Claude C. Robinson

Claude Copeland Robinson
Born	(1881-12-17) 17 December 1881 Harriston, Ontario, Canada
Died	27 June 1976(1976-06-27) (aged 94)
Occupation(s)	Sports administrator, ice hockey executive
Known for	Leadership in Canadian amateur ice hockey; founding member of Canadian Amateur Hockey Association; Allan Cup trustee; Hockey Hall of Fame inductee

Claude Copeland Robinson (December 17, 1881 – June 27, 1976) was a prominent Canadian sports administrator and ice hockey executive. As captain of the Winnipeg Victorias, he led the team to an intermediate-level championship in 1905. Subsequently, he took on leadership roles within the Victorias organization, including secretary-treasurer and vice-president. In 1909, Robinson coached the squad to secure the Manitoba Hockey League title and was confident that his team could vie for the recently created Allan Cup, despite initial challenges being limited to teams from Eastern Canada. The Victorias claimed the Allan Cup by default in 1911 after the Toronto St. Michael's Majors declined to compete, then successfully defended the trophy through four subsequent challenges.

Robinson played a key role in managing later Allan Cup contests as an official representing various leagues, such as the Winnipeg Amateur Hockey League. By 1914, complications arose involving player eligibility and multiple concurrent challenges, making the administration of the trophy more complex. Advocating for a unified national authority and promoting this concept across Canada, he contributed to the establishment of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) on December 4, 1914, where he was elected secretary. That same year, he also helped found the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association and later held its vice-presidential position. Robinson served as an Allan Cup trustee until 1937 and acted as trustee for the Abbott Cup, awarded in junior hockey, from 1919 through 1942. Additionally, he chaired the CAHA finance committee between 1933 and 1937.

In 1907, Robinson co-established the Manitoba Amateur Athletic Association and managed financial aspects of provincial track and field competitions. He championed cooperation between the CAHA and the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada (AAU of C), opposing participation by former professionals in amateur sports. He disagreed with changes to the CAHA’s amateur status definition that ultimately led to its split from the AAU of C in 1937. Robinson held the treasurer position for the AAU of C from 1919 until 1940 and also managed finances for the Manitoba Citizens' Olympic Committee, supporting athletes from his region. His roles extended internationally as honorary assistant manager for Canada's delegation at the 1932 Winter Olympics and as associate manager responsible for travel arrangements for the Canada men's national ice hockey team.

Robinson was honored as CAHA’s inaugural life member in 1925 and also received life membership in the AAU of C. For CAHA’s silver jubilee celebration in 1939, which took place in Winnipeg, he coordinated events recognizing his instrumental contributions. In recognition of his impact on hockey development, he was inducted into the builder category of the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1945. His accolades also include induction into the International Hockey Hall of Fame, the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, and posthumous recognition by the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.

Early life and family

Claude Copeland Robinson entered this world on December 17, 1881, in Harriston, Ontario. His parents, Thomas D. Robinson and Elizabeth Copeland, had four sons and one daughter before moving their family to Winnipeg in 1888. The senior Robinson was engaged in business ventures involving coal and lumber and founded T. D. Robinson and Sons Coal Company.

Playing and refereeing career

Robinson completed his education at Wesley College, part of the University of Manitoba, in 1902. Throughout his academic tenure, he was active in athletics, playing hockey with the Manitoba Bisons and participating in Canadian football for Wesley College. Additionally, he took on officiating duties for inter-collegiate hockey and football matches.

From 1901 to 1905, Robinson played as cover-point and rover for the intermediate-level Winnipeg Victorias, captaining the squad during the 1903–04 and 1904–05 seasons. Although he missed part of the 1904–05 campaign due to typhoid fever, his team secured the intermediate league championship that year. In the summer months, he also competed in rowing competitions representing the Winnipeg Rowing Club.

Robinson’s refereeing career spanned roughly from 1902 to 1910, during which he officiated inter-collegiate and intermediate hockey contests in Winnipeg. Between 1907 and 1909, he served as a referee in both the Winnipeg Mercantile Hockey League and Winnipeg Bankers' Hockey League. In the 1908–09 season, his officiating extended to games within the Manitoba Professional Hockey League and the Fit-Reform Cup Western Canada championship.

