Starr Trophy

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The Starr Trophy was donated by the Starr Manufacturing Company based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, to the Halifax City Hockey League in 1897. It was awarded to the champions of the HCL and later served as the Nova Scotia Provincial Championship until 1905, when it became a challenge cup open to teams from around the Maritimes. The Moncton Victorias won the trophy three straight years from 1907-1909, thus earning it permanently.

The original Starr Trophy.

A new cup, known as the Starr Shield and the New Starr Trophy was then put up for competition in 1910. It began to fade in importance around this time with the onset of open professionalism in the region. In 1923, it was won permanently by the Charlottetown Abegweits. Yet another Starr Shield was then introduced. It was given to the winner of the Maritimes Senior Championship from 1924-1948.

Champions

Starr Trophy

Halifax City League
Nova Scotia Championship
  • 1904: Amherst Ramblers
Maritime Championship

Starr Shield

  • 1910: not awarded by trustees owing to the uncertain state of amateur hockey in the Maritimes
  • 1911: Charlottetown Victorias (amateur), Moncton Victorias (professional)
  • 1912: Charlottetown Victorias
  • 1913: Charlottetown Victorias
  • 1914: Campbellton Victorias
  • 1915-21: not awarded
  • 1922: Charlottetown Abegweits
  • 1923: Charlottetown Abegweits

Results

1904

With the formation of the Nova Scotia Hockey League, the trophy was presented by the officials of the Halifax Hockey League for competition between winning teams of the Nova Scotia and Cape Breton leagues. The Amherst Ramblers earned the trophy by winning the Nova Scotia League, and successfully defended it against the North Sydney Victorias.

  • 3/1: Amherst Ramblers - North Sydney Victorias 11:3 @ Amherst
  • 3/4: Amherst Ramblers - North Sydney Victorias 3:0 @ Amherst
1905

The Starr Trophy became open for competition between teams winning the championship of any league in the Maritime Provinces which was recognized by the M.P.A.A.A. The Charlottetown Abegweits challenged Amherst for the trophy.

  • 2/20: Amherst Ramblers - Charlottetown Abegweits 12:4 (9:1, 3:3) @ Amherst
  • 2/21: Amherst Ramblers - Charlottetown Abegweits 12:5 @ Amherst

Amherst retained the trophy, and received another challenge from Sackville, champions of the New Brunswick Senior Hockey League.

  • 3/14: Amherst Ramblers - Sackville HC 7:2
  • 3/16: Amherst Ramblers - Sackville HC 6:0
1906

The New Glasgow Cubs won the Starr Trophy from the Amherst Ramblers by winning the Nova Scotia Hockey League title. The Moncton Victorias, champions of the New Brunswick League then challenged New Glasgow for the trophy.

  • 3/12: New Glasgow Cubs - Moncton Victorias 4:1 @ New Glasgow
  • 3/14: New Glasgow Cubs - Moncton Victorias 2:1 OT @ New Glasgow

The Summerside Crystals, champions of the Prince Edward Island League, also challenged New Glasgow for the trophy.

  • New Glasgow Cubs - Summerside Crystals 11:2
  • New Glasgow Cubs - Summerside Crystals 9:2
1907

The Halifax Crescents won the trophy from the New Glasgow Cubs by winning the Nova Scotia League title. They received a challenge from the North Sydney Victorias, champions of the Cape Breton League.

  • 3/7: Halifax Crescents - North Sydney Victorias 14:5
  • 3/9: Halifax Crescents - North Sydney Victorias 4:1
  • 3/12: Moncton Victorias - Sackville HC 9:1
  • 3/13: Moncton Victorias - Sackville HC 8:0

There was talk that the Moncton Victorias would face the Fredericton Celestials in a series, as they were the only clubs remaining in the original NBHL. The Moncton Victorias eventually won the New Brunswick Championship, defeating Sackville 17-1 over two games, and challenged Halifax for the cup.

  • 3/15: Moncton Victorias - Halifax Crescents 3:1 @ Halifax
  • 3/18: Moncton Victorias - Halifax Crescents 1:0 OT @ Halifax

Moncton Victorias won the cup.

1908
  • 3/7: Fredericton Capitals - Moncton Victorias 2:1 - deciding game of the New Brunswick League

The Fredericton Capitals won the cup from Moncton, and then received a challenge from the Amherst Ramblers, champions of the Nova Scotia League.

  • 3/12: Fredericton Capitals - Amherst Ramblers 6:2
  • 3/13: Fredericton Capitals - Amherst Ramblers 8:1

The Fredericton Capitals met the Charlottetown Victorias, champions of the Prince Edward Island Senior Hockey League (who had recently beaten the North Sydney Victorias, champions of the Cape Breton League twice [1-0 in the first game]), for the Starr Trophy. Fredericton was later suspended for professionalism (see below).

  • 3/19: Fredericton Capitals - Charlottetown Victorias 8:5 @ Fredericton
  • 3/20: Fredericton Capitals - Charlottetown Victorias 10:3 @ Fredericton

"According to a bulletin Oren Froode of Pembroke, who played with Fredericton under the name of Claude Oren is declared a professional. The Capital hockey team is also declared professional. All hockey players who have competed this season against the Capitals are suspended. Affidavits of the Moncton Victorias in connection with their enquiry into the Oren matter were received, by Mr. McIlreith who handed them over to President Lithgow, who ordered the issuance of the bulletin. The Crescens, Ramblers, Victorias of Moncton, Victorias of Charlottetown, the Cape Breton champions and New Brunswick league teams which played against the Capitals are all suspended. This is only a nominal suspension and they will be reinstated in a day or two. The Starr Trophy will be returned to the trustees. Amherst wants to play Moncton for the trophy, the latter being winners of the New Brunswick league (with Fredericton disqualified), and if there is ice, games may be arranged".

