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.
==Executive==
* W. Jack, Victorias (President)
* A. Laurie, Quebec (1st. Vice-Pres.)
* Weldy Young, Ottawa (2nd. Vice-Pres.)
* J. A. Findlay, Montreal (Sec.-Treasurer)
==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.
===Final Standing===
Team 	Games Played	Wins	Losses	Ties	Goals For	Goals Against
Montreal Victorias 	8 	6 	2 	0 	35 	20
Montreal Hockey Club	8 	4 	4 	0 	33 	22
Ottawa 	8 	4 	4 	0 	25 	24
Montreal Crystals 	7 	3 	4 	0 	21 	39
Quebec 	7 	2 	5 	0 	18 	27
==Schedule and results==
Month	Day 	Visitor 	Score	Home 	Score
Jan. 	3 	Crystals 	2 	Victorias	7
Jan. 	5 	Montreal 	2 	Quebec 	4
Jan. 	5 	Crystals 	1 	Ottawa 	9
Jan. 	10 	Crystals 	1 	Montreal 	9
Jan. 	12 	Ottawa 	1 	Victorias	5
Jan. 	19 	Ottawa 	2 	Montreal 	3
Jan. 	19 	Victorias	3 	Quebec 	4
Jan. 	26 	Quebec 	0 	Ottawa 	1
Jan. 	26 	Victorias	0 	Montreal 	5
Feb. 	2 (†) 	Crystals 	2 	Quebec 	1
Feb. 	9 	Quebec 	3 	Montreal 	6
Feb. 	16 	Montreal 	3 	Ottawa 	4 (12' overtime)
Feb. 	16 	Quebec 	2 	Victorias	8
Feb. 	23 	Ottawa 	3 	Quebec 	2
Feb. 	23 	Montreal 	2 	Victorias	4
Feb. 	27 (††)	Quebec 	3 	Crystals 	4
Mar. 	2 	Montreal 	3 	Crystals 	4
Mar. 	2 	Victorias	3 	Ottawa 	2
Mar. 	6 (†††)	Ottawa 	3 	Crystals 	7
Mar. 	8 	Victorias	5 	Crystals 	2
† Game void following protest by Quebec over Crystals use of ineligible players.
†† Quebec team suspended after attack on officials after game of February 23.
††† Birthday of the Champion.
==Player statistics==
===Goaltending averages===
Note: GP = Games played, GA = Goals against, SO = Shutouts, GAA = Goals against average
Name 	Club 	GP	GA	SO	GAA
McDougall, A.* 	Victorias	1 	1 	 	1.0
Jones, Robert 	Victorias	4 	8 	 	2.0
Fenwick, Jim 	Victorias	1 	2 	 	2.0
Collins, Herbert 	Montreal 	8 	22	1 	2.7
Chittick, Fred 	Ottawa 	6 	18	1 	3.0
Westwick, Harry 	Ottawa 	2 	6 	 	3.0
White, 	Crystals 	1 	4 	 	3.7
Stocking, Frank 	Quebec 	7 	27	 	3.9
McDougall, Hartland*	Victorias	2 	9 	 	4.5
Lyons, 	Crystals 	2 	16	 	8.0
Note: Although A. Mcdougall is recorded in most hockey sources* as to playing goal for the Montreal Victorias on January 12, 1895, and allowing one goal only, primary sourcing can show that Hartland MacDougall actually played goal for the Vics between January 12 and January 26 Globe and Mail January 14th 1895 before being replaced by Robert Jones.
===Leading scorers===
Name 	Club 	GP	G
Routh, Haviland 	Montreal 	8 	19
Rankin, Norman 	Victorias	8 	11
Swift, Albert E. 	Quebec 	6 	10
Russell, Herbert 	Ottawa 	8 	10
Robert MacDougall 	Victorias	8 	10
Drinkwater, Graham	Victorias	8 	9
Fairbairn, 	Crystals 	5 	6
Hodgson, Archie 	Montreal 	6 	6
Kirby, Chauncey 	Ottawa 	7 	5
Smith, Alf 	Ottawa 	8 	5
; Source:
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, the champions of the Ontario Hockey Association (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.
Date 	Winning Team 	Score 	Losing Team 	Location
March 9, 1895 	Montreal Hockey Club 	5–1 	Queen's University 	Victoria Rink
Montreal Victorias wins the Cup based on winning the AHAC title,and Montreal HC defeating Queen's University	Montreal Victorias wins the Cup based on winning the AHAC title,and Montreal HC defeating Queen's University	Montreal Victorias wins the Cup based on winning the AHAC title,and Montreal HC defeating Queen's University	Montreal Victorias wins the Cup based on winning the AHAC title,and Montreal HC defeating Queen's University	Montreal Victorias wins the Cup based on winning the AHAC title,and Montreal HC defeating Queen's University
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.Colman (1966), pg.24. R. McLennan of Queen's would later play for Dawson City in its 1905 challenge of Ottawa.
Queen's U at Montreal
Queens U. 	(1)	at	Montreal 	(5)
R.C. Hiscock 	 	G 	Herbert Collins 	
Guy Curtis 	 	P 	Frank Bickerdike 	
F. Taylor, 	 	CP	Allan Cameron 	
A.B. Cunningham 	 	F 	Clarence Mussen 	1
McKay 	1 	F 	Clarence McKerrow	1
Randy McLennan 	 	F 	Haviland Routh 	2
G.F. Weatherhead	 	F 	Archie Hodgson 	1
;Source:
Coleman(1966) pp. 24–25
==See also==
* List of pre-NHL seasons
* List of Stanley Cup champions
==References==
* 
* Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame (2004). Lord Stanley's Cup. Bolton, Ont.: Fenn Pub. pp 12, 50. 
Category:Amateur Hockey Association of Canada seasons
Category:1895 in ice hockey