1895 AHAC season The 1895 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season lasted from January 3 until March 8 . Each team played 8 games , and Montreal Victorias were first with a 6 – 2 – 0 record . After a required Stanley Cup challenge played between the 1894 winners , Montreal HC and Queen ' s , champion of the Ontario Hockey Association , the Victorias inherited the Stanley Cup as league champions . Regular season . Highlights . The Crystals suffered three straight defeats to open the season . After this , they decided independently to merge with the Montreal Shamrocks . On February 2 , this new team defeated Quebec 2 – 1 . The game was protested by Quebec and the result was cancelled and not replayed . Another game involving Quebec was noteworthy , on February 23 against Ottawa , won by Ottawa 3 – 2 . The game , played at Quebec , was very rough and the crowd became hostile towards the visitors . At the end of the match , the crowd pursued referee Hamilton and Umpire Findlay as they left the arena , and dragged them back to force them to declare the game a draw . Police were called to break up the demonstration . Subsequent to the match , the AHAC decided to suspend the Quebec hockey club for the rest of the season . Results . † Game void following protest by Quebec over Crystals use of ineligible players . † † Quebec team suspended after attack on officials after game of February 23 . Coleman ( 1966 ) pp . 22 – 24 . Stanley Cup challenges . Montreal vs . Queen ' s . On March 8 , 1895 , the Montreal Victorias won the 1895 AHAC title , finishing the season with a 6 – 2 record . Under the Stanley Cup rules , the team would also be awarded the Stanley Cup as league champions . However , the trustees ruled that a challenge between the previous year ' s champion Montreal HC and the squad from Queen ' s University , which was then part of the OHA , would have to be played first to determine if the Cup remained with the AHAC . Thus , it was decided that if the Montreal HC won the challenge match , the Victorias would become the Stanley Cup champions . The Montreal HC would eventually win the game , 5 – 1 , and their crosstown rivals were crowned the champions . Billy Barlow , the star player of Montreal was not able to play and Clarence McKerrow took his place . McKerrow had not played any games for Montreal , and could be considered a ringer , but there was no protest from Queen ' s . The Queen ' s team , although described as looking fast in their tiger jerseys , were no match for Montreal and the game proved uninteresting . Queen ' s U at Montreal Referee - - F . C . Chittick Umpires - - Fred McRobie and Alex Robertson Coleman ( 1966 ) pp . 24 - 25 Montreal H . C . Stanley Cup 1895 challenge champions . Herb Collins ( goal ) , Charles Archibald ( forward ) , Billy Barlow ( forward ) , Frank Bickerdike ( point ) , Allan Cameron ( coverpoint ) , Norman Dawes ( forward ) , Archie Hodgson ( forward ) , George James ( coverpoint ) , Clarence McKerrow ( forward ) , Aubrey Mussen ( forward ) , Clarence Mussen ( point ) , Haviland Routh ( forward ) James Stewart ( President ) , Harry Shaw ( Manager / Secretary - Treasurer ) Montreal Victorias 1895 Stanley Cup champions . A . McDougall did not play 1 game in goal for Montreal Victorias in 1895 . Hartland McDougall played 2 games .