Canadian Olympic Hockey Club (1936)
Canadian Olympic Hockey Club (1936) was a group of players and staff from the Port Arthur Bearcats who represented Canada at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Germany. The team was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.[1]
Overview
Season
Following a narrow defeat in the 1935 Allan Cup series against the Halifax Wolverines, the Port Arthur Bearcats were selected to form the core of the Canadian Olympic Hockey Team. Although the Halifax team had originally qualified for the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, they were unable to field a roster for the tournament. Consequently, the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association organized a squad that included eight players, a coach, a manager, and a trainer from the Port Arthur club, supplemented by players from Eastern Canada.[1]
During the opening round of the Olympic Games, the Canada squad secured three straight wins. They defeated Austria, Poland, and Latvia, outscoring their opponents 24 to 3. In the second round, the team continued their success with a 6-2 victory over Germany and a dominant 15-0 win against Hungary. However, they suffered a 2-1 loss to Great Britain. This Great Britain roster was composed of Canadian players, including three individuals originally from Northwestern Ontario.[1]
The tournament concluded with a final round where Canada beat Czechoslovakia and the United States. Despite these wins, a controversial ruling by officials in Garmisch-Partenkirchen impacted the standings. A late change to the round-robin regulations allowed Great Britain to carry forward their previous win against Canada into the final standings. This departure from standard round robin tradition resulted in Great Britain receiving the gold medal while Canada was awarded the silver medal.[1]
Roster
The names below come from the Hall of Fame profile and its team photograph caption.[1]
| Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Sinclair | player | |
| Jakie Nash | player | |
| Arnold Deacon | player | |
| Jimmy Haggarty | player | |
| Norman Friday | player | |
| Gus Saxberg | player | |
| Ray Milton | player | |
| Bill Thomson | player | |
| Albert Pudas | coach | |
| Malcolm Cochran | manager | |
| W. Stewart ("Scotty") | trainer |
Honours and achievements
- 1936 Olympic Silver Medallists
- Won five of six games played during the Olympic tournament
- Represented Canada following the withdrawal of the Halifax Wolverines[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Canadian Olympic Hockey Club (NWO members)", team profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/team-profile/635fda0c-183f-4a59-ba99-019f91d6f862 (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.