Alf Smith
Encyclopedia
Alfred Edward Smith was a Canadian
professional ice hockey
forward
who played for the Ottawa Senators
, (aka Silver Seven) and Kenora Thistles
. He had two brothers who played senior-level hockey Harry Smith
and Tommy Smith
. He was captain of the team and also coached the team.
intermediate team, but did not finish the season because he was ruled to be ineligible. In 1896, Smith had accepted a $100 bonus for play with the Capitals lacrosse team. By 1898, the Amateur Athletic Association of Canada ruled that he was ineligible for play in amateur hockey. He would not play for several years, but did coach the Ottawa Hockey Club to the 1901 CAHL title.
In 1901–02, he returned to active play, as a professional, in the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League
for Pittsburgh
. The following year he returned to Canada to coach the Ottawa HC to their first Stanley Cup
championship against the Montreal Victorias
in 1903. In 1903–04 he became reinstated as an amateur and he returned to play, playing right wing on a line that featured "One Eyed" Frank McGee. As a player-coach, he would eventually lead the team to consecutive Stanley Cup
victories in 1904, 1905, and 1906, the club by then known as the Silver Seven.
In 1907, McGee retired and his place on the top line was taken by Alf's brother Harry
. At the conclusion of the 1907 ECAHA season, Smith moved west to play with the Stanley Cup champion Kenora Thistles
, playing in the MPHL finals. He was also a player during their unsuccessful Stanley Cup challenge rematch versus the Montreal Wanderers
, where his presence along with Harry Westwick caused the series to be played under protest. He played one final season with Ottawa in 1908, scoring 12 goals in 9 games.
In 1908–09, he had an eventful season. Lured back to Pittsburgh for the newly-reformed Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, he was suspended from two teams for rough play. He returned to Ottawa and played with several former Silver Seven players on the Senators of the Federal League. He made time that season to coach the Ottawa Cliffsides
to the first Allan Cup
championship, only to lose it to Queen's University
in a challenge. This was his final season of play.
In 1909-10, he resumed his coaching career with Renfrew, the so-called "Millionaires" of the new National Hockey Association
(NHA). He returned to coach the Ottawa Hockey Club in 1913 and coached the team until 1917. Smith later coached and managed teams in Moncton, New Brunswick
, and North Bay, Ontario
.
Along with Harvey Pulford
, Harry Westwick and Russell Bowie
, Smith was one of the final active players who had played major senior hockey in the 19th century. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1962.
&won the Stanley cup
Source:
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
who played for the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators (original)
The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934...
, (aka Silver Seven) and Kenora Thistles
Kenora Thistles
The Kenora Thistles were an early amateur men's ice hockey team based in Kenora, Ontario, Canada, formed in 1885 as a senior team by a group of Lake of the Woods lumbermen. The club is notable for winning the Stanley Cup as an amateur team in 1907. The town is the smallest in population to have...
. He had two brothers who played senior-level hockey Harry Smith
Harry Smith (ice hockey)
Harold Henry "Harry" Smith was a professional Canadian ice hockey player who played 98 games in various professional and amateur leagues, including the National Hockey Association and Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association...
and Tommy Smith
Tommy Smith
Tommy Smith or Tommie Smith may refer to:* Tommy Smith , American playwright* Tommy Smith , spent much of his career with Liverpool* Tommy Smith , plays for Queens Park Rangers...
. He was captain of the team and also coached the team.
Hockey career
Smith began his hockey career playing for the Ottawa Hockey Club (Ottawa HC) of the AHAC in the 1890s. In 1897 he retired from the Ottawa HC. In 1898, he played for the Ottawa CapitalsOttawa Capitals
The Ottawa Capitals were an early amateur senior men's ice hockey club playing in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada from the 1890s until 1920. The club would challenge for the Stanley Cup in 1897, but abandon its challenge after one game, after it lost 15–2. It would later precipitate the breakup of the...
intermediate team, but did not finish the season because he was ruled to be ineligible. In 1896, Smith had accepted a $100 bonus for play with the Capitals lacrosse team. By 1898, the Amateur Athletic Association of Canada ruled that he was ineligible for play in amateur hockey. He would not play for several years, but did coach the Ottawa Hockey Club to the 1901 CAHL title.
