Teams in the Early Years (1800s-1949)

When organized hockey began in the 1890s, the clubs followed the rules of the British Colonial system. Players would only be allowed to join if they were of British background and were of some social standing. Socially, there was no difference between the hockey club and the country club.

But as the Stanley Cup became more famous across the land, more and more clubs moved away from the country-club mentality and simply wanted the best players available. When the Edmonton Eskimos issued a challenge for the Stanley Cup in 1908, it was clear that big-time hockey had arrived in Alberta.

Too far away from the established Eastern leagues and clubs—like the Ottawa Senators and Montréal Canadiens—Alberta teams would find serious competition in prairie and Western pro and amateur leagues. From the failed Big-4 league to the Western Canada Hockey League, major league hockey attempted to make inroads in the province throughout the Roaring Twenties. It was in the 1930s and 1940s that Alberta teams made the biggest headlines—thanks to the fine amateur leagues that had developed as an alternative to the free-spending pro game. In this section, we will look back at some of the great leagues and organizations that fostered the growth of hockey in the province.

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