Eric Zweig
Registered User
- Dec 4, 2020
- 154
- 334
Well, you couldn’t have asked for a much better Final from the 4 Nations Face-Off last week. Especially from a Canadian perspective! Fast, and aggressive, but without any goon stuff. And the best player in the world scored the winning goal. But now, we’ll return to 1949 when things didn’t end up quite so well for Canada. Last week’s post ended with Canada’s 47–0 win over Denmark at the 1949 World Championship, and today, we continue with the rest of that tournament and the conclusion of the Sudbury Wolves/Canadian team’s three-plus month tour of Europe…
A day after that February 12 win over Denmark, Canada beat Austria 7–0 to win Group A and advance to the six-team Medal Round. (The Austrians would beat Denmark 25–1 on February 14 and also advanced). The USA (3–0–0) and Switerzland (2–1–0) advanced from four-team Group B, while the host Swedes (2–0–0) and Czechoslovakia (1–1–0) moved on from the three teams in Group C. But while Canada had outscored its opponents 54–0 in two games and the Americans won their three games by a combined 36–6, most experts still favoured the U.S. to win the tournament. Writing in the Owen Sound Sun Times on February 15, 1949, sports editor Bill Dane cautioned that the experts “possibly … are overlooking the best bet of all, Czechoslovakia,” though he undoubtedly wasn’t alone in touting the 1947 World Champions who had given the RCAF Flyers a run for their money at the 1948 Winter Olympics.
Canada faced Czechoslovakia to open the medal round on February 15 … and the game would prove typical of Canadian contests in Europe for years to come. Though the team had been told the CAHA rule book would be used at the World Championship, they had also been cautioned about the referees and told to be careful. But the Czech game got out of hand.
After a scoreless first period, a Canadian player was penalized for apparently trying to start a fight. The Czechs scored on the power-play. Ray Bauer tied the game for Canada midway through the second, but then two quick penalties were called. The first was to Johnny Kovich, who was accused to trying to kick a Czech player. Shortly thereafter, Tom Russell was sent to the box. With a two-man advantage, Augustin Bubnick scored by batting in the puck with his stick held over his head. When Joe Tergesen complained to the referee, he was issued a 10-minute penalty “for bad sportsmanship.” (According to Canadian Press reports, Vladimir Zabrodsky, who set up the goal, admitted after the period that he considered the goal invalid. Still, the IIHF denied Canada’s protest after the game.)
Canada was again a man short when the third period began, but after killing the penalty, Jim Russell tied the game 2–2. Midway through the period, Vladimir Zabrodsky set up Stanislav Konopasek and the Czechs were up 3–2. Fists flared towards the end of the game, and when Tom Russell dropped his stick to face two Czech players, he was not just sent to the penalty box but told to leave the stadium. The game ended 3–2. Afterward, the IIHF ruled Russell would be able to keep playing, but warned that any player involved in “further instances of fisticuffs or similar offences” would be banned from the tournament.
An angry Max Silverman considered withdrawing his team, but said authorities back in Canada advised him to carry on. Home in Canada after the tour, Silverman further explained that he had pulled is goalie with a minute to go to try and get the tying goal, “But I had no sooner got him to the bench and the bell rang. Bunny Ahearne of the British Ice Hockey Federation [a future enemy of Canadian hockey in Europe] told me the refs have just gypped you out of 50 seconds. I protested, but it went for nothing.”
The next day, Canada faced Sweden … and there was a riot before the game even started.
Initial reports claimed Swedish fans were trying to block the Canadian players from entering the stadium — Swedish press reports had billed the Canadians as “dangerous men” — but later stories said it was merely the pushing and shoving of an estimated crowd of 25,000 fans hoping to get in. There were reports of 14 injuries, although none were serious. Even so, mounted police had to force a passage through the crowd to allow ambulances to get through. A police escort led the Canadian team bus to the stadium, and a chain of 12 officers protected the players on their way from the dressing room to the ice.
Once the game began, there was a parade of Canadian player to the penalty box. Some reports said there were seven Canadian penalties in the game to just one for the Swedes, but Max Silverman said it was 14 to one. Even so, Canada led 2–1 midway through the third period … until the Swedes tied the game with two Canadians in the penalty box. The final score would remain 2–2.
