He appointed a committee to establish better relations between the CAHA and professional leagues, and praised the players and teams for quality hockey and growth of the amateur game in Canada despite the competition.

He operated the Queen City Gardens for 11 years, and helped organized the construction of ice hockey rinks in Saskatoon, Regina and Moose Jaw.

[1] In a guessing competition at a lumber convention, he correctly identified 136 different samples of wood to become Canadian champion in 1930.

[8] Hamilton served as the secretary and treasurer of the Regina Roughriders from 1922 to 1938, and was president of the Saskatchewan Amateur Rugby Union.

When the Brandon Wheat City Hockey Club applied to be members of the league, Hamilton stated that first priority should be given to teams in Saskatchewan and was against the request.

[15] Hamilton later awarded the league championship to the Regina Victorias when he ruled that Brandon had used two ineligible players in the playoffs.

[17] He was re-elected vice-president in March 1929, and was named to the finance committee which controlled all CAHA funds except for Allan Cup proceeds.

[18] He was placed in charge of junior and senior playoffs for Western Canada, and stated the lack of artificial ice surfaces in Alberta and Saskatchewan as a reason for playing the finals in Winnipeg.

[20] Hamilton's time as president began during a period of growth in junior hockey which saw CAHA registration increase to 13,675 players.

[23] At the 1931 general meeting, Hamilton praised the players who chose to remain as amateurs despite the lure of professional teams, and the resulting of increase of registrations.

He also praised the organizations which continued to produce quality hockey for the Canadian public despite inroads by professional teams, and felt that the security of the CAHA rested "upon the ideals and practices of honest and honorable men".

Hamilton issued a warning to all players that inter-branch transfers requested before the May 15 deadline, would be investigated to ensure a valid reason for moving between provinces of Canada and eliminate the "hockey tourist" travelling about the country in search of a better team.

[29] The decision was a change from the previous year's deadline when the CAHA had approved all transfers submitted without investigation due to the Great Depression and the need to relocate for employment.

[30] In October 1931, the CAHA executive changed the deadline to a reside in a branch from May 15 to January 1, in an effort to stop the "hockey tourist", and investigate bona fide transfers for employment.

[31] Hamilton responded to charges of professionalism in leagues in the Maritimes by saying that a hearing would be conducted if an official complaint was received.

In an effort to educate, Hamilton circulated diagrams of hockey plays where the rules were regularly misinterpreted such as offside.

Hamilton declared the playoffs were financially successful, and felt that the CAHA had the confidence of the Canadian public for tending to the "moral and physical uplift of our athletes".

At the AAU of C general meeting in 1930, Hamilton unsuccessfully sought for the approval of professionals having a secondary amateur sport.

[1][9] He was part of the delegation that lobbied Edgar Nelson Rhodes, the Canadian Minister of Finance, for funds to cover travel expenses for athletes to the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

[54] Journalist Ralph Allen reported that during the series of disagreements, Hamilton was sarcastically asked if there were anymore protests.

[57] On December 15, 1936, CAHA president Cecil Duncan formally notified Hamilton in writing to terminate its articles of alliance effective January 15, 1937.

He stated there should be no quarrels between the CAHA and AAU of C, and felt that there was room for ice hockey to be governed by both groups in a "friendly rivalry".

[60] Hamilton felt that the ministry might be beneficial, and that sport could be promoted with the help of department of health and reach more areas of Canada.

[60] Hamilton appointed a committee to oversee preparations for the 1938 British Empire Games, and named Edward Wentworth Beatty its chairman.

[65] In advance of the general meeting in November 1937, Hamilton urged delegates to give "special consideration" to the loss of its three biggest sporting associations and the resulting financial problems.

[66] Hamilton declared that the hockey, basketball and lacrosse associations broke away due to personal disagreements between delegates to meetings, rather than disputes over amateurism.

[67] He felt the greatest effect would be the loss registration revenue, and called for redistribution of branches to consolidate assets due to reduced membership.

[70] In November 1938, Sydney Halter was elected president to succeed Hamilton, and the AAU of C approved a constitutional amendment in which it would recognize the definition of amateur as given by the world governing bodies of the respective sports.

[3] Hamilton was made a life member of the SAHA in 1933,[4] and was named sportsman of the year by the Regina Optimist International Club.

[1][77] He is also the namesake of the J. W. Hamilton Trophy awarded to the champion of the senior men's D-division playoffs of the Saskatchewan Hockey Association.