Victoria Skating Rink

Montreal Victorias (1881-1937)

The Victoria Stadium ( formally Victoria Skating Rink ) was an ice rink in Montreal, Canada in the province of Quebec and was opened on 24 December 1862. In the winter months, public skating, ice hockey and other ice sports were held, while the stadium was used in the summer months for music events and exhibitions. On March 3, 1875 the first ever held in a hall hockey game was played in this stadium. In addition, here the first playoff finals for the Stanley Cup was held in 1894. In addition, it was the first electrified building in Canada.

The building was located in downtown Montreal in the Drummond Street, just south of Sainte Catherine Street, on the east by the Stanley Street adjacent. This is only a stone's throw of the Bell Centre, now the home of the Montreal Canadiens. The Victoria Skating Rink was closed in 1937 and in its place today is a parking garage.

The site was purchased by the Victoria Skating Club on June 9, 1862, it began construction of the ice rink, which opened after the completion on 24 December of the same year. Although it was one of the first and largest indoor ice rinks in North America, it was after the 1859 already opened the second in the city on the St. Lawrence River. Quick was the first of many, under the name of Queen Victoria in Canada opened ice rinks on a main attraction of the city.

James Creighton organized on March 3, 1875 the first ice hockey game in a hall. This was played between two teams of nine, consisting of club members and students from the nearby McGill University. In 1881 was the Victoria Hockey Club 's sporting home in Victoria Stadium. In 1886, the inaugural meeting of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada, the second organized ice hockey league in Canada was held in the stadium. On March 17, 1881 then the first playoff finale of the story of Stanley Cup between the Montreal Hockey Club and the Montreal Victorias was held in the stadium instead of which 3-2 in favor of the Montreal hockey club - the future Stanley Cup winner - went out. On February 18, 1896, the Canadian amateur figure skating championship was held as another big event here.

After the glorious years of skating rinks were over, it was closed in 1937 and converted into a parking garage. Today this building is used as a garage by the car rental company National Car Rental.

Victoria Cup

The starting from the season 2008/09 season discharged by the IIHF Victoria Cup was named after the Victoria Skating Rink, the IIHF looks as the birthplace of ice hockey. The first edition coincides with the 100th anniversary of the IIHF.