In 1215 AD a document was created what is widely regarded as the foundation of the English and ‘common law’ legal system. The Magna Carta now exists in modern form throughout the Western world, from America to Australia, Canada to Britain and so on.
The rules of modern Ice Hockey follows a similar trajectory. All versions of the modern game are based on a document that was drafted in Montreal at the Victoria Skating Rink on December 8 of 1886. The Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) rules were primarily based on rules that were originally used in Halifax ice hockey and then in Montreal, following James Creighton’s move to Montreal from Halifax in 1872-73.
For various reasons, and perhaps most notably owing to the charisma of the Stanley Cup, the AHAC rules became a template that determined how Ice Hockey was to be played during the late 19th to early 20th century.
The image below shows the very first AHAC rules, as published in the Montreal Gazette a few weeks after the 1886 AHAC rules were drafted at the December 8, 1886 meeting. I repositioned the article’s contents below because they appeared in a single column in the original Gazette article. Here’s the bottom line for Ice Hockey enthusiasts:
Anyone who wants to know about Ice Hockey history needs to know know about this piece of Halifax-Montreal legislation. That’s because ALL versions of modern Ice Hockey worldwide are derived from this document, from the NHL on down to the finest beer leagues. Download a copy by clicking on the image.
The Four Stars of Early Ice Hockey 