Maine

Maine is a state in the northeastern United States.

Its population is about 1,300,000.

Its capital is Augusta and the largest city is Portland.

History of hockey in Maine

see also: Maine Amateur Hockey (1946-1982)

Portland Country Club in 1917

Portland Hockey Club in 1920

Portland Country Club in 1921

In 1893, the Knickerbocker Ice Polo Club was organized in Rockland and was set to face the Capitols of Augusta at Augusta on February 16. It was reported that the two Lewiston hockey clubs held a match game on Wright's Pond on January 13, 1894. Captain Charles Marsh's team beat Mr. E. Drury Prayment's side by two goals. On December 26, 1896, the Sand Hill and Hallowell ice polo teams tied 0-0 in Augusta. On February 26, 1897, the Steamship Clerks beat the Grand Trunk Railway Clerks in a hockey game in Portland. The Canadians beat the Americans (Portland Hockey Club) 2-1 on March 6. On February 2, 1898, the Grand Trunk Railway Clerks defeated the Steamship Clerks 7-1 in Portland. Brunswick beat Bath 1-0 in an ice polo game on January 5, 1900. On January 13, the Delophoon and Maplewood clubs of Kittery played to a scoreless tie. The Steamship Hockey Club thrashed the Portland Hockey Club 12-3 on December 22, 1900. In Lewiston the Shamrocks defeated the Boers 4-3 on the same date. In January 1901, it was reported that the manager of the Calais Hockey Club had received notification that the Saint John (NB) team was ready to face them on the road at any time. The Calais team played a practice game on the 11th. On March 23, Young ASD thumped the White Stars 10-1 in Lewiston. Bath High School edged Brunswick High School 2-1 in an ice polo game on February 1, 1902. On the 7th, the St. Stephen High School (NB) trimmed the Calais High School team 3-0.

There was a game at the University of Maine on January 20, 1906, Alpha Tau Omega beating Sigma Alpha Epsilon 5-4. The Brunswick Reserves beat Augusta 10-2 on January 5, 1907. Bowdoin fell to the famous St. Paul's (NH) School on February 9, 1907. The first intercollegiate ice hockey game in Maine took place a week later, Bowdoin defeating the University of Maine 4-1. Another game between the two teams was played on the 22nd, the University of Maine winning this one, 3-2. On January 25, 1908, the University of Maine thumped Bucksport Seminary 12-0. The team planned to face Bowdoin, but both games were cancelled due to inclement weather. Kentshill also beat the Cochnewagans 4-3 at Monmouth on the 25th.

The Calais High School and Old Coves played to a scoreless tie on January 13, 1912. A week later, the St. Stephen (NB) Business College blasted Calais HS 11-0. Calais High School won two games over St. Stephen on the 25th, both by the score of 2-1. The Old Coves of Calais blanked the St. Stephen Thistles Juniors 3-0 on the 30th. The Calais High School beat the Old Coves 4-1 on February 1, giving them two wins and two ties in the series between the two. The St. Stephen Thistles thumped Calais HS 11-0 on the 14th. On January 19, 1914, the Bates Seniors blanked the Freshmen 2-0. The Waterville Pilgrims were set to face August AA on January 1, 1915. On February 18, 1915, the Bowdoin Juniors beat the Freshmen 3-1 and the Seniors skated away with the Seniors, 9-5. There were some interclass hockey games played at the University of Maine on the 22nd, the scores were as follows: Seniors 2 - Sophomores 0, Freshmen 5 - Juniors 1, Sophomores 8 - Juniors 1.

Interclass hockey resumed at Maine in 1916, the Juniors beating the Seniors 3-0 and the Freshmen thumping the Sophomores 10-4 on February 6. More games were played a week later: Freshmen 7 - Juniors 6, Sophomores 8 - Seniors 2. Lewiston St. Dominique beat the Auburn Metropolitans 7-0 on January 23, 1916. A week later, the Bates Juniors beat the Seniors 2-0, and St. Dominique edged the Metropolitans 4-3. On February 6, St. Dominique tied the Metropolitans 1-1, while the Bates Juniors clipped the Freshmen 4-1. On February 10, the Bowdoin Juniors edged the Freshmen 3-2. The Lewiston Wanderers shut out St. Dominique Juniors 3-0 on the 13th, and the Bates Juniors tied the Sophomores 3-3. The next day, the Bowdoin Seniors nipped the Juniors, 5-4. On February 20, St. Dominique subdued the Metropolitans 3-0. The Metropolitans edged the Wanderers 2-1 on March 5. A week later, the two sides played to a 1-1 deadlock.

