The Tigers: Hamilton's NHL Team?

This past summer, we were all treated to a riveting soap opera. The plot featured two warring factions battling for the Phoenix Coyotes.

In one corner, Jim Balsillie, the self-proclaimed leader of the “Make It Seven” campaign, and he who willed to find any loophole that would accomplish his objective. In the other corner, Gary Bettman and the National Hockey League’s board of governors, who desperately tried to keep the Coyotes in the luxurious and affluent Glendale-Phoenix market.

In the midst of all this drama were the people of Hamilton, Ontario, crying out for something they’ve always wanted – an NHL team.

Ironically, I don’t believe the media ever mentioned that Hamilton did have an NHL team.

In 1920, the NHL took over the struggling Quebec Bulldogs and sold them to an ownership group based out of Canada’s steel capital. The team would be re-christened the Hamilton Tigers and would play in the Barton Street Arena (also known as the Hamilton Forum), located downtown on Barton Street, between Sanford Street and Wentworth Street.

Under the guidance of manager Percy Thompson, the Tigers endured a long streak of futility.  During their first four seasons, Hamilton failed to make the playoffs and finished last in the standings.

Despite involvement from hall-of-famers, such as Joe Malone and Art Ross, the Tigers floundered. But that all changed during what turned out to be the club’s fifth and final season in Hamilton.

Thanks to a collection of acquisitions and trades, the Tigers were the top team during the 1924-25 NHL season. They finished with an impressive record of 19-10-1 and were easily favoured to win the Stanley Cup. But in a cruel twist of fate, the Tigers failed to win the championship, without even playing a single game.

That year, the NHL expanded the number of regular season games from 24 to 30. However, the change did not reflect in the players’ salaries and most were paid as if they were still playing 24 games.

The Tigers decided to protest this inequality. The entire roster served an ultimatum to Thompson: payment for the six additional games or the team would not take part in the playoffs. Thompson and the club’s management refused the players’ demands and passed the matter on to the NHL.

After arbitration failed to find an agreeable solution, League president Frank Calder elected to disqualify the Tigers and fined each player $200.

Surprisingly, the revolt by the Tigers’ roster did not lead to the immediate end of the franchise. In fact, the club planned to build a new arena in Hamilton. But when the plans fell through, the Tigers were sold to an American bootlegger named William “Big Bill” Dwyer, who moved the team to Manhattan where they became the New York Americans.

Hamilton has experienced many changes since the Tigers left 84 years ago. However, the team’s legacy still existed long after their departure.

The Barton Street Arena continued to serve the hockey community until it was torn down in 1977. There were also two other Hamilton teams called the Tigers. One club played in the Ontario Hockey Association’s Senior A League, a predecessor to Major League Hockey. The other was part of the long-defunct Canadian Professional Hockey League.

No one can question the desire of many Hamiltonians to have an NHL team. The city has a rich hockey history, which certainly includes the Tigers and their participation during the NHL’s infant years. Although Hamilton’s demographics are different from what they were in the early 1920s, it’s clear the city has a large appetite for professional hockey that needs to be satisfied.

Of course, there is the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League, who won the Calder Cup just a few years ago. But given their poor attendance – the AHL club has averaged fewer than 3700 fans at Copps Coliseum this season, despite their strong record of 6-0-1-1 (as of Oct. 27) – it seems the Bulldogs are unfortunately not good enough.

For more information on the Hamilton Tigers, seek out a copy of Hamilton’s Hockey Tigers, written by David and Sam Wesley and published by James Lorimer & Company Ltd.