedly played well for M.A.A.A.

Paton’s goaltending was praised by an Ottawa source.

Though Paton “had many stops to make, nevertheless, but they were of the free and easy order” (at least according to one source- another said some of the stops were “marvellous”). The stars of the Montreal team were Lowe, McNaughton, and Hodgson, though Cameron and Paton get some good press as well

Another Ottawa paper noted that Paton, Cameron, McNaughton, and Hodgson were “crack lacrosse players”, and stated that they were “beautiful skaters, all of them, noted for their agility”. They also had good hockey sense.

1893
Paton is good in goal, however, and is a hard man to beat

Paton and Lowe (identified as left wing!) were named by an Ottawa paper as the best of the Montreal team. Paton was at one point called “a jewel”.

A Montreal paper described Paton as “active and ever on the alert”, and said he did “splendid work”

Whenever the Vics looked like they had something promising going on offensively, “Paton, Stewart, or Cameron would come in their way and upset their calculations”.

Paton received the honors for the M.A.A.A. men “for his clever work in goal and many thought that it was due to his energy that the Montreal colors did not fall”.

rmartin65 said:
Riley Hern
Like with Paton, I’m not posting stats.

Hern was one of the first professional goalies to make it to the ECAHA (later ECHA due to professionalism). Prior to joining the Wanderers in the ECAHA, he played in the WPHL and IPHL, and while I haven’t dug into those leagues, looks to have done pretty well. Well enough, at least, to be paid to play in what was likely the best league of the era (and by one of the best teams of that league). I have his ECAHA career (1907-1909), but, unfortunately, I have been unable to transcribe all of his SC challenge games (I believe I am about halfway through the 13 games) , so those won’t be in this post at this time. He also played another two seasons for the Wanderers in the NHA (and a SC game, a 7-3 victory against the overmatched Berlin Dutchmen). Personally, I think it is too early for Hern; I think he was - at best - the third best goalie of his era (after Moran and LeSueur), and possibly even lower than that (I am pretty high on Nicholson, and then you have guys from the other leagues like Lindsey, Winchester, and Jones that are probably worth mentioning). That said, that’s just my opinion; here is a selection of quotes I have for Hern-

1907
“Lesueur and Hern divided honors, both doing sensational work in the nets. Lesueur save the Ottawa twenty times or more, using his shins, stick and head as usual, and sometimes skating out to intercept a pass. In the second half when Ottawa were three or four men shy, Lesueur’s work brought down the house. He stopped the puck with his hands, stick and body, turning it aside in a marvelous manner. Hern was equally effective, and in him the Wanderers apparently have a find”

“Hern in goal made some stops that amazed every one repeatedly, rushing out and saving after an Ottawa man had passed every one but himself. Then he was cool at all stages and directed the men in front of him”

“ Harry Smith was there with his star shooting, but got little opportunity to get near the nets. He and Alf. did some nice passing and rained many hard shots at Hern”

“Only the stellar work of Stuart and Patrick prevented a dozen goals on Hern”

“Patrick’s game was his season’s best. The good work of Stuart and Patrick, backed by heady work displayed by Hern in goal, rounded out the Wanderer defence in fine style”

“On the Wanderer side, the forwards were in good fettle, while Patrick at point, and Glass at cover, worked hard when the thought struck them that they were playing hockey. Hern had not much to do”

1908
“Hern in goal made some great stops, but he let a couple of easy ones go by”

“The defence was its strongest point, and had it not been or the work of Riley Hern and Art Ross, Ottawas would have had twenty or more goals. As it was Ross and Hern were the only Wanderers who seemed in a class with the locals. Hern’s work in the nets was sensational, and even the Ottawa supporters cheered him and Ross”

“Art. Ross and Riley Hern did their share, but they were impotent against the resistless dash and vigor of the Ottawa attack. The real wonder of it is not that the score was twelve, but that it was not more. It speaks well indeed for the excellent work of those two players”

“With the Wanderer lot the two best performers were, as previously said, Hern and Ross. Both did their work well”

“Hern played the finest game in goals that he has yet played since joining the team”

“Hern and Ross were the stars of the Wanderer team. Hern played a splendid game in the nets, and most of the ones that got away from him were batted in shots following a clever block”

“it was then that Hern was called on to do some spectacular work for Wanderers”

“Robinson and Hern were pretty much even up on the night’s work”

“As said before, Ross was good and staunch as ever, and made some fine rushes at times, and Riley Hern did his best, which is saying a good deal”

“Hern, Ross and Blachford were the stars, but there was no weak spot on the seven”

“Moran had less to do than in the Shamrock game and was outstarred by Hern, who was in top form”

“Hern had a lot of difficult work to do, especially in the first half, and he did it well”

“Nicholson and Hern were about even up on the night’s play”

1909
“Perhaps in this case Lesueur deserves more credit, for the fusilade on his net in the first half was the greatest, although in the second the attack was evenly divided, but Riley Hern no doubt would have done just as well had he been in Lesuer’s place”

“Hern had less to do than Lesueur, but did it equally well. The little fellow was cool in some stiff scrimmaging around his cage, and he used his head in clearing”

“Hern had much less to do than Moran, but he was under a more deadly fire”

“Riley Hern did as usual good work, but had many an unnecessary score as Quebec came flying down”

“In the second half there were times when Wanderers were all played out and but for the sterling work of Hern in goal and of Smaill and Johnson in the open the chances are that Quebec would have retired victors”

“Hern did splendid work in the Wanderer nets, but Lesueur had it on him in every way”

“Hern was as cool as Lesueur in tight places, although he had less to do than the Ottawa man”

EDIT- I should note that Hern was inducted into the HHoF in the massive 1963 class (behind Moran and LeSueur, but ahead of Benedict and Holmes). And as far as contemporary all-star rosters go, I've only ever seen Hern mentioned on one- a fan-voted all star team in 1907. LeSueur was named on another 1907 team. Moran was named on two 1908 teams, and Nicholson was named on the second team for one in 1908. I know there is a 1909 team floating around, but I haven't seen it yet.

EDIT 2- I just needed to change up my search terms. On 24 February 1909, the Calgary Albertan published an All-Star team from Harvey Pulford-

Goal: LeSueur (Ottawa)
Point: Patrick (Nelson)
Cover: Smaill (Wanderers)
Rover: Stuart (Wanderers)
Center: Walsh (Ottawa)
LW: Gilmour (Ottawa)
RW: Johnson (Wanderers)

The paper notes that if was making an ECHA team, he would substitute Patrick out for Lake (Ottawa).

EDIT 3- Looks like the original source for the Pulford all-star team is the Ottawa Free Press

rmartin65 said:
Harry Hyland
I only have one season of Hyland’s (with the Montreal Shamrocks of the ECHA in 1909), so this will be short. He played another 9 seasons across the NHA, PCHA, and NHL before retiring in 1918, and was admitted to the HHoF in 1962.

Selection of Quotes:

“Hyland was developed into a clever scorer, and was useful until he tired, in the second half”

“Hyland was the choice of the forwards”

“Laviolette, Marshall and Hyland were the best for the visitors”

“Hyland, an intermediate who played with Shamrocks, is a fast skater but proved of small use to his side, as he spent much time with the penalty time-keeper”

“Hyland has a fine shot. He only scored one last night, but he got a dozen others in that Smaill or Hern had trouble handling”

“Hyland has a dangerous shot, but Ross and Hern robbed him of all but one tally”

“Hyland played the best hockey he has shown this season, his shooting being a feature”

Scoring Table (not counting the points that are disputed)

1909 (ECHA)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Marty Walsh Ottawa HC 1 38 5 43
2 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 1 29 4 33
3 Bruce Stuart Ottawa HC 2 20 11 31
4 Dubbie Kerr Ottawa HC 3 17 7 24
5 Chubby Power Quebec HC 2 18 3 21
6 Harry Hyland Shamrocks 1 19 1 20
7 Jimmy Gardner Wanderers 1 11 8 19
T-8 Walter Smaill Wanderers 2 9 8 17
T-8 Cyclone Taylor Ottawa HC 4 8 9 17
T-10 Pud Glass Wanderers 3 15 1 16
T-10 Steve Vair Wanderers 4 12 4 16
12 Ernie Johnson Wanderers 5 10 5 15
T-13 Billy Gilmour Ottawa HC 5 8 5 13
T-13 Jack Marshall Shamrocks 2 8 5 13

Scoring Table (counting disputed points; split points worth .5 (or .33) points, maybe points given full credit but not added to goals or assists)

1909 (ECHA)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Marty Walsh Ottawa HC 1 41.33 7 49.33
2 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 1 31.5 4 36.5
3 Bruce Stuart Ottawa HC 2 20.83 13 33.83
4 Dubbie Kerr Ottawa HC 3 19.83 7 26.83
5 Chubby Power Quebec HC 2 19 3.5 24.5
6 Harry Hyland Shamrocks 1 19.5 1 20.5
7 Jimmy Gardner Wanderers 1 11.5 8.5 20
8 Cyclone Taylor Ottawa HC 4 8 10.5 19.5
9 Pud Glass Wanderers 2 16 1.33 18.33
T-10 Steve Vair Wanderers T-3 12.5 4 17.5
T-10 Walter Smaill Wanderers T-3 9.5 8 17.5
12 Billy Gilmour Ottawa HC 5 9.5 6 15.5
13 Ernie Johnson Wanderers 5 10 5.33 15.33
14 Jack Marshall Shamrocks 2 9 5.5 14.5

rmartin65 · May 24, 2023

rmartin65 said:
Harry ‘Rat’ Westwick
A member of the famed Silver Seven, Westwick had a long, storied career that spanned from (at the top-tier level) from 1895-1908. While I don’t think the claim could ever be made that he was the top dog on his teams (One or more of, chronologically, Young, Pulford, Smith, McGee, LeSueur, or Phillips - all of whom are already inducted, for what it is worth - were always a bigger piece to the puzzle, in my opinion), he was certainly an able contributor, providing secondary scoring and strong defense. That said… that is a lot of names I just listed. I am on record as being suspicious of 3rd/4th/5th most important players on teams; players from dynasties get remembered more than other, less fortunate players because sports history loves winners. Do we hear about Westwick a lot because he was great, or because he was on a great team? Some of the quotes (below) are very compelling in his favor, in my opinion, but it is something to keep in mind.

Westwick was voted to the HHoF… but not until 1963, when it is likely that a decent percentage of the voters never saw him play (in his prime, at least, or for more than a season or two). He also didn’t get a bunch of support in the few all star teams we have for the era; as far as I am aware, his only placement is as the forward spare on the 1905 fan-voted team (I believe I have a total of 5 different all star teams from Westwick’s career, and one of those (1908) had a first team and a second team, neither of which Westwick was on). Now, he was at the tail-end of his career for most of these teams, so it is definitely possible that he was not the player he was earlier. To extend a thought process from @seventieslord , though; I don’t know if you can write the story of this era of hockey without including Westwick in there at least somewhat prominently.

Unfortunately, like other players on the list, I haven’t transcribed all of Westwick’s SC challenge games. I’ll add them if I get them done while he is still eligible, but it’s probably a couple of weeks away due to life obligations.

Selection of Quotes (1895-1908):

1895 (AHAC)
“Westwick, the new goal-keeper, had little to do but what he had to do he did well”

“Westwick, the new man, was a great success. He is a little light to play against such heavy men as the Montrealers but he is very quick”

“Westwick’s showing was wonderfully good for a new man. He completely outplayed the great Hodgson”

“Westwick was the new man on the Ottawa team. He is a youngster of only 118 lbs, and of generally light build. Many object to his playing on the ground that he had not strength and weight. His qualifications however were fast skating, pluck, and particularly brilliant and quick stick handling and they carried him through”

“Westwick’s unselfish combination playing was a great help on the forward line, and his tireless follow on the lifts made Quebec’s defence uncertain of their play. For the first three minutes that he took Young’s place as cover, he showed a cleverness in that position that delighted the Ottawas”

“Westwick, although responsible for a few good runs and some nice passes, made a few serious mistakes and was not heavy enough to get in the way of any of the Victoria forwards. Yet his rapid following back often saved the Ottawas from danger”

“Westwick’s game was faultless although his light weight was against him in a scramble”

1896 (AHAC)
“Smith is, admittedly, the finest forward in Canada, while Westwick and Kirby come in but a little lower in the scale of merit”

“Kirby and Westwick were fast and always with the puck”

“In fact, no one, outside of Capt. Mike Grant, could compare with little Westwick. His work was of the heroic kind, and every dash made by him and Kirby, his equally conspicuous assistant, made the hearts of the crowd leap with joy”

“Otherwise they [Ottawa] put up a splendid game, Kirby and Westwick being simply splendid in their play”

“Westwick and Kirby filled their posts valiantly and unlike Smith, they played a thoroughly unselfish combined game”

1897 (AHAC)
“Westwick’s play was superb throughout, the best of the forward showing on either side”

“Westwick did wonderful work on the Ottawa forward line, his following up being magnificent and his interference very effective”

“Harry Westwick, without doubt, carried off the honors of the evening”

“The lion’s share of the forward work fell to Harry Westwick and he put up the finest play seen in any match in Ottawa this year, excepting possibly the play of Shirley Davidson among his opponents Saturday night. Westwick did wonderful work in every way, whether in following-up, checking, or rushing”

“Westwick was probably the star of the who fourteen, and he outplayed Mike Grant several times”

“Westwick played perhaps the finest game on the ice”

“As usual, Westwick was the star of the forward line”

1898 (AHAC)
“Westwick although he was not in shape and made a few misses, was easily the best individual forward on the ice”

“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”

1901 (CAHL)
“The only systematic bit of work at all among the Ottawas was practically what was done in passes between Henry and Smith from right to left wing. Westwick and Roger did their best”

“The Ottawa forwards played all around the Shamrocks. Westwick played fox and goose with Brannen and Farrel, while Sixsmith and ‘Chic’ Henry were streaks of lightning. J. Smith played all over Scanlon”

“Sixsmith and Westwick were the stars on the team. Sixsmith particularly could outplay any of the visitors. Westwick was very effective, and Henry and Smith worked hard. The Ottawa defence was very reliable and made but few errors”

“Westwick, Roger, Henry and Sexsmith played better together than usual and their checking was as hard as customary”

“Trihey and Brennan, for Shamrocks, and Westwick for Ottawas, were certainly the stars of the evening”

“Westwick on the Ottawa forward line played the best game for the home team. He was always on the puck and his condition was magnificent, for he stood out the match to the end at which time he could spurt as fast as at the beginning”

“Westwick is a daisy”

1902 (CAHL)
Westwick was noted as doing “two men’s work”

“Westwick carried off the honors in the last ten minutes of play, when he seemed to be all over the ice at one and the same time”

“Westwick did good work, but only seemed animated to put his best foot forward when the team was playing a man down”

“Westwick and Stuart worked like Trojans but they did not receive the support they should have obtained”

“Westwick was a hard worker on the forward line and covered considerable territory, and Stewart likewise played earnestly”

“Westwick was as usual fast and clever”

“He [Westwick] is just as great a dodger as ever, and time and time again succeeded in bringing the puck right down the ice”

“Westwick did most valuable work from the time the whistle was heard till the gong tolled victory. Nearly all the way through he did the right thing at the right time. He showed that he has not forgotten any tricks of the game and with all that he has done to improve the game, every one would be glad to see him captain the team that would secure the Stanley Cup before he retires from the game for good”

1903 (CAHL)
“For the Ottawas Westwick was the star, and his work was the best of the match. He was fast and trickey as usual, and persistently carried the puck up the ice, hurdling and dodging to perfection”

“Harry Westwick was the star of the game. Time and again he shot down the ice like a lightning flash athwart an inky black cloud, but too often he had no one to help him. From whistle to whistle his speed showed no let up and as he flew over the ice from one end of the rink to the other with the elusive, the spectators cheered him to the echo”

“Westwick can give them all cards in the game of skating and then beat them out”

“Rat Westwick, as usual, was doing more than his share of the hard work”

“Westwick was the same swift tricky player of yore, and hurdled opposing sticks with remarkable nimbleness”

“Harry Westwick is anything but a quitter. He played with his hand battered almost to a pulp”

“Westwick was in very poor condition and did not do what the ‘Rat’ can do”

“McGee and Westwick were very aggressive and played strong games. The former’s dashes were brilliant and he was well supported by the ‘Rat’”

“Westwick’s hurdling was pretty to watch, and the nice style in which the Ottawa rover cleared the sticks caused many a cheer”

“Westwick was spasmodic in his play but on the whole put up an excellent game. He was not in condition, at least not as good as he was when Montreal met Ottawa in Ottawa, and his wrist was sore, but he made some of the most dangerous rushes of the match. He certainly never made an error, and this was what counted”

“The loss of Westwick did not affect the team to any appreciable extent”

1904 (CAHL/FAHL)
Nothing of real note

1905 (FAHL)
“Westwick was brilliant all time and McGee too, though Frank has been known to play in better luck”

“Westwick was the star of the Ottawa line and with him, McGee and Smith shared honors”

“Even Westwick, who has one of the cleanest records in the senior league, was found guilty and sentence to the rowdy bench”

“Westwick and Smith were much as of yore fast and tricky, but each was rather off form in shooting and fell down the easy chances”

1906 (ECAHA)
“The stellar performer for Ottawa however, was Westwick. The little man is certainly a wonder and his juggling of the puck was remarkable”

“Westwick was as tricky as ever and had his opponents guessing with his serpentine dashes”

“Among the front rank Alf. Smith and Westwick were the stars and won the match for their side”

“Westwick was not in the best of shape and while he played his usual brilliant and tricky game in the first half the heavy ice told on him in the last period”

“Westwick moved over to left wing when Dion was dropped, and while he did splendid service he was not as brilliant as he usually is when in the centre of the ice”

“Westwick is a very pretty skater and the way he did the hurdles over the opposing sticks called forth rounds of applause”

“Westwick was the hardest worker on the ice and that rugged little chap was forever in the thickest of the fray. Though he did not score any goals, he was invaluable to his team, as he fed the other forwards most generously”

“For Victorias Bowie and Russell were the leaders in all the rushes, while for the champions Harry Smith and Westwick were the astral luminaries”

“For the Ottawas, Harry Westwick played his best game of the season. His work was rarely of the showy kind but the manner in which he took part in a rush and followed back when the puck was lost proved of incalculable value to the Ottawas in keeping the score of their opponents down”

“Alf. Smith and Westwick were putting up the star games while Harry Smith did most of the scoring as usual”

“Westwick was again to the fore with his hard, unselfish work, and he apparently possessed the staying power of two men in the manner in which he charged and followed back”

1907 (ECAHA)
“Westwick missed many good chances to score, which on other nights he would have converted easily”

“Westwick didn’t do anything great, but his checking came in handy on many instances”

“‘Rat’ Westwick was the dead one of the team with Harry Smith running a close second for the distinction”

“In centre ice Patrick and Glass had Harry Smith and Westwick faded”

“Westwick seldom played better and never rougher. He was every bit as speedy as in his earlier days, and his handling of sticks was well worth seeing”

“Perhaps the best feature of the match was the fine work of Westwick”

“The man who probably played the prettiest game was Westwick, a veteran of veterans, and no one who watched him bore in and slide out of the ruck, and twist and criss-cross Saturday, will wonder that seven years ago he was known as ‘the rat’”

“Westwick was the peer of them all at stick-handling”

“Westwick and Harry Smith also did star work, which came as a relief to every one, after their illness. Westwick’s fostering of the puck and stealing it on a pass was very pretty”

“Westwick showed up well in the greater art of the game but towards the end his shooting was a little off color. He did some of the prettiest stick handling of the game at certain points, and would take the puck through the entire bunch only to be stopped by Patrick or Hern.”

