Like any good story out of Lowell, it started with some French Canadians.

But we are not talking about just any story – we are talking about the history of hockey in Lowell. In honor of yet another season, it is time we take a collective look back and learn how the sport became UMass Lowell’s favorite pastime.

Although there are many sources linking hockey-like sports to multiple eras and locations, ice hockey as we know it emerged in Eastern Canada in the early 1800s. James Creighton, a Halifax-born engineer, lawyer, journalist, and hockey enthusiast, is most often credited as the founder of organized ice hockey. He formed the first recorded ice hockey game in 1877 in Montreal and published the game’s first official guidelines, known as the ”Halifax Rules,” that same year. 

During this time, overpopulation and a lack of resources drove French Canadians into farming towns and industrial cities throughout Quebec and western Canada, as well as the United States. From the mid-19th century up until the 1930s, many Canadian migrants settled throughout the West and Midwestern States, with the highest concentration settling in New England industrial cities, including Lowell. While the industrial boom in these cities attracted migrants, the harsh winters and proximity to rivers allowed hockey to flourish.

As industry and population grew exponentially, the need for schools began to emerge. In 1883, The Lowell Normal School was created as a teacher training school for women. The school and student body quickly grew, later adopting nursing and music degrees to their course offerings. In addition to academic training, there was also a need for industrial schools, and The Lowell Textile Institute was soon established along the Merrimack River. The two institutions later merged in the 1950’s and became The Lowell State College, which we now know today as UMass Lowell.

Despite their parallel evolutions, hockey did not come to Lowell until 1998 when the Tsongas Center was established. The facility became home to the UMass Lowell’s first hockey team, The Lowell Lock Monsters, which was later rebranded as The Lowell Red Devils and in 2010, The River Hawks. With nearly 20 alumni that have gone on to play professional hockey, UMass Lowell has quickly become a notable force in Eastern college hockey within a short period of time.

We only need to look at hockey’s past to consider its future in Lowell. This city is continually influenced and shaped by the people that pass through its streets and the sport has carried on in that same tradition. As the puck drops and the season begins, students will find themselves woven into the fabric of a community that continues to embrace diversity and change game after game.