Toronto Professional Hockey Club

The Toronto Professional Hockey Club was Toronto's first professional ice hockey team, founded in 1906. The team played the 1906–07 season in exhibition games against other professional teams. In 1908, the team was one of the founders of the Ontario Professional Hockey League (OPHL). The club operated for two seasons in the OPHL, 1908 and 1909, before disbanding. The club challenged unsuccessfully for the Stanley Cup in 1908. They were usually referred to as the Toronto Argonauts.[1]

Toronto Professional Hockey Club
CityToronto, Ontario, Canada
LeagueOntario Professional Hockey League
Founded1906
Operated1906–1909
Home arenaMutual Street Rink
Owner(s)Percy Quinn
Championships
Stanley CupsNone

The team featured several prominent players of the time, including Newsy Lalonde who would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and Bruce Ridpath, who would manage the Toronto entry in the National Hockey Association (NHA), fore-runner of the National Hockey League (NHL).

History

On November 14, 1906, the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) banned Bruce Ridpath, Rolly Young and Harry Burgoyne from playing with the Toronto Marlboros. The three had been receiving money to play, strictly banned by the OHA.[2] On November 22, Ridpath announced the formation of the Toronto Pros. Ridpath would be captain, and Alexander Miln was named as manager. Miln was manager of the Mutual Street Rink and had previously managed the Toronto Wellingtons, Stanley Cup challengers in 1902.[3] On November 24, Miln attended a meeting of the International Hockey League (IHL) and secured a place in the IHL for the Pros for the 1907–08 season. For the initial season, the Toronto Pros would play only exhibition games.[4]

1906–07 season
Toronto Professionals in the 1906–07 season. Back row: William Slean, Jack Carmichael, B. Spanner, team captain Bruce Ridpath. Front row: Rowley Young, Charlie Liffiton, Harry Burgoyne, Hugh Lambe.

Toronto would play its first game on December 28, 1906 against the Canadian Soo team of the IHL, losing 7–0 at the Mutual Street Rink in Toronto.[5] The team did not receive its new white and purple sweaters in time for the game, and played the first game in used sweaters of the Marlboros.[6]

First game roster
  • Jack Carmichael, centre
  • Harry Burgoyne, left wing
  • Frank McLaren, right wing
  • Bruce Ridpath, rover
  • Rowley Young, cover point
  • Hugh Lambe, point
  • Mark Tooze, goaltender

Source: Harper 2013[7]

1907–08 season
See also: 1907–08 ECAHA season

The club helped found the Ontario Professional Hockey League in December 1907, beginning play in 1908. The team won the league championship in their first OPHL season. After the season, the Torontos would challenge for the Stanley Cup.

1908 Stanley Cup challenge

On March 14, 1908, the team played a Stanley Cup challenge match against the Montreal Wanderers in Montreal. The Wanderers won the game 6-4.[8]

Stanley Cup challenge game roster

1908–09 season

The '08–09 season would be the Torontos' last. The team did not ice a consistent roster from game to game. A game against Berlin turned into a brawl. The team suffered player raids from the Temiscaming League. Con Corbeau and Skene Ronan joined Haileybury.[9] Bruce Ridpath joined the Cobalt Silver Kings in February 1909. The team would finish the season in fourth place.[10]

During the season they signed former Toronto Marlboros player Herbert Frederick Birmingham as a spare forward, but cut from team due to poor playing. He would eventually join the army during World War I and died in France.[11]

On November 19, 1909, manager Alexander Miln announced that the club was exiting from the OPHL. Miln noted that the Mutual Rink would be used only for amateurs' play for 1909–10.[12]

Notable players
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References
  • Coleman, Charles (1966). Trail of the Stanley Cup, vol.1, 1983-1926 inc.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Harper, Stephen J. (2013). A Great Game: The Forgotten Leafs and the Rise of Professional Hockey. Simon & Schuster Canada. ISBN 978-1-4767-1653-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Evolution of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Teams
Toronto Pro HC (ind., OPHL) 1906–1909
Toronto Blueshirts (NHA) 1912–1917
Toronto Arenas (NHL) 1917–1919
Toronto St. Patricks (NHL) 1919–1927
Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL) 1927–present
Ice hockey portal
Notes
  1. Holzman, Morey; Nieforth, Joseph (2002). Deceptions and Doublecross : How the NHL Conquered Hockey. Dundurn Press. ISBN 1-55002-413-2. Pg.173
  2. Harper 2013, p. 85.
  3. Harper 2013, p. 87.
  4. Harper 2013, p. 90.
  5. "Canadian Soo Beat Toronto". The Globe. December 29, 1906. p. 23.
  6. Harper 2013, p. 93.
  7. Harper 2013, p. 92.
  8. Harper 2013, p. 332.
  9. Harper 2013, p. 183.
  10. Harper 2013, p. 190.
  11. http://www.canadiangreatwarproject.com/searches/soldierDetail.asp?Id=4277
  12. Harper 2013, p. 197.
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