Ladies Ontario Hockey Association

In the early 1920s, working class women sought increased control over the administration and organizational aspects of the sports they played, including ice hockey. On December 16, 1922, a meeting was held to announce the Ladies Ontario Hockey Association was formed.

The organization was structured similarly to the Ontario Women’s Softball Association in which women would run the organization but men would serve in an advisory capacity. During the December 16 meeting, Frank McEwen, president of the Toronto Hockey League, presided over the meeting. Members from ladies clubs in London, Ontario and St. Thomas, Ontario were present. There was a total of 20 teams in attendance. A letter from the Ottawa Alerts ladies club was presented, indicating their interest to join.

History

The women who become the executives of the LOHA in its first year were Mae Maxwell (First Vice President), Winnie Simpson (Second Vice President), Janet Allen (Treasurer), Kathleen Milne and E Harrison were members at large. John DeGruchy was its honorary president while Frank Best was its president. By the 23rd of December, 18 teams joined the LOHA and paid dues of eleven dollars for each team. In its first year, the LOHA associated with the Ontario branch of the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada. In 1923, Janet Allen was the first female to be elected LOHA president.

In autumn of 1923, the LOHA suffered a setback when the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association held a meeting in Port Arthur. The Association voted not to give women official recognition as hockey players.

In 1927, LOHA president Janet Allen, and LOHA treasurer Bobbie Rosenfeld attended the 38th meeting of the Ontario Hockey Association and asked the OHA to help endorse the league. In the process, they announced that if the OHA would help boost its membership, the LOHA would create a provincial championship for its member teams.

By 1934, the impact of the Great Depression was felt as the LOHA only had seven member teams (and only one from the city of Toronto).By late 1936, Bobbie Rosenfeld was not only the LOHA president, but served as the secretary and the treasurer.

Due to the Great Depression, ice time became extremely rare, especially for women. In March 1938, the LOHA semi-final with the Preston Rivulettes and the Northern Marvels of Cobalt had to be rescheduled. The game was scheduled to be played in Preston, but the Ontario Hockey Association (men’s hockey association) forced a change in venue so that a men’s game could be played.

The Ladies Ontario Hockey Association disbanded in 1940 due to declining participation and resources during wartime, leaving Ontario with no organized leagues or provincial championships. Although men's sport also declined at this time, it saw a resurgence in the postwar period.

List of presidents

Years	President
1922-23	Frank Best
1923-27	Janet Allen
1927-34	E Ruttier
1934-39	Bobbie Rosenfeld
1939-40	Roxy Atkins

Leagues

League play was conducted under LOHA jurisdiction for many years. See links to the Greater Toronto Ladies Hockey League for results from that league, and the Preston Rivulettes for information on the leagues that team played in.

1920-21

(exhibitions)

• 1/13: Ottawa Alerts - Ottawa Crescents 1:0
• 2/4: Ottawa Alerts - Renfrew 4:2
• 2/7: Hurlbut Factory - Hurlbut Office Staff 5:2 @ Preston
• 2/11: Ottawa Alerts - Renfrew 5:3
• 2/14: Brantford YWCA - Preston Hurlbuts 4:1
• 2/22: Brantford YWCA - Preston Hurlbuts 1:0
• 2/25: Ottawa Alerts - Ottawa Crescents 2:0
• 3/5: Ottawa Crescents - Ottawa Alerts 3:1

1921-22

(exhibitions)

• 1/14: Ottawa Alerts - Ottawa Crescents 3:0
• 1/31: Ottawa Alerts - Ottawa Crescents 3:3
• 2/1: North Toronto - Thornhill 5:3
• 2/3: Brantford Girls - Preston Hurlbuts 4:2
• 2/6: Peterboro - Lakefield 2:1
• 2/9: Toronto Beaches - St. Aidan's 4:3
• 2/9: Brantford Girls - Preston Hurlbuts 1:0
• 2/17: Brantford Girls - Paris Girls 7:0
• 2/18: North Toronto - Ottawa Alerts 0:0
• 2/18: Welland - Toronto Beaches 5:2
• 2/18: Lakefield - Bish. Beth. School 2:1
• 2/24: Peterboro - Campbellford 3:0
• 2/24: Ottawa Alerts - Renfrew Clovers 5:2
• 2/25: Welland - Toronto Beaches 7:0
• 2/27: Brantford Girls - Paris Girls 4:1
• 3/2: Lakefield - Peterboro 1:0 - Lakefield won Hirsch Cup
• 3/4: North Toronto - Ottawa Alerts 1:0
• 3/13: North Toronto - Lakefield 5:1 - Ontario Championship, Lakefield was champions of Eastern Ontario
• 3/18: Haileybury - Iroquois Falls 4:0 - Haileybury won series by 5 goals and claimed Northern Ontario title

1922-23

Preston-Kitchener Group

• 1/10: Preston Hurlbuts - Kitchener Ladies 7:1
• 1/19: Preston Hurlbuts - Kitchener Ladies 4:0
• 1/23: Preston Hurlbuts - Kitchener Ladies 3:0
• 2/2: Preston Hurlbuts - Kitchener Ladies 8:1

