Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
Today, the mention of Osgoode Hall conjures images of courtrooms, lawyers, judges, and perhaps that of a respected law school. A century ago, Osgoode Hall was also the symbol of a sports organization to be reckoned with. Osgoode Hall's Legalites, as the media dubbed them, were Champions of Canada in rugby football in 1891, hockey senior champions, and Stanley Cup contenders in 1894. The Ontario Hockey League, or OHL, was founded in 1890, and Osgoode Hall was one of the founding members.
This hockey stick is memorabilia of the 1898 championship, which Osgoode Hall won against Queen's University. Of the seven players for Osgoode Hall, only one was a genuine Osgoode Hall law student with the rest being outside players, or "ringers". This was against the rules of the OHL, but was common practice at the time.
By 1931 all organized sports, including hockey, were abandoned at Osgoode Hall. The hockey team was resurrected in briefly during the 1950's.