Early career

While still an active player with the Winnipeg Victorias, Robinson was elected president of the Western Canada Amateur Intermediate Hockey League for the 1903–04 season. At a Victorias meeting in 1904, he joined the executive committee and played a key role in forming an intermediate-level team to compete in a local league; this team toured Western Canada en route to Edmonton. He established the Manitoba Amateur Intermediate Hockey League for the 1904–05 season, initially taking on the role of temporary secretary before becoming president. During his leadership, he introduced a system employing two referees per game.

From 1905 until 1912, Robinson held the position of secretary-treasurer for the Victorias and represented them at Manitoba Hockey League assemblies. He was a vocal proponent of preserving amateur status amid increasing professionalization within hockey. Representing his team in the Western Canada Amateur Hockey Association, he participated in decisions such as declining Stanley Cup competition and implementing player residency regulations in 1906. In 1907, Robinson contributed to founding the Manitoba Amateur Athletic Association, which aimed to oversee amateur sports across the province. Despite these efforts, professional hockey’s growth in Winnipeg led to the Victorias not fielding a team during the 1907–08 season.

In November 1908, Robinson helped launch a senior amateur hockey league in Winnipeg affiliated with the Manitoba Amateur Athletic Association. He also secured agreements for ice time at prominent venues including the Winnipeg Auditorium. Coaching the Victorias during their 1908–09 Manitoba Hockey League championship run, he believed they had potential to vie for the newly established Allan Cup, although eligibility was then limited to Eastern Canadian teams. Robinson prioritized managing expenses throughout each season to finance players’ end-of-season trips but maintained strict adherence to amateurism by refraining from providing players with funds for sightseeing activities.

When the Manitoba Hockey League excluded the Winnipeg Monarchs from competition for the 1909–10 season due to concerns about their skill level, Robinson proposed arranging exhibition matches against them. During the 1910–11 season, he served as secretary of the Manitoba Hockey League.

1911 and 1912 Allan Cups

The Allan Cup trustees accepted a challenge from Robinson and the Victorias to compete against the Toronto St. Michael's Majors for the trophy in Winnipeg between February 20 and 25, 1911. However, when the Majors failed to meet the scheduled deadline, the trustees awarded the 1911 Allan Cup to the Victorias by default. According to The Winnipeg Tribune, the Majors declined because the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) preferred to hold games in March and initially resisted relinquishing the trophy despite instructions from the trustees.

Robinson, who was appointed by trustee William Northey, arranged dates and selected referees for a defense challenge by the Kenora Thistles. The Victorias emerged victorious in the two-game series with a combined score of 16–10, generating approximately in profits that Robinson donated to Winnipeg charities of his choosing. Although there were suggestions to challenge teams such as the Calgary Athletic Club and Ottawa New Edinburghs, no further challenges took place that season.

In 1912, Robinson became a trustee responsible for overseeing Allan Cup challenges in Western Canada, a role he held until 1937. The New Edinburghs announced that the OHA had returned the Allan Cup to trustees and intended to challenge for the 1912 Allan Cup in Winnipeg. Robinson was caught off guard by this announcement, as he had anticipated only exhibition matches; no official challenge was sanctioned due to playoff delays in Ottawa affecting travel plans.

The Victorias secured first place in the 1911–12 Manitoba Hockey League regular season and successfully defended the Allan Cup through three challenges. Robinson’s team defeated Calgary Athletic Club (11–0, 8–6), Toronto Eaton's (8–4, 16–1), and Regina Capitals (9–3). In 1942, Robinson reflected on the win against Toronto Eaton's as a form of redemption following their initial acquisition of the trophy by default from the OHA.

1912–13 and 1913–14 seasons

After seven seasons, Robinson stepped down as secretary-treasurer of the Victorias due to business obligations but continued serving as the club’s delegate at hockey league meetings. He also joined the executive committee of the Winnipeg Amateur Hockey League and represented it at Manitoba Amateur Athletic Association meetings.

Although all league games were agreed to be played at the Winnipeg Auditorium, the Winnipeg Monarchs, led by Fred Marples, advocated for using the Winnipeg Amphitheatre, citing superior facilities. Robinson stressed that management at the Auditorium had consented to accommodate league requirements and that every team had signed off on this arrangement. He suggested that if the Monarchs disagreed, they should consider withdrawing. Ultimately, the league voted to uphold playing all games at the Auditorium.

In October 1913, Robinson was elected vice-president of the Victorias and held this position until 1917. He was re-elected in November 1914 and again in December 1916. The Victorias suspended their hockey activities for the 1917–18 season. Nonetheless, Robinson continued representing them at league meetings and was re-elected to the league executive committee, which decided that games would be held at both the Auditorium and Amphitheatre venues.