In 1901–02, he returned to active play, as a professional, in the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League
Western Pennsylvania Hockey League
The Western Pennsylvania Hockey League , was a semi-professional ice hockey league from the early 1900s. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the league was the pre-eminent ice hockey league at the time in the United States...
for Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. The following year he returned to Canada to coach the Ottawa HC to their first Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
championship against the Montreal Victorias
Montreal Victorias
The Victoria Hockey Club of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was an early men's amateur ice hockey club. Its date of origin is ascribed to either 1874, 1877 or 1881, making it either the first or second organized ice hockey club after McGill University. The club played at its own rink, the Victoria Skating...
in 1903. In 1903–04 he became reinstated as an amateur and he returned to play, playing right wing on a line that featured "One Eyed" Frank McGee. As a player-coach, he would eventually lead the team to consecutive Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
victories in 1904, 1905, and 1906, the club by then known as the Silver Seven.
In 1907, McGee retired and his place on the top line was taken by Alf's brother Harry
Harry Smith (ice hockey)
Harold Henry "Harry" Smith was a professional Canadian ice hockey player who played 98 games in various professional and amateur leagues, including the National Hockey Association and Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association...
. At the conclusion of the 1907 ECAHA season, Smith moved west to play with the Stanley Cup champion Kenora Thistles
Kenora Thistles
The Kenora Thistles were an early amateur men's ice hockey team based in Kenora, Ontario, Canada, formed in 1885 as a senior team by a group of Lake of the Woods lumbermen. The club is notable for winning the Stanley Cup as an amateur team in 1907. The town is the smallest in population to have...
, playing in the MPHL finals. He was also a player during their unsuccessful Stanley Cup challenge rematch versus the Montreal Wanderers
Montreal Wanderers
The Montreal Wanderers were a Canadian amateur, and later becoming a professional men's ice hockey team. The team played in the Federal Amateur Hockey League , the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association , the National Hockey Association and briefly the National Hockey League . The Wanderers are...
, where his presence along with Harry Westwick caused the series to be played under protest. He played one final season with Ottawa in 1908, scoring 12 goals in 9 games.
In 1908–09, he had an eventful season. Lured back to Pittsburgh for the newly-reformed Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, he was suspended from two teams for rough play. He returned to Ottawa and played with several former Silver Seven players on the Senators of the Federal League. He made time that season to coach the Ottawa Cliffsides
Ottawa Cliffsides
The Ottawa Cliffsides were a senior ice hockey team that played in the Inter-Provincial Amateur Hockey Union from 1908-1911.They were the first winner of the Allan Cup in 1909 when the cup was given to the winner of the Inter-provincial Hockey League...
to the first Allan Cup
Allan Cup
The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men’s ice hockey champions of Canada. It has been competed for since 1909. The current champion is the Clarenville Caribous hockey club of Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:...
championship, only to lose it to Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
in a challenge. This was his final season of play.
In 1909-10, he resumed his coaching career with Renfrew, the so-called "Millionaires" of the new National Hockey Association
National Hockey Association
The National Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey organization with teams in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is the direct predecessor organization to today's National Hockey League...
(NHA). He returned to coach the Ottawa Hockey Club in 1913 and coached the team until 1917. Smith later coached and managed teams in Moncton, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, and North Bay, Ontario
North Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
.
Along with Harvey Pulford
Harvey Pulford
Ernest Harvey Pulford was a Canadian all-around athlete at the turn of the 20th century, winning national championships in ice hockey, lacrosse, football, boxing, paddling and rowing. He won four Stanley Cups with the Ottawa Hockey Club and championships or tournaments in every sport in which he...
, Harry Westwick and Russell Bowie
Russell Bowie
Russell G. "Russ, Dubbie" Bowie was a Canadian ice hockey player generally regarded as one of the best players of the pre-NHL era of the sport...
, Smith was one of the final active players who had played major senior hockey in the 19th century. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1962.
