Tom Phillips (ice hockey)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Neil Phillips was a Canadian
professional
ice hockey
left winger. Like other players of the time, Ross played for several different teams and leagues, and is most notable for his time with the Kenora Thistles
; he also played with the Montreal Hockey Club
, the Ottawa Hockey Club, the Toronto Marlboros
and the Vancouver Millionaires
. Phillips participated in six challenge series for the Stanley Cup
, the championship trophy of hockey; his team won the Cup twice: the Montreal Hockey Club in 1903 and the Kenora Thistles in January 1907, whom he captained
. One of the best defensive forwards of his era, he was also known for his all around skill, particularly his strong shot. His younger brother, Russell
, also played for the Thistles, and was a member of the team when they won the Stanley Cup. When the Hockey Hall of Fame
was founded in 1945, Phillips was one of the original twelve inductees.
on May 5, 1883, Phillips grew up in the town. He was a young child when he first learned to play hockey, and when old enough joined the junior Rat Portage Thistles, a team of players aged 12 to 16. Regarded as one of the best players in northwestern Ontario, Phillips moved east to Montreal in 1902 to attend McGill University
, where he joined the school's hockey team and was named captain
. The following year he played for the Montreal HC for the 1902–03 season
and helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 1903. Later that year he moved to Toronto to attend the Central Business School. He played for the Toronto Marlboros
and was regarded as the team's best player after he changed from his usual position of left wing to play rover
. The Marlboros won both the Toronto city and the Ontario Hockey Association
senior championships, and were invited to play a Stanley Cup challenge series against the Ottawa Hockey Club
. The Marlboros lost the series, though Phillips had the most assists and penalty minutes, with eight and fifteen, respectively.
Phillips moved back to Rat Portage in 1904 when he learned his father was dying. Offered a job with a lumber company, and a $
1,000 bonus to play hockey for the Thistles, he stayed in the city, much to the disappointment of the Marlboros, who had wanted him to stay in Toronto. Rat Portage changed its name from to Kenora in 1905. Due to their proximity to Manitoba, the Thistles played in the Manitoba Hockey League
. In the 1904–05 season Phillips had the second most goals on the team and league, with twenty-six, two behind Billy McGimsie
. The Thistles won the Manitoba league championship, which allowed them to challenge for the Stanley Cup. By this time Phillips was regarded as one of the best players in Canada, compared to Frank McGee of the Senators. The Montreal Herald reported that "nine of out ten people will reply that either Frank McGee or Tom Phillips is" the best player in the country.
In the first game against Ottawa, Phillips scored the first two goals, then added another three goals in the second half of the game as the Thistles won by a score of 9–3. Ottawa won the second game, 4–2, while Phillips was held pointless. In the third and deciding game of the series Phillips scored the first goal of the game, along with a further two goals, though Ottawa won the game 5–4 to win the Cup. The following season the Thistles won the Stirling Cup as champions of western Canada, which allowed them the right to challenge for the Cup again. However there was an early spring that year, and with natural ice used at the time, the series had to wait until the following winter. In the 1907 season, he led the league in both goals and points, with eighteen. In the Thistles Stanley Cup challenge against the Montreal Wanderers
in January, 1907, he scored all four goals in the Thistles 4–2 victory. His nine goals, nine points and sixteen penalty minutes were all leaders in those categories.
