The Montreal Maroons: The Forgotten Stanley Cup Champions

by William Brown

When people talk about the history of hockey in Montreal they often limit the discussion to the Montreal Canadiens. But what about the Montreal Maroons? The Maroons were the very first tenants of the Montreal Forum and rivaled the Canadiens for most of the 1920s and 1930s. The team drew most of its fans from the anglophone neighbourhoods of Montreal and English-speaking communities throughout Quebec. During the Maroons' short but colourful existence, the team won two Stanley Cups and took part in some of the NHL's most historic moments. The titanic battles between the Maroons and the Canadiens were classic struggles between two proud teams. The games were also duels between rival superstars - the Canadiens with Howie Morenz and Auriel Joliat, and the Maroons with Nels Stewart, Hooley Smith and Babe Siebert. The matches were often wild affairs with fights on the ice and on the stands, but those who were there remembered them as the most thrilling hockey games they ever saw. The Montreal Maroons is the story of a team that had a major impact on the early days of the National Hockey League. It is also a look back at the glorious era in the history of hockey in Montreal.

About the Author:

William Brown lives in Montreal where he works as a freelance writer and broadcaster. He worked for CBC Radio for nine years in Quebec City and the Eastern Townships, but returned to Montreal in 1995 to pursue his fascination with the city's rich sports history. His book, Baseball's Fabulous Montreal Royals is the story of Montreal's first professional baseball team. His interest in the Montreal Maroons was sparked by the closing of the legendary Montreal Forum in 1996.

Genres: History, Sports

222 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

William Brown is a freelance writer and broadcaster. His books, The Montreal Maroons: The Forgotten Stanley Cup Champions, and Baseball's Fabulous Montreal Royals, chronicled two cherished sports teams from the city's past.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this years ago and decided to have a second go at it. I would have given this 3.5 stars, but what makes it a four is its uniqueness. There really isn't another exhaustive history of the Montreal Maroons out there. At times the book gets bogged down in play by play of particular games, which I find rarely works in print. The book succeeds when it goes behind the scenes and studies the context, looking at the formation and administration of the club and where it fit in the Montreal sports scene in the 1920s and 30s. I liked Brown's book on Doug Harvey better, but this one was still a worthwhile read.