Society for International Hockey Research

BULLETINVolume 30, Issue 1 • January 2020

BonjourBY JAMES Québec! MILKS

SIHR members at Hôtel Le Concorde in City, with guest speaker Serge Bernier at right. Many more pictures at http://www.histoirenordiques.ca/sihr.html.

Beautiful was host to SIHR’s 2019 Fall Meeting, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) more seriously, as on Oct. 18 and 19. The weekend’s planned activities got started many former players continue to suffer. on Friday afternoon at the Centre Vidéotron, the NHL-class are- A SIHR record-setting number of women presenters were na which is home to the Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior on hand to discuss a variety of topics, ranging from Quebec City Hockey League (QMJHL). The group got its exercise as it trav- teams to personal experiences as both players and fans. Benoit elled from the press box high above the seating to out-of-the-way Claîroux, with his usual wit and sprinkling of humour, kicked off rooms deep in the bowels of the building. the presentations with a retrospective on the , in The Friday night Meet and Greet took place in the arena’s which he chronicled the two iterations of the team and many of Bunker Suite, where members were treated to an all-you-can-eat the notable players who suited up for the club. dinner ahead of the game between the Remparts and L’Océanic de The charismatic and entertaining Stéphane Lévesque delivered Rimouski. The 44-person strong SIHR group was seated behind his presentation titled Le Hockey au Centre du Québec in French, the Remparts bench, but despite their pulling for the home team, while his daughter Marie-Laurence did a wonderful job of trans- head coach Patrick Roy and his team came out on the losing end lating to English on the fly. He discussed the adventure that led to of a 2-1 score. the publication of the book of the same name and how he inter- A crisp and sunny fall morning greeted members as they made viewed men and women from all walks of life about their relation- their way to the meeting at Hôtel Le Concorde, next to the his- ship with hockey through art, culture, community, sport and even toric Plains of Abraham, which were dressed up in fall colours and suffering. He recalled many of the unique characters he met along a Halloween experience put on by the National Battlefields Com- the way and shared mementos given to him by some of the people mission. A brief business agenda started Saturday’s meeting in and players featured in the book. which meeting host Jean-Patrice Martel welcomed the group and Ottawa resident Pam Coburn presented The Boston Bruins discussed a few logistics before president Fred Addis asked for a Training Camps in Quebec City, having gathered much of the infor- moment of silence in honour of recently deceased member George mation during her research for her first book Hitch: Hockey’s Un- Rekela of Minnesota. James Milks delivered a brief statement sung Hero, which is the story of her grandfather and Boston Bruins about the proposed website update and treasurer Bryan Lawrence legend Lionel Hitchman. discussed the group’s finances. The 2020 Fall Meeting location was The day’s first special guest, Hingham, Mass., resident Frank revealed, and all members are invited to Hershey, Pa. Brown – recipient of the 2019 Professional Hockey Writers’ As- During the roll call, member Nick Murray of New Brunswick, sociation’s Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award – spoke about El- who had an impressive junior and senior hockey career between mer Ferguson and the path he cleared for all hockey writers and the mid-1950s and the late 1960s, made a passionate and emo- recounted a few highlights from his own 35-year career covering tional plea for hockey leagues and officials to take brain injuries some of hockey’s most iconic moments. (Continued on page 3) Society for International Hockey Research • January 2020 Page 2

