Charlie Liffiton attracted the public's attention in the 1899-1900 season of the Canadian Amateur Hockey League (CAHL).  He  was the top scorer for his Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (MAAA) club and the league's eighth leading scorer with eight goals in eight games.  Far away in New York, a newspaperman for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle identified him as "one of the most famous of the Canadian hockey players."  

It was the 1901-1902 season, however, that marked the highest point in Charlie Liffiton's hockey career.  Still with the MAAA, he helped his club win the league championship.  Montreal scored 39 goals against their opponent's 15 with Charlie scoring eight goals in eight games.  He was in the top ten league scorers for the third season in a row.   The league winning Montreal club challenged the Winnipeg Victorias for possession of the Stanley Cup.

For three days in March of 1902, Winnipeg and Montreal battled for the cup, and Charlie Liffiton played in each game.  Winnipeg won the first match at home by a score of 1-0 in front of 4,000 spectators.  The second match played to a larger crowd, and Montreal dominated the Victorias and won 5-0.  Charlie Liffiton scored one of the goals.  

In the final contest Montreal scored two goals in the first eleven minutes and then worked hard to hang on to their lead against much larger opponents.  A reporter watching the match telegraphed back to the Montreal Sun office that the smaller MAAA players were "little men of iron," as they went on to defeat Winnipeg 2-1.

The photo on the right is the 1902 MAAA, which won the Stanley Cup.  Charlie Liffiton is on the left in the first row.  (Public Domain) Credit: Unknown.