The Montreal Hockey Club would win the final challenge of the season against the Montreal Victorias to win the Canadian championship for the second season in a row.
The annual meeting of the Amateur Hockey Association was held in the Victoria Skating Rink, Montreal, on November 16, 1888.
The election for the ensuing year resulted as follows:[1] The league reverted to the challenge system, hoping to attract teams from outside Montreal.
[1] The league adopted a rule where the placement of the 'bully' or faceoff, could be played at the point of infringement, or at the point of play stoppage, at the choice of the captain of the offended team after a rules infraction.
Halifax(Dartmouth) had not challenged for the national championships before, while Quebec had played in the Montreal tournaments.