Sam Lichtenhein
Encyclopedia
Samuel "Sam" Edward Lichtenhein (October 24, 1870 – June 21, 1936) was a businessman and sports executive. He was the owner and president of the Montreal Wanderers
ice hockey
team of the National Hockey Association
(NHA), later National Hockey League
(NHL) and the owner of the Montreal Royals
baseball team.
, Illinois
one of four children, two boys and two girls. The family moved to Montreal
after the Chicago fire of 1871
destroyed his parents' business. He attended Loyola College
and later became a successful businessman. He was president of Cotton and Wool Waste of Montreal and International Wool Waste Co. of Boston at his death. He married Huldah Lewin and they had one son, who pre-deceased Lichtenhein in 1930. Lichtenhein died after a six-month illness at this home at 3540 Mountain Street. He was interred at Mount Royal Cemetery
.
baseball team in 1910, which upon its revival became the Brooklyn Dodgers' principal farm team. It folded in 1917. He bought the Montreal Wanderers
ice hockey team in 1911. When Lichtenhein took over the Wanderers, the team was in financial trouble. He had trouble icing a team, and in 1918, the Montreal Arena
, home of Wanderers' and the Montreal Canadiens
, burnt down, the team folded. The decision was influenced by Lichtenhein citing losses over $30,000 in 1918 money due to the fire. Lichtenhein was later quoted as stating that he lost over $150,000 in the last five years of owning the Royals and Wanderers.
Lichtenhein was essential in changing ice hockey
from a seven-man to a six-man game. The change was proposed at a meeting of the National Hockey Association
; to pass, it required the approval of every owner. Initially, Lichtenhein was opposed to the move. He was convinced to agree to change after a fellow owner pointed out that he would have to pay one less salary. He also led the campaign to kick Eddie Livingstone and his Toronto Blueshirts
out of the National Hockey Association
for "unethical business practices".
Lichtenhein is also known for being unlucky with fires, which destroyed the arenas of two of his sports teams, one of his father's and one of his businesses. One of his father's department stores were destroyed in the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, after which the family moved to Montreal. The Wanderers' arena, the Montreal Arena
, burnt down in 1918. Twice, fires destroyed ballparks of the Royals and another fire destroyed another one of his businesses.
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...
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...
team 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), later National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) and the owner of the Montreal Royals
Montreal Royals
The Montreal Royals were a minor league professional baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec, that existed from 1897–1917 and from 1928–60 as a member of the International League and its progenitor, the original Eastern League...
baseball team.
Personal life
Lichtenhein was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
one of four children, two boys and two girls. The family moved to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
after the Chicago fire of 1871
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
destroyed his parents' business. He attended Loyola College
Loyola College (Montreal)
Loyola College was a Jesuit college in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It ceased to exist when it was incorporated into Concordia University in 1974. A portion of the original College remains as a separate entity called Loyola High School....
and later became a successful businessman. He was president of Cotton and Wool Waste of Montreal and International Wool Waste Co. of Boston at his death. He married Huldah Lewin and they had one son, who pre-deceased Lichtenhein in 1930. Lichtenhein died after a six-month illness at this home at 3540 Mountain Street. He was interred at Mount Royal Cemetery
Mount Royal Cemetery
Opened in 1852, Mount Royal Cemetery is a 165-acre terraced cemetery on the north slope of Mount Royal in the borough of Outremont, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The burial ground shares the mountain with the much larger adjacent Roman Catholic cemetery -- Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges...
.
Sports career
Lichtenhein was the owner of two Montreal sports teams. He bought the Montreal RoyalsMontreal Royals
The Montreal Royals were a minor league professional baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec, that existed from 1897–1917 and from 1928–60 as a member of the International League and its progenitor, the original Eastern League...
baseball team in 1910, which upon its revival became the Brooklyn Dodgers' principal farm team. It folded in 1917. He bought 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...
ice hockey team in 1911. When Lichtenhein took over the Wanderers, the team was in financial trouble. He had trouble icing a team, and in 1918, the Montreal Arena
Montreal Arena
The Montreal Arena, also known as Westmount Arena, was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on the corner of St. Catherine Street and Wood Avenue. It was likely one of the first arenas designed expressly for hockey, opening in 1898...
, home of Wanderers' and the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, burnt down, the team folded. The decision was influenced by Lichtenhein citing losses over $30,000 in 1918 money due to the fire. Lichtenhein was later quoted as stating that he lost over $150,000 in the last five years of owning the Royals and Wanderers.
Lichtenhein was essential in changing 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...
from a seven-man to a six-man game. The change was proposed at a meeting 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...
; to pass, it required the approval of every owner. Initially, Lichtenhein was opposed to the move. He was convinced to agree to change after a fellow owner pointed out that he would have to pay one less salary. He also led the campaign to kick Eddie Livingstone and his Toronto Blueshirts
Toronto Blueshirts
The Toronto Hockey Club, known as the Torontos and the Toronto Blue Shirts were a professional National Hockey Association team that played in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
out 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...
for "unethical business practices".
Lichtenhein is also known for being unlucky with fires, which destroyed the arenas of two of his sports teams, one of his father's and one of his businesses. One of his father's department stores were destroyed in the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, after which the family moved to Montreal. The Wanderers' arena, the Montreal Arena
Montreal Arena
The Montreal Arena, also known as Westmount Arena, was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on the corner of St. Catherine Street and Wood Avenue. It was likely one of the first arenas designed expressly for hockey, opening in 1898...
, burnt down in 1918. Twice, fires destroyed ballparks of the Royals and another fire destroyed another one of his businesses.