Members of the First Professional Portage Lake Ice Hockey Teams
Houghton, Michigan

Portage Lake Logo, white on green.
The Copper Country teams were called the "Miners" in the news

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January 1898 "The game of hockey was introduced into Houghton last Friday evening by a game between two teams from Dollar Bay." the local paper wrote at the time.
The only covered ice rink at that time was in Dollar Bay.
Members of those first two teams were: 
WHITE TEAM             POSITION                   RED TEAM
L. Fissette                     Goal                              B. Wagner
   N. Rogers                     Point                             A. Penberthy
B. Kitto                        Cover Point                   F. Fernette
       H. Rosberg                   Center                           W. Middlemiss
  S. McGrath                   Cen. For.                      M. McGrath
      G. Williams                  Rt. Wing                        T. Glendening
E. Yates                       Left Wing                      H. Yates
(contact webmaster if you have a picture of these White & Red teams.)

1899 The Portage Lake ice hockey team formed.
 

Pre 1902 team: The line up of that "first Pro team" included:
Wally Washburn in the net (game injuries ended Wally's hockey career by 1902)
"Doc" J.L. Gibson at cover point
Delaney at point
"Doc" Percy Willson at right wing
Potter at left wing
Rowe at forward
Haller at rover
"The highly rated officials at the time were C. Yates and Dr. HB. Harkness." 
Source:  The local Houghton newspaper, the Daily Mining Gazette, dated August 1, 1961.
(contact webmaster if you have a picture of this team.)

In 1902-03, a four team league played in Michigan's Upper Peninsula: Houghton, Hancock, Laurium and Sault Ste. Marie, all of Michigan. 

Members of the 1902-03 Portage Lake team were:  J.H. Stephens -Rover,  C.E. Webb -Manager,   L.J. Ames -Trainer,  J.C Baker -Point. John Jack L Gibson -C. Point and Captain,  R. Rowe -Left Wing,  J.H. Jones -Goal,  C.E. Wescott -Right Wing,  H.E. Meinke -Center.  A Haller -Sub,  (Lake -Sub, listed on 1903 stick "burnt by Frog" and also Lake, Blanche, Buckanan are listed on another Frog burnt 1902-03 stick but not on picture)

1902-03 Portage Lake Champs of the United States Standing L-T:  A Haller -Sub,  J.H. Stephens,  C.E. Webb -Manager,   L.J. Ames -Trainer,  J.C Baker -Point. Seated L-R: J.L Gibson -C. Point and Captain,  R. Rowe -Left,  J.H. Jones -Goal,  C.E. Wescott -Right,  H.E. Meinke -Center.  Paddy the Mascot dog.  All the sticks in their picture have MIC-MAC stamped on them, and the goalie stick was not any bigger than any other stick in the picture.

The 1902-03 season had 14 games between 27 Dec to 3 March according to their team photo list & carved 1903 stick.  The Portage Lake Hockey Team was considered the Champions of the United States for the 1902-03 season: 
Here is their 1902-03 Schedule as it appears printed on their team photo above: 
Dec. 27 Toronto University 2 ... Portage Lake 13 *
Jan. 23 St. Paul 2       ..... Portage Lake 20
Jan. 24 St. Paul 6       ..... Portage Lake 8
Jan. 30 St Louis 0      ..... Portage Lake 13
Jan. 31 St Louis 1      ..... Portage Lake 10
Feb. 4 Detroit 2         ..... Portage Lake 11 **
Feb. 5 Detroit 3         ..... Portage Lake 12
Feb. 9 Victorias of Pittsburg 1     ..... Portage Lake 10
Feb. 10 Victorias of Pittsburg 6   ..... Portage Lake 7
Feb. 12 Duluth 0                     ..... Portage Lake 13
Feb. 23 P.A.C. Pittsburg 1      ..... Portage Lake 11  
Feb. 24 P.A.C. Pittsburg 1      ..... Portage Lake 3
Mar. 2 Bankers of Pittsburg 0  ..... Portage Lake 0 *** 
Mar. 3 Bankers of Pittsburg 0  ..... Portage Lake 1
* the "Frog" carved stick has this game with 2-15 score
** the "Frog" carved stick has this game with 1-11 score
*** the "burnt by Frog" and the "Frog" carved stick has this game a 2-2 tie

[P.A.C is Pittsburg Athletic Club, there were 3 Pittsburg teams; note: at that time, Pittsburgh was spelled without an "h"]

1903-04 In this season, the local league expanded to take in Pittsburgh and Minneapolis. The 1904 Portage Lakes won the American Championship over the Pittsburg Victorias and the World Championship over the Montreal Wanderers who were who were billed as the Champions of Canada at the time. The Portage Lake team "had made every effort to play the top teams of Canada" but could not, because the Amateur Canadian teams would be banned from their league if they played a professional team.

1904-05 The International (Professional) Hockey League (IHL) organized by Portage Lake consisted of teams playing out of five communities in the United States and Ontario: 
Houghton Portage Lakes, Calumet, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan,  Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and Pittsburg, PA

Members of the 1904-05 Portage Lake Professional Team were:   Charles E. Webb -Mgr, John L. "Doc" Gibson -Point and player/mgr 24 games, 2 goal C. Ernest "Ernie" Westcott 3 games, 1 goal William "Cooney" Shields 10 games, 5 goals (played part of season with Calumet) Bruce Stuart -Captain 22 games, 33 goals William Riley Hern -Goal 24 games 2 shutouts Bert Morrison 12 games, 9 goals. Others who played this season for Portage Lakes: Harry Bright 8 games, 9 goals Lorne Campbell 4 games, 5 goals Andy Haller 1 game, 0 goals Barney Holden 24 games, 7 goals Fred Lake 24 games, 14 goals Charles Liffiton -R Wing (highest paid player in the IHL during the 1904-05 season with $1350) Joe McMaster 1 game, 2 goals John T. McNamara -Manager

1904-05 Portage Lake IHL Team Standing Lt to Rt: Hod Stuart, Charles E. Webb (manager), John L. "Doc" Gibson. Seated Lt to Rt: - Ernest Wescott, William "Cooney" Shields, Bruce Stuart, William Riley Hern, Bert Morrison. This team played 24 games:  17 Wins, 7 Losses, 2 Ties. Please Contact webmaster if you have a different picture of the 1904-05 Portage Lake team.