-The Charlottetown Guardian, March 28, 1908

Moncton's outing of Oren sparked a massive feud between them and Fredericton, the latter team also accusing the Victorias of being professionals. The New Brunswick Hockey League did not recognize the Moncton Victorias as champions, and therefore they were prohibited from facing the Amherst Ramblers in a series for the Starr Trophy. Its trustees decided to not officially award the trophy in 1908. The Moncton Board of Health also passed orders prohibiting any Starr Trophy matches from being played in Moncton. The Maritime Provinces Amateur Athletic Association later ordered the trophy to be returned to Moncton.

1909

In December 1908, the trustees decided to give the Starr Trophy to Moncton, who was ordered to defend the trophy against Amherst to kick off the 1909 season.

  • 1/7: Moncton Victorias - Amherst Ramblers 4:2 @ Moncton
  • 1/9: Moncton Victorias - Amherst Ramblers 8:1 @ Moncton

Moncton retained the trophy. They also received a challenge from the Charlottetown Victorias and faced them.

  • 1/19: Moncton Victorias - Charlottetown Victorias 5:3 @ Moncton
  • 1/20: Moncton Victorias - Charlottetown Victorias 7:3 @ Moncton

Moncton again retained the trophy. The Halifax Crescents, champions of the Nova Scotia League, then challenged them. They did not want to travel to Moncton to face the Victorias, and hoped they would play in Halifax. The team also saw an opportunity to get the cup on technicality, as the trophy rules stipulated that the holders must be champions of a league, and the Victorias were not entered in one this winter. Halifax eventually decided to go to Moncton to play for the trophy.

  • 2/27: Moncton Victorias - Halifax Crescents 2:2 @ Moncton
  • Moncton Victorias - Halifax Crescents 2:1 @ Moncton
1910

The Starr Trophy was not awarded in 1910 owing to the trustees' uncertainty about the state of amateur hockey in the Maritimes. A Professional Championship was however played this winter.

1911

The Nova Scotia Amateur Championship was played between the winners of the Nova Scotia League (Amherst) and the Western Nova Scotia Senior League (Wolfville).

  • 2/27: Amherst Ramblers - Wolfville 4:3
  • 3/3: Amherst Ramblers - Wolfville 10:4

The Charlottetown Victorias, champions of the Prince Edward Island League, faced the North Sydney St. Joseph's, winners of the Cape Breton League, for the New Starr Trophy.

  • Charlottetown Victorias - North Sydney St. Joseph's 12:2
  • 3/15: Charlottetown Victorias - North Sydney St. Joseph's 8:3

Charlottetown won the trophy. The Amherst Ramblers, amateur champions of Nova Scotia, had been slated to face the Victorias in Halifax on March 21 and 22, but broke the dates and went to Boston. Consequently, the trustees shut them out of the playoff.

There was also a professional Starr Trophy series between the Moncton Victorias and the Halifax Professionals of the Interprovincial Professional Hockey League. Moncton won three of the four games and outscored Halifax 32-19.

  • 2/20: Moncton Victorias - Halifax Professionals 8:3
  • 2/27: Moncton Victorias - Halifax Professionals 9:5
  • 3/2: Halifax Professionals - Moncton Victorias 8:6
  • 3/3: Moncton Victorias - Halifax Professionals 9:3
1912

Charlottetown received a challenge from the Halifax Orioles, champions of the Halifax City League.

  • 2/28: Charlottetown Victorias - Halifax Orioles 13:2 @ Charlottetown
  • 2/29: Charlottetown Victorias - Halifax Orioles 9:1 @ Charlottetown

The Windsor Swastikas won the Western Nova Scotia League and challenged Charlottetown for the Starr Trophy. It does not appear that the two teams played.

1913

The Charlottetown Victorias were challenged for the Starr Trophy by the Halifax Technicals, champions of the Halifax City League.

  • 3/6: Charlottetown Victorias - Halifax Technicals 4:1 @ Charlottetown
  • 3/7: Charlottetown Victorias - Halifax Technicals 6:2 @ Charlottetown

Charlottetown retained the trophy, but received another challenge from Amherst First Baptist Church, who won the Amherst Church League with a 9-1 record.

  • 3/13: Charlottetown Victorias - Amherst First Baptist Church 5:1 @ Charlottetown
  • 3/14: Charlottetown Victorias - Amherst First Baptist Church 8:0 @ Charlottetown

Charlottetown again retained the trophy. Glace Bay also challenged for it, but it appears it was not contested.

1914

The Campbellton Victorias were awarded the Starr Trophy as champions of the New Brunswick Hockey League. The Chatham Ironmen, also of the NBHL, wished to play off with Campbellton for the cup. Tommy Lynch, the manager of the Fredericton Capitals, who had custody of the trophy, was not inclined to hand it over to league officials for delivery to the champions. The matter was taken up with the league officials, the Star Company, and the Campbellton club.

Campbellton eventually played Amherst of the Inter-Provincial Semi-Pro League, who challenged for the Starr Trophy.

  • 3/19: Campbellton Victorias - Amherst Ramblers 3:3
  • 3/20: Campbellton Victorias - Amherst Ramblers 3:3
  • 3/21: Campbellton Victorias - Amherst Ramblers 5:3

The whereabouts of the Starr Trophy were unknown until the summer of 1920. It was eventually discovered that it had been in Campbellton all that time, and there were talks of teams challenging the club for it in the winter of 1920-21. It was awarded to the Charlottetown Abegweits in 1922 and 1923.

Sources

  • Charlottetown Guardian
  • Halifax Evening Mail
  • Fredericton Daily Gleaner
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