SOCIETY INFO MEMBERSHIP STATUS Society for International Hockey Research As Taylor Hall was traded to Arizona, SIHR membership stood at 492. Please 66 Gerrard St. E., Suite 300 join us in welcoming our newest members. Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5B 1G3 Stan Karbowiak of Port Coquitlam, B.C., has been a pro hockey scout, statisti- cian and player agent. He now runs IceHockeyJobs.com, hockey’s only job posting On the Internet website. Jim Ronson of Port Hope, Ont., is the author of the novel Blood, Fire and www.sihrhockey.org Ice and was a speaker at the Fall Meeting in Quebec City. www.facebook.com/sihrhockey Matthew Walthert of Orleans, Ont., has written an article for The Athletic about twitter.com/sihrhockey the ongoing confusion surrounding the circumstances of Allan “Scotty” Davidson’s death early in World War I, shortly after he led the Blueshirts to Toronto’s first Email address championship. He’s continuing to research Davidson and would love [email protected] to hear from anyone with information on him, the teams he played for, or his Kings- ton contemporaries, George Richardson and James Sutherland. EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Bob White of North York, Ont., is a retired high school math teacher who watched the Toronto Maple Leafs win four Stanley Cup championships in the President 1960s and learned about SIHR from a friend after watching the documentary Fred Addis Hockey’s Lost Boy: The Rise and Fall of George Patterson. [email protected] Welcome also to Gord Chaney, Port Elgin, Ont.; John Eadie, Calgary; Brian Vice-president Goddard, Ottawa, Ont.; Marc Guilbault, Montreal; Mark Harris, Etobicoke, Bill Sproule Ont.; Richard McCallum, Mississauga, Ont.; Leigh Mendelson, Wenatchee, [email protected] Wash.; Herb Morell, Mississauga, Ont.; Marc Noel, Dunvegan, Ont.; Dave Otto, Ballwin, Mo.; James Owens, West Richland, Wash.; Michel Thiffault, Trois-Ri- Secretary vieres, Que.; Eric Westhover, Flin Flon, Man.; and Mark Willand, Douglas, Mass. Aubrey Ferguson Finally, welcome back to a bumper crop of returning SIHR members: Randall [email protected] Balmer, Santa Fe, N.M.; E.J. Bauer, Bayfield, Ont.; James Benesh, Regina; Phil Birnbaum, Ottawa; Andrew Caddell, Ottawa; Stuart Cameron, Ottawa; David Treasurer Carter, Brookfield, N.S.; Mick Colageo, Buzzards Bay, Mass.; Joe Cronin, North Bryan Lawrence Canton, Ohio; John Dunn, Hamilton, Ont.; Fred Finkelberg, Toronto; Marko [email protected] Kuparinen, Espoo, Finland; Brian McA’Nulty, Dartmouth, N.S.; D’Arcy Mur- phy, Saint John, N.B.; Susan Seaby, Toronto; Emile Skopyk, Meadow Lake, Sask.; BULLETIN STAFF Kenny Slobodzian, Thunder Bay, Ont.;John Wong, Pullman, Wash. Editor-in-chief Benoît Clairoux Timothy Gassen (1961-2019) [email protected] We are saddened to report the passing of former Copy editor SIHR member Timothy Gassen, perhaps the big- Lloyd Davis gest (WHA) fan ever. [email protected] Growing up in Indianapolis, he followed his beloved Racers closely, attending as many games as possible Regular contributor at Market Square Arena. Much later, as a writer and Glen Goodhand a producer, he published a series of WHA-related [email protected] books and DVDs, creating the WHA Hall of Fame Hockey Research Journal editor-in-chief along the way. Timothy will be greatly missed by all Lloyd Davis the “Rebel League” enthusiasts. [email protected] CTV donates sports books to SIHR Webmaster James Milks SIHR would like to thank Ann Carman of CTV Montreal for donating nu- [email protected] merous sports books (including many hockey books) to SIHR. Their CTV offices Copyright 2020 needed to free up space due to construction work in their building on Papineau Ave. Several books were sold at the 2019 Fall Meeting in Quebec City and $239 ISSN 2290-4824 (Print) was raised to help finance SIHR’s various activities and projects. Many more books, ISSN 2369-8845 (Online) hockey and otherwise, will be available at SIHR’s next AGM in St. Catharines. For those interested, other subjects include , and boxing, as Deadline for next Bulletin: well as multi-sport books. Thank you also to SIHR member Don Weekes and CTV Feb. 29, 2020 Montreal anchor Caroline Van Vlaardingen for helping make this happen. Society for International Hockey Research • January 2020 Page 3

