56 years of the Stanley Cup - Philip Dansken Ross

PHILIP DANSKEN ROSS

Section 64, Lot 1

Born in Montreal, Quebec on January 1, 1858, Ross was educated at McGill University and became a journalist, starting his career with the Montreal Star in 1879. He joined the Toronto Mail in 1882, before moving to the Toronto News in 1883. In 1886, he came to Ottawa as the Montreal Star’s Parliamentary Press Gallery correspondent.

Later that same year, he became co-owner of the Ottawa Journal with Alexander Smyth Woodburn. In 1891, he bought the paper from Woodburn and steered its fortunes for the next half-century. He was also involved in the founding of The Canadian Press, the newspaper association.

The Canadian Press (CP; French: La Presse canadienne, PC) is a Canadian national news agency headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Established in 1917 as a vehicle for the time's Canadian newspapers to exchange news and information, The Canadian Press has been a private, not-for-profit cooperative owned and operated by its member newspapers for most of its history. In mid-2010, however, it announced plans to become a for-profit business owned by three media companies once certain conditions were met.

 

Ross’ sports career also started at McGill, where he was captain of the football team and was a sculling champion. After he moved to Ottawa, he played for the Ottawa Hockey Club, which was to become the Ottawa Senators, and was one of the early organizers of the team. He played in the first Ontario championship game in 1891, in which Ottawa beat Toronto, five to nothing. Ross also played on the Rideau Rebels, the team organized by the sons of Lord Stanley, the Governor General of Canada.

The Rideau Hall Rebels or, by its full name, the Vice-Regal and Parliamentary Hockey Club was one of the first ice hockey teams in Canada. The team was based out of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and named after Rideau Hall, a Canadian governmental building, the residence of the Governor General. This team introduced ice hockey to then Canadian Governor General Lord Stanley, who would later donate the Stanley Cup championship trophy.

Organized by James Creighton in 1884, and captained by John Augustus Barron, the team consisted of young Canadian parliamentarians and government 'aides-de camp' including Mr. Creighton and Edward and Arthur Stanley, sons of Lord Stanley. This group of players would travel to matches around Ontario in the Governor-General's private rail-car.

When Lord Stanley of Preston donated a challenge cup for Canadian hockey supremacy in 1893, he named Ross one of its trustees. Ross remained a trustee of the Stanley Cup for 56 years and made many important decisions concerning the award and the early development of hockey. His love of the game stemmed from his playing career.

Before his death, Ross delegated to the NHL “full authority to determine and amend…conditions of competition for the Stanley Cup…providing always that the winners…shall be acknowledged ‘World’s Professional Hockey Champions.’” Ross also found time to dabble in politics.

He served for 21 years as an Ottawa alderman, but was unsuccessful in his election campaigns for Mayor and Member of the Ontario Provincial Legislative Assembly.

He died in Ottawa on July 5, 1949. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976