Fort William Great War Vets (1922)
Fort William Great War Vets (1922) was a junior hockey team from Fort William that won the Memorial Cup in 1922. The team was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1982.[1]
Overview
- Sport: Hockey
- League or level: Junior
- Season: 1922
- Achievement: Memorial Cup Champions
- Inducted: 25 September 1982[1]
Season
The 1922 Fort William Great War Vets represented the first team from the Lakehead region to secure a national hockey championship. Competing for the Memorial Cup, which signifies the top junior team in Canada, the squad consisted of only eight players. Their postseason run began with a district final against a team from Kenora. The Fort William Great War Vets emerged victorious from that series after winning in overtime.[1]
Due to travel expenses and logistical constraints of the era, the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association altered the typical tournament structure. Rather than the Vets traveling west, the eastern champions, Toronto Aura Lee, stopped at the Prince of Wales Arena in Fort William while traveling to the finals. In front of a capacity audience, the Vets secured a 5-3 upset victory over the favored Toronto side after scoring the first three goals of the match.[1]
The championship concluded in Winnipeg with a two-game total-goal series against the Regina Patricias. The Fort William Great War Vets won the opening contest with a 5-4 score. The second game resulted in a 3-3 draw, allowing the Vets to claim the Memorial Cup with an 8-7 total-point lead. Upon returning home, the players were celebrated by thousands of residents and received gold watches from the City of Fort William. This victory remains the only national hockey title won by a team representing Fort William prior to its amalgamation into Thunder Bay.[1]
Roster
The names below come from the Hall of Fame profile and its team photograph caption.[1]
| Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Walter Adams | player | |
| John Bates | player | |
| Gerald Bourke | player | |
| Ted D’Arcy | player | |
| John Enwright | player | |
| Alex Phillips | player | |
| Fred Thornes | player | |
| Clark Whyte | player | |
| Stan Bliss | coach | |
| Jack Silver | trainer | |
| Walter Jessop | assistant trainer | |
| Fred Edwards | other | secretary-treasurer |
Honours and achievements
- 1922 Memorial Cup Champions
- First Lakehead team to win a national hockey title
- Defeated Toronto Aura Lee 5-3 in the semi-final
- Defeated Regina Patricias 8-7 on total goals in the final series[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Fort William Great War Vets Junior Hockey", team profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/team-profile/f4904563-c6f9-4158-8500-4124f22d227e (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.