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Bonjour Québec! It’s been a remarkable few months in hockey, with (Continued from page 1) the game in the news for reasons that would have seemed unfathomable a few years ago. Players who have suffered Following the on-site catered lunch, meeting physical and psychological abuse are telling their stories co-organizer Marc Durand moderated a conver- in increasing numbers. sation with guest speaker Serge Bernier, in which Beyond the many reported incidents and recent out- he recounted growing up in Matane, Que., and comes for some players, coaches and others connected his 12-year pro hockey career. He mused about to the game, it’s hard to find a perspective that acknowl- how he made $20,000 the year he played on the edges the harsh reality of what is now coming to light Flyers forward line with Bobby Clarke, but how and yet envisions the game we love going forward. things had improved considerably by the time One thing that has been constant since our great- he joined the WHA, for which he received a great-grandfathers first strapped on the pads, is that the game continues to $100,000 signing bonus, and a $100,000 per-year evolve and reflect changes within the broader society. salary for three years. He graciously answered The attempts by players and their families to control the environment and questions about all aspects of his life and career, conditions under which the game is played and organized is not an anomaly. and many good laughs were had by all. Neither is it a passing concern that will somehow vanish, enabling the hockey Claudia Delli-Colli from the University of world to return to what we have come to define as normal. presented The Life and Times of the It is not surprising that parents and families want to control the environ- Black Aces in Sherbrooke, which recalled the all- ment in which the game is played. It’s what parents concerned with the safety Black line of Manny McIntyre, Herb Carnegie of their children do. And all players, whether professional or amateur, will want and his brother Ossie. to, to the greatest extent possible, play the sport in an environment where their The history of the women’s game and the personal safety will be best safeguarded. ongoing challenge faced by the sport to be eco- Simply put, if we’re stuck on the notion that fundamental change will erode nomically viable was the focus of Andrew Cad- the underpinnings of hockey at all levels, then we’re doing a disservice to hock- dell’s presentation, The Girl and Women’s Hockey. ey and ignoring the lessons of its storied history. We live in a litigious society He was joined by female pioneer player Margie and in an effort to minimize their liability, leagues owners, officials and organiz- Ross, who skated with many amateur teams and ers of the game will have to change. later in the Canadian university system, where One incident illustrates this point. The tragic death of a hockey spectator she was a perennial MVP. Her unique perspective at Columbus resulted in the NHL placing protective mesh above the glass be- as a female player was a welcomed addition to the hind the nets. Prior to that, despite the extensive use of mesh in Europe, such Society’s meeting presentations. a change was decried as detrimental to the game experience. Getting hit with a Blood, Fire and Ice is a novel by Jim Ronson puck was something that was an accepted hazard of attending a live game. in which he delivers some creative nonfiction But things don’t need to go that far before action is taken, proactive action based on the life of hockey pioneer James G. A. that puts the best interests of the players’ safety first. Creighton. The story draws on many historical Looming just over the horizon, I believe, is another challenge which hockey events and weaves in the hockey stick-making at large will have to address. At some point, government officials will be pressed abilities of the Mi’kmaq people of the Maritime to enforce the full weight of labour standards which address conditions in the Provinces. workplace. Professional players are contracted employees and the arenas where Rounding out the day was a somewhat un- they work, under anyone’s objective standard, are their workplaces. This will conventional presentation titled Reflective Punch: spell the end of fighting in hockey as an accepted part of the game. It seems A Graphic Design Examination of Violence in the inevitable. It has already been banned at levels below the professional ranks. 2018-19 NHL Season by Nadine Arsenault of To- If we can’t imagine what our game will look like going forward, then we ronto, in which she discussed the subject of her need to think harder. The game is resilient. It can and will adapt. master’s thesis in graphic design – which is the It will be interesting to watch the game evolve over the next few months study and visual interpretation of hockey fights. and years. No less interesting will be the many conversations, both public and Before the conclusion, NHL statistician Ben- personal, that will help shape hockey at every level. ny Ercolani was announced as the inaugural win- For observers and historians of the great game, these are interesting times ner of the Society’s newly created Ernie Fitzsim- to say the least. Within our own ranks, at meetings and get-togethers, we have mons Award. The award, presented for excellence heard stories of players suffering from the effects of head injuries: the life-al- in the field of hockey statistical/research publica- tering symptoms and the hardships created for their loved ones. These will only tion, honours Ercolani’s 40+ years as the NHL’s multiply. We need to continue to encourage these players and their families to head statistician. come forward. We need to listen to their stories, and where possible, we need A group dinner was enjoyed following the to lend our support and act. They are no less, and increasing now, a part of our meeting and many stories were told and laughs game’s history. were had. ~ Fred Addis, president Society for International Hockey Research • January 2020 Page 4

When St. Catharines came to Quebec City By BENOÎT CLAIROUX

Authors’ note: at the last meeting in Quebec City, I gave a presenta- (FLQ). Army troops were deployed across the province and the tion about the history of the Quebec Remparts, spanning 40 years of War Measures Act was implemented, leading to widespread ar- junior hockey in the city. To my great surprise, all the questions after rests. The FLQ was about to disappear, but tensions and incompre- my presentation referred to a single event, the 1971 hension remained high between Quebec, mostly French, and the semifinal between the Remparts and the St. Catharines Black Hawks. other canadian provinces, mostly English. Here is a quick summary of that series, won by the Remparts after the The best-of-seven eastern final began Sunday, May 2 in St. stunning forfeit of St. Catharines. Catharines, the OHA having won the toin coss. Finding tickets There were great expectations when the Quebec Remparts and for the game was a huge challenge, the Garden City Arena hold- the St. Catharines Black Hawks met in the 1971 eastern champi- ing only 3,000 seats or so. Before the series moved to Quebec City, onship of junior hockey. Those were two very strong teams, led by there was already talk of playing a game in Toronto, to attract more the best two prospects in the nation: Remparts right winger Guy fans. Despite some regretful incidents (a few frogs thrown on the Lafleur and Black Hawks centre Marcel Dionne. Lafleur was the ice and French announcements booed by some fans), the game Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) top scorer with went on without much controversy and the Remparts upset the 130 goals and 209 points, while Dionne led the Ontario Hockey Black Hawks, winning 4-2. Nearly 6,000 jubilant fans watched the Association (OHA) with 143 points. game on closed-circuit TV at Le Colisée. The fact that these two players came from the province of Que- The most valuable player of that first game was undoubtedly bec was not lost by anyone. Like many Quebecers before him, Remparts goalie Michel Deguise, stopping 46 of the 48 shots he Dionne had decided to play his last junior years in the OHA, then faced. A member of the Sorel Black Hawks, Deguise was loaned to considered as the strongest junior league in the country. Lafleur, Quebec City for the remainder of the playoffs. CAHA rules at the meanwhile, had opted to stay in Quebec City, although he nearly time permitted such a loan and the Remparts, somewhat weak at joined Dionne in St. Catharines. Without Lafleur, the Remparts that position, did not hesitate to enrol the QMJHL All-Star. The would never have been so successful, averaging 10,000 fans per Black Hawks did talk to another All-Star goalie, John Garrett of game at Le Colisée. the Peterborough Petes, but eventually decided to stick with their The winner of the eastern championship would take home the regular netminder, George Hulme. George Richardson Memorial Trophy, awarded by the Canadian Game two was played Monday, May 3, also in St. Catharines. Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) to the best junior hockey This time, Michel Deguise could not stop everything and the team in Eastern Canada, and advance to the Memorial Cup final Black Hawks won the game easily, 8-3. Marcel Dionne scored four versus the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) champion. goals and St. Catharines continued to hit the Remparts mercilessly, However, both the QMJHL and the OHA announced that they believing that their opponents were too small to endure such a would not participate in such a series, protesting the WCHL’s beating. Quebec City, on the other hand, was satisfied to go back use of overage players. Thus, the eastern championship had all the home with the series tied; after all, the Remparts had lost only one makings of a national championship. game at home during the entire season and the playoffs! It was a strange and difficult time for Quebec and Canada. A Game three was played Friday, May 7 in Quebec City. No fewer few months before, the October Crisis hit the province, culminat- than 13,896 fans were on hand, and some of them got carried away, ing in the kidnapping and the assassination of Deputy Premier verbally abusing the Black Hawks players and fans. Marcel Dionne Pierre Laporte by members of the Front de libération du Québec and his family were easy targets, since he had fled the QMJHL for

