The Minto Cup

The Minto Cup is awarded annually to the champion junior men's lacrosse team of Canada.

It was donated in 1901 by the Governor-General, Lord Minto, and from 1901 until 1909 awarded to the senior men's champion of Canada. Starting in 1910, the Minto Cup was awarded to the professional championship of Canada - with the newly-inaugurated Mann Cup becoming the replacement for the senior men's national championship.

The Minto Cup professional competition was dominated by the New Westminster Salmonbellies, who held the trophy for 21 of the 29 years in which it was contested (the competition was suspended during World War I). 1924 was the last year professionals played for the Minto Cup - after the Coast professional league folded in June 1924, it was then placed into storage and for a time lost and forgotten when the last trustee died. The trophy was located just prior to the 1938 junior competition, underneath a desk in his office. During the trophy's period of inactivity, there were suggestions to make the Minto Cup an international championship trophy.

In 1934 the last trustee appointed to supervise the Cup died, and the Lord Minto of the day eventually transferred it to the Canadian Lacrosse Association, which decided to award it as the trophy for the national junior men's champion, starting in 1937. Originally, the competition was between all-star provincial teams formed by adding players to the provincial champion. In 1960 this practice was abandoned and the trophy has since been competed for by the Junior A provincial champions of British Columbia of the BCLA,Ontario of the OLA and recently Alberta, of the RMLL the only provinces where organized lacrosse thrives.

[edit] Junior champions

The Orangeville Northmen celebrate their 2008 championship in Calgary.

• 1937 Orillia Terriers
• 1938 Mimico Mountaineers
• 1939 no decision
• 1940 Ontario All-Stars
• 1941-1946, no competition
• 1947 St. Catharines Athletics
• 1948 Vancouver Burrards
• 1949 Vancouver Norburn Eagletime
• 1950 St. Catharines Athletics
• 1951 Mimico Mountaineers
• 1952 Brampton Excelsiors
• 1953 New Westminster Salmonacs
• 1954 Vancouver PNE
• 1955 Long Branch Monarchs
• 1956 Vancouver No177 Legionnaires
• 1957 Brampton ABC's
• 1958 Brampton ABC's
• 1959 Brampton ABC's
• 1960 New Westminster Salmonbellies
• 1961 Hastings Legionnaires
• 1962 Victoria Shamrocks
• 1963 Oshawa Green Gaels
• 1964 Oshawa Green Gaels
• 1965 Oshawa Green Gaels
• 1966 Oshawa Green Gaels
• 1967 Oshawa Green Gaels
• 1968 Oshawa Green Gaels
• 1969 Oshawa Green Gaels
• 1970 Lakeshore Maple Leafs (Toronto)
• 1971 Richmond Roadrunners
• 1972 Peterborough PCO's
• 1973 Peterborough PCO's
• 1974 Peterborough PCO's
• 1975 Peterborough Gray Munros
• 1976 Victoria MacDonalds
• 1977 Burnaby Cablevision
• 1978 Burnaby Cablevision
• 1979 Burnaby Cablevision
• 1980 Whitby CBC Builders
• 1981 Peterborough James Gang
• 1982 Peterborough James Gang
• 1983 Peterborough James Gang
• 1984 Whitby Warriors
• 1985 Whitby Warriors
• 1986 Peterborough Maulers
• 1987 Peterborough Maulers
• 1988 Esquimalt Legion
• 1989 Peterborough Maulers
• 1990 St. Catharines Athletics
• 1991 St. Catharines Athletics
• 1992 Six Nations Arrows
• 1993 Orangeville Northmen
• 1994 New Westminster Salmonbellies
• 1995 Orangeville Northmen
• 1996 Orangeville Northmen
• 1997 Whitby Warriors
• 1998 Burnaby Lakers
• 1999 Whitby Warriors
• 2000 Burnaby Lakers
• 2001 St. Catharines Athletics
• 2002 Burnaby Lakers
• 2003 St. Catharines Athletics
• 2004 Burnaby Lakers
• 2005 Burnaby Lakers
• 2006 Peterborough Lakers
• 2007 Six Nations Arrows
• 2008 Orangeville Northmen
• 2009 Orangeville Northmen

[edit] Senior Champions (1901-1909)

• 1901 Ottawa Capitals - defeated Cornwall
• 1901 Montreal Shamrocks - defeated Ottawa Capitals and Vancouver YMCA
• 1902 Montreal Shamrocks - defeated New Westminster Salmonbellies
• 1903 Montreal Shamrocks - defeated Brantford
• 1904 Montreal Shamrocks - defeated Ottawa Capitals
• 1905 Montreal Shamrocks - defeated St. Catharines Athletics and Souris (Manitoba)
• 1906 Ottawa Capitals - defeated Montreal Shamrocks
• 1907 Montreal Shamrocks - won by default, no challenges
• 1908 New Westminster Salmonbellies - defeated Montreal Shamrocks and Ottawa Capitals
• 1909 New Westminster Salmonbellies - defeated Regina Capitals and Toronto Tecumsehs

[edit] Professional Champions (1910-1924)

• 1910 New Westminster Salmonbellies - defeated Montreal Lacrosse Club and Montreal Nationals)
• 1911 Vancouver Lacrosse Club - defeated New Westminster and Toronto Tecumsehs
• 1912 New Westminster Salmonbellies - defeated Cornwall
• 1913 New Westminster Salmonbellies - defeated Vancouver Athletic Club
• 1914 New Westminster Salmonbellies - won by default
• 1915 New Westminster Salmonbellies - defeated Vancouver Lacrosse Club
• 1916 no competition
• 1917 no competition
• 1918 Vancouver "Greenshirts" - claim disputed by New Westminster
• 1919 New Westminster Salmonbellies - defeated Vancouver Terminals
• 1920 Vancouver Terminals - defeated New Westminster
• 1921 New Westminster Salmonbellies defeated Vancouver Terminals
• 1922 New Westminster Salmonbellies defeated Vancouver Terminals
• 1924 New Westminster Salmonbellies - won by default
• 1925 to 1936 no competition for trophy; placed in storage by Trustee (New Westminster Salmonbellies claims the titles for these years of non-competition)

[edit] See also

• List of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada
• List of awards named after Governors General of Canada

[edit] References