Sault Ste. Marie Marlboros

The Sault Ste. Marie Marlboros were an ice hockey team from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. It was the lone Canadian entry in the International Hockey League of 1904 - 1907, making the team, quite possibly, the first professional hockey team in Canada.

The league was formed at the Conference of Hockey Clubs in American Cities in Chicago, Illinois on November 5, 1904. The Canadian Soo was represented by J. P. Mooney and J. C. Boyd. The Canadian representatives presented a revenue sharing proposal at the meeting. The idea put forward was that gate receipts should be split 60/40 home/visiting team with a minimum guarantee also in place so that the visiting teams expenses would be met. The proposal was accepted and the league was formed.

The Canadian Soo Marlboros first game was played against the American Soo Indians on December 14, 1904 at the Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Ridge Street Ice-A-Torium, the local curling club. The Canadian Soo played its first home game against the American Soo at the Sault, Ontario curling club on December 19, 1904.

Before the team folded in 1907, Newsy Lalonde and George McNamara both played for the Soo. They would both go on to play for Stanley Cup winning teams and would both be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Roster

The lineup from the first Sault Marlboros game as reported in the Sault Star December 8, 1904

* Pete Maltman - Woodstock, Ontario - Goaltender
* Roy Brown - Brantford, Ontario - Point
* (unknown) O'Leary - Ottawa, Ontario - Cover Point
* Billy Taylor - Brantford, Ontario - Rover
* (unknown) Corbett - (unknown) - Left Wing
* Jim McLurg - Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario - Right Wing
* Chas Collins - Collingwood, Ontario - Centre

References

Sault Star - November 10, 1904, December 8, 1904