1905-06 The Portage Lake team was the International Hockey League Champions.

  1906-07 The Portage Lake team was the International Hockey League Champions.

Members of the 1906-07 Portage Lake team were:  Jas M Duggan -Trainer; Darcy Regan -Goal 24 games, 2 shutouts; John T. McNamara -Mgr. Fred W. Taylor -Cover Point 23 games 14 goals; Barney Holden -Point 20 games, 3 goals. Grindy Forester -Right Wing 22 games, 15 goals; Goldy Cochrane -Rover 17 games, 12 goals;  C. Bruce Stuart -Capt. Center 23 games, 17 goals;  Fred E. Lake -Wing. Jack Descarie -Spare. Others who played this season with the Portage Lake team: "Tuff" Bellefeuille 2 games, 0 goals (played 3 games with Calumet) Harry Bright 4 games, 3 goals Harry Brown 5 games 0 goals Con Corbeau 2 games, 0 goals (played 13 games with Calumet) Doc Gibson 2 games, 0 goals Cliff Hudson 1 game, 0 goals Dick Wilson 2 games, 1 goal

Portage Lake 1906-07 IHL Team Top 3 L-R: Jas M Duggan -Trainer; Darcy Regan -Goal; John T. McNamara -Mgr. Middle 2 L-R:  Fred W. Taylor; Barney Holden. Middle 4 L-R:  Grindy Forester; Goldy Cochrane;  C. Bruce Stuart -Capt.;  Fred E. Lake. Bottom 1: Jack Descarie. Photo courtesy of Ernie Fitzsimmons Hockey Historian, Fredericton, N.B

Following the 1907 season, the professional Portage Lakes broke up, the team kept playing, but played as an amateur team.  Many of their past stars returned to Canada to play pro hockey on newly formed Pro teams. The first year  in Canada that the Ontario Hockey League allowed their players to turn professional was after the 1907 season.

After the International Hockey (Pro) League from 1904-1907 broke up, many players in the IHL league went on to play pro hockey for teams across the Nation and Canada. Click here to see a list of North American pro teams starting from the 1904 teams to present.

Click here to see pictures of Houghton's Portage Lake Hockey Teams 1899-present. 

International Hockey (Pro) League 1904 to 1907:
Alphabetical listing of players and managers from the Portage Lake Teams in the Pro league: (includes the 1st pro team in 1903-04; the year before the IHL formed) 

"Tuff" Bellefeuille, 1906-07 Portage Lake Team  

Harry Bright, 1904-05, 1905-06, 1906-07 Portage Lake Team -Rover. Harry (18-- to 19--) was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Harry Brown, 1906-07 Portage Lake Team.

Lorne Campbell 1904-05 Portage Lake Team

"Goldie" Cochrane, 1906-07 Portage Lake Team

Con Corbeau, 1906-07 Portage Lake Team

James R. Dee, 1903-04 Portage Lake Team, Pres.

James W. Duggan, 1903-04, 1905-06, 1906-07 Portage Lake Team -Trainer

Grindy Forrester, 1905-06, 1906-07 Portage Lake Team -point

Walter A Forrest, 1905-06 Portage Lake Team -spare

J.L. "Doc" Gibson, Point 1903-04 (Capt), 1904-05 (player/manager), 1906-07 Portage Lake Team

Joe H. Hall, 1905-06 Portage Lake Team-Rt wing

Andy Haller 1904-05 Portage Lake Team

W.M Riley Hern, 1903-04, 1904-05, 1905-06 Portage Lake Team-Goal,

Barney Holden, 1904-05, 1905-06, 1906-07 Portage Lake Team-Cover pt.,

Cliff Hudson 1906-07 Portage Lake Team

Red E. Lake, 1905-06 Portage Lake Team -Lt Wing.

Fred Lake, 1904-05, 1906-07 Portage Lake Team -Rt Wing.

Charles Liffiton, 1904-05 Portage Lake Team -Rt Wing (highest paid player in the IHL during the 1904-05 season with $1350)

J. Linder, 1903-04 Portage Lake Team, -Sub

Joe McMaster, 1904-05 Portage Lake Team

John T. McNamara, 1905-06 Portage Lake Team-Manager

Bert C. Morrison, 1903-04, 1904-05 Portage Lake Team, -Rover

Darcy Regan -Goal 1906-07 Portage Lake Team

C. Bruce Stuart, 1903-04, 1904-05, 1905-06, 1906-07 Portage Lake Team-Center & Capt,

W.H. Stuart, 1903-04, 1904-05 Portage Lake Team, -Cover Point

William "Cooney" Shields, 1903-04, 1904-05 Portage Lake Team, -Rt Wing

Fred W. Taylor, 1905-06, 1906-07 Portage Lake Team-Rover,

C.E. Webb, 1903-04 Portage Lake Team, -Mgr

C.E. Westcott, 1903-04 Portage Lake Team, -Lt Wing

C. Ernest "Ernie" Westcott 1904-05 Portage Lake Team

N.F. Westcott, 1903-04 Portage Lake Team, -Sub

Dick Wilson, 1906-07 Portage Lake Team

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Web Page designed, researched and maintained by Connie Julien 
copyright 2009