Prior to the start of the 1907–08 season, he was offered $1,500–$1,800 to play for the Wanderers, but instead signed with the Ottawa Senators for a salary of $1,500 for the season, partially paid for by Ottawa sportsmen. Phillips explained that he was ready to sign with the Wanderers, but the contract he received did not include everything promised. He finished the season with twenty-six, two goals behind the scoring leaders, teammate Marty Walsh
and Russell Bowie
of the Victorias
. Though offered a high salary to stay in Ottawa, Phillips decided to leave the team, and prior to the 1909 hockey season played with Edmonton of the AAHA. The Edmonton hockey team had signed several high profile players from Eastern Canada to play for the team in the Cup challenge, including Lester Patrick
and Didier Pitre
; only two players on the team were from Edmonton, the rest came from the east. Both Patrick and Phillips never even reached Edmonton; they met their team in Winnipeg on its way east for the Cup challenge. Phillips played in the first game against the Montreal Wanderers, which Edmonton lost 7–3, but broke his ankle in the game and was forced to miss the second game, a 7–3 victory for his club. His ankle injury kept him out of the following season. He continued further west, playing for Nelson in 1909–10 and the Vancouver Millionaires in 1911–12. Phillips ran his own lumber company, and moved to Toronto in 1920. After having a tooth pulled in 1923, he died of blood poisoning at the age of 40.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1945 as part of the first class of inductees. He was also inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
on September 26, 1987.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
left winger. Like other players of the time, Ross played for several different teams and leagues, and is most notable for his time with the Kenora Thistles
Kenora Thistles
The Kenora Thistles were an early amateur men's ice hockey team based in Kenora, Ontario, Canada, formed in 1885 as a senior team by a group of Lake of the Woods lumbermen. The club is notable for winning the Stanley Cup as an amateur team in 1907. The town is the smallest in population to have...
; he also played with the Montreal Hockey Club
Montreal Hockey Club
The 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...
, the Ottawa Hockey Club, the Toronto Marlboros
Toronto Marlboros
The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was founded in 1903. It operated a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association and Ontario Hockey League from 1904 to 1989...
and the Vancouver Millionaires
Vancouver Millionaires
The Vancouver Millionaires were a professional ice hockey team that competed in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the Western Canada Hockey League between 1911 and 1926...
. Phillips participated in six challenge series for the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
, the championship trophy of hockey; his team won the Cup twice: the Montreal Hockey Club in 1903 and the Kenora Thistles in January 1907, whom he captained
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
. One of the best defensive forwards of his era, he was also known for his all around skill, particularly his strong shot. His younger brother, Russell
Russell Phillips (ice hockey)
Russell Frederick Phillips was a Canadian ice hockey player. Russell was a member of the Stanley Cup 1907 champion Kenora Thistles...
, also played for the Thistles, and was a member of the team when they won the Stanley Cup. When the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The 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...
was founded in 1945, Phillips was one of the original twelve inductees.
Playing career
Born in Rat Portage, OntarioOntario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
on May 5, 1883, Phillips grew up in the town. He was a young child when he first learned to play hockey, and when old enough joined the junior Rat Portage Thistles, a team of players aged 12 to 16. Regarded as one of the best players in northwestern Ontario, Phillips moved east to Montreal in 1902 to attend McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, where he joined the school's hockey team and was named captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
. The following year he played for the Montreal HC for the 1902–03 season
1903 CAHL season
The 1903 Canadian Amateur Hockey League season lasted from January 3 until February 28. Teams played an eight game schedule. Ottawa and Montreal Victorias tied for the league championship with records of six wins and two losses.-Executive:...
and helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 1903. Later that year he moved to Toronto to attend the Central Business School. He played for the Toronto Marlboros
Toronto Marlboros
The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was founded in 1903. It operated a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association and Ontario Hockey League from 1904 to 1989...
and was regarded as the team's best player after he changed from his usual position of left wing to play rover
Rover (ice hockey)
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, ice hockey consisted of seven positions. Along with the goaltender, two defencemen, and three forwards who remain today, a Rover was also part of the team. Unlike all the others, the rover did not have a set position, and roamed the ice at will, going...
. The Marlboros won both the Toronto city and the Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
senior championships, and were invited to play a Stanley Cup challenge series against the Ottawa Hockey Club
Ottawa Senators (original)
The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934...
. The Marlboros lost the series, though Phillips had the most assists and penalty minutes, with eight and fifteen, respectively.
