Misplaced Pages

#492507

39-573: The origins of the team go back to the old Quebec Hockey Club team that started play in 1878. Originally an amateur team, it turned professional in 1909. Quebec was a charter member of the NHL in 1917, however, due to financial difficulties, and the NHA-NHL dispute, the franchise was dormant until the 1919–20 season , when it was operated by the Quebec Athletic Club. That season proved to be

78-672: A club in Hamilton. Hamilton was the fifth-largest city in the country and third-largest in Central Canada with a population of 114,200, and therefore was considered a vital market. Percy Thompson , a part-owner and manager of the Barton Street Arena , became manager of the team. The team became known as the Tigers, a nickname used by a multitude of sports teams in the city. Contemporary newspaper coverage often referred to

117-598: A dismal one; despite the presence of Joe Malone the club finished with only four wins in 24 games. After the 1919–20 season, the NHL took back the Quebec franchise and sold the team to the Abso Pure Ice Company of Hamilton, Ontario . The club was moved to Hamilton for the 1920–21 season and renamed the Hamilton Tigers. This was done to prevent the startup of a rival league that was trying to land

156-767: A journalist and newspaper owner who fought as a Major-General in World War I . Watson played for the Quebec HC as a cover point (an offensive defenceman) in the AHAC through the course of the 1890s. The club came close to winning the Stanley Cup on two occasions. In the 1894 season Quebec tied for the AHAC regular season lead with three other clubs. The AHAC drew up plans to hold the playoff solely in Montreal. Quebec declined to play in Montreal without one game in Quebec and

195-759: A men's senior-level ice hockey team based in Quebec City . The team was officially known as the Quebec Hockey Club ( French : Club de hockey de Québec ), and later as the Quebec Athletic Club ( French : Club athlétique de Québec ). One of the first organized ice hockey clubs, the club debuted in 1878 with the opening of the Quebec Skating Rink . The club continued as an amateur team through various leagues, eventually becoming professional in 1908. The club would play in

234-542: A professional ice hockey team in Hamilton, Abso-Pure and Thompson paid $ 5000 to Frank Calder , the president of the NHL to purchase the Quebec Bulldogs franchise. The payment was made directly to Frank Calder, not the NHL. Thompson would remain manager of the team until it was dissolved in the fall of 1925, after the team's players had been sold to the New York Americans and the franchise revoked by

273-665: A record of 16-4 losses to retain the championship. Joe Malone won the scoring race with an unprecedented 43 goals. His teammate, Tommy Smith , was a close second with 39. In a Stanley Cup challenge after the season the team easily beat the Sydney Millionaires in two games by a combined score of 20-5. The Victoria Aristocrats of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association next challenged the Bulldogs. The powerhouse Bulldogs expected to bowl over

312-435: A result, the NHL ordered the other three teams to supply players to the Tigers. Receiving quality players from the other teams was not enough to keep Hamilton out of the league cellar with 6 wins, 18 losses, and no ties in 24 games. Malone, kept out of the first four games for business reasons, scored 30 goals in 20 games. The next three seasons were just as dreadful as the first. The Tigers finished dead last every year, making

351-546: A single goal in his lone season with the Canadiens. Prior to the 1922–23 season, the NHL held its governors meeting at the Royal Connaught Hotel on King Street , the same location where visiting teams routinely stayed when playing the Tigers. After four years of futility, things started to come together in the 1923–24 NHL season , with Percy LeSueur as the new head coach. Four players were acquired from

390-569: A team players' strike in the 1925 NHL playoffs, the franchise was revoked a second time that summer, this time for good. The entire Tigers roster was then sold to Bill Dwyer , owner of the expansion New York Americans franchise. However, the NHL does not reckon the Americans as a continuation of the Bulldogs/Tigers franchise. The Americans would play in the NHL from 1925 to 1942 . The last active Bulldogs player in major-league hockey

429-445: A time known as the "New York Hamilton Tigers" by the time it reached training camp, but this was changed to the New York Americans . A Hamilton franchise was still considered to play in the NHL for the 1925–26 season , with a preliminary schedule including such a team, but nothing came of it. The last active Tigers player was Billy Burch , who retired in 1933. At the time, the city had another Tigers hockey club, fielding teams in

SECTION 10

#1732772529493

468-585: A total of 5 straight last place finishes (counting the one season as the Bulldogs). During these years, the Tigers attempted a rebuilding phase to bring the team up to par. After the 1921–22 NHL season , they hired Art Ross as their new coach and made several player changes, even trading superstar Malone to the Montreal Canadiens for Bert Corbeau and Edmond Bouchard . The fans were outraged at seeing Malone leave, but were vindicated when he scored

507-566: Is incomplete. Percy Thompson H. Percy Thompson was a Canadian businessman and professional ice hockey executive. He was the part-owner and manager of the Hamilton Tigers team in the National Hockey League . In 1920, Thompson was a partner in the 'Abso-Pure Ice Company' of Hamilton, Ontario , which had built the Barton Street Arena . After being approached by competing interests interested in setting up

