These days, the IHHL’s All-Star Game is a chance for the league to showcase its talent and raise awareness and funds for various charities, but it did not start off that way. The All Star Game started off on a much more personal level for the league. In 1925, just a few short years after the IHHL was formed and beginning to make headway, the league was devastated by a freak accident that resulted in the loss of one of the premier teams in the IHHL.
The Portland Mariners were a rising star in the IHHL, having won the Ice Bucket in the spring of 1924. The Mariners, a flourishing franchise in the league, benefited from the fact that they were able to use their location and connection to the local railways to expedite team travel to and from games. This helped to cut down on the expense of travel for the team as well as providing a convenient facility to host games.
A true working class team, the Mariners practiced and played in a converted train yard station in which the majority of the team worked at in the off season. League historians theorize that the work the players engaged in the off-season was comparable to the modern workout regime for players.
On January 19, 1925; the Portland Mariners were finishing their practice before leaving on a trip to Washington when the Portland Auditorium caught fire. The old wooden structure quickly lead to the blaze quickly sweeping through the arena, catching the the reigning champs on the ice. This tragic loss of the team led to the very first IHHL All Star game as a fundraiser for the families of the Mariners.
The IHHL came to a complete standstill as the owners debated whether or not to cancel the balance of the season. While the league deliberated, The Portland Star’s editor, Raymond Crowell, proposed that a benefit game be held for the families of the Mariners players. The owners of the Boston Shamrocks, Montreal Reds, and Cleveland Blackjacks, agreed that a benefit game would not only help the families but also help promote the league.
A meeting of the Board of Stewards was called in order to put the idea to a vote. Following the meeting, the Stewards announced that the Blackjacks would host the game with all revenue going to help the families of the Mariners. The game would pit two teams, comprised of the top two players per team from each conference against one another in a best of three series. The game was held a month following the tragedy; the Federal All Stars defeating the Continental All Stars two games to one in a spirited and emotional contest.
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