Fred Higginbotham
Encyclopedia
Fred Higginbotham was an ice hockey
defenceman for the Winnipeg Victorias
. He was part of the team that won the Stanley Cup
in 1896, in a challenge game
against the Montreal Victorias
.
Higginbotham was not a true defenceman. He played in an era of hockey when seven players were present on the ice, including the goaltender
. Higginbotham was referred to as a "coverpoint", which was the role of the defenceman in today's game. He was primarily responsible for carrying the puck out of the defensive end. He was also a hard hitter.
Higginbotham was born in Bowmanville, Ontario
, Canada
. Around 1884, he moved to Winnipeg from Bowmanville. He was actively involved in numerous amateur sports and was part of many sporting clubs there. Higginbotham also played professionally with a Vancouver
lacrosse
team in the late 1880s. Ice hockey was a novelty in the 1890s in Winnipeg, and Higginbotham was one of the first players. He was part of a team that won the Stanley Cup in the winter of 1896. Higginbotham also worked for Hudson's Bay Company
since 1889. He was also recognized as an "excellent guitar player".
Higginbotham died in September 1896 as a result of a riding accident at a friend's house. The pony that he was riding ran around a post, and Higginbotham got caught with a clothesline wrapped around his neck. While trying to brace himself for the resulting fall, Higginbotham landed poorly, and sustained very serious spinal cord injuries. He died the next morning. He was buried in Bowmanville.
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...
defenceman for the Winnipeg Victorias
Winnipeg Victorias
The Winnipeg Victorias were a former amateur senior-level men's amateur ice hockey team in Winnipeg, Manitoba, organized in 1889. They played in the Manitoba Hockey Association in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
. He was part of the team that won the 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...
in 1896, in a challenge game
Stanley Cup Challenge Games
This is a list of Stanley Cup challenge games from 1893 to 1914. During this period, the Stanley Cup was a "challenge trophy"; the champions held onto the Cup until they either lost their league title to another club, or a champion from another league issued a formal challenge and subsequently...
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...
.
Higginbotham was not a true defenceman. He played in an era of hockey when seven players were present on the ice, including the goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
. Higginbotham was referred to as a "coverpoint", which was the role of the defenceman in today's game. He was primarily responsible for carrying the puck out of the defensive end. He was also a hard hitter.
Higginbotham was born in Bowmanville, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
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...
. Around 1884, he moved to Winnipeg from Bowmanville. He was actively involved in numerous amateur sports and was part of many sporting clubs there. Higginbotham also played professionally with a Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
team in the late 1880s. Ice hockey was a novelty in the 1890s in Winnipeg, and Higginbotham was one of the first players. He was part of a team that won the Stanley Cup in the winter of 1896. Higginbotham also worked for Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
since 1889. He was also recognized as an "excellent guitar player".
Higginbotham died in September 1896 as a result of a riding accident at a friend's house. The pony that he was riding ran around a post, and Higginbotham got caught with a clothesline wrapped around his neck. While trying to brace himself for the resulting fall, Higginbotham landed poorly, and sustained very serious spinal cord injuries. He died the next morning. He was buried in Bowmanville.