Mike Grant
Early rushing defenceman and five-time Stanley Cup winner.
Mike Grant, a Canadian ice hockey player, spent nine seasons in senior amateur hockey from 1894 to 1902, suiting up for the Montreal Victorias and Montreal Shamrocks. As a member of the Victorias, he helped the team capture or hold onto the Stanley Cup five times between 1895 and 1899, during the trophy’s challenge era. Playing cover-point, Grant was known for his speed and skating ability, and he is recognized as one of the first defencemen to carry the puck forward on the rush. In 1950, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
A fast skater from a young age, Grant won speed skating championships in three different age groups when he was 11. Growing up in Montreal, Quebec, he also played amateur lacrosse. Those skills translated to hockey, where he played cover-point and used his skating to create offensive chances from the blue line. He began his youth career with the Crystals, winning the Montreal city junior championship in 1891 and intermediate titles in 1892 and 1893.
Grant moved up to the senior level in 1894, making his debut with the Montreal Victorias in the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC). In 1895, he scored one goal in eight games, and the Victorias won the AHAC title with a 6–2 record, gaining control of the Stanley Cup. Grant served as the team’s captain. In February 1896, the Victorias lost the Cup to the Winnipeg Victorias in a single-game challenge, 2–0, but regained it that December with a 6–5 win. Grant scored three goals in eight games during both the 1896 and 1897 AHAC seasons. He captained the Victorias to a successful Cup defence in 1897, and the team kept the trophy in 1898 by winning the AHAC title again.
After the AHAC disbanded in 1898, the Victorias joined the new Canadian Amateur Hockey League (CAHL) for 1899. Grant scored two goals in seven games that season. The team faced another challenge from the Winnipeg Victorias and retained the Cup after a two-game series—Grant’s fifth and final Stanley Cup win. He turned down a professional contract in New York worth about $3,500 per year in the early 1900s to stay in Montreal. After playing the 1900 CAHL season with the Victorias, he was loaned to the Montreal Shamrocks in 1901 as an emergency replacement for Frank Tansey, appearing in two league games and two Cup challenges. He then returned to the Victorias for one final season in 1901.
Quick Facts
- Halloffame
- 1950
- Birth Date
- 1873-11-27
- Birth Place
- Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Death Date
- 1955-08-20
- Height Ft
- 5
- Height In
- 10
- Weight Lb
- 170
- Position
- Defence/Cover-point
- Played For
- Montreal Victorias / Montreal Shamrocks
- Career Start
- 1894
- Career End
- 1902
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Grant played cover-point and was known for his speed and skating ability. He is regarded as one of the first defencemen to rush forward and with the puck. He won speed skating championships at three different age groups when he was 11 years old. He also played amateur lacrosse while growing up in Montreal, Quebec. His skills transferred to the hockey rink where he used his skating ability to generate offensive chances from his defensive position. He played his youth hockey with the Crystals organization that won the Montreal city junior championship in 1891 and intermediate championships in 1892 and 1893. Grant graduated to the senior ranks in 1894 with the Montreal Victorias of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC). He scored one goal in eight games in 1895 and the Victorias won the AHAC title, and with it, control of the Stanley Cup. Grant served as captain of the team. The Montreal Victorias lost the Stanley Cup to the Winnipeg Victorias in February 1896, then regained it in December 1896. Grant captained the Victorias to a successful defence of the Stanley Cup in 1897 and the team retained the trophy in 1898. The AHAC disbanded in 1898, and the Victorias moved to the Canadian Amateur Hockey League (CAHL) for the 1899 season. Grant scored two goals in seven games in CAHL play. During the season, Grant and his teammates retained the Stanley Cup following a two-game series against the Winnipeg Victorias; it was Grant's fifth and final Stanley Cup win. Grant was offered a professional contract in New York worth the equivalent of $3,500 per year in the early 1900s, but opted to remain in Montreal. He was loaned to the Montreal Shamrocks in 1901 as an emergency replacement for Frank Tansey, appearing in two league games and two Stanley Cup challenge games, before returning to the Victorias for a final season in 1901.
Reader's Guide
Grant's significance lies in his pioneering role as one of the first rushing defencemen in hockey history, using his exceptional skating ability to create offensive chances from the cover-point position. He was a key member of the Montreal Victorias dynasty that won or retained the Stanley Cup five times between 1895 and 1899, a period when the trophy was contested through challenges. His career spanned the transition from the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada to the Canadian Amateur Hockey League. After his playing career, Grant became a referee and officiated several Stanley Cup challenge games, including the 1905 series between the Ottawa Hockey Club and the Rat Portage Thistles, where he famously wore a hard derby hat while on the ice. He later traveled around the United States organizing demonstrations of the sport and staging exhibition games, making him one of the sport's first ambassadors. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1950. His legacy also includes his family's involvement in horse racing through his father's blacksmithing business, and his son Don became an original part-owner and chairman of Major League Baseball's New York Mets.
More in Hockey Hall of Fame Players, Part 2 1-24
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