While in Montreal for business in November 1909, O'Brien was asked by the then owners of the Creamery Kings to apply to join the Canadian Hockey Association. He made the application but was turned down. Outside the hotel room where the CHA meetings were occurring he met Jimmy Gardner, manager of the Montreal Wanderers. Together, they developed the idea of starting their own league with O'Brien's Cobalt and Haileybury teams, the Wanderers and a new team "Les Canadiens" for Montreal to capture francophone Montrealers' interest as a rival for the Wanderers. As a result, the Montreal Canadiens were born. O'Brien only owned the team for one season. After the season, he was sued by George W. Kendall (Kennedy) owner of the Club athlétique Canadien, claiming the legal rights to the Canadiens name. A settlement was reached and on November 12, 1910 Kendall acquired the team for $7,500.[2]
Operation of the NHA teams was expensive and the NHA was forced to implement salary caps and maximum salaries. The O'Briens reduced their involvement. Whereas in 1910, four O'Brien-backed teams played in the NHA, only one, the Millionaires, played in 1910–11, O'Brien having sold the other three NHA franchises. Before the 1911–12 season the Millionaires were also no more, its players dispersed to the other NHA teams. O'Brien was never a team owner again. O'Brien was inducted as a builder into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962. He died on April 24, 1968.[3]
In December 2006, as the founder of the Montreal Canadiens, John Ambrose O'Brien was an inaugural inductee in the team's newly created 'Builders Row' in the Bell Centre.[4]
^. Club de hockey Canadien, Inc. 2007. Archived from the original on March 5, 2008. Retrieved May 15, 2008.
External linksedit
Biographical information and career statistics from Legends of Hockey
December 15, 2023
ambrose, brien, john, 1885, april, 1968, canadian, industrialist, sports, team, owner, founder, national, hockey, association, owner, renfrew, millionaires, founding, owner, montreal, canadiens, professional, hockey, team, bornjohn, 1885, 1885renfrew, ontariod. John Ambrose O Brien May 27 1885 April 24 1968 was a Canadian industrialist and sports team owner He was a founder of the National Hockey Association NHA owner of the Renfrew Millionaires and the founding owner of the Montreal Canadiens professional ice hockey team Ambrose O BrienBornJohn Ambrose O Brien 1885 05 27 May 27 1885Renfrew OntarioDiedApril 24 1968 1968 04 24 aged 82 NationalityCanadianOccupation s IndustrialistIce hockey magnateAwardsHockey Hall of Fame 1962 NHA O Brien Cup awarded 1910 1950 O Brien received this Stanley Cup replica in 1967 from the Montreal CanadiensContents 1 Biography 2 See also 3 Notes 4 External linksBiography editBorn in Renfrew Ontario O Brien played varsity hockey at the University of Toronto 1 then later founded two northern Ontario hockey clubs in Cobalt Ontario and Haileybury Ontario In 1909 he founded the National Hockey Association Les Canadiens later Montreal Canadiens and bought the Renfrew Creamery Kings In the 1909 10 NHA season the Creamery Kings received the nickname Millionaires as O Brien signed up several stars of the time to extravagant contracts including Fred Cyclone Taylor and brothers Frank Patrick and Lester the Silver Fox Patrick and acquired Edouard Newsy Lalonde in an attempt to win the Stanley Cup for Renfrew The attempt was unsuccessful and he folded the team after two seasons While in Montreal for business in November 1909 O Brien was asked by the then owners of the Creamery Kings to apply to join the Canadian Hockey Association He made the application but was turned down Outside the hotel room where the CHA meetings were occurring he met Jimmy Gardner manager of the Montreal Wanderers Together they developed the idea of starting their own league with O Brien s Cobalt and Haileybury teams the Wanderers and a new team Les Canadiens for Montreal to capture francophone Montrealers interest as a rival for the Wanderers As a result the Montreal Canadiens were born O Brien only owned the team for one season After the season he was sued by George W Kendall Kennedy owner of the Club athletique Canadien claiming the legal rights to the Canadiens name A settlement was reached and on November 12 1910 Kendall acquired the team for 7 500 2 Operation of the NHA teams was expensive and the NHA was forced to implement salary caps and maximum salaries The O Briens reduced their involvement Whereas in 1910 four O Brien backed teams played in the NHA only one the Millionaires played in 1910 11 O Brien having sold the other three NHA franchises Before the 1911 12 season the Millionaires were also no more its players dispersed to the other NHA teams O Brien was never a team owner again O Brien was inducted as a builder into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962 He died on April 24 1968 3 In December 2006 as the founder of the Montreal Canadiens John Ambrose O Brien was an inaugural inductee in the team s newly created Builders Row in the Bell Centre 4 See also editNational Hockey Association Renfrew MillionairesNotes edit HHOF Legends of Hockey Builders Hockey Hall of Fame Retrieved April 21 2018 Canadian Dictionary of Biography online Government of Canada Library and Archives 2007 Retrieved April 30 2007 Obituary The Canadiens launch Builders Row Club de hockey Canadien Inc 2007 Archived from the original on March 5 2008 Retrieved May 15 2008 External links editBiographical information and career statistics from Legends of Hockey Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ambrose O 27Brien amp oldid 1058585517, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
