Joseph Hermas "Amos" Arbour (January 26, 1895 – November 1, 1943) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played as a left winger during the formative years of organized professional hockey. He was born in Waubaushene, Ontario; local and genealogical references note his birth and family ties in that area birth record and Waubaushene local history. Contemporary notices record his death in 1943 death notice.
Overview and significance
Arbour's career spanned the period when the National Hockey Association (NHA) evolved into the National Hockey League (NHL). Players of his generation helped establish professional club play and shaped the early tactical and physical character of the sport. General racing accounts and league summaries place him among the many working professionals who moved between clubs as the sport reorganized Canadian hockey records and league histories NHL overview describe.
Playing career and teams
Published rosters and period accounts indicate Arbour played multiple seasons across the NHA and NHL. He is commonly associated with several clubs of the era, including the Montreal organization, the Hamilton Tigers and the Toronto St. Pats. He is listed in team rosters and player compilations for the Montreal Canadiens, the Hamilton Tigers and the Toronto St. Pats (the latter an antecedent of Toronto's later NHL identity). Some secondary sources also refer to early roster notes that can vary between publications; researchers are advised to compare game reports and contemporary newspapers where available ice hockey records.
Playing style and role
As a left winger Arbour would have been expected to combine offensive initiative with checking along the boards and responsibility in defensive coverage typical of forward play at the time. Early professional hockey emphasized endurance and physical play; surviving game summaries and descriptions of teammates give a picture of a role-player who contributed to team structure more than seeking individual acclaim.
Records, research and reliability
Documentation for many players from the 1910s and 1920s is incomplete. Dates, single-game appearances and even team assignments sometimes differ between archival sources. Readers looking for season-by-season listings should consult contemporary newspapers, team programs and dedicated compilations of early hockey statistics and histories archival records and league summaries. Regional archives in Ontario and club histories often provide the clearest corroboration regional sources and Canadian hockey archives.
Legacy
While not widely known today, Arbour represents the many professional players whose careers bridged the NHA and NHL eras and who contributed to the establishment of club hockey in Canada. His presence on multiple teams reflects the mobility of players during a period of organizational change and the collective effort that built the professional game.