Charles Graham Drinkwater (February 22, 1875 – September 27, 1946) was a
CanadianCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professionalA professional is a member of a vocation founded upon specialised educational training.The word professional traditionally means a person who has obtained a degree in a professional field...
ice hockeyIce Hockey is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a puck into the opposing team's goal. It is a fast-paced and physical sport...
forwardA Forward is a hockey player position on the ice whose responsibility is primarily to score goals. Generally, the offensemen try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
who played for the
Montreal VictoriasThe Victoria Hockey Club of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was an early men's amateur ice hockey team, organized in 1877 making it the second organized ice hockey club after McGill College. The club played at its own rink, the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal. The club was winners of the Stanley Cup in...
in the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC). He was a rare player in that he had the ability to play both forward and defense with equal skill.
Childhood
Drinkwater was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. Drinkwater was an accomplished hockey and football player in his teens, he starred with the
Montreal Hockey ClubThe Montreal Hockey Club of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was a senior-level men's amateur ice hockey club, organized in 1884. They were affiliated with Montreal Amateur Athletic Association and used the MAAA 'winged wheel' logo. The team is notable for winning the first Stanley Cup in 1893, and in a...
junior team in 1892–93, the same year that the Montreal HC went on to win the first
Stanley cupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club cup trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion. It has been referred to as The Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in that same season. Drinkwater also played a prominent role on the
McGill UniversityMcGill University is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
football team.
Playing career
Drinkwater left McGill in 1895 to sign with the
Victoria Hockey ClubThe Victoria Hockey Club of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was an early men's amateur ice hockey team, organized in 1877 making it the second organized ice hockey club after McGill College. The club played at its own rink, the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal. The club was winners of the Stanley Cup in...
of Montreal, where he figured he would get more playing time. He scored nine goals in eight contests, helping the Victoria's win the
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club cup trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion. It has been referred to as The Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
. Drinkwater would also win the cup in 1896, 1897, 1898 and 1899 (as Captain). Drinkwater's excellent skating and smarts made him one of the best players early in the game of hockey. He was inducted to the
Hockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1950.