H. Montagu Allan
Donor of the Allan Cup, amateur hockey's top prize.
H. Montagu Allan (October 13, 1860 – September 26, 1951) was a Canadian businessman, philanthropist, and sportsman. He is best remembered for donating the Allan Cup in 1908, a trophy that is still awarded today to the Canadian men's amateur ice hockey champions. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1945 in the Builders category.
Quick Facts
- Honorific Prefix
- Lieutenant-Colonel Sir
- Honorific Suffix
- CVO
- Birth Name
- Hugh Andrew Montagu Allan
- Birth Date
- 1860-10-13
- Birth Place
- Montreal, Canada East
- Death Date
- 1951-09-26
- Death Place
- Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Resting Place
- Mount Royal Cemetery
- Occupation
- Businessman and philanthropist
- Known For
- Donating the Allan Cup, the championship trophy of men's amateur hockey in Canada
- Spouse
- Marguerite Ethel Mackenzie (m. 1893)
- Children
- 4, including Martha Allan
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Allan donated the Allan Cup in 1908 after the Stanley Cup was restricted to professional teams, giving amateur teams a championship to aspire to. The Cup was originally a challenge trophy, meaning teams could issue challenges to the reigning champion. In 1914, the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) was formed and the Allan Cup became its championship trophy under trustees appointed by Allan. Beginning in 1920, the reigning Allan Cup champion was chosen to represent Canada at the Olympic Games, continuing until Father David Bauer introduced a National Hockey program for the 1964 Winter Olympics.
Reader's Guide
The Allan Cup represents the highest level of achievement for amateur hockey teams across Canada, awarded annually to the senior ice hockey champions. Its creation filled a void left when the Stanley Cup became a professional trophy. The Cup's role as the Olympic representative for Canada from 1920 until 1964 underscores its national significance in amateur hockey. Allan's donation of the trophy and his subsequent induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1945 as a Builder cement his legacy as a key figure in the development of Canadian amateur hockey. The Cup remains in active use today.
Did You Know?
- Allan was created a Knight Bachelor by King Edward VII in 1906.
- His two daughters, Anna and Gwendolyn, were killed in the sinking of the RMS Lusitania in 1915.
- He co-founded and was president of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Montreal.
- His cousin, Brenda (Allan), known as Lady Meredith, donated the Lady Meredith Cup in 1920, the first ice hockey trophy for women in Canada.
More in Hockey Hall of Fame Players 1-24
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