The 1894 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season lasted from January 5 until March 10. The season ended with a four-way tie, necessitating a playoff to decide the league and Stanley Cup championships. The Montreal Hockey Club defeated the Ottawa Hockey Club in the final playoff game to claim the title. These were the first ever Stanley Cup playoff games as the first Stanley Cup was awarded to the 1893 regular season first place finisher - also the Montreal Hockey Club.
Executive
President - Watson Jack, Victorias First Vice Pres. - A. Laurie, Quebec Second Vice Pres. - Weldy C. Young, Ottawa Secretary-Treasurer - J. A. Findlay, Montreal
Season
Highlights In two games players scored five goals. In the opening game, in which Montreal soundly defeated Quebec 7–0, Haviland Routh scored five. On January 20, Bert Russel of Ottawa scored five.
Final standing
Note GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against Team GP W L T GF GA Montreal Hockey Club 8 5 3 0 25 15 Ottawa Hockey Club 8 5 3 0 24 16 Montreal Victorias 8 5 3 0 36 20 Quebec Hockey Club 8 5 3 0 26 27 Montreal Crystals 8 0 8 0 10 43
Results
Month Day Visitor Score Home Score Jan. 5 Quebec HC 0 Montreal HC 7 6 Crystals 1 Ottawa HC 6 6 Quebec HC 3 Victorias 7 13 Victorias 3 Montreal HC 4 13 Ottawa HC 1 Quebec HC 4 18 Crystals 1 Montreal HC 3 20 Victorias 1 Ottawa HC 5 20 Quebec HC 4 Crystals 1 27 Ottawa HC 4 Montreal HC 1 27 Crystals 4 Quebec HC 8 Feb. 3 Quebec HC 3 Montreal HC 2 9 Ottawa HC 3 Crystals 1 10 Montreal HC 1 Victorias 2 17 Ottawa HC 2 Victorias 3 24 Montreal HC 5 Ottawa HC 1 24 Victorias 3 Quebec HC 4 Mar. 2 Montreal HC 2 Crystals 1 3 Quebec HC 0 Ottawa HC 2 7 Victorias 6 Crystals 0 10 Victorias 11 Crystals 1
Player Stats
Scoring leaders Note: GP = games played, G = Goals scored. Name Club GP G Dolly Swift Quebec HC 8 10 Bert Russell Ottawa HC 8 9 Haviland Routh Montreal HC 8 8 Billy Barlow Montreal HC 8 8 Chauncey Kirby Ottawa 8 8 Shirley Davidson Victorias 8 6 Robert James Davidson Quebec HC 8 6 Robert J. Davidson Quebec HC 7 6 A. Dickson Scott Quebec HC 8 5 Robert "Bob" McDougall Ottawa HC 7 5
Goaltending averages Note: GP = Games played, GA = Goals against, SO = Shutouts, GAA = Goals against average Name Club GP GA SO GAA Herbert Collins Montreal HC 8 15 1 1.875 Albert Morel Ottawa HC 8 16 1 2.00 Gordon Lewis Victorias 6 13 1 2.16 Robert Jones Victorias 1 3 3.00 Frank Stocking Quebec HC 8 27 3.375 James "Shiner" White Crystals 2 8 4.00 Hartland MacDougall Victorias 1 4 4.00 Alexander Clapperton Crystals 4 18 4.5 Carpenter Crystals 1 6 6.00 Kearns Crystals 1 11 11.00
Playoffs The first Stanley Cup playoff game occurred on March 17, 1894. At the end of the 1894 AHAC season, four teams tied for the AHA championship with records of 5–3–0. This created problems for the AHA governors and the Cup's trustees since there was no tie-breaking system in place. After long negotiation and the withdrawal of Quebec from the championship situation, it was decided that a three-team tournament would take place in Montreal, with Ottawa getting a bye to the finals (being the sole "road" team). The Montreal HC defeated the Montreal Victorias, 3 – 2. Five days later on March 22, 1894, Montreal successfully defended their title with a 3 – 1 win over Ottawa. They later awarded the winning players gold pocket watches. The OHA champion Osgoode Hall challenged for the Cup, but this was abandoned due to the lack of natural ice.
Game one: Montreal Hockey Club vs. Montreal Victorias
Ice conditions were described as not very good. The game was considered exciting, however, with Haviland Routh and Billy Barlow starring.
Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Location March 17, 1894 Montreal Hockey Club 3 – 2 Montreal Victorias Victoria Rink
Game one rosters Montreal HC 3 2 Victorias Herbert Collins G Gordon Lewis Allan Cameron P Mike Grant George James CP William Pullan Billy Barlow 2 F 1 Shirley Davidson Clare Mussen F 1 Robert MacDougall Archie Hodgson 1 F Norman Rankin Haviland Routh F Reg Wallace Referee: Weldy Young, Ottawa
Game two: Ottawa Hockey Club vs. Montreal Hockey Club
The final was close and in doubt until Billy Barlow scored the winning goal at 9'00" of the third quarter.
According to the Globe report of the game:
"Team play was marred by the softness of the ice. Rough and foul play was frequent, both defences indulging freely in tripping and slashing. Young of Ottawa was injured by James in the second half and although he finished the game without apparent distress, fainted dead away at the end of it. After the match the victors were carried off the rink."
Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Location March 22, 1894 Montreal Hockey Club 3 – 1 Ottawa Hockey Club Victoria Rink
Game two rosters Ottawa HC 1 3 Montreal HC Albert Morel G Herbert Collins Harvey Pulford P Allan Cameron Weldy Young CP George James Chauncey Kirby 1 F Haviland Routh Bert Russel F Clare Mussen Joe McDougall F 2 Archie Hodgson Sam McDougall F 1 Billy Barlow Referee: Herbert Scott, Quebec
Stanley Cup engraving
+ 1894 Montreal Hockey Club Players Forwards Billy Barlow Clare Mussen Archie Hodgson Haviland Routh Alex Kingan Alex Irving Arthur Waud Aubrey Mussen † Defencemen Allan Cameron (point) George James (cover point) Eddie O'Brien (point) James Stewart (cover point) Goaltender Herbert Collins
† Spare/did not play/on team picture ^ Unknown who played Center, Rover, Right Wing and Left Wing, so the players are listed as forwards
non-players= Harry L. Shaw (Manager/Secretary-Treasurer) Tom Paton (President of the AAA) (missing from team picture)
See also List of pre-NHL seasons List of Stanley Cup champions
References Bibliography
Notes
External links description of first Stanley Cup final on Backcheck