Owen Sound-Wiarton-Chesley Group

• 1/9: Wiarton - Chesley 2:1
• 1/15: Chesley - Owen Sound 2:1
• 1/18: Wiarton - Owen Sound 3:3
• 1/22: Chesley - Wiarton 2:0
• 1/25: Wiarton - Owen Sound 6:1
• 1/29: Owen Sound - Chesley 3:0

London-St. Thomas Group

• London - St. Thomas 2:0
• London - St. Thomas 1:0
• 1/22: London - St. Thomas 2:0

Thornhill-Aurora Group

• 1/11: Thornhill - Aurora 3:0
• 1/17: Thornhill - Aurora 7:2
• 1/23: Aurora - Thornhill 2:0
• 1/31: Thornhill - Aurora 5:1

Campbellford-Peterboro-Lakefield Group

• 1/17: Campbellford - Peterboro 2:1
• 1/19: Campbellford - Lakefield 6:2
• 1/26: Lakefield - Peterboro 5:1
• 1/30: Campbellford - Peterboro 2:1

Welland-Dunnville Group

• 1/11: Welland - Dunnville 3:0
• 1/24: Dunnville - Welland 3:0
• 2/1: Welland - Dunnville 3:1

Exhibitions

• 1/1: Toronto Aura Lee - Kitchener Ladies 4:1
• 2/2: Ottawa Alerts - Westboro 5:3
• 2/21: St. Thomas - Ingersoll 11:0
• 3/8: Preston Hurlbuts - Milton High 8:2

1923-24

Group 1

• 1/28: Preston Hurlbuts - Galt Imps 3:2
• 1/31: Preston Hurlbuts - Galt Imps 1:0
• 2/6: Brantford - Galt Imps 2:2
• 2/8: Preston Hurlbuts - Brantford 3:0
• 2/14: Galt Imps - Brantford 2:1
• 2/18: Preston Hurlbuts - Brantford 2:2

Group 2

• 1/31: Campbellford - Lakefield 8:4
• 2/8: Lakefield - Campbellford 7:4
• 2/20: Campbellford - Lakefield 9:4 - final
• 2/25: Lakefield - Campbellford 6:4 - "

Exhibitions

• 2/15: Ottawa Alerts - Pembroke 7:1
• 2/29: Toronto Aura Lee - Galt Imps 4:1

1924-25

(exhibitions)

• 1/15: Galt Imps - Toronto Royal Bank 2:1
• 2/5: Ottawa Alerts - Renfrew 4:0
• 2/26: Ottawa Alerts - Queen's University 2:0
• 3/4: Ottawa Alerts - Queen's University 3:0
• 3/10: Ottawa Alerts - Renfrew 1:0

1925-26

(exhibitions)

• 1/16: Ottawa Rowing Club - Pembroke 2:1
• 1/16: Ottawa Alerts - Cumberland 3:0
• 2/10: London Silverwoods - Watford 1:0
• 2/13: London Silverwoods - Watford 4:0

1926-27

(exhibitions)

• 3/2: Forest Ladies - Watford Ladies 3:1
• 3/12: Forest Ladies - London Ladies 1:0

1928-29

Western Ontario Group

• 2/8: St. Thomas Wolverines - Port Dover
• 2/11: St. Thomas Wolverines - London C.A. 1:0
• 2/13: Port Dover - London C.A. 1:0
• 2/15: St. Thomas Wolverines - Port Dover 3:2
• 2/18: London C.A. - Port Dover 2:1
• 2/20: St. Thomas Wolverines - London C.A. 1:1

Ottawa (exhibitions)

• 2/11: Solloway Mills - Ottawa Alerts 1:1
• 2/27: Solloway Mills - Ottawa Alerts 3:1

1929-30

Western Ontario Group

• 2/6: London - Port Dover Sailorettes 1:0 OT
• 2/12: London - St. Thomas 5:2
• 2/26: London - St. Thomas 7:2
• 3/3: Port Dover Sailorettes - London 3:0
• 3/5: Port Dover Sailorettes - St. Thomas 4:0
• 3/13: Port Dover Sailorettes - London 1:0 - final

Renfrew County Championship

• 2/27: Chalk River Tumblers - Pembroke 2:2
• 3/1: Chalk River Tumblers - Pembroke 1:0

1930-31

Western Ontario Group

• 2/11: London Silverwoods - St. Thomas MCR 0:0 OT
• 2/25: London Silverwoods - St. Thomas MCR 4:1

Renfrew County League

• 1/27: Chalk River - Renfrew 2:0
• 2/10: Pembroke - Chalk River 4:0 - Pembroke was three points ahead of second place Chalk River
• 2/16: Pembroke - Renfrew 2:0

