Hamilton Tigers
(Hamilton, Ontario's NHL hockey franchise from 1920 to 1925)
The return of the Quebec Bulldogs (formerly a Stanley Cup winning NHA team) to the city of
Quebec for the 1919-20 season ended in failure. Despite having the league's scoring leader (39
goals) "The Phantom" Joe Malone in the line-up, the Bulldogs only managed a pathetic four
wins in 24 games. So the team was put up for sale. As it happened, a group from Hamilton,
Ontario were interested in bringing a pro team to the city to play in a new artificial-ice arena.
They were the owners of the Abso-pure Ice Company, and shortly before the start of the 1920-21
season, they succeeded in making the deal with the Quebec owners, and purchased their
franchise for $5,000. The new professional team was heartily received by hockey fans, who on
opening night came to the Barton Street Arena somewhere around 6,500 strong to watch their
team (minus Joe Malone) trounce an unconditioned Montreal Canadiens team 5-0. Although the
line-up was bolstered by additions from each of the other three teams, the Tigers quickly began to
falter. By the end of the first season, the team managed only six more wins, and finished last
place. The following three seasons saw the Tigers finish dead last each time, although by the
1923-24 season they had worked their way up to nine wins. The 1924-25 season saw a complete
transformation: unlike in other seasons when the team managed a few good early season wins
and then fizzled, this year the Tigers could not stop winning and fought their way to the top of
the standings. Hamiltonians were ecstatic: after four years of disappointment, suddenly the city
had a Stanley Cup contender. But as the season drew to a close, there was growing discord
among the Tigers' players: not at one another, but at management. The players were not being
compensated for the extra time they were playing (an earlier training camp, as well as six more
games than before, and now at least two play-off games) and they wanted something done about
it. Thus they justifiably went on strike, but this quickly failed and led to the team's suspension from
post-season play. Over time, all of the players involved went to the league on their hands and
knees begging for forgiveness, and eventually all were re-instated. But none would return to the
league as Hamilton Tigers for in yet another act of injustice the league decided that the city of
Hamilton no longer deserved an NHL franchise and it was re-located to New York, and thus
became the first Canadian NHL team to be sacrificed to the Americans. One can only wonder
how the league and the city would have been different had the Tigers not left Hamilton: what
great hockey would Hamilton fans witnessed, how ingrained into the fabric of our nation's
hockey lore would this city have become?
Schedules
Team Roster
| 1920-21 |
1921-22 |
1922-23 |
1923-24 |
1924-25 |
Other
All-time Roster [here] -- under construction
Player Biographies [here] -- under construction
Hamilton Tigers Chronology [here] -- under construction
Sources [here] -- under construction
Links [here] -- under construction