Silverman believed a Swedish fan had held the stick of defenseman Joe Tergesen on the tying goal. “It’s hard enough to play the teams without playing the spectators too,” he said. There would be no protest this time, but he had other criticisms to offer. “They try to apply Canadian rules,” he said, “but evidently [the IIHF] are still confused. Consequently, our men have no idea what they are allowed to do and why they are sent to the penalty box.” Rudolg Eklow, a Swedish IIHF member, responded, “We in Europe are trying to make hockey a little more human. [Humane, perhaps?] We do not like the North American tendency to brutalize the game.”
Next up for Canada on February 17 were the Americans, who had suffered a surprising 5–4 loss to Switzerland in their first game of the medal round. A Canadian win would keep their championship hopes alive while virtually eliminating the USA. Stockholm police delayed the start of the game by 45 minutes and used the time to clear away crowds outside the stadium. The 7,900 who got in saw Canada score a convincing 7–2 victory by blowing open a tight 3–2 game with four goals in the third period.
An 8–2 win for Canada over Austria followed. The U.S. bounced back for a 6–3 win over Sweden, a 2–0 win over the Czechs, and a 9–1 win over Austria, but it wasn’t enough for them. Canada’s 1–1 tie with Switzerland to end the tournament meant nothing for them either, as the Czechs had already claimed the World Championship with their 3–0 win over Sweden earlier that same day. Czechoslovakia finished the medal round with a record of 4–1–0. Canada was 2–1–2 and the Americans were 3–2–0. The Canadians got second place because of a +10 goal differential (20 goals for to 10 against) in the medal round. (The 47–0 and 7–0 wins in the preliminary round didn’t count.) The Americans were only +7 (23–16) and finished third.
Not surprisingly, hockey fans back home weren’t thrilled with Canada’s second-place finish. Nor were they pleased with the reports of the European reaction to their style of play. But over there in Europe, the Wolves/Canada still had two months of tour to go.
At 6am on the morning after the World Championship ended, the team headed for Czechoslovakia. There, they played eight games in nine days in front of 125,000 fans and went 5–2–1. Dinty Moore was pleasantly surprised with his view behind the Iron Curtain.
“The players were treated better than at Stockholm … where they were put up in third-rate hotels. We had a plane put out our disposal with a crew of three Czechs who had flown with the RAF during the war and spoke English. They took us wherever we wanted to got and we stayed at the best hotels. The food was excellent and plentiful. The crowds were eminently fair.”
The hockey tour continued until early April before the team finally returned to Canada, at Montreal, aboard the Canadian Pacific Liner Empress of France, on April 20. Safely on home soil, Max Silverman unloaded. “It was terrible,” he said. “They accused us of everything under the sun. They said we were too rough on their boys. That was pure nonsense. We took over a lot of fellows who could do everything but play a rugged game.”
Silverman was convinced that if Canada sent teams to Europe in the future, they should send over a whole team in tact. And top teams too. “The countries we played thought they were meeting the tops in Canada. I said nuts to that; we have 200 or 300 hockey teams back home that could show this crowd something.”
All in all, it seems the Sudbury Wolves/Canadian hockey team played 62 games in their approximately 100 days abroad. They posted a record of 29–19–14, but it had been gruelling. Herb Kewley was among a group of five players who arrived in Toronto by train on April 21, 1949. “That tour was a killer,” he said. “We played far too many games. Val Zabrodsky, Czech star center was the best man we played against. They’re all god skaters, but … they can’t stand being bumped.”
Said Ray Bauer: “We travelled too far and played too many games in too short a period. One day we had breakfast in Sweden, lunch in Denmark and supper in Czechoslovakia, and after supper we had to fly another 400 miles to the scene of the game which started at 10:10 pm…. Sometimes we’d play twice in 20 hours. Seldom were we away from the ice for more than 36 hours.”
Back home in Waterloo a few days later, Bauer said he thought the criticism the team had received in Canada was “unjust and unwarranted,” adding: “If think Canadians would have praised us instead of insulting us if they knew the heavy schedule of games we had to play and the conditions under which we played them.” But all in all, “it was a trip that I thoroughly enjoyed and I’m extremely grateful to the CAHA for making it possible.”
[For the original post and lots of other information, please visit ericzweig.com.]
A day after that February 12 win over Denmark, Canada beat Austria 7–0 to win Group A and advance to the six-team Medal Round. (The Austrians would beat Denmark 25–1 on February 14 and also advanced). The USA (3–0–0) and Switerzland (2–1–0) advanced from four-team Group B, while the host Swedes (2–0–0) and Czechoslovakia (1–1–0) moved on from the three teams in Group C. But while Canada had outscored its opponents 54–0 in two games and the Americans won their three games by a combined 36–6, most experts still favoured the U.S. to win the tournament. Writing in the Owen Sound Sun Times on February 15, 1949, sports editor Bill Dane cautioned that the experts “possibly … are overlooking the best bet of all, Czechoslovakia,” though he undoubtedly wasn’t alone in touting the 1947 World Champions who had given the RCAF Flyers a run for their money at the 1948 Winter Olympics.