In January 1914, discussions within the Winnipeg Amateur Hockey League focused on whether independent hockey leagues in Western Ontario and Manitoba qualified as intermediate or senior level. This classification affected player eligibility for call-ups and arose due to reserve players for the Monarchs also participating in those leagues.

1914 Allan Cup

The management of multiple challenges from league champions across Canada had grown increasingly complicated by the time of the 1914 Allan Cup. Robinson worked alongside Northey to impose a limit of three challenges per season for the defending champions. Additionally, Robinson arranged for referees to officiate games in Winnipeg, including a two-game total-goals series between the Kenora Thistles and Winnipeg Monarchs as the initial challenge.

Controversies surrounding player eligibility emerged, particularly involving Dick Irvin of the Monarchs, who had previously played with the Winnipeg Strathconas in the Independent League before joining the Winnipeg Amateur Hockey League season. To clarify eligibility criteria, Northey requested access to the Independent League's constitution. When Irvin was deemed ineligible, the Monarchs initially refused to compete without him. Northey contended that since the Strathconas fielded an intermediate-level team, they could not simultaneously be classified as intermediate for the Monarchs. Robinson pointed out that trustees had earlier equated intermediate-level hockey with senior-level competition. After three days of negotiations, the Monarchs consented to play a one-game challenge without Irvin and secured the Allan Cup with a 6–2 victory.

Eligibility disputes persisted during subsequent challenges. The Monarchs raised concerns about a player from the Regina Victorias who was reported to have played for a team in Melville, Saskatchewan, among possibly other teams. Robinson conducted an investigation and relayed his findings to Northey. The trustees ultimately declared the player eligible since there was no confirmation that the other league was at a senior level. The Regina Victorias then triumphed over the Monarchs to claim the Allan Cup and successfully defended their title against a team from Grand-Mère, Quebec.

Initiatives toward a national organization

In response to difficulties encountered during the 1914 Allan Cup challenges, Robinson proposed establishing a national hockey governing body. He consulted with Allan Cup trustees in Montreal, who recognized shortcomings in existing regulations and expressed support for creating a nationwide organization.

By May 1914, the Winnipeg Amateur Hockey League had endorsed forming a national entity to oversee hockey governance, unify rules, and establish competition deadlines. J. D. Pratt, president of the Winnipeg Victorias, reached out to amateur hockey officials across Canada to collect information on leagues and clubs. In June, this league created the Manitoba Hockey Commission to supervise provincial hockey operations and advance efforts toward merging into a national commission backed by Western Canadian teams.

Robinson championed a national conference aimed at founding an authoritative body tasked with revising Allan Cup formats and deadlines, standardizing playing rules and rink sizes, and instituting annual national meetings. The initiative also aimed to curb player transfers between clubs. Representing the Victorias, Robinson participated in discussions held in Ottawa advocating these reforms.

Initial National Assembly

The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) was established on December 4, 1914, at Ottawa's Château Laurier. For the 1914–15 term, Robinson took on the role of secretary, while W. F. Taylor, president of the Winnipeg Amateur Hockey League, was chosen as president. Delegates from Manitoba and Saskatchewan proposed a constitution that was accepted with slight modifications, including a three-month residency requirement to determine player eligibility. The plan called for the creation of eight provincial branches, with players required to register under one of these branches. Additionally, by-laws were formulated and uniform rink dimensions were agreed upon.

The Allan Cup was officially designated as the CAHA's trophy for senior hockey championships, accompanied by standardized rules for playoff contests. The format transitioned from a challenge-based system to one where provincial champions competed until a final between eastern and western winners. This change limited the defending champion to a maximum of two series of four games each when defending the trophy. Robinson and Taylor met with Allan Cup trustee William Northey to discuss CAHA oversight of the trophy; although full transfer was prohibited by the deed of gift from H. Montagu Allan, the CAHA continued to benefit from gate receipts allocated to charitable causes. Robinson retained his position as an Allan Cup trustee, managing profit distribution and travel reimbursements for competing teams.

No professional hockey representatives participated in this meeting, which coincided with the annual gathering of the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada (AAU of C). Two days later, the CAHA became an affiliate of the AAU of C and committed to its anti-professionalism policies to uphold amateur sport integrity.

After returning to Winnipeg, Robinson expressed contentment over founding the CAHA and securing support from Allan Cup trustees. He then urged provincial hockey organizations to form branches and adopt the CAHA’s constitution and by-laws.

