Jack Gibson (ice hockey born 1880)
| Jack Gibson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1976 | |||
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| Born |
September 10, 1880 Berlin, ON, CAN |
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| Died | October 7, 1955 (aged 75) | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Played for | Berlin Hockey Club Portage Lakes Hockey Club |
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| Playing career | c. 1895–1907 | ||
John Liddell MacDonald "Jack" Gibson (September 10, 1880 – October 7, 1955) was an ice hockey player and executive. Known as the "father of professional hockey", Gibson founded the International Professional Hockey League in 1904, the first fully professional hockey league in history. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 1976.
Jack Gibson was born in Berlin, Ontario, which later became Kitchener. As a youth, he excelled in academics and athletics, playing a number of sports well. Gibson received an offer to play in the developmental system of Everton Football Club. He considered the move, but decided to stay in North America to continue his studies. He graduated from Berlin High School in 1896.
Gibson was a gifted hockey player who played throughout Ontario and helped the Berlin Hockey Club win the provincial intermediate championship team in 1897. Gibson and his teammates were expelled from the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) in 1898 after being accused of accepting payment. The OHA was militantly opposed to professionalism and banned the team after Berlin's mayor presented each player with a $10 gold coin in celebration of a win over the rival team from Waterloo. Gibson had offered to return the coin, to no avail.
He attended Pickering College to pursue a Bachelor of Science. He was also a member of the Pickering football team. Later, he moved to the University of Detroit Dental School.
After graduation, he moved to the northern Michigan community of Houghton to set up a dental practice. Still a gifted hockey player, he recruited other talented individuals and established the Portage Lakes Hockey Club in 1902-03. Portage Lakes was an openly professional team, and Gibson captained the squad and was its leading scorer.
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