Port Arthur Seniors (1925–26)

Port Arthur Seniors (1925–26) was a senior men's hockey team from Port Arthur that won the Allan Cup in 1926. The team was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1982.

Overview

• Sport: Hockey
• League or level: Thunder Bay Senior Hockey League
• Season: 1925–26
• Achievement: Allan Cup Champions
• Inducted: 25 September 1982

Season

The Port Arthur Seniors entered the 1925-26 season as the reigning Allan Cup champions. Before the regular schedule commenced, the club demonstrated its strength by winning the Sportsmen’s Patriotic Association Cup during a preseason tournament held against elite amateur hockey organizations from Ontario and Quebec.

The postseason began with a challenging series against their local rivals, Fort William. The two clubs had been closely matched during the regular season, with Port Arthur recording seven victories to Fort William's five. The playoff series opened in Port Arthur with a 2-2 draw, followed by a 1-1 tie in Fort William. In the deciding third game, the teams remained scoreless through regulation and a first overtime period. During the second overtime, Danny Cox scored the lone goal on a shot from the left wing that beat goaltender Doc Langtry, who had made 60 saves. Lorne Chabot stopped 48 shots, including 24 in the final frame, to secure the 1-0 win and the right to defend the national title.

In the Western Canadian championship, the Seniors hosted the Regina Vics. Port Arthur took the opening game 6-3 after scoring four times in the first period. Although the Regina squad won the second match 2-1, the Seniors advanced to the national final based on the total-goals format of the series.

The final series for the Allan Cup was a rematch of the previous year against the University of Toronto Varsity team. The opening game in Montreal saw Port Arthur take a 1-0 victory. During the contest, a shot from a Seniors player knocked the Toronto goaltender unconscious, necessitating his replacement by a junior player. The Varsity squad rebounded in the second game, winning 3-1 in overtime after a disputed goal was allowed to stand against the Seniors.

The series moved to Toronto for the final games. In the third match, Port Arthur trailed 3-0 early as Lorne Chabot struggled with the arena lighting. However, the team rallied with goals from Bill Brydge and Alex Gray, the latter assisted by Danny Cox, to finish in a 3-3 tie. In the fourth and deciding game, the Seniors trailed 2-0 entering the third period. Late goals by Albert Pudas, assisted by Bill Brydge, and Art Chapman, assisted by Danny Cox, forced overtime. In the second overtime period, Alex Gray scored the championship-winning goal on a pass from Danny Cox to secure a 3-2 victory.

Upon returning to Port Arthur, the team was honored with a parade attended by thousands of supporters. The club became one of only five teams in history to successfully defend the Allan Cup. This legacy of excellence in Senior Hockey was later continued by the Thunder Bay Twins, who secured four national titles.

Roster

The names below come from the Hall of Fame profile and its team photograph caption.

Name	Role	Notes
Ed Carpenter	coach
J.J. Hickey	other	secretary
E. Sutton	trainer
A.G. Poundsford	other	president
E.C. Whalen ("Ted")	player
Albert Pudas	player
Alex Gray	player
Bill Brydge	player
Lorne Chabot	goaltender
Gordon Wilson	player
Wilf L'Heureux	player
Art Chapman	player
Danny Cox	player

Honours and achievements

• 1925-26 Allan Cup Champions
• 1925-26 Sportsmen’s Patriotic Association Cup Winners
• 1925-26 Western Canadian Champions
• One of only five teams to successfully defend an Allan Cup title