Original Westmount arena was the cradle of pro hockey

The original Westmount Arena, at Ste. Catherine Street and Wood Avenue, could seat 4,000.

Published on March 2, 2011

Elisabeth Faure

Current rinks date back to 1958

As part of the Examiner’s series on Westmount’s new arena/pool project, this week’s piece looks at the history of the current arena.

Topics :

NHL , Montreal Arena , Montreal Canadiens, Westmount , Ste , Eastern Canada

The facility’s story stretches back beyond its 1958 opening, as part of a larger history of sports in Westmount.

There was once another Westmount Arena. Also known as the Montreal Arena, it opened in 1898 at the corner of Ste. Catherine Street and Wood Avenue.

The 4,000 seat rink played an integral role in Canadian hockey history.

“This period was the beginning of professional hockey,” says city councillor Patrick Martin.

The rink became home ice for the Wanderers, inaugural members of the NHL, and multiple Stanley Cup winners. At one point, it was also home ice to the Montreal Canadiens, who won their first Stanley Cup during this period. In its heyday, Martin says, “it was the most famous sporting arena in eastern Canada.”

On Jan. 2, 1918, the arena burned to the ground.

“The fire started in the cellar and spread through the woodwork, exploding the boilers in the ice plant,” Martin says. “Within half an hour, the brick walls came crashing down.”

The cause of the fire remains unknown, and Sam Lichtenhein, the investor who built the arena, did not rebuild (business had apparently been poor that year). Deprived of their home ice, the Wanderers soon disbanded.

Fast-forward 40 years, and the new Westmount Arena was unveiled. It consisted of one NHL-sized rink and a second, smaller rink.

“Originally, we had a roof, but we didn’t have a wall to the west," says Mike Deegan, director of the Westmount Sports and Recreation Department. This meant that snow would frequently blow into the arena during practice. Various solutions were tried. “I think at one point they tried a heavy tarp,” says Deegan, and finally a paneled wall was installed. Deegan admits the paneling doesn’t provide ideal insulation, but at times it has paid off.

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“The Edmonton Oilers came here to practice in 1990,” Deegan says. “Historically, they have some of the best ice in the NHL.”

The Oilers came during a February cold snap, so the rink was almost like outdoor ice. “Word was, they said it was the best ice they’d ever skated on,” Deegan says.

The adjoining outdoor pool was built soon after the rink, and opened in the late summer of 1962. “When we started, we had maybe 15 kids on our swim team,” Deegan says. Today, the highly successful Dolphins swim team is 200 members strong.

In 1999, during Westmount’s 125th anniversary year, the McCord Museum donated a collection of replica Stanley Cup banners to the arena, in honor of the original arena’s history. To this day, the banners hang on permanent display above the rinks.

Today, the arena and pool serve a wide clientele of all ages, from kids taking their first swimming lesson, to hockey league players such as the Senior Westmount All-Star Team (aka SWAT). “I’m sure some of those guys will keep doing it until they can’t skate anymore,” Deegan says with a laugh.

Deegan says he’s been lucky to be a part of the current arena’s history.

“There’s a lot of life in this building,” he says. “Over the years, there have been so many kids coming through here, growing up, coming back, becoming coaches. I speak for the whole team when I say we are very fortunate to see all of this, and be part of it.”