Next
Story Back Table of ContentsTruimphantly winning the Allan Cup, the Fort Frances Canadians on Friday
night entered the national limelight as senior ameteur hockey champions
of all Canada for 1952.
The Canadians showed a jubilant border throng a dazzling brand of play that
completely outshone Stratford's Indians and cut short the best of seven
Dominion finals with a 4-1 conquest in the sixth game. The entirely hometown
Canucks outclassed the eastern champions with a convincing victory that
made up for their six years if blood-and-thunder campaigning.
Captain Sambo Fedoruk accepted the gleaming Allan Cup from James Dun, of
Winnipeg, vice-president of the Canadian Ameteur Hockey Association in centre
ice ceremonies following the game. Mayor J. T. Livingstone paid tribute
to the "best team in the world" and District Judge H. J. M. Donley
complimented the Stratford Indians on their sportsmanlike performance, wishing
the easterners better luck next season.
Then is was to border fandom's night to howl. Over-joyed fans piled into
the Canadians dressing room and youngsters were given hockey sticks with
which their idols had established national supremacy. Said the boys: "It's
been a wonderful season -- but were glad it's all over."
Nobody worked harder to write a blazing finish to the series than Arthur
"Doc" Johnson, a star of th eteam since it was organized following
the Second War. The heady little centerman was a valuable spark to the team,
scoring once himself, assisting on another and forechecking brilliantly.
Richard Ricard, Sambo Federuk, Vern O'Donnell and Johnson got the goalsm
with Johnson, Percy Robertson, Ricard, Gudge Gosselinm Alex Kurceba and
Frank Eisenzoph supplying the auxillaries. Behind the scorers, Federuk,
Du Sampson, and Kerceba kept up a masterly defence that the visitors seldom
penetrated effectivly.
Blond Bill Cleaverly, who many time this spring spelled the difference between
victory and elimination for Fort Frances, found himself on the easier end
of action for a change, but was never in better form. Cleaverly kicked out
20 scoring attempts by Stratford while Goalie Bruce Dale, the Indians' net-minder,
came up with 28 saves.
The Canadians won the title to their first Allan Cup championship with a
goal in each of the early periods plus a pair of clinchers in the third.
Straford's lone tally came off the stick of Bruce Burdett, aided by Jack
White and Larry Lemenchick, late in the second round.
Coach-defenseman Pat Wilson, handicapped by injuries to two regular rearguards,
Bill Walsh, who dressed but did not appear, and Do Henbuch, who saw action
briefly, along with forward George Aitkin and rookie Tommy Walker, gave
Dale great protection as Canadians maintained the inititative from the starting
bell. But it seemed that the effort it took for Indians to win Wednesday
had sapped the Easterner's strength.
The Canadians threw a long, feler shot at Dale almost from the opening faceoff
and rarely were hard-pressed afterwards. Four penalties were counted in
the exceptionally fast, clean contest, including three to Straford, and
three coming in the first period. But short-handedness had no part in the
scoring.
Dinny Flanagan was waved off for high sticking at 1:44, but Eisenzoph's
shot was the only one Canadian got during the advantage. And when Eisenzoph
was penalized for cross-checking, at 6:39, the Indians similarly didn't
get a single crack at Cleaverly, in fact were almost unable to cross the
Fort Frances blueline.
The first period was more cautiously played than the later rounds, both
teams forechecking nicely and their rear guards being outstanding.
It was Johnson, whose heady leadership recalled his art in the Allan Cup
finals at Owen Sound last spring, who cracked the scoring ice for the Canadians,
although Ricard got the goal, Johnson, although hit and falling, swept his
stick in a flat arc that sent a 15-foot pass into position fr Ricard to
pepper Dale from close in and the score went up and 12:34.
Dale made a toenail stop on Kilner's drive with O'Donnell standing ready
to pop on immediatly afterwards, and Kurceba driving up centre, came within
a hairs-breadth of another. Cleaverley made three stops and Dale, four,
in the first 20 minutes.
Canadians served notice this was "the game" when the cameout fast
and Fedoruk posted no. 2 after only 39 seconds in the second period. Taking
a relay from Ricard, Sambo skated in deliberatly and bounced a hard drive
off Dale's knee-pad that was diflected into the left-hand corner.
The second period showed Fort Frances commanding practically every inch
of action, setting up power plays and featuring a lot of individual starring
that kept the fans breathless.
O'Donnell was right in, but decided to slip the disc to Kliner whou couldn't
get his sot steered right. Hupchuck was ridden off by Aitken in a solo break,
before Stratford's starry Roth-Flick-Flanagan combination burst out with
the puck and had a short lived chance at Cleaveley. Then Hupchuck got spectators
out of their seats with a twirling demonstration of stick-handling that
ended in a shot smothered by Dale. Fedoruk contributed a powerful rush to
the Canadians' onslaught.
Robertson overook the speedy Flanagan just as the Indians' forward got set
for a shot, and then Eisenzoph and Hupchuk got around Wilson but their briliant
effort ended in a shot that was inches off the target. Christainsen found
himself in the clear on a long pass through the entire Stratford team by
Eisenzoph but Christy couldn't get going in time. Flick's set shot, aimed
calculatingly, was handled by Cleveley, who won applase for his hprawling
save.
Then a three man attack paid off for stratford at 17:24, with Burdett as
triggerman for the Indians' only goal of the evening.
The Canadians outplayed Stratford by a wide margin in the second perios,
only Stratford's defense keeping Dale down to 14 saves while Cleveley had
nine stops.
Fort Frances kept pouring it on in the third, Johnson's line going greatguns
before being replaced by O'Donnell-Kliner-Gosselin, this trio giving Canadians
a third goal.
O'Donnell went into Stratford's zone on a thrilling rush, was spilled, but
got his pass onto Kurececa's stick. Alex relayed to Gosselin and O'Donnell
was in position by that time to tip in a rebound, at 43:10.
Johnson was struck in the face by a high stick but the game cetreman nevertheless
got away a 10-foot back-hand shot from the Left of Dale that gave the Canadians
their fourth goal at 46:56. Eisenzoph was credited with assisting.
Canadians kept swarming in on Dale, but the Stratford goalie was having
on of the best nihts and lose-checking by the Indians spoiled many Fort
Frances attacks. Heinbuch, making one of his rare appearences, was penalized
for interference at 48:22 after tripping up Fedoruk who had been all set
to shoot.
Christiansen, masterminding his line superbly all night, got a pass away
to Hupchuk and round Walker, that ended in another close save for Dale,
and then Wilson sent out four farwards, Ducharme plus Roth's lie, in an
attempt to retrieve the issue, but Christy's boys held command command until
the last bell sounded. Cleaveley made eight saves, Dale, 10, in the last
period of the last hockey game of the season.For a brief minute, stuned
fans couldn't believe the evidence on the scoreboard -- its been so long
since the Canadians first lined their sights on teh Allan Cup. Then a pandemonium
of cheering almost raised the roof, a hat and programs sailed onto the ice
and the ceremonies began.
A celebration is shaping up in Fort Frances where the Allan Cup wil be held
on dislay until next spring -- and who knows, maybe later than that. The
Canadians on Friday night, even the veterans among them, weren't saying
much about next year, but none of them were talking about hanging up their
skates, either.
A group of Stratford citizens arived in Fort Frances, planning to see two
games, Friday night and Saturday.
Included in the party were Dr. J. G. McDermott, Mr. and Mrs. "Red"
Scott, Charlie Dyke and Mr. and Mrs. Harry Easton.
The Indians and their accompanying radio and press representatives departed
for home aboard the 2 a.m. train following the game.
Next
Story Back Table of Contents