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The History of Hockey in Canada and the Rise of Cyclone Taylor

Early Life and Influences

  • Fred Taylor, at age five, lives in Terra, Ontario, next to the Sobel River.

  • Jack Riggs, a 21-year-old barber and local speed skating champion, gifts Fred his skates.

  • Fred views Jack Riggs as an important and influential figure in his life.

The Rise of Hockey in Canada

  • The early 1900s in Canada are marked by confidence and enterprise.

  • Urbanization leads to the growth of factories and mass production, making hockey equipment more accessible.

  • Mail-order catalogs enable wider distribution of hockey equipment, spreading the sport across the country.

  • Hockey's development mirrors Canada's own growth, with factories producing equipment and mail order making it widely available.

  • Young players across Canada discover hockey on frozen ponds and rivers, using mail-order equipment.

Fred Taylor's Early Hockey Career

  • Fred Taylor hones his skills on the Maitland River, developing speed and strength.

  • He gains recognition in his mid-teens for his hockey talent.

  • Taylor's skill is compared to that of Wayne Gretzky due to his vision and scoring ability.

  • By 1901, Taylor is a key player for the Listowel Mintos.

  • He works at the Morris Piano Factory to support his family, who are of modest means.

Conflicts with the Ontario Hockey Association

  • Billy Hewitt, secretary of the Ontario Hockey Association, seeks Taylor for the Toronto Marlboros.

  • Taylor declines due to his job and attachment to Listowel.

  • Hewitt blacklists Taylor from playing in Ontario in 1904 as a result.

Professional Hockey in Copper Country, Michigan

  • Copper Country, Michigan experiences a boom due to the demand for copper.

  • Canadian John "Doc" Gibson, a dentist and hockey player, joins the Portage Lakers.

  • James R. Dee builds the Amphidrome, the largest enclosed ice rink in America.

  • Dee establishes a professional hockey league, the International League, in 1902.

  • Open professionalism.

  • Doc Gibson recruits Canadian players by offering them pay in Michigan.

  • Players like Jack Laviolette, Didier Pitre, and Edouard "Newsy" Lalonde join the league.

  • Lalonde gains fame for scoring an unusual goal.

  • Fred Taylor is recruited from Ontario after being banned.

Backlash from Canadian Hockey Establishment

  • Canadian amateur hockey officials are concerned about losing players and revenue to the U.S. league.

  • John Ross Robertson, a member of parliament, threatens banishment for players joining American teams.

  • The lure of money entices players to continue joining the American league.

  • From 1904 to 1907, the pro hockey league in Michigan is very popular, but it declines due to recession and the collapse of the copper market.

  • The Amphidrome burns down years later.

  • Pro hockey's genie is out of the bottle.

  • The Kenora Thistles win the Stanley Cup in 1907, marking the end of small-town teams competing at the highest level.

  • Professional hockey in the U.S. forces Canadian teams to adopt the "money game".

Fred Taylor in Ottawa

  • Ottawa is a working-class town divided along class lines, but hockey unites its residents.

  • From 1903-1905, Ottawa's Silver Seven are a dominant team.

  • Ottawa recruits Fred Taylor after the collapse of the Michigan league.

  • Taylor's contract includes 500 for 10 games and a civil service job, not the highest salary offered.

  • Taylor's impressive play earns him the nickname "Cyclone" after Governor General Earl Grey witnesses him score four goals.

  • Taylor meets Thurza Cook, but faces social class obstacles due to his background.

  • He vows to earn 10,000 before proposing to Thurza.

The Renfrew Creamery Kings

  • Senator MJ O'Brien aims to win the Stanley Cup with his Renfrew Creamery Kings but is excluded by big-city owners.

  • O'Brien's son, Ambrose, and Jimmy Gardner create the National Hockey Association (NHA) after being rejected by the hockey establishment.

  • O'Brien recruits star players like the Patrick brothers for 5,000 plus expenses.

  • O'Brien signs Cyclone Taylor for 5,250 for 12 games, more than the Prime Minister's salary.

  • The Renfrew Creamery Kings become known as the "Millionaires" due to their high payroll.

The Montreal Canadiens

  • The NHA aims to create a rivalry, focusing on the French-English dynamic in Montreal.

  • O'Brien finances a new French Canadian team, Les Canadiens, with 15,000.

  • The team acquires top French players like Newsy Lalonde, Jack Laviolette, and Didier Pitre.

  • Initially, the team is disliked in the French community because it was created by the English team, but they eventually win them over.

The Pacific Coast Hockey Association

  • Joe Patrick sells his company for a reported $1,000,000 and invests in hockey on the West Coast.

  • His sons, Lester and Frank, plan a new hockey league.

  • In 1911, they open the Denman Arena and launch the Pacific Coast Hockey Association.

  • The Patrick brothers recruit players from the East, including Lalonde and Pitre.

  • Frank Patrick convinces Cyclone Taylor to join by arranging for his civil service job to be transferred to Vancouver.

  • The Patrick brothers introduce innovations such as jersey numbers, allowing goalies to fall, and the penalty shot.

  • They introduce the forward pass, it enables a faster-paced game.

  • They also implement points for assists, line substitutions, farm teams, and a playoff system.

  • In 1915, Cyclone Taylor leads the Vancouver Millionaires to a Stanley Cup victory.

  • Taylor marries Thurza Cook after overcoming social class barriers.

  • Fred Taylor, along with other stars, is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.