Manitoba Hockey History, The Beginning 1890

*Article from the January 31, 1890 Manitoba Daily Free Press 
::::::INTRODUCING HOCKEY
:The Montreal and Quebec Popular Winter Sport being Played Here.
:A number of Winnipegs finest young men are going about at present with beautifully variegated countenances. Were it in the summer time everyone would assume that they had been playing our gentle national game; but it being the winter season, some may imagine that a wave of pugilism has passed over the city lending to numerous John L. Sullivan encounters. To demonstrate how erroneous this impression would be it is only necessary to remark that a Hockey club has been formed in town. Its members play every afternoon at Mr. Austin's open air skating rink and the ambulances wait outside for the victims.
:This is the first attempt to introduce into this city a game which in Montreal, Quebec and Ottawa is quite as popular in winter as lacrosse in summer. Indeed it much resembles the latter game, and in the east the players for both games are mainly the same set of men, but being played on skates it is necessarily a much faster game than lacrosse.
:It remains to be seen whether the game will flourish here. The severity of the climate really demands for such arduous exercise a covered rink. Still the young men who are at present playing industriously on these fine afternoons on Mr. Austin's open air rink find the sport very enjoyable.
In early November of 1890 the Victoria Hockey Club of Winnipeg was organized, and latter that month the Winnipeg Hockey Club was created. On Saturday afternoon, December 20, the first game was played, with the Victorias defeating the Winnipegs four to one at the Street Railway Rink in Winnipeg. The players were:
Victorias	Winnipegs
* W. H. Thompson (goal)
* Attie Howard (back)
* Jack Armytage, Jack McCulloch (wings)
* Fred Higginbotham, George Merritt,Alex Norquay (forwards)	
* A. B. Clark (goal)
* F. L. Patton (back)
* C. O. Dennison, McDonald (wings)
* Frank Beckett, Harry Beckett,J. R. Waghorn (forwards)
* Fred Heubach (referee)
The Winnipegs got their revenge blanking the Victorias 1-0 in the second game, on March 10. Frank Beckett scored the game’s only goal. The players were:
Victorias	Winnipegs
* W. H. Thompson (goal)
* Fred Higginbotham (back)
* Jack Armytage, Jack McCulloch (wings)
* Attie Howard, George Merritt,Alex Norquay (forwards)	
* Tart Stowe (goal)
* Cronin (back)
* C. O. Dennison, McDonald (wings)
* Frank Beckett, Harry Beckett,R. Girdlestone (forwards)
A tie breaking game was soon scheduled, but by game day, March 28th, the ice was gone.
Category:Manitoba Senior Hockey
Category:Manitoba
Category:1890 in ice hockey