546-701: The Allan Cup in 1919 and lost in the 1931 and 1946 finals. In 1926–27, a new Tigers team was formed as an expansion franchise in the minor-pro Canadian Professional Hockey League . This Tigers team, along with the larger teams in the CPHL, broke away in 1929 to form the International Hockey League . In 1930, the Tigers moved to Syracuse, New York to become the Syracuse Stars . This franchise, along with three other IHL teams, merged with

585-524: The Boston Bruins . He sold the second to a New York bootlegger named "Big Bill" Dwyer for a team to play in New York. At the NHL league meeting of April 17, 1925, Dwyer was granted an expansion franchise for New York. Although Dwyer wished to purchase the Hamilton players, for a little while it seemed that Hamilton might remain in the NHL as Abso-Pure talked about building a new arena. The arena

624-842: The Canadian-American Hockey League to form the International-American Hockey League, forerunner of today's American Hockey League . In 1940, the Stars were sold and transferred to Buffalo, New York to become the Buffalo Bisons , who survived until being displaced by the NHL's Buffalo Sabres in 1970. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes Source Quebec Bulldogs The Quebec Bulldogs ( French : Bulldogs de Québec ) were

663-641: The National Hockey Association (the forerunner to the NHL) and the National Hockey League . In 1920, the team moved to Hamilton, Ontario and became the Hamilton Tigers . The Quebec Hockey Club was founded in 1878, after the construction of the Quebec Skating Rink in 1877. The club consisted of Anglo-Canadian players. Play was by exhibition only, against teams drawn from the club members or visiting teams from Montreal. In 1883,

702-766: The Ontario Hockey Association , the senior team playing in the OHA Senior A League . The senior Tigers wore the same black and gold colours as the NHL Tigers, and were just as popular. When the newspapers reported about "the Tigers" it was usually in reference to the amateurs, while the NHL team was called "the Professionals." The senior Tigers continued into the 1950s, winning the OHA championship in 1919, 1931, 1934, 1942 and 1944–1948. The team won

741-554: The Sudbury Wolves of the NOHA : brothers Red and Shorty Green , Alex McKinnon , and Charlie Langlois , who all contributed to a team high of nine wins in 24 games. With yet another new head coach ( Jimmy Gardner ), the Hamilton Tigers roared off to an impressive 10–4–1 start in the 1924–25 NHL season . Only halfway through the season, they had more wins than any other season in their NHL history. The team slumped somewhat in

780-454: The senior team of the same name in the OHA as the "Tigers", while the NHL team would either be nameless or simply referred to as "professionals". The move to Hamilton did not improve the team's record. Despite earning a shutout in their first game, the first team ever to do so, with a 5–0 win over the Montreal Canadiens on December 22, 1920, the Tigers were as noncompetitive as the Bulldogs. As

819-590: The Aristocrats, but were shocked after splitting the first two games and then losing 6–1 in the decisive third game. However, the Stanley Cup Board of trustees did not recognise the challenge because it should have been played in Quebec. PCHA leader Lester Patrick refused. The Bulldogs were able to keep the Cup. In December 1913, the Bulldogs moved to the new Quebec Arena . The following seasons would see

SECTION 20

#1732772529493

858-478: The Bulldogs drop from the top of the league. They would finish third overall in each of the next three seasons and in the last NHA season ( 1916–17 ) went second overall. After their two Stanley Cup wins, though, they would never again challenge for the Cup. The Bulldogs, along with the Montreal Canadiens , Montreal Wanderers and Ottawa Senators , were frustrated with Toronto Blueshirts owner Eddie Livingstone 's acrimonious dealings. However, they discovered that

897-650: The Bulldogs went from worst to first, with Joe Malone having a spectacular season, to win the O'Brien Cup as champions of the NHA and the Stanley Cup . The Dogs' record improved to 10 wins and eight losses while Malone scored 21 goals and Jack McDonald scored 18. In a Stanley Cup challenge, they crushed the Moncton Victorias in two games, 9–3 and 8–0, in the best-of-three playoff . In their third season ( 1912–13 ), Quebec would again finish first overall with

936-658: The Canadiens league champions and fined the Tigers' players $ 200. The Canadiens then went on to play the Victoria Cougars for the Stanley Cup but lost. That marked the last time that an NHL team had lost the Stanley Cup to a rival league. Thomas Duggan of Montreal, owner of the Mount Royal Arena , held two options for expansion teams in the United States. He sold the first of the two to Boston grocery magnate Charles Adams , who used it to start

975-601: The Cup went to Ottawa. Two significant players on the Quebec Hockey Club during the later part of the first decade of the 1900s were Chubby and Joe Power , who would both later serve as politicians in Quebec. A third Power brother, Rockett Power , also represented the club. In late 1909, Quebec became a founding member of the Canadian Hockey Association (CHA) in 1909. The CHA, however, would only last one month before being absorbed into

1014-428: The NHA. However, the other owners called Quinn's bluff by demanding a firm commitment to ice a team in the NHL for the 1918–19 season . When Quinn refused to do so, the NHL canceled the franchise. When no other Quebec-based group came forward, the Bulldogs sat out the 1918–19 season as well. In May 1919, NHL president Calder and Mike Quinn made efforts to return Quebec to the league. Calder suggested that Quinn apply to

