The Marvellous MILLIONAIRES

The most famous hockey name anywhere in Eastern Canada,and one of the top, most respected hockey clubs in all of CANADA.

The 1913 team of locals was the only MARITIME team EVER to play for the STANLEY CUP, and altho losing to the QUEBEC Champions, went on to great heights in the hockey arenas' thruout Canada.

The 1941 team played REGINA for the ALLAN CUP.... winning the first 2 games but losing the next 3 under unusual circumstances.

This team, and the Halifax NAVY team of NHL players, were considered the 2 finest teams ever to come out of the Atlantic Provinces, with the MILLIONAIRES the greatest amateur hockey team in Nova Scotia's history.

On this and the next couple of pages,some of those players, including several locals,who made up these teams. Several of the players from out West married local girls,and remained here to live, and as of this date, still reside here.

SOME INTERESTING HISTORY,SPECS AND MEMORIES

1953-54 Sydney Millionaires MMHL

# Player Name GP G A Pts Pen -------------------------------------------------------------------------- George Robertson.............................. 77 30 46 76 38 Lorn Pirie.................................... 78 34 30 64 19 Charles Marshall.............................. 69 24 31 55 54 Gordie Cowan.................................. 63 25 29 54 51 Renald Lacroix................................ 65 30 23 53 35 Dunc MacIntyre................................ 69 16 37 53 79 Roger Dubuc................................... 41 21 13 34 19 Pat O'Connor.................................. 31 6 17 23 20 Andrew McCallum............................... 43 7 14 21 50 Elliot Chorley................................ 25 7 12 19 6 Bill Matthews................................. 41 3 14 17 61 Norbert "Nobby" Clarke........................ 20 2 2 4 6 Kenny Smith................................... 6 0 0 0 0 Gilles Boisvert (G)........................... 9 0 0 0 0 Norm Defelice (G)............................. 69 0 0 0 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 205 268 473 438

Player GP Min GA GAA W L T Svs Pct EN SO ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gilles Boisvert 9.00 0 21 2.33 0 0 0 0 0.000 0 3 Norm Defelice 69.00 0 236 3.42 0 0 0 0 0.000 0 7

Sydney Millionaires Hockey Team - 1941

One of the strongest clubs to come out of Cape Breton was the 1941 Sydney Millionaires, who were runners up for the Allan Cup. Sydney defeated Hull Volants in three straight games to advance against the Montreal Royals in the Eastern final. The Royals, with future NHLer Bill Durnan in goal, tied Sydney 3-3, won the second game 3-1 before dropping the next three games to the Millionaires. Sydney then travelled to Regina to meet the Regina Rangers, the Western champions. The Millionaires won the first two games 8-6 and 8-3 with the third games a tie at 1-1. Regina then completed the comeback with tree straight victories, 5-4, 3-2 and 3-0 to claim the title. Members of the Millionaires were Keith langille, Mel Snowden, Ray Powell, Bud McEachern, Jack Fritz, Grant Hall, Steve Latoski,Jack Atchison, Remi Van Daele, Judd Snell, Bobby Walton, Johnny McCready, Dick Koweinak, Bill Dickie, Art Bennett (Trainer), Bill Gill (Coach), Ed Tucker (Trainer)

Sydney Millionaires Hockey Team - 1948

: The Sydney Millionaires had good young players on the way up through the system that blended well with strong outside influences, which included memorial cup winners from the Winnipeg Monarchs the year before. The Millionaire played in the Cape Breton Senior Hockey League, with Glace Bay and North Sydney, one of the best leagues in Canada at the time. The Millionaires knocked off the Halifax St. Mary"s club on their way to provincial and Maritime titles before disposing of the Pembroke Lumber Kings to advance to the Allan Cup Eastern Canadian final against the mighty Toronto Marlboros. The Marlies were overwhelming favourites in the best of five series to played entirely in Maple Leaf Gardens. Sydney shocked the Marlies 1-1 in the first game after a scoreless 10-minute overtime. The Marlboros won the second game 5-3 and the Millionaires tied the series with a dramatic 5-4 overtime win in game three. The Marlies prevailed in the remaining games 4-2 in game four and a 5-4 overtime win in game five. It was a remarkable performance by a Millionaire team that was not expected to be a serious contender but came within a couple of near misses in overtime of pulling off one of the major upsets of the era. Members of the 1948-49 Sydney Millionaires were Jim MacInnis, Bernie MacDonald, Alex Birkukow, Maurice Dowling, Ron Nelson, Bruce Gallagher, Jackie Gibson, Ed Tucker, Lou Medynski, Doug Fritz, Don Whalen, Paul Platz, Jack Fritz (coach), Joe Watts, Don McRae, Johnny Arundel, Cliff Roach, Johnny Myketyn.

In New Waterford, the basketball Strands of the late 1940"s epitomized the spirit that drives the town. It was from humble beginnings that the Strands rose to become a powerful force in both provincial and Canadian basketball circles. The Strand Theatre was the towns" social and recreational centre during the 1920's. It was converted to a gymnasium after the theatre portion closed in the early 1930"s. Basketball became the competitive sport for the town"s three main schools, Mount Carmel, St. Agnes and Central. Natural rivalry generated the competitive instinct and it was not long before town teams were claiming provincial championships with great regularity. The program reached its greatest heights in the late 1940s when the Strands of 1956-47-48 won the Canadian intermediate championship in two successive seasons. The teams were coached by Jack MacKenzie and managed by Joe Chaisson and comprised of Bucky Gillis, Lucius Ryan, Laddie Micholsky, Marshall Deveaux, Freddie Connors, Martin MacPherson, Richie MacDonald, Gussie MacNeil, Neil Kennedy, Jiggie Micholsky

Caledonia Rugby Team

The Caldedonia Rugby club dominated the Maritimes rugby scene for 15 years through the 1930s and 1940s. The team won 10 consecutive McCurdy Cups for supremacy in the Maritimes and won the McTier Cup emblematic of Quebec-Maritime supremacy on 17 occasions from 1929 through 1946, losing only once in 1932.