Career stats
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1893 | Ottawa Electrics | OCHL Ottawa City Hockey League The Ottawa City Hockey League was an amateur ice hockey league with junior, intermediate and senior level men's teams in Ottawa, Canada dating from 1890. It is considered the second ice hockey league to form in Canada. The senior league operated until 1945 and the junior league operated until 1957... Jr. |
|||
| 1894 | Ottawa Electrics | OCHL Ottawa City Hockey League The Ottawa City Hockey League was an amateur ice hockey league with junior, intermediate and senior level men's teams in Ottawa, Canada dating from 1890. It is considered the second ice hockey league to form in Canada. The senior league operated until 1945 and the junior league operated until 1957... Jr. |
|||
| 1895 1895 AHAC Season The 1895 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season lasted from January 3 until March 8. Each team played 8 games, and Montreal Victorias were first with a 6–2–0 record. After a required Stanley Cup challenge played between the 1894 winners, Montreal HC and Queen's, champion of the Ontario Hockey... |
Ottawa Hockey Club | AHAC | 8 | 5 | |
| 1896 1896 AHAC season The 1896 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season lasted from January 3 until March 7. Each team played 8 games, and Montreal Victorias were first with a 7–1 record. During the season, on February 14 the Victorias hosted a Stanley Cup challenge match with the Winnipeg Victorias club. Winnipeg... |
Ottawa HC | AHAC | 8 | 7 | |
| 1897 1897 AHAC season The 1897 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season lasted from January 9 until March 6. Each team played 8 games, and Montreal Victorias were again first with a 7–1 record, retaining the Stanley Cup. The club won the Stanley Cup back from the Winnipeg Victorias prior to the season. This was their... |
Ottawa HC | AHAC | 8 | 12 | |
| 1898 | Ottawa Capitals Ottawa Capitals The Ottawa Capitals were an early amateur senior men's ice hockey club playing in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada from the 1890s until 1920. The club would challenge for the Stanley Cup in 1897, but abandon its challenge after one game, after it lost 15–2. It would later precipitate the breakup of the... |
AHAC Int. | |||
| 1899 | Barred from play | ||||
| 1900 | Barred from play | ||||
| 1901 1901 CAHL season The 1901 Canadian Amateur Hockey League season lasted from January 5 until March 5. Teams played an eight game schedule. The Ottawa Hockey Club was the league champion with a record of seven wins, no losses and a draw. The Montreal Shamrocks lost a Stanley Cup challenge during the season, so... |
Ottawa HC | CAHL Canadian Amateur Hockey League The Canadian Amateur Hockey League was an early men's amateur hockey league founded in 1898, replacing the organization that was formerly the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada before the 1898–99 season. The league existed for seven seasons, folding in 1905 and was itself replaced by the Eastern... |
- | - | Coached Ottawa |
| 1902 | Pittsburgh PAC | WPHL Western Pennsylvania Hockey League The Western Pennsylvania Hockey League , was a semi-professional ice hockey league from the early 1900s. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the league was the pre-eminent ice hockey league at the time in the United States... |
14 | 11 | |
| 1903 1903 CAHL season The 1903 Canadian Amateur Hockey League season lasted from January 3 until February 28. Teams played an eight game schedule. Ottawa and Montreal Victorias tied for the league championship with records of six wins and two losses.-Executive:... & |
Ottawa HC | CAHL Canadian Amateur Hockey League The Canadian Amateur Hockey League was an early men's amateur hockey league founded in 1898, replacing the organization that was formerly the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada before the 1898–99 season. The league existed for seven seasons, folding in 1905 and was itself replaced by the Eastern... |
- | - | Coached Ottawa |
| 1904 1904 CAHL season The 1904 Canadian Amateur Hockey League season lasted from January 2 until February 24. Teams played an eight game schedule. This was a tumultuous year as Ottawa resigned in February and defaulted four games.... & |
Ottawa HC | CAHL | 4 | 8 | Playing Coach |
| 1904& | Ottawa HC | Stanley Cup | 7 | 13 | Playing Coach |
| 1905 1904–05 FAHL season The 1904–05 Federal Amateur Hockey League season lasted from December 31, 1904 until March 3. Teams played an eight game schedule.-League business:... & |
Ottawa HC | FAHL Federal Amateur Hockey League The Federal Amateur Hockey League was a Canadian men's senior-level ice hockey league that played six seasons from 1904 to 1909. The league was formed initially to provide a league for teams not accepted by the rival Canadian Amateur Hockey League . One team, the Montreal Le National, was the first... |