There was plenty of bad blood between the Black Hawks and the Remparts during the 1971 eastern final. (Photo: Canadian Press) Society for International Hockey Research • January 2020 Page 5 greener pastures. A few fans also threw objects on the ice and at the St. Catharines bench, a stupid and dangerous tradition that would continue for many years at Le Colisée. Meanwhile, on the ice, the Remparts held on and won 3-1, with Lafleur scoring two goals and Deguise robbing the Black Hawks on many occasions. No less than 102 minutes were assessed during the game by QMJHL referee Marcel Vaillancourt, 77 of them to St. Catharines. One could argue than the Black Hawks deserved all those penalties, and many more. But the Ontarians were clearly upset of these lopsided numbers, and showed their displeasure at the officials. At the end of the game, St. Catharines forward Brian McKenzie pushed a linesman who was leaving the ice, earning an automatic suspension. Then came game four, Saturday, May 8, also at Le Colisée and before a raucous crowd of 13,410. scored three more goals and the Remparts trounced the Black Hawks 6-1, taking a 3-1 lead in the series. Unfortunately, there was more controversy on and off the ice. The Black Hawks tried every trick in the book to The St. Catharines team bus leaves Le Colisée after game four. make Remparts centre Jacques Richard lose his temper and fight, (Photo: Le Soleil) but he resisted. Others could not and the crowd was astounded to But you couldn’t ask them to play a home game in Montreal, the see large Ontarians (plus Quebecer Pierre Guité, suiting up for biggest enemy of them all! Of course, the Remparts refused and the Black Hawks) beat up small Remparts like Michel Brière and promised better police protection for the sixth game. Richard Perron, both 5’6”. Despite all this madness, game five was played Wednesday, May Already, more objects had been thrown at the Black Hawks 12 in Toronto, instead of St. Catharines. As noted before, this was bench, including a knife. That did not stop St. Catharines from not a neutral site at all, the move being orchestrated many days beating up the Remparts, and players even threw back some of the in advance to give the opportunity to more fans to see the game objects in the stands. Forward Mike Bloom, ejected from the game in person. In front of a large and disciplined crowd of 15,343 at for leaving the penalty box to join another fight, would go even Maple Leaf Gardens, the Black Hawks beat the Remparts 6-3, further. It’s not clear if he wanted to defend some Black Hawks their goalie George Hulme finally showing some brilliance. After fans roughed up by the crowd, or punish a fan that spit at him; five games, Quebec City led the series 3-2; Lafleur and Dionne nevertheless, Bloom swiped his stick at the crowd, hitting police- both had 9 points, but Lafleur had 8 goals while Dionne had 5. man Yves Crête on the forehead. (Bloom ended up in court for his Jacques Richard followed with 8 points. The table was set for an actions and received a $200 fine.) unforgettable sixth game, at Le Colisée. After the game, about 250 fans circled the St. Catharines team But there would be no sixth game on Friday, May 14. The day bus and waited for the Black Hawks to arrive. They did not, fearful before, the Black Hawks players held a vote to gauge whether they that they would be attacked by the mob. Finally, the police escorted wanted to go back to Quebec City. According to many reports, them to their bus. At least one object was thrown at the vehicle, only five players, including Dionne and Guité, were ready to go. forcing the players to lie down on the floor. The bus finally left Le The other players refused, probably because their parents wouldn’t Colisée for the team motel, but some rowdy fans followed the bus let them go. In the end, the Black Hawks forfeited the series to and continued to harass the players during the night. Players and the Remparts. (For this, Black Hawks owner and general manager managers received menacing phone calls and even death threats. Fred Muller would be suspended one year by the CAHA.) Right after getting home on Sunday, Black Hawks coach Frank There were mixed feelings in Quebec City: Remparts officials Milne declared that his team would not go back to Quebec City. were offended that the Black Hawks would not come back to play. Since the next game would not be played until Wednesday, the However, the disappointment wouldn’t last, as another series was controversy could only brew up and get out of hand, and it did. All quickly arranged with the WCHL champions, the Edmonton Oil kind of rumours broke out: the lone knife became multiple knives; Kings. The Remparts won the best-of-three series in two straight the 250 fans waiting for the bus became 2,500; and the pregnant games at Le Colisée, earning the Memorial Cup. Seeing Guy Laf- aunt of Marcel Dionne lost her baby after getting roughed up at Le leur skating with the trophy in his hands, in front of a jubilant Colisée. (She did lose her baby, but did not attend the game.) crowd, quickly erased the bad memories of the eastern final. Much more serious was the rumour that a group of heavily The same cannot be said of the St. Catharines Black Hawks and armed men, probably the FLQ, would attack the Black Hawks their finest player, Marcel Dionne. For them, the 1971 eastern final players when they came back. This made no sense at all, since the will always remain a source of frustration. Of course, winning that FLQ (all but extinct at that moment) was not based in Quebec sixth game at Le Colisée, against Lafleur, Richard and Deguise, City, but in Montreal. Yet, the Black Hawks wanted the sixth game would have been quite an accomplishment. But it could well have of the series to be played in… Montreal! To the people of Quebec happened, and in retrospect, it appears that forfeiting the series City, this was the final insult. You could accuse them of throw- was a bad decision, created by misgivings and exaggerations about ing a knife at hockey players, or attacking a team bus with bottles. Quebec City and the province of Quebec as a whole. Society for International Hockey Research • January 2020 Page 6

