Trail Smoke Eaters (senior)
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The Trail Smoke Eaters (previously known as the Trail Hockey Club) were a senior-level men's
.Overview
The Trail Smoke Eaters played out of the small smelting town of Trail in southeastern British Columbia and were subsidized by a local smelting company to provide recreation and entertainment for the isolated community. Playing in the West Kootenay League since the 1923–24 season, Trail's hockey team was originally named the Trail Hockey Club, and they won the league and the provincial championship under this name in 1927. They won the province championship but lost out in the final in the 1927 Western Canada Allan Cup Playoffs.
The team's name was changed after 1926–27 to the Trail Smoke Eaters, and under this name they won six more consecutive provincial titles.
The Smoke Eaters won their first Allan Cup in 1938 and won a trip to the 1939 World Championship. They won another World Championship in 1961 and another Allan Cup in 1962.
They folded on January 29,1987, a victim of the sharp drop in senior hockey popularity. Their colours are now carried by a junior team of the same name.
History
The 1926–27 season marked the beginning of Trail's rise to hockey fame, for the first time in history the team won the Savage Cup, emblematic of the provincial hockey supremacy of British Columbia. The team was coached by Carl Kendall, a real hockey mastermind. The players wearing the Trail colours that year were: Percy Jackson (Goal); Howard Anderson (ice hockey) Howard Anderson, Harry Brown (ice hockey) Harry Brown, Moynes, Jim Hanson, P.R. McDonald, Olaf Gustafson, George "Curly" Wheatley, Clarence Reddick, Frank Lauriente, DePasquale, Matovich; and Dick Dimock, general manager. That season Trail defeated Rossland in a two-game total goals series, by winning the first game 2–0, and Rossland fighting back to take the second encounter 3–2. Trail had little trouble in eliminating the Vancouver Towers 5–1 in a similar total goals series. They added the BC-Alberta championship to their list by blasting Canmore 15–4 in a two-game, total goals affair. Trail made short order of Delisle, Saskatchewan, beating them 2–0 and 9–0. The Fort William Thundering Herd proved too much for the Trail team, and knocked them over 8–3 in a series played in the Denman Street Arena in Vancouver before capacity crowds.
1927–28 through 1936–37
The hockey fever caught on in Trail, and they installed artificial ice in their Riverside Arena in 1927–28; and they were packing in 3,000 fans per game from a population base of 7,000 persons. Trail won seven consecutive B.C. championships, before the Kimberley Dynamiters dethroned them in 1933–34.
1938 Allan Cup
Trail's first Allan Cup in 1937–38 conquest was one of the most successful seasons in Allan Cup history. During the 1937–38 season the
Goalie Duke Scodellaro was unbeatable in the BC-Alberta championship final, by blanking the Calgary Rangers 5–0 and 7–0 in a best-of-three series. Next came the Flin Flon Bombers, the Saskatchewan champions, with Trail taking the first game with ease, by a 6–0 verdict; but Trail lost the second contest 4–2. The Smoke Eaters made no mistakes in the rubber game, blanking the Bombers 5–0. Edmonton was the scene of the opening game of the Western Canada finals, against the Port Arthur Bear-Cats; and with Trail coming back from a two-goal deficit in the third period to force overtime, and they ended up with a 5–3 victory in two periods of extra time. Trail jumped all over Port Arthur in Calgary in the second game, winning 8–1, and finished the series in three straight games by shellacking the Cats 7–3 in the third game played in Saskatoon. The scene was all set for the finals against the Cornwall Flyers, and the Calgary fans adopted the Smoke Eaters and cheered them on to victory, along with the 500 ardent fans who traveled from Trail by a special train. Trail, a flock of speed merchants moulded into a high geared passing machine by coach Elmer Piper, climaxed the long fight by defeating Cornwall's Flyers three games to one, in a best-of-five championship series. The Smoke Eaters won the opener 6–4 and took the second fixture 8–2. Cornwall won the third game 2–1, with Flyers goalie Floyd Perras turning in a sparkling performance. Trail's netminder, Duke Scodellaro, lost his bid for a shut out in the final contest when the Flyers scored with 45 seconds remaining in the game, and Trail took the match 3–1. Trail rolled up a convincing record in their Allan Cup hunt by scoring 91 goals and allowed 26, in 17 games: and won 15 fixtures—seven by shutouts, and lost only two games. The Smoke Eaters homecoming was the greatest hockey reception ever accorded a team of champions in the west. More than 7,000 fans packed the city's business section and overflowed to the roofs of nearby buildings, to welcome their heroes. The Smoke Eaters arrived home in a special railroad car, and were transferred from the train to a special brightly decorated flat car for the public's admiration, as the train crept down from Tadanac by way of Rossland Avenue. As the train stopped at the depot, the whole city went wild. Mayor E.L. Groutage officially welcomed the team and the players were interviewed by radio station CJAT. After the ceremony the players climbed on a fire truck and toured the downtown. En route home, they were officially welcomed at Nelson, and were placed on a fire truck, and proudly paraded up town to the cheers of thousands at the Lake city. Members of the famous Trail Smoke Eaters, Allan Cup champions, were: Duke Scodellaro (Goal), Buck Buchanan (spare goalie); Jimmy Haight, Mel Snowden, Tom Johnston (ice hockey) Tom Johnston, Ab Cronie, Bunny Dame, Joe Benoit, Dave Duchak, Dick Kowcinak, Johnny McCreedy, Mickey Brennen, Jimmy Morris (ice hockey)|Jimmy Morris; and utility forward Bob Marshall. Their coach was Elmer Piper. Players that still resided in Trail were Scodellaro, Morris, Cronie, Brennen, Haight and Johnston -- until their passing on.
1938–39 season
The 1938–39 Trail Smoke Eaters represented
The Trail Smoke Eaters on their 1938–39 European tour set in the annuals of international hockey what is likely to stand for a great many years. They were true ambassadors to the world, and displayed a brand of hockey that saw excellent stick-handling, and superb passing, and with very little body contact.
Everywhere on the Continent, the Smoke Eaters found themselves surrounded by enthusiastic crowds, who literally mobbed them in autograph-seeking fervor, after every appearance. Easily the most colourful team to ever play abroad, the Canadian champions were immensely popular, and they were highly successful with foreign fans.
It was generally agreed that their inspiring play did more to promote the game throughout the nine countries they visited, than the efforts of any other single organization.
The Smoke Eaters made only a couple of changes from their Allan Cup team, and made the grueling trip with only 13 players. Coach Elmer Piper left the club for a similar post with the Turner Valley Oilers of the
The Smoke Eaters only managed one exhibition at home, before starting their 15,000 mile trip, and that was an easy 8–1 victory over the newly formed Trail Blazers. Injuries played a big factor in the Smoke Eaters poor showing across Canada, and they only managed to win eight, tied one game, and lost six in the 15 game series--but they came on strong by winning six of their last seven games in Eastern Canada. They outscored the Canadian teams 65 goals to 41.
The Smoke Eaters embarked from the
The ten-day World Championship Tournament started on February 3, 1939, and was held in
Here's the way the Trail Smoke Eaters marked up their victories: First round they beat the
Duke Scodellaro received real praise for his outstanding goaltending, and the European fans said, "They never saw his equal." Duke had a powerhouse defence playing in front of him: in Jimmy Haight, Tom Johnston and Mel Snowden Joe Benoit, Ab Cronie and Bunny Dame were Trail's number one line; the Smoke Eaters other forward line consisted of McCreedy, Kowcinak and Brennen. Benny Hayes was used as the utility forward; Buck Buchanan (a former North Battleford Beaver) was the backup goalie to Duke Scodellaro. Buchanan turned in a number of highly praised performances.
O.H. Nelson, President of the Smoke Eaters, made the overseas tour, and acted a manager - and proved himself a most popular man.
The Smoke Eaters certainly advertised the city of Trail. Throughout Europe and by not wearing the customary Canadian white uniform, the club decided to go with their famous, and colourful, orange and black jerseys. Sports writers all over the country were intrigued by the symbols of the Smoke Eater name, and the stacks belching out a stream of smoke, high above the CM&S (Consolidated Mining & Smelting) Smelter.
1962 to 1963
The Trail Smoke Eaters won the 1962 Allan Cup and were chosen to represent Canada at the 1963 Ice Hockey World Championships. When the Western International Hockey League did not operate during the 1962–63 season, the team appealed to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) for exhibition games in preparation for the World Championships. CAHA president Art Potter noted that reports of the Smoke Eaters asking for money had not come from team executives, and that the CAHA had not planned for the team to be in financial difficulty.[2]
Journalist Mordecai Richler reported that the Canadian national team was given second class hotel accommodations and cold pork chops for breakfast at the 1963 Ice Hockey World Championships in Sweden, and that Swedish newspaper headlines stated that "The Canadians want to see blood".[3] Richler quoted Potter as saying, "These are Cold War tactics to demoralize the Canadian team. They always stab us in the back here".[3]
Canada placed fourth at the 1963 World Championships, its worst result at the time.[4] The CAHA and the Smoke Eaters disagreed on the team's financial statement of the European tour, and coach Bobby Kromm faulted the CAHA for lack of financial assistance and additional players to strengthen the team. Potter felt that the CAHA had done nothing wrong and accused Kromm of poor judgment in choosing players. The team perceived Potter's statement as censuring the coach and was criticized as "unfair and unsportsmanlike".[5][6]
Championships
World Ice Hockey Championships
- 1939 World Ice Hockey Championships
- 1961 World Ice Hockey Championships
Allan Cups
Savage Cups
- 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1960, 1962, 1979, 2004
Coy Cups 1947, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1961, 2002, 2003
See also
References
- ^ "Trail Historical Society: Trail BC". Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
- ^ "Smokies Ask For Money, Games". Medicine Hat News. Medicine Hat, Alberta. January 21, 1963. p. 7.
- ^ a b Richler, Mordecai (May 4, 1963). "Bad guys finish". Maclean's. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ Currie, Rod (March 18, 1963). "Russians Win World Hockey Tourney By Goal Margin". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. p. 22.
- ^ "CAHA Censures Smokies' Coach". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. May 23, 1963. p. 33.
- ^ "Kromm Snaps Back At CAHA Criticism". Brandon Sun. Brandon, Manitoba. May 24, 1963. p. 6.
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