Cyclone Taylor
One of the first stars of professional hockey.
Frederick Wellington “Cyclone” Taylor (June 23, 1884 – June 9, 1979) was a Canadian who played professional ice hockey and worked as a civil servant. He played cover-point and rover, competing professionally from 1906 to 1922, and is considered one of the early stars of hockey’s professional era. Known for his exceptional speed and high scoring, Taylor won five scoring titles in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA). He claimed the Stanley Cup twice—first with Ottawa in 1909 and later with Vancouver in 1915—and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1947.
Taylor grew up in Southern Ontario. In 1906 he moved to Manitoba to advance his hockey career. He soon left to play in Houghton, Michigan, spending two seasons in the International Hockey League, the world’s first openly professional hockey league. Returning to Canada in 1907, he joined the Ottawa Senators for two seasons. During this period, Taylor was often compared to baseball star Ty Cobb, and in 1909, when he signed with the Renfrew Creamery Kings, both he and Cobb were the highest-paid athletes in their respective sports. In 1912 Taylor moved to Vancouver to play for the Vancouver Millionaires of the PCHA, where he remained until 1922. During the 1918 Stanley Cup Final, he scored nine goals in the series, an NHL-era Stanley Cup Final record that still stands.
After moving to Ottawa in 1907, Taylor took a job as an immigration clerk in the federal Interior Department and continued as an immigration official for decades. In 1914, he became the first Canadian official to board the *Komagata Maru*, a ship involved in a major immigration controversy. He eventually rose to Commissioner of Immigration for British Columbia and the Yukon, the highest regional post. In 1946 he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his immigration work, and he retired in 1950.
**Early life**
Frederick Wellington Taylor was born in Tara, Ontario, the second son and fourth of five children of Archie and Mary Taylor. Most sources give his birth date as June 23, 1884, though the exact date is uncertain. Archie, whose parents were Scottish immigrants, worked as a travelling salesman selling farm equipment. Taylor was close to his mother, a devout Methodist, and followed her example by never smoking, drinking, or swearing.
Quick Facts
- Halloffame
- 1947
- Birth Date
- 1884-06-23
- Birth Place
- Tara, Ontario, Canada
- Death Date
- 1979-06-09
- Death Place
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Height Ft
- 5
- Height In
- 8
- Weight Lb
- 165
- Position
- Rover / Cover-point
- Shoots
- Left
- Played For
- Portage Lakes Hockey Club / Ottawa Hockey Club / Pittsburgh Athletic Club / Renfrew Creamery Kings / Vancouver Millionaires / Vancouver Maroons
- Career Start
- 1906
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Born in Tara, Ontario, Taylor was the second son of Archie and Mary Taylor. His father was a travelling salesman of Scottish descent, and his mother was a devout Methodist; Taylor never smoked, drank, or swore. The family moved to Listowel when he was six, and he left school at 17 to work in a piano factory. He learned to skate at age five and was taught hockey by a local barber named Jack Riggs. Taylor joined the Listowel Mintos at age 13 in 1897, and by 16 was a top player and leading scorer. The Mintos won a local league championship in 1900–01 and reached the provincial junior championship in 1904, losing in sudden-death overtime.
In 1903, Taylor was invited by OHA secretary Bill Hewitt to play for the Toronto Marlboros, but he refused. Hewitt then banned Taylor from playing hockey in Ontario for the 1903–04 season. Taylor sat out the 1904–05 season rather than play elsewhere. In 1906, he moved to Manitoba and joined Portage la Prairie, where he was offered room, board, and $25 monthly. After four games, he left for the Portage Lakes Hockey Club in Houghton, Michigan, part of the International Hockey League, the first openly professional league. He was offered US$400 plus expenses. Taylor played cover-point and scored 11 goals in six games as Portage Lakes won the 1906 IHL championship; the next season he scored 14 goals in 23 games as they repeated as champions.
Reader's Guide
Taylor's significance lies in his role as one of the first stars of professional hockey. He won five scoring championships in the PCHA and set an NHL-era Stanley Cup Final record in 1918 by scoring 9 goals in the series, a record that remains unbroken. His career spanned from the early professional leagues to the formation of the PCHA, and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1947. Beyond hockey, Taylor had a notable career as an immigration official. Upon moving to Ottawa in 1907, he became an immigration clerk in the federal Interior Department. In 1914, he was the first Canadian official to board the Komagata Maru, involved in a major immigration incident. He later became Commissioner of Immigration for British Columbia and the Yukon, the highest position in the region. In 1946, he was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his services as an immigration officer, and he retired in 1950.
Did You Know?
- Taylor was named Frederick Wellington after a local veterinarian, a friend of his father.
- In 1909, Taylor and baseball's Ty Cobb were the highest paid athletes in their respective sports.
- Taylor scored 9 goals in the 1918 Stanley Cup Final, a record that still stands.
More in Hockey Hall of Fame Players, Part 3 1-24
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