Calumet Miners

The Calumet MIners were one of the earliest professional hockey teams in North America, playing out of the Palestra in Marquette, Michigan. The team was part of the IPHL which featured teams from Pittsburgh, Michigan and Ontario. The league was formed as an alternative to unpaid professional leagues, as there was a battle within the sport as to whether "pro" leagues should be paid or not. The IPHL paid their players and became part of an instrument for change in this aspect of the sport. Although the league would only last three years, it was instrumental in pushing this particular ball forward. 

The Miners, also known as the Calumnet-Laurium Miners or Wanderers, won the first IPHL title in 1905, with the help of future Hall of Famers Hod Stuart and Jimmy Gardner.