Winnipeg Victorias

The Winnipeg Victorias were a former amateur senior-level men's amateur ice hockey team in Winnipeg, Manitoba, organized in 1889. They played in the Manitoba Hockey Association (MHA) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Victorias won the Stanley Cup in February 1896, 1901 and January 1902 while losing the Cup in December 1896, February 1899, February 1900, March 1902, and February 1903. After the Stanley Cup became the professional championship, the Victorias continued in senior-level amateur play, winning the Allan Cup in 1911 and 1912.
==History==
The Victoria Hockey Club, and the first rink they played in, took their name from the then-reigning monarch of Canada, Queen Victoria.
From 1889 until 1892, the Victorias played exhibitions and played against other Winnipeg teams. The Victorias played in the first match in Western Canada between organized hockey clubs on December 20, 1890 against the Winnipeg Hockey Club at the Street Railway Rink in Winnipeg. The players were:
Victorias	Winnipegs
* W. H. Thompson (goal)
* T. A. Howard (back)
* J. McCulloch, J. Armitage (wings)
* G. H. Merritt, F. Higginbotham, A. Norquay (forwards)	
* A. B. Clark (goal)
* F. L. Patton (back)
* C. Dennison, McDonald (wings)
* F. Beckett, H. Beckett, J. R. Waghorn (forwards)
Source: 
The Victorias helped to found the Manitoba Hockey Association in 1893. In February 1893, players from the Victorias joined players from the Winnipeg Dragoons and the Winnipeg Hockey Club on a tour of Eastern Canada to demonstrate the quality of ice hockey in Western Canada. 
Tour schedule
* February 9 - vs. Toronto Victorias at Toronto, Ontario (W 8–2) 
* February 10 - vs. Toronto Osgoode Hall at Toronto (W 11–5) 
* February 11 - vs. Queen's College at Kingston, Ontario (W 4–3) 
* February 13 - vs. Ottawa Hockey Club at Ottawa, Ontario (L 1–4) 
* February 15 - vs. Montreal Hockey Club at Montreal, Quebec (L 4–7) 
* February 17 - vs. Peterborough at Peterborough, Ontario (W 9–3) 
* February 20 - vs. Toronto Granites at Toronto (W 11–3) 
* February 21 - vs. London at London, Ontario (W 7–1) 
* February 22 - vs. Niagara Falls at Niagara Falls, Ontario (W 10–4) 
* February 23 - vs. Hamilton Thistles at Hamilton, Ontario (cancelled) 
* February 24 - vs. Combined Ontario/Osgoode Hall at Toronto (L 3–4) 
Source: Montreal Gazette
While traveling to Montreal by train in 1895, the Victorias stopped in Minneapolis and played the University of Minnesota in one of the earliest international games. The Victorias defeated Minnesota, who was led by player-coach Dr. H.A. Parkyn, 11-3.Squaw Valley Gold: American Hockey's Olympic Odyssey
The Victorias first won the Stanley Cup in 1896, defeated the Montreal Victorias in a single-game challenge 2-0 on February 14, 1896 in Montreal. In the rematch, Winnipeg lost to Montreal in a single-game challenge 5-6 on December 30, 1896 in Winnipeg.
In 1898, the team moved to the new Winnipeg Auditorium, built to hold 2000 spectators for hockey. In February 1899, the Victorias would lose a two-game total goals series 5-3 against Montreal. In their next chance, the Victorias defeated Montreal Shamrocks in a two-game, total goals series 4-3, 2-1 (6-4) on January 29 and 31, 1901 in Montreal. The Victorias held the trophy, winning the Manitoba championship, and successfully defended the Stanley Cup against Toronto in two-game, total goals series 5-3, 5-3 (10-6) on January 21 and 23, 1902 in Winnipeg at the Auditorium. The Victorias run as champion ended in a loss to Montreal Hockey Club in a best two-of-three 1-0, 0-5 and 1-2 on March 13, 15 and 17, 1902 in Winnipeg.
After the Stanley Cup was awarded only to professional teams starting in 1908, the Victorias did not challenge for the Stanley Cup, and remained an amateur team, playing in the Manitoba Association. The 1911 Winnipeg Victorias won the Allan Cup by default when the Ontario Hockey Association refused to allow their team to play mid-season. In March of that year, the Vics defended the cup by defeating Kenora 12-5. In 1912 the Victorias defended the cup against Calgary (March 5 11-0 & March 7 8-6), Toronto Eatons (March 9 8-4 & 16-1) and Regina (March 14 9-3).
The 1896 & 1901 Stanley Cup champions and the 1911 & 1912 Allan Cup champions Winnipeg Victorias are inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in the team category.
==Winnipeg Victorias 1896 Stanley Cup champions==
February 14, 1896 Stanley Cup winners
George Merritt(goal), Rod Flett(point), Fred Higginbotham (coverpoint), Charles Johnstone(coverpoint), Dan Bain(center), Jack Armytage(rover- Captain), Colin "Tote" Campbell(left wing), Tom "Attie" Howard(right wing), Bobby R Benson (Spare-left-right wing), Jack Sheppard (goal-played 1 regular season game), E.B. Nixon (President), Able Code (Vice President/Manager), J. Carter (Mascot/Trainer).
An interesting factoid for this 2-0 win over the similarly named Montreal Victorias is that the very first Stanley Cup Parade was held in Winnipeg on Main Street celebrating this victory.
==Winnipeg Victorias 1901 Stanley Cup champions==
January 31, 1901 Stanley Cup winners
Art Brown(goal), Rod Flett(point), Jack Marshall(point), Magnus Flett(coverpoint), Burke Wood(rover), Dan Bain(center -Captain), 
Fred Cadham(center), Charles Johnstone(left wing), Tony Gingras(right wing), George A. Carruthers (right wing) Jack Armytage (President), Mark Hooper (Trainer), Ted Robinson (Secretary-treasurer), Walter Pratt (Director).
==Winnipeg Victorias 1902 Stanley Cup champions==
January 23, 1902 Stanley Cup winners
Art Brown(goal), Dan Bain(center-Captain), Fred Cadham(Center), Rod Flett(point), Magnus Flett(coverpoint), Tony Gingras(rightwing), Charles Johnstone(left wing/rover), Fred Scanlan(left wing), Burke Wood(rover), Jack Armytage (President), Mark Hooper (Trainer), Ted Robinson (Secretary-treasurer), Walter Pratt (Director).
===References===
* Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame (2004). Lord Stanley's Cup. Triumph Books, 12, 50. ISBN 1-55168-261-3. 
==External links==
*Games of the 1895 Quebec-Winnipeg series
*1896 Winnipeg Victorias at Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
*1901 Winnipeg Victorias at Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
*1911 Winnipeg Victorias at Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
*1912 Winnipeg Victorias at Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
Category:Ice hockey teams in Canada