Minnesota
Minnesota is a state in the north-central United States.
It has a population of over 5,700,000.
The capital is St. Paul and the largest city is Minneapolis. It is known as the State of Hockey.
History of hockey in Minnesota
See also: Minnesota Senior Hockey Champions
Frank Barron formulated rules and founded the St. Paul Polo Club in 1883. Within a year, clubs in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Stillwater had organized a Northwestern League. On February 15, 1886, as part of the St. Paul Winter Carnival, an ice polo match “for the championship of the Northwest and the silver cup of the carnival” was played between the Carnival Skating Club and the Ryan Rink Club, won 3-2 by the former. Ryan defeated Carnival 3-1 in a return game. The Junior Carnival Club won the Winter Carnival tournament in 1887, and the St. Pauls claimed the state championship over the Minneapolis Lelands in 1888.
In 1892, the St. Paul Henriettes split two games against the Stillwater Palace Club. By 1893, there was ice polo being played in Duluth as well, and the St. Paul Henriettes captured the state title with a 2-1 win over the Duluth Polo Club. Duluth exacted revenge on the Henriettes and captured the state title in 1894. The Twin City Ice Polo League, featuring clubs from St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Fort Snelling, and the Head of the Lakes Polo Championship, composed of teams from Duluth and Superior (WI) were contested in 1894-95. Ice polo remained popular until the turn of the century, the St. Paul Northern Pacifics capturing the state title in 1897, and the Duluth Zeniths copping it in 1898 and 1899.
The first ice hockey games in Minnesota were played in 1895, the University of Minnesota facing the Minneapolis Hockey Club in two games. Winnipeg defeated the University 11-3 on February 18, in the first international hockey game played in the state. Winnipeg beat St. Paul and Minneapolis to capture the 1896 St. Paul Winter Carnival title. There were three senior teams in St. Paul by the winter of 1899-1900 - the St. Paul Athletic Club, St. Paul Hockey Club, and the Virginias, and the Minneapolis club was still active. The Great Eastern Hockey Club (formerly the Zeniths) also began to play hockey in Duluth in 1900, switching from ice polo. The Twin Cities League was established in 1901, but the playing schedule was not completed. The St. Paul Virginias were awarded the league title in 1902. The Victorias won the league five straight times from 1903-1907, the MicMacs captured the title in 1908, and the Phoenix won it from 1909-1911.
Hockey was being played in Eveleth and Two Harbors by 1903. The St. Paul Victorias beat Two Harbors for the Minnesota state title in 1904, 1905 and 1906. The Minneapolis Hockey League made its debut in 1904-05.
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