Columbia’s early hockey history By JOHN LOKKA

Located in New York City, Columbia competes with their Ivy League rivals in 31 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I sports, except hockey. Columbia Hockey plays as a club sport within the American Collegiate Hockey Associa- tion (ACHA), even though it was a founding member of intercol- legiate hockey in the early 20th century. Other prominent sports played at that time, like football, tran- sitioned to being sanctioned by the NCAA. Between 1898 and 1920, these sports programs faced challenges. However, hockey eventually suffocated under inter- and intra-school politics. First succumbing in 1915, the sport found new life in 1920. By 1923, while other future NCAA sports were flourishing, hockey came to a near instantaneous death due to a player eligibility scandal. Hockey, considered a minor sport in the era, crumbled under strict faculty rule, lack of success and dissolution of the era’s only body governing the sport at the collegiate level in the northeast. In December 1894, Yale tennis champion Malcom Chace se- lected tennis and football players from other schools for a Cana- dian trip to learn about hockey. Chace chose players from Yale, Harvard, Brown and Cornell. Although reported as a Columbian The Columbia University 1911/12 hockey team. player, William “Bill” Augustus Larned was really a Cornellian. During the trip, the intercollegiate team played against the Uni- those differences were relatively unknown even by those living in versity of Toronto and the Montreal Victorias. While the players the times. While there was an intercollegiate league champion, learned about hockey, the trip also spawned hockey passion within it was never acknowledged as the U.S. national champion. With the Ivy League schools. newspaper coverage in remote states like Montana, there was na- In December 1896, Columbia students gathered a hockey team tional interest in the league’s champion. and petitioned the Athletic Union for official recognition. The During the intercollegiate era, Columbia toyed with and paid 1896/97 season featured three games, against the Skating Club of for various coaches. Columbia’s first notable coach was a gradu- Brooklyn, St. Nicholas and University of Pennsylvania. A fourth ate student named Rev. James Weatherol in the 1902/03 season. game was cancelled when Princeton’s team disbanded in mid-sea- Weatherol graduated from McGill’s School of Divinity. Having son for failing to obtain faculty permission. They scheduled five beaten New York hockey teams, McGill’s skill in hockey was well additional games throughout February. Unfortunately, no confir- known. Prior to Columbia, Weatherol lacked a public hockey mation could be found. Despite the losing season, the Columbia profile. A possible belief was that every McGill graduate would Athletic Union sanctioned the team in December 1897. be imbued with McGill’s hockey excellence. However, Columbia Additionally, Brown, Yale and Columbia formed the first Inter- boasted a 1-3-1 record, and Weatherol’s name never appears again. collegiate Hockey Association (IHA) during the 1897/98 season. In 1910/11, Columbia hired Percy LeSueur, the famed Ottawa The IHA, which governed intercollegiate hockey between what Senators goalie, for two months. Percy returned to Ottawa prior is now known as the Ivy League schools from 1898 until 1913, to Columbia’s — and the Senators’ — season. With tutelage from reformed every year instead of being a standing body. Membership the Hall of Famer, Columbia earned a 2-3-0 record. In 1911/12, its fluctuated between three to six schools, and was driven by politics. final season in the IHA, Columbia hired Stanley Cup champion For example, Cornell started applying for inclusion in 1902. Yet, Thomas “Atty” Howard, who drove the team to a second-place fin- they were not accepted until the 1909/10 season, possibly due to ish with a 3-1-0 record. Harvard’s opposition. Player eligibility plagued IHA inter-school Columbia had also achieved second place in 1899/1900, when politics. The debate raged from 1906/07 until 1912/13, resulting in the IHA included four universities: Columbia, Princeton, Brown the expulsion of Columbia and the complete collapse of the IHA and Yale. This was the only season in which the contestants faced by 1915. each other twice. Although losing to Yale for the championship, During the height of the IHA, newspapers across the United the 1899/1900 Columbia team was the strongest fielded based States reported on its schedules, developments and champions. upon differential: it scored 21 goals, while allowing 12. Yale Colleges faced each other once during the season. Champions scored 8, Brown 3 and Princeton 1. Columbia never repeated this were determined based on who had the most wins and who de- level of success during the intercollegiate era. Princeton and Hobey feated whom. Apparently, the rules differed from the amateur rules Baker won the final IHA championship in 1912/13, in a league played by the major New York and Boston athletic clubs. However, without Harvard or Yale, which minimized the impact of winning. Society for International Hockey Research • January 2020 Page 7

