The Edmonton Mercurys were a Canadian intermediate-level senior ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, during the 1940s and 1950s. The team represented the Canada men's national ice hockey team twice, winning the 1950 World Ice Hockey Championships in London and the 1952 Winter Olympics Gold Medal in Oslo.
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Canada
| ||
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| Olympic Games/World Championship | ||
 |
1952 Oslo | Team |
| World Championship | ||
|
1950 London | Team |
History
editThe Mercurys formed in 1949, and were named for the Mercury automobile sold by dealer Jim Christianson, who established and sponsored the team.[1][2][3] A number of the players were employees of the dealership, Waterloo Mercury.[4] In January 1950 the Mercurys, who had won the Western Intermediate League championships,[5] played a round of exhibition games in Scotland.[6]
1950 World Championships
editIn August 1949, Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) president Al Pickard announced that the Mercurys would represent Canada at the 1950 Ice Hockey World Championships in England. He conceded that Edmonton was not the strongest choice since it played at the intermediate level of senior hockey, but amateur requirements made it difficult to send a top flight team to the Ice Hockey World Championships. The CAHA scheduled a three-month European tour for the team and committed to finding the best available players as reinforcements.[7] The Mercurys won all five games played at the 1950 World Championships in London, and outscored their opponents by 42 goals to 3 to become World Champions.[8]
1950 World Championships roster
- Coach: Jimmy Graham
- Players: Harry Allen, Marsh Darling, Bob David, John Davies, Billie Dawe, Wilbert Delainey, Donald Gauf, Jimmy Kilburn, Leo Lucchini, Jack Manson, Doug MacAuley, Ab Newsome, Al Purvis, Don Stanley, Bob Watt, Pete Wright, Hassie Young[9]
1952 Winter Olympics
edit
In July 1951, CAHA president Doug Grimston announced that the Mercurys were chosen to represent Canada in ice hockey at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo.[10] Swiss newspapers criticized the rough play by Canada and the United States team, and questioned whether hockey should be part of the Olympics. Grimston felt the games were tame compared to North American standards and that the Olympics would suffer without hockey which was its biggest attraction.[11] Canada and the United States played to a 3–3 draw in the final game of the round-robin, which placed the teams first and second respectively in the standings for the gold and silver medals. Had Canada won, the United States would have placed fourth.[12]
The ice hockey tournament at the 1952 Winter Olympics also doubled as that year's World Championships, the second world title won by the Mercurys.[13] The 1952 gold medal by the Mercurys was not repeated by a Canadian team until the 2002 Winter Olympics.[14]
1952 Winter Olympics roster
- Coach: Louis Holmes
- Players: George Abel, John Davies, Billie Dawe, Bruce Dickson, Donald Gauf, William Gibson, Ralph Hansch, Robert Meyers, David Miller, Eric Paterson, Thomas Pollock, Al Purvis, Gordon Robertson, Louis Secco, Francis Sullivan, and Bob Watt[9]
1952 European tour
editThe CAHA booked European tours and accommodations for the national team through British travel agent Bunny Ahearne, who at the time was also the secretary of the British Ice Hockey Association and vice-president of the International Ice Hockey Federation.[15] Grimston and Ahearne had a physical altercation in an Oslo hotel lobby on February 25, 1952, which was not publicized until two weeks later.[16] Grimston stated that the perceived exploitation of the Edmonton Mercurys on their European tour by Ahearne led to the altercation,[15] and that the players were given only five pounds per week for expenses, which he felt was "hardly enough to pay their laundry and some postage stamps".[17]
The Edmonton Mercurys continued playing after "heated discussions" in which the team threatened to shorten the tour and accused Ahearne of "siphoning profits" beyond his 10 per cent cut.[16] When the hockey tournament at the 1952 Winter Olympics ended on February 25, the Mercurys subsequently played in and won the inaugural Ahearne Cup tournament in Stockholm, played from February 27 to March 2. The Mercurys played three games and defeated the Stockholm Lions by a 12–2 score, the United States national team by a 7–1 score, and the Sweden national team by a 4–1 score.[18]
Hall of Fame recognition
editThe 1950 World Champion version of the Edmonton Mercurys team was inducted to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.[19]
The 1952 Olympic and World Champion Edmonton Mercurys team was inducted to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1968,[20] and was inducted to the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2002.[21][22]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Michael McKinley. It's Our Game: Celebrating 100 Years Of Hockey Canada. Penguin Canada; 28 October 2014. ISBN 978-0-14-319309-8. p. 107–.
- ^ Dan Robson. Quinn: The Life of a Hockey Legend. Penguin Canada; 3 November 2015. ISBN 978-0-14-319603-7. p. 29–.
- ^ "Edmonton Mercurys were last team to win second-straight hockey gold for Canada". Toronto Star, Curtis Rush, Feb. 23, 2014
- ^ "Hockey Hero Helped Canada Win God". Edmonton Journal, June 1, 2013
- ^ Edmonton Mercurys at the Canadian Encyclopedia
- ^ "Two in a row for the Mercurys". Lethbridge Herald, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. January 12, 1950. page 12.
- ^ "Edmonton Mercurys To Represent Canada". Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Manitoba. 15 August 1949. p. 18.
- ^ "Championnats du monde 1950". Hockey Archives (in French). Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ a b Tom King. The Legendary Game - Ultimate Hockey Trivia. Trafford Publishing; 6 October 2010. ISBN 978-1-4269-4380-5. p. 8–.
- ^ "Mercurys Are Chosen For 1952 Olympics". Lethbridge Herald. Lethbridge, Alberta. 30 July 1951. p. 11.
- ^ "No Rowdyism Says I.I.H.F. Chief Kraatz". Lethbridge Herald. Lethbridge, Alberta. 22 February 1952. p. 18.
- ^ "U.S.-Canada Tie Rapped In Russia". Charleston Gazette. Charleston, West Virginia. 28 February 1952. p. 15. ; "Reds Suggest Fix Was On". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. 28 February 1952. p. 23.
- ^ "Jeux Olympiques d'Oslo 1952". Hockey Archives (in French). Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "Olympic repeat first in 62 years: Edmonton-based team was last to defend Canadian gold" . Toronto Star. Toronto, Ont. Rush, Curtis. Feb 24, 2014 S.4
- ^ a b Gordon, David S.; Harris, Martin C. (2019). Lion in Winter: A Complete Record of Great Britain at the Olympic, World and European Ice Hockey Championships, 1910–1981. London, England: British Ice Hockey Heritage Publications. pp. 211–212. ISBN 9781527247475 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "Ahearne In Trouble With C.A.H.A. Again". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. 7 March 1952. p. 23.
- ^ "Canadian Backer Peeved By Puck Team Treatment". Pacific Stars and Stripes. Tokyo, Japan. 9 March 1952. p. 12.
- ^ "Matches internationaux 1951/52" [International Matches 1951/52]. hockeyarchives.info (in French). Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "Edmonton Waterloo Mercurys 1950". Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ^ "Edmonton Waterloo Mercurys 1952". Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ^ "1952 Edmonton Mercurys Men's Hockey Team". Canadian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 15 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
[note: official page oddly provides no data beyond name - see next citation for further detail]
- ^ Members (to Class of 2014) of the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame | Team: Helsinki 1952 Edmonton Waterloo Mercury's Men's Hockey Team | Year Inducted: 2002 (PDF) (Report). Canadian Olympic Committee. 2014. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
