Pittsburgh Lyceum


The Pittsburgh Lyceum Club, or Pittsburgh Lyceum, were a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team was a member of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League from 1907 to 1908, and played all of their games at the Duquesne Gardens.

History

After the WPHL was revived for the 1907–08 season, it was determined that two new teams would be needed so that the league could return to its four team format. That season, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Lyceum entered the league. During their brief time in the WPHL, the Lyceum team included several notable players such as Jack Marks, Tommy Smith and Garnet Sixsmith. Marks however only played in three games for the Lyceum before he jumped to the Ontario Professional Hockey League, eventually playing in the Toronto Professional Hockey Club's Stanley Cup challenge. Meanwhile, Sixsmith reportedly scored 11 goals in a game in Pittsburgh, which is considered to be a record for the Duquesne Gardens. Finally Lyceum player Tommy Smith would later become inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame. In their first year of play, the Lyceum posted an 11-5-1 record, earning second place in the standings.
However midway through their second season, the Lyceum folded on December 23, 1908, because it was impossible for the team to count on a line-up with the league's players constantly jumping contracts. It was decided to discontinue the WPHL after the season and stick with local hockey. The team returned and played in local hockey teams after the initial fold of the WPHL. The team later played games inside the Winter Garden at Exposition Hall from 1916 to 1920.

Prominent players

Members of the Hockey Hall of Fame who played for the Lyceum: