Billy Nicholson (ice hockey)
Encyclopedia
Billy C. Nicholson (1878–?) was a Canadian professional ice hockey
player and executive. He played goaltender and was a Stanley Cup
champion with the Montreal Hockey Club
in 1902 as an amateur. He later became a professional player and was the first general manager of the Toronto Tecumsehs
of the National Hockey Association
(NHA).
senior ice hockey team in 1899. He played with the team until 1903, when he left with a number of other Montreals to form the Montreal Wanderers
. He played one season with the Wanderers before turning professional with the Calumet Miners of the International League. He returned to Canada in 1907 to play a season with the Montreal Shamrocks
. He signed on with Haileybury for 1908-09, and also played hockey for the Edmonton Pros. He played two more seasons with Haileybury, staying with the club after it left the National Hockey Association. He signed with the Toronto Tecumsehs in 1911, but the team did not play until 1912 due to its arena not being ready. He played and managed the Tecumsehs in 1912-13. The next year, he returned to the Montreal Wanderers for one season. He then took up coaching full-time, although he returned to play for Calumet in 1915–16 and play for the Toronto Hockey Club in 1916–17.
In all, Nicholson played 122 games in various professional and amateur leagues, including the National Hockey Association
, Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association
, and International Professional Hockey League
.
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...
player and executive. He played goaltender and was a 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...
champion with the Montreal Hockey Club
Montreal Hockey Club
The Montreal Hockey Club of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was a senior-level men's amateur ice hockey club, organized in 1884. They were affiliated with Montreal Amateur Athletic Association and used the MAAA 'winged wheel' logo. The team is notable for winning the first Stanley Cup in 1893, and in a...
in 1902 as an amateur. He later became a professional player and was the first general manager of the Toronto Tecumsehs
Toronto Tecumsehs
The Tecumseh Hockey Club, also known as the Toronto Tecumsehs and nicknamed the Indians, were a team in the National Hockey Association in 1912-13. They then became the Toronto Ontarios....
of the 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).
Playing career
Nicholson joined the Montreal Hockey ClubMontreal Hockey Club
The Montreal Hockey Club of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was a senior-level men's amateur ice hockey club, organized in 1884. They were affiliated with Montreal Amateur Athletic Association and used the MAAA 'winged wheel' logo. The team is notable for winning the first Stanley Cup in 1893, and in a...
senior ice hockey team in 1899. He played with the team until 1903, when he left with a number of other Montreals to form 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...
. He played one season with the Wanderers before turning professional with the Calumet Miners of the International League. He returned to Canada in 1907 to play a season with the Montreal Shamrocks
Montreal Shamrocks
The Montreal Shamrocks were an amateur, later professional, men's ice hockey club in existence from 1886, merging with the Montreal Crystals club in 1896. They won the Stanley Cup ice hockey championship in 1899 and 1900...
. He signed on with Haileybury for 1908-09, and also played hockey for the Edmonton Pros. He played two more seasons with Haileybury, staying with the club after it left the National Hockey Association. He signed with the Toronto Tecumsehs in 1911, but the team did not play until 1912 due to its arena not being ready. He played and managed the Tecumsehs in 1912-13. The next year, he returned to the Montreal Wanderers for one season. He then took up coaching full-time, although he returned to play for Calumet in 1915–16 and play for the Toronto Hockey Club in 1916–17.
In all, Nicholson played 122 games in various professional and amateur leagues, including the 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...
, Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association
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...
, and International Professional Hockey League
International Professional Hockey League
The International Professional Hockey League was the first fully professional ice hockey league, operating from 1904 to 1907. It was formed by Jack 'Doc' Gibson, a dentist who played hockey throughout Ontario before settling in Houghton, Michigan. The IPHL was a five team circuit which included...
.