George Richardson Memorial Trophy

Last updated

George Richardson
Memorial Trophy
George Richardson Memorial Trophy.jpg
Sport Ice hockey
Awarded forEastern Canada champion,
and Memorial Cup berth
History
First award1932
Final award1971
Most recent Quebec Remparts

The George Richardson Memorial Trophy was presented annually from 1932 until 1971, by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. It represented the Eastern Canada junior hockey championship, and a berth in the Memorial Cup final versus the Abbott Cup champion from Western Canada. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy was retired in 1971, when the Memorial Cup became a round-robin series between the winners of the three major junior hockey leagues in Canada; the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The trophy was named for Captain George Taylor Richardson, a hockey player who died while serving in World War I.

Contents

Captain Richardson

Captain George Taylor Richardson, circa 1914. GT Richardson portrait.jpg
Captain George Taylor Richardson, circa 1914.

Captain George Taylor Richardson (September 14, 1886 – February 9, 1916) was a Canadian ice hockey player, businessman, philanthropist, and later a soldier. Richardson was considered one of the finest amateurs of his time. He played for the Queen's University team that challenged the Ottawa Hockey Club for the 1906 Stanley Cup, [1] and played for the 14th Regiment of Kingston team won the Ontario Hockey Association title, and the J. Ross Robertson Cup in 1908, and the 1909 Allan Cup. [2] He was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1950. [3] Richardson was part of a prominent Kingston, Ontario family that owned and operated James Richardson & Sons. [4] He joined the Canadian Expeditionary Forces in World War I, and died in action in Belgium, [5] and was created a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour of the French Third Republic. [6]

History

The George Richardson Memorial Trophy was donated to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) by James Armstrong Richardson Sr. in memory of his brother in April 1932. [7] [8] The original three trustees named for the trophy were James T. Sutherland, W. A. Hewitt and Fred Marples. [9]

The trophy was presented annually from 1932 until 1971. It represented the Eastern Canada junior hockey championship, and a berth in the Memorial Cup final versus the Abbott Cup champion from Western Canada. [7] [10] The George Richardson Memorial Trophy was retired in 1971, when the Memorial Cup became a round-robin series between the winners of the three major junior hockey leagues in Canada; the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Playoff format

The Eastern Canada junior playoffs were open to the champions from five respective regions. However, league champions did not always participate, and the format varied depending on the number of teams. In the late 1950s, the Junior Canadiens participated as an independent team. Ontario-based teams won the most championships. No team from the Maritimes ever won the George Richardson Memorial Trophy, and the last time a Northern Ontario team won it occurred in 1937.

RegionAssociationWon
Southern Ontario Ontario Hockey Association 31
Northeastern Ontario Northern Ontario Hockey Association 3
Ottawa Valley Ottawa District Hockey Association 0
Quebec Quebec Amateur Hockey Association 4
The Maritimes Maritime Amateur Hockey Association 0
IndependentIndependent Junior Canadiens (1956–1959)2

1951 series

CAHA vice-president W. B. George oversaw the Barrie Flyers versus Quebec Citadels series for the George Richardson Memorial Trophy, to represent Eastern Canada in the 1951 Memorial Cup playoffs. When the Citadels refused to play game five in Barrie, George gave them an ultimatum to play or forfeit the series. Quebec decided to play too late to arrive by train, but arrived half an hour late after flying. [11] [12] George scheduled game seven on neutral ice at Maple Leaf Gardens, despite protests from Flyers' coach Hap Emms who claimed that his team only agreed to resume the series if game seven was played in Barrie. [13]

1971 series

Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) president Tubby Schmalz announced that teams from the OHA and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League would not play against any team from the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) for the 1971 Memorial Cup, due to disagreements over travel allowances given to team at the Memorial Cup and the higher number of over-age players allowed on WCHL rosters. He said that plans for an Eastern Canada series for the Richardson Trophy would go ahead. That made the 1971 Richardson Cup a potential national championship. [14]

The final Richardson Trophy in 1971 was played between the Quebec Remparts and the St. Catharines Black Hawks, and was controversial due to violence and off-ice disputes causing its abandonment before completion. The series was played when tensions were high between Anglophone Canadians and Francophone nationalists, and featured future NHL stars Guy Lafleur and Marcel Dionne. The series was intended to be best-of-seven, but ended after five games with the Remparts leading three games to two. St. Catharines refused to return to Quebec City due to violence that occurred after game four, and threats from the Front de libération du Québec against its players. CAHA president Earl Dawson declared the series over when no further compromise could be reached. The Quebec Remparts ultimately accepted the challenge by the Western Canada champion Edmonton Oil Kings to play for the Memorial Cup. [15]

Champions and finalists

List of champions and finalists of the George Richardson Memorial Trophy. [15]