8 | 13 | Playing Coach |
| 1905& | Ottawa HC | Stanley Cup | 5 | 11 | Playing Coach |
| 1906 1906 ECAHA season The inaugural 1906 Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association season lasted from January 3 until March 10. Teams played a ten game schedule. Ottawa HC and Montreal Wanderers would tie for the league championship with a record of 9–1, while the Montreal Shamrocks would not win a single game... & |
Ottawa HC | ECAHA Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association The Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association was a men's amateur, later professional ice hockey league in Canada that played four seasons. It was founded on December 11, 1905 with six clubs: four from the Canadian Amateur Hockey League and two from the Federal Amateur Hockey League, to bring... |
10 | 13 | Playing Coach |
| 1906 1906 ECAHA season The inaugural 1906 Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association season lasted from January 3 until March 10. Teams played a ten game schedule. Ottawa HC and Montreal Wanderers would tie for the league championship with a record of 9–1, while the Montreal Shamrocks would not win a single game... & |
Ottawa HC | Stanley Cup | 6 | 8 | Playing Coach |
| 1907 1907 ECAHA season The 1907 Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association season lasted from January 3 until March 10. Teams played a ten game schedule. The Montreal Wanderers won the league championship going undefeated, with their only loss of the season coming in a Stanley Cup challenge series with... |
Ottawa HC | ECAHA | 9 | 17 | |
| 1907& | Kenora Thistles Kenora Thistles The Kenora Thistles were an early amateur men's ice hockey team based in Kenora, Ontario, Canada, formed in 1885 as a senior team by a group of Lake of the Woods lumbermen. The club is notable for winning the Stanley Cup as an amateur team in 1907. The town is the smallest in population to have... |
MPHL Manitoba Hockey Association The Manitoba Hockey Association was an early men's senior ice hockey league playing around 1900 in Manitoba, Canada. The league started as an elite amateur league in 1892, became professional in 1905, had a professional and an amateur league in 1908–09 and only an amateur league from 1909 until... |
2 | 1 | |
| 1907& | Kenora Thistles Kenora Thistles The Kenora Thistles were an early amateur men's ice hockey team based in Kenora, Ontario, Canada, formed in 1885 as a senior team by a group of Lake of the Woods lumbermen. The club is notable for winning the Stanley Cup as an amateur team in 1907. The town is the smallest in population to have... |
Stanley Cup | 2 | 2 | |
| 1908 | Ottawa HC | ECAHA | 9 | 12 | |
| 1909 | Pittsburgh Duquesne Pittsburgh Duquesne The Duquesne Country and Athletic Club or Pittsburgh Duquesne were an amateur and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and were members of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League. The team played exhibition games of ice hockey in the 1895–96 season, before being... |
WPHL | 3 | 3 | |
| 1909 | Pittsburgh Bankers Pittsburgh Bankers The Pittsburgh Bankers were a Pittsburgh hockey club that consisted of a group of local men from Pittsburgh that were employeed by local banks during the early 1900s. The Bankers began as the amateur Banker's League. The league later merged into one team which became members of the Western... |
WPHL | 2 | 2 | |
| 1909 1909 FHL season The 1909 Federal Hockey League season was the sixth and final season of the league. The league had four teams participate this season, Cornwall, returning and three new entries, Ottawa Senators, Renfrew Creamery Kings and Smith's Falls. Smith's Falls had previously played in the league... |
Ottawa Senators Ottawa Senators (FHL) The Ottawa Senators were a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which played one season in the Federal Hockey League in 1909 before the formation of the National Hockey Association. The club was formed to help boost the rivalry between the Federal League and the Eastern Canada... |
FHL Federal Amateur Hockey League The Federal Amateur Hockey League was a Canadian men's senior-level ice hockey league that played six seasons from 1904 to 1909. The league was formed initially to provide a league for teams not accepted by the rival Canadian Amateur Hockey League . One team, the Montreal Le National, was the first... |
1 | 1 | Playing Coach |
| 1910 | Renfrew Rivers | UOVHL | - | - | |
| Totals | 107 | 135 | |||
&won the Stanley cup
Source:
External links
- Online biography of Alf Smith (Archived 2009-10-25)