“Westwick was played right off his feet after the first half”

1908 (ECAHA)
“Westwick shone throughout, and Tayor also upheld his reputation, his speed being phenomenal. Westwick’s checking was very effective, and his following back repeatedly played havoc with the Quebec forwards”
“ In the centre ‘Rat’ Westwick and Taylor, the International League crack, were helpless against Jordan and ‘Chubby’ Powers”

“Ross, however, found Taylor and Pulford an impregnable combination, and to make his case all the harder Westwick, Walsh, Phillips, and Smith were always checking back with the speed of locomotives”

“ But perhaps the most conspicuous of the Ottawa team was Westwick. The speedy rover did nothing sensational, but he was in the game all the time, checking back with great success. His zig-zag rushes played havoc with the Wanderer line and when Taylor was on the fence Westwick dropped back to the defence, doing splendid work there also. ‘Rat’ is still the great favorite he always was with the crowd, giving several exhibitions of that hurdling, stick-handling and skating that made him famous in Canadian hockey”

“Westwick’s checking was the most effective. Time and again he crossed and crowded the visitors for loss of the disc”

“Westwick as usual played a reliable, heavy game”

“Sometimes it was Taylor, darting round the goal, his stick in one hand, dodging to and fro as elusive as an eel; perhaps it was Westwick, winding his way through three or four players, breaking into the open and then shooting down the center with Walsh beside him and Phillips and Smith playing the boards to perfection”

“Westwick was the best next to Smith. The ‘Rat’ seemed the idol of the crowd and his hurdling, sidestepping attacks always brought forth prolonged cheers. Westwick was here, there and in fact all over the ice. When Pulford was off he lay back on the defence, blocking innumerable attempts on the part of Quebec to score and as soon sa Pulford came on, Westwick, fresh after his ‘lay-up’ swept down all alone and plunked the rubber behind Moran for as pretty a goal as one would wish to see. He was always in the thick of the fray, putting up, in fact, one of the best games of his long career.”

“Westwick, while as clever as ever, seemed to be physically weak and was easily stopped or brushed aside by the strong Quebecers”

“Bowie’s stick-handling was a feature, but Walsh and Westwick watched him closely, and the great rover had little chance to shine”

“Westwick and Walsh worked like Trojans in the center, and Smith and Phillips, as in the Victoria game, played the sides perfectly. The checking back was a feature of the Ottawa line’s work, Westwick again proving the handy man in this respect. Occasionally Taylor would go down and Shamrocks would come tearing back, expecting to have no one but Pulford to block them. But Westwick would come tearing up through the broken line, and Shamrocks would find the puck taken from them by the wily Ottawa rover just when their chances of scoring looked brightest”

“Walsh was effectively tied up in centre ice, and Westwick was never very prominent. Both he and Walsh, however, did a lot of telling work in breaking up plays”

“Harry Westwick played a rattling good game and it was he who gave Wlash many golden opportunities”

Scoring Tables (not counting the points that are disputed)

1895 (AHAC)- No confirmed points

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Haviland Routh Montreal HC 15 1 16
2 Robert MacDougall Victorias 10 1 11
T-3 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 8 2 10
T-3 Archie Hodgson Montreal HC 5 5 10
5 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 8 1 9

1896 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Robert MacDougall Victorias 11 1 12
2 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 8 2 10
3 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 6 2 8
T-4 Pat Doyle Quebec HC 5 2 7
T-4 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 5 2 7
T-4 Shirley Davidson Victorias 4 3 7
T-4 A.D. Scott Quebec HC 4 3 7
T-17 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 4 0 4

1897 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
T-1 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 11 1 12
T-1 Robert MacDougall Victorias 10 2 12
T-1 Billy Barlow Montreal HC 9 3 12
4 Ernie McLea Victorias 7 4 11
5 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 8 1 9

1898 (AHAC)- Westwick had only 2 points, so I’m not going through this one

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 11 4 15
2 Desse Brown Shamrocks 10 0 10
T-3 Howard Hutchison Ottawa HC 9 0 9
T-3 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 8 1 9
T-3 James GIllespie Quebec HC 6 3 9
6 Robert MacDougall Victorias 7 1 8

1901 (CAHL)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 15 1 16
2 Lorne Campbell Montreal HC 8 3 11
3 Harold Henry Ottawa HC 5 2 8
T-4 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 6 1 7
T-4 Bruce Stuart Quebec HC 6 1 7
T-6 Charlie Liffiton Montreal HC 6 0 6
T-6 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 5 1 6
T-6 James Gillespie Quebec HC 4 2 6
T-9 Arthur Sixsmith Ottawa HC 5 0 5
T-9 Jack Smith Ottawa HC 5 0 5
T-9 Edward Stuart Victorias 5 0 5
T-9 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 4 1 5

1902 (CAHL)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Archie Hooper Montreal HC 1 14 0 14
2 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 1 12 1 13
3 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 11 0 11
4 Jack Marshall Montreal HC 2 10 0 10
5 Bruce Stuart Ottawa HC 2 9 1 10

1903 (CAHL)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
T-1 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 20 3 23
T-1 Frank McGee Ottawa HC 1 14 9 23
3 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 1 9 3 12
T-4 Suddy Gilmour Ottawa HC 2 9 2 11
T-4 Jack Marshall Montreal HC 1 7 4 11
T-4 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 2 5 6 11

1904 (CAHL)- Ottawa HC only played half the schedule before leaving the league. As Westwick was well down in the scoring table, I’m not worrying about this one.

1905 (FAHL)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Frank McGee Ottawa HC 1 18 3 21
2 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 2 12 7 19
3 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 3 9 8 17
4 Jack Marshall Wanderers 1 11 0 11
5 Pud Glass Wanderers 2 8 1 9

1906 (ECAHA)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 29 6 35
2 Harry Smith Ottawa HC 1 29 1 30
3 Frank McGee Ottawa HC 2 23 2 25
4 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 3 10 14 24
5 Joe Power Quebec HC 1 20 2 22
6 Ernie Russell Wanderers 1 20 1 21
7 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 2 15 5 20
8 Walter Smaill Montreal HC 1 18 0 18
9 Lester Patrick Wanderers 2 14 1 15
10 Ernie Johnson Wanderers 3 12 1 13
T-11 Grover Sargent Montreal HC 2 8 3 11
T-11 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 4 7 4 11

1907 (ECAHA)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 37 11 48
2 Ernie Russell Wanderers 1 38 2 40
3 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 1 16 15 31
T-4 Blair Russell Victorias 2 21 2 23
T-4 Harry Smith Ottawa HC 2 20 3 23
6 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 3 12 10 22

1908 (ECAHA)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Tommy Phillips Ottawa HC 1 22 12 34
2 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 25 5 30
3 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 1 20 7 27
4 Marty Walsh Ottawa HC 2 23 3 26
5 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 3 12 12 24
6 Jack Marshall Shamrocks 1 17 4 21
7 Chubby Power Quebec HC 2 16 3 19
8 Bert Morrison Shamrocks 2 12 6 18
T-9 Ernie Russell Wanderers 1 16 1 17
T-9 Joe Eveleigh Montreal HC 1 14 3 17
11 Joe Power Quebec HC 3 13 3 16
12 Frank Patrick Victorias 2 7 8 15
13 Joe Hall Montreal HC/Shamrocks N/A 8 5 13
T-14 Ed Hogan Quebec HC 4 8 4 12
T-14 Blair Russell Victorias 3 7 5 12
T-14 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 4 6 6 12

Scoring Tables (counting disputed points; split points worth .5 (or .33) points, maybe points given full credit but not added to goals or assists)

1895 (AHAC)- only 2 split credit goals, so one total point for Westwick. I’m not going through the entire league for that.

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Haviland Routh Montreal HC 17.5 1 18.5
2 Robert MacDougall Victorias 11 1 12
3 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 9.5 2 11.5
T-4 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 9 1 11
T-4 Norman Rankin Victorias 9 2 11

1896 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Robert MacDougall Victorias 12 1 14
2 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 8.5 2.5 11
3 Shirley Davidson Victorias 6.17 4.5 10.67
4 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 7.33 2 10.33
5 Chauncey Kirby Ottawa HC 3 4.5 9.5
10 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 7.33 .5 7.83

1897 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Billy Barlow Montreal HC 10 3 15
T-2 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 12.5 1 13.5
T-2 Robert MacDougall Victorias 10.5 2 13.5
4 Ernie McLea Victorias 7.5 4.5 12
5 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 10.34 1 11.34
6 Shirley Davidson Victorias 2.5 6.5 11
7 John Dobby Shamrocks 7 1 8
8 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 5.33 1.5 7.83

1898 (AHAC)- Westwick had only 2 points, so I’m not going through this one

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 11 4 16
T-2 Desse Brown Shamrocks 10 0 10
T-2 Robert MacDougall Victorias 8 2 10
4 Howard Hutchison Ottawa HC 9.5 0 9.5
5 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 8 1 9

1901 (CAHL)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 21.5 1 22.5
2 Lorne Campbell Montreal HC 9 3 12
3 Blair Russell Victorias 9 1 10
4 Harold Henry Ottawa HC 7 2 9
5 Charlie Liffiton Montreal HC 7 .5 8.5
6 Bruce Stuart Quebec HC 7 1 8
7 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 6.83 1 7.83
8 James Gillespie Quebec HC 5 2 7
9 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 5.83 1 6.83
10 Arthur Sixsmith Ottawa HC 6.5 0 6.5
T-11 Edward Stuart Victorias 6 0 6
T-11 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 5 1 6

1902 (CAHL)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Archie Hooper Montreal HC 1 16.5 0.5 17
2 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 1 12 1.5 14.5
3 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 13.5 .5 14
4 Jack Marshall Montreal HC 2 11.5 0.5 11.5
5 Bruce Stuart Ottawa HC 2 9 1 10

1903 (CAHL)

1 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 21.5 3 24.5
2 Frank McGee Ottawa HC 1 14.83 9.5 24.33
3 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 1 11 3 14
4 Suddy Gilmour Ottawa HC 2 9.83 2 11.83
T-4 Jack Marshall Montreal HC 1 7.5 4 11.5
T-4 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 2 5.5 6 11.5

1904 (CAHL)- Ottawa HC only played half the schedule before leaving the league. As Westwick was well-down in the scoring table, I’m not worrying about this one.

1905 (FAHL)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Frank McGee Ottawa HC 1 19.5 3 23.5
2 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 2 14 7 22
3 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 3 10.5 8 19.5
4 Jack Marshall Wanderers 1 13 0 13
5 Pud Glass Wanderers 2 10 1 11

1906 (ECAHA)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 29.5 6 35.5
2 Harry Smith Ottawa HC 1 32 1 33
3 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 2 12.5 16.5 30
4 Frank McGee Ottawa HC 3 26 2 28
5 Joe Power Quebec HC 1 24.5 2 26.5
T-6 Ernie Russell Wanderers 1 20.5 1 21.5
T-6 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 2 16.5 5 21.5
T-8 Walter Smaill Montreal HC 1 18 0 18
T-8 Lester Patrick Wanderers 2 16 1 18
10 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 4 7.5 7 14.5

1907 (ECAHA)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 38.5 11.5 50
2 Ernie Russell Wanderers 1 38.5 2.5 41
3 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 1 17.33 16 34.33
T-4 Blair Russell Victorias 2 22 3 27
T-4 Harry Smith Ottawa HC 2 21 4 27
6 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 3 12.83 10.5 23.33

1908 (ECAHA)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Tommy Phillips Ottawa HC 1 24.5 15.33 41.83
2 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 27.33 5.5 35.83
T-3 Marty Walsh Ottawa HC 2 27 3.5 30.5
T-3 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 1 23.5 7 30.5
5 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 3 12 13 26
6 Chubby Power Quebec HC 2 20.5 3 23.5
7 Jack Marshall Shamrocks 1 17 4 21
8 Ernie Russell Wanderers 1 18.83 1 19.83
9 Bert Morrison Shamrocks 2 13.5 6 19.5
10 Joe Eveleigh Montreal HC 1 15.5 3 18.5
11 Joe Power Quebec HC 3 14.5 3 17.5
T-12 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 4 8.5 7 16.5
T-12 Frank Patrick Victorias 2 8 8.5 16.5

Scoring tables, if we assign players a proportional percentage of the unknown goals, rounded to the hundredth (first table for each year is without the split credit points, the second table includes them):

1895 (AHAC)- No unknown goals

1896 (AHAC)- No unknown goals

1897 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Robert MacDougall Victorias 15.50 2 17.50
2 Ernie McLea Victorias 10.84 4 14.84
3 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 11 1 12
4 Billy Barlow Montreal HC 9 3 12
5 John Dobby Shamrocks 8.59 1 9.59
6 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 8.33 1 9.33
7 Shirley Davidson Victorias 3.10 6 9.10
8 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 7.41 0 7.41
9 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 5.20 1 6.2

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Robert MacDougall Victorias 16.26 2 19.26
2 Ernie McLea Victorias 11.61 4.5 15.51
3 Billy Barlow Montreal HC 10 3 15
4 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 12.5 1 13.5
5 Shirley Davidson Victorias 3.87 6.5 12.37
6 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 10.59 1 11.59
7 John Dobby Shamrocks 8.59 1 9.59
8 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 9.18 0 9.18
9 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 5.55 1.5 8.05

1898 (AHAC)- Westwick had only 2 points, so I’m not going through this one

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 13.85 4 17.85
2 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 13.68 1 14.68
3 Desse Brown Shamrocks 13.89 0 13.89
4 James Gillespie Quebec HC 10.88 3 13.88
5 Robert MacDougall Victorias 11.97 1 12.97

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 13.85 4 18.85
2 Robert MacDougall Victorias 13.68 2 15.68
3 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 13.68 1 14.68
4 Desse Brown Shamrocks 13.89 0 13.89
5 James Gillespie Quebec HC 10.88 3 13.88

1901 (CAHL)
The Shamrocks had 7 UNK goals, the Victorias 2, Ottawa HC 1, and Quebec HC 1.

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 15.7 1 16.7
2 Lorne Campbell Montreal HC 8 3 11
3 Harold Henry Ottawa HC 5.15 2 8.15
4 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 6.83 1 7.83
5 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 6.52 1 7.52
6 Bruce Stuart Quebec HC 6.3 1 7.3
7 James Gillespie Quebec HC 4.2 2 6.2
8 Charlie Liffiton Montreal HC 6 0 6
9 Edward Stuart Victorias 5.23 0 5.23
T-10 Arthur Sixsmith Ottawa HC 5.15 0 5.15
T-10 Jack Smith Ottawa HC 5.15 0 5.15
12 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 4.13 1 5.13

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 21.5 1 22.5
2 Lorne Campbell Montreal HC 9 3 12
3 Blair Russell Victorias 9 1 10
4 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 8.91 1 9.91
5 Harold Henry Ottawa HC 7.22 2 9.22
6 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 7.6 1 8.6
7 Bruce Stuart Quebec HC 7.35 1 8.35
8 James GIllespie Quebec HC 5.25 2 7.25
9 Arthur Sixsmith Ottawa HC 6.70 0 6.70
10 Edward Stuart Victorias 6.28 0 6.28
11 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 5.15 1 6.15

1902 (CAHL)- No UNK goals

1903 (CAHL)- No UNK goals

1904 (CAHL)- Montreal HC had 9 UNK goals, Quebec HC 5, and the Shamrocks 4. However, since Westwick was well down in the scoring table due to Ottawa HC’s mid-season withdrawal, I’m not going to go through this one.

1905 (FAHL)- Brockville had 9 UNK goals, Wanderers 6, and Cornwall 2. However, adjusting these stats does not appear to change the top of the board dramatically (eyeballing the numbers and running through it mentally, I believe the top 5 stays the same).

1906 (ECAHA)- The only UNK goal was from Victoria, so it's not worth looking into.

1907 (ECAHA)- Quebec HC had 24 UNK goals, Wanderers 10, Montreal HC 5, and Shamrocks 5. Because there are some discrepancies in scores (I have Montreal scoring either 105 or 107 goals, and Quebec HC scoring 60, 62, or 65 depending on the source) and I don’t want to run the numbers multiple times when it wouldn’t make all that much of a difference, I’m splitting the difference; I’m running the Wanderers’ players’ numbers against a total of 106 and the Quebec players against a total of 62.

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 37 11 48
2 Ernie Russell Wanderers 41.96 2 43.96
3 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 16 15 31
T-4 Blair Russell Victorias 21 2 23
T-4 Harry Smith Ottawa HC 20 3 23
6 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 12 10 22

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 38.5 11.5 50
2 Ernie Russell Wanderers 38.5 2.5 41
3 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 17.33 16 34.33
T-4 Blair Russell Victorias 22 3 27
T-4 Harry Smith Ottawa HC 21 4 27
6 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 12.83 10.5 23.33

1908 (ECAHA)- No UNK goals

rmartin65 said:
Blair Russell
Blair Russell (sometimes seen as Russel) was Russell Bowie’s most consistent running-mate on the Montreal Victorias, the two playing together for over a decade (including pre and post Senior level play). Like Westwick, I wouldn’t call Russell a particularly threatening offense player, but also like Westwick, Russell stands out for the amount of references he gets for fine defensive play. As far All-Star mentions are concerned- Blair Russell was named at LW for a 1905 fan-voted team, as well as (as a wing, sides not specified) a 1905 team selected by an unnamed “Montreal man”. He was named to RW on a fan-voted 1907 team (which, as I noted, is quite odd, because about 90% of the game summaries have him listed at LW), and at LW on a team selected by “a well-known Montreal newspaper man”, also in 1907. He was not on the 1908 team selected by the Ottawa Free Press (losing out to Tommy Phillips at LW- the citation read “Blair Russell, of Victorias, is a grand player, but will always be on the bench while the Kenora man is in the game.”), nor was he on the first and second all-star teams selected by a group of fans during the half-time of one of the games that season (Phillips and Gilmour were the first team wings, Johnson and Blachford the second team wings).

Selection of Quotes:

1900 (CAHL)
“The hard work told on the Victoria line and soon the only men doing any sort of work were Russell and Bowie. Both of these men worked hard throughout the match, and Russell ought to be a fixture on the Victoria team from this henceforth”

“Two men on the [Victoria] forward line, Bowie and Russell, did good work and were factors in the game at all times”

“ Bowie and Russell on the Vic’s forward line were the best skaters and stickhandlers the visitors had, and they did a pile of work without adequate support from the rest of the team”

“Bowie and Russell were the stars of the Victoria club”

“Ewing, Bowie and Russell worked hard, though Russell appeared to do the most effective work of the three”

1901 (CAHL)
“Blair Russell showed to advantage and so did Stuart”

“H. Yuile, the cover point, acted as captain in the absence of Bowie. E. Stuart and Russell did the best work on the forward line”

“Russell, on the Vics’ forward line, is a sure stick handler”

“Eddie Stuart, Blair Russell and Harry Trihey were the star forwards”

1902 (CAHL)
“Bowie, Russell, Locke and Stewart made wonderful dashes, and Bowie was the most prominent on the ice”

“On the Vics’ forward line Locke and Stuart were a disappointment. They could not keep pace with Bowie and Russell, who worked beautifully together”

“Locke, Howard and Russell showed up well at times, but were not strong enough to put up with all the punishment that has to be taken in such a fierce game”

1903 (CAHL)
“Stuart, Russell and Bowie performed great work on the forward line and were largely responsible for the result”

“Of the visitors, Bowie, the captain, was a glutton for work and kept pegging away in spite of the mushy ice. Stuart and Russell were always conspicuous too”

“Allan and Russell did not show up as much as the other forwards as they had all their time taken up in watching their men”

“Both Russell and Allen played good wing games”

“Ottawa’s score was mainly due to Blair Russell, who missed a check”

“Allan and Russell could not hold Suddie and Billy Gilmour”

“Blair Russell played a steady game throughout and worked hard every minute”

“Blair Russell was the most effective worker on the Vic’s forward line”

1904 (CAHL)
“The stars of the evening outside of the vocalist were Coulson and Waugh for Montreal, and Bowie and Russell, for Victoria”

“Bowie and Russell were the life of the Vics”

1905 (CAHL)
“It did seem that on half-a-dozen occasions Blair Russell fairly flew over from his wing and interfered with some Montreal player just at the moment when the latter was in a dangerous position. Bowie was no less useful on such occasions, and this feature of the work done by the Victoria forwards had much to do with the result”

“Blair Russell, the president of the Victoria Cub, was also playing, but till the second half there was nothing particular for which he distinguished himself, although he played a steady, reliable game”

“Blair Russell did fine work, and often got back to his own goal to intercept a Shamrock man who had broken away”

“The Quebeckers put up a strong game against them, but their practical experience of the sport was not sufficient to conquer such men as Russell Bowie, the trickiest forward probably known to-day, or Blair Russell, one of the fastest, or Cavie Howard, who with the two others makes a wonderful trio”

“Next in importance to Bowie is Blair Russell, who has been frequently mentioned as a candidate for left wing on all star Eastern team. Blair played with Tucker’s school at the same time as Bowie and has figured on the senior Vics’ for the last five years. He has perhaps no equal in shooting from the side, and also in following back when his own goals are in danger. Blair never tires and can hold to the pace when the others are dead”

1906 (ECAHA)
“Blair Russell and Russell Bowie added effective strength to the VIcs’ forwards, but they showed signs of the game being their first this year. Bowie, however, was as dangerous as ever around the goals, and Russell worked in that deadly side shot which has done so much to win games for the Vics”

“Russell and Bowie were the mainstays on the forward line. Bowie’s stick handling is as near perfection as anything could possibly be, and Blair Russel’s side shots, although strange to say not one tallied, were always about the most dangerous features of the Vics attack. These two men demonstrated in as pretty a manner as possible throughout the game, how two players thoroughly understanding one another, may combine to the utter destruction of the opposing defence, and had it not been for Moran’s remarkable playing, they doubtless would have made the score much larger”

“Then Bowie brought the puck down the side, followed by Russell. Armstrong tried to check, Bowie made a back hand pass, and Russell put in a beautiful shot. Fifteen seconds later Russell scored again from an almost impossible position on the side. It certainly looked as though the puck described a semicircle in the air, and was one of the neatest shots seen this season”

“Blair Russell is poor on defensive tactics but his speed makes him dangerous in a rush. He was unable to cope with Alf Smith when the later started a rush”

Russell did some nice work opposite Alf Smith, but Smith, like the other Ottawa forwards, checked so close and hard that Russell had few chances to work in his dangerous shot from the side. The score which he is credited with was made while Smith was resting with the timekeepers”

“With the exception of Gilbert the forwards played as if they wished themselves anywhere but in the game, and this gave rise to the impression that they were perhaps a little bit too fine. Gilbert worked like a Trojan, and time after time picked off an Ottawa man coming down on the other wing (in Blair Russell’s style).”