Champions

	Ladies Ontario Hockey Association Senior Division Champions, 1923 - 1940
1923	Early rounds: Preston Hurlbuts beat London 5 goals to 2 (2-0, 3-2), Thornhill beat Bowmanville, Welland beat Preston Hurlbuts 3 goals to 2 (3-0, 0-2), Thornhill beat Welland 8 goals to 1 (5-0, 3-1), North Toronto beat Wiarton 7-0 in sudden death game. Semifinals: North Toronto beat Thornhill 6 goals to 1 (5-1, 1-0), Ottawa Alerts beat Campbellford 9 goals to 4 (8-4, 1-0). Ottawa Alerts defeated North Toronto 6 goals to 2 (1-0, 5-2) in final.
1924	Quarterfinal: Preston Hurlbuts beat London AAA 2 goals to 1 (0-1, 2-0). Semifinals: North Toronto beat Preston Hurlbuts 6 goals to 1 (5-1, 1-0), Ottawa Alerts beat Campbellford 14 goals to 0 (9-0, 5-0). Final: Ottawa Alerts won title after North Toronto folded.
1925	First round: Galt Imps beat London 4 goals to 0 (1-0, 3-0), Quarterfinal: Grimsby Peach Queens beat Galt Imps 3 goals to 2 (1-1, 2-1). University of Toronto defeated Grimsby Peach Queens 5 goals to 0 (3-0, 2-0) in semifinal and Ottawa Alerts 5 goals to 2 (4-1, 1-1) in final.
1926	The final between the Toronto Pats and Sudbury Wolves was not played. Quarterfinals: Ottawa Rowing Club beat Ottawa Alerts 5 goals to 1 (3-1, 2-0), Toronto Pats defeated London Silverwoods 5 goals to 0 (2-0, 3-0). Semifinal: Toronto Pats beat Ottawa Rowing Club 6 goals to 0 (4-0, 2-0).
1927	Semifinals: Toronto Pats defeated Forest Ladies 9 goals to 0 (2-0, 7-0), Ottawa Rowing Club beat Ottawa Alerts 1 goal to 0 (0-0, 1-0 OT). Final: Ottawa Rowing Club defeated Toronto Pats 3 goals to 2 (3-0, 0-2).
1928	Semifinals: Toronto Aura Lee defeated Forest Ladies 10 goals to 2 (4-2. 6-0), Ottawa Rowing Club beat Ottawa Alerts 2 goals to 1 (1-1, 1-0). Final: Toronto Aura Lee defeated Ottawa Rowing Club 4 goals to 0 (2-0, 2-0).
1929	Toronto Pats defeated Ottawa Solloway Mills 3 goals to 2 (1-0, 2-2) in final.
1930	Toronto Pats defeated Chalk River Tumblers 4-0 in final. Ottawa Alerts had beaten Chalk River 5-0 in semifinal, but were disqualified.
1931	Preston Rivulettes defeated Grimsby Peaches 9 goals to 2 (5-1, 4-1) in first round, Port Dover Sailorettes 3 goals to 0 (1-0, 2-0) in quarterfinal, London Silverwoods 3 goals to 0 in semifinal (2-0, 1-0), and Pembroke 4-2 in final.
1932	Preston Rivulettes defeated University of Toronto 4-0 in final.
1933	Preston Rivulettes defeated Port Dover Sailorettes 5 goals to 2 (3-0, 2-2) in semifinal and Toronto Ladies 1-0 in final.
1934	Toronto Vagabonds defeated Bracebridge (3-0, ?) in semifinal. Preston Rivulettes defeated Toronto Vagabonds 6 goals to 3 (3-2, 3-1) in final.
1935	Preston Rivulettes defeated Bracebridge 4-0 in final.
1936	Preston Rivulettes defeated Stratford Aces 8 goals to 1 (4-1, 4-0) in semifinal and Gravenhurst Muskokas 13 goals to 4 (4-2, 9-2) in final.
1937	Preston Rivulettes defeated Stratford Maids 13 goals to 3 (10-1, 3-2) in semifinal and Markdale 19 goals to 1 (15-1, 4-0) in final.
1938	Preston Rivulettes defeated Cobalt Northern Marvels 15 goals to 0 (8-0, 7-0) in semifinal and Ottawa Rangers 9 goals to 2 (3-1, 6-1) in final.
1939	Preston Rivulettes defeated Toronto Ladies 6 goals to 0 (1-0, 5-0) in league final, Markdale 10-0 in quarterfinal, Haileybury Northern Marvels 9 goals to 0 (5-0, 4-0) in semifinal and Ottawa Rangers by default in final.
1940	Toronto Ladies defeated Caledonia 8 goals to 1 (1-1, 7-0) in semifinal. Preston Rivulettes defeated Toronto Ladies 9 goals to 1 in final (3-0, 6-1).

*In 1931, the Senior division title was not contested for, instead the Rivulettes were Intermediate Provincial champions.

Intermediate champions

• 1929: St. Thomas Wolverines beat Forest 4 goals to 0 (3-0, 1-0) in semifinal and Parkdale 2 goals to 1 (0-1, 2-0) in final
• 1930: Port Dover Sailorettes beat Toronto Ladies 3 goals to 1 (2-1, 1-0) in final
• 1931: see note above
• 1932: Preston Rivulettes defeated Chalk River Tumblers 3-0 in final