1898 Montreal Victorias Three-peat As Stanley Cup Champions

The Montreal Victorias went undefeated in AHA league in 1898 play to retain the Stanley Cup for another year. In the 8 games played, they scored a whopping 53 goals, which is likely what disuaded any opponants challenges in this season.

The Victorias allowed 33 goals scored against, 12 more than the second place AAA.

The records of the other AHA teams for the season were:

Montreal AAA 5-3-0, 34 goals for and 21 against; Montreal Shamrocks 3-5-0, 25 goals for and 36 against; Quebec Hockey Club 2-6-0, 29 goals for and 35 against, Ottawa Capitals 28 goals for and 44 against.

Gordon Lewis played in three games for the Victorias, surrendering a respectable 9 goals.

Hartland McDougall, a point man not usually noted for his goal scoring, notched 3 goals in the 8 league games played.

Mike Grant played in his fourth Stanley Cup in as many winters. Grant, who also captain the Montreal Shamrocks and Crystals, is widely regarded as the games first rushing defenseman.

Graham Drinkwater, upon retirement, became a stockbroker in Montreal with the firm Oswald, Drinkwater, and Graham, a prosperous business which continued to flourish long after his death in 1946.

Cam Davidson led all AHA goal scorers with 14 in seven games. Clare McKerrow of the AAA was next with 13.

Bob McDougall placed third in scoring with 12 goals in eight games. He was admired for his great speed and accurate shot.

Ernie McLea notched four goals in seven games.

Frank Richardson became the Victorias other goalie this season, appearing in five games and winning each one.

Spare Jack Ewing suited up for only one contest this season.

The Amateur Hockey Association had disbanded prior to the start of the next season with the new Canadian Amateur Hockey League (CAHL) taking its place as the top hockey league the country. The five former AHA franchises would comprise the new league.

1896 Montreal Victorias Reclaim Stanley Cup In Challenge

The 1896 season had an interseting twist, in that two clubs - the Montreal Victorias and the Winnipeg Victorias were both declared Stanley Cup winners within the same calandar year.

The Winnipeg Vics, with George "Whitey" Merritt decked out in his traolbalzing white cricket goalie pads, had challenged the eastern Victorias in Febuary and wound up knocking them off 2-0.

The Winnipeg club became the first team outside of the AHA tolay claim to the Stanley Cup.

A rematch, ten months later, in December, provided the Winnipeg club with a different outcome.

The match, played at the start of the 1896 season, returned the Cup to Montreal. After losing the challenge earlier in the year, the Montreal Victorias wasted little time in requesting a rematch in order to bring back the Cup to Montreal. However, satisfactory ice conditions could not be ensured and the series was delayed.

The Victorias of Montreal had to wait until December for suitable ice. At the Granite Rink in Winnipeg, on December 30, 1896, Montreal got their revenge, defeating Winnipeg 6-5 in a hard fought battle. Montreal overcame a 4-2 half time deficit to tie the contest at five, before Ernie McLea potted his third of the game in the closing seconds.

After the game, players from both teams met at the Manitoba Hotel where Montreal Victorias captain Mike Grant was officially presented with the Cup.

A celebration, after the conquest, ensued at the Victoria Rink in Montreal with a band in attendance and the Stanley Cup on display.

Montreal Victoria members were: Harold Henderson, Mike Grant, Bob McDougall, Graham Drinkwater, Shirley Davidson, Ernie McLea, Robert Jones, Cam Davidson, David Gillelan, Stanley Willett, William Wallace, Gordon Lewis, and Hartland McDougall.

Harold Henderson eas a reliable player whose excellence as a skater and fearless competitor was rarely highlighted, though he was always respected by opponants.

Mike Grant, (pictured below), was known for his end-to-end rushes from his defense position and was brilliant in the challenge game. He began playing organized hockey at age nine with the Junior Crystals, in Montreal.
























Bob McDougall led the AHA in scoring with ten goals in six games. Just 20 years of age, he attended McGill University for a year before securing a job at the Bank of Montreal.

Graham Drinkwater (below) scored the go ahead goal in the second half. He teamed with Davidson and McDougall to form a deadly combination.

























Shirley Davidson stood 5' 6" and weighed 150 lbs. He was the outstanding player of the first challenge loss in Febuary and tallied twice to help the Vics regain the Cup in December.

Ernie McLea was a 20 year old who also played football with McGill. He scored the Cup winning goal in what was very quickly called the best game ever played.

