Winnipeg and Montreal Victorias Descendants Gather at Canada Life Centre
Descendants of the Winnipeg and Montreal Victorias came together at Canada Life Centre to mark a foundational chapter of hockey history, featuring a ceremonial puck drop ahead of the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens Alumni Game. Rick and Michael Benson, descendants of Winnipeg Victorias player Rob Benson, joined Andrew and Luke Grant, great-grandsons of Montreal Victorias player Mike Grant, for the pre-game ceremony more than 125 years after their ancestors competed for the Stanley Cup.
“It’s such an honour, and we’re obviously, so proud of the hockey heritage of our family,” Andrew Grant said, noting that Mike Grant later served as an NHL referee and traveled across Canada and the United States as an ambassador of the game.
Winnipeg and Montreal Dominated Early Stanley Cup History
The gathering revives memories of an era when Winnipeg and Montreal stood as the only cities to produce Stanley Cup champions during the trophy’s first decade. In February 1896, the Winnipeg Victorias defeated the Montreal Victorias 2-0, securing the first Stanley Cup victory for a team from Western Canada and sparking a parade of thousands down Main Street. Ten months later, on December 30, the Montreal Victorias captured the Cup in Winnipeg with a 6-5 win.
“I mean, these are all amateurs,” Rick Benson said regarding the players of that era. He noted that his grandfather started as a bank teller before advancing to an accountant and bank manager, balancing professional work while hockey remained their primary love.
Donning the jerseys for the ceremonial faceoff brought strong emotions for the descendants. “Like here’s a kid from the prairies showing up in Montreal, which was one of the largest cities,” Rick Benson said. “I feel, I feel incredible pride in it and, and also humbleness of being there because again, this isn’t Rick Benson. This is Rob Benson.”
Generational Connections on the Ice
Andrew Grant shared similar reflections as he prepared to wear the jersey ahead of the alumni matchup. “I know for a fact that it’s going to be an immense amount of pride,” Grant said, noting that the event coincided with his birthday and the anniversary of losing his father, who introduced him to the sport. “I have pictures of him playing hockey in like 1955 and pictures of me playing hockey in 1985 and, so, it’s going to be amazing.”
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