Phillips moved back to Rat Portage in 1904 when he learned his father was dying. Offered a job with a lumber company, and a $
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
1,000 bonus to play hockey for the Thistles, he stayed in the city, much to the disappointment of the Marlboros, who had wanted him to stay in Toronto. Rat Portage changed its name from to Kenora in 1905. Due to their proximity to Manitoba, the Thistles played in the Manitoba Hockey League
Manitoba Hockey Association
The Manitoba Hockey Association was an early men's senior ice hockey league playing around 1900 in Manitoba, Canada. The league started as an elite amateur league in 1892, became professional in 1905, had a professional and an amateur league in 1908–09 and only an amateur league from 1909 until...
. In the 1904–05 season Phillips had the second most goals on the team and league, with twenty-six, two behind Billy McGimsie
Billy McGimsie
William George McGimsie was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played for the Rat Portage Thistles and Kenora Thistles. He was born in Woodville, Ontario....
. The Thistles won the Manitoba league championship, which allowed them to challenge for the Stanley Cup. By this time Phillips was regarded as one of the best players in Canada, compared to Frank McGee of the Senators. The Montreal Herald reported that "nine of out ten people will reply that either Frank McGee or Tom Phillips is" the best player in the country.
In the first game against Ottawa, Phillips scored the first two goals, then added another three goals in the second half of the game as the Thistles won by a score of 9–3. Ottawa won the second game, 4–2, while Phillips was held pointless. In the third and deciding game of the series Phillips scored the first goal of the game, along with a further two goals, though Ottawa won the game 5–4 to win the Cup. The following season the Thistles won the Stirling Cup as champions of western Canada, which allowed them the right to challenge for the Cup again. However there was an early spring that year, and with natural ice used at the time, the series had to wait until the following winter. In the 1907 season, he led the league in both goals and points, with eighteen. In the Thistles Stanley Cup challenge against the Montreal Wanderers
Montreal Wanderers
The Montreal Wanderers were a Canadian amateur, and later becoming a professional men's ice hockey team. The team played in the Federal Amateur Hockey League , the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association , the National Hockey Association and briefly the National Hockey League . The Wanderers are...
in January, 1907, he scored all four goals in the Thistles 4–2 victory. His nine goals, nine points and sixteen penalty minutes were all leaders in those categories.
Prior to the start of the 1907–08 season, he was offered $1,500–$1,800 to play for the Wanderers, but instead signed with the Ottawa Senators for a salary of $1,500 for the season, partially paid for by Ottawa sportsmen. Phillips explained that he was ready to sign with the Wanderers, but the contract he received did not include everything promised. He finished the season with twenty-six, two goals behind the scoring leaders, teammate Marty Walsh
Marty Walsh
Martin J. Walsh was a Canadian amateur, later professional, ice hockey forward who played for the Ottawa Senators, winning three Stanley Cups in 1909, 1910 and 1911 and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame...
and Russell Bowie
Russell Bowie
Russell G. "Russ, Dubbie" Bowie was a Canadian ice hockey player generally regarded as one of the best players of the pre-NHL era of the sport...
of the Victorias
Montreal Victorias
The Victoria Hockey Club of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was an early men's amateur ice hockey club. Its date of origin is ascribed to either 1874, 1877 or 1881, making it either the first or second organized ice hockey club after McGill University. The club played at its own rink, the Victoria Skating...
. Though offered a high salary to stay in Ottawa, Phillips decided to leave the team, and prior to the 1909 hockey season played with Edmonton of the AAHA. The Edmonton hockey team had signed several high profile players from Eastern Canada to play for the team in the Cup challenge, including Lester Patrick
Lester Patrick
Curtis Lester "The Silver Fox" Patrick born in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, was a professional ice hockey player and coach associated with the Victoria Aristocrats/Cougars of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association , and the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League...
and Didier Pitre
Didier Pitre
Joseph George Didier "Cannonball" Pitre was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He was nicked named "Cannonball". One of the first players to join the Montreal Canadiens, Pitre's French-Canadian heritage helped give his line-mates the nickname the Flying Frenchmen, brought upon by his...