After the collapse of the IHA, Columbia lacked desire to push a team onto the ice from 1915/16 until 1920/21. For two sea- sons, Columbia cancelled games due to lack of ice. Although the 1916/17 winter was brutal, a warm spell hit New York City in late December and early January, which prevented the creation of the outdoor ice rink. By December 1917, World War I wreaked havoc on college hockey. As war gave way to the Roaring Twenties, Co- lumbia reinvigorated hockey. For the 1920/21 season, Columbia started with a coach who had access to a rink. Austen Harrison gained ice time at the Ice Palace on 181st Street. Coach Harrison recorded a 1-4-0 season. Columbia secured for a second time in 1921/22 and posted a 4-3-1 record, the school’s best since 1911/12. Howard twice ran up against Columbia’s strict adherence to eligibility rules. In 1912/13, the university maintained a four-year eligibility rule. As a result, it ruled team John S. Bates ineli- gible because he had played two years at Arcadia College in Nova Scotia. In 1922/23, Howard ran afoul by playing ineligible players under false names. The backlash, when coupled with financial con- straints, resulted in hockey being banned until 1928. Columbia never reclaimed a spot at the Ivy League’s hockey table. The school’s Athletic Union offered students and others ex- cuses of lack of ice, finances or suitable candidates. They picked coaches who challenged the school’s ethics or were itinerant. As a result, Columbia and hockey lost faith in each other. In July 2019, University of Pennsylvania’s club hockey announced a push for NCAA status. If successful, Columbia would remain the only Ivy League school without NCAA hockey.

Right: built in 1895, the Low Library is still the focal point and most prominent building on the university’s Morningside Heights campus.

MEMBER PROFILE: John Lokka miraculous save against the Golden Knights in the 2019 Stanley Cup final. I’m also a Baltimore Orioles fan; I used to follow Born and raised in Pomona, Calif., John Lokka is one of football and closely, but not much anymore.” SIHR’s most promising recruits. A member since April 2018, he John currently lives in Hanover, Pa., with his fiancée, Katie has already attended three meetings, with a presentation at the Johnston, also a hockey fan and a welcome presence at SIHR 2018 Fall Meeting in Dallas. “I especially enjoy the openness of meetings. Expect to hear more from John, as he will organize the the knowledgeable members. I liked the Dallas meeting for the 2020 Fall Meeting in Hershey. access to Stars leadership, and the Quebec meeting for Stéphane Lévesque’s presentation.” John was in the U.S. Navy from 1996 to 2010 (active duty 1996-2000; reserves 2000-2010). Since 2000, he has occupied various IT and cybersecurity jobs. He holds an associates de- gree and is currently working on a BA in history. His interest in hockey research lies mostly, but not exclusively, between the 1890s and the 1920s. “I am currently tracking a particular hock- ey family from the 1890s until 1980. I’m also interested in the intersection of war and hockey.” John’s favourite hockey teams are the and the . His all-time favourite hockey players are Liam O’Brien (Hershey’s #20), Pheonix Copley (Hershey’s #31) and . “I have high hopes for Ilya Samsonov and Joe Snively. My favourite hockey moment is Braden Holtby’s Society for International Hockey Research • January 2020 Page 8

