Did you know that Governor General Earl Grey originally intended his Grey Cup trophy to be a national amateur hockey championship? The idea was for amateur hockey teams in various leagues across Canada to compete in a national playoff with the winner being awarded the Grey Cup. The Grey Cup was to be to be the amateur version of the Stanley Cup.
However, in late 1908 Sir Montagu Allan – a prominent Montreal businessman – donated a trophy (the Allan Cup) that ultimately became the national amateur hockey championship.
By summertime the Grey Cup was repositioned to be the amateur rugby football championship of the Dominion of Canada. Below is a Toronto Star article about Canada’s new rugby football trophy.
The Allan Cup was first awarded on March 6, 1909 to the Ottawa Cliffsides. A week later Queen’s University challenged them to a game and win the trophy.
The first Grey Cup was played on December 4, 1909 with the University of Toronto winning the championship.
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