Canadian Railway Hockey League
Delegates from four hockey clubs met on December 13, 1899 at the Queens Hotel in Montreal to organize a Railway Hockey League. Extensive deliberation took place over the arrangement of a schedule which would have each team play six games. Although it was considered an intermediate league many of the players also suited up with senior teams in Montreal and Ottawa. Three players in the 1899-1900 Canadian Railway Hockey League were later inducted into the Hall of Fame and seven players combined to win 16 Stanley Cups. The Canadian Atlantic Railway hockey team was to play their home games at Dey's Rink in Ottawa, C.P.R.-Ottawa at Rideau Rink, C.P.R.-Montreal at The Arena and Grand Trunk Railway at the St. Lawrence Skating Rink in Point St. Charles, Montreal. The C.A.R. had a team which could compete with the best hockey organizations playing the game in Canada at the time. They outscored their opponents 34 to 13 and finished the 1899-1900 season with 5 wins and a tie to capture the railway hockey series championship. Each game before the puck had been put in play, the C.A.R. mascot, Paddy the Bulldog, was led around the rink. Before the third game of the season the C.A.R. club had an original advertising painting done on a steamer. It consisted of 2 Mogul locomotives, a G.T.R & C.A.R. coming together in a head-on collision. The engine’s carried the representations of 7 hockey players each and was paraded through the Ottawa streets on one of the company's transfer sleighs.
CANADIAN ATLANTIC RAILWAY HOCKEY TEAM - OTTAWA
* Stanley Cup ** Hall of Fame
Nine players had been active members of the team that season and all were employed by the Canadian Atlantic Railway. John Bouse Hutton worked in the car agent’s office. Hutton earned an assist in the team's first game of the year; “Hutton in goal lifted to the center, where McGuire took up the puck and passed to Sixsmith, who landed the first goal for C.A.R.” Frank O'Gara worked in the mechanical department, William “Peg” Duval was a railway steam fitter, Jim McGee, brother of HOFer Frank, was a clerk in the general freight agents office, Bruce Stuart worked in the mechanical shops of the road, Arthur Sixsmith was a clerk in the general freight office, Martin McGuire was an electrician in the motive power division, J. Smith and Mac Roger were employed in the mechanical department. “There was not another team in Canada with the exception of the Montreal Shamrocks and Winnipeg Victoria's which could defeat the husky railroaders from C.A.R. The defence was like a stone wall while the forwards had the speed & science of veterans.” It was remarkable that C.A.R. dominated the railway series considering they had to go against the C.P.R. and G.T.R. of Montreal, both who had a larger pool of men to select from. The C.P.R. team of Ottawa gave them the most spirited contests of the season. C.A.R. won the first game 5 to 3 in what was reported as the hockey match of the year. It displayed hockey of the cleanest and most scientific kind witnessed in a while. The teams skated to a 5-5 draw in the final game of the year. In what was billed as the Battle of C.P.R. the two teams faced off at the Rideau Rink in February of 1900. C.P.R. of Ottawa steamed over their counterparts from Montreal, 23 goals to 0.
CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY HOCKEY TEAM - OTTAWA
CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY HOCKEY TEAM - MONTREAL
GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY HOCKEY TEAM - MONTREAL
January 18, 1900
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
William "Peg" Duval secured employment with the Canadian Atlantic Railway in February of 1899 and played his first hockey game for the C.A.R. city league team on Feb.16th, in an exhibition game at Rideau Rink versus the local C.P.R. team. During the 1897-98 season Duval starred with the Ottawa Capitals, the Eastern Canadian Intermediate Champions. Peg played 7 games with the Capitals and 1 game with the Emmetts. The next season Duval ran afoul of the Capitals. “Billy Duval and the Capital hockey club have fallen out and the clever cover point will not figure on the team again. Duval, when spoken to in regard to the matter, said he had nothing to say. He will play with the C.A.R. for the rest of the season.” The 1901 Canadian census lists his occupation as Railway Steam Fitter. During the 1899-1900 season Duval played 6 games for the C.A.R hockey team of the Canadian Railway Hockey League, scoring 6 goals and 1 assist. That year he also suited up with Ottawa H/C and the Aberdeens. An Ottawa journalist reported, "Duval who plays cover point needs no recommendation as he is already recognized as a player who can take his part with the best of them." Duval played the next two years for Ottawa H/C and then moved to Pennsylvania where he played pro hockey for 2 seasons with the Pittsburgh Victorias. In 1904 Duval suited up for the Pittsburgh Pros of the IHL, but on February 19, 1905 he was suspended for not being in condition to play. One Pittsburgh reporter noted, "When in condition "Peg" is the goods. He has demonstrated that there are few cover points who have anything on him." In June of that year William died with what the physician determined was a case of acute alcoholism. He was 27 years old and had been employed in the Pennsylvania Railroad shops at 28th street.
