1897 AHAC season

The 1897 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season lasted from January 9 until March 6. Each team played 8 games, and Montreal Victorias were again first with a 7–1 record, retaining the Stanley Cup. The club won the Stanley Cup back from the Winnipeg Victorias prior to the season. This was their third-straight league championship.
==Executive==
* J. A. Findlay, Montreal (President)
* J. H. Dunbar, Quebec (1st. Vice-Pres.)
* W. C. Young, Ottawa (2nd. Vice-Pres.)
At the annual meeting on December 12, 1896, the secretary reported that the association had lost all of its records in a fire, except for its minutes.
==Season==
===Rule Changes===
* No more than a 15 minute delay during a game
* No raising the stick above the shoulder except for 'lifting.'
* Executives were given the power to suspend club or player for foul play.
* Protests of games had to be made within two days.
===Highlights===
Clare McKerrow of Montreal HC set a new record with six goals in the opening game against Quebec on January 9.
The Ottawa club moved to new Dey's Arena.
===Final Standing===
Team 	Games Played	Wins	Losses	Ties	Goals For	Goals Against
Montreal Victorias	8 	7 	1 	0 	48 	26
Ottawa 	8 	5 	3 	0 	25 	18
Montreal 	8 	5 	3 	0 	31 	26
Quebec 	8 	2 	6 	0 	22 	46
Montreal Shamrocks	8 	1 	7 	0 	27 	37
===Results===
Month	Day	Visitor 	Score	Home 	Score
Jan. 	9 	Shamrocks	1 	Ottawa 	4
Jan. 	9 	Quebec 	2 	Montreal 	8
Jan. 	12 	Montreal 	4 	Victorias	5
Jan. 	16 	Quebec 	1 	Ottawa 	4
Jan. 	16 	Shamrocks	2 	Montreal 	3
Jan. 	23 	Victorias	6 	Shamrocks	4
Jan. 	23 	Montreal 	4 	Quebec 	2
Jan. 	30†	Ottawa 	0 	Montreal 	1
Jan. 	30 	Victorias	9 	Quebec 	4
Feb. 	6 	Victorias	4 	Ottawa 	2
Feb. 	6 	Quebec 	1 	Shamrocks	9
Feb. 	10 	Montreal 	5 	Shamrocks	1
Feb. 	13 	Ottawa 	3 	Victorias	1
Feb. 	13 	Shamrocks	3 	Quebec 	6
Feb. 	17‡	Ottawa 	4 	Montreal 	0
Feb. 	20 	Montreal 	4 	Ottawa 	3
Feb. 	20 	Quebec 	2 	Victorias	8
Feb. 	27 	Victorias	7 	Montreal 	3
Feb. 	27 	Ottawa 	1 	Quebec 	4
Mar. 	3 	Shamrocks	4 	Victorias	8
Mar. 	6 	Ottawa 	4 	Shamrocks	3
† Protested by Ottawa who scored the tying goal in last few seconds but the goal was disallowed by the referee. The protest was upheld and the game replayed.
‡ Replay of January 30 protested game.
===Goalkeeper Averages===
Name 	Club 	GP	GA	SO	Avg.
Chittick, Fred 	Ottawa 	8 	18	1 	2.3
Lewis, Gordon 	Victorias	8 	26	 	3.3
Collins, Herb 	Montreal 	8 	26	 	3.3
Pagnuello, E. 	Shamrocks	8 	37	 	4.6
Stocking, Frank	Quebec 	6 	25	 	5.8
===Scoring Leaders===
Name 	Club 	GP	G
McKerrow, Clare 	Montreal 	8 	12
Smith, Alf 	Ottawa 	8 	12
Barlow, Billy 	Montreal 	8 	10
McLea, Ernie 	Victorias	8 	8
Dobby, John 	Shamrocks	8 	7
Swift, Arthur E. 	Quebec 	8 	6
Westwick, Harry 	Ottawa 	8 	6
Davidson, Cam 	Victorias	6 	5
Doyle, Pat 	Quebec 	8 	5
Horsfall, Herbert	Montreal 	8 	5
==Stanley Cup challenges==
===Victorias vs. Winnipeg at Winnipeg===
Prior to the season, Victorias would defeat the Winnipeg Victorias of the (Manitoba Hockey Association) 6–5, on December 30, 1896, to reclaim the Cup they had lost in the previous season to Winnipeg.
Date 	Winning Team 	Score	Losing Team 	Location
December 30, 1896	Montreal Victorias	6 – 5	Winnipeg Victorias	Granite Rink, Winnipeg
Montreal 	(6)	at	Winnipeg 	(5)
Gordon Lewis 	 	G 	George Merritt 	
Harold Henderson	 	P 	Rod Flett 	
Mike Grant 	 	CP	Charles Johnstone 	
Robert McDougall	 	F 	Colin "Tote" Campbell	
Grham Drinkwater	1 	F 	Jack Armitage 	1
Shirley Davidson	2 	F 	Attie Howard 	2
Ernest McLea 	3 	F 	Dan Bain 	2
Referee - W. C. Young, Ottawa
Umpires - A. Shearer, Montreal; D. Clark, Winnipeg
===Members of Montreal Victorias who won the Stanley Cup on December 30, 1896===
==Montreal Victorias 1897 Stanley Cup champions==
==Team Photos==
96-97Ottawa.jpg|Ottawa Hockey Club
1897MonVic.jpg|Montreal Victorias
96-97WpgVic.jpg|Winnipeg Victorias
==Game Ads==
97AHACMontrealGameAd.jpg|Montreal
97AHACQuebecGameAd.jpg|Quebec City
Category:1897 in ice hockey
Category:Stanley Cup
Category:Amateur Hockey Association of Canada seasons