Baltimore Hockey League



The Baltimore Hockey League (BHL), was an early and short-lived amateur ice hockey league founded in 1896 and existing for two seasons in Baltimore, Maryland, United States in 1896–97 and 1897–98. The league included teams from Johns Hopkins University, Maryland Athletic Club, Northampton Hockey Club, Maryland Agricultural College and Walbrook Athletic Club and operated at the North Avenue Ice Palace at North Avenue in Baltimore. The teams played for the Northampton Hockey Trophy, presented by J. L. Filon.

The Maryland Agricultural College team won the championship title both in 1897 and in 1898. The 1897–98 season ended on March 10, 1898 with a 0-0 tie between the Johns Hopkins University and the Maryland Agricultural College. The Maryland Agricultural College team was led on ice by brothers Milton Morris "Mickey" Whitehurst (rover, b. 1873) and Jesse Herbert "Pat" Whitehurst (goaltender and forward, b. 1874).

Other players in the league included psychiatrist Harry Cotton and Canadian-American astronomer Samuel Alfred Mitchell.

1894-95
The league may have grown out of what was called the Senior Hockey League which started in 1894 with the Ariel Rowing Club, Baltimore Athletic Club, Johns Hopkins Black and Blue, and the Maryland Bicycle Club. The records for 1894-95 were BAC (4-0-0), JHU (2-2-0), BC(1-2-0), and ARC (0-3-0).

Results

 * 1/26: Maryland - Ariel 4:1
 * 1/30: Baltimore - Johns Hopkins 3:1
 * 2/6: Johns Hopkins - Maryland 10:1
 * 2/13: Baltimore - Ariel 2:0
 * 2/20: Johns Hopkins - Ariel 5:0
 * 2/27: Baltimore - Maryland 5:0
 * 3/6: Baltimore - Johns Hopkins (Playoff game for the championship)

1895-96
From the list of opponents for Johns Hopkins the 1895-96 season it appears that the Maryland Rowing Club and Ariel Bicycle Club did not play for the season as the BAC and Johns Hopkins played six times that season.

Results
2 Exhibition games were played on 12/12 & 1/16, a 0-0 tie and 3-2 win for Johns Hopkins.
 * 2/4: Baltimore - Johns Hopkins 3:0
 * 2/12: Baltimore - Johns Hopkins 1:1
 * 2/26: Baltimore - Johns Hopkins 4:3
 * 3/4: Baltimore - Johns Hopkins 3:0

Teams
Teams that played in the BHL include:
 * Johns Hopkins University (1896–1898)
 * Maryland Athletic Club (1896–1898)
 * Northampton Hockey Club (1896–1898)
 * Maryland Agricultural College (1896–1898)
 * Walbrook Athletic Club (1897–98)