Some hockey

Welcome to our Community
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Feel free to Sign Up today.
Sign up
megatherium

megatherium

el rey del mambo
First 100
Jan 15, 2015
10,687
13,726
Ah man, hockey guys AND fellow BCers? I believe it not! From the Okanagan valley I gather? I was there back in '55, in Penticton when the Vees beat the Russians over in Germany. The place went nuts, big parade, huge party. That was the Warwick brothers team, Grant, Dick and Bill with Ivan McLelland stellar in the nets (Andy Moog`s dad Don Moog was the backup).. Listened to Foster Hewitt's play by play on the radio; tv was new then and I didn't have one yet. Man, that series was something else. Anyway, it`s good to finally come across some BCers on these forums, and hockey guys to boot. I was beginning to think it would never happen!
 
La Paix

La Paix

Fuck this place
First 100
Jan 14, 2015
38,253
64,404
Megatherium;n1809 said:
Ah man, hockey guys AND fellow BCers? I believe it not! From the Okanagan valley I gather? I was there back in '55, in Penticton when the Vees beat the Russians over in Germany. The place went nuts, big parade, huge party. That was the Warwick brothers team, Grant, Dick and Bill with Ivan McLelland stellar in the nets (Andy Moog`s dad Don Moog was the backup).. Listened to Foster Hewitt's play by play on the radio; tv was new then and I didn't have one yet. Man, that series was something else. Anyway, it`s good to finally come across some BCers on these forums, and hockey guys to boot. I was beginning to think it would never happen!
Click to expand...
I had to google it as I'm had no idea about any of this. Good to have the Okanagan in here.

http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2013/03/great-moments-in-hockey-history-1955.html

[h=3]Great Moments In Hockey History: 1955 Penticton Vees[/h]

I could barely believe my eyes when I found the entire 1955 World Championship game between the Penticton Vees (representing Canada) and the Soviet national team on YouTube. The video is below, but first, some background information on one of the greatest games in the history of hockey




In 1955 the Penticton Vees were a small town hockey team that belonged to all of Canada.

This "Gas House Gang" from the Okanagan peach country (the team's nickname refers to three varieties of peaches grown in Penticton) was a fairy tale dream come true.

The hard nosed hockey team from a town then of 14,000 went to Germany, conquered mighty Russia and avenged a stinging Canadian defeat the previous year and, for one glorious year, rule the amateur world of hockey.

The Vees had qualified for their trip to the World Hockey Championships in 1954 when they defeated the Sudbury Wolves in one of the most gut-grabbing, nail-biting Allan Cup series in history. At one point in the series the Vees were within 12 seconds of elimination. Yet victory was an obsession for the Vees. Defeat was not an option in their minds. They won their Allan Cup and in 1955 they went to Dusseldorf, Germany for the World Championships.


The boys from Penticton were not just going to Europe looking for a world championship. No, they're task was much more important than that. They were there with the singular purpose of beating the surprise reigning champions from Russia and return amateur glory to Canada where they, and everyone else in the country, felt it rightfully belonged.

They were a rag-tag bunch if there ever was one. The team was composed of former pros and home grown kids. Their hockey was far from a beautiful finesse game, no nothing like that. They played brutally physical hockey, a style that drew much ire from media, fans and teams in Europe.

The backbone of the team were a trio of brothers, Grant, Bill and Dick Warwick. Grant, a gnarled, scarred former NHL rookie of the year was the playing coach and inspirational force of the team. Bill was a husky bully who scored goals by the bushelfull, but usually only after intimidating the opponents with high elbows. Dick, the youngest of the three, was the choir boy of the bunch, said to be a graceful skater with a sharpshooter's aim.

Slender Ivan McLelland was the goalkeeper. The rest of the team was made up of long forgotten names: Hal Tarala, Crusher Conway, Jim Middleton, Jim Fairburn, Doug Kilburn, Mike Shabaga, Bernie Bathgate, Jack MacDonald and George McAvoy.