1907 (ECAHA)
“In checking Victorias showed wonderful resource and the manner in which all the forwards, Blair Russell in particular, hurried back and aided the defence was a revelation”

“Blair Russell did splendid work throughout the game and repeatedly he pulled away the puck from Wanderer players within shooting distance. His namesake on the Wanderer team, but he gained unpleasant notoriety by slashing and was benched three times for a total of nineteen minutes”

“On the other side, Blair Russell had the best of his namesake”

“On the sides Russell and Gilbert plunged through almost at will, and kept the centre men well fed. Hale and Bowie were on the spot every time and no forward found himself surrounded with no one to pass to at the right moment. Russell’s work along the board and Hale’s nice stick handling and fast skating, taken with Bowie’s scoring, were the features”

“Russell was a tower of strength to the Vics on the wing and if his work was not as showy as that of Hale in centre it was very nearly as effective. But Alf Smith was his cover and those who have seen Smith playing this year know just what that means for the man opposite him”

“Bowie and Blair Russell did the bulk of the work. The last named player eclipsed all his performances this season, while Bowie, despite the way he was watched, played even harder and more brilliantly that in the Ottawa game”

“But Blair Russell and Russell Bowie did wonders”

“Blair Russell also put up a nice game on the line and is very tricky with his speedy turns and twists. He also would take the rubber very often from the Ottawas on a pass, but his shooting was a little off color”

1908 (ECAHA)
“Blair Russel played up to his best form, but was on the side for fifteen minutes, and for this reason lost some of his usefulness to the team”

“Blair Russell scored one. His play was the same as ever, steady, reliable and effective, with an occasional very brilliant turn, when necessary, but unfortunately, like his colleague in office, Dr. Cameron, president of Montreal, the other night, he was compelled to spend a fourth of the playing time at the fence”

“Victorias had a great pair of wings in Blair Russell and Billy Gilmour. Gilmour’s effectiveness was noticeable in the poor showing by Johnston until near that end. He had Johnston beaten at every angle, except possibly speed, and at that he was not far in the rear. Russel, on the other side, fought it out with Blachford, and although both did good work, Russel carried off the honors on the hour’s play. Time and again he tore down the side from behind his line and caught a pass just at the right moment and swung the disc with lightning shots in on the Wanderer defence. Both he and Gilmour were checking back tirelessly until the last ten minutes of play”

“...and Bowie passed to Blair Russell, who shot straight in goals with the force of a Remington rifle”

“Gilmour outplayed Johnson, Blair Russell and Blachford were more even and each with a score to his credit probably made a fair division of honors. Bowie and Hale as a pair were better than Ernie Russell and Glass. But Glass was steady and played consistently from end to end, while his partner was uncertain”

“The loss of Blair Russell, however, impaired the efficiency of the Vic attack”

“Blair Russell is hard to describe in connection with his particularly fine work yesterday. He added some needed balance to the work of the others, moved about at lightning speed and was always there to give the finishing touch, or to stop the puck from going too ar, and after stopping it, to send it back to the man who was in a position to do the most good with it”

“The wings, McNamara and Gardner, were superior to Russell and Gilmour”

“Russel, while he worked hard, was not effective”

Scoring Tables (not counting the points that are disputed):

1900 (CAHL)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 16 0 16
2 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 12 1 13
3 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 11 1 12
4 James Gillespie Quebec HC 9 2 11
T-5 Billy Christmas Montreal HC 9 0 9
T-5 Bruce Stuart Ottawa HC 8 1 9
7 Desse Brown Montreal HC 6 2 8
T-8 George McCarron Quebec HC 7 0 7
T-8 Blair Russell Victorias 7 0 7

1901 (CAHL)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 15 1 16
2 Lorne Campbell Montreal HC 8 3 11
3 Harold Henry Ottawa HC 5 2 8
T-4 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 6 1 7
T-4 Bruce Stuart Quebec HC 6 1 7
T-6 Charlie Liffiton Montreal HC 6 0 6
T-6 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 5 1 6
T-6 James Gillespie Quebec HC 4 2 6
T-9 Arthur Sixsmith Ottawa HC 5 0 5
T-9 Jack Smith Ottawa HC 5 0 5
T-9 Edward Stuart Victorias 5 0 5
T-9 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 4 1 5
T-13 Ed Hogan Quebec HC 4 0 4
T-13 Mac Roger Ottawa HC 3 1 4
T-13 Blair Russell Victorias 3 1 4
T-13 Hod Stuart Quebec HC 1 3 4

1902 (CAHL)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Archie Hooper Montreal HC 1 14 0 14
2 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 1 12 1 13
3 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 11 0 11
4 Jack Marshall Montreal HC 2 10 0 10
5 Bruce Stuart Ottawa HC 2 9 1 10
T-6 Charlie Liffiton Montreal HC 2 6 1 7
T-6 Blair Russell Victorias T-2 6 1 7
T-6 Edward Stuart Victorias T-2 6 1 7

1903 (CAHL)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
T-1 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 20 3 23
T-1 Frank McGee Ottawa HC 1 14 9 23
3 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 1 9 3 12
T-4 Suddy Gilmour Ottawa HC 2 9 2 11
T-4 Jack Marshall Montreal HC 1 7 4 11
T-4 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 2 5 6 11
T-7 Archie Hooper Montreal HC 2 9 1 10
T-7 Billy Gilmour Ottawa HC 3 7 3 10
T-9 Blair Russell Victorias 2 6 2 8
T-9 Allan Victorias 2 5 3 8

1904 (CAHL)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 27 0 27
2 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 1 20 2 22
T-3 Cavie Howard Victorias 2 16 0 16
T-3 Blair Russell Victorias 2 16 0 16
T-5 Frank McGee Ottawa HC 1 11 1 12
T-5 Joe Power Quebec HC 2 9 3 12

1905 (CAHL)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 26 2 28
2 Blair Russell Victorias 2 22 1 23
3 Joe Power Quebec HC 1 20 0 20
4 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 2 18 0 18
5 Eddie Hogan Quebec HC 3 12 0 12
T-6 Colin Foulis Westmount 1 11 0 11
T-6 Cavie Howard Victorias 3 11 0 11
8 Art Ross Westmount 2 9 0 9
T-9 Tom Church Westmount 3 8 0 8
T-9 Walter Cummings Shamrocks 1 8 0 8
T-11 Ernie Johnson Montreal HC T-1 7 0 7
T-11 G. Ross Shamrocks 2 7 0 7
T-11 Ernie Russell Montreal HC T-1 7 0 7
T-11 Grover Sargent Montreal HC T-1 7 0 7

1906 (ECAHA)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 29 6 35
2 Harry Smith Ottawa HC 1 29 1 30
3 Frank McGee Ottawa HC 2 23 2 25
4 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 3 10 14 24
5 Joe Power Quebec HC 1 20 2 22
6 Ernie Russell Wanderers 1 20 1 21
7 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 2 15 5 20
8 Walter Smaill Montreal HC 1 18 0 18
9 Lester Patrick Wanderers 2 14 1 15
10 Ernie Johnson Wanderers 3 12 1 13
T-11 Grover Sargent Montreal HC 2 8 3 11
T-11 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 4 7 4 11
12 Charlie Grier Victorias 2 9 1 10
T-13 Joe Eveleigh Victorias 3 9 0 9
T-13 William Hennessy Shamrocks 1 9 0 9
T-13 Ed Hogan Quebec HC 3 9 0 9
16 Pud Glass Wanderers 4 8 0 8
T-17 Bill Chipchase Montreal HC 3 7 0 7
T-17 Cecil Blachford Wanderers 5 5 2 7
T-19 Blair Russell Victorias 4 6 0 6
T-19 Rod Kennedy Wanderers 6 5 1 6
T-19 Raleigh Gilbert Victorias 4 4 2 6

1907 (ECAHA)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 37 11 48
2 Ernie Russell Wanderers 1 38 2 40
3 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 1 16 15 31
T-4 Blair Russell Victorias 2 21 2 23
T-4 Harry Smith Ottawa HC 2 20 3 23
6 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 3 12 10 22

1908 (ECAHA)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Tommy Phillips Ottawa HC 1 22 12 34
2 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 25 5 30
3 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 1 20 7 27
4 Marty Walsh Ottawa HC 2 23 3 26
5 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 3 12 12 24
6 Jack Marshall Shamrocks 1 17 4 21
7 Chubby Power Quebec HC 2 16 3 19
8 Bert Morrison Shamrocks 2 12 6 18
T-9 Ernie Russell Wanderers 1 16 1 17
T-9 Joe Eveleigh Montreal HC 1 14 3 17
11 Joe Power Quebec HC 3 13 3 16
12 Frank Patrick Victorias 2 7 8 15
13 Joe Hall Montreal HC/Shamrocks N/A 8 5 13
T-14 Ed Hogan Quebec HC 4 8 4 12
T-14 Blair Russell Victorias 3 7 5 12
T-14 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 4 6 6 12

Scoring Tables (counting disputed points; split points worth .5 (or .33) points, maybe points given full credit but not added to goals or assists):

1900 (CAHL)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 16.5 0 16.5
T-2 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 12.33 1 13.33
T-2 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 12.33 1 13.33
4 Bruce Stuart Ottawa HC 11.5 1 12.5
5 Billy Christmas Montreal HC 12 0 12
6 James Gillespie Quebec HC 9.83 2 11.83
7 Desse Brown Montreal HC 7 2 9
8 Charlie Liffiton Montreal HC 8.5 0 8.5
9 Jack Brannen Shamrocks 5.33 2 8.33
10 Hod Stuart Ottawa HC 4.33 1 7.33
T-11 George McCarron Quebec HC 7 0 7
T-11 Blair Russell Victorias 7 0 7

1901 (CAHL)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 21.5 1 22.5
2 Lorne Campbell Montreal HC 9 3 12
3 Blair Russell Victorias 9 1 10
4 Harold Henry Ottawa HC 7 2 9
5 Charlie Liffiton Montreal HC 7 .5 8.5
9 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 5.83 1 6.83

1902 (CAHL)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Archie Hooper Montreal HC 1 16.5 0.5 17
2 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 1 12 1.5 14.5
3 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 13.5 .5 14
4 Jack Marshall Montreal HC 2 11.5 0.5 11.5
T-5 Bruce Stuart Ottawa HC 2 9 1 10
T-5 Blair Russell Victorias 2 8.5 1.5 10

1903 (CAHL)

1 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 21.5 3 24.5
2 Frank McGee Ottawa HC 1 14.83 9.5 24.33
3 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 1 11 3 14
4 Suddy Gilmour Ottawa HC 2 9.83 2 11.83
T-4 Jack Marshall Montreal HC 1 7.5 4 11.5
T-4 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 2 5.5 6 11.5
6 Billy Gilmour Ottawa HC 3 7.33 4 11.33
7 Tom Hooper Montreal HC 2 9 1 11
T-8 Blair Russell Victorias T-2 7 2 9
T-8 Allan Victorias T-2 5.5. 3.5 9

1904 (CAHL)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 27.33 0 29.33
2 Herb Jordan Quebec 1 20.5 2 22.5
3 Blair Russell Victorias 2 16.66 0 16.66
4 Cavie Howard Victorias 3 16 0 16
5 Frank McGee Ottawa HC 1 12.33 1 14.33

1905 (CAHL)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 26 2 28
2 Blair Russell Victorias 2 22 1 23
3 Joe Power Quebec HC 1 21 0 21
4 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 2 18.5 0 18.5
5 Eddie Hogan Quebec HC 3 12.5 0 12.5
T-6 Colin Foulis Westmount 1 11 0 11
T-6 Cavie Howard Victorias 3 11 0 11
8 Art Ross Westmount 2 9 0 9
T-9 Tom Church Westmount 3 8 0 8
T-9 Walter Cummings Shamrocks 1 8 0 8
T-11 Ernie Johnson Montreal HC T-1 7 0 7
T-11 G. Ross Shamrocks 2 7 0 7
T-11 Ernie Russell Montreal HC T-1 7 0 7
T-11 Grover Sargent Montreal HC T-1 7 0 7

1906 (ECAHA)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 29.5 6 35.5
2 Harry Smith Ottawa HC 1 32 1 33
3 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 2 12.5 16.5 30
4 Frank McGee Ottawa HC 3 26 2 28
5 Joe Power Quebec HC 1 24.5 2 26.5
T-6 Ernie Russell Wanderers 1 20.5 1 21.5
T-6 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 2 16.5 5 21.5
T-8 Walter Smaill Montreal HC 1 18 0 18
T-8 Lester Patrick Wanderers 2 16 1 18
10 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 4 7.5 7 14.5
11 Ernie Johnson Wanderers 3 12.5 1 13.5
12 Grover Sargent Montreal HC 2 9.5 3 12.5
13 Charlie Grier Victorias 2 10 1.5 11.5
14 Pud Glass Wanderers 4 10 0 10
T-15 Joe Eveleigh Victorias 3 9.5 0 9.5
T-15 William Hennessy Shamrocks 1 9.5 0 9.5
17 Ed Hogan Quebec HC 3 9 0 9
18 Cecil Blachford Wanderers 5 6.5 2 8.5
T-19 Bill Chipchase Montreal HC 3 7.5 0 7.5
T-19 Rod Kennedy Victorias 4 6.5 1 7.5
21 Raleigh Gilbert Victorias 5 5 2 7
T-22 Pinky Dunlop Victorias T-6 6 0 6
T-22 Blair Russell Victorias T-6 6 0 6

1907 (ECAHA)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 38.5 11.5 50
2 Ernie Russell Wanderers 1 38.5 2.5 41
3 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 1 17.33 16 34.33
T-4 Blair Russell Victorias 2 22 3 27
T-4 Harry Smith Ottawa HC 2 21 4 27
6 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 3 12.83 10.5 23.33

1908 (ECAHA)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Tommy Phillips Ottawa HC 1 24.5 15.33 41.83
2 Russell Bowie Victorias 1 27.33 5.5 35.83
T-3 Marty Walsh Ottawa HC 2 27 3.5 30.5
T-3 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 1 23.5 7 30.5
5 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 3 12 13 26
6 Chubby Power Quebec HC 2 20.5 3 23.5
7 Jack Marshall Shamrocks 1 17 4 21
8 Ernie Russell Wanderers 1 18.83 1 19.83
9 Bert Morrison Shamrocks 2 13.5 6 19.5
10 Joe Eveleigh Montreal HC 1 15.5 3 18.5
11 Joe Power Quebec HC 3 14.5 3 17.5
T-12 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 4 8.5 7 16.5
T-12 Frank Patrick Victorias 2 8 8.5 16.5
14 Joe Hall Montreal HC/Shamrocks N/A 9 5 14
15 Blair Russell Victorias 3 8.5 5 13.5

Scoring tables, if we assign players a proportional percentage of the unknown goals, rounded to the hundredth (first table for each year is without the split credit points, the second table includes them):

1900 (CAHL)
The Shamrocks had 10 UNK goals, the Victorias 8. No other UNK goals recorded.

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 19.56 0 19.56
2 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 15.08 1 16.08
3 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 13.82 1 14.82
4 James Gillespie Quebec HC 9 2 11
T-5 Billy Christmas Montreal HC 9 0 9
T-5 Bruce Stuart Ottawa HC 8 1 9
7 Blair Russell Victorias 8.56 0 8.56

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 20.17 0 20.17
T-2 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 15.49 1 16.49
T-2 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 15.49 1 16.49
4 Bruce Stuart Ottawa HC 11.5 1 12.5
5 Billy Christmas Montreal HC 12 0 12
6 James Gillespie Quebec HC 9.83 2 11.83
7 Jack Brannen Shamrocks 6.70 2 9.70
8 Desse Brown Montreal HC 7 2 9
9 Blair Russell Victorias 8.56 0 8.56

1901 (CAHL)
The Shamrocks had 7 UNK goals, the Victorias 2, Ottawa HC 1, and Quebec HC 1.

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 15.7 1 16.7
2 Lorne Campbell Montreal HC 8 3 11
3 Harold Henry Ottawa HC 5.15 2 8.15
4 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 6.83 1 7.83
5 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 6.52 1 7.52
6 Bruce Stuart Quebec HC 6.3 1 7.3
7 James Gillespie Quebec HC 4.2 2 6.2
8 Charlie Liffiton Montreal HC 6 0 6
9 Edward Stuart Victorias 5.23 0 5.23
T-10 Arthur Sixsmith Ottawa HC 5.15 0 5.15
T-10 Jack Smith Ottawa HC 5.15 0 5.15
12 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 4.13 1 5.13
13 Blair Russell Victorias 3.14 1 4.14

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 21.5 1 22.5
2 Lorne Campbell Montreal HC 9 3 12
3 Blair Russell Victorias 9 1 10
4 Arthur Farrell Shamrocks 8.91 1 9.91
5 Harold Henry Ottawa HC 7.22 2 9.22
6 Harry Trihey Shamrocks 7.6 1 8.6
7 Bruce Stuart Quebec HC 7.35 1 8.35
8 James GIllespie Quebec HC 5.25 2 7.25
9 Arthur Sixsmith Ottawa HC 6.70 0 6.70
10 Edward Stuart Victorias 6.28 0 6.28
11 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 5.15 1 6.15

1902 (CAHL)- No UNK goals

1903 (CAHL)- No UNK goals

1904 (CAHL)- Montreal HC had 9 UNK goals, Quebec HC 5, and the Shamrocks 4

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 27 0 27
2 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 22.22 2 24.22
T-3 Cavie Howard Victorias 16 0 16
T-3 Blair Russell Victorias 16 0 16
5 Joe Power Quebec HC 10 3 13

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 27.33 0 29.33
2 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 22.78 2 24.78
3 Blair Russell Victorias 16.67 0 16.67
4 Cavie Howard Victorias 16 0 16
5 Frank McGee Ottawa HC 12.33 1 14.33

1905 (CAHL)- Montreal HC had 19 UNK goals, Shamrocks 16, Westmount 16, Quebec HC, 4, Le National 1, and the Victorias 1

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 26.42 2 28.42
2 Blair Russell Victorias 22.35 1 23.35
3 Joe Power Quebec HC 21.08 0 21.08
4 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 18.97 0 18.97
5 Colin Foulis Westmount 15.51 0 15.51
6 Walter Cummings Shamrocks 13.12 0 13.12
7 Art Ross Westmount 12.69 0 12.69
8 Ed Hogan Quebec HC 12.65 0 12.65
9 G. Ross Shamrocks 11.48 0 11.48
10 Church Westmount 11.28 0 11.28
11 Cavie Howard Victorias 11.18 0 11.18
T-12 Ernie Johnson Montreal HC 10.8 0 10.8
T-12 Ernie Russell Montreal HC 10.8 0 10.8
T-12 Grover Sargent Montreal HC 10.8 0 10.8

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 26.42 2 28.42
2 Blair Russell Victorias 22.35 1 23.35
3 Joe Power Quebec HC 22.14 0 22.14
4 Herb Jordan Quebec HC 19.50 0 19.50
5 Colin Foulis Westmount 15.51 0 15.51
6 Ed Hogan Quebec HC 13.18 0 13.18
7 Walter Cummings Shamrocks 13.12 0 13.12
8 Art Ross Westmount 12.69 0 12.69
9 G. Ross Shamrocks 11.48 0 11.48
10 Church Westmount 11.28 0 11.28
11 Cavie Howard Victorias 11.18 0 11.18
T-12 Ernie Johnson Montreal HC 10.8 0 10.8
T-12 Ernie Russell Montreal HC 10.8 0 10.8
T-12 Grover Sargent Montreal HC 10.8 0 10.8

1906 (ECAHA)- The only UNK goal was from Victoria, so it's not worth looking into.

