Charles Adams (ice hockey)
Co-founder of the Boston Bruins and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee.
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Charles Francis Adams was an American businessman and sports promoter who co-founded the Boston Bruins. He also owned the Boston Braves baseball club and Suffolk Downs racetrack, and held a partial stake in the First National grocery store chain.
Early life
Born in Newport, Vermont, on October 18, 1876, to Frank and Elizabeth Adams, his family faced financial hardship. As a child, he worked as a chore boy at a corner grocery to help support them, and later bought logs for his father’s sawmill as a teenager.
Grocery career
After graduating from Jenney Business College in Enosburgh, Vermont, he moved to Springfield to work for his uncle’s wholesale grocery business. He then became a traveling grocer and tobacco salesman before relocating to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he served as treasurer of the New England Maple Syrup Company. He later worked for the Fitzgerald, Hubbard & Company banking and brokerage firm, then left for the John T. Connor Company, which evolved into the First National Store chain.
Boston Bruins
An avid hockey fan, Adams watched amateur games in Boston and traveled to Montreal to see professional hockey. After a scandal soured Boston fans on amateur hockey, he decided to bring professional hockey to the United States. On November 1, 1924, he was awarded the Bruins franchise for $15,000. The team’s original brown and yellow colors came from the First National color scheme.
In 1926, he bought the entire Western Canada Hockey League from Frank and Lester Patrick for $300,000, securing the rights to players like Eddie Shore, Harry Oliver, Duke Keats, and Frank Boucher. He also guaranteed $500,000 toward building the Boston Garden. The Bruins won their first Stanley Cup under his ownership in 1929. In 1936, he transferred his stock to his son Weston Adams, general manager Art Ross, and Ralph Burkard.
Boston Braves
In baseball, Adams bought out Albert H. Powell’s shares on May 15, 1927, becoming a minority owner and vice-president of the Boston Braves. After Emil Fuchs’ attempt to revive the team by signing Babe Ruth failed in 1935, Adams demanded Fuchs step down or buy him out. Fuchs relinquished his shares to Adams on July 31, and Adams planned to sell the team quickly. On November 26, the National League took control of the Braves due to contractual failures, and the club was awarded to Bob Quinn on December 10.
Lore & Background
Adams was an avid hockey fan who watched amateur hockey in Boston and traveled to Montreal to watch professional hockey. After a scandal involving Boston amateur hockey players disenchanted many fans, he decided to bring professional hockey to the United States. The team's original colors of brown and yellow came from the color scheme of First National, where he was part-owner.
In 1926 he bought the entire Western Canada Hockey League from Frank Patrick and Lester Patrick for $300,000, securing the rights to players including Eddie Shore, Harry Oliver, Duke Keats, and Frank Boucher. To ensure a fitting arena, he guaranteed $500,000 toward the construction of the Boston Garden. Under his leadership the Bruins won their first Stanley Cup in 1929.
Reader's Guide
Charles Adams's significance lies in his foundational role in bringing professional hockey to the United States through the Boston Bruins. His purchase of the Western Canada Hockey League for $300,000 in 1926 secured key players that built a competitive team, and his financial guarantee of $500,000 toward the Boston Garden provided a permanent home for the franchise. The Bruins won their first Stanley Cup in 1929 under his ownership. His legacy in hockey is commemorated by the NHL's Adams Division, formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference, which existed for 19 seasons until 1993.
The Bruins were members of that division for its entire existence, winning nine division titles and appearing in four Stanley Cup Finals. The division was succeeded by the Northeast Division and can be considered the forerunner of the NHL's current Atlantic Division. Adams was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1960 and later inducted into the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Charles Adams (ice hockey)?
Charles Francis Adams (1876–1947) was a Vermont-born businessman and sports promoter best known as the co-founder of the Boston Bruins. He is recognized in the Hockey Hall of Fame for his role in establishing the franchise and helping put professional ice hockey on the map in New England.
How did Charles Adams get the Boston Bruins franchise?
On November 1, 1924, Adams secured the NHL's new Boston franchise for a reported $15,000. He partnered with other investors to form the club, bringing his experience as an owner of the Boston Braves baseball team and Suffolk Downs racetrack to the table.
What was Charles Adams' role in the Bruins' first Stanley Cup win?
As a principal owner and driving force behind the organization, Adams was the executive figure when the Bruins captured the 1929 Stanley Cup. His early investment and business acumen laid the groundwork for the team's first championship.
More in Hockey Hall of Fame Builders and Executives
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Charles Adams (ice hockey) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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