The Dominion Hockey Challenge Trophy
Lord Stanley, aka the Earl of Preston, and sixth Governor General of Canada, so appointed in 1893, and hence succeeding the Marquess of Lansdowne and predecessor to The Earl of Minto who in turn came before the Earl of Grey ( we have seen the Minto and Grey names on a few other cups …it must have been a catchy fad at the time) in 1904 ( this goes on and on, and is incredibly tedious I know, but I was trying to get to Lord Byng of Vimy in 1921, whose Lady I expect may have had something to do with the NHL as well )… made his name an iconic hockey touchstone by donating a trophy that, ironically enough, does not show his name anywhere on the hardware at all. The name engraved on the trophy, as seen below, is “The Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup”.
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| One Million Hockey Pucks to Anyone Who Can See “Stanley Cup” on this Silverware |
This was all done in 1892, well before, please note, the NHL was even a wink in the eyes of its creators, when the good Lord Stanley put his hands deep within his pocket and came up with fifty big ones for one silver cup.
The actual price paid was not in loonies all, but rather was then 10 guineas, and was so paid to a London silversmith for what has become hockey’s most famous hardware.
The trophy, of course, was not intended for an award to professionals at all, perhaps influenced by the fact that none then existed.
Indeed, the terms of the award of the silver were strictly national in origin and limited to the best amateur team in “The Dominion”, and I am pretty sure he did not mean the grocery store.
You see, the Good Lord Stanley intended in his words, that this would be a “challenge cup“, open to those who met its criteria, which were rather clearly set out as follows:
I have for some time been thinking it would be a good idea if there were a challenge cup which would be held from year to year by the leading hockey club in Canada. There does not appear to be any outward sign of the championship at present. Considering the interest that hockey matches now elicit and the importance of having the games fairly played under generally recognized rules, I am willing to give a cup that shall be held annually by the winning club.
As best as I can read, the terms of his rules were pretty simple. The hardware was to be given to the best team…slow down right here..in Canada and guess what else..it was ( and I cannot recall him ever changing this one before he set sail for the land of cricket and soccer, the latter in England still being in effect, kinda sorta, a challenge system ) a challenge cup.
The name of the award engraved on its very self smacks home all these points – The Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup – surely these words alone say it all !!!
Such was indeed the case for the first years of the Cup’s existence.
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| First Challenge Cup Winners – Montreal Canadiens – |
In the season of 1904, the Ottawa team, was then known as the Silver Seven. The players had each received a silver nugget to celebrate the team’s first championship and of course, there were then 6 skaters, all well before the forward pass and even player substitutions.
The Silver Seven successfully defended the trophy against the Winnipeg Rowing Club (was that really the name of the hockey team ?), the Toronto Marlboroughs, and a team from Brandon, Manitoba.
The following year the Silver guys defeated a team which traveled from Dawson City, of the Yukon, which was far before Air Canada or even Trans Canada Airlines…whoever remembers that name goes to the top of the old boys club, hence this was quite a road trip for a hockey tourney. They were finally beaten by the Montreal Wanderers in 1907.
When the NHL came into existence in 1917, there were 4 teams established. They were all Canadian – The Montreal Canadiens, the Montreal Wanderers, the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Arenas. ( another whacko name )
Before the NHL there was the NHA, The National Hockey Association formed in 1910 with its membership being all Canadian as well – the Montreal Shamrocks, The Montreal Wanderers, the Renfrew Millionaires and also teams from Cobalt, and Haileybury, unlikely a site to be on the radar for NHL expansion.
Somehow I suppose it seemed natural enough to let these guys have a shot at it. After all they were Canadian and who would then think Gary Bettman would ever be seen some 100 odd years later, in Washington DC of all places ( we just finished burning the sucker in the War of 1812 a few years earlier…Ok…. a hundred or so years earlier ) giving the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup yet, in front of a bunch of screaming foreigners, who really should have thanked us for letting them rebuild their House White. ( it was red, of course, before we burned it)
Kindly note, Mike Richards and you Los Angeles Kings Guys, the Leaside Flames, 10 year old variety, hereby challenge you to a game to decide who may claim title to this trophy. We will see you on the ice next week, Friday morning, Leaside Arena at 10 am. Ok, make it 11 if you are on a late flight.
Ok, so here is the plan. I am thinking it is a darn good bet that those King guys are likely going to be a no show for the challenge game…they would be smart to show up, mind you, but let’s keep that as our little secret.
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| The Flames…not the James Brown Variety….next winners of the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup ? |
Then we sue the Kings and the NHL and the moron trustees who actually hold the cup ( and by the way they are ignoring the direction of the donor), on behalf of my 10 year old kid’s team to force the Kings to show up and defend the Cup. After all Leaside for sure is in Canada, the team is most certainly amateur ..it seems that they touch all the bases, to switch sports metaphors very briefly, (speaking of which…wat’s wit the Jays….are they not supposed to dominate…i digress) to qualify.
I have shared this thought with others. There is a groundswell of support. Heck, we can probably get public funding for this sucker.
I figure it would take 12 to 15 years of the smooth wheels of the court system for the Supreme Court of Canada to confirm what I am sure will be a 9-0 decision mandating the challenge game between the Leaside Flames and the L.A. Kings for the big one.
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| The 10 year old Flames- Runners Up in the Consolation Round of the North Windermere Southern Methodist Township Christmas Tourney Today, Tomorrow’s Silver Seven-teen ? |
By then the LA players will be about 40 or so. My kid will be about 22. The Cup will then come back where it belongs. Leaside Flames win the big one. Surrender it now, Mike. Do the right thing.
Posted 13th April 2013 by David Q Harris