Robert Jones played every minute of the season in goal for the Victorias. In Montreal's successful rematch, the Winnipeg Daily Tribune stated that "He is certainly a slendid custodian....He had many shots to stop, and he aquitted himself in such a manner that nothing else can be said but that he did his duty well.

Cam Davidson played forward for the team.

David Gillelan was a spare for the Vics and appeared in neither challenge.

Stanley Willett also appeared only in league play. He was the owner of the Richelieu Woolen Mills as well as Chambly Shovel Works.

William Wallace played only one league game in this season. He was injured during the first challenge and had to remove himself from play.

Gordon Lewis became the team's number one goalie after the challenge victory.

Hartland McDougall, although no relation to Bob, was also born in Lennoxville, Quebec, and like his namesake, worked at the Bank Of Montreal.

1895 Stanley Cup Champion Montreal Victoria's - A Challenge Twist

In the early days of the Stanley Cup's challenge years, the format was still in evolution. Several Cup challenges in those years were accepted, only to be nullified due to lack of ice. As competition for the Cup gained in popularity, the format was yet to be solidly defined. The Cup was competed for, in the Dominion Of Canada, as decribed by Lord Stanley of Preston, by amateur teams. Most so called "Amateur Teams" were seemingly very professional organizations, while a great many would-be challangers parlayed their prowess on outdoor rinks only.

As it will be seen, in coming years, what constituted a Cup challenge, became a grey area. The AHA league winners were presumed the initial Cup holders. The time frame for challenges were yet to be set out, and were quite often limited to the exclusivity of available ice. It seems, at times, that the Cup trustees made the rules as they went along.

The Montreal Victoria's won the Stanley Cup in 1895 based on a first place finish in AHA league play. However, Cup trustees John Sweetland and Philip Ross had already accepted a challenge from Queen's University in Kingston against the reigning Cup champions, the Montreal AAA.

They ruled that had the University beaten the AAA in a challenge, they would be declared Cup holders; if the AAA won, then the Victoria's, as league champions, would remain rightful Stanley Cup champions. The Victoria's clinched the league championship when they defeated the second place Ottawa Capitals 3-2 on the final day of the schedule. The AAA won its challenge because the officials ruled that three of Queen's goals were offside - the offside ruling in Quebec and Ontario at the time differed. Queen's also were troubled by the larger Montreal ice surface. The AAA won the March 9, 1895 contest 5-1.

The final standings in the AHA were as follows:

Montreal Victoria's, 6-2-0 for 12 points
Montreal AAA, 4-4-0 for 8 points
Ottawa Capitals, 4-4-0 for 8 points
Montreal Crystals,* 3-4-0 for 6 points
Quebec Hockey Club,* 2-5-0 for 4 points

* A game between the Crystals and Quebec was voided after Quebec protested that the Crystals had used ineligible players. The Quebec club was suspended after players assaulted the officials.

The members of the 1895 Montreal Victoria's were: Robert Jones, Harold Henderson, Mike Grant, Shirley Davidson, Bob McDougall, Norman Rankin, Graham Drinkwater, Roland Elliot, William Pullan, Hartland McDougall, Jim Fenwick, A. McDougall.

Robert Jones was in net for 4 of the Vics games, allowing just 8 goals against.

Harold Henderson appeared in only 3 games without scoring a point.

Mike Grant, the team captain, was a champion speed skater.

Shirley Davidson scored the game-winner in the Vics 3-2 win over Ottawa. He was also captain and quarterback of the McGill football team.

Bob McDougall scored ten goals in this season, second best on the team.

Norman Rankin was the teams leading goal scorer with 11 goals in 8 games.

Graham Drinkwater was also a McGill football player.

Roland Elliot was a feared defender for the Vics, who allowed only 20 goals against in 8 games.

William Pullan, a defenseman, played only a single game for the Victoria's, and was not entirely considered a team member.

Hartland McDougall was one of four goalies used by the Vics. He surrendered 9 goals in 2 games.

Jim Fenwick, another Vics goalie, let in two goals in his one appearance.

A. McDougall allowed only one goal in the game he played, a 5-1 win over Ottawa. Only two of the three McDougall's were brothers.

G. R. Hooper was an executive with William Dow & Co. in the city.

W. Jack was the team president.

P. M. DeSterneak was the teams honourary secretary treasurer and also a bank clerk.