Prince's Skating Club
Encyclopedia
Prince's Skating Club was an ice rink
in the Knightsbridge
area of London
, England
. It saw a number of firsts for ice hockey
in Britain and Europe.
The rink was opened on Montpelier Square on 7 November 1896 by the Princes Sporting Club. It operated on a membership-only basis and was aimed at the elite of British figure skaters who wished to practise on uncrowded ice.http://www.isaq.org.au/Newsletters/June%2004%20Newsletter.pdf
Prince's was the second large rectangular rink in Britain after Stockport
, its ice measuring 210 by 52 feet. This made it an ideal venue for the developing sport of ice hockey.
Princes Ice Hockey Club
was founded at the rink at the end of the year. It began playing challenge matches in early 1897, initially against the three existing teams in England: Niagara
, Brighton and the Royal Engineers.
In 1900, the rink hosted the first Ice Hockey Varsity Match
, although Oxford
insisted on playing with bandy
sticks and a lacrosse
ball. The next year, another Varsity Match was held, this time using a puck
and hockey skates.
In 1902, London Canadians was founded as a second ice hockey team at the rink. They and Princes participated in Europe's first ice hockey league, which they contested against Argyll and the Amateur Skating Club, both based at Hengler's Ice Rink, and Cambridge University
. The league started in November 1903 and was completed in February 1904 after eight games. Canadians won the tournament, with Princes taking second place.
The league was not repeated, as Hengler's closed. Instead, Princes began undertaking annual European tours (as did London Canadians' successors, Oxford Canadians), while teams such as Sporting Club Lyon, Brussels Club des Patineurs and C. P. P. Paris came to play the London-based teams. The 1908 match with Paris was the first under Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace (international) rules in Britain; it was also notable as Thomas Sopwith
played in goal.
Later in 1908, the figure skating events of the Olympics
were held at the rink - the first ice sport ever included in the Olympics and the only occasion Olympic ice events have been held in Britain.
In March 1910, the first England-Scotland ice hockey match was held at the rink, but the sport was suspended at the start of World War I
. Despite this, the British Ice Hockey Association
was founded at the rink in 1914.
The rink closed in summer 1917, its building later being used by Daimler
and ultimately demolished.
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
in the Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
area of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It saw a number of firsts for ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
in Britain and Europe.
The rink was opened on Montpelier Square on 7 November 1896 by the Princes Sporting Club. It operated on a membership-only basis and was aimed at the elite of British figure skaters who wished to practise on uncrowded ice.http://www.isaq.org.au/Newsletters/June%2004%20Newsletter.pdf
Prince's was the second large rectangular rink in Britain after Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, its ice measuring 210 by 52 feet. This made it an ideal venue for the developing sport of ice hockey.
Princes Ice Hockey Club
Princes Ice Hockey Club
Princes Ice Hockey Club was one of the most influential early European ice hockey teams and is sometimes considered the first ice hockey club in Britain....
was founded at the rink at the end of the year. It began playing challenge matches in early 1897, initially against the three existing teams in England: Niagara
Niagara Ice Hockey Club
The Niagara Ice Hockey Club was an early ice hockey team in the United Kingdom. They played at the Niagara Ice Rink close to St James's Park tube station in London. Contemporary accounts of the early history of British ice hockey refer to Niagara being the first English club champions in...
, Brighton and the Royal Engineers.
In 1900, the rink hosted the first Ice Hockey Varsity Match
Ice Hockey Varsity Match
The Ice Hockey Varsity Match is a longstanding competition between the Cambridge and Oxford University Ice Hockey Clubs.Tradition places the origin of the match in 1885, when a game is said to have been played in St Moritz...
, although Oxford
Oxford University Ice Hockey Club
Oxford University Ice Hockey Club, sometimes known as Oxford Blues, is one of the world's oldest ice hockey teams. Tradition places the origin of the club in 1885, when a match is said to have been played against Cambridge University Ice Hockey Club at St Moritz...
insisted on playing with bandy
Bandy
Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...
sticks and a lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
ball. The next year, another Varsity Match was held, this time using a puck
Puck (sports)
A puck is a disk used in various games serving the same functions as a ball does in ball games. The best-known use of pucks is in ice hockey, a major international sport.- Etymology :The origin of the word "puck" is obscure...
and hockey skates.
In 1902, London Canadians was founded as a second ice hockey team at the rink. They and Princes participated in Europe's first ice hockey league, which they contested against Argyll and the Amateur Skating Club, both based at Hengler's Ice Rink, and Cambridge University
Cambridge University Ice Hockey Club
Cambridge University Ice Hockey Club at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England, is one of the oldest ice hockey teams in the world.While the team claims a history dating back to 1885, the first strong evidence for their existence comes on 16 March 1900, when they played Oxford University...
. The league started in November 1903 and was completed in February 1904 after eight games. Canadians won the tournament, with Princes taking second place.
The league was not repeated, as Hengler's closed. Instead, Princes began undertaking annual European tours (as did London Canadians' successors, Oxford Canadians), while teams such as Sporting Club Lyon, Brussels Club des Patineurs and C. P. P. Paris came to play the London-based teams. The 1908 match with Paris was the first under Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace (international) rules in Britain; it was also notable as Thomas Sopwith
Thomas Sopwith
Sir Thomas Octave Murdoch Sopwith, CBE, Hon FRAeS was an English aviation pioneer and yachtsman.-Early life:...
played in goal.
Later in 1908, the figure skating events of the Olympics
Figure skating at the 1908 Summer Olympics
At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, four figure skating events were contested. This took place at the Prince's Skating Club, in the district of Knightsbridge...
were held at the rink - the first ice sport ever included in the Olympics and the only occasion Olympic ice events have been held in Britain.
In March 1910, the first England-Scotland ice hockey match was held at the rink, but the sport was suspended at the start of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Despite this, the British Ice Hockey Association
British Ice Hockey Association
The British Ice Hockey Association was founded in 1913 and was the governing body of ice hockey in the United Kingdom during the 1913–14 season and between 1923 and 1999 when it was replaced by Ice Hockey UK....
was founded at the rink in 1914.
The rink closed in summer 1917, its building later being used by Daimler
Daimler Motor Company
The Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren...
and ultimately demolished.