The Victoria Hockey Legacy Society is hosting “A Century Celebration” in honour of the Victoria Cougars’ historic Stanley Cup victory. This three-day event will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Cougars’ legendary championship win.
In partnership with the District of Oak Bay, the majority of the festivities will be held at the Oak Bay Recreation Centre.
Attention Oak Bay Recreation Centre Patrons: Please be aware that parking will be very limited during this event.
Historical Information about the Victoria Cougars
In 1925, the Western Canada Hockey League’s Victoria Cougars faced the National Hockey League’s Montreal Canadiens in a four-game series.
Victoria won its first game at Patrick Arena, which used to exist on the corner of Cadboro Bay Road and Epworth Street in Oak Bay. Montreal tied the series at Vancouver’s Denman Arena but the Cougars prevailed in games three and four at home in Oak Bay.
A Historic Win
The BC Hall of Fame website notes that the 1924-25 Victoria Cougars were the second B.C. team to capture hockey’s most coveted championship chalice, a decade after the Vancouver Millionaires won the first. The Cougars were also the last non-NHL team to win it. No other team from B.C. has won it since.
To get to the finals, Victoria won its first-round series against Saskatoon, and its second against Calgary.
Members of the Victoria Cougars 1925 team engraved on the iconic trophy include owner/coach Lester Patrick and players Jocko Anderson, Frank Frederickson, Frank Foyston, Wally Elmer, Harold Gizzy Hart, Harry Meeking, Jack Walker, Clem Loughlin, Gord Fraser, Haldor Halderson and Harry Hap Holmes.
The Canadiens featured hockey legends such as Howie Morenz, Georges Vezina and others.
Read all about it
Author Helen Edwards, Presenting Sponsor of Century Celebration, has written the quintessential history of hockey in Victoria – and it features the story of the Victoria Cougars and their Stanley Cup win. Learn more about it, and where to get your copy, here.
The Victoria Cougars’ Impact on Hockey
The legacy of the Victoria Cougars lives on in the game we love today! The Patrick brothers, Victoria’s legendary hockey innovators, introduced over 22 rules that still shape the NHL. Their game-changing contributions include:
- The blue line & forward pass
- The playoff system—now a global sports standard
- Jersey numbers to help fans identify players
- Assists officially counted on goals
- Goalies allowed to fall to the ice to make saves
- The penalty shot and new puck-kicking rules
Hockey wouldn’t be the same without their vision.
Image: The Patrick Family – Ice Hockey Royalty – circa 1934
(Left to Right: Frank Patrick, Lynn Patrick, Joe Patrick and Lester Patrick)
Explore Victoria’s Rich Hockey Heritage!
Did you know that in 1925, the Victoria Cougars became the last non-NHL team to hoist the iconic championship trophy? They clinched victory against the Montreal Canadiens right here in Victoria, with pivotal games played at the historic Patrick Arena in Oak Bay, once located at Cadboro Bay Road and Epworth Street.
The 1924-1925 Victoria Cougars. Photo: BC Sports Hall of Fame
The Detroit Falcons – A New Name and a Fresh Start
After relocating to Detroit, the Victoria Cougars were renamed the Detroit Falcons. Out of nearly 2,000 suggestions, “Falcons” emerged victorious, beating out suggestions including Wolverines, Dynamics and Ambassadors, as well as Racketeers, Hughes’ Hustlers, Trojans, Wanderers and Magnetos.
A new city, a new name, and a fresh start for the team!
The Detroit Cougars, who became the Falcons, line up in Larry Aurie’s first NHL season, 1927-28. Aurie, Carson Cooper, George Hay, coach and manager Jack Adams, Stan Brown, Gord Fraser, Reg Noble, Hap Holmes, Percy Traub, and Clem Loughlin.