Pittsburgh Pirates (WPHL)
Encyclopedia
The Pittsburgh Pirates were a hockey club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
that became members of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League
for the 1908 WPHL season
. When the WPHL was revived in 1907, the only two original teams to return to the league after operations were suspended in 1904 were the Pittsburgh PAC and the Pittsburgh Bankers
. Two new teams were needed to get the league back to its original number of four teams. One of the teams to enter the league in 1907 was the Pittsburgh Lyceum
, and the other was the Pirates. The Pirates entered the league loaded with professional players like Dunc Taylor, Ed Robitaille, Ray Robinson
, Harry McRobie, Edgar Dey
, Charlie Mason and goaltender
Jim MacKay.
After the 1902 season
, the WPHL became the first league to openly hire hockey players. Many of the athletes in the WPHL were Canadians who were drawn to Pittsburgh because of the Duquesne Gardens
, which was one of the few arenas in North America that had an artificial ice rink. To their credit, the Pirates might have been the first team to trade professional hockey players. According to the deal, the Pittsburgh Pirates sent Jim MacKay, Edgar Dey and Dunc Taylor to the Pittsburgh Bankers for Josephy Donnelly, Cliff Bennest and a player named McGuire on January 28, 1908. The Pirates played only one year
in the WPHL. They ended their only season with a record of 5 wins, 10 losses, and 2 ties.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
that became members of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League
Western Pennsylvania Hockey League
The Western Pennsylvania Hockey League , was a semi-professional ice hockey league from the early 1900s. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the league was the pre-eminent ice hockey league at the time in the United States...
for the 1908 WPHL season
1908 WPHL season
-Final standings:Source: Fitzsimmons, p. 415* Games that resulted in a tie were replayed and are not reflected in total points-Exhibition:The Bankers played a "World's Series" with the Montreal Wanderers. The Wanderers won the series two games to one....
. When the WPHL was revived in 1907, the only two original teams to return to the league after operations were suspended in 1904 were the Pittsburgh PAC and the Pittsburgh Bankers
Pittsburgh Bankers
The Pittsburgh Bankers were a Pittsburgh hockey club that consisted of a group of local men from Pittsburgh that were employeed by local banks during the early 1900s. The Bankers began as the amateur Banker's League. The league later merged into one team which became members of the Western...
. Two new teams were needed to get the league back to its original number of four teams. One of the teams to enter the league in 1907 was the Pittsburgh Lyceum
Pittsburgh Lyceum
The Pittsburgh Lyceum were a professional hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and were members of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League. After the WPHL was revived for the 1907-08 season, it was deteremined that two new teams would be needed so that the league could go back to its four...
, and the other was the Pirates. The Pirates entered the league loaded with professional players like Dunc Taylor, Ed Robitaille, Ray Robinson
Ray Robinson
Rayford Harold Robinson was an Australian cricketer who played in one Test in 1936....
, Harry McRobie, Edgar Dey
Edgar Dey
Edgar Ernest Dey was an early amateur and professional ice hockey player and athlete in canoeing. A member of the Dey family of Ottawa, known for canoe building, athletics and arena operation, he died in 1912 from an injury while playing hockey. He was a canoeing champion of Canada...
, Charlie Mason and goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
Jim MacKay.
After the 1902 season
1902 WPHL season
-Final standings:The standings at the end of the season:Source: Fitzsimmons, p. 414...
, the WPHL became the first league to openly hire hockey players. Many of the athletes in the WPHL were Canadians who were drawn to Pittsburgh because of the Duquesne Gardens
Duquesne Gardens
Duquesne Gardens was the main sports arena located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA during the first half of the 20th century. It opened 3 years after a fire destroyed the city's prior sports arena, the Schenley Park Casino, in 1896. The arena was the first hockey rink to use glass above the dasher...
, which was one of the few arenas in North America that had an artificial ice rink. To their credit, the Pirates might have been the first team to trade professional hockey players. According to the deal, the Pittsburgh Pirates sent Jim MacKay, Edgar Dey and Dunc Taylor to the Pittsburgh Bankers for Josephy Donnelly, Cliff Bennest and a player named McGuire on January 28, 1908. The Pirates played only one year
1908 WPHL season
-Final standings:Source: Fitzsimmons, p. 415* Games that resulted in a tie were replayed and are not reflected in total points-Exhibition:The Bankers played a "World's Series" with the Montreal Wanderers. The Wanderers won the series two games to one....
in the WPHL. They ended their only season with a record of 5 wins, 10 losses, and 2 ties.