SeasonChampionTotal
goals		Finalist
1931–32 Sudbury Cub Wolves (1)4–1 Montreal AAA
1932–33 Newmarket Redmen (1)3–2Montreal Royals
1933–34 Toronto St. Michael's Majors (1)19–4 Charlottetown Abegweits
SeasonChampionSeries
(W–L–T)		Finalist
1934–35 Sudbury Cub Wolves (2)2–0 Ottawa Rideaus
1935–36 West Toronto Nationals (1)2–0 Pembroke Lumber Kings
1936–37 Copper Cliff Redmen (1)2–0Ottawa Rideaus
1937–38 Oshawa Generals (1)2–0 Perth Blue Wings
1938–39 Oshawa Generals (2)2–1 Verdun Maple Leafs
1939–40 Oshawa Generals (3)2–0Verdun Maple Leafs
1940–41 Montreal Royals (1)3–2Oshawa Generals
1941–42 Oshawa Generals (4)4–0Montreal Royals
1942–43 Oshawa Generals (5)3–0Montreal Junior Canadiens
1943–44 Oshawa Generals (6)3–1Montreal Royals
1944–45 Toronto St. Michael's Majors (2)4–2Montreal Royals
1945–46 Toronto St. Michael's Majors (3)3–0Montreal Junior Canadiens
1946–47 Toronto St. Michael's Majors (4)3–0Montreal Junior Canadiens
1947–48 Barrie Flyers (1)3–0 Montreal Nationale
1948–49 Montreal Royals (2)4–0Barrie Flyers
1949–50 Montreal Junior Canadiens (1)4–2Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters
1950–51 Barrie Flyers (2)4–3 Quebec Citadelles
1951–52 Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters (1)4–2Montreal Junior Canadiens
1952–53 Barrie Flyers (3)4–1Quebec Citadelles
1953–54 St. Catharines Teepees (1)4–2 Quebec Frontenacs
1954–55 Toronto Marlboros (1)4–1–1Quebec Frontenacs
1955–56 Toronto Marlboros (2)4–3–1Montreal Junior Canadiens
1956–57 Ottawa-Hull Junior Canadiens (1)4–1–1Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters
1957–58 Ottawa-Hull Junior Canadiens (2)4–1Toronto Marlboros
1958–59 Peterborough Petes (1)4–2–1Ottawa-Hull Junior Canadiens
1959–60 St. Catharines Teepees (2)4–3–1 Brockville Canadiens
1960–61 Toronto St. Michael's Majors (5)3–0 Moncton Beavers
1961–62 Hamilton Red Wings (1)4–0Quebec Citadelles
1962–63 Niagara Falls Flyers (1)4–0 Espanola Eagles
1963–64 Toronto Marlboros (3)3–1 Notre-Dame-de-Grace Monarchs
1964–65 Niagara Falls Flyers (2)3–1 Lachine Maroons
1965–66 Oshawa Generals (7)3–1 Shawinigan Bruins
1966–67 Toronto Marlboros (4)3–1 Thetford Mines Canadiens
1967–68 Niagara Falls Flyers (3)3–2Verdun Maple Leafs
1968–69 Montreal Junior Canadiens (2)3–1 Sorel Black Hawks
1969–70 Montreal Junior Canadiens (3)3–0Quebec Remparts
1970–71 Quebec Remparts (1)3–2 St. Catharines Black Hawks

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "War hero George Richardson". Original Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  2. ↑ Kennedy, Patrick (January 16, 2015). "Kingston & District Sports Hall of Fame: George T Richardson will be inducted 99 years after his death in the First World War". The Kingston Whig. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Richardson, George — Honoured Member". Legends of Hockey. Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Richardson, George Taylor". Queen's Encyclopedia. Queen's University. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Circumstances of Death Registers, First World War". Circumstances of Death Registers, First World War. Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  6. ↑ "In memory of Captain George Taylor Richardson". Canadian Virtual War Memorial. Veterans Affairs Canada . Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  7. 1 2 Podnieks, Andrew (2005). Silverware. Bolton, Ontario: Fenn Publishing. p. 42. ISBN   1-55168-296-6.
  8. ↑ "Captain George Richardson". Kingston & District Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Canadian Amateur Hockey Association In Annual Session". Medicine Hat News. Medicine Hat, Alberta. April 5, 1932. p. 2.
  10. ↑ "History of hockey and the Canadian military". Veterans Affairs Canada . March 29, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Popular Valley Figure: W. B. George Retiring From KAS Post". Ottawa Journal. Ottawa, Ontario. September 24, 1960. p. 7.
  12. ↑ "On-Off Junior Series Finally Settled". Medicine Hat News. Medicine Hat, Alberta. April 24, 1951. p. 3.
  13. ↑ "Smoke Still Rising: But Playoff Locations Settled". Lethbridge Herald. Lethbridge, Alberta. April 28, 1951. p. 17.
  14. ↑ "OHA Won't Play Western Juniors". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. August 18, 1970. p. 21.
  15. 1 2 Lapp, Richard; Macaulay, Alec (1997). The Memorial Cup. Harbour Publishing. ISBN   1-55017-170-4.
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