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Moncton's Stanley Cup Challenge (1912)

  • Posted on: 26 December 2014
  • By: lrigby

In late February 1912, President Lithgow sent a telegram to the trustees of the Stanley Cup requesting that the champions of the Maritime Professional Hockey Association challenge for the Stanley Cup that spring.  To the glee of the Maritime fans the news came back from Mr. Foran that the challenge would be accepted.  Any challenge would have to wait until the end of the current champion’s season so the winner of the MPHA would have to wait to the conclusion of the NHA regular season.  The current holders of the Stanley Cup were the Ottawa Senators but at the end of the season the Quebec Bulldogs had finished with the best record in the NHA and took over the Stanley Cup.  They were set to play Moncton in the challenge series. 

News that the Quebec Bulldogs would be playing in the Stanley Cup challenge series was good for the Maritime Champion's Vics.  Quebec City was considerably closer to Moncton than Ottawa and they also had an ice arena that was similar to the size of Moncton’s arena.  It was announced that the game would take place with the six man style of play, the trustees agreed to this since the NHA had played some of its season with six men and the MPHA played the entire season with six men aside. 

It was announced that the MPHA champion, Moncton Victorias would meet the NHA champion, Quebec Bulldogs, on March 11th and March 13th, 1912 at the Quebec Arena.  The following excerpt was taken from a Montreal paper about the upcoming Stanley Cup Challenge series:

The advent of the Moncton Vics into Stanley cup dom is looked upon by many local hockey fans as a joke says the Gazette this morning, but it is easily within the range of possibility that when the struggle is over these fans may be disagreeably disappointed.  While the good old relic of many hard fought battles may not be in serious danger, still the, hockey enthusiast who classes the present Moncton team with some of the septettes of that coming from the Maritime Provinces in years past, has misjudged them.

Hockey in the Maritime Provinces has in the last two years improved fully 100 per cent and the youngsters from Moncton, or the speed boys, as they are dubbed in the East, have proven their worth in several bitter struggles this season.  they can keep their pace from bell to bell and while their play may not be quite as classy as some of the National Association stars, they have a well, balanced team, every member of which can stand the ‘gaff’ and will take a long chance if there is a goal in sight.

The size of Quebec rink will not be as much of a handicap to Moncton as it would be to one of the Halifax teams as the Moncton ice is of the kindergarten variety.  The Easterners may not win but Quebec will have a hockey match and not a tea party.

Unfortunately, the NHA stars were too much for the MPHA champions and on March 11th, the Quebec Bulldogs defeated the Moncton Vics by a score of nine to three with Jack Macdonald of Quebec scoring four goals and Joe Malone adding three.  Tommy Smith of the Vics scored two goals while Rollie Norman added another.  The second game took place on Wednesday March 13th and the result was even worse with the Quebec Bulldogs defeating Moncton eight to nothing.  The Bulldogs were able to successfully defended the Stanley Cup with a total goal victory of seventeen to three.