Formative Period

The 1915 Allan Cup marked the first senior championship conducted under CAHA governance. Although the association favored home-and-home playoff series, Robinson permitted single-game formats when weather or ice conditions warranted flexibility. During the second challenge round, the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) insisted on enforcing residency rules established at CAHA's inception; however, the Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association (SAHA) contended these regulations applied only starting the following season and upheld eligibility for players on the Melville Millionaires. At SAHA’s request, Robinson convened a special CAHA meeting to address these disputes. Despite disagreements, the Millionaires triumphed over OHA champions Toronto Victorias but were subsequently defeated by the Winnipeg Monarchs in another challenge.

Robinson and W. F. Taylor advocated holding CAHA’s first annual meeting before the 1915–16 season despite concerns from provinces prioritizing World War I efforts. Taylor stressed the necessity of establishing governance promptly, while Robinson organized mail-in ballots that yielded no clear consensus on convening the meeting. When travel expenses were raised as an obstacle, Robinson pointed out that hockey was comparatively well-resourced among amateur sports.

Robinson arranged CAHA’s inaugural annual general meeting at Winnipeg’s Fort Garry Hotel in December 1915. The association resolved to continue Allan Cup playoffs throughout wartime and permitted residency exceptions for military personnel and students. The SAHA voiced dissatisfaction over Robinson and Taylor handling disputes through general meetings rather than executive sessions. The CAHA identified inconsistencies within its constitution and appointed Robinson to lead a committee tasked with harmonizing branch constitutions with national standards. During this assembly, W. A. Hewitt from the OHA succeeded Robinson as secretary.

As World War I endured, Robinson sought to sustain CAHA activities through mail-in voting if necessary and supported electing a new president to replace James T. Sutherland, who was serving overseas with the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

Early period of the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association

At its inaugural annual meeting preceding the 1914–15 season, the Manitoba Hockey Commission adopted the new name Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA). Robinson maintained his role representing the Victorias during Winnipeg Amateur Hockey League assemblies and was re-elected as first vice-president. He successfully proposed adopting the complete set of Allan Cup regulations and player eligibility criteria. The league endorsed establishing the Winnipeg Intermediate Hockey League to accommodate secondary-level teams, appointing Robinson as its chairman.

During the 1915–16 season, the Winnipeg Amateur Hockey League integrated military squads to support fundraising efforts for soldiers and wartime causes. Subsequently, it was renamed the Winnipeg Patriotic Hockey League, with Robinson serving as vice-president.

The reigning Allan Cup holders, Winnipeg Monarchs, lodged a protest when the Winnipeg 61st Battalion was selected to defend the Allan Cup as league champions, viewing patriotic matches merely as exhibitions. The MAHA upheld Robinson’s ruling favoring the 61st Battalion, who ultimately secured the Allan Cup by overcoming challengers from Fort William, Ontario and the Regina Victorias. Additionally, Robinson barred the OHA from participating in the 1916 Allan Cup playoffs due to their delayed arrival.

In December 1916, Robinson was elected first vice-president of the MAHA and joined the executive committee of the Winnipeg Patriotic Hockey League. He recommended suspending operations for the Victorias during 1917–18 owing to player shortages and continued to engage with Allan Cup matters, accompanying league champions to Toronto for the final challenge in 1918.

Robinson participated on the Manitoba Hockey League protest committee in 1918–19 and acted as MAHA’s representative at the CAHA general assembly. The following year, he joined the Winnipeg Hockey League’s executive board and served as a delegate to Manitoba’s AAU of C branch.

By November 1921, Robinson opposed player transfers out of Winnipeg and led initiatives to revive the Winnipeg Hockey League. He represented this league at MAHA meetings and held a position on its executive committee. In 1922–23, he was elected first vice-president of the Winnipeg Hockey League.

Post-war Canadian hockey and developments in the 1920s

Robinson acted as CAHA’s representative at AAU of C conventions and chaired the national registration committee from 1920 through 1922.

In 1919, Robinson was appointed trustee of the Abbott Cup, awarded annually to Western Canada’s junior hockey champion. He championed this emerging national championship that later became known as the Memorial Cup. Following CAHA’s assumption of scheduling responsibilities for these cups in 1919, Robinson advocated for including the Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association in Western Canada playoff rounds when Memorial Cup games were held in eastern venues, and vice versa.