1907 (ECAHA)- Quebec HC had 24 UNK goals, Wanderers 10, Montreal HC 5, and Shamrocks 5. Because there are some discrepancies in scores (I have Montreal scoring either 105 or 107 goals, and Quebec HC scoring 60, 62, or 65 depending on the source) and I don’t want to run the numbers multiple times when it wouldn’t make all that much of a difference, I’m splitting the difference; I’m running the Wanderers’ players’ numbers against a total of 106 and the Quebec players against a total of 62.

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 37 11 48
2 Ernie Russell Wanderers 41.96 2 43.96
3 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 16 15 31
T-4 Blair Russell Victorias 21 2 23
T-4 Harry Smith Ottawa HC 20 3 23
6 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 12 10 22

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Russell Bowie Victorias 38.5 11.5 50
2 Ernie Russell Wanderers 42.51 2.5 46.01
3 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 17.33 16 34.33
T-4 Blair Russell Victorias 22 3 27
T-4 Harry Smith Ottawa HC 21 4 27
6 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 12.83 10.5 23.33

1908 (ECAHA)- No UNK goals

rmartin65 · May 24, 2023

rmartin65 said:
Bouse Hutton
One of the Silver Seven goalies, Bouse Hutton played six seasons with Ottawa HC in the CAHL and in a play-off against the Montreal Wanderers in 1904 (and another season with the Ottawa Senators of the FAHL in 1909, but I won’t cover that here). A 13 March 1945 article from The Gazette quotes Tommy Gorman as stating that “Bouse was the peerless netminder of the old Silver Seven back in about 1903. He was greater than Vezina or Gardiner. He was hockey’s first Paul Bunyan and he didn’t require any blue ox, either”. Hutton was inducted into the HHoF in the massive 1963 class, alongside several other eligible players this round- Riley Hern, Rat Westwick, and Jack Darragh.

As with the other goalies, I will not be providing stats tables in this post.

Selection of Quotes:

1899 (CAHL)
“Collins, in goal, put up a fair game, but it was not to be compared with that of Hutton’s”

“Hutton in goal for the Ottawas played a good game and always relieved quickly”

1900 (CAHL)
“Chick Henry, Max Rogers, and B. Hutton were the mainstays of the Ottawas. Duval played brilliantly, as did Captain H. Stuart at times”

“Bouse Hutton did all that anyone could in goal”

“Quebec people admit that Hutton is quite as good a goal keeper as Stocking, and this is quite and admission for Quebecers to make”

“On the defence, Bouse Hutton, between the posts, stopped everything that a goalkeeper could stop and improvement on the team in that department is not possible”

“Both Hutton and Powers brough off many stops of the electrifying sort. Hutton, in the Ottawa flags, is certainly a star”

“Hutton had some stiff shots to look after and did his work well”

“Hutton and Henry put up their usual good games and for Quebec Stocking and Cahill shone brilliantly”

1901 (CAHL)
“Hutton played a remarkably good game in goal. He made any amount of clever stops”

“Bouse Hutton takes things very cool and when things are not coming his way stands with a merry twinkle in his eye and a sweet smile for some one in the front seats”

“it was only the splendid work of Duval, Pulford, and Hutton that staved off defeat for the locals”

“Hutton in goal had occasionally to stop hot shots and he knew how to do it”

“Hutton’s sureness was never so apparent”
“Hutton, the Ottawa goalman, deserves lots of credit for at times the game was made exceedingly warm for him, and one mistake would have cost the match”

“Hutton, in goal, even excelled himself by his stops. The Shamrocks often made such straight shots that it looked as if some of them must count, but the puck would be turned aside either by Hutton’s stick or skate”

“Hutton, in goal, deserves more credit for his showing in this game than probably any other man on the team, for it was one in which the least carelessness on the part of the goalkeeper would have cost the Ottawa the match. The shots which Brennan and Trihey made on the Ottawa net when they got an opportunity were of the kind that might well rattle the man between the posts. But Hutton was like an iceberg and had the eye of a hawk. He picked the rubber’s course without error except on one occasion and his claim to the title of topnotcher before the net stands undisputed”

“Bouse Hutton has been a player this year on three championship teams, the lacrosse, football, and hockey”

1902 (CAHL)
“Hutton in goal was superb. On three occasions, however, he was unable to get rid of the puck in time to avoid a score”

“Hutton, in goal, put up a splendid article, stopping a number of speedy shots with body, hands and stick”

“Bouse Hutton, too, haad lots to do and he certainly made some corking good stops”

“Hutton, they knew, and Duval, they knew, and knew both as brilliant players. Westwick and Henry have been favorites for a couple of years”

“Hutton did nobly in goal, the Montrealers scoring each time with two or three men in on the goal-keeper, giving him no chance whatever of getting the puck away”

“Hutton, in goal for the home team, was given only about half a dozen chances, but he handled them well”

“Not the least important factor of the victory was the splendid work of the Ottawa defence, in which Hutton was the particular star. Spittal and Pulford played no mean game, but Hutton repeatedly robbed Montreal, though he made more than one lucky stop”

1903 (CAHL)
“Hutton, Pulford and Westwick put up a star game and S. Gilmour made some good runs, but could not stay with the game. Hutton made some brilliant stops and Pulford did some heavy body checking”

“Hutton in goal was given comparatively little to do”

“It was certainly an off night for Bouse, but these are bound to crop up with any player”

“Bouse Hutton had hard luck as one of the goals was scored on a long lift from center and he had no chance to get his eye on the puck. Another was butted through when the point and cover-point were just in front of him”

“Hutton in goal stopped some very difficult shots”

“Pulford and Hutton as usual played a reliable game”

“Hutton in goals was a wonder and the way he stopped shot after shot brought repeated cheers from the galleries”

“Had it not been for the excellent work of these two players [Moore and Hutton] the tables might have been turned. Frank McGee and the two Gilmours on the forward line shone in spots”

“although they [Victorias’ forwards] did manage to make the life of Hutton, the Ottawa goalkeeper, who showed up much better than Nichol, perfectly miserable”

“Hutton smiles when he sees the puck coming at him and blocks it as cool as pie”

1904 (CAHL)
“Hutton was at his best, and that is saying a whole lot. Moore was steady”

“Bouse Hutton in goal played a masterly game and was repeatedly applauded for his clever stops”

rmartin65 said:
Albert ‘Dolly’ Swift
One of hockey’s earliest top scorers, Dolly Swift had an extensive career that, according to Wikipedia, extended from the early 1880s into the 1899 CAHL season. I can’t speak for anything prior to the 1887 season, but even then, that is a remarkable career length for the era (although it should be noted that Dolly Swift and Quebec HC did not play in the AHAC in 1890 or 1891, and then even though Quebec HC played three games in the AHAC in 1892 (I have 2 challenge games and an exhibition), I don’t have Swift listed as playing in any of those games). Like many players from this time period, Swift suffers from a lack of coverage; in fact, Swift suffers more than the other early stars in this project in that he played for Quebec HC, which appears to have received less coverage in the papers than the other teams (which makes sense, as I have the ability to look at a couple papers from Montreal and Ottawa, but nothing from Quebec City).

Given the dearth in coverage, we don’t have a lot to go on. Upon reviewing the scans,I think there are two plausible ways to look at Dolly Swift; the first (and most favorable to Swift) is that he was something akin to a poor-man’s Russell Bowie, a consistent offensive force that had little team support, while the second is that he was a scorer who did little else noteworthy to contribute to his team’s play. Which is the truth? Unfortunately, it is unlikely we’ll ever know for sure. I do think there is enough evidence to suggest he had an edge to him, but I go back and forth whether he was a guy who took unnecessary penalties or provided that physical dimension.

One of the best descriptions of Dolly Swift comes from one of the Turning Back Hockey’s Pages articles written by D.A.L. MacDonald. In the 12 March 1935 article, Dolly Swift was described thusly: “Dolly Swift was one of the best players of his day and one with a most unusual style. He was probably the first to adopt the method of pushing the puck ahead of him in the manner of King Clancy and did most of his stickhandling using only one hand. He also made use of the rebound off the boards to pass an opponent and his odd style of play proved particularly confusing to those who had never encountered it before”.

Selection of Quotes (and notes I took down):

The Montreal Star, 25 April 1904 Page 2: In talking about the 1884 Montreal Carnival, Arthur Scott (a former player on those early Quebec HC teams) reportedly spoke about “‘Dolly’ Swift, now in South Africa, whom the Montrealers called the little demon- he was then quite small and only about sixteen years of age”.

1887 (AHAC)
Dowd, Lee, and McDonnell are described as doing the “best work” for the Crystals, while Campbell, Sheare, Craven, and Swift were noted for the Vics.

Swift credited with “doing big play”

Swift, Campbell, Craven, Arnton, Barlow, and Shearer are noted as playing well by The Gazette; The Ottawa Journal said that Myles, Currier, and Lowe from Ottawa and Swift, Campbell and Arnton from the Vics were the notable players

Swift was apparently strong in the second half.

1893 (AHAC)
Swift made some “brilliant rushes, but they didn’t materialize”

Swift, again, answers for Quebec, making “one of his brilliant rushes”

The Crystals were noted to be the much faster team, though Swift and Howe were said to have been able to keep up. Boone at cover was credited with getting rid of the puck quickly, and McDonnell being solid on defense. Swift was the star of the Quebec team, though the paper said their “back division is very strong”

Swift and A.E. Scott were praised for their rushes

1894 (AHAC)
Scott and Swift were noted with some fine rushes, but Quebec lacked “combined play”.

An Ottawa paper described A.E. Scott, Swift, and Watson being the best of the Quebec players.

“The goal-keeping of Stocking and Clapperton could not well be improved upon. The bright particular star of the game, however, was Watson. He seemed to always be in the right place; was cool as the proverbial cucumber, and was the mainstay of the defence. Another man who showed up in grand style was Swift. He is both fast and sure. On the Crystal team the forwards all played a fine game, Ritchie and Brown being about the best. Boone also played a fine game”

Ritchie and McQuisten were identified as the best for the Crystals, while Swift, A.E. Scott, and Watson received the honors for Quebec

1895 (AHAC)
“The Quebec forwards, A.E. Swift, A.D. Scott, and R.J. Davidson, were as reliable as ever, Scott in particular playing a magnificent game, while Davidson in the first half and Swift in the second half made things lively for their opponents”

Smith and Swift got in a fight near the end of the game.

“For Quebec, Stockton made some grand stops, and Watson worked very hard. Each of the three forwards were also responsible for some tremendously heavy work, but towards the finish they seemed to quit. Swift played well, but somewhat rougher than was necessary”

Swift and Davidson were described as the leading forwards for Quebec.

Quebec is described as becoming “entirely lost, and even a player like Swift allowed puck to be taken away from under his very feet”

“Hodgson, Barlow, and Cameron were the stars for Montreal, the latter playing one of his old time defence games. For Quebec, Swift, Watson, and Davidson put up the best game”. Cameron was also described as “putting up the game of his life”.

Young and Swift got into an altercation. Depending on the source, it was either a fight or Swift jumped him. In any case, Young had to leave the game injured/unconscious.

“Every one of the Ottawas plated well. Smith and Russell probably outshine the others. Smith fairly toyed with Swift”

Swift answered with a “splendid run”

“The Quebec forwards, with the exception of Swift, were very slow, and Watson particularly was more in the way of the other players than anything else”

1896 (AHAC)
“Dobby and Wall were doing yeoman work for the Shamrocks, but the splendid play of Swift and Scott rendered their efforts futile”

“Mention must be made of Stocking’s excellent play in goals. He is what is properly named a ‘bute’. Great big, handsome Swift, the captain, did immense work. His rushes were things of beauty from a hockey standpoint, and he was ably assisted by Scott, who played a beautiful game all through. Cahill, also, is deserving of special mention”

“...Swift and Scott are lightning forwards”

Swift reportedly stopped a couple Shamrocks’ rushes.

“The Quebec men all played well, and Stocking’s goal keeping was particularly admired. Loss of temper lost the services of a good man to Quebec while Swift was meditating on the mutations of hockey from the side”.

The game gets physical here- Henderson checks Swift into a post, Swift starts a fight, but Henderson gets the better of that conflict.

“Their [Quebec] defence played a good game and Swift and Scott were decidedly the best men on the forward line. The team, however, missed the services of Cahill and Watson”

1897 (AHAC)
“Swift made some decidedly clever and dangerous runs, but was usually checkmated in Montreal’s territory”

“Swift, formerly Quebec’s most brilliant player, seems to be getting too slow for the youngsters”

“Swift and Doyle were not playing their game, and Smith, who is a junior, was unsupported when he passed, as he often did prettily. And then, too, the double defence got careless”

“Watson and Swift at times distinguished themselves by really splendid play”

Swift opens the second half scoring with “a cannon-like shot”

1898 (AHAC)
Swift takes over at cover, and reportedly plays better there than at forward

“Swift and Gillespie played the best of the Quebec forwards”

“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”

1899 (CAHL)
“Swift seemed to have an off day, or rather was unlucky, but the game he put up for all that, was one to be counted on”

“On the forward line Gillespie an Gilmour did splendid work, but ‘Dolly’ Swift was out of the game entirely. Swift has been a long time actively participating in the athletic world and he has about reached the limit of his usefulness. It would do the Quebec team more good if he would give way to a younger man”

“On the Quebec side Scott and Watson did splendid work, and occasionally Swift showed up in his usual style, but Gillespie carried off the honors”

Scoring Tables (not counting the points that are disputed):

1887 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Dolly Swift Montreal Victorias 8 0 8
2 Jack Campbell Montreal Victorias 6 0 6
3 Jack Arnton Montreal Victorias 5 0 5
4 J. Craven Montreal Victorias 4 0 4
5 Sam McQuisten Montreal Crystals 3 0 3

1893 (AHAC)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Haviland Routh Montreal HC 1 12 0 12
2 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 1 11 0 11
3 Reginald Bradley Ottawa HC 1 10 1 11
T-4 William Murray Crystals 1 9 1 10
T-4 Archie Hodgson Montreal HC 2 5 5 10

1894 (AHAC)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
T-1 Haviland Routh Montreal HC 1 8 4 12
T-1 Bert Russell Ottawa HC 1 8 4 12
3 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 1 9 2 11
4 Chauncey Kirby Ottawa HC 2 5 4 9
5 Billy Barlow Montreal HC 2 6 1 7

1895 (AHAC)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Haviland Routh Montreal HC 1 15 1 16
2 Bob MacDougall Victorias 1 10 1 11
T-3 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 2 8 2 10
T-3 Archie Hodgson Montreal HC 2 5 5 10
5 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 1 8 1 9

1896 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Robert MacDougall Victorias 11 1 12
2 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 8 2 10
3 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 6 2 8
T-4 Pat Doyle Quebec HC 5 2 7
T-4 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 5 2 7
T-4 Shirley Davidson Victorias 4 3 7
T-4 A.D. Scott Quebec HC 4 3 7

1897 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
T-1 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 11 1 12
T-1 Robert MacDougall Victorias 10 2 12
T-1 Billy Barlow Montreal HC 9 3 12
4 Ernie McLea Victorias 7 4 11
5 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 8 1 9
T-6 John Dobby Shamrocks 7 1 8
T-6 Shirley Davidson Victorias 2 6 8
T-8 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 6 0 6
T-8 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 5 1 6
T-8 Herbert Horsfall Montreal HC 4 2 6

1898 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 11 4 15
2 Desse Brown Shamrocks 10 0 10
T-3 Howard Hutchison Ottawa HC 9 0 9
T-3 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 8 1 9
T-3 James GIllespie Quebec HC 6 3 9
6 Robert MacDougall Victorias 7 1 8
T-7 Cam Davidson Victorias 7 0 7
T-7 Howard Montreal HC 7 0 7
T-9 Ernie McLea Victorias 4 2 6
T-9 Locke Montreal HC 3 3 6
T-11 White Ottawa HC 5 0 5
T-11 Herbert Horsfall Montreal HC 3 2 5
T-11 Fred Scanlan Shamrocks 3 2 5
T-11 Weldy Young Ottawa HC 2 3 5
T-15 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 4 0 4
T-15 Living Ottawa HC 3 1 4

1899 (CAHL)- Swift scored no points in the one game he played

Scoring Tables (counting disputed points; split points worth .5 (or .33) points, maybe points given full credit but not added to goals or assists):

1887 (AHAC)- I wasn’t counting disputed goals at this point. I’ll need to go back and re-read everything at some point.

1893 (AHAC)

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Reginald Bradley Ottawa HC 1 12.17 1 13.17
2 Haviland Routh Montreal HC 1 13 0 13
3 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 1 11 0 11
4 Archie Hodgson Montreal HC 2 6 5 11
5 William Murray Crystals 1 9.5 1 10.5

1894 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Bert Russell Ottawa HC 1 9.5 4 13.5
2 Haviland Routh Montreal HC 1 8.5 4 12.5
3 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 1 10 2 12
4 Chauncey Kirby Ottawa HC 2 6.83 4 10.83
5 Billy Barlow Montreal HC 2 7 1 8

1895 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Haviland Routh Montreal HC 1 17.5 1 18.5
2 Bob MacDougall Victorias 1 11 1 12
3 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 2 9.5 2 11.5
T-4 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 1 9 1 11
T-4 Norman Rankin Victorias 3 9 2 11

1896 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Robert MacDougall Victorias 12 1 14
2 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 8.5 2.5 11
3 Shirley Davidson Victorias 6.17 4.5 10.67
4 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 7.33 2 10.33
5 Chauncey Kirby Ottawa HC 3 4.5 9.5

1897 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Billy Barlow Montreal HC 10 3 15
T-2 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 12.5 1 13.5
T-2 Robert MacDougall Victorias 10.5 2 13.5
4 Ernie McLea Victorias 7.5 4.5 12
5 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 10.34 1 11.34
6 Shirley Davidson Victorias 2.5 6.5 11
7 John Dobby Shamrocks 7 1 8
8 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 5.33 1.5 7.83
T-9 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 6.5 0 6.5
T-9 Herbert Horsfall Quebec HC 4.5 2 6.5

1898 (AHAC)- He’s still T-15.

1899 (CAHL)- Swift scored no points in the one game he played.

Scoring tables, if we assign players a proportional percentage of the unknown goals, rounded to the hundredth (first table for each year is without the split credit points, the second table includes them):

1887 (AHAC)- I need to go back and track the unknown goals, but a quick eye test tells me that it won’t really change anything, at least at the top of the board.

