Ernie Liffiton


Ernest James Liffiton an early professional ice hockey player. Over the span of his career he played for Pittsburgh Bankers, Pittsburgh Professionals, Renfrew Creamery Kings, Montreal Wanderers, Halifax Crescents and the Toronto Tecumsehs. In 1908 he played on the Montreal Wanderers team that won the Stanley Cup.

Renfew vs. Pembroke

In December 1907 the Pembroke Hockey Club refused to play against the Renfrew Creamery Kings. They objected to the presence of Ernie, who was a member of Montreal Wanderers at the time, and was slated to play for the team. In that match and one that followed, both teams brought in professional players from Montreal and Ottawa to bolster their chances for victory.

Personal life

Ernie was the son of a jeweler and grew up in a family of one sister and five brothers. In 1909, at the age of twenty-four, Ernie married Louise Jane Thomas. He worked in his fathers Montreal wholesale jewelry and confection store, but in later years moved to Windsor, Ontario where he worked in the steel industry. He and his second wife, Hedwig "Hattie" Rueckwald, would go on to raise four children.
Although Ernie played hockey professionally, the census records of 1911 identify his job as "clerk".
His older brother Charlie Liffiton was also a professional hockey player.