Pittsburgh Bankers
| Pittsburgh Bankers | |
|---|---|
| City | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| League | Western Pennsylvania Hockey League |
| Operated | 1900–1904, 1907–1909 |
| Home arena | Duquesne Gardens |
| Colors | Green, Black |
| Owner(s) | Various local banks |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | (3) 1902-03, 1907-08, 1908-09 |
The Pittsburgh Bankers were one of the earliest professional ice hockey clubs. The club was based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was a member of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, the first league to openly hire hockey players, from 1900–1904 and 1907–1909. The team played all of its games at the Duquesne Gardens, and was involved, in the first known trade of professional hockey players.
The Bankers consisted of a group of local men from Pittsburgh that were employed by local banks during the early 1900s (decade). The team actually began as the amateur Pittsburgh Bankers League, a local amateur hockey league. According to Stan Fischler, a renowned author and commentator on hockey, "In the early 1900s a local league also sprung up, called the Bankers League. Some of the banks started a hockey league as a promotional stunt and brought Canadians down and gave them jobs in the banks. They were down here to play hockey but in order to qualify and play for the bank they had to be an employee of the bank. I don't know what they gave them to do at the bank, but it wasn't much." This led to the Bankers laying partial claim to being one of the first teams to pay athletes. The league later merged into one team which became members of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, in 1900.
In 1902, the Bankers signed Hod Stuart to a professional contract; this was disputed between the Bankers and the Pittsburgh Victorias, who also claimed him. Eventually the Bankers won the dispute and kept Stuart, who was considered, in certain hockey circles, to be the “greatest hockey player in the world." Hod was offered a salary of US$15-20 per week, plus steady income from a day job in Pittsburgh. Stuart scored seven goals and had eight assists and was named the best cover-point in the league in 1903. The Bankers claimed their first WPHL title that season and faced off against the Portage Lakes Hockey Club, located in Houghton, Michigan for the title of top professional team in the United States. The winner of that series is unclear since Portage Lakes would win two of the four games and tie a third and the Bankers claimed the edge in total goals, 11-6. Another of the era's stars, Charlie Liffiton, joined the Bankers in 1902 to help the club win its first title. Over his two seasons with the club, Liffiton reportedly scored three goals in four playoff matches.
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