Prince's Skating Club
| Location | Knightsbridge, London |
|---|---|
| Owner | Prince's Club |
| Surface | Ice |
| Opened | 7 November 1896 |
| Closed | 1917 |
| Tenants | |
|
Princes Ice Hockey Club (1896–1914) London Canadians (1902–????) |
|
Prince's Skating Club was an ice rink in the Knightsbridge area of London, England. It saw a number of firsts for ice hockey in Britain and Europe.
The rink was opened on Montpelier Square on 7 November 1896 by the Prince's Sporting Club. It operated on a membership-only basis and was aimed at the elite of British figure skaters who wished to practise on uncrowded ice.
Prince's was the second large rectangular rink in Britain after , its ice measuring 210 by 52 feet (64 by 16 metres). This made it an ideal venue for the developing sport of ice hockey.
The rink closed in summer 1917. The building was later used by Daimler Hire, and ultimately demolished in the mid-1970s.
Princes Ice Hockey Club was founded at the rink at the end of 1896. It began playing challenge matches in early 1897, initially against the three existing teams in England: Niagara, Brighton and the Royal Engineers.
In March 1900, the rink hosted the first Ice Hockey Varsity Match, won 7–6 by Oxford, although Oxford insisted on playing with bandy sticks and a lacrosse ball. The next year, another Varsity Match was held, this time using a puck and hockey skates.
In 1902, London Canadians was founded as a second ice hockey team at the rink. They and Princes participated in Europe's first ice hockey league, which they contested against Argyll and the Amateur Skating Club, both based at Hengler's Ice Rink, and Cambridge University. The league started in November 1903 and was completed in February 1904 after eight games. Canadians won the tournament, with Princes taking second place.
...
Wikipedia