1053-449: The Tigers' players went to their general manager, Percy Thompson , and demanded $ 200 pay for the six extra games they played that season or they would not play in the playoffs. The NHL had increased the number of games played that year from 24 to 30, but the players didn't receive an increase in pay. The Tigers management, stating that the players' contracts stated that the players were under contract from December 1 to March 30, regardless of

1092-533: The championship was eventually won by the Montreal Hockey Club . In 1904, Quebec won the CAHL outright. In a dispute, the club did not win the Stanley Cup or challenge for it. The Ottawa Hockey Club was the defending champions in 1903–04 , but withdrew from the league. Quebec went on to win the CAHL and expected to receive the Stanley Cup as league champions. The trustees of the Cup instead ruled that

1131-743: The club played in the Montreal Winter Carnival , and joined the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) in 1888 and were members until 1898. After the AHAC, Quebec played in the Canadian Amateur Hockey League from 1899 to 1905, and the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association from 1906 to 1909. One player that went through the ranks of the Quebec Hockey Club was David Watson (1869–1922),

1170-466: The league constitution did not allow them to simply vote Livingstone out. Instead, the four clubs joined in founding the National Hockey League in 1917, and did not invite Livingstone to join them. Quebec's long-time manager Mike Quinn had retired due to ill health. The other directors of the Bulldogs were unable to get enough financing to make the move to the NHL—no small consideration given that Quebec City

1209-513: The league for a new franchise. On December 2, 1919, the NHL approved the application of the Quebec Athletic Club for an NHL franchise. Newspapers at the time now referred to the team as the Quebec Athletics rather than Bulldogs . While the team had been suspended, their star player, Joe Malone, played for the Canadiens. Malone rejoined the franchise, and won the scoring championship that year with 39 goals. Despite Malone's scoring and

Hamilton Tigers - Misplaced Pages Continue

1248-469: The much more powerful National Hockey Association (NHA). Rejected by the new league, the Bulldogs sat out the inaugural 1910 season. The following season, 1910–11 , the Bulldogs took over the defunct Cobalt Silver Kings franchise, but had a rough initiation, finishing dead last with four wins and 12 losses in a 16-game season. On a positive note, and a sign of things to come, Jack McDonald scored 14 goals and Tommy Dunderdale scored 13. For 1911–12 ,

1287-609: The new World Hockey Association . They joined the NHL in 1979. However, as with the Bulldogs, they found the going difficult playing in the league's smallest market. They moved to Denver in 1995 as the Colorado Avalanche . A potential National Hockey League expansion bid for Quebec City has been tabled by the league's board of governors since 2015. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Note: 1 = first half of season, 2 = second half of season This list

1326-569: The number of games, refused to pay the money and passed the issue to the NHL. Thus began the first players' strike in NHL history. NHL President Frank Calder warned the players that if they sat out the final, they would be suspended and replaced in the final by fourth-place Ottawa . At the same time, Calder ordered that the players' back-pay be held. The impasse continued while second-place Toronto and third-place Montreal played their semi-final, ending with Montreal winning on March 13. On March 14, after consulting with Tigers management, Calder declared

1365-447: The presence of players like Harry Mummery , Quebec had a dismal season, finishing last, with 4 wins and 20 losses. Before the 1920–21 season, the NHL took back the franchise, and sold it to new owners who moved the team to Hamilton, where it became the Tigers. This helped to head off a potential competing league organized by Livingstone from setting up in Hamilton. The Tigers played in the NHL from 1920 to 1925 . Due in large part to

1404-475: The second half of the season but still managed to finish first overall with a record of 19 wins, 10 losses, and 1 tie, just ahead of the Toronto St. Patricks . It looked like the franchise would have a chance at winning the Stanley Cup for the first time since winning it as the Bulldogs over a decade prior in 1913 . But it was not to be. During the rail travel back to Hamilton after the season's final game,

1443-536: Was Dave Ritchie , who retired in 1926. The last active Bulldog player was Eddie Oatman , who played pro hockey until 1939 and played against the CAHL Quebec Beavers in 1929. Over time, various hockey teams played in Quebec, including the minor-pro Quebec Castors and Quebec Aces . Big-league hockey would not return to Quebec City until the Quebec Nordiques were founded in 1972 as part of

1482-488: Was by far the smallest market in the league. They opted to suspend operations for the league's inaugural season . To balance out the schedule, the remaining three clubs granted a temporary franchise to the Toronto Arena Company, the direct ancestors of today's Toronto Maple Leafs . In 1918, the franchise was sold in principle to Percy Quinn . Quinn's actual intent was to use the Bulldogs to help resurrect

1521-404: Was not built and Dwyer bought the rights to the Tigers' players from Thompson for $ 75,000. Although Dwyer was ostensibly the owner of the Americans, due to his underworld ties he was not publicly named by the NHL at the meeting announcing the team. Instead, Colonel Hammond of Madison Square Garden , Duggan, and former Ottawa manager Tommy Gorman were announced as the officers. The new team was for

#492507