E. A. Gilroy

rdf:langString E. A. Gilroy

rdf:langString E. A. Gilroy

rdf:langString E. A. Gilroy

rdf:langString Delta Beach, Manitoba, Canada

rdf:langString Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada

rdf:langString Black and white photo of Gilroy circa 1906

rdf:langString Edward Albert Gilroy

rdf:langString Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association president

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rdf:langString civil servant

rdf:langString politician

rdf:langString Court clerk

rdf:langString purchasing manager

rdf:langString Edward Albert Gilroy (October 10, 1879 – August 8, 1942) was a Canadian ice hockey administrator. He served as president of the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA) from 1927 to 1934, and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) from 1934 to 1936. In Manitoba, he sought to expand senior ice hockey and establish co-operation between teams and owners of the Winnipeg Amphitheatre on schedules and reducing travel costs. He wanted all players aged 21 and younger to remain in junior ice hockey and began to negotiate with professional teams to refrain from signing them to contracts. His seven years as leader of the MAHA was the longest tenure for a president at the time, during which he oversaw continued growth of the association and improvement of finances. Gilroy sat on the rules committee while he was CAHA vice-president and sought to implement consistent ice hockey rules across the country. He advocated for stricter enforcement of rules for player safety and for adopting a delayed penalty rule. As president, he wanted to stop the migration of hockey players across the country as men sought to make a living by playing hockey during the Great Depression in Canada. He warned against the stacking of teams to win an Allan Cup championship and wanted to resolve the situation before selecting the Canada men's national ice hockey team to play at the 1936 Winter Olympics. His efforts were supported by most of Canada but led to multiple disagreements with the Maritime Amateur Hockey Association, where it was common knowledge that players were being paid for amateur hockey games. The relationship with the Maritimes worsened when the Halifax Wolverines were chosen to represent Canada at the Olympics but subsequently disbanded and their players removed from the national team after reports of demanding money. Gilroy and the CAHA reached an agreement with the British Ice Hockey Association to halt the transfer of players from Canada to Great Britain until permission was granted. The Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace ruled that Jimmy Foster and Alex Archer were ineligible to compete for the Great Britain men's national ice hockey team since they were suspended by the CAHA for not seeking permission to transfer internationally. On the eve of the Olympics, Gilroy allowed the two players to participate as a gesture of sportsmanship towards Great Britain, and objected to other countries portraying Canada as protesting the use of Foster and Archer. Great Britain defeated Canada by a 2–1 score, and the resulting silver medal was the first time in which Canada did not win the gold medal in ice hockey at the Olympic Games. Gilroy and the CAHA were subsequently scrutinized heavily by media and players in Canada for the failure at the Olympics. He was posthumously inducted into the builder category of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987.

rdf:langString Edward Albert Gilroy