Frank Calder was born to Scottish parents in Bristol, England on November 17, 1877. Calder participated in many sports as a youth, including rugby, handball, golf, and football. As a young man, he immigrated to Canada and became a teacher at a private school. Before leaving the United Kingdom, he flipped a coin to decide whether to immigrate to Canada or the United States. He married a fellow teacher, Amelia Cole, and they had three daughters and one son.