When teams from the Big-4 League were excluded from participation in the 1920 Allan Cup playoffs, Robinson called for their affiliation with the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association to ensure representation from Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia—regions essential for national championships. During the 1922 Allan Cup, he successfully contested that Western Canada should appoint one referee for the series, leading to a CAHA decision replacing one official. By the time of the 1924 Allan Cup, after Robinson noted there was no constitutional prohibition against commercial teams competing, CAHA ruled to exclude senior teams affiliated with commercial entities from participation.

Amateur Hockey and Professionalism

Prior to the 1919–20 season, Robinson endorsed a limited reinstatement window for professional athletes in Canada, allowing a three-week period for applications before closing the option. He shifted from his previous opposition to any reinstatement, considering the unique post-war circumstances prevalent in Western Canada.

During the 1920–21 season, Robinson expressed disapproval of former professionals participating in Allan Cup competitions but recognized their eligibility if sanctioned by the AAU of C. He condemned ongoing reinstatement practices and cautioned that permitting young players to turn professional would erode the spirit of sportsmanship. By December 1920, Robinson and the AAU of C focused on eradicating covert professionalism within amateur hockey, particularly in Western regions, advocating strict adherence to six-month residency requirements to deter unjustified team transfers.

In June 1921, CAHA president W. R. Granger convened with Robinson and Western hockey representatives to confront disguised professionalism issues. They proposed revising CAHA branch by-laws to grant executives authority in enforcing amateur eligibility regulations. Following this, the CAHA established a registration committee led by W. A. Hewitt tasked with reviewing player registrations, excluding professionals, and restricting inter-team player movements.

At the 1922 CAHA annual gathering, Robinson opposed motions that would allow athletes professional status in one sport while maintaining amateur standing in hockey, reaffirming the AAU of C’s rejection of professional participants.

1932 Winter Olympics

Canadian Olympic Committee president P. J. Mulqueen appointed Robinson to serve on the winter sports committee for the 1932 Winter Olympics. Robinson held the position of honorary assistant manager for Canada’s delegation, working alongside manager Melville Marks Robinson.

When the 1931 Allan Cup champions, the Winnipeg Hockey Club, represented Canada at the Olympic hockey competition, Robinson was designated associate manager by the Canadian Olympic Committee. He coordinated exhibition matches during their journey to the Games, including stops in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario.

The Olympic gold medal game between Canada and the United States was scheduled outdoors on a speed skating oval to accommodate a larger audience, despite Robinson’s advice to use the bigger indoor arena for protection against weather conditions. Canada secured the gold medal and subsequently played exhibition games arranged by Robinson against the Atlantic City Seagulls and the Crescent Athletic Club at Madison Square Garden.

Subsequent Career

From 1933 through 1937, Robinson chaired the CAHA finance committee during a time when branch grants supporting minor ice hockey were increasing. Amidst the economic difficulties of the Great Depression in Canada, he reported financial deficits for the CAHA—$7,000 lost in the 1935–36 season and reserves dwindling to $15,000. To address this, he introduced cost-saving measures including suspending branch funding and reducing executive honorariums and travel costs. These steps allowed playoff games to be held in more profitable venues, culminating in over $34,000 profit by 1937 and expanded travel budgets for teams.

In November 1936, the CAHA sought constitutional changes within the AAU of C aimed at redefining amateur status and permitting interaction between amateurs and professionals. Robinson opposed these proposals, considering professionals harmful to amateur sports integrity. After most amendments were rejected by the AAU of C, relations soured. Robinson resisted CAHA’s impending split from AAU of C, cautioning it would jeopardize control over amateur hockey governance, finances, and stewardship of the Allan Cup. Although H. Montagu Allan assured continued CAHA custodianship of the Allan Cup, separation occurred in January 1937.

Following this division, speculation arose regarding Robinson’s continuation as finance committee chair due to his opposition to revised amateur definitions. In April 1937, CAHA dissolved its finance committee and reassigned its responsibilities to the president. Robinson was honored with life membership including expense coverage but ended his tenure as an Allan Cup trustee that year; he continued as Abbott Cup trustee until 1942.

To commemorate its silver jubilee, CAHA held celebrations in Winnipeg recognizing Robinson alongside officials from the Winnipeg Amateur Hockey League who had established the association. CAHA president W. G. Hardy appointed Robinson to oversee festivities at the Royal Alexandra Hotel from April 8–11, 1939. The event featured eleven former presidents, six founders including Robinson himself, and all four life members present. Hardy lauded Robinson as "a man whose acknowledged guidance was the foundation of the CAHA, and a man who was the sower of the acorn from which the CAHA oak tree grew".

