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Bethune Minet 'Peter' Patton |
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| Born on March 5, 1876 in London, England. As a player, Patton's highest achievement probably came when he captained the British club Princes to a gold medal, while representing Great Britain at the first IIHF European Championship back in 1910, although he led his team in many other tournaments and games prior to and well after that event. In fact, Patton became a goalie later in his career and he was 54 years old when he last suited up for Britain. Patton had an even bigger impact on the game off the ice as he has been credited with not only helping to introduce the sport of ice hockey in Great Britain but also spreading the game throughout continental Europe. Although Patton briefly held the position as the IIHF President in 1914, he was the IIHF Vice President on three different occasions beginning from 1910 to 1924. He served as the first President of the British Ice Hockey Association, a position he held for over 20 years ending in 1934. Since 1927, the winner of the annual Varsity match between Cambridge and Oxford has been awarded the "Patton" Cup. Patton, who also earned the military title as Major, was later honoured for his ice hockey achievements when he was elected into the British Hall of Fame in 1950. |
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