Pre-League Hockey Summary

March 3, 1875 (149 years ago) is the first-ever recorded Ice Hockey Game played at the Montreal Victoria’s indoor rink between a split Victorias club. Below is a listing of the games played between what FanSeeStats considers the the top marquee clubs such as the Montreal Victorias, Montreal Hockey Club, McGill University, and the Quebec Hockey Club.

Records show these top clubs playing against each other in an informal exhibition series of games from 1875 to 1882.

YearDateTeam AScore ATeam BScore B
187503-MarMontreal Victorias A2Montreal Victorias B1
16-MarMontreal Victorias5Montreal Football Club2
187605-FebMontreal Victorias1Montreal Hockey Club1
29-MarMontreal Football Club6McGill University0
187701-FebMontreal Victorias3Montreal Hockey Club1
15-FebMcGill University2Montreal Hockey Club1
19-FebMontreal Hockey Club1McGill University0
187805-FebMcGill University2Montreal Hockey Club0
187906-MarMontreal Hockey Club2McGill University0
1880—no games played—no games played—
188122-JanQuebec Hockey Club2Montreal Hockey Club0
05-FebMontreal Hockey Club4Quebec Hockey Club1
188220-JanMcGill University0Quebec Hockey Club0
21-JanMontreal Victorias0Quebec Hockey Club0
16-FebQuebec Hockey Club2Montreal Victorias0

These exhibition games lead up to the Montreal Winter Carnival, the first Proto-League as the teams who played each other in that tournament also played in previous years.

While no official seasonal champion can be declared, the standings of the five teams that played between 1875 and 1882 are as follows:

TeamGPWLTGFGASeasons
Montreal Hockey Club83419111876-79, 81
Montreal Victorias5212961875-77, 82
Quebec Hockey Club5212541881-82
McGill University41214101876-79, 82
Montreal Football Club2110851875-76