The crew's task was mindbogglingly enormous, as representing Canada at the Worlds was never more important. The Russians shocked the world by dusting off Canada, the only hockey power at the time, in their very first World Championship, the year prior in 1954. They played an amazing brand of hockey, declaring to the world that they were as good if not better than Canada at hockey, setting up a rivalry that runs to this day.

Grant Warwick knew the task was not going to be easy. He knew the only way to beat Russia (he was not even so much concerned with the making the finals as much as defeating the Ruskies) his team would have to out hit and out muscle the Soviet team made of men from the armed services. He set up a rigorous pre-tournament schedule of exhibition games, which, purposely or not, served to spread the word around Europe about the aggressiveness of the Canadian team.

Both the Soviets and the Vees rattled off perfect 7-0 records, setting up the final game of the tournament, conveniently against each other, as the championship game. The winner won the championship, the loser lost so much more than just a game.

A reported 10,000 spectators somehow filled the 7000 seat Krefeld Arena on the outskirts of Dusseldorf to witness a game so filled with tension that no one would forget this game. It was obvious who the fans wanted to win. The Vees' bully tactics did not sit well in Germany.


The game itself was no contest. Say what you want about the Vees tactics, but the Soviets were no match for the Penticton boys on this night. The Vees intimidated the Russians with lusty checking checking early in the game, causing the Russians to shy away. "They quit on us, quit dead cold," barked Grant Warwick. "We banged 'em around good and hard and after we jumped into a 3-0 lead in the second period, that was it.

Mike Shabaga scored in each of the first two periods. Bill Warwick also scored twice, with George McAvoy putting the game out of reach with the fifth goal in the third period.

Goalie McLelland took care of everything else, turning aside all Soviet shots for his 4th shutout in the 8 game tournament. His puny 0.75 GAA led the tournament.

Bill Warwick led the way as the tournament's top scorer, tallying 14 goals and 22 points. The V's outscored their opposition by a combined scored of 66-6.
 
La Paix

La Paix

Fuck this place
First 100
Jan 14, 2015
38,253
64,404
[video]http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2013/03/great-moments-in-hockey-history-1955.html[/video]
 
megatherium

megatherium

el rey del mambo
First 100
Jan 15, 2015
10,687
13,726
BirdWatcher;n1868 said:
I had to google it as I'm had no idea about any of this. Good to have the Okanagan in here.

http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2013/03/great-moments-in-hockey-history-1955.html

[h=3]Great Moments In Hockey History: 1955 Penticton Vees[/h]

I could barely believe my eyes when I found the entire 1955 World Championship game between the Penticton Vees (representing Canada) and the Soviet national team on YouTube. The video is below, but first, some background information on one of the greatest games in the history of hockey




In 1955 the Penticton Vees were a small town hockey team that belonged to all of Canada.

This "Gas House Gang" from the Okanagan peach country (the team's nickname refers to three varieties of peaches grown in Penticton) was a fairy tale dream come true.

The hard nosed hockey team from a town then of 14,000 went to Germany, conquered mighty Russia and avenged a stinging Canadian defeat the previous year and, for one glorious year, rule the amateur world of hockey.

The Vees had qualified for their trip to the World Hockey Championships in 1954 when they defeated the Sudbury Wolves in one of the most gut-grabbing, nail-biting Allan Cup series in history. At one point in the series the Vees were within 12 seconds of elimination. Yet victory was an obsession for the Vees. Defeat was not an option in their minds. They won their Allan Cup and in 1955 they went to Dusseldorf, Germany for the World Championships.


The boys from Penticton were not just going to Europe looking for a world championship. No, they're task was much more important than that. They were there with the singular purpose of beating the surprise reigning champions from Russia and return amateur glory to Canada where they, and everyone else in the country, felt it rightfully belonged.