Canada faced Czechoslovakia to open the medal round on February 15 … and the game would prove typical of Canadian contests in Europe for years to come. Though the team had been told the CAHA rule book would be used at the World Championship, they had also been cautioned about the referees and told to be careful. But the Czech game got out of hand.
Image of Ray Bauer (SIHR) and action at the Olympic Stadium in Stockholm in 1943. The Stadium was
built for the 1912 Olympics and used for the Ice Hockey World Championship in 1949 and 1954. Ray's
son E.J. Bauer says his father always maintained he’d scored eight goals in the 47–0 win over Denmark.
built for the 1912 Olympics and used for the Ice Hockey World Championship in 1949 and 1954. Ray's
son E.J. Bauer says his father always maintained he’d scored eight goals in the 47–0 win over Denmark.
After a scoreless first period, a Canadian player was penalized for apparently trying to start a fight. The Czechs scored on the power-play. Ray Bauer tied the game for Canada midway through the second, but then two quick penalties were called. The first was to Johnny Kovich, who was accused to trying to kick a Czech player. Shortly thereafter, Tom Russell was sent to the box. With a two-man advantage, Augustin Bubnick scored by batting in the puck with his stick held over his head. When Joe Tergesen complained to the referee, he was issued a 10-minute penalty “for bad sportsmanship.” (According to Canadian Press reports, Vladimir Zabrodsky, who set up the goal, admitted after the period that he considered the goal invalid. Still, the IIHF denied Canada’s protest after the game.)
Canada was again a man short when the third period began, but after killing the penalty, Jim Russell tied the game 2–2. Midway through the period, Vladimir Zabrodsky set up Stanislav Konopasek and the Czechs were up 3–2. Fists flared towards the end of the game, and when Tom Russell dropped his stick to face two Czech players, he was not just sent to the penalty box but told to leave the stadium. The game ended 3–2. Afterward, the IIHF ruled Russell would be able to keep playing, but warned that any player involved in “further instances of fisticuffs or similar offences” would be banned from the tournament.
The Czech team at the 1947 World Championship. (Radio Prague International)
An angry Max Silverman considered withdrawing his team, but said authorities back in Canada advised him to carry on. Home in Canada after the tour, Silverman further explained that he had pulled is goalie with a minute to go to try and get the tying goal, “But I had no sooner got him to the bench and the bell rang. Bunny Ahearne of the British Ice Hockey Federation [a future enemy of Canadian hockey in Europe] told me the refs have just gypped you out of 50 seconds. I protested, but it went for nothing.”
The next day, Canada faced Sweden … and there was a riot before the game even started.
Initial reports claimed Swedish fans were trying to block the Canadian players from entering the stadium — Swedish press reports had billed the Canadians as “dangerous men” — but later stories said it was merely the pushing and shoving of an estimated crowd of 25,000 fans hoping to get in. There were reports of 14 injuries, although none were serious. Even so, mounted police had to force a passage through the crowd to allow ambulances to get through. A police escort led the Canadian team bus to the stadium, and a chain of 12 officers protected the players on their way from the dressing room to the ice.
Autographs of the Canadian team from a hotel registry in England or Scotland sent
by “avid reader” Bob Murray after last week’s post. (Note Barbara Ann Scott as well.)
by “avid reader” Bob Murray after last week’s post. (Note Barbara Ann Scott as well.)
Once the game began, there was a parade of Canadian player to the penalty box. Some reports said there were seven Canadian penalties in the game to just one for the Swedes, but Max Silverman said it was 14 to one. Even so, Canada led 2–1 midway through the third period … until the Swedes tied the game with two Canadians in the penalty box. The final score would remain 2–2.
Silverman believed a Swedish fan had held the stick of defenseman Joe Tergesen on the tying goal. “It’s hard enough to play the teams without playing the spectators too,” he said. There would be no protest this time, but he had other criticisms to offer. “They try to apply Canadian rules,” he said, “but evidently [the IIHF] are still confused. Consequently, our men have no idea what they are allowed to do and why they are sent to the penalty box.” Rudolg Eklow, a Swedish IIHF member, responded, “We in Europe are trying to make hockey a little more human. [Humane, perhaps?] We do not like the North American tendency to brutalize the game.”