1893 (AHAC)- Ottawa HC missing 14 goals, Montreal HC missing 6 or 8 (I’ll call it 7 here), the Victorias missing 2, and Quebec HC missing 1.

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Haviland Routh Montreal HC 1 14.63 0 14.63
2 Reginald Bradley Ottawa HC 1 12.56 1 13.56
3 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 1 11.5 0 11.5
4 Archie Hodgson Montreal HC 2 6.09 5 11.09
5 William Murray Montreal Crystals 1 9 1 10

League Rank Name Team Team Rank Goals Assists Points
1 Reginald Bradley Ottawa HC 1 15.29 1 16.29
2 Haviland Routh Montreal HC 1 15.84 0 15.84
3 Archie Hodgson Montreal HC 2 7.31 5 12.31
4 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 1 11.5 0 11.5
5 Chauncey Kirby Ottawa HC 2 10.68 0 10.68

1894 (AHAC)- 3 UNK Victorias’ goals, 1 for the Crystals. I don’t think it changes anything, so I’m moving on.

1895 (AHAC)- No UNK goals

1896 (AHAC)- No UNK goals

1897 (AHAC)- 17 for the Vics, 5 for the Shamrocks, 4 for Quebec HC, and 1 for Ottawa HC

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Robert MacDougall Victorias 15.50 2 17.50
2 Ernie McLea Victorias 10.84 4 14.84
3 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 11 1 12
4 Billy Barlow Montreal HC 9 3 12
5 John Dobby Shamrocks 8.59 1 9.59
6 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 8.33 1 9.33
7 Shirley Davidson Victorias 3.10 6 9.10
8 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 7.41 0 7.41
9 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 5.20 1 6.2

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Robert MacDougall Victorias 16.26 2 19.26
2 Ernie McLea Victorias 11.61 4.5 15.51
3 Billy Barlow Montreal HC 10 3 15
4 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 12.5 1 13.5
5 Shirley Davidson Victorias 3.87 6.5 12.37
6 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 10.59 1 11.59
7 John Dobby Shamrocks 8.59 1 9.59
8 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 9.18 0 9.18
9 Rat Westwick Ottawa HC 5.55 1.5 8.05

1898 (AHAC) -22 UNK Vics’ goals, 13 for Quebec HC, 7 for Montreal HC, 7 for the Shamrocks, and 2 for Ottawa HC. Swift improves a bit, but I believe he is still substantially behind the leaders. His adjusted goals is 7.25.

1899 (CAHL)- Swift scored no points in the one game he played.

rmartin65 said:
Graham Drinkwater
Graham Drinkwater is one of the few 1890s players whose name I was really familiar with before we started this project- he’s a member of the HHoF, he played on one of the sports’ earliest dynasties, and his reputation (deserved or undeserved) as a good skater, clean player, and ability to play multiple positions has lasted long enough that he’s a known name over a century later. His Senior level career began in 1893, and it wasn’t overly successful- the Vics finished at the bottom of the standings, and Drinkwater himself only played a couple games and scored a single goal. He did not play on the Senior team in 1894, but then came back with a vengeance in 1895, tying for 3rd in scoring (according to my stats) as the Victorias’ dynasty was born. Drinkwater remained near the top of the scoring tables in 1896, but he only played 4 games in 1897. He was back among the top scorers in 1898, but 1899 saw his offensive productivity crater- he did play 4 games at point (2 at one of the forward positions), but I don’t know if that fully explains how he recorded just a single confirmed point (an assist) on the season.

I think the game summaries confirm his defensive reputation, so that should be taken into account for this- he did, in my opinion, bring value to his teams outside of offense, which I don’t think all the other forwards this round can say. His defense was particularly well regarded in the games where he was at point; indeed, the praise he gets in those games is far more impressive (IMO) than what he received on the forward line. Additionally, as noted below, when he missed games, the papers usually mentioned that his absence negatively impacted the Vics. That, too, is another mark in his favor.

Selection of Quotes (and Notes):

1893 (AHAC)
The big news was that Davidson and Drinkwater were out, but the paper noted this “did not seem to make the team weaker, although Davidson was missed”

A Montreal paper really ripped into the Vics' decision to, after the injury to M.A.A.A.’s Lowe near the end of the game, sit Rankin to even up the teams. The paper said that Rankin was “one of the most efficient and energetic of their team”, and said that the Vics could have sat Drinkwater or Irwin. The same paper said that Rankin “was always on the aggressive”.

1895 (AHAC)
Nothing of particular note

1896 (AHAC)
“The Vics forwards were almost perfect; the back division was as near faultless as possible. Jones, Willitt and Grant played a splendid game. The star of the forward line was Cam Davidson; he was always with the puck, he was quick, steady and reliable. Shirley Davidson, Macdougall and Drinkwater were in good trim and played well”

Drinkwater makes some nice runs

“Gordon Lewis, the goal-keeper, is a man Montreal may well be proud of, and the Victoria hockey club be happy in the possession of. He is certainly a splendid custodian, as his work last night clearly proved. He had many shots to stop, and he acquitted himself in such a manner that nothing else can be said but that he did his duty well. He is a very rapid clearer and does not allow the puck to linger very long in the vicinity of his posts; and he is very creditable on the lift. Henderson at point was all that could be desired. He was always to be seen on the right spot and at the right time when wanted. Captain Grant as cover-point could not be improved upon. In those meteoric flashes of his last night, he doubtless caused many to think of poor ‘Higgy’ and how he used to shine along those same lines. As a check he was of immense value to his team, not that he used any great roughness, but he used his body wisely. He was ever strong when lifting and his play right throughout the game was most praiseworthy. It is an old saying that ‘comparisons are odious’, but aside from that it would be unwise to single out any player of the Montreal forward line of last night and say he played the best of them all. They are a quartette of brilliant stick handlebars, and skillful manipulators of the puck. They are splendid skaters and individually and as a combination they were greatly admired last night. Then there is not one man among them who is not a good shot on goal. They were as quick as steel traps to take every chance which offered itself to them on the ice during the match”

“That the number of goals which the Winnipegs were defeated by was not larger is owing to the brilliant defence game put up by Merritt and Flett. Merritt was a grand goal keeper. Some of the shots he stopped were simply marvellous. He has certainly not lost his reputation because he played on a losing side, but he has added to it, for he stopped every shot that it was possible for a mortal to stop. ‘Roddy’ Flett, as point, has not a peer in Canada. He played the star game of the team last night, his work throughout the whole game was almost perfect. He was indefatigable in his efforts. He was here, there and everywhere, and always there when wanted first. He stopped many a deadly rush on goal last night, and spoilt many a combine. He was not caught napping at any stage of the game, and when he was called upon to fill cover point position, he was of inestimable value to the forward rank while playing in that position. Charlie Hohnston did not play the game that was looked for from him. He was not sure at any point o the game, although he did some excellent work at times. Of the forwards what can be said, but that they played there best game they could and it was nearly as good as the Montrealers, but not quite. Armytage worked like a Trojan and not till the finish of the game did he acknowledge defeat. Howard was as true on the goal as ever, and he caused Lewis, the Montreal goal keeper, not a little uneasiness. He undoubtedly lost one goal last night by some means or other. Bain and Campbell both played hard, conscientious hockey”

“Gordon Lewis, who plays goal this year for the Victorias, has not been seen on the team for the past three years. He was born in Montreal 23 years ago, is 5 ft. 9 in. in height and weighs 156 pounds… Three years ago he won on the senior team, but in the following football season, while playing with the Montreal club, he was unfortunate enough to have his left knee cap broken. This of course laid him up very effectually… It was a surprise to many to see him don the maroon jersey again this year, but his old record as a star goalkeeper and the work he has done in practice this year, fully justifies his selection by the committee. It is not only that he is exceedingly sure in stopping, but he is quick at returning and the work that he has done behind the flags has at times been phenomenal”

“D. Howard Henderson, who plays at point, is the tallest man on the team, going a quarter inch of the six foot mark. He is also a Montrealer by birth. He is 21 years of age and weighs in condition 150 lbs… His height is of course greatly to his advantage in the position he holds. He is an excellent skater and is utterly fearless of the biggest man or the strongest rush. At lifting he is an adept and he needs very little room or time in which to lift. He is decidedly one of the best men on the team”

“Captain Michael Grant is undoubtedly one of the best known hockey players in eastern Canada. Among the younger generation of players in Montreal his has been a name to conjure by. He was born in Montreal in 1874, stands 5 ft, 10 in. in height and tips the scale at 170… Captain Grant is undoubtedly a tower of strength to his team. His keener critics said that last year was an "off" year with him, but, whether that be so or not his work this season has been fully up to his old standard. He has body enough and pluck enough to stop any rush and is himself quick to take the aggressive when the occasion offers. As a captain he has few superiors for he is cool, even to a fault, and knowing his men thoroughly he is well aware of their capabilities at all times”

“Shirley Davidson, who is considered by many to be the bright particular star of the Victorias’ forward line, comes from good athletic stock… The subject of this sketch was born in Montreal in 1875. He is 5 ft. 6 in. in height and weighs 150 pounds. At a casual glance it would not be thought that he was so heavy a man, but he ‘strips’ well and is always in the pink…. For the past four years he has figured on the seniors, and it can be honestly said that he has not played a poor game in all that time. When his play was varied it has simply been more brilliant on some occasions than on others. He is an exceedingly rapid skate, dodges well, has perfect control of the puck and shoots with accuracy and swiftness. He is an adept in breaking his opponents combinations, the one point in which his fellow forwards are most decidedly weak.”

“Graham Drinkwater’s athletic career runs in exactly a similar groove to that of Davidson. He is just the same age, though he is 5:10 ½ in height and weighs 164 pounds… He, too, is a swift skater, and good stick handler, and his work in combination with Davidson and McDougall has won him any amount of praise in the past”

“Bob McDougall, another Montrealer born, is only 20 years of age. He is 5 feet 6 ½ inches and weighs 158 pounds… but in the meantime he is putting up just such a game of hockey as the gods delight to see. He is quick as a flash, and is very sure footed. His shooting is accurate and he perhaps scores more often in a season than any man on the Victoria team. He has played for three years with the seniors, and has always retained his place on the team”

“Hartland McDougall is no relation to Bob… He is 20 years of age, 5 ft. 10 ½ in. in height, and weighs 158 pounds. He has generally played defence, having occupied the goal one season and played cover point for a portion of another. He is a ‘general utility man’, for he has several times played more than an ordinarily good game on the forward line, but on the whole his hockey is not up to the same standard as that of the others. He is a fast skater, and a hard all round player, but is not a strong stick handler”

“Ernest H. McLea, a Montrealer by birth, is 20 years of age, 5 ft. 10 in. in height and weighs 149 pounds…He plays with a vim and dash, but of necessity he lacks the experience of the others on the forward line. He is certainly indefatigable, and as he would cheerfully tackle a runaway freight train on a downgrade he is particularly useful in breaking up opposing combinations”

“Dave Gillelan is 24 years of age, 5 ft. 8 ½ in. in height and weighs 155 pounds… He is a strong aggressive forward through his passing is not at all times as accurate as might be desired”

1897 (AHAC)
“Drinkwater was not up to his usual standard, and this weakened the Vics’ forward line somewhat; but McLea, Macdougall and Davidson played a rattling game. Grant was in splendid trim and worked like a Trojan. It was Grant’s good judgment that won the deciding game”

Apparently the champions felt very comfortable in their prowess, and two of their best players, Shirley Davidson and Graham Drinkwater, were not on the team. They were very much missed, too, especially in the first half, when the men in green had decidedly the best of play”

“Of the visitors, Drinkwater was a little off color, but nevertheless played well, while the others were well nigh perfect. ‘Mike’ Grant showed that he is almost the equal of ‘Weldy’ Young at cover-point”

“The local team was short of Drinkwater, and he was sadly missed. His place was taken by Molson, who does not seem to be quite good enough for the company he was in on Saturday”

The game was apparently so lopsided that the Victorias, having acquired a 4-1 lead by the half, “took things easy. Bob MacDougall loafed around and let Drinkwater do the work; he knew there was no reason to get in any kind of hurry”.

1898 (AHAC)
“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”

“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”

“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”

“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.

“Drinkwater, Davidson, and Grant played the star games for the visitors, the former doing most of the scoring”

“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”

The four forwards played well down, and with the lifting of Wall were able to score four times before the Vics knew what they were at. Harry Trihey and his three assistants came out of the crowd time and again, only to be stopped by the Victoria defence, but their attack was so determined that no defence could stave it off. On the other hand, the Victorias seemed to be taking things easy, and did not follow up well, and with the exception of Cam Davidson and Drinkwater, who at times came through, but were not backed up. Ewan played up well, but Bowie was not up to his usual form. Mike Grant played well down, and kept the other forwards at their work”

“The visitors played a brilliant game, but their style was more showy than effective. The men performed many fancy plays and handled their sticks as if they didn’t care whether they won or not. The defence seemed careless, and even big genial Mike Grant put up a listless game at times. The forwards skated well, and on several occasions performed pieces of combination play that were fairly dazzling. There is but one worker on the forward line, and that is Cam Davidson. The other three who formed the attacking portion of the Vics were content to hang back and wait for a chance to rush up the ice while Davidson followed up every lift made by Grant or Capt. Drinkwater. McLea did some bery effective work, and his shooting at long range was simply beautiful. Bowie and Ewing also did some nice work. Mike Grant’s rush when he tallied the goal that made the score five all was one of the features of the evening”

“The individual work of the visitors was fairly good, and would have been much more effective in the score had they made some efforts to overcome their indiscriminate looseness in the advancing rush. Here they were badly handicapped against old-timers like Drinkwater and Grant, and their attacks invariably went to pieces for this reason”

“McDougall, on the forward line, and Grant and Drinkwater, and point and cover, were in perfect settle and invincible”

“Drinkwater should make a great point. McLea and Bob McDougall are both well known to the Winnipeg men. McDougall, in shape, McCulloch considers the best forward playing. Cam. Davidson and Bowie are new men”

The Vics missed the reliability of MacDougall and the rushing power of McLea, but their back division was imperturbable and steadier than Montreal’s. The latter seemed to be able to get into the wrong place at the wrong time, and how the agility of the Vics forwards told against them, for a goalkeeper, be he ever so vigilant, cannot withstand a combined rush of forwards if the point and cover men have been left hopelessly in the rear. It was in a particular method of steady defence that the Victorias showed superior judgment. Grant, for instance, could afford to take a dashing chance because he knew Drinkwater was in his place behind him and that the latter would be able to attend to anything that came his way. In fact had it not been for the fine defence of the point and cover, Montreal would likely have won, for their forward line took every chance and went fast”

“The forwards were equally matched, but Drinkwater and Grant for the Victorias proved a better defence than Elliott and Charlton of the Montrealers”

McDougall makes a couple more dangerous rushes; a paper notes that “MacDougall’s runs and Drinkwater’s checking were features of this part of the game. Farrell did some excellent shooting; but it was well stopped”.

“But the Victoria defence played a grand game too. Mike Grant by all odds played his best game of the season, and Graham Drinkwater worked like a Trojan and his rushes down the ice were wonderful to behold. ‘Geordie’ Lewis stopped wonderfully well, and how he managed to prevent some of the lift shots from scoring, no one can tell”

“Drinkwater has just made one of his famous rushes”

“Both teams’ defences were strong, but the Montreal Victorias’ showed up to better advantage owing to the ability of Grant and Drinkwater to go down the ice whenever there was an opening”

“The Montreal Victorias defence was in great trim and the manner in which Grant and Drinkwater played was wonderful. Grant was in fine form and played the very game of his life, while Drinkwater surpassed himself”

Scoring Tables (not counting the points that are disputed):

1893 (AHAC)- Drinkwater only scored 1 goal, so he’s way down on the list.

1895 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Haviland Routh Montreal HC 15 1 16
2 Robert MacDougall Victorias 10 1 11
T-3 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 8 2 10
T-3 Archie Hodgson Montreal HC 5 5 10
5 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 8 1 9

1896 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Robert MacDougall Victorias 11 1 12
2 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 8 2 10
3 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 6 2 8
T-4 Pat Doyle Quebec HC 5 2 7
T-4 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 5 2 7
T-4 Shirley Davidson Victorias 4 3 7
T-4 A.D. Scott Quebec HC 4 3 7

1897 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
T-1 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 11 1 12
T-1 Robert MacDougall Victorias 10 2 12
T-1 Billy Barlow Montreal HC 9 3 12
4 Ernie McLea Victorias 7 4 11
5 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 8 1 9
T-11 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 3 1 4

1898 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 11 4 15
2 Desse Brown Shamrocks 10 0 10
T-3 Howard Hutchison Ottawa HC 9 0 9
T-3 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 8 1 9
T-3 James GIllespie Quebec HC 6 3 9
6 Robert MacDougall Victorias 7 1 8

1899 (CAHL)- Drinkwater only had an assist, so he is way down on the table.

Scoring Tables (counting disputed points; split points worth .5 (or .33) points, maybe points given full credit but not added to goals or assists):

1893 (AHAC)- Drinkwater only scored 1 goal, so he’s way down on the list.

1895 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Haviland Routh Montreal HC 17.5 1 18.5
2 Robert MacDougall Victorias 11 1 12
3 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 9.5 2 11.5
T-4 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 9 1 11
T-4 Norman Rankin Victorias 9 2 11

1896 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Robert MacDougall Victorias 12 1 14
2 Dolly Swift Quebec HC 8.5 2.5 11
3 Shirley Davidson Victorias 6.17 4.5 10.67
4 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 7.33 2 10.33
5 Chauncey Kirby Ottawa HC 3 4.5 9.5
6 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 6.5 2 8.5

1897 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Billy Barlow Montreal HC 10 3 15
T-2 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 12.5 1 13.5
T-2 Robert MacDougall Victorias 10.5 2 13.5
4 Ernie McLea Victorias 7.5 4.5 12
5 Alf Smith Ottawa HC 10.34 1 11.34
T-11 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 3.5 1.5 5

1898 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 11 4 16
T-2 Desse Brown Shamrocks 10 0 10
T-2 Robert MacDougall Victorias 8 2 10
4 Howard Hutchison Ottawa HC 9.5 0 9.5
5 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 8 1 9

1899 (CAHL)- Drinkwater only had an assist, so he is way down on the table.

Scoring tables, if we assign players a proportional percentage of the unknown goals, rounded to the hundredth (first table for each year is without the split credit points, the second table includes them). I am only looking at 1897 and 1898 as they are the only years with a significant amount of unknown goals-

1897 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Robert MacDougall Victorias 15.50 2 17.50
2 Ernie McLea Victorias 10.84 4 14.84
3 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 11 1 12
4 Billy Barlow Montreal HC 9 3 12
5 John Dobby Shamrocks 8.59 1 9.59
T-11 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 4.65 1 5.65

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Robert MacDougall Victorias 16.26 2 19.26
2 Ernie McLea Victorias 11.61 4.5 15.51
3 Billy Barlow Montreal HC 10 3 15
4 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 12.5 1 13.5
5 Shirley Davidson Victorias 3.87 6.5 12.37
T-10 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 5.42 1 6.42

1898 (AHAC)

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 13.85 4 17.85
2 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 13.68 1 14.68
3 Desse Brown Shamrocks 13.89 0 13.89
4 James Gillespie Quebec HC 10.88 3 13.88
5 Robert MacDougall Victorias 11.97 1 12.97

Rank Name Team Goals Assists Points
1 Clare McKerrow Montreal HC 13.85 4 18.85
2 Robert MacDougall Victorias 13.68 2 15.68
3 Graham Drinkwater Victorias 13.68 1 14.68
4 Desse Brown Shamrocks 13.89 0 13.89
5 James Gillespie Quebec HC 10.88 3 13.88

rmartin65 · May 24, 2023

Richard ‘Dickie’ Boon

The diminutive captain of the Little Men of Iron, Dickie (sometimes seen ‘Dickey’ or ‘Dicky’) Boon was arguably the best coverpoint in Canada in the post-Grant/Young pre-Stuart era; he certainly seems to have had the most star power. Montreal HC and Montreal Wanderer game reports are littered with praise for Boon, with reporters lauding his abilities both defensively and offensively. Indeed, he was reported to have had a knack for turning good defense into offense, and was once quoted as saying “I was too small to body check the big fellows so I had to develop a poke check. After I got the puck away from them, there wasn’t much else I could do but carry it up the ice”.