St. Agnes Juvenile Basketball Team - 1932

\ The New Waterford St. Agnes Juvenile Basketball Team won the 1932 Canadian juvenile basketball title. They took the Maritime championship in Woodstock, New Brunswick. Members of the team were R. MacDonald, T. Curry, W. MacNeil, A. MacDonald, J. MacSween, J. Connor, C. Timmons, O. White, L. Stephenson, Rev. R. Campbell.

1951-52 MMHL

GP W L T GF GA PTS *Saint John Beavers 90 53 24 13 360 231 119

Charlottetown Islanders 90 42 39 9 317 316 93 Halifax St.Mary's 90 41 41 8 333 339 90 Glace Bay Miners 90 37 43 10 320 342 84 Sydney Millionaires 90 35 43 12 285 326 82 Moncton Hawks 90 30 48 12 268 329 72

1952-53 MMHL

GP W L T GF GA PTS *Halifax Atlantics 84 47 33 4 350 308 98 Charlottetown Islanders 84 45 35 4 307 261 94 Glace Bay Miners 84 40 40 4 278 280 84 Sydney Millionaires 84 28 52 4 228 314 60

1953-54 MMHL

GP W L T GF GA PTS *Halifax Atlantics 78 42 33 3 361 314 87 Sydney Millionaires 78 40 35 3 262 257 83 Glace Bay Miners 78 34 39 2 286 304 72 Charlottetown Islanders 78 33 42 0 290 324 66

Final MMHL season.

1912-13 MPHL (Maritime)

GP W L T GF GA PTS *Sydney Millionaires 16 11 5 0 71 60 22 New Glascow Cubs 16 10 6 0 89 58 20 Moncton Victorias 16 9 7 0 73 63 18 Halifax Socials 16 8 8 0 66 67 16 Halifax Crescents 16 2 14 0 44 95 4

The Sydney Millionaires lost a challenge for the Stanley Cup. March 8/1913 Quebec Bulldogs 14, Sydney 3 March 10/1913 Quebec Bulldogs 6, Sydney 2

1913-14 MPHL (Maritime)

GP W L T GF GA PTS *Sydney Millionaires 24 16 8 0 131 113 32 New Glascow Black Foxes 24 16 8 0 162 117 32 Halifax Crescents 24 12 12 0 108 107 24 Halifax Socials 24 4 20 0 97 161 8

MEMORIES …

Memories! In 1950-51, Ivan Doherty and other enthusiasts promoted the idea of a local team to compete in the Maritime MAJOR League. The whole city was canvassed for support. (I was recruited to do one side of Fitzroy Street.) All of the original "Islanders" came from away. I believe Jack "Spy" Ready was the first local to crack the line-up. (Or could it have been goalie Frankie Roper?) Characters galore! Coaches Chamberlin and Lamoreux, (ex-Canadien defencemen); Conway; "Phainting" Phil Vitale; "Red" Favaro; the Horvak (?) brothers; Pawlyshyn, who would all be millionaires today. Stalwart defenceman "Johnny" Duchak who flew as a pilot on flying boats for Maritime Central Airways in the summer months, killed in a crash in Labrador in May 52. (It also took the life of Flight Engineer C.G. "Huck" MacQuarrie of Victoria, PEI.) Memories! Take the last line of the above ditty. The balcony at the south end overhung the goalcrease and one night a fan smuggled a bucket of water up there. Late in the game against the Sydney "Millionaires", with the "Islanders" storming his net, helmet-less, mask-less, gap-toothed goalie "Nick" Pidsodny, a colourful character at the best of times, was on the receiving end of the said water, provoking the nearest thing to a riot I saw at the Forum. What fans! The place packed to the rafters, fans hanging over the boards. (Which makes the present Civic Arena seem so decorous in comparison although it makes up for noise with its deafening PA system. Not the same. You cannot manufacture enthusiasm.) By the third period you couldn't see the other end of the rink through the blue haze of cigarette smoke. At 36 cents per pack! No filter tips! (Maybe cork-tips). A wonder the place never burned down! A triangle is one of the strongest structures, proved when "Buck" Whitlock planted his two skates and stick at the edge of the crease, defying the efforts of the entire opposition to move him. "Buck" was also one of the smoothest puckhandlers, on a par with "Slick Willie" Marshall of the Halifax team who eventually came to the "Islanders" as did Buck from the Saint John "Beavers".

GOALIE BILL DICKEY.... Hockey

Played one game in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1942 (goal tender)

Played with the Montreal Pats of the Quebec Senior League in 1941-42

Helped Mount Allison University to NB and Maritime Intercollegiate titles in 1935

Helped Mt. A to the 1934 Senior "B’’ NB and Maritime championships

Won Maritime Senior "A" titles with Saint John Beavers (1938, ’39) and Sydney Millionaires (1940, ’41)

Inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame in 1991

1940-1941 at Regina FOR THE ALLAN CUP...CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Regina Rangers defeat the Sydney Millionaires 3-2-1

Sydney Millionaires 8 at Regina Rangers 6 Sydney Millionaires 8 at Regina Rangers 3 Sydney Millionaires 1 at Regina Rangers 1 Sydney Millionaires 4 at Regina Rangers 5 Sydney Millionaires 2 at Regina Rangers 3 Sydney Millionaires 0 at Regina Rangers 3




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