James Creighton (ice hockey)
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James Creighton | |
---|---|
Halifax, Nova Scotia, British North America | |
Died | June 27, 1930 | (aged 80)
Nationality | Canadian |
Occupation | Law clerk |
Known for | Early ice hockey |
James George Aylwin Creighton
Biography
Creighton was born in
From 1877 to 1881, Creighton was very involved in journalism, writing for
Creighton married Eleanor Platt of Montreal in 1878.[3] Creighton was a member of the Rideau Club in Ottawa and captained their ice hockey team that opened the new Rideau Skating Rink in 1889. It was at the Rideau Club where Creighton suffered a fatal heart attack in 1930. At his funeral, Canadian Prime Minister Robert Borden was one of the mourners.[2] His wife Eleanor died not long afterwards.[4] Creighton and Platt were interred at Ottawa's Beechwood Cemetery. For many years, the grave was left unmarked. The couple had no children, which may be why there was no monument erected on the grave.[4]
Role in ice hockey development
Creighton is considered the "father of ice hockey," although he never claimed that honour. After moving to Montreal from Halifax to study and to work in engineering, Creighton sometimes acted as a figure skating judge at the Victoria Skating Club's
Creighton had played sports during his boyhood in Halifax, where a free-wheeling, stick-ball game called "ricket", "shinny" or occasionally "hockey", was played on ice outdoors with any number of players. It is believed that Creighton developed rules for the organized indoor game from the style of play of those games in Halifax, where (according to some historians) they had developed out of a Scottish game called shinty. However, ice hockey also has its roots in the aboriginal game of lacrosse, the English game of field hockey, the Irish game of hurling and the northern European game of bandy. Creighton is thought to be the person responsible for publishing the first rules for ice hockey in the February 27, 1877 edition of The Gazette (although the rules were virtually identical to previously published field hockey rules).
While living and working in Ottawa, Creighton continued his interest in ice hockey and joined with young parliamentarians and government 'aides de camp' to form a team called the
Honours
Creighton was appointed CMG in the 1913 Birthday Honours.
Creighton was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in 1993 as the "father of organized hockey."[5]
On May 22, 2008, Creighton was honored with a plaque at
The Society for International Hockey Research mounted a public campaign during 2008 and 2009 to erect a monument on Creighton's grave site. Contributors included members of the Society, Beechwood Cemetery, and the public. Notable donors included the crew of HMCS Vancouver, Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk and Calgary Flames owner Harley Hotchkiss. A gravestone and biographical plaque were unveiled at the cemetery in a ceremony on October 24, 2009. Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper was in attendance.[6]
In 2015, Creighton was awarded the Order of Sport, marking his induction into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.[7]
References
- ^ a b "'Father' of ice hockey honoured". Toronto Star. May 23, 2008. p. S3.
- ^ a b c d e f Fitsell, J. W. "James George Aylwin Creighton". Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
- ^ Fitsell 1987, p. 39.
- ^ a b Jenish 2008.
- ^ "Inductee Details: James Creighton". Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 20, 2014. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ Boswell, Randy (October 24, 2009). "PM honours hockey's 'founding father' with new gravestone". The Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alberta. Retrieved November 13, 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Canada's Sports Hall of Fame". sportshall.ca. Archived from the original on May 7, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
- General
- Fitsell, J. W. (1987). Hockey's captains, colonels and kings. Erin, Ont. pp. 30–39.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Jenish, D'Arcy (January 18, 2008). "Hockey's Forgotten Pioneer". Legion Magazine. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
- McKinley, Michael (2000). Putting a roof on winter: hockey's rise from sport to spectacle. Vancouver and New York. ISBN 9781550547986.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - Miroy, Nevill (1986). The history of hockey. Laleham-on-Thames, Eng.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Patton, B. M. (1936). Ice-hockey. London.
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
External links
- "James Creighton". Dictionary of Canadian Biography (online ed.). University of Toronto Press. 1979–2016.
https://birthplaceofhockey.com/hockey-history/hockeyists/mikmaq-story-tellers/