How did the International Pro Hockey League begin?

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ice hockey Goalie Marc-André Fleury of the Vegas Golden Knights blocking a shot by Jakub Vrána of the Washington Capitals in game five of the 2018 Stanley Cup finals. The Capitals won the game and the series.

The International Pro Hockey League was established in 1904 by J.L. Gibson, a dentist who owned the Portage Lakers, the world's first acknowledged professional ice hockey team.1

Based in Houghton, Michigan, the Portage Lakers were formed in 1903 after Gibson recruited Canadian players to play professionally, a practice that was considered ungentlemanly and was not yet accepted in Canada at the time. Following the success of this team, Gibson organized the International Pro Hockey League to formalize professional competition. Professional hockey did not gain acceptance in Canada until 1908, when the Ontario Professional Hockey League was formed.1