History
The Newfoundland Amateur Hockey Association came into being during a meeting held December 19, 1935 in the St. John's office, on Duckworth St., of lawyer Robert S. Furlong. Mr. Furlong, who later served as Chief Justice of Newfoundland from 1959 to 1979, had a long association with St. Bon's hockey teams. Mr. Furlong was elected the first NAHA president with Ronald B. Taaffe of Corner Brook as vice-president. Arthur Johnson was secretary and St. Bon's star player Gordon Halley was chairman for St. John's. Hon. Justice W.J. Higgins, Ralph Herder and Edgar Ewing, all of St. John's, were named to serve on a constitutional and "judicial" committee. The December 19 meeting was a follow-up to a meeting held in March of 1935, during the time that Corner Brook and the Guards of St. John's played the first final for the Herder Memorial Trophy. The meeting set up a four-game, round-robin playoff for 1936 with the western Newfoundland champions, the Conception Bay champions and the St. John's champions entered. The two top teams would meet for the Herder Memorial Trophy in the fourth game. The association would receive 60% of the gate receipts from the Prince's Rink in St. John's where all the games would be played. Grand Falls, Buchans and Corner Brook constituted the western Newfoundland branch, while Bell Island, Harbour Grace, Brigus, Bay Roberts, Carbonear and Spaniard's Bay comprised the Conception Bay branch.