Jack Brannen, from the Shamrocks dynasty, was cited as stating that “the little Montreal player was the hardest defenceman in the league to pass”.

Like the other defenders (and goalies), I won’t be doing stats tables for Boon. I can pull up specific comparisons if there are any questions about how he stacked up against other coverpoints and points, however.

Selection of Quotes (and Notes):

1900 (CAHL)
“Boone was a star at cover, and it was not often that a forward got by the diminutive Dick. He always played the puck, and his work was all the more effective on this account”

Boone and Smith are credited with breaking up several of Trihey’s rushes

“For Montreal, Boon at cover and Desse Brown and Liffiton on the forward division did yeoman work. The latter, especially, deserves great credit for his persistent following up and good rushing. Boon’s work was much admired”

“Smith and Boon at point and cover respectively were rather slow and allowed too much for the goalkeeper”

Smith and Boon are credited with “great defence”

“Boon’s playing at cover was a feature of the match”

“Boone, at cover-point, is a light man, who plays always for the puck, and Saturday night he seldom missed it, although frequently his interceptions were very lucky”

“Boon and Smith played a splendid defence game for the Montreal team, and Nicholson’s work in the poles was excellent. Boone had a special apparatus for his injured wrist and a regular boxing glove covered his hand, giving him quite a pugilistic appearance”

“ Montreal’s defence was lucky too. Boone’s breaking up of Trihey’s runs within shooting range saved Montreal many times”

1901 (CAHL)
“Yuile, for instance, played a star game and will be very dangerous when his support is more to the point. Boone and Nicholson also distinguished themselves”

“Boon is willing to take a chance and so is Harry Smith. But they do not do so as often as they might”

“Nicholson had a big share in Montreal’s victory and Boone played a faultless game while Lorne Campbell graduated in senior ranks with flying colours, being directly or indirectly responsible for a majority of the goals”

“Dick Boon played a splendid game”

“In the second half Montreal seemed to totally collapse, Liffiton and Boone being about the only men who played up to their form”

“However, the great play of Liffiton and Campbell in the forward line, and M. Boon at cover point, and Nicholson at goal, almost won a victory. Liffiton and Campbell did great work together, and performed some of the prettiest plays of the match”

“For the Ottawas, Roger and Sixsmith played the most effective game, and for the Montreals Liffiton and Boone did decidedly good work”

“The Montreal defence occasionally proved themselves adept at blocking tactics. Boon was specially prominent in his work. Liffiton and Campbell played a clever and hard game on the forward line and it took a good man to get the better of them”

“R. Boon, the Montreal coverpoint, knows all the tricks of a good defence man”

“Of course, Boone, Montreal’s cover point played to win. Rather unusual is it to see so small a man placed at the first defence. Montrealers are accustomed to have bigger men there, but scarcely better ones. Quebec knew all this, and more, but they were unable to get by him, or if they did, Nicholson batted the intrusive rubber out”

“One reason for this may be the absence of Boon, the clever cover point. Through some manipulation of the executive he sat on the benches during the game, when he should have been on the ice. The result was that the Vics broke through the defence almost whenever they liked. Goalkeeper NIcholson was very badly supported. Red jerseys were so thick around him he could do but little to keep the score down”

“Boon, one of the best and most daring men the club possesses, was not playing. The action of the executive of forcing him out of his place to make room for another man, was the cause of this. It is doubtful if his presence on the team could have saved the night, but it is possible that his absence, and the realization of the other players that the executive cares but little for good work done, together with a certain amount of feeling between the members of the team themselves about the change, was responsible for last night’s nightmare”

“First and foremost Boone played cover point, and the way he broke up rushes and wormed into combinations was exhilarating to his friends, one and all of whom now feel that his place on the team cannot be disputed.”

1902 (CAHL)
“Elliott and Boon managed most successfully to protect the third part of Montreal territory that lay between the goals and the centre of the rink”

“Elliott at point blocked well and lifted nice, but showed a tendency to infringe on Capt. Boon’s territory. The latter has added to his avoirdupois since last year, and his work is more finished than ever. His speed is exceptional and his lifting accurate”

“Unlike Pulford and Duval, when the Montrealers were behind, Boon and Elliott held their positions and never ventured upon the forward line, the result being there was always some one to stop the Ottawa rushes. Then both these players lifted splendidly, the returns being made very fast. On one occasion, the puck landed on Hutton’s chest with two Montrealers a few feet from him”

“Boone, the cover point man, who did a clever lot of work, was really the only one who ventured out of his place, and he did not go far. Elliott, the point player, was both a hard man to pass and did lots of relief work in nice lifts of the puck. Nicholson, the goalminder, had his eyes open always and stopped many hot shots”

“For the victors, Dickie Boone at cover point was worth two or three. His efforts were ably seconded by young Liffiton, who is certainly a small-sized wonder”

“Boon at cover point put up a splendid game. He seemed to be right on top of the Vics and to him is the credit of breaking up many good combinations by Bowie and Russell. As usual, Gardner and Liffiton, on the forwards, were always in the game. They skated and shot well, but combination play was lacking”

“Moran in the poles was a tower of strength, stopping shots that seemed almost impossible. Scott and Capt. Stuart played a most useful game, and, in fact, several times the defence took the puck down the ice to help their forwards. But Dickey Boon was there all the time and invariably broke up their pretty runs”

“Dickey Boon was easily the star of the match- he played with good judgment and it was very seldom a forward got past him. He brought the puck from his own end down to his opponents’ goal time after time, and if it had not been for his fast work there would probably have been a different story to tell today”

“For the Montrealers, Nicholson did wonders, while Elliott played his best game this season, though, like Hod Stuart, he was much too rough. Boon was the star of the entire fourteen men, and it would be hard to say whether Marshall, Liffiton, or Hooper was the more brilliant. Gardner was very poor”

The Shamrocks now start pressuring, but Boon was “generally being the stumbling block to the forwards wearing green”.

“Boon and Liffiton were the only men on the team who seemed to be playing the game, the one doing all the defence work and the other all the offensive. Liffiton was all over the ice, and was the bright particular star of the fourteen men”

“Boon, at cover point, broke up one piece of combination play after another. Then, on the forward line, Liffiton and Gardner made a number of brilliant rushes”

“Hodge at this time did not do much. Boon stole several threatening pucks and Nicholson stopped a number”

“Boon, who, by the way can stand a wonderful amount of punishment for a little fellow”

“To Winnipeggers who know already what to expect from their own men perhaps the most noticeable individual playing was that of Boon, the featherweight cover-point for the Montreals. “

“Individually Boon, cover point and captain of the team, was the best man on his side. His physique made a strong body-checking game an impossibility, but he is on to every known trick of the game, and his checking is entirely for the puck. This evening he proved very effective, and his long lifting on more than one occasion put the Vics’ goal in extreme danger”

“The two Fletts, Brown, and Gingras were the stars. Scanlan was out-matched by Liffiton. The latter and Marshall were the stars of the Montrealers. Their splendid work kept Boon somewhat in the background in the last half, but when his services were required he was never found wanting”

“Boone, at cover point, was the whole team and a spare man. What he does not know about the fine points of the game would not occupy much time in telling, and he brought into play every device he knew. The result was that very few of the young gentlemen in red and blue got any further than coverpoint. Those that did found a surprise party waiting or them. Hodge, the point on Thursday evening, had been thrown out, his place being taken by Bellingham, who showed splendid form. He seemed to give the team confidence, and his inclusion was a wise move. Nicholson, goal, touched the puck on three occasions”

“On keen ice the Montreal boys proved to be whirlwinds; even the redoubtable Tony Gingras looked slow beside them, and if by a chance his speed carried him down towards the Montreal goal, Dickey Boon was always in the way, and the puck did not remain there long. Liffiton, Boon and Hooper were the stars of the Montreals”

“But Dickey [Boon] was always doing something unexpected, and before the game closed was perhaps the most popular player on the ice”

“Boon is the bright particular star of the aggregation, but all the other players were stars also”

“Boon, the plucky captain of the team, played the game as he never played it before. He was all over the ice, checking, blocking, and clearing with speed and accuracy. Bellingham at point was steady as a rock and overlooked nothing”

“Dickey Boon was simply invincible. He seldom made an error, and was always in the right spot at the right time”

1903 (CAHL)
“Boone had a lot of work to do, but his great length of reach and speed helped him out as usual, and he seldom failed to deliver the goods in the shape of the puck. Hodge had but little to do, and Nicholson was forgotten altogether”

“Boon, at cover, had lost none of his tricks, although he lost his temper at times”

“Boon was his same of self as cover, with the speed of the fastest forward and splendid checking ability”

“Boon was not up to the old time mark, and his showing was disappointing. At times the Ottawa forwards played rag with [?] his lifting was good though. Hodge, at point, was fairly strong, but he, like Boon, allowed himself to be drawn out by the wily Ottawas”

“Great things were looked for in Boone, but this star player had too much weight against him and lacked his usual speed.”

“DIckie Boon, who has a splendid reputation for gentlemanly play, went in the air on Saturday night and slashed in all directions. His particular hobby seemed to be to put the gallant little Westwick out of business, but he got as much as he gave and in consequence it is not likely he will figure on the next match the team plays”

“’Dickey’ Boon was the particular bright star of the evening. He played out of his position, and yet while managing to make a good forward, seemed to drop back whenever he found leisure into his usual place”

“Boon played a wonderful game, stopping rush after rush, and lifting right on to the Quebec goals repeatedly”

“At point, Bellingham was almost perfect last night, and DIcky Boon, although not feeling very well, and threatened with grippe, played steadily as usual, and was all over the ice when needed”

“Hooper missed a number of comparatively easy shots, and Boon, the great, did not seem to know at times where he was at”

“The famous Dickey Boon on Saturday night was at sixes and sevens. Frank McGee scores a goal while Boon had his back to the puck. Bellingham at cover point is a wonderful improvement on Hodge but the only thing he seemed to be able to do effectively on Saturday night was to punish Frank McGee”

“Hooper was a perfect whirlwind and got by the opposing defence for four goals. Nicholson in goal was a source of confidence to the defence, and Bellingham also put up a splendid game. Boon of course was peerless, while Phillips, who formerly played with Rat Portage, made a remarkable showing for a new man”

“Nicholson, he of the generous outlines, was there whenever he was needed except once. Bellingham at point played a cool, collected game, and Boon, although he did not score, was, as alert, as swift, and as tricky as ever”

“Boon, however, at this stage of the game was putting up an excellent article of hockey under the prevailing conditions and kept rushing the puck back as fast as the Winnipeg people could bring it down”

“Scanlan was without doubt the cleanest player on the ice during the two matches, and in addition, was undoubtedly the most finished forward player of all those on the ice. Scanlan went into everything, took his medicine without making any bones about it, and not once, in spite of what must have been pretty severe provocation, did he make any effort at retaliation. It was a creditable record of a good man. Boon, too, also ought to be spoken of in this matter. He played a steady telling game in both matches, and played his game without any resort to unfair methods. The nice play and the effectiveness of this man demonstrates that tip-top hockey can be played without batting opponents to little, just because some one on the side thinks it would be a good sort of game to play”

“Boon, tricky, quick and yet collected, played a careful, steady game, and often left his position, particularly when Gardner was put out of business, to give aid wherever it was needed”

1904 (FAHL)
“Nicholson in the first half practiced fancy stops and Boon did some particularly intricate jumping, and executed some ornate twists”

“In the first half it very seldom got past Boon, and when it did it was never dangerous”

“Boon has a whole lot of tricks that fooled them time and again, and Gardner worked the fence to perfection”

“Gardner and Leahy were the only men on the forward line and on the defence Boon was the star”

1905 (FAHL)
“Whenever they did get off the man with the puck usually chose to pass the disc in the neighborhood of Dick Boon, and that was always fatal, for there is no need to tell here that no cover-point playing the game today can slip in more neatly and nap the puck on such occasions than the same Dick. Boon was a source of trouble to Cornwall’s forwards, and none of them appeared to fathom his methods, so he had a night of it. Boon was directly responsible for some of the scores, and his work generally had much to do with the result”

“Dickie Boon made half a dozen thrilling scampers toward the other chaps’ goal”

“Boon played a star game, and so did Marshall, and between the two they were responsible for most of the games scored”

“For instance ‘DIckie’ Boon started off in rousing form, but fell away badly, and at the end was like a wet rag”

“For the Wanderers DIcky Boon was easily the star. In fact he was the best player on the ice. Jack Marshall, Billy Strachan and a junior, named Glass, along with the goalkeeper also distinguished themselves”

“Combination on the Brockville line was conspicuous by its absence and the selfish individual effort counted for little against such experts at defence as the famous ‘Dicky’ Boon and ‘Billy’ Strachan. A man that succeeded in getting past Boon usually met his Waterloo on bumping against Strachan and what he could not get, Goalkeeper Baker took care of”

“ The star man of the evening was the famous Dickey Boon, at cover point, for the Montreal lads. He was a thorn in the sides of the opposing forwards, and when closely pressed relieved in a manner that elicited applause. He also started numerous combined rushes with his forwards when he got the other fellows uncovered”

“Dicky Boon in certainly one of the best hockey players in Canada, but on Saturday evening, in the dying minutes of one of the most strenuous matches ever played in this city, he made a serious mistake in playing too far out”

In the 1905 fan-voted all star team, Boon finished second to Moore among coverpoints by about 200 votes. He narrowly missed out on being named the defensive spare, as W. Strachan (a point) edged him out for the honor by less than 20 votes.

rmartin65 · May 24, 2023

seventieslord said:
Harry Smith's numbers include just about everything he ever did, including TPHL and WPHL, even if those numbers aren't high, by including those years in my calculations, it prevents them from just showing up as zeroes.

However, I have noticed a few things:
1) I have a mistake where the 1908 WPHL is just a repeat of the 1904 league. He tore the 1908 WPHL a new one, and would have had a score of about 80.
2) I haven't yet added the 1912 NOHL. He was the leading scorer and although I won't give a ton of credence to this league, I suspect a score of about 70 would be in order.
3) I have no idea how to account for the fact that he managed to play in 3 leagues in 1909 and amass scores of 77, 42, and 28 in each of them. Should I treat them as separate, since none of them seemed to prevent him from playing in others? Or should I add them up and give him a 147 for that season? Neither seems right.

Ignoring the third piece for now, I expect his scores would be 89, 83, 77, 66 if 1908 and 1912 were added (which I do not have the time to do). These numbers would put him right at the top of the list. Iain Fyffe's numbers love him, too. He is probably the most potent offensive forward in this round. Though, he might be exhibit A for why we shouldn't get too excited about high scoring forwards of this era.

I'll try to address this in my Harry Smith post (I think I am up-to-date on the AHAC/CAHL/FAHL/ECAHA guys except for Smith and and Kerr, those should be done by Saturday morning), but in case I forget-

Harry Smith was pacing for a 4th or 5th place finish in the ECHA in 1909. Obviously pace is just that - an estimation of what would have happened - but it was shaping up to be a very strong season. I have him with 8 confirmed goals and 2 confirmed assists for 10 confirmed points in the 4 games he played with the Wanderers before jumping ship, with another 2 split credit goals. This tracks fairly well with the 9 goals that an unnamed hockey statistician published in The Montreal Star upon the conclusion of the season, and the 9 goals that The Ottawa Citizen published about 2/3 through the season. 1909 saw each team playing 12 games, so it makes a pretty easy projection- 24 goals, 6 assists, 30 points, plus another 6 split credit credit goals (so roughly another projected 3 goals/points). Those 30 points would have him in 4th after Walsh (43 points), Jordan (33 points), and Stuart (31 points), well ahead of the next scorer on the list (Kerr, with 24 points, though I believe he missed 3 games- projecting his scores out, Kerr would be at 32. The next highest scorer after Kerr was Chubby Power with 21, so I feel pretty comfortable in saying Smith would have finished 4th or 5th that year). He also produced well in the SC challenges that year, for what it is worth.

What does this do for your numbers? I don't know. Is there a way to perform a similar review of his performance in the WPHL and TPHL and kind of blend those all together to get a rough idea?

seventieslord · May 24, 2023

rmartin65 said:
I'll try to address this in my Harry Smith post (I think I am up-to-date on the AHAC/CAHL/FAHL/ECAHA guys except for Smith and and Kerr, those should be done by Saturday morning), but in case I forget-

Harry Smith was pacing for a 4th or 5th place finish in the ECHA in 1909. Obviously pace is just that - an estimation of what would have happened - but it was shaping up to be a very strong season. I have him with 8 confirmed goals and 2 confirmed assists for 10 confirmed points in the 4 games he played with the Wanderers before jumping ship, with another 2 split credit goals. This tracks fairly well with the 9 goals that an unnamed hockey statistician published in The Montreal Star upon the conclusion of the season, and the 9 goals that The Ottawa Citizen published about 2/3 through the season. 1909 saw each team playing 12 games, so it makes a pretty easy projection- 24 goals, 6 assists, 30 points, plus another 6 split credit credit goals (so roughly another projected 3 goals/points). Those 30 points would have him in 4th after Walsh (43 points), Jordan (33 points), and Stuart (31 points), well ahead of the next scorer on the list (Kerr, with 24 points, though I believe he missed 3 games- projecting his scores out, Kerr would be at 32. The next highest scorer after Kerr was Chubby Power with 21, so I feel pretty comfortable in saying Smith would have finished 4th or 5th that year). He also produced well in the SC challenges that year, for what it is worth.

What does this do for your numbers? I don't know. Is there a way to perform a similar review of his performance in the WPHL and TPHL and kind of blend those all together to get a rough idea?

Yes, I'd say that's probably exactly what one would need to do.

Suffice to say, without that "help", he has the strongest offensive resume of anyone in this round.

Black Gold Extractor · May 24, 2023

seventieslord said:
Crawford was a role player. A poor man's Broadbent/Stanley/Russell/Westwick, I think.

I think Ultimate Hockey had Crawford winning a couple of retro Selkes (from this old thread), so his defensive game must have been quite good, but his offense is abysmal compared to the rest of the field.

3) I have no idea how to account for the fact that he managed to play in 3 leagues in 1909 and amass scores of 77, 42, and 28 in each of them. Should I treat them as separate, since none of them seemed to prevent him from playing in others? Or should I add them up and give him a 147 for that season? Neither seems right.

Ignoring the third piece for now, I expect his scores would be 89, 83, 77, 66 if 1908 and 1912 were added (which I do not have the time to do). These numbers would put him right at the top of the list. Iain Fyffe's numbers love him, too. He is probably the most potent offensive forward in this round. Though, he might be exhibit A for why we shouldn't get too excited about high scoring forwards of this era.

One mathematical trick is to use the median in lieu of the average if there's some uncertainty of exact numbers. At the very least, it could provide a "sanity check" if needed.

Average of top 3 ~ 2nd best score
Average of top 5 ~ 3rd best score
Average of top 7 ~ 4th best score
Average of top 10 ~ Average of 5th and 6th best score

As for how excited we should be about high-scoring forwards of the era, here are some notable VsX scores for forwards in this season's NHL (benchmark 113 points):

10th: 90.2
15th: 82.3
20th: 76.1
32nd: 69.9
48th: 64.6
64th: 58.4
96th: 49.6

Dubbie Kerr peaking at NHL superstar level is exciting. Carson Cooper peaking at not-quite NHL superstar level but also having a 10-year score in the top third of NHL 1st liners is damned impressive (at least to me).

Dr John Carlson · May 25, 2023

- Dubbie Kerr should interest people who are big on peaks. My sense (and it could be wrong, I didn't dig deep into him) is that he wasn't quite the same after his first 'retirement' in 1912 but was still a very good scorer. I've found quite a few clippings, mostly from Ottawa papers, that considered him the best winger in the game at the time of his taking 12-13 off. And, if I'm remembering correctly, Gee Ahern, sporting editor of the Halifax Herald, voted for Kerr as LW on his submission for that 1925 MacLean's all-time team. It's not clear when Ahern would've watched Kerr play as he would've been fairly young at the time of Dubbie's peak.

- Gagne, Crawford, and Stanley all featured prominently in my Dick Irvin research. I'd pick Crawford as the weakest of the bunch, though he was also nearer to the end of the relevant portion of his career than the other two were. seventies' description of him as a role player sounds about right. He was an excellent skater, to the point that he was being picked as one of the fastest in the WCHL up until his mid to late 30s, and had some positional versatility, but was not a very good scorer and it reads as though his defensive play was fine but not Ultimate Hockey Retro Selke-fine.

- Gagne was a very good offensive player, and wasn't just some product of Duke Keats, but from what I've gathered, he was let go of twice during his prime because he wasn't physical enough and/or he was too porous defensively. In the fall of 1923 he was traded from Edmonton to Regina after his first huge season in exchange for a fading Spunk Sparrow and cash. A Saskatoon paper said Gagne was believed to have "needed a change in atmosphere" while a Calgary paper noted Sparrow was brought in for being a greater defensive player. Later, in the NHL, Montreal let him go in the summer of 1929 so that they could replace him with Nick Wasnie, a bigger man who was noted in a Kingston paper as being a "worthy substitute" for Gagne as he figured to make the Habs' forward line heavier than it had been with Art.

- Stanley was a great captain, a real glue guy. The best of the bunch defensively IMO, but not the offensive talent Gagne was. I offered a few quotes in my Dick Irvin profile opining that the loss of Stanley from Regina/Portland in 1925 was a huge blow, as Irvin was considered to be a much lesser leader and playing manager than Barney was. He, like Crawford, could play multiple positions, and did so with more regularity than Rusty. For me, this bunch is something like Gagne/Stanley >> Crawford. I don't think Rusty is a great candidate for the list now that I've done more reading.

seventieslord · May 25, 2023

rmartin65 said:
Richard ‘Dickie’ Boon
The diminutive captain of the Little Men of Iron, Dickie (sometimes seen ‘Dickey’ or ‘Dicky’) Boon was arguably the best coverpoint in Canada in the post-Grant/Young pre-Stuart era; he certainly seems to have had the most star power. Montreal HC and Montreal Wanderer game reports are littered with praise for Boon, with reporters lauding his abilities both defensively and offensively. Indeed, he was reported to have had a knack for turning good defense into offense, and was once quoted as saying “I was too small to body check the big fellows so I had to develop a poke check. After I got the puck away from them, there wasn’t much else I could do but carry it up the ice”.

Jack Brannen, from the Shamrocks dynasty, was cited as stating that “the little Montreal player was the hardest defenceman in the league to pass”.

Like the other defenders (and goalies), I won’t be doing stats tables for Boon. I can pull up specific comparisons if there are any questions about how he stacked up against other coverpoints and points, however.

Selection of Quotes (and Notes):

1900 (CAHL)
“Boone was a star at cover, and it was not often that a forward got by the diminutive Dick. He always played the puck, and his work was all the more effective on this account”

Boone and Smith are credited with breaking up several of Trihey’s rushes

“For Montreal, Boon at cover and Desse Brown and Liffiton on the forward division did yeoman work. The latter, especially, deserves great credit for his persistent following up and good rushing. Boon’s work was much admired”

“Smith and Boon at point and cover respectively were rather slow and allowed too much for the goalkeeper”

Smith and Boon are credited with “great defence”

“Boon’s playing at cover was a feature of the match”

“Boone, at cover-point, is a light man, who plays always for the puck, and Saturday night he seldom missed it, although frequently his interceptions were very lucky”

“Boon and Smith played a splendid defence game for the Montreal team, and Nicholson’s work in the poles was excellent. Boone had a special apparatus for his injured wrist and a regular boxing glove covered his hand, giving him quite a pugilistic appearance”

“ Montreal’s defence was lucky too. Boone’s breaking up of Trihey’s runs within shooting range saved Montreal many times”

1901 (CAHL)
“Yuile, for instance, played a star game and will be very dangerous when his support is more to the point. Boone and Nicholson also distinguished themselves”

“Boon is willing to take a chance and so is Harry Smith. But they do not do so as often as they might”

“Nicholson had a big share in Montreal’s victory and Boone played a faultless game while Lorne Campbell graduated in senior ranks with flying colours, being directly or indirectly responsible for a majority of the goals”

“Dick Boon played a splendid game”

“In the second half Montreal seemed to totally collapse, Liffiton and Boone being about the only men who played up to their form”

“However, the great play of Liffiton and Campbell in the forward line, and M. Boon at cover point, and Nicholson at goal, almost won a victory. Liffiton and Campbell did great work together, and performed some of the prettiest plays of the match”

“For the Ottawas, Roger and Sixsmith played the most effective game, and for the Montreals Liffiton and Boone did decidedly good work”

“The Montreal defence occasionally proved themselves adept at blocking tactics. Boon was specially prominent in his work. Liffiton and Campbell played a clever and hard game on the forward line and it took a good man to get the better of them”

“R. Boon, the Montreal coverpoint, knows all the tricks of a good defence man”

“Of course, Boone, Montreal’s cover point played to win. Rather unusual is it to see so small a man placed at the first defence. Montrealers are accustomed to have bigger men there, but scarcely better ones. Quebec knew all this, and more, but they were unable to get by him, or if they did, Nicholson batted the intrusive rubber out”

“One reason for this may be the absence of Boon, the clever cover point. Through some manipulation of the executive he sat on the benches during the game, when he should have been on the ice. The result was that the Vics broke through the defence almost whenever they liked. Goalkeeper NIcholson was very badly supported. Red jerseys were so thick around him he could do but little to keep the score down”

“Boon, one of the best and most daring men the club possesses, was not playing. The action of the executive of forcing him out of his place to make room for another man, was the cause of this. It is doubtful if his presence on the team could have saved the night, but it is possible that his absence, and the realization of the other players that the executive cares but little for good work done, together with a certain amount of feeling between the members of the team themselves about the change, was responsible for last night’s nightmare”

“First and foremost Boone played cover point, and the way he broke up rushes and wormed into combinations was exhilarating to his friends, one and all of whom now feel that his place on the team cannot be disputed.”

1902 (CAHL)
“Elliott and Boon managed most successfully to protect the third part of Montreal territory that lay between the goals and the centre of the rink”

“Elliott at point blocked well and lifted nice, but showed a tendency to infringe on Capt. Boon’s territory. The latter has added to his avoirdupois since last year, and his work is more finished than ever. His speed is exceptional and his lifting accurate”

“Unlike Pulford and Duval, when the Montrealers were behind, Boon and Elliott held their positions and never ventured upon the forward line, the result being there was always some one to stop the Ottawa rushes. Then both these players lifted splendidly, the returns being made very fast. On one occasion, the puck landed on Hutton’s chest with two Montrealers a few feet from him”

“Boone, the cover point man, who did a clever lot of work, was really the only one who ventured out of his place, and he did not go far. Elliott, the point player, was both a hard man to pass and did lots of relief work in nice lifts of the puck. Nicholson, the goalminder, had his eyes open always and stopped many hot shots”

“For the victors, Dickie Boone at cover point was worth two or three. His efforts were ably seconded by young Liffiton, who is certainly a small-sized wonder”

“Boon at cover point put up a splendid game. He seemed to be right on top of the Vics and to him is the credit of breaking up many good combinations by Bowie and Russell. As usual, Gardner and Liffiton, on the forwards, were always in the game. They skated and shot well, but combination play was lacking”

“Moran in the poles was a tower of strength, stopping shots that seemed almost impossible. Scott and Capt. Stuart played a most useful game, and, in fact, several times the defence took the puck down the ice to help their forwards. But Dickey Boon was there all the time and invariably broke up their pretty runs”

“Dickey Boon was easily the star of the match- he played with good judgment and it was very seldom a forward got past him. He brought the puck from his own end down to his opponents’ goal time after time, and if it had not been for his fast work there would probably have been a different story to tell today”

“For the Montrealers, Nicholson did wonders, while Elliott played his best game this season, though, like Hod Stuart, he was much too rough. Boon was the star of the entire fourteen men, and it would be hard to say whether Marshall, Liffiton, or Hooper was the more brilliant. Gardner was very poor”

The Shamrocks now start pressuring, but Boon was “generally being the stumbling block to the forwards wearing green”.

“Boon and Liffiton were the only men on the team who seemed to be playing the game, the one doing all the defence work and the other all the offensive. Liffiton was all over the ice, and was the bright particular star of the fourteen men”

“Boon, at cover point, broke up one piece of combination play after another. Then, on the forward line, Liffiton and Gardner made a number of brilliant rushes”

“Hodge at this time did not do much. Boon stole several threatening pucks and Nicholson stopped a number”

“Boon, who, by the way can stand a wonderful amount of punishment for a little fellow”

“To Winnipeggers who know already what to expect from their own men perhaps the most noticeable individual playing was that of Boon, the featherweight cover-point for the Montreals. “

“Individually Boon, cover point and captain of the team, was the best man on his side. His physique made a strong body-checking game an impossibility, but he is on to every known trick of the game, and his checking is entirely for the puck. This evening he proved very effective, and his long lifting on more than one occasion put the Vics’ goal in extreme danger”

“The two Fletts, Brown, and Gingras were the stars. Scanlan was out-matched by Liffiton. The latter and Marshall were the stars of the Montrealers. Their splendid work kept Boon somewhat in the background in the last half, but when his services were required he was never found wanting”

“Boone, at cover point, was the whole team and a spare man. What he does not know about the fine points of the game would not occupy much time in telling, and he brought into play every device he knew. The result was that very few of the young gentlemen in red and blue got any further than coverpoint. Those that did found a surprise party waiting or them. Hodge, the point on Thursday evening, had been thrown out, his place being taken by Bellingham, who showed splendid form. He seemed to give the team confidence, and his inclusion was a wise move. Nicholson, goal, touched the puck on three occasions”

“On keen ice the Montreal boys proved to be whirlwinds; even the redoubtable Tony Gingras looked slow beside them, and if by a chance his speed carried him down towards the Montreal goal, Dickey Boon was always in the way, and the puck did not remain there long. Liffiton, Boon and Hooper were the stars of the Montreals”

“But Dickey [Boon] was always doing something unexpected, and before the game closed was perhaps the most popular player on the ice”

“Boon is the bright particular star of the aggregation, but all the other players were stars also”

“Boon, the plucky captain of the team, played the game as he never played it before. He was all over the ice, checking, blocking, and clearing with speed and accuracy. Bellingham at point was steady as a rock and overlooked nothing”

“Dickey Boon was simply invincible. He seldom made an error, and was always in the right spot at the right time”

1903 (CAHL)
“Boone had a lot of work to do, but his great length of reach and speed helped him out as usual, and he seldom failed to deliver the goods in the shape of the puck. Hodge had but little to do, and Nicholson was forgotten altogether”

“Boon, at cover, had lost none of his tricks, although he lost his temper at times”

“Boon was his same of self as cover, with the speed of the fastest forward and splendid checking ability”

“Boon was not up to the old time mark, and his showing was disappointing. At times the Ottawa forwards played rag with [?] his lifting was good though. Hodge, at point, was fairly strong, but he, like Boon, allowed himself to be drawn out by the wily Ottawas”

“Great things were looked for in Boone, but this star player had too much weight against him and lacked his usual speed.”

“DIckie Boon, who has a splendid reputation for gentlemanly play, went in the air on Saturday night and slashed in all directions. His particular hobby seemed to be to put the gallant little Westwick out of business, but he got as much as he gave and in consequence it is not likely he will figure on the next match the team plays”

“’Dickey’ Boon was the particular bright star of the evening. He played out of his position, and yet while managing to make a good forward, seemed to drop back whenever he found leisure into his usual place”

“Boon played a wonderful game, stopping rush after rush, and lifting right on to the Quebec goals repeatedly”

“At point, Bellingham was almost perfect last night, and DIcky Boon, although not feeling very well, and threatened with grippe, played steadily as usual, and was all over the ice when needed”

“Hooper missed a number of comparatively easy shots, and Boon, the great, did not seem to know at times where he was at”

“The famous Dickey Boon on Saturday night was at sixes and sevens. Frank McGee scores a goal while Boon had his back to the puck. Bellingham at cover point is a wonderful improvement on Hodge but the only thing he seemed to be able to do effectively on Saturday night was to punish Frank McGee”

“Hooper was a perfect whirlwind and got by the opposing defence for four goals. Nicholson in goal was a source of confidence to the defence, and Bellingham also put up a splendid game. Boon of course was peerless, while Phillips, who formerly played with Rat Portage, made a remarkable showing for a new man”

“Nicholson, he of the generous outlines, was there whenever he was needed except once. Bellingham at point played a cool, collected game, and Boon, although he did not score, was, as alert, as swift, and as tricky as ever”

“Boon, however, at this stage of the game was putting up an excellent article of hockey under the prevailing conditions and kept rushing the puck back as fast as the Winnipeg people could bring it down”

“Scanlan was without doubt the cleanest player on the ice during the two matches, and in addition, was undoubtedly the most finished forward player of all those on the ice. Scanlan went into everything, took his medicine without making any bones about it, and not once, in spite of what must have been pretty severe provocation, did he make any effort at retaliation. It was a creditable record of a good man. Boon, too, also ought to be spoken of in this matter. He played a steady telling game in both matches, and played his game without any resort to unfair methods. The nice play and the effectiveness of this man demonstrates that tip-top hockey can be played without batting opponents to little, just because some one on the side thinks it would be a good sort of game to play”

“Boon, tricky, quick and yet collected, played a careful, steady game, and often left his position, particularly when Gardner was put out of business, to give aid wherever it was needed”

1904 (FAHL)
“Nicholson in the first half practiced fancy stops and Boon did some particularly intricate jumping, and executed some ornate twists”

“In the first half it very seldom got past Boon, and when it did it was never dangerous”

“Boon has a whole lot of tricks that fooled them time and again, and Gardner worked the fence to perfection”

“Gardner and Leahy were the only men on the forward line and on the defence Boon was the star”

1905 (FAHL)
“Whenever they did get off the man with the puck usually chose to pass the disc in the neighborhood of Dick Boon, and that was always fatal, for there is no need to tell here that no cover-point playing the game today can slip in more neatly and nap the puck on such occasions than the same Dick. Boon was a source of trouble to Cornwall’s forwards, and none of them appeared to fathom his methods, so he had a night of it. Boon was directly responsible for some of the scores, and his work generally had much to do with the result”

“Dickie Boon made half a dozen thrilling scampers toward the other chaps’ goal”

“Boon played a star game, and so did Marshall, and between the two they were responsible for most of the games scored”

“For instance ‘DIckie’ Boon started off in rousing form, but fell away badly, and at the end was like a wet rag”

“For the Wanderers DIcky Boon was easily the star. In fact he was the best player on the ice. Jack Marshall, Billy Strachan and a junior, named Glass, along with the goalkeeper also distinguished themselves”

“Combination on the Brockville line was conspicuous by its absence and the selfish individual effort counted for little against such experts at defence as the famous ‘Dicky’ Boon and ‘Billy’ Strachan. A man that succeeded in getting past Boon usually met his Waterloo on bumping against Strachan and what he could not get, Goalkeeper Baker took care of”

“ The star man of the evening was the famous Dickey Boon, at cover point, for the Montreal lads. He was a thorn in the sides of the opposing forwards, and when closely pressed relieved in a manner that elicited applause. He also started numerous combined rushes with his forwards when he got the other fellows uncovered”

“Dicky Boon in certainly one of the best hockey players in Canada, but on Saturday evening, in the dying minutes of one of the most strenuous matches ever played in this city, he made a serious mistake in playing too far out”

In the 1905 fan-voted all star team, Boon finished second to Moore among coverpoints by about 200 votes. He narrowly missed out on being named the defensive spare, as W. Strachan (a point) edged him out for the honor by less than 20 votes.

Wow, this guy was a stud. What's the downside here?

My hot take as I posted the names was that I wasn't excited about any new guys aside from Boon. And this only strengthens that notion.

However, Kerr does look a lot stronger than anticipated, Stanley has some appeal and then there's the hard-to-ignore offense of Harry Smith.

rmartin65 · May 26, 2023

seventieslord said:
Wow, this guy was a stud. What's the downside here?

Honestly, I'm not sure. He wasn't physical, but it doesn't seem to have hampered his teams. Despite the lack of physicality, he profiles exceptionally well defensively, and he reads like one of the better offensive coverpoints of the time period as well. His career was on the short side (6 seasons), but not terribly so. With Boon as captain, the Wanderers recaptured the Stanley Cup for the CAHL by defeating the Winnipeg Victorias in 1902, then successfully defended it against the same team a year later in 1903, so team success isn't a issue.

Not being named to the 1905 team kind of bothers me- Art Moore was a good coverpoint, don't get me wrong, but he's not making it anywhere close to this list. It could be a simple matter of popularity, as it was a fan-voted ballot, but the rest of that team looks good- the only other question mark is Gilmour at RW, but that is probably only due to my ignorance of the league Gilmour was playing in at the time (outside of 2 SC games with Ottawa, he spent 1905 with McGill). That said, Moore (and Gilmour) were named to the other 1905 team (from an unnamed Montreal man) we have, so that offers a little more information. The Montreal man's team came with a brief write up, and Moore's was pretty much all about his physicality, so maybe his style was more engaging/fan-friendly than Boon's?

rmartin65 · May 27, 2023

Albert ‘Dubbie’ Kerr

I only have one season for Kerr, 1909 when he played in the ECHA for Ottawa HC, so this won’t be very long. As the numbers @seventieslord provided show, Kerr has arguably the greatest offensive peak among players eligible this round. And, as the quotes below show, Kerr appears to have been a conscientious defensive player- at least for 1909. @Dr John Carlson also noted that Kerr received consideration as being the best winger in hockey during part of his career, which is the kind of praise that weighs pretty heavily for me.

Selection of Quotes:

1909 (ECHA)
“In the first half, Lesueur and Kerr were the only players whose work counted. Taylor was suffering from an injury to his back received the previous night and could not bend over to handle his stick, having to do most of his work with one hand. Lake was not as speedy as usual and failed to clear quickly, while Walsh and Gilmour were off color. Dey and Kerr worked like beavers, but Dey was watched closely and Kerr as a rule was all by himself out skating the other forwards. Walsh, who is usually the greatest scorer, missed chance after chance. Gilmour never got going”

“Albert Kerr was by all means the most effective of the Ottawa men”

“The Ottawas can thank Kerr that they were not beaten for he was there with the Stanley CUp brand of hockey from beginning to end. Kerr scored no less than four goals, being responsible for two others on passes. His speed was second only to that of Taylor, his stick-handling superb and his shooting great”

“Kerr looked small, boyish and light in comparison with the others, but he had it on them all as far as hockey went. He plays much like Steve Vair of Renfrew and was not penalized once”

“He [Kerr] has all kinds of speed, is a pretty stick-handler and goes back nicely to help out the defence. He has a wicked shot and assisted very materially in the scoring”

“Walsh and Stuart excelled both Vair and Glass in mid-ice, but on the wings the Wanderers were the equals of their covers, despite the fact that both Kerr and Gilmour played first rate hockey. They were covering two dangerous men in Gardner and Johnstone and Kerr was instructed to stick to Johnstone regardless of the puck. The Brockville boy had few chances to shone on account of the attention Johnstone merited, but he held the Wanderer man down well and managed to distinguish himself in the bargain. Kerr again demonstrated that he is worthy of the left wing position”

“Kerr showed up well, but was inclined to use his stick pretty freely for tripping and hooking”

“...the manner in which Stuart, Walsh, Kerr and Gilmour checked back was disastrous to the most heroic efforts of the Wanderers”

“Kerr at left wing had the better of Johnston, showing more speed than the Wanderer man at the finish and being more unselfish”

“Kerr put up the best game he has played since joining the Ottawas. He showed all kinds of speed, took passes nicely, and shot like a fiend”

“Kerr was not as spectacular as in the other games he has played here, showing the effects of his week’s rest, but at that he had the hardest worker on the Quebec team to handle in Chubby Power. Kerr played his wing to perfection in the latter part of the game and Power found it much harder to scoot up the right side than in the first half”

“Darragh held Kerr down well”

“Walsh, Stuart and Gilmour were always effective after they got settled down while ‘Dubbie’ Kerr was the most conspicuous man on the ice, working like a beaver. Kerr’s dashes down the sides were splendid. Taylor was the best man on the Ottawa team, on the night’s play, he doing a marvelous amount of work”

“Kerr improved as the game wore on until at the finish he was the outstanding feature of the Ottawa line. As the youngster of the team, he was dropped whenever Ottawa had to drop a player, but his play was of a class to warrant him being the last chosen for a side line position”

Kerr was listed as having scored 20 goals on the year in the postseason list published by an unnamed hockey statistician after the season. This tracks nicely with the 19.83 goals my split goal system credits Kerr with.

