The Quebec Bulldogs roots go back to the amateur days of hockey as they competed in the Amateur Hockey Association, later called the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The team, officially known as Athletics, won the CAHL Championship in 1904 but was not allowed to vie for the Stanley Cup.

The CAHL would become the ECAHA as the desire to become a professional league overwhelmed Amateur hockey leading to the formation of the Canadian Hockey Association in 1909, in which the Quebec Bulldogs were a founding member. However, after just one month, the CHA merged into the more powerful National Hockey Association.

However, the Bulldogs were unsure they wanted to join, so they sat out the rest of the season.