1887 AHAC season

The 1887 AHAC season was the inaugural season of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada. Play was in challenges. The Montreal Crystals won the final challenge of the season to win the Canadian championship and the first league championship.
==League business==
The AHAC was organized on December 8, 1886,
 when the representatives of various hockey clubs* Messrs. J. G. Monk, J. Arnton and J. Muir, Montreal Victorias; Thomas D. Green and Hamilton, Ottawa; C. H. Macnutt, Holden and Wylde, McGill College; E. Sheppard and Wm. Barlow, Montreal AAA; R. Laing and McCaffrey, Crystals met at the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal at the instigation of the Victoria Hockey Club of Montreal. The first executive was composed of:
* President: Thomas D. Green, Ottawa.
* First vice-president: Jack Arnton, Victorias.
* Second vice-president: Robert Laing, Crystals.
* Secretary-treasurer: E. Stevenson, Victorias.
* Council: James Stewart, Crystals; J. G. Monk, Victorias; Hanbury A. Budden, McGill; E. Sheppard, M.A.A.A.: Percy Myles, Ottawa.
==Regular season==
A.E. Swift from the Quebec HC played four games for the Victorias, being possibly the first hockey player to play for a city other than their home. 
The season's final match, held in the Victoria Rink on March 11 ended 3–2 for Montreal Crystals over the Montreal Victorias. The Vics had won the previous two meetings between the clubs. The Crystals changed their lineup, replacing F. Dowd, R. Laing and J. McGoldrick. The Crystals took the early lead on two goals by S. McQuisten. The Vics appeared to score a goal, but it was ruled to be too high and did not count. In the second half, D. Brown, one of the replacements, scored the third for Crystals before two goals by T. Arnton made it close.
===Overall record===
Team 	Games Played	Wins	Losses	Ties	Goals For	Goals Against
Montreal Victorias	7 	6 	1 	0 	27 	7
Montreal HC 	1 	0 	1 	0 	2 	5
Montreal Crystals†	5 	2 	3 	0 	7 	12
Ottawa HC 	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	5
McGill University 	2 	0 	2 	0 	1 	9
† National Champion
Source: Ultimate Hockey
===AHAC challenges===
Date 	Team 	Score 	Team 	Score 	Location
Tournament 	Tournament 	Tournament	Tournament 	Tournament	Tournament
January 7 	Montreal Crystals 	3 	McGill 	1 	Crystal Rink
January 14 	Montreal Crystals 	0 	Montreal Victorias	4 	Crystal Rink
January 21 	Montreal Victorias	5 	Montreal HC 	2 	Victoria Rink
January 27 	Montreal Victorias	5 	Ottawa HC 	1 	Victoria Rink
February 4 	Montreal Victorias	3 	Montreal Crystals 	0 	Victoria Rink
February 12	Montreal Victorias	6 	McGill 	0 	Victoria Rink
February 24	Montreal Victorias	2 	Montreal Crystals 	1 OT 	Victoria Rink
March 11 	Montreal Victorias	2 	Montreal Crystals 	3 	Victoria Rink
Montreal Crystals final champions of the season.
Source: Montreal Gazette
==Player statistics==
===Scoring leaders===
Note: GP=Games played, G=Goals
Name 	Club 	GP	G
Albert Swift 	Victorias	4 	8
Billy Hodgson	Montreal 	4 	4
J. Craven 	Victorias	6 	4
Jack Campbell	Victorias	7 	3
Frank Dowd 	Crystals 	3 	2
Sam McQuisten	Crystals 	3 	2
John Findley 	Montreal 	4 	2
Jack Arnton 	Victorias	5 	2
Andy Shearer 	Victorias	7 	2
===Goaltender averages===
Note: GP = Games played, GA = Goals against, SO = Shutouts, GAA = Goals against average
Name 	Club 	GP	GA	SO	GAA
T.S. Arnton 	Victorias	7 	7 	3 	1.0
T.L. Paton 	Montreal 	1 	2 	0 	2.0
W. Norris 	Crystals 	3 	7 	0 	2.3
G. Boon 	Crystals 	2 	5 	0 	2.5
A. Shanks 	McGill 	1 	3 	0 	3.0
W. Hutchinson	Montreal 	1 	3 	0 	3.0
A. Lowe 	Ottawa 	1 	5 	0 	5.0
C.H. McNutt 	McGill 	1 	6 	0 	6.0
==Winter Carnival Tournament==
In February, the Montreal teams of the AHAC participated in the Montreal Winter Carnival ice hockey tournament. The tournament, which was scheduled to play outdoors on an ice rink at the Ice Palace, was disrupted by two days of storms, and was not completed until February 25. During this time, no AHAC challenges were played.
Date 	Team 	Score 	Team 	Score 	Location
Exhibitions 	Exhibitions 	Exhibitions 	Exhibitions 	Exhibitions 	Exhibitions
February 7 	Montreal Victorias 	2 	Montreal HC 	0 	Victoria Rink
February 11 	Montreal Crystals 	5 	Montreal HC (second) 	0 	Crystal Rink
"Tournament" (second teams)	"Tournament" (second teams)	"Tournament" (second teams)	"Tournament" (second teams)	"Tournament" (second teams)	"Tournament" (second teams)
February 17 	Montreal Crystals 	6 	Montreal HC 	3 	Crystal Rink
February 23 	Montreal Victorias 	5 	McGill 	1 	Victoria Rink
February 25 	Montreal Victorias 	1 	Montreal HC 	1 	Victoria Rink
Tournament 	Tournament 	Tournament 	Tournament 	Tournament 	Tournament
February 21 	Montreal Crystals 	0 	Montreal HC 	1 	Crystal Rink
February 23 	Montreal Victorias 	8 	McGill 	0 	Crystal Rink
February 25 	Montreal Victorias 	0 	Montreal HC 	1 	Crystal Rink
Montreal HC wins Winter Carnival Tournament.
Source: The Montreal Gazette, The Montreal Daily Herald, Montreal Daily Witness, The Montreal Daily Post
==References==
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Category:Amateur Hockey Association of Canada seasons
Category:1887 in ice hockey