; only two players on the team were from Edmonton, the rest came from the east. Both Patrick and Phillips never even reached Edmonton; they met their team in Winnipeg on its way east for the Cup challenge. Phillips played in the first game against the Montreal Wanderers, which Edmonton lost 7–3, but broke his ankle in the game and was forced to miss the second game, a 7–3 victory for his club. His ankle injury kept him out of the following season. He continued further west, playing for Nelson in 1909–10 and the Vancouver Millionaires in 1911–12. Phillips ran his own lumber company, and moved to Toronto in 1920. After having a tooth pulled in 1923, he died of blood poisoning at the age of 40.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The 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 1945 as part of the first class of inductees. He was also inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
The Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, established in 1978 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, is dedicated to the people of Northwestern Ontario who have achieved greatness in any kind of sport....
on September 26, 1987.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... | A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... | Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... | PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1901–02 | Rat Portage Thistles | MNWHA | 9 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1902–03 | McGill University Redmen McGill Redmen The McGill Redmen CIS football team is one of the oldest in all of Canada, having begun organized competition in 1898. The team has appeared in three Vanier Cup national championships, in 1969, 1973 and 1987, with the Redmen finally winning the title in the 1987 game... |
CIHU | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1902–03 1903 CAHL season The 1903 Canadian Amateur Hockey League season lasted from January 3 until February 28. Teams played an eight game schedule. Ottawa and Montreal Victorias tied for the league championship with records of six wins and two losses.-Executive:... |
Montreal AAA Montreal Hockey Club The 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... |
CAHL Canadian Amateur Hockey League The Canadian Amateur Hockey League was an early men's amateur hockey league founded in 1898, replacing the organization that was formerly the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada before the 1898–99 season. The league existed for seven seasons, folding in 1905 and was itself replaced by the Eastern... |
4 | 6 | 0 | 6 | — | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | — | ||
| 1903–04 | Toronto Marlboros Toronto Marlboros The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was founded in 1903. It operated a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association and Ontario Hockey League from 1904 to 1989... |
OHA Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the... |
4 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 21 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 15 | ||
| 1904–05 | Rat Portage Thistles | MHL Manitoba Hockey League The Manitoba Hockey League was a junior-level men's ice hockey league operating in or around the 1930s in Manitoba, Canada, under the auspices of the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association, now known as Hockey Manitoba.... |
8 | 26 | 0 | 26 | — | 3 | 8 | 0 | 8 | — | ||
| 1905–06 | Kenora Thistles Kenora Thistles The Kenora Thistles were an early amateur men's ice hockey team based in Kenora, Ontario, Canada, formed in 1885 as a senior team by a group of Lake of the Woods lumbermen. The club is notable for winning the Stanley Cup as an amateur team in 1907. The town is the smallest in population to have... |
MHL | 9 | 24 | 0 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1906–07 | Kenora Thistles | MHL | 6 | 18 | 0 | 18 | — | 6 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 25 | ||
| 1907–08 1907–08 ECAHA season The 1907–08 Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association season lasted from December 29, 1907 until March 7, 1908. Teams played a ten game schedule. The Montreal Wanderers would win the league championship with a record of eight wins, two losses.... |
Ottawa Hockey Club | ECAHA | 10 | 26 | 0 | 26 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1908–09 | Edmonton Professionals | Exhib | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1909–10 | Nelson Hockey Club | WKHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1911–12 1912 PCHA season The 1912 PCHA season was the first season of the now defunct men's professional ice hockey Pacific Coast Hockey Association league, which was founded on December 7, 1911. Season play ran from January 2, 1912 until March 19. Teams were to play a 16 game schedule, but one game was cancelled. The New... |
Vancouver Millionaires Vancouver Millionaires The Vancouver Millionaires were a professional ice hockey team that competed in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the Western Canada Hockey League between 1911 and 1926... |
PCHA Pacific Coast Hockey Association The Pacific Coast Hockey Association was a professional men's ice hockey league in western Canada and the western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League... |
17 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| CAHL totals | 4 | 6 | 0 | 6 | — | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | — | ||||
| MHL totals | 23 | 68 | 0 | 68 | — | 9 | 21 | 0 | 21 | 25 | ||||
| ECAHA totals | 10 | 26 | 0 | 26 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| PCHA totals | 17 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||