Scoring Tables (not counting the points that are disputed):

1909 (ECHA)

League Rank	Name	Team	Team Rank	Goals	Assists	Points
1	Marty Walsh	Ottawa HC	1	38	5	43
2	Herb Jordan	Quebec HC	1	29	4	33
3	Bruce Stuart	Ottawa HC	2	20	11	31
4	Dubbie Kerr	Ottawa HC	3	17	7	24
5	Chubby Power	Quebec HC	2	18	3	21

Scoring Tables (counting disputed points; split points worth .5 (or .33) points, maybe points given full credit but not added to goals or assists):

1909 (ECHA)

League Rank	Name	Team	Team Rank	Goals	Assists	Points
1	Marty Walsh	Ottawa HC	1	41.33	7	49.33
2	Herb Jordan	Quebec HC	1	31.5	4	36.5
3	Bruce Stuart	Ottawa HC	2	20.83	13	33.83
4	Dubbie Kerr	Ottawa HC	3	19.83	7	26.83
5	Chubby Power	Quebec HC	2	19	3.5	24.50

rmartin65 · May 27, 2023

Harry Smith

The third Smith brother to make it into consideration for our list, Harry Smith was more Tommy than Alf- he played in a bunch of different leagues and was mostly known for his scoring ability as opposed to his all around game. His Senior level hockey began in 1905 with 1 game in the FAHL (that I won’t get into here) and a handful of games in the OHA and stretched all the way to a couple of games for Ottawa in the 1913-14 NHA season. During this time, Harry Smith played for no less than (if I am counting right on the wiki page) 14 teams in 9 leagues. That’s kind of amazing, right? This team-jumping, as previously discussed, hurts his VsX equivalent scores. I feel very comfortable in stating that Smith was a better scorer than those numbers show, but I am less certain about just how much better.

Selection of Quotes (1906-1907 ; 1909)

1906 (ECAHA)
“The stellar performer for Ottawa however, was Westwick. The little man is certainly a wonder and his juggling of the puck was remarkable. He was closely followed in clever work by Harry Smith who has all the qualities of a great player in his composition. He shines particularly in shooting the puck and his aim should easily entitle him to a place on the Bisley team”

“On the forward line Harry Smith, Alf. Smith and Westwick took turn in doing the forward work”

“The Smith brothers showed themselves dangerous shots, both having the knack of shooting from awkward positions at unexpected times. Gilmour did good work for his first appearance on skates”

“Harry Smith was mediocre and spent too much time at the side in the first half to merit any great recognition. He is not in the same class as his brother”

“The work of the Smiths was particularly brilliant, and the shooting of the younger brother of the highest order. He scored the majority of Ottawa’s goals after brilliant work or on a pass from A. Smith, the latter playing a hard tireless game and boring right in on the visitors’ defence regardless of the heavy checking of Strachan and Patrick”

“...yet the expert stickhandling and clever all-round work of Harry Smith and of Dion, while he was in play, makes the present aggregation the equal of the famous septette of 1906”

“...the excellent shooting of the Smith brothers”

“Harry Smith is certainly a puzzle to opposing defence men. His shots come when least expected”

“This was due particularly to the salient work of Harry Smith, who set off at a terrific pace and singled himself out at once as one of the successes of the season”

“His [Harry Smith’s] shooting was extraordinary deadly”

“On the Ottawa side, the bright particular star was Alf. Smith, though his brother did some very spectacular work, yet he has not that wonderful initiative of Alf. and the faculty for making openings for others. To Alf. belongs the credit for almost every goal Harry scores, but it is a great deal to take advantage of opportunities. Harry is a wonderful shot, but he does not feed so well as he is fed”

“The two Smiths were very reliable and always in the right place”

“Harry Smith did all the scoring for his team, but in every instance it was from a shot after receiving the puck on a pass from his brother or Westwick”

“For Victorias Bowie and Russell were the leaders in all the rushes, while for the champions Harry Smith and Westwick were the astral luminaries”

“Pulford played a great game for the champions as also did Hague in the nets while on the forward line Westwick, H. Smith, and Alf. Smith worked unselfishly and brilliantly together”

“...H. Smith and Westwick showing up particularly well. Smith proved himself an adept at shooting”

“Harry Smith has shown such for that it is unlikely he would be displaced for either of the Gilmours, and he represents the only change on the old seven”

“Strength and weight told here, too, and when Bowie and Russell began to tire the strain showed little sign on the work of the Smiths. Alf was playing under his own conditions and right to the end he succeeded rush with rush up his side of the rink”

“Harry Smith’s shooting was not up to his reputation; in fact his play was slightly off, due perhaps to his playing away from his side, and left Johnson too free a hand”

“...had H. Smith, Moore and Pulford badly outplayed”

“Alf. Smith and Westwick were putting up the star games while Harry Smith did most of the scoring as usual”

“Alf. Smith was master of the situation on his side of the rink, and Harry was not to be outdone opposite”

“The Smiths, Alf and Harry, on the wings, were the steadiest performers on their team”

“Harry Smith scored five goals and every one of them from the side, and that shows rather conclusively how he was breaking through”

“Harry Smith was doing strong execution on his side, while Alf Smith had been working well on the other, and it was apparent that the open wings were going to bother the Wanderer defence”

“Harry Smith stood out prominently among the players. While he did not do the amount of skating that Harry Westwick, McGee, and brother Alf, his dashes starting from close quarters were phenomenal, while his shooting was always fast, strong and accurate”

1907 (ECAHA)
“Westwick and Harry Smith appeared to have somewhat of an off night. Westwick missed many good chances to score, which on other nights he would have converted easily. Then Harry Smith did not bore in as he usually does, nor was he as accurate in his shooting. He redeemed himself towards the last, however, by making some pretty rushes down the ice and scored a couple of goals”

“Harry Smith had them all guessing”

“‘Rat’ Westwick was the dead one of the team with Harry Smith running a close second for the distinction”

“Alf and Harry Smith were also prominent”

“In centre ice Patrick and Glass had Harry Smith and Westwick faded”

“Harry Smith did not shine to any extent in the first half, but played like Trojans as the game went on”

“Harry Smith scored one goal as the result of a beautiful rush through the Shamrock defence”

“The two Smiths, the men who were singled out for arrest for their work in the Wanderer match, were the two most brilliant men on the ice”

“The Ottawas were greatly handicapped by the loss of Harry Smith, and their combination was not as good as usual”

“Harry Smith arose from his sick bed and put up a phenomenal article of hockey. He didn’t work as hard as the others, but played a shrewd game. Always in his position Harry shot true every time. He scored six goals and effected three or four spectacular rushes”

“Harry Smith’s shots fooled Frye every time”

“For the Ottawas Alf. Smith played the best game, and he and Harry Smith worked in several two-men combinations which usually resulted in a score. Alf. worked like a trojan and would repeatedly make a beautiful rush down the ice to find no one there to assist him. Wanderers knew he was the most dangerous man on the ice and checked him closely”

“Harry Smith was there with his star shooting, but got little opportunity to get near the nets. He and Alf. did some nice passing and rained many hard shots at Hern”

“Harry Smith’s shooting resulted in three goals, and next to Alf., he was the most effective of the Ottawa forwards”

“Harry Smith, while he did some scoring, with Alf’s assistance, was a weakness to his team in the first half by being off for a total of twelve minutes”

“The blow came as a surprise to the Senators, and when they saw defeat creeping nearer and near as the match progressed, so did they lose their confidence. Harry, of the Smith’s was not the least of these and he slid about the ice as if the team did not need his services, and Pulford following his lead considerably weakened the line up of the visitors”

1909 (ECHA)
“Ross was in dine form on the defence, also Hern and Smaill, while of the forwards Johnston and Smith were the pick. Johnston covered and immense amount of ice”

“Taylor and Lake were fine as defence on the other side. When it comes to forwards there was little to choose. Marty Walsh is very quick but Harry Smith in a more quiet way is quite as effective”

“There was bad blood between the Stuarts and Smiths in the old Ottawa days, and the feud is one of long standing”

“Smith shone through his scoring ability, achieving the remarkable feat of netting for goals in a time that totalled 93 seconds”

“Smith and Glass bored in on the Ottawa cage with a persistence that told on the evening’s play”

“Harry Smith also proved his claims to be one of the scorers of the team by netting three of the goals”

“Smith and Glass not playing to recent form, while Johnston and Gardner did a lot of hard, useful work. Johnston solved the Quebec defence better than any of the others, and, scoring four times himself, assisted with the pass that gave Wanderers a fifth”

“Glass and Smith did not show up as well as in recent matches on the general play. Smith was watched closely”

“Smith’s work was not as good his last few times out, as when he came to Montreal for the cup series with Edmonton”

“Steve Vair at centre was not the scorer that Harry Smith was, but his work was equally as valuable for he was always on hand to take a pass and in addition to scoring one goal he did a lot of other useful work”

“Wanderers missed the shooting of Smith very much”

“He [Vair] is speedy, a good stick handler, and has everything to make him useful to a first class team. He is a better mid-ice player than Smith, although not as good as Smith, when the latter is going right, at taking advantage of chances in front of a goal net”

Scoring Tables (not counting the points that are disputed):

1906 (ECAHA)

League Rank	Name	Team	Team Rank	Goals	Assists	Points
1	Russell Bowie	Victorias	1	29	6	35
2	Harry Smith	Ottawa HC	1	29	1	30
3	Frank McGee	Ottawa HC	2	23	2	25
4	Alf Smith	Ottawa HC	3	10	14	24
5	Joe Power	Quebec HC	1	20	2	22
6	Ernie Russell	Wanderers	1	20	1	21
7	Herb Jordan	Quebec HC	2	15	5	20
8	Walter Smaill	Montreal HC	1	18	0	18
9	Lester Patrick	Wanderers	2	14	1	15
10	Ernie Johnson	Wanderers	3	12	1	13
T-11	Grover Sargent	Montreal HC	2	8	3	11
T-11	Rat Westwick	Ottawa HC	4	7	4	11

1907 (ECAHA)

League Rank	Name	Team	Team Rank	Goals	Assists	Points
1	Russell Bowie	Victorias	1	37	11	48
2	Ernie Russell	Wanderers	1	38	2	40
3	Alf Smith	Ottawa HC	1	16	15	31
T-4	Blair Russell	Victorias	2	21	2	23
T-4	Harry Smith	Ottawa HC	2	20	3	23
6	Rat Westwick	Ottawa HC	3	12	10	22

1909 (ECHA)- Harry Smith only played 4 games, so he’s pretty far down in the charts. However, he was pacing for a 4th or 5th place finish.

Scoring Tables (counting disputed points; split points worth .5 (or .33) points, maybe points given full credit but not added to goals or assists):

1906 (ECAHA)

League Rank	Name	Team	Team Rank	Goals	Assists	Points
1	Russell Bowie	Victorias	1	29.5	6	35.5
2	Harry Smith	Ottawa HC	1	32	1	33
3	Alf Smith	Ottawa HC	2	12.5	16.5	30
4	Frank McGee	Ottawa HC	3	26	2	28
5	Joe Power	Quebec HC	1	24.5	2	26.5
T-6	Ernie Russell	Wanderers	1	20.5	1	21.5
T-6	Herb Jordan	Quebec HC	2	16.5	5	21.5
T-8	Walter Smaill	Montreal HC	1	18	0	18
T-8	Lester Patrick	Wanderers	2	16	1	18
10	Rat Westwick	Ottawa HC	4	7.5	7	14.5

1907 (ECAHA)

League Rank	Name	Team	Team Rank	Goals	Assists	Points
1	Russell Bowie	Victorias	1	38.5	11.5	50
2	Ernie Russell	Wanderers	1	38.5	2.5	41
3	Alf Smith	Ottawa HC	1	17.33	16	34.33
T-4	Blair Russell	Victorias	2	22	3	27
T-4	Harry Smith	Ottawa HC	2	21	4	27
6	Rat Westwick	Ottawa HC	3	12.83	10.5	23.33

Scoring tables, if we assign players a proportional percentage of the unknown goals, rounded to the hundredth (first table for each year is without the split credit points, the second table includes them):

1907 (ECAHA)- Quebec HC had 24 UNK goals, Wanderers 10, Montreal HC 5, and Shamrocks 5. Because there are some discrepancies in scores (I have Montreal scoring either 105 or 107 goals, and Quebec HC scoring 60, 62, or 65 depending on the source) and I don’t want to run the numbers multiple times when it wouldn’t make all that much of a difference, I’m splitting the difference; I’m running the Wanderers’ players’ numbers against a total of 106 and the Quebec players against a total of 62.

Rank	Name	Team	Goals	Assists	Points
1	Russell Bowie	Victorias	37	11	48
2	Ernie Russell	Wanderers	41.96	2	43.96
3	Alf Smith	Ottawa HC	16	15	31
T-4	Blair Russell	Victorias	21	2	23
T-4	Harry Smith	Ottawa HC	20	3	23
6	Rat Westwick	Ottawa HC	12	10	22

Rank	Name	Team	Goals	Assists	Points
1	Russell Bowie	Victorias	38.5	11.5	50
2	Ernie Russell	Wanderers	42.51	2.5	46.01
3	Alf Smith	Ottawa HC	17.33	16	34.33
T-4	Blair Russell	Victorias	22	3	27
T-4	Harry Smith	Ottawa HC	21	4	27
6	Rat Westwick	Ottawa HC	12.83	10.5	23.33

1909 (ECHA)- Harry Smith only played 4 games, so he’s pretty far down in the charts. However, he was pacing for a 4th or 5th place finish.

ResilientBeast · May 29, 2023

Sorry started a new job last week, will look to dive into this during lunch today

jigglysquishy · May 29, 2023

Dickie Boon and Dubbie Kerr are the names that stick out amongst newcomers.

Jack Adams will be ranked for me this week. He seems to have a real star for the Millionaires and a mean player to play against. His VsX stands out very strongly and he was competent defensively. There's a lot to like when we're down to the 60th spot.

ResilientBeast · Jun 1, 2023

ResilientBeast said:
Sorry started a new job last week, will look to dive into this during lunch today

Okay so that didn't work out.

I will start posting at least on the weekend try and give this thread some juice

rmartin65 · Jun 3, 2023

Voting for this round is now open. Please send your ballot in before 9:00 PM EST Sunday.

sr edler · Jun 3, 2023

"Dicky Boon" sounds a bit dirty to my ears, but I would still vote him in this round alongside Rat Westwick. I've also always liked Jack Darragh's penchant for big game scoring. Darragh, despite not having a junior background in hockey, was still a rover early on in his career (before the NHA abandoned the position) which means he was probably a pretty good and natural skater.

seventieslord · Jun 3, 2023

rmartin65 said:
“Harry Smith stood out prominently among the players. While he did not do the amount of skating that Harry Westwick, McGee, and brother Alf, his dashes starting from close quarters were phenomenal, while his shooting was always fast, strong and accurate”

rmartin65 said:
“Harry Smith arose from his sick bed and put up a phenomenal article of hockey. He didn’t work as hard as the others, but played a shrewd game. Always in his position Harry shot true every time. He scored six goals and effected three or four spectacular rushes”

rmartin65 said:
“For the Ottawas Alf. Smith played the best game, and he and Harry Smith worked in several two-men combinations which usually resulted in a score. Alf. worked like a trojan and would repeatedly make a beautiful rush down the ice to find no one there to assist him. Wanderers knew he was the most dangerous man on the ice and checked him closely”

Wow, I mean, if these were the only three quotes we had about how Alf Smith and Harry Smith played, we would still have a pretty good idea of what kind of players they were, wouldn't we?

rmartin65 · Jun 3, 2023

sr edler said:
"Dicky Boon" sounds a bit dirty to my ears, but I would still vote him in this round alongside Rat Westwick.

I have both Boon and Westwick ranked for this round- I think we as a group underestimated Boon in our preliminary lists, and he probably should be ranked higher (if we re-do this list in 10 years, I hope he gets some more love there). I mean, I'm pretty sure we can trace the best coverpoint in Canada from 1887-1909, and I'd have Boon there (we could probably even do worldwide, and while Stuart would eat into Boon's run a bit, I'd still have Boon on the list there in the early 1900s).

Westwick I struggle with in that he has a lot of name recognition, but he was on some stacked teams. Was he ever even the 3rd best guy on his team? I don't know that he was, I'd always have McGee and Alf Smith over him. Walsh the year they overlapped. Phillips the year they overlapped. Pulford. LeSueur when they overlapped. Taylor. Young. Billy Gilmour (another player we did dirty here- reading through the scans and what people were writing when all these players started being inducted into the HHoF and/or dying, Billy Gilmour was a very well respected player). So... yeah. I like Westwick, I'm just not sure if he name recognition is warranted. But, like I said, I ended up ranking him this round, so IDK.

sr edler said:
I've also always liked Jack Darragh's penchant for big game scoring. Darragh, despite not having a junior background in hockey, was still a rover early on in his career (before the NHA abandoned the position) which means he was probably a pretty good and natural skater.

I feel like Darragh kind of suffers from the same thing as Westwick, right? Man, Ottawa had a lot of talent roll through over the 40-odd years we are looking at here.

seventieslord said:
Wow, I mean, if these were the only three quotes we had about how Alf Smith and Harry Smith played, we would still have a pretty good idea of what kind of players they were, wouldn't we?

Yeah, I think so too. Probably two of the players I can visualize the best from this era.

seventieslord · Jun 3, 2023

rmartin65 said:
“On the Ottawa side, the bright particular star was Alf. Smith, though his brother did some very spectacular work, yet he has not that wonderful initiative of Alf. and the faculty for making openings for others. To Alf. belongs the credit for almost every goal Harry scores, but it is a great deal to take advantage of opportunities. Harry is a wonderful shot, but he does not feed so well as he is fed”

Meant to include this one too.

sr edler · Jun 5, 2023

rmartin65 said:
I feel like Darragh kind of suffers from the same thing as Westwick, right? Man, Ottawa had a lot of talent roll through over the 40-odd years we are looking at here.

Right, but I think we can find pros and cons for all these guys, as with most modern players as well. It's the same type of exercise. As for playing on stacked teams, I know he's long gone at this point regarding this list, and I never made that argument when it was up in the air, but Sprague Cleghorn for instance didn't accomplish much in terms of team success when he played with Renfrew and the Wanderers, and those teams bled some pretty serious goals against in some years over a 7-year period, then he's on that Ottawa team for a fairly short period of time, a team that won yet another Cup in 1923 shortly after he had left.

Westwick was probably more of a hockey player than say Pulford. Pulford was a great all-round athlete and a physical specimen, but I doubt he was much of a hockey player in terms of actual puck and stick skills, for what it's worth. I guess it depends a bit on how you want to value or interpret the role of the rover as well. Ds (especially the point) and centres during this era weren't really two-way players until the 1910s/late 1910s, that's what made guys like (Hod) Stuart and Nighbor special.

Team	Goal Scorer	Assist	Assist
Queen’s	Harty or Harriss	N/A	N/A
Shamrocks	Trihey	Farrell	N/A
Shamrocks	Trihey	N/A	N/A
Shamrocks	Trihey	N/A	N/A
Queen’s	Dalton	Harty	N/A
Shamrocks	Farrell	N/A	N/A
Shamrocks	Scanlan	Brannen	N/A
Shamrocks	Farrell	N/A	N/A

Top-60 Pre-Merger Players Of All Time: Round 2, Vote 12

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