Next up for Canada on February 17 were the Americans, who had suffered a surprising 5–4 loss to Switzerland in their first game of the medal round. A Canadian win would keep their championship hopes alive while virtually eliminating the USA. Stockholm police delayed the start of the game by 45 minutes and used the time to clear away crowds outside the stadium. The 7,900 who got in saw Canada score a convincing 7–2 victory by blowing open a tight 3–2 game with four goals in the third period.
More autographs courtesy of Bob Murray.
An 8–2 win for Canada over Austria followed. The U.S. bounced back for a 6–3 win over Sweden, a 2–0 win over the Czechs, and a 9–1 win over Austria, but it wasn’t enough for them. Canada’s 1–1 tie with Switzerland to end the tournament meant nothing for them either, as the Czechs had already claimed the World Championship with their 3–0 win over Sweden earlier that same day. Czechoslovakia finished the medal round with a record of 4–1–0. Canada was 2–1–2 and the Americans were 3–2–0. The Canadians got second place because of a +10 goal differential (20 goals for to 10 against) in the medal round. (The 47–0 and 7–0 wins in the preliminary round didn’t count.) The Americans were only +7 (23–16) and finished third.
Not surprisingly, hockey fans back home weren’t thrilled with Canada’s second-place finish. Nor were they pleased with the reports of the European reaction to their style of play. But over there in Europe, the Wolves/Canada still had two months of tour to go.
At 6am on the morning after the World Championship ended, the team headed for Czechoslovakia. There, they played eight games in nine days in front of 125,000 fans and went 5–2–1. Dinty Moore was pleasantly surprised with his view behind the Iron Curtain.
A souvenir of Stockholm from 1949 provided after last week’s story by E.J. Bauer, son
of Ray Bauer. E.J. says his father (who passed away in 2001) always had it on display.
of Ray Bauer. E.J. says his father (who passed away in 2001) always had it on display.
“The players were treated better than at Stockholm … where they were put up in third-rate hotels. We had a plane put out our disposal with a crew of three Czechs who had flown with the RAF during the war and spoke English. They took us wherever we wanted to got and we stayed at the best hotels. The food was excellent and plentiful. The crowds were eminently fair.”
The hockey tour continued until early April before the team finally returned to Canada, at Montreal, aboard the Canadian Pacific Liner Empress of France, on April 20. Safely on home soil, Max Silverman unloaded. “It was terrible,” he said. “They accused us of everything under the sun. They said we were too rough on their boys. That was pure nonsense. We took over a lot of fellows who could do everything but play a rugged game.”
Silverman was convinced that if Canada sent teams to Europe in the future, they should send over a whole team in tact. And top teams too. “The countries we played thought they were meeting the tops in Canada. I said nuts to that; we have 200 or 300 hockey teams back home that could show this crowd something.”
Two bronze medals provided by E.J. Bauer. The first would appear to be from a game between
Canada/Sudbury and Västerås IK, a Swedish club team, prior to the World Championship. The
second is some sort of World Championship commemorative.
Canada/Sudbury and Västerås IK, a Swedish club team, prior to the World Championship. The
second is some sort of World Championship commemorative.
All in all, it seems the Sudbury Wolves/Canadian hockey team played 62 games in their approximately 100 days abroad. They posted a record of 29–19–14, but it had been gruelling. Herb Kewley was among a group of five players who arrived in Toronto by train on April 21, 1949. “That tour was a killer,” he said. “We played far too many games. Val Zabrodsky, Czech star center was the best man we played against. They’re all god skaters, but … they can’t stand being bumped.”
Said Ray Bauer: “We travelled too far and played too many games in too short a period. One day we had breakfast in Sweden, lunch in Denmark and supper in Czechoslovakia, and after supper we had to fly another 400 miles to the scene of the game which started at 10:10 pm…. Sometimes we’d play twice in 20 hours. Seldom were we away from the ice for more than 36 hours.”
Back home in Waterloo a few days later, Bauer said he thought the criticism the team had received in Canada was “unjust and unwarranted,” adding: “If think Canadians would have praised us instead of insulting us if they knew the heavy schedule of games we had to play and the conditions under which we played them.” But all in all, “it was a trip that I thoroughly enjoyed and I’m extremely grateful to the CAHA for making it possible.”
[For the original post and lots of other information, please visit ericzweig.com.]
