RCAF Flyers
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| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men's Ice hockey | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1948 St. Moritz | Team competition | |
The RCAF Flyers was a Canadian ice hockey team that won the gold medal in the 1948 Winter Olympics.
In late 1947, the International Olympic Committee instituted strict guidelines on what would be considered amateur status for Olympic competition. As a result, the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) decided it could not put together a good enough team to compete and therefore not to put forth a team for competition at the 1948 St. Moritz Olympics.
Sandy Watson, senior medical officer at Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) headquarters subsequently convinced the Association that the RCAF could assemble a team, and they agreed. After some controversy over whether to also include Army service men in the team, it was determined that the team would be strictly airmen only. When the final 17-man roster was announced, an exhibition tour began and doubts quickly emerged as the team was beaten by university and army teams.
The team also had funding challenges. Sidney Dawes, founder of the Canadian Olympic Committee called Sydney Dobson, the President of the Royal Bank of Canada, and asked for the bank's help in getting the team to the Winter Games. The bank agreed and the Flyers were able to compete.[1]
A few last minute men were added to the roster, including some who were quickly put through medicals to become airmen in order to qualify for the team.
Contents |
[edit] Team Roster
[edit] Goaltenders
- Cpl Ross King, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
- LAC Murray Dowey, Toronto.
[edit] Defence
- LAC Roy Forbes, Vancouver.
- FSgt Louie Lecompte, Ottawa
- F/O Frank Dunster, Ottawa
- André LaPerrière, Montreal
[edit] Forwards
- F/O Reg Schroeter, Ottawa
- Cpl Patsy Guzzo, Ottawa
- Cpl Irving Taylor, Ottawa
- AC1 Orville Gravelle, Aylmer, Quebec
- George Mara, Naval Reserve, Toronto
- Wally Halder, Naval Reserve, Toronto
- Sgt Andy Gilpin, Montreal
- AC1 Pete Leichnitz, Ottawa
- AC1 Ted Hibberd, Ottawa
- LAC Ab Renaud, Ottawa
- F/O Hubert Brooks, Montreal
[edit] Coach
- Sgt Frank Boucher, Ottawa
[edit] Manager
- S/L Sandy Watson, Ottawa
[edit] Trainer
- Cpl George McFaul, Ottawa
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- McLauchlin, Les. " Good Gid, Olympic Gold!", The Airforce, Spring, 1998. Accessed April 21, 2008.
