History
The Victorias took their name from the then-reigning monarch of Canada, Queen Victoria, a convention common among ice hockey teams of the era.
From 1889 until 1892, the Victorias played exhibitions and played against other Winnipeg teams. The Victorias played in the first match in Western Canada between organized hockey clubs on December 20, 1890 against the Winnipeg Hockey Club at the Street Railway Rink in Winnipeg. The players were:
| Victorias | Winnipegs |
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Source: "In the Early Days". The Globe: p. 11. December 28, 1910.
The Victorias helped to found the Manitoba association in 1893. The Victorias first won the Stanley Cup in 1896, defeated the Montreal Victorias in a single-game challenge 2-0 on February 14, 1896 in Montreal. In the rematch, Winnipeg lost to Montreal in a single-game challenge 5-6 on December 30, 1896 in Winnipeg.
In February 1899, the Victorias would lose a two-game total goals series 5-3 against Montreal. In their next chance, the Victorias defeated Montreal Shamrocks in a two-game, total goals series 4-3, 2-1 (6-4) on January 29 and 31, 1901 in Montreal. The Victorias held the trophy, winning the Manitoba championship, and successfully defended the Stanley Cup against Toronto in two-game, total goals series 5-3, 5-3 (10-6) on January 21 and 23, 1902 in Winnipeg. The Victorias run as champion ended in a loss to Montreal Hockey Club in a best two-of-three 1-0, 0-5 and 1-2 on March 13, 15 and 17 1902 in Winnipeg.
After the Stanley Cup was awarded only to professional teams starting in 1908, the Victorias did not challenge for the Stanley Cup, and remained an amateur team, playing in the Manitoba Association. The 1911 Winnipeg Victorias appear to have won the Allan Cup by default when the Ontario Hockey Association refused to allow their team to play mid-season. In March of that year, the Vics defended the cup by defeating Kenora 12-5. In 1912 the Victorias defended the cup against Calgary (March 5 11-0 & March 7 8-6), Toronto Eatons (March 9 8-4 & 16-1) and Regina (March 14 9-3).
The 1896 & 1901 Stanley Cup champions and the 1911 & 1912 Allan Cup champions Winnipeg Victorias are inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in the team category.
Read more about this topic: Winnipeg Victorias
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“In nature, all is useful, all is beautiful. It is therefore beautiful, because it is alive, moving, reproductive; it is therefore useful, because it is symmetrical and fair. Beauty will not come at the call of a legislature, nor will it repeat in England or America its history in Greece. It will come, as always, unannounced, and spring up between the feet of brave and earnest men.”
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