Bowdoin blasted the Portland Country Club 5-0 on January 14, 1917. The next day, the Country Club thrashed a picked Deering team, 13-1. The Portland Canadian Club also beat the Country Club by scores of 10-3 and 7-2. Bates defeated the Auburn Metropolitans 5-1 on the 17th. Lewiston St. Dominique shut out Sabattus 6-0 on the 21st. Four days later, Bates beat St. Dominique 4-2. Portland Country Club edged Bates 3-1 on the 27th. The Metropolitans beat St. Dominique 2-1 on February 4. The two sides tied 0-0 the following week. Bates also beat the All-Stars 5-1 on the 11th. Bowdoin edged Bates 2-1 on the 14th. The University of Maine thumped the Portland Canadian Club 9-3 on the 17th. A week later, Cercle Canadien edged St. Dominique 2-1. On February 22, Maine beat Bates 4-1, and the Portland Canadian Club trimmed the Brunswick Hockey Club, 3-1. Bates beat St. Dominique 1-0 on January 28, 1918, and followed it up with a 4-1 win on February 4. Bates Juniors beat the Sophomores 4-1 on February 4, 1919. On the 13th, the Juniors edged the Freshmen 2-1. Four days later, the Juniors clipped the Seniors 3-1. On January 11, 1920, Biddeford St. Jean Baptiste blanked the Lewiston Hockey Club 3-0. The La Tuque Nibrocs of Quebec defeated the Portland Country Club 4-2 that winter. The Portland Hockey Club was also active in 1920, blasting the Biddeford St. Jeans 13-0 on January 21. The Portland Country Club played until 1922.

Bowdoin defeated Bates 2-0 on March 2, 1916 and 12-3 on the 5th. They also beat Bates 2-1 on February 14, 1917. Three days later, Bates exacted revenge with a 3-1 victory over Bowdoin. The University of Maine defeated Bates 4-1 on the 22nd. Hockey became an official sport at Bowdoin and Bates for the 1919-20 season, and Colby College was fielding a team by 1921-22. The Maine Black Bears sponsored hockey from 1922-1924, before restarting their program in 1977. They have enjoyed significant success, reaching 11 Frozen Fours and capturing the national championship in 1993 and 1999.

Lewiston St. Dominique and Waterville were the two most powerful clubs in the state by the mid-1920s, and they joined the New England Hockey League for the 1926-27 season. After two seasons, the league collapsed, and the teams went back to facing various teams in Maine and around the Northeast. The Cyclones and Knights of Columbus were also established in Lewiston, and by 1935 there were two teams in Waterville - the Wyandottes and Notre Dame. The Bates Manufacturing Company of Lewiston won the 1950 USAHA Senior B National Championship and represented America at the 1951 World Ice Hockey Championships. Bates remained active until around 1959, and was replaced by the Lewiston-Auburn Twins. The Waterville Bruins were also competitive during the 1950s and 1960s. The Lewiston-Auburn Rapids were active from 1990-1994. The Lewiston Contractors Hockey League has been contested since 1968, and the Lewiston-Auburn Senior Hockey League began play in 1993. The Lewiston Industrial Hockey League ran from 1965-1972.

The Maine Nordiques, based in Lewiston, competed in the minor professional North American Hockey League from 1973-1977. The Maine Mariners played in the American Hockey League from 1977-1992, and the Portland Pirates competed in it from 1993-2016. A new incarnation of the Maine Mariners have been members of the ECHL since 2018. At the junior level, the Lewiston MAINEiacs were members of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 2003-2011.

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