Pittsburgh Keystones (ice hockey)
Pittsburgh Keystones | |
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City | 1901–02 |
The Pittsburgh Keystones were a
History
The Keystones' history can be traced to the Keystone Bicycle Club,
The Keystone club made an auspicious debut by beating the two-time defending champion Pittsburgh Athletic Club in the opening game of the WPHL's 1900–01 season. Keystone continually strengthened its team during the season but finished second to the PAC, which did not lose another league game on its way to a third consecutive title.[2][6] Aside from league play, the WPHL teams also played exhibition games against some of the best amateur teams from North America.[7]
During the 1901–02 season, goaltender Riley Hern, a future member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, began his professional career with the Keystones. In his first season, Hern led the league in victories, with nine in 14 games and was named to the WPHL All-Star Team.[8] Joining Hern on the team in 1901 was Arthur Sixsmith who moved to Pittsburgh and turned professional with the Keystones.[9] The Keystones went on to win the 1901–02 WPHL championship title, finally ending the reign of the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. However, the Keystones reversed their fortunes in the following season, with a last-place finish and with Hern this time leading the league in losses.[10][8]
First admitted professional player
In the summer of 1902 Harry Peel, a Keystones player in 1901–02, admitted that he was paid $35 a week to play in the so-called amateur league and so no amateur teams would play against these teams again without being suspended by either Canadian or U.S. officials. According to Peel "[The Keystones] make no bones whatever about paying men. If they do not pay them, they give them fake positions." Peel was later suspended by the
Decline
The next season, the Portage Lakes Hockey Club of Houghton, Michigan began a professional league which continued to play professional exhibition game against the WPHL's Pittsburgh Bankers. However the exposure given by playing Portage Lakes raised the profiles of some of the Pittsburgh players, who were lured away after the season for the promise of better pay in Michigan. The team soon raided Pittsburgh’s teams for top players like Riley Hern and Bruce Stuart. This led the Keystones to withdraw from the league on January 17, 1904. Their players were then redistributed among the three other WPHL teams.[11]
Prominent Players
Keystones players inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame:
- Riley Hern (1963)
References
- ^ "Keystones to Take a Trip". The Pittsburg Press. January 10, 1904. p. 20.
- ^ a b c d Miller, Charles S. (November 24, 1901). "Speed is Hockey's Chief Charm". The Pittsburg Press. p. 35 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ "[untitled]". Bassett's Scrap Book. Vol. 6, no. 12. February 1909. p. 191.
- ^ "Cycling and Athletics". The Pittsburg Press. October 15, 1899. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Bankers' Team". Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette. October 18, 1899. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Western Pennsylvania HL 1900–1901". Society for International Hockey Research. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- ^ a b Fitzsimmons, Ernie. "Pittsburgh can lay claim to at least a portion of the birth of professional hockey". Pittsburgh Hockey.net. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
- ^ a b "Player Inductees — Riley Hern". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
- ^ Landucci, Fred (September 27, 1961). "First 'Pros' Start League Play in 1902". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 21.
- ^ "Western Pennsylvania HL 1902–1903". Society for International Hockey Research. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- ^ "Before the NHL: Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, International Professional Hockey League". Crashing the Net. Retrieved April 20, 2012.