"Mac" Roger played 3 seasons for Ottawa H/C beginning in 1898-1899. In his final year with the club Ottawa finished in first place to win the C.A.H.L championship. During the 1899-1900 season Roger also played hockey with the Canadian Atlantic Railway, scoring 9 goals in 6 games. He was employed in the C.A.R. mechanical department. Mac played 5 games with the Ottawa Maples during 1897-98 in a junior league that included the Aberdeens, Victorias, College and second Capitals. Mac started the next season with the intermediate Aberdeens, but by mid January members of the executive decided to launch the youngster into senior ranks. "The ladies call him Mac, the Aberdeens call him Duck, but his name in full is John McLean Roger." When the Aberdeens were at Orilla Mac was attacked by two Orilla roughs and would have fared badly but for president Harly Davidson, who interfered. At Stratford one of the domestics at the hotel stole his neck tie pin. The chief of police was notified and recovered it. Mac starred in his first senior game at Dey's Rink against the septuplet of Quebec. "Mac Roger's work with the stick and puck was deadly to the enemy. His fearless play netted 2 goals for the home team. He got in his good work every time the Ottawas were in a tight place and gilded down the ice with the speed of a cat getting round an ash barrel. To intercept him was impossible. His shots wear deadly. He beat the Quebecers, and that's all there is about it." Following his championship 1900-01 season John McLean "Mac" Roger moved to Revelstoke, BC, returning to Ontario to begin work at the Kingston Locomotive Works on January 16,1902, “to work at his trade as a machinist and not to play hockey.” One week later he applied to the OHA to play hockey for the Frontenacs. Manager James T. Sutherland made affidavit to the effect that the club had nothing to do with bringing Roger to Kingston. Managing Director Birmingham of the locomotive works said that Roger was employed as a machinist and not as a hockey player. Mac received his permission on January 28th, but in the meantime travelled the iron road to Pittsburgh with the Kingston Frontenacs for a series of exhibition games at Duquesne Gardens on January 23rd,24th and 25th. Pittsburgh Keystone won the first game 7-0, the tired & hungry Frontenacs poor showing attributed to the fact the team's train had arrived late to the city and they went directly to the Garden from the train. A refreshed Kingston club tied the Pittsburgh Bankers 2 – 2 the next night. In what was described as one of the fastest games played at the Garden that season, Mac Roger scored both goals for the Frontenacs in a 2 – 2 draw against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club in the final game of the exhibition series. Five players of the Pittsburgh club were formerly members of the Frontenac team. The crowd wanted the game played out so the Frontenacs agreed to play 10 minutes overtime, in spite of the fact their train was due - “Canucks nearly missed train to please crowd”.
Serious Disaster Averted By Ottawa Bound Train
A Grand Trunk Railway train containing an Ottawa hockey club and a large number of their supporters, came into a violent smash-up with a portion of a freight train abandoned on the main line near Montreal. The early morning collision on February 12, 1899, sent nearly all the passengers into the aisles, but miraculously no one sustained serious injury. The special train, consisting of an engine and 4 coaches had been out of Bonaventure depot for about an hour when the engineer noticed a number of box cars on the track. He immediately reversed the engine, but in an instant the locomotive struck the caboose, completely demolishing it. Wedged in beside the locomotive were the mangled box cars, which were loaded with paint and whiskey and they quickly caught fire. When it became apparent that the passenger cars were in danger, members of the hockey team uncoupled the first car from the tender and pushed the train to a place of safety. Another train was sent from nearby Coteau and after waiting over 2 hours the passengers continued their trip. Most likely it was the Ottawa seniors hockey team involved in the collision, however 4 teams from Ottawa had travelled to Montreal to compete in games at The Arena on February 11th. The Ashbury House school defeated Montreal Abingdon school 2 goals to 0 and the Ottawa Bakers took on the Montreal flour-mixers. Next, the Ottawa Intermediates beat the Quebec Cresents 5-4 in overtime and in the evening game Ottawa Seniors were rattled by the Montreal Victorias 16 to 0.