Sports and athletics leadership

During the First World War, Robinson was part of the executive team for the Athletic Patriotic Association in Winnipeg, where he promoted sports activities and supplied equipment to military teams. Around 1918, he acted as a representative for the Winnipeg Victorias and led the junior league of the Winnipeg Amateur Baseball Association as its chairman.

Beginning in 1919, Robinson represented the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) at national meetings of the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada (AAU of C). Throughout the 1920s, he also represented the Manitoba Amateur Athletic Association. He chaired the national registration committee from 1920 to 1922 and held the position of treasurer for the AAU of C from 1919 until 1940, being reappointed annually during this span. The AAU of C halted its activities in November 1940 due to World War II.

Robinson was selected for a Manitoba Amateur Athletic Association committee tasked with organizing training facilities for track and field competitors preparing for the Canadian trials ahead of the 1924 Summer Olympics. He managed financial matters for provincial track and field championships and actively sought governmental funding to support athlete development and participation in national trials. Additionally, he championed ongoing government financial backing for amateur sports and contributed to efforts aimed at removing amusement taxes on revenue from amateur sporting events.

In 1923, Robinson joined a committee exploring affiliation between the AAU of C and Winnipeg-based Dominion Football Association (DFA). Although an agreement was reached in 1928 for DFA membership, delegates opposed mixing professional and amateur players within soccer. Robinson maintained his role as a liaison with the DFA into the 1930s.

Prior to the 1932 Summer Olympics, Robinson was part of a Canadian Olympic Committee delegation that petitioned the federal government for $15,000 to fund athletes’ travel costs. He was appointed treasurer of the Manitoba Citizens' Olympic Committee, which aimed to raise $5,000 to assist Manitoba athletes attending Canadian Olympic trials.

The Athletic Patriotic Association was reorganized in 1939 with Robinson again serving on its executive board. Twenty-five Manitoba sports organizations collaborated to promote athletics and provide equipment to military teams during World War II. In February 1940, Robinson chaired a skating and dancing carnival at Winnipeg Amphitheatre designed to support programs benefiting soldiers.

In November 1946, when the AAU of C convened its first annual meeting since 1939, Robinson served as honorary secretary until 1948.

Personal life

Robinson wed Ellen Frances Doyle in June 1913 in New York. The couple had one daughter and owned a cottage at Winnipeg Beach, where Robinson took on responsibilities as superintendent and participated on the regatta’s organizing committee.

By 1918, Robinson operated as a coal dealer and distributor based in Winnipeg. He also served as a director at his father’s company, T. D. Robinson and Sons Coal Company; his brother assumed presidency in 1926. In 1938, Robinson held the role of treasurer at Macketta Gold Mines and advanced to vice-president by 1940.

In December 1941, during a junior hockey match, Robinson sustained an injury from a puck and departed early before selecting a star player for a radio broadcast.

Robinson relocated to British Columbia in May 1942 when he joined the Canadian government workforce as a civil servant. He spent two years in Steveston serving as Custodian of Enemy Property for Japanese Canadians before being appointed assistant regional director for National Selective Service in the Canadian Pacific region in 1944.

As the last surviving founder of the CAHA, Robinson passed away on June 27, 1976, in Vancouver. His funeral service and interment were held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Burnaby.

Honours and awards

During the CAHA general assembly held on March 24, 1925, vice-president Frank Sandercock commended Robinson for his significant impact on hockey and the assembly unanimously granted him life membership. As the founder of the association, he was distinguished as the first individual to receive life membership in the CAHA. Renowned sports editor Maurice Smith referred to him as the CAHA’s founding father. By the year 1968, Robinson had participated in 51 out of 52 CAHA annual meetings.

In October 1945, Robinson was honored as one of the initial six inductees into the builder category of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He contributed original minutes from the CAHA’s founding meeting to the Hall and was presented with his induction scroll at the 1948 CAHA gathering.

Other notable recognitions include his induction into the Original Hockey Hall of Fame in 1947, receiving the Ontario Hockey Association Gold Stick award in 1953 for distinguished service, obtaining life membership within the AAU of C, and induction into the builder category of the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1960. He also held life membership and honorary presidency in the MAHA, an organization he helped establish, and was posthumously inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985. As a member of the Allan Cup champion Winnipeg Victorias teams from 1911 and 1912, he was also inducted into both the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.