They were a rag-tag bunch if there ever was one. The team was composed of former pros and home grown kids. Their hockey was far from a beautiful finesse game, no nothing like that. They played brutally physical hockey, a style that drew much ire from media, fans and teams in Europe.

The backbone of the team were a trio of brothers, Grant, Bill and Dick Warwick. Grant, a gnarled, scarred former NHL rookie of the year was the playing coach and inspirational force of the team. Bill was a husky bully who scored goals by the bushelfull, but usually only after intimidating the opponents with high elbows. Dick, the youngest of the three, was the choir boy of the bunch, said to be a graceful skater with a sharpshooter's aim.

Slender Ivan McLelland was the goalkeeper. The rest of the team was made up of long forgotten names: Hal Tarala, Crusher Conway, Jim Middleton, Jim Fairburn, Doug Kilburn, Mike Shabaga, Bernie Bathgate, Jack MacDonald and George McAvoy.

The crew's task was mindbogglingly enormous, as representing Canada at the Worlds was never more important. The Russians shocked the world by dusting off Canada, the only hockey power at the time, in their very first World Championship, the year prior in 1954. They played an amazing brand of hockey, declaring to the world that they were as good if not better than Canada at hockey, setting up a rivalry that runs to this day.

Grant Warwick knew the task was not going to be easy. He knew the only way to beat Russia (he was not even so much concerned with the making the finals as much as defeating the Ruskies) his team would have to out hit and out muscle the Soviet team made of men from the armed services. He set up a rigorous pre-tournament schedule of exhibition games, which, purposely or not, served to spread the word around Europe about the aggressiveness of the Canadian team.

Both the Soviets and the Vees rattled off perfect 7-0 records, setting up the final game of the tournament, conveniently against each other, as the championship game. The winner won the championship, the loser lost so much more than just a game.

A reported 10,000 spectators somehow filled the 7000 seat Krefeld Arena on the outskirts of Dusseldorf to witness a game so filled with tension that no one would forget this game. It was obvious who the fans wanted to win. The Vees' bully tactics did not sit well in Germany.


The game itself was no contest. Say what you want about the Vees tactics, but the Soviets were no match for the Penticton boys on this night. The Vees intimidated the Russians with lusty checking checking early in the game, causing the Russians to shy away. "They quit on us, quit dead cold," barked Grant Warwick. "We banged 'em around good and hard and after we jumped into a 3-0 lead in the second period, that was it.

Mike Shabaga scored in each of the first two periods. Bill Warwick also scored twice, with George McAvoy putting the game out of reach with the fifth goal in the third period.

Goalie McLelland took care of everything else, turning aside all Soviet shots for his 4th shutout in the 8 game tournament. His puny 0.75 GAA led the tournament.

Bill Warwick led the way as the tournament's top scorer, tallying 14 goals and 22 points. The V's outscored their opposition by a combined scored of 66-6.
Click to expand...
Ah, no, I'm from Horseshoe Bay, lol. I thought YOU GUYS were from the Okanagan, just thought I'd share my own Penticton experience from way back.

Still, it's cool to finally meet some fellow BCers here on the fight boards!
 
megatherium

megatherium

el rey del mambo
First 100
Jan 15, 2015
10,687
13,726

View: https://youtu.be/G8txmISjejE


This clip is from right around the time the Canucks moved from the old PNE Forum to the'new' Pacific Coliseum. I saw a few games from this season with Tony Esposito in nets. The following year they purchased the AHL champion Rochester Americans player contracts and won back to back WHL titles. The plan was to prove we were an NHL city and to that extent it was an unqualified success.
 
megatherium

megatherium

el rey del mambo
First 100
Jan 15, 2015
10,687
13,726
Back half of a home and home vs Calgary tonight. The young Ben Hutton kid has really impressed me, kinda came out of nowhere and grabbed a spot on D. I hate to see him paired with the awful 'pizzaman' though; that's a sure-fire plus/minus rating destroyer!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom