THE MONTREAL WINTER CARNIVAL

It was during this carnival, the week of February 12, 1883, that people witnessed  the first world championships of hockey. The organizers of this yearly event purchased a trophy for $750! Quite a large sum by nineteenth century standards. This proves that, by this point in history, hockey had been gaining popularity throughout the country. The six best teams in the Dominion (Toronto, Quebec, Ottawa and three Montreal teams) were entered in the tournament. The schedule called for a total of thirty games to be played. The results of these games have never been recorded, however, we do know that McGill University students of Montreal won the tournament and were declared the first ice hockey champions of the world.

The playing of these carnival games was one of the few defining moments in hockey history. These contests sparked much enthusiasm in the cities that were represented in the tournament. Not long after the conclusion of the carnival, city leagues began to appear across the country. Kingston, Ontario and Ottawa, Ontario had city leagues by 1885. The Montreal Amateur Athletic Association  was formed in 1886 and Quebec City's hockey league was formed not long after that. By 1892, the three latter mentioned leagues had senior teams that would compete in the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) on a regular basis. The Toronto and Kingston teams made the backbone of the Ontario Hockey Association when it was formed in 1890.