2020 AGM will be a gathering in the Garden City By BILL SPROULE

An exciting Annual General Meeting is being planned for St. In addition to the Ice Dogs, there are several youth teams, high Catharines, Ont., on May 1-3, 2020. A Meet and Greet will be school teams, Brock University Badgers men’s and women’s teams, held on Friday evening and a full day of presentations and an op- and the St. Catharines Falcons of the Greater Ontario Junior tional evening dinner will follow on Saturday, May 2. The Saturday Hockey League. The Garden City is a special place for hockey. presentations will be at the Niagara College Residence and Con- ference Centre (137 Taylor Rd., Niagara-on-the-Lake) and ar- rangements are being finalized for members to stay in the College Residence or nearby hotels. Save the dates and check the SIHR website in the months ahead for more information. St. Catharines is located in the Niagara Peninsula and is a fas- cinating area for visitors with Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and numerous wineries and other attractions close by. No doubt meeting attendees will discover the area, enjoy hearing about hockey history in St. Catharines and renew friendships. St. Catharines has a rich junior and OHL hockey history that dates back to the 1940s with the Falcons. In 1947, the Falcons became the Teepees and became part of Chicago Blackhawks farm The city of St. Catharines with the new Meridian Centre. system. In the 1960s, the team was renamed the St. Catharines Black Hawks. It became one of the top OHL teams and numerous players went on the successful NHL careers. Among the former players include Hockey Hall of Famers Marcel Dionne, Phil Es- posito, , Stan Mikita and Pierre Pilote. Due to low attendance, the Black Hawks moved to Niagara Falls in 1976 to become the Flyers, and the Hamilton Fincups moved to St. Catharines for one season. In the 1980s, the St. Cath- arines Saints played for four seasons as the Toronto Maple Leafs AHL farm team, and in 2007, major junior hockey returned when the OHL’s Mississauga Ice Dogs relocated to St. Catharines and became the Niagara Ice Dogs. Today, the Ice Dogs play in the new Meridian Centre. The Niagara College Residence and Conference Centre.

HOCKEY NIGHT IN BENVILLE by Benoît Clairoux

I WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE THE ST. CATHARINES BAM! WALT!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? TEAM BUS IN QUEBEC CITY, IN 1971! BAM! BAM! UNIVERSAL PICTURES UNIVERSAL Society for International Hockey Research • January 2020 Page 9

NEW BOOKS WRITTEN BY MEMBERS

Hitch: Hockey’s Unsung Hero: The Story of Boston Bruin Lionel A History of the Trent Valley Hockey League Hitchman by Pam Coburn by Dave Barry and Stewart Richardson Lionel Hitchman played 12 seasons in The Trent Valley Hockey the NHL. First with the Ottawa Senators, League (TVL) was chartered helping them to a Stanley Cup win, and in 1899 and continued to oper- then with the Boston Bruins for ten years. ate as an independent hockey Hitch: Hockey’s Unsung Hero is the story of league until 1955. The authors an unheralded “superstar,” the times he provide a fascinating glimpse lived through and the fascinating people into the origins of this colorful who helped shape his character and life old league, as well as year-by- choices. A few family tales are revealed, year accounts of league champi- including one that helps explain Hitch’s ons and events, with photos and absence from hockey’s highest shrine. player testimonials. (Available at trentvalleyarchives.com)

The History of Professional Hockey in Victoria B.C.: 1911-2011 Blood Fire and Ice by Helen Edwards by James Ronson The History of Professional Hockey in Blood Fire and Ice is a fascinating Victoria B.C. is an in-depth examina- work of historical fiction that tells the tion of professional hockey in Victo- real life story of J.G.A. Creighton, en- ria. It includes details on the different gineer, lawyer and hockey player, as well leagues, statistics on every game played as the tale of a vividly imagined half- by a Victoria team, and information Aboriginal hockey player named Alex on every player to dress for at least one Gould, who develops the art of hand- regular season game. From the Patrick crafting Mi’kmaq hockey sticks. The family to RG Properties, this book novel is about the bond of friendship that covers the ownership of teams and re- develops between Alex and Creighton, as cords their highlights and low points. well as the story of the women they love.

It Takes 23 to Win Houghton: The Birthplace of Professional Hockey by Jason Ferris by William J. Sproule It Takes 23 to Win is a one-of-a-kind, In the early days of hockey, large-format book that features 23 re- it was a game for amateurs. It tired NHL players from the 1960s to the was not until 1903 that Jack present, who assemble 23-man rosters of “Doc” Gibson and James R. former teammates to compete in a fan- Dee decided to recruit the tasy playoff. Players provide candid, first- best players from Canada and person stories and insight about compet- pay them to play for the Por- ing to win with these teammates. It also tage Lake (Houghton) hockey examines the pieces and parts that made team. It was the start of pro- up 12 exemplary Stanley Cup-winning fessional hockey. (Available at teams. (Available at 23towin.com) bookstore.finlandia.edu)

The Greatest, Weirdest, Most Amazing NHL Debuts of All Time Offside: A Memoir - Challenges Faced by Women in Hockey by Andrew Podnieks by Rhonda Leeman Taylor and Denbeigh Whitmarsh From Hall of Famers to lesser- Offside is the intimate story of Rhon- known players, every one of the da Leeman Taylor’s experience in the more than 7,700 NHLers skated in hockey world of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, a first game. Many of these debuts and the discrimination and challenges are noteworthy because of a record she faced as a female player, coach and that is plain amazing. Prolific sports builder. Rhonda was one of the founders writer Andrew Podnieks’s compre- of organized women’s hockey in Canada hensive new book features more than in the 1980s. Offside details the numer- 300 spectacular debuts, from 1917 to ous trials that women like Rhonda had to 2019, and hones in on great achievements and amazing exploits overcome to make hockey a socially ac- culled from each player’s first night of NHL stardom. ceptable sport for women in Canada. Society for International Hockey Research • January 2020 Page 10

BELIEVE IT OR NOT with Glen Goodhand Backward beneficiaries ted he got distracted before the game, costing the Habs u On Nov. 16, 1938, Tiny Thompson was traded to the the use of the winger for the balance of the contest. u by the Boston Bruins manager Art The Dallas Stars had a goal disallowed and were as- Ross. “Uncle Artha” was convinced that Frank Brimsek, sessed a minor penalty during the Dec. 31, 2002, match who was playing solidly between the pipes in Providence, against Edmonton. Coach Dave Tippett had pencilled was ready to take the reins in his place. When the future in the name of the wrong goalie. u “Mr. Zero” read about the transaction in the newspaper, he According to a CBC Sports report on July 14, 2009, passed it off as a mere rumour. In fact, he was so certain of Dale Tallon had been relieved of his general manager’s Frank Brimsek that, he and a teammate went to an afternoon matinee at position after taking responsibility for a fiasco involving the local movie theatre. But the Bruins were serious and the contracts of seven Blackhawks. Apparently, he failed began the task of tracking Frank down. They checked all to send the restricted free agents qualifying offers by the the hospitals and police stations in case he met with some June 29 deadline. The automatic 10% increase in sal- adversity, but their effort was in vain. Finally, a friend saw ary disappeared, leaving to the skaters the opportunity him coming out of the movie house and the rest is history. to bargain. Chris Versteeg, for instance, saw his salary u Virtually the same thing happened with Chris Levesque jump from $1.2 million to $3.1 million. The gaffe cost in 2003. At the time, he was a third-year student and third- the Windy City club millions of dollars. u string goaltender for the University of British Columbia On Nov. 5, 2009, Ryan White was called up from Mike Zigomanis team. On Dec. 9, he was in the library, studying for an the Hamilton Bulldogs for his NHL debut. Just over exam the following day. Meanwhile, the Vancouver Ca- a month later, on Dec. 8, he was recalled for a game nucks were in a serious bind. Their number one netminder, against Ottawa. However, he played only one period Dan Cloutier, was in sick bay. Johan Hedberg, his replace- before being yanked, when it was discovered the Cana- ment, needed a backup. All their minor leaguers were on diens had failed to inform the league of his promotion. the road, too far removed to get to the arena on time. In desperation, the Canucks called on UBC for help, but their Vintage visionaries u first- and second-stringers were ineligible to suit up. That Back in 1940, “Jolly Jack” Adams proposed a way to left the unlikely Levesque to fill the bill. The problem was, reduce the number of tie games. He suggested three no one could find him. One pal knew he had announced he Andreas Dackell points for a win, and a single point for a tie. u was going to the library to study, but he hadn’t said which Before he died in 1952, Jim Norris suggested there one. When his teammates finally tracked him down less should be a separate trophy for the NHL goal-scoring than three hours before the opening faceoff, they had a leader. The Art Ross already existed for the top points hard time convincing him that they weren’t pulling a prank. getter. It took 47 years before this was finally realized in After all, he hadn’t even impressed at the university game the Maurice Richard hardware. level. But, after a lot of persuasion, he gave in. The Ca- nucks signed a one-day amateur agreement, and he pulled Short shots u on number 40 in time for the match. He sighed with relief Harry Lumley’s accomplishments in the big time are when the only shots he faced were during the warm-up. Ryan White well known. They include a Vezina Trophy win and two first-team All-Star selections, plus his name engraved Self-inflicted foot wounds on the Stanley Cup in 1950. But he was almost washed If one NHL team is outmanoeuvred by another with up in 1944, when rheumatic fever laid him low. Doctors sleight-of-hand tactics off the ice, giving it the upper hand, told him at that time to sell his goalie equipment and it is a bitter pill to swallow for the victimized club. But it get out of the game. u hurts even more when a sextet is guilty of shooting itself in Anyone following NHL hockey in 1947 still remem- the foot. For want of a better term, such instances involve bers the milestone trade that brought Max Bentley to clerical errors. Toronto, leaving his brother Doug in Chicago. Max re- u For instance, it was reported in June 2001 that the Buf- Harry Lumley ceived this terse telegram from his dad: “VERY DIS- falo Sabres lost the rights to Mike Zigomanis because APPOINTED TO HEAR THAT YOU BROKE UP they failed to sign the 1999 2nd round pick before the June WITH DOUG. WORST MISTAKE YOU EVER 1 deadline. Talks lingered, leaving too little room to fix the MADE. DON’T EVER COME AROUND ME problem and send the contract to the league for approval. AGAIN!” The counterpart to that blow was the delight u The Canadiens lost to the Florida Panthers 2-1 on the trade gave to Max’s father-in-law, who was a faith- March 26, 2002. Andreas Dackell had played only one ful Leaf fan. Now he would no longer have to split his shift in the match when it was discovered that his name loyalties between Chicago and Toronto. was not on the game sheet. Coach Michel Therrien admit- Max Bentley