Lloyd Turner

Lore & Background

Turner's first real experience with hockey began in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where he played on an amateur team with his three brothers and managed the local rink. Despite this, he was primarily a baseball player until moving to Calgary in 1907, where he played catcher in the Western Canada Baseball League. There, his reputation as a hockey promoter grew. He converted a roller skating rink into a hockey rink, established a team and league, and when the arena burned down in 1915, built a nearby outdoor facility so play could continue.

His most notable achievement was starting two teams each in Calgary and Edmonton, two of which became the foundation of the Western Canada Hockey League. He personally managed the Calgary Tigers, who challenged the Montreal Canadiens for the Stanley Cup in 1924 but lost. He later managed the Minneapolis Millers to a championship in 1926, then the Seattle Eskimos of the Pacific Coast Hockey League. In the 1930s, he shifted focus to senior amateur hockey, raising the profile of the Allan Cup by promising to pay CAHA president W. G. Hardy $1,500 per tournament finals game played in Calgary, and shuttled fans via train from up to 150 miles away.

Reader's Guide

Turner's significance lies in his foundational work for hockey in Western Canada. He converted a roller skating rink to a hockey rink, established teams and leagues, and rebuilt facilities after a fire to keep the game alive. His creation of two teams each in Calgary and Edmonton directly led to the formation of the Western Canada Hockey League, a major professional league. Managing the Calgary Tigers to a Stanley Cup challenge in 1924 brought national attention to Western Canadian hockey. Later, his promotion of the Allan Cup through financial guarantees and fan transportation dramatically increased the tournament's popularity and raised significant funds for the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. Turner also organized military, civilian, and First Nations tournaments, earning the honorary title Chief Sitting Bull. His inductions into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958 and the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1980 cement his legacy as a key builder of the sport.

Did You Know?

• Turner was the only non-American player in the Western Canada Baseball League while playing catcher in Calgary.
• He converted a roller skating rink into a hockey rink to help establish the game in Calgary.
• He paid $1,500 per game (about $20,000 in 2006) to bring Allan Cup finals to Calgary.
• He received the honorary title of Chief Sitting Bull for organizing the Southern Alberta Indian Tournament.