Winnipeg Hockey Club

Lore & Background

The Winnipegs played the first organized hockey match in Western Canada on December 20, 1890, against the Winnipeg Victorias at the Street Railway Rink in Winnipeg. In February 1893, players from the Winnipegs joined players from the Winnipeg Dragoons and Winnipeg Victorias on a tour of Eastern Canada to demonstrate the quality of Western Canadian hockey. The tour included games in Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa, Montreal, Peterborough, London, Niagara Falls, and Hamilton, with a record of six wins and three losses. The club entered teams in the Manitoba Hockey Association from 1893 until 1902, and for many years the senior division consisted of just the two Winnipeg teams. In 1908–09, the club entered a team in the Manitoba Pro League for one season. In 1912, the Winnipeg HC joined the new Manitoba Hockey League, winning the league championship and the Allan Cup by defeating the defending champion Winnipeg Victorias. The team successfully defended the Allan Cup at home in March 1913 against Moose Jaw and Edmonton. The 1931 Winnipeg Hockey Club won the Allan Cup, the Keane Memorial Cup as Winnipeg champions, and the Pattison Cup as Manitoba champions. The Canadian Olympic Committee selected the team to represent Canada at the 1932 Winter Olympics. Claude C. Robinson oversaw finances, and W. A. Hewitt was honorary manager. The team played exhibition games en route to and from the Olympics, including games in Toronto, Hamilton, against the Atlantic City Seagulls, and at Madison Square Garden against the Crescent Athletic Club.

Reader's Guide

The Winnipeg Hockey Club holds a significant place in Canadian hockey history as one of the earliest organized clubs in Western Canada, playing the region's first recorded hockey match in 1890. Its two Allan Cup championships—in 1913 and 1931—demonstrate sustained success at the senior amateur level over nearly two decades. The 1931 team's selection to represent Canada at the 1932 Winter Olympics underscores the prestige of the Allan Cup at that time. The team's undefeated performance in Lake Placid secured Canada's fourth Olympic gold medal in hockey since the sport's introduction to the Games in 1920. Both the 1913 and 1931 Winnipeg Hockey Club teams have been inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in the team category, recognizing their contributions to the province's hockey heritage. The club also produced several alumni who later played in the National Hockey League, further extending its legacy within professional hockey.

Did You Know?

• The team was undefeated at the 1932 Winter Olympics and named Olympic and world champions.
• The club's 1931 Allan Cup